Clueless over life jackets

20/01/2010

GEORGE TOWN: While there are ample life jackets on board ferries that ply between the mainland and Penang island, whether they are useful during emergencies remains to be seen,

A check by The Star showed that a majority of passengers know where life jackets are stored in the vessel but only two out of five interviewed know the proper way to put one on.

Universiti Utara Malaysia accounting student Lim Yik Fong said she knew where the life jackets were stored but not how to wear it.

“Nobody has ever told us how to put a life jacket on,” said the 21-year-old student.

Safety gear: Marine Department inspector Mohd Asri Abd Razak and chief officer of the ferry Labuan Express Enam, Muhd Huzaifah Abdul Ghani (left), showing passengers how to put on a life jacket before the vessel departs from Kuala Kedah to Langkawi Tuesday.

Staff nurse V. Jagedhiswary, 24, also said that she did not know how to put on a life jacket but “would learn now”.

Form Four student Chuah Seang Ling also had no idea how to put on the jacket.

“I can’t swim but I’m not afraid to take the ferry every day,” said the Sri Olympia High School student.

Civil servant Arifin Ismail, 49, was more prepared – he “sort of knows” how to wear a life jacket based on instructions and pictures pasted on board the ferry.

Penang Port Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Ahmad Ibnihajar said an average of 6,500 passengers use the ferry services daily along with some 3,500 cars and 5,500 motorcycles.

“On each trip, the ferry accommodates about 300 passengers,” he said.

He said the ferries carry additional life jackets in case of an emergency.

Ahmad said the life jackets are examined and tested annually when the vessels undergo annual inspection.

He also said that the ferry crew members were trained to assist passengers during emergencies.

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Student safety is paramount
Dad donates RM2,000 to fulfil son’s wish
Dragon boat tragedy: Tears and more tears from family, teachers and friends
Mishap should not deter others from joining sport

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/20/nation/5505161&sec=nation

Student safety is paramount

20/01/2010

GEORGE TOWN: The Education Ministry has always reminded school authorities to adhere to safety guidelines for co-curricular activities, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Education Minister said that some parents had voiced concern on their children’s safety when they participated in such activities.

“They hope there will be proper security measures taken and proper preparations made before the activities are carried out. I explained that all this while, we have asked school authorities especially teachers to abide by the safety guidelines,” he said.

Muhyiddin, however, said it was up to the teachers’ own discretion as there were so many co-curricular activities.

Soldier on: Muhyiddin giving words of encouragement to some of the survivors of the dragon boat tragedy Tuesday. — Bernama

“There are about 10,000 schools in Malaysia and as I am talking here, many students could be engaged in co-curricular activities somewhere that we might not be able to monitor. That is why it is important for them to place safety as the utmost important aspect,” he said.

The Deputy Prime Minister also expressed condolences to the families of the six victims who were killed in the dragon boat mishap on Sunday and presented RM3,000 from the Home Ministry emergency fund and RM1,000 from the Education Ministry to the families at the Batu Gantong crematorium here yesterday.

The survivors were given RM200 each from the Education Ministry.

The ministry will also make arrangements to posthumously confirm Chin Aik Siang’s status as a teacher.

Chin had just started teaching for slightly more than a year, so his status had yet to be ascertained.

In Petaling Jaya, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said the search and rescue team did their best in trying to rescue the students.

He said credit should be given to the Fire and Rescue Department, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, police and other rescue organisations.

“Although the ‘cloudy’ water where the dragon boat capsized hampered rescue efforts, the authorities did their best,” he said.

Kong was commenting on criticisms levelled at the department that rescue work was slow.

Meanwhile, PAS extended its condolences to the families of the victims and urged the authorities to investigate the incident thoroughly.

Related Stories:
Dad donates RM2,000 to fulfil son’s wish
Dragon boat tragedy: Tears and more tears from family, teachers and friends
Mishap should not deter others from joining sport
Clueless over life jackets

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/20/nation/5505183&sec=nation

Dad donates RM2,000 to fulfil son’s wish

20/01/2010

GEORGE TOWN: Despite his grief over the loss of his son Jason Ch’ng who died in the dragon boat tragedy on Sunday, Ch’ng Chin Teik has pledged RM2,000 to ensure Jason’s wish to raise funds for charity is fulfilled.

Past District Governor of Lions Club International District 308 B2 Kenneth Saw said Jason, who was president of the Leo Club of Chung Ling High School, was given the go-ahead to lead a charity drive before his term expired in June.

Words of comfort: Ch’ng being consoled by one of his son’s schoolmates at the funeral parlour Tuesday

He said Jason was an active and dedicated leader who came up with the idea to raise funds for several charitable organisations as part of the club’s community programme.

Seeing that his son would now never carry out his plans, Ch’ng gave the club RM2,000.

“We’re very touched by his kind gesture,” said Saw when met at the Kwang Tung and Tengchow Association Funeral Parlour in Mount Erskine here yesterday.

Ch’ng when met, only muttered: “He would have wanted it to continue.”

During the funeral service, members of the Leo Club gathered around Jason’s coffin to sing and read out the “Leo Pledge”.

The crowd shed tears when Leo members cried, “Jason . . . Roar, Roar, Roar” three times before monks performed prayers.

Ch’ng walked around to thank the hundreds of people who turned up at the funeral parlour before the cortege left for the Batu Gantong crematorium.

Chung Ling High School chartered seven buses to ferry more than 300 students and teachers to the funeral parlour and the crematorium.

Related Stories:
Dragon boat tragedy: Tears and more tears from family, teachers and friends
Mishap should not deter others from joining sport
Student safety is paramount
Clueless over life jackets

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/20/nation/5501833&sec=nation

Dragon boat tragedy: Tears and more tears from family, teachers and friends

20/01/2010

Penang dragon boat victims laid to rest

GEORGE TOWN: It was an emotionally-charged scene when family members, teachers and friends bade farewell to teacher Chin Aik Siang and two students who drowned in the dragon boat tragedy on Sunday.

Many came by the busloads from Chung Ling High School to pay their last respects to Chin, 28, Jason Ch’ng, 17, and Wang Yong Xiang, 16. The funeral services were held in different locations yesterday.

At Chin’s funeral, friends and relatives consoled his mother Lee Bee Hong, 56, who wept uncontrollably. The funeral was held in an open space below their flat block in Jalan Mohd Saad, Bagan Jermal here.

“Why did you have to go? Mummy loves you very much. I never thought you would go so soon,” Lee sobbed.

The hearse carrying his remains later went on a 1km procession accompanied by his sisters Dr Chin Im Im, 32, and Chin Shih Shih, 34, as well as a host of people including students and teachers, before heading for the Berapit crematorium at noon.

Deeply touched: Hajah Hasina Taha, 82, paying her respects to teacher Chin Aik Siang at his funeral service outside his family’s flat in Jalan Mohd Saad in Bagan Jermal, Butterworth, Tuesday. Hasina, from Penaga, Kepala Batas, said she was visiting a relative in the neighbourhood when she heard about the tragic deaths of Chin and five students in Sunday’s dragon boat tragedy. ‘Although, I did not know him, I wanted to pay my respects. It’s a pity that he died so tragically at a young age,’ she said at the funeral that was attended by about 500 people.

On the island, the funeral services of Jason at the Mount Erskine funeral parlour and Yong Xiang at his home in Johor Road were equally emotionally-charged.

More than 1,000 friends and relatives turned up for Jason’s funeral. Many of his friends consoled each other as they bade their last goodbye to the bright and popular student.

A few female friends from Union High School and Penang Chinese Girl’s High School arrived in their school uniform and broke down the moment they saw his casket.

When the band played the song Peng You (Friend), his friends tearfully joined in.

Eric Tan, 17, who used to hang out with Jason and Brendon Yeoh (who also died in the tragedy), said the two were “simply the craziest buddies I had ever known”.

“They even decided to name our gang Apom just because we love to eat Apom so much. I will miss them very much.

“There were five of us in our gang and we were very close. We were always together. Now, there is just three of us left,” he said.

Students who brought along gifts, drawings and letters placed them on top of Jason’s casket.

Over at Yong Xiang’s funeral, miniature bamboo structures usually constructed during annual Scouts’ camps were placed on his casket as a farewell gift.

A student, who declined to be named, said they decided to make him the structures since Wang, a scout member, would no longer join them in the camps.

It was a heart-wrenching scene as Yong Xiang’s parents took a last glimpse of their only child and his friends made their long bow before the casket was wheeled into the hearse.

Solemn oath: Chung Ling High School’s Leo Club members sobbing as they recite the Leo Pledge at Jason’s funeral Tuesday.

His remains were cremated at the Mount Erskine crematorium while Jason’s at the Batu Gantong crematorium.

Yong Xiang’s father Wang Hong Gun, 56, said he would not be taking legal action against the school as “what is done is done”.

Leaders led by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin visited the tragedy site where Chin, Jason and Yong Xiang and three others perished during training at sea.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, was briefed by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Penang police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Wira Ayub Yaakob.

Meanwhile, Chin’s family members are puzzled as to why he had been on board the ill-fated vessel when he could not swim.

Lee said her son was not a swimmer, and that news of him drowning from participating in a water sports activity, came as a shock to them.

“He told me he was going to school for another co-curricular activity but did not say he was going for dragon boat training.

“I was later told that he had only been appointed as the school’s dragon boat club adviser barely a month back,” she said.

Related Stories:
Student safety is paramount
Dad donates RM2,000 to fulfil son’s wish
Mishap should not deter others from joining sport
Clueless over life jackets

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/20/nation/5504598&sec=nation

Prospek sasar 5,000 pelajar dapat pendedahan IPT

20/01/2010

Oleh Khairina Yasin
kayrina@bharian.com.my

KOLEJ kediaman ke-4, Universiti Malaya (UM) selaku penganjur Projek Seminar Pendidikan Kebangsaan (Prospek) 2010 akan memastikan kira-kira 5,000 pelajar sekolah menengah terpilih akan mendapat manfaat daripada penganjuran program pendidikan itu tahun ini.

Projek memasuki tahun ketiga dengan kerjasama akhbar Berita Harian itu akan membabitkan dua fasa iaitu Fasa 1 bermula Januari hingga Mac, manakala Fasa 2, Mei ini di seluruh negara.

Pengarah program, Mohd Akmal Zainol Abidin, berkata 14 siri penjelajahan Prospek Fasa 1 bermula 9 Januari lalu dengan lokasi pertama di Gombak, Selangor diikuti Kota Tinggi, Johor pada 16 Januari. 

Katanya, lokasi seterusnya adalah Kuala Lipis, Pahang pada 30 Januari, Hulu Terengganu, Terengganu (31 Januari), Tumpat, Kelantan (1 Februari), Pulau Pinang (6 Februari), Kulim, Kedah (31 Januari), Kerian, Perak (6 Februari), Melaka Tengah (20 Februari), Ampang, Selangor (6 Mac).

“Fasa kedua Prospek akan diadakan di Universiti Malaysia Sabah pada 15 hingga 17 Mei dan Miri, Sarawak pada 16 hingga 18 Mei). Penjelajahan ke Sabah dan Sarawak adalah usaha kami untuk memastikan pelajar di negeri itu turut mendapat manfaat projek ini yang sebelum ini hanya tertumpu di Semenanjung saja,” katanya.

Katanya, pengisian Prospek masih menjuruskan kepada pendedahan maklumat mengenai institusi pengajian tinggi awam dan swasta berkaitan penawaran program yang ditawarkan setiap institusi terbabit.

Mohd Akmal menjelaskan, peserta turut didedahkan dengan informasi berkaitan pinjaman serta peluang biasiswa selain skop hala tuju pengajian selepas menduduki Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) bagi memastikan pemilihan kursus pengajian yang tepat.

“Setiap lokasi mensasarkan 500 pelajar Tingkatan Empat, Lima dan Enam sekolah menengah berpeluang mengikuti Prospek selain turut mensasarkan penjualan buku Prospek yang boleh dijadikan rujukan kepada pelajar.

“Buku panduan itu mengandungi maklumat asas pengajian tinggi selain senarai ringkas kursus pengajian ditawarkan mengikut universiti bertujuan memudahkan pelajar membuat pilihan IPT dan kursus, biasiswa dan bantuan kewangan yang ditawarkan agensi kerajaan dan badan bukan kerajaan,” katanya.

http://http://www.bharian.com.my/Current_News/BH/Wednesday/Pendidikan/20100120074143/Article/index_html