Malay Dilemma: Politicians have been cursed to die young !

Health Ministry to send health forms to MPs, state reps

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 — Health forms are to be sent to all MPs and state assemblymen to gauge their physical condition and provide help if necessary.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said today the initiative followed the number of cases of elected representatives dying in office due to health problems since the 2008 general election.

The MPs and assemblymen need not fill the forms if they did not wish to, he said, but his ministry wanted them to know that it was ready to help.

Health departments nationwide had already been directed to send the forms to the elected representatives in their areas as soon as possible.

“We feel responsible for helping to keep elected representatives healthy. We can help in making appointments for them (with doctors) and ‘arranging’ medical examinations and if necessary monitor their health condition,” Liow (picture) told reporters here.

He did not however think it necessary to require all who wanted to contest in an election to be certified as fit.

“I believe all politicians know how important it is for them to look after their health,” Liow said.

He also said that the ministry will investigate reports that the husband of PAS candidate in the Tenang by-election Normala Sudirman abused the medical leave he got from a government clinic to campaign for his wife.

Maarof Abd Mutalib, a teacher, was first given 14 days’ medical leave, up to January 23. He was reported to have had it extended by five days as he continued to campaign for Normala. — Bernama