“I’M waiting for someone to call me a pendatang!” says Datin Mina Cheah-Foong. “I never thought to question my right to be here or my role as a Malaysian in the context of where my family came from.” Indeed, why would she need to? Nation building runs in the family. Cheah-Foong may not be planting […]
AIDS
Let’s talk about sex, please
By Gan Pei Ling
TO its credit, the government is trying to introduce sex education in schools. From mid-2009 till end of 2011, the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry and the Education Ministry are implementing a pilot project targeting 16- and 17-year-olds in five schools. “The ministry hopes to use the outcome from the project to advocate for […]
Being AIDS aware
Compiled by Nick Choo
HIV/AIDS is a global pandemic affecting millions of lives every day. Each year, the infection rate of HIV grows exponentially, especially in underdeveloped and developing nations. In Malaysia, 13 persons get infected daily. To date, 87,000 Malaysians have developed AIDS, of which 13,000 have died from AIDS-related illnesses. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges facing […]
Keeping HIV/AIDS centrestage
By Nick ChooTHE stage, like any other forum, can be used to discuss issues that affect humankind, even though not all forms of theatre are interactive. Often there is a clear divide between the stage and the seats, which creates a sometimes necessary distance between audience and performer. This tends to work in favour of both actor […]
Efforts to curb HIV spread thwarted
By Ding Jo-AnnNeedle and syringe exchange kit used as part of a programme aimed at drug users, who comprise about 75% of those detected with HIV/AIDS in Malaysia TWENTY-three years after the first HIV infection was detected in Malaysia and 11,400 deaths from AIDS later, health workers are still facing obstacles from the authorities in preventing the […]
Sex and the constitution
By Marina Mahathir(Source: nassaulibrary.org) IN mid-August 2009, the 9th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) took place. Amid discussions on medical, biological, funding and governance issues, there was a very healthy track packed with much debate — as well as much angst — about human rights issues. The idea that human rights is […]
“Kalau you separuh babi pun I terima”
By Shanon ShahSULASTRI Ariffin has been around the world. Manager of the mak nyah (trans women) programme at PT Foundation, she has participated and spoken at conferences on HIV and sexuality in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Australia, Sri Lanka, India, Australia, Canada, Mexico, and Switzerland. She has even met Richard Gere — twice. But in her 15 […]
One Aids death recorded daily
KUALA LUMPUR, 19 March 2009: An average of one Aids death and three HIV infections are recorded daily in the country, the Dewan Rakyat was told today. Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abd Latif Ahmad said the figure was based on the number of HIV infections, totalling 80,000 cases a year. He said there was […]
Reviewing M’sia’s human rights
By Deborah LohPETALING JAYA, 10 Feb 2009: A significant moment in Malaysia’s human rights journey will take place tomorrow, but may be unfortunately eclipsed by the ongoing political turmoil in Perak. For the first time, Malaysia’s human rights record will undergo peer review at the United Nations in Geneva through a process called the Universal Periodic Review […]
Gerakan hits out at Perak MB’s view on people with HIV
IPOH, 22 Dec 2008: Gerakan Deputy President Datuk Chang Ko Youn today hit out at the suggestion by Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin yesterday that people with HIV must never be allowed to marry and should instead be quarantined for treatment. Describing the idea as primitive, Chang said such an idea had […]
