logo
Teluk Intan FRU truck crash: Six FRU officers remain in hospital, one discharged, says Perak Health director

Teluk Intan FRU truck crash: Six FRU officers remain in hospital, one discharged, says Perak Health director

Malay Mail17-05-2025
TELUK INTAN, May 17 — Six more Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) members involved in the road crash here last Tuesday are still undergøing treatment, while another was discharged yesterday.
Perak Health Director Dr. Feisul Idzwan Mustapha said that of the six, five of them are being treated at Teluk Intan Hospital (HTI) and the other at the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital (HRPB), Ipoh.
'Of the five patients currently receiving treatment at HTI, four of them are in the ICU while the other is in the Surgical Ward, and his condition is improving and may be discharged soon,' he said when met by reporters at HTI today.
Earlier, the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, met the family members of the FRU personnel at the hospital.
Meanwhile, on the condition of the FRU personnel in the ICU of HRPB, Dr. Feisul Idzwan said he is beginning to regain consciousness and is showing good progress, despite suffering serious injuries.
Meanwhile, he said that for patients at HTI, those in the ICU are showing good progress, with one of them requiring close observation.
In the incident at 8.50 am last Tuesday, nine FRU members were killed, while nine others were injured after the truck they were in was involved in an accident with a gravel-laden lorry on Jalan Chikus-Sungai Lampam, Teluk Intan, while on the way back to the base in Sungai Senam here. — Bernama
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Vapeonomics: How a ban risks repeating the cigarette mistake — Yugendran T. Kannu Sivakumaran
Vapeonomics: How a ban risks repeating the cigarette mistake — Yugendran T. Kannu Sivakumaran

Malay Mail

time2 hours ago

  • Malay Mail

Vapeonomics: How a ban risks repeating the cigarette mistake — Yugendran T. Kannu Sivakumaran

AUGUST 18 — With the recent news of the Ministry of Health looking into banning vapes due to their impact on health and society, it is high time we look into the ramifications this hardline approach could cause. Since the time of the prohibition in the 1920s in the United States, we have seen how a hardline stance like this can totally backfire, and with the MOH's current plan of a total ban, if implemented rashly or not holistically, we may see drastic consequences. Due to data on e-cigarettes being limited, we will look into a comparison with cigarettes to come to an understanding of why a total ban may be regressive. As it stands in 2024, 55 per cent of cigarettes are illicit. This costs the Malaysian government RM 5 billion annually in missed revenue. Now, when we look at this in the case of a total ban on e-cigarettes, the first thing is we are losing a taxable revenue source. From 2021 to 2024, e-cigarettes and vapes collected RM 183.1 million in tax revenue. Yes, this is a far cry from cigarettes, but as the vape market grows — with Malaysia being the 12th largest vape market in the world — we stand to lose not only this revenue but also risk the rise of an illicit market. This can lead to massive consequences, ranging from loss of revenue, as we see with the illicit cigarette market, to health consequences. Over the years, we have seen a decline in the illicit cigarette market share, from its all-time high of 63.8 per cent in 2020 to 55 per cent in 2024. This drop can be attributed to the increase in the MOHA budget, which rose from RM 16.9 billion in 2020 to RM 19 billion in 2024. The reason why we are bringing this up is that, in order to combat the illicit market that may arise from vapes, we will probably need to increase this budget in order to combat this illicit trade. This battle will be continuous and will cost taxpayers a pretty penny. In addition to that, banning may lead to the opposite outcome when it comes to health, as people who get their fix from the illicit market may use unregulated products that can cause life-threatening symptoms. One of the biggest criticisms of vapes comes from a sudden vape-related illness known as EVALI (E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury) that arose in 2019. This affected over 2,000 people in the United States, whereas in Malaysia in 2023, EVALI was suspected as a cause of death for a Malaysian vape user. But in the United States, it was found that most cases of EVALI were caused by counterfeit vape liquids that contained many more harmful toxins compared to regular liquids. These toxins ranged from pesticides to plasticisers. So, by banning, this can lead to the floodgates opening and allowing more toxic vapes into the Malaysian market, which can lead to a worse outcome for health. A hammer-down approach may sound appealing in theory, but without a holistic strategy, it is unlikely to be effective. Malaysia first needs a comprehensive plan to combat illicit trade at its borders, or else, even with a ban, the illicit market will grow — putting us right back at ground zero. In the meantime, rather than imposing a total ban, the government could focus on stricter regulations, such as standardising e-cigarette liquid formulas to ensure they do not contain harmful chemicals that cause immediate and severe health risks. By addressing the problem from a micro perspective rather than only the macro, we can work towards more effective reforms and a healthier Malaysia. *The author of this article is Yugendran T. Kannu Sivakumaran of Bait Al Amanah. Bait Al Amanah is an independent research institute that promotes policy and decision-making through sound, independent, and multidisciplinary research and analysis in areas of governance and democracy, economics, security, and issues of national importance. **This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

Increase tobacco tax to RM0.77 per stick in 2026 budget, says think tank
Increase tobacco tax to RM0.77 per stick in 2026 budget, says think tank

Free Malaysia Today

time19 hours ago

  • Free Malaysia Today

Increase tobacco tax to RM0.77 per stick in 2026 budget, says think tank

Malaysia's tobacco tax currently accounts for 58.6% of retail prices, below the World Health Organization's recommendation of 75%. (Pixabay pic) PETALING JAYA : A health think tank today called for the excise duties on cigarettes and other tobacco products to be raised to at least RM0.77 per stick in the next federal budget. Azrul Khalib, CEO of the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy, said raising the excise tax would lift its share of the retail price to 61% and bring in an additional RM771.8 million in revenue. 'Malaysia spends an estimated RM16 billion annually treating smoking-related illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and lung cancer,' he said in a statement. 'For every RM1 collected from tobacco excise duties, RM4 is spent on treating smoking-related diseases. We do not yet know how much will be spent on treating vape-related diseases.' Malaysia's tobacco tax currently accounts for 58.6% of retail prices, below the World Health Organization's recommendation of 75%. The excise rate has not been raised since September 2014, when it was increased from 28 sen to 40 sen per stick. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has indicated that the government is considering a hike. When announcing the 13th Malaysia Plan, he said the government would broaden its 'pro-health' tax beyond sugary products to cover tobacco, vapes and alcohol as well. He said the expanded tax framework aimed not only to increase revenue, but more critically, to encourage behavioural change and curb the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases. Separately, Azrul said the ban on the open display of cigarettes, vape and e-cigarettes under the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 also needed to be carried out. He said enforcement had been delayed from April to October, allowing continued open sales. 'Experience from countries such as Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Australia with the display ban in place has shown that it works to reduce smoking initiation, which is common during adolescence,' he said.

48 more ‘wellness hubs' to promote healthy lifestyles
48 more ‘wellness hubs' to promote healthy lifestyles

Free Malaysia Today

time19 hours ago

  • Free Malaysia Today

48 more ‘wellness hubs' to promote healthy lifestyles

Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad (centre) at the newly-opened wellness hub in Kuala Langat, Selangor, today. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : The health ministry is to set up 48 more wellness hub community centres across the country to help promote a healthy lifestyle among the people, health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said. He said 33 such hubs have been established since 2020 in urban and rural areas and the remaining 48 hubs are expected to be completed by 2033, Bernama reported. 'While hospitals and clinics play a crucial role, I regard wellness bubs as the cornerstone of healthcare, particularly in urban and rural areas, offering substantial support for people's health,' he said at the opening of a wellness hub in Kuala Langat, Selangor. A new facility will be launched in Kuala Selangor later this year, the fourth in the state, after Hulu Langat, Sabak Bernam and Kuala Langat. Dzulkefly said the centres had helped nearly 1.5 million Malaysians, of whom 75% had successfully lost weight, 74% improved their physical fitness, and 54% quit smoking. He said the wellness hubs, formerly known as community health promotion centres, have been upgraded into community centres that offer health and wellness services, focussing on behavioural changes and promoting consistent, sustainable healthy lifestyles. At today's ceremony, the ministry entered a collaboration with the fire and rescue department on health and wellness initiatives, including activities at the Fire and Rescue Academy and fire stations. Dzulkefly said more than 1,100 firefighters have taken part in activities at wellness hubs and most of them have successfully lost weight and become more fit.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store