NIK AZIZ

NIK AZIZ: ISA is wrong in Islam

KOTA BARU: Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat said yesterday he hoped that Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Da-tuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would not be detained under the Internal Security Act.

"I hope he will not face it as the public has been condemning the use of the ISA. Even a minister was willing to step down to protest it. I hope that in the spirit of Ramadan, this will not happen."

The Pas spiritual leader said this after meeting Terengganu Pas commissioner Datuk Mus-tafa Ali yesterday.


Nik Aziz said the government should consider the wishes of the public, especially with the resignation of de facto law minister Datuk Zaid Ibra-him, who spoke out against recent ISA arrests.

"The ISA does not give the accused a chance to defend himself. This is wrong as in Islam, the accused is allowed to defend himself."
Meanwhile, the meeting yesterday was believed to be an effort to mend fences bet-ween the two over Mustafa's statement criticising Pakatan Rakyat for giving false hope to its supporters on the purported Sept 16 takeover of the government.


Nik Aziz, who was upset by the statement, had criticised Mustafa in the party's organ, Harakah.


SOURCE: http://www.nst.com.my

CHIKUNGUNYA OUTBREAK

2008/08/09

Johor district worst hit by chikungunya outbreak

By : Syed Umar Ariff

Fang Yun Huat helps his neighbour, M.K. Thangathimuthu, to demonstrate the weakness in his hand after the infection believed to be caused by Chikungunya fever.

TANGKAK: About three weeks ago, Umamaniam Muthusamy had a high fever.

Saraswathy Govinda, Thangathimuthu wife, has similar problems.

Other than headaches, the 49-year-old tuition teacher also suffered from severe joint pains, especially on her arms and hands. These are symptoms of the chikungunya fever.

"It was awful. I couldn't even do the simplest household chores, such as mopping or scrubbing the floor," she said at her house in Jalan Sawmill here yesterday.

"It hurt so much that I could not bend to scrub the floor or even grip the mop."


Umamaniam sought treatment at the Tangkak Hospital, where she was put on saline drips and prescribed some pills for her headache.
She was not hospitalised. Three days later, Umamaniam's fever subsided, but the joint pains have lingered.



"Although I am feeling much better, the joint pains won't go away," she said, adding that her uncle, M.K. Thangathimuthu, 70, and aunt Saraswathy Govinda, 60, who lived nearby, also suffered from the same symptoms.

Umamaniam asked her neighbours whether they had suffered from chikungunya fever.

To her surprise, she discovered that at least one person in every household in her area was down with the symptoms.



"There are about 200 families in this area and you can say that at least one in every family has had high fever."

Tangkak is in the Ledang district, a district in Johor believed to be the worst hit by chikungunya fever.



The New Straits Times reported yesterday that the country was on high alert for chikungunya following outbreaks in Johor, Perak, Negri Sembilan and Malacca.

Umamaniam's neighbour, Fang Yun Huat, 47, said his father, Fang Wai Chee, died three weeks ago after suffering red rashes, high fever and severe joint pains early last month. He was 83.

"Initially, we rushed him to the local hospital, where he was also put on saline drips and given antibiotics.



"We returned home the same day and, to my relief, my father said he felt better."

However, two days later, Wai Chee fell ill again and was later admitted to a specialist centre in Ayer Keroh.

"He died four days from the day he was warded. The doctor did not mention the name of the fever, but said it was new in the country and was carried by mosquitoes."

Meanwhile, Thangathimuthu suspects that swiftlets' nests in buildings near his home might have contributed to the spread of the fever.



"I learnt that several open water retainers were placed in the nests for the birds to bathe and drink.

"I don't think the water is changed often and I believe this place has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes."

ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.nst.com.my

RECIPES

Masak lemak cekur ikan keli


Ingredients1/2kg catfish (ikan keli), barbecued

To be ground:

10 cili padi
3 shallots
2 garlic
500ml fresh coconut milk
5 pieces daun cekor,
cleaned and sliced thinly
1 piece asam jawa
Salt to taste

Method

1. Put coconut milk into a medium-sized pot, add the ground ingredients, and mix well. Cook over medium fire.

2. Add the barbecued catfish, cook till the gravy begins to boil. Stir constantly.

3. Add salt, asam keping and daun cekur into the gravy, and cook over slow fire for another 10 minutes. Stir constantly.4. When the gravy thickens, it is ready to be served.

- Recipe contributed by Suriyati Paijo


NOTE: YOU CAN GIVE ME A FOOD RESIPES AT MY COMMENT OR E-MAIL AT NAZA_KKM@YAHOO.COM .... TQ

HOME RECYCLING

5 tips to help with home recycling

by: David Lynes - Loans4

The issue of recycling has been an important one for some years, but recently, with councils resorting to fortnightly collections in a bid to encourage recycling, this is an issue that has been receiving increased attention across the country. Councils are doing what they can to encourage recycling by providing recycle bins to households to make this task easier, and the government has pledged to increase the number of recycling bins in public areas to also encourage this activity.

We can all do our bit for the environment, help to reduce landfill site waste, and help others by recycling many of the items in our home – not just rubbish but all sorts of items. And once you get the hang of recycling you will find that it is an easy, effective, and useful way to do your bit for the environment.

1. Learn more about what can be recycled. Many people just think about things like cans or bottles when they think about recycling, but you can actually recycle pretty much anything. This includes textiles, rubber, building, materials, carton and cardboard, and more. Before you automatically throw something into to rubbish for collection think carefully about whether you could actually recycle the item in some way.

2. Familiarize yourself with the recycling bins in the area. There are different recycle bins for different things, such as some for bottles and cans, some for textiles, etc. The government has also promised to increase the number of recycling bins in public areas. In the meantime, it is a good idea to try and familiarise yourself with where the bins are in your area so that you know where to go to recycle your items.

3. Make use of the council recycle bin. Local authorities have issued many households with recycle bins now so there is no excuse for not being able to recycle. Make use of this facility and recycle as much as you can – with a bin on your doorstep there is not additional hassle involved and you could really help the environment in the long term.

4. Make sure that you use the right recycle bins for the right products. It can be encouraging to also use the recycle bins in public areas, as this will encourage others to do the same if they see you and others recycling their waste. However, do make sure that you use the recycle bins appropriately and don’t just stick all of your items into one recycle bin, as they are separate depending on the type of product that you are recycling.

5. Save on fuel and emissions. Wherever possible, if you have to drive to take your recycled waste to a public recycle bin area try and drop your recycling whilst on your way somewhere rather than making a special trip. This will save any additional pollution from driving and will save you petrol. Better still, if the recycling area is not far then take a stroll up there!

articles source: http://www.articlecity.com