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New Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Health
- New Straits Times
SST on private healthcare may drive up cost
ISKANDAR PUTERI: The newly imposed six per cent expanded Sales and Service Tax (SST) on private healthcare services for non-citizens could quietly inflate medical costs across the board, raising real concerns over affordability, equity and long-term system resilience. Gleneagles Hospital Johor chief executive officer and regional chief executive officer of Southern and Eastern IHH Malaysia, Dr Kamal Amzan, said that while the government maintains the tax targets medical tourists and expatriates, its ripple effects may land much closer to home. "Healthcare is not made up of standalone bills. It's an ecosystem held together by hundreds of interdependent services," Dr Kamal said. "By taxing services like cleaning, linen supply, lab logistics and security, which are integral to hospital operations — you are essentially taxing the cost of care itself," he told the New Straits Times. These costs are not peripheral. They form the architecture of safe, modern healthcare. Yet under the current tax framework, many contracted support services are now subject to SST — a move that could compound financial pressures on hospitals already grappling with medical inflation, wage hikes and post-Covid service recovery. "Hospitals facing slimmer margins may resort to fee increases, administrative charges, or cuts in services to stay afloat. This isn't reform — it's erosion," said Dr Kamal. This policy arrives at a time when the cost of private healthcare in Malaysia has already outpaced wage growth, with a recorded 12 per cent increase last year alone. In many hospitals, margins are tightening even as expectations for quality and safety rise. "We are taxing the scaffolding of care while pretending the house will still stand," he added. Contrary to popular belief, private hospitals are not the exclusive domain of the wealthy. Middle-income families often rely on them to avoid long queues at public hospitals. Employers turn to private facilities to minimise workplace absenteeism. Many cancer patients move between public and private care as public oncology services buckle under rising demand. "Private hospitals are the pressure valve for an overstretched public system. When access narrows in the private sector due to rising costs, patients will inevitably default to public hospitals — and they're already under immense strain," said Dr Kamal. To avoid that outcome, Dr Kamal urges the government to exempt core hospital services — such as linen supply, lab transport, cleaning and security — from SST when provided to licensed healthcare facilities. "These aren't luxuries. They're the minimum conditions for safe care," he said. The argument isn't about shielding providers from taxes. It's about aligning policy with national goals. The government is trying to rein in medical inflation. Yet this tax expansion works in the opposite direction — quietly raising costs, eroding efficiency and ultimately, reducing access. "We should be reducing the cost to deliver care, not layering it. Taxing the backbone of hospital operations while asking the industry to absorb payor discounts is a contradiction we can't afford." While the government has maintained that medicines and services for Malaysians remain tax-free, stakeholders warn that this new layer of indirect cost will ultimately find its way into patient bills — especially for those on the margins of affordability. "If we're serious about protecting the rakyat from rising healthcare costs, then exempting services that keep hospitals running isn't charity — it's common sense," said Dr Kamal. Because no hospital can deliver modern care without its invisible hands — the ones who clean, sterilise, transport and guard its patients and staff. "We've exempted apples from tax. Maybe that's fitting," Dr Kamal added wryly. "After all, an apple a day keeps the doctor away — especially when seeing one gets more expensive," he added.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
Who are the 12 men acquitted in the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts case?
Seventeen years after being charged in one of the most devastating terror attacks in the country's history, all 12 men convicted in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case were acquitted by the Bombay High Court on Monday. The court overturned a 2015 verdict by a special court set up under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA) that had handed death sentences to five men and life terms to seven others. One person was acquitted earlier. The case pertains to explosions on seven western suburban coaches in Mumbai, killing 189 commuters and injuring 824 on July 11, 2006. Calling the prosecution's case flawed and inconsistent, the court flagged unreliable witness testimonies, irregularities in identification parades, and the failure to establish even the type of explosive devices used. The men, who will walk free this week after spending nearly two decades behind bars, belong to different classes, professions, and regions – from engineers and doctors to shopkeepers and former members of the Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). Here's a look at the men who were once convicted of orchestrating the deadly train bombings and will now walk free. Those on death sentence: 1) Kamal Ahmed Mohammad Vakil Ansari: deceased in 2021 Kamal Ansari, 50, was a resident of Basopatti in Madhubani district of Bihar. He had been accused of receiving arms training in Pakistan and ferrying two Pakistani terrorists from across the Indo-Nepal border and dropping them in Mumbai. He was also accused of planting the bomb that exploded at Matunga. The youngest son of Vakil Ansari, who served as a tailor in the Indian Army, Kamal was said to have been a frequent visitor to Nepal, which is a 45-minute ride from his village. Kamal, who dabbled in various businesses, including selling poultry meat and repairing cycles, was on the police radar and had earlier been arrested in a counterfeit currency racket. He was not known to have overtly shown signs of radicalism and was known for spouting dohas (couplets) from Ramcharitmanas, written by Tulsidas. 2) Mohammed Faisal Attaur Rahman Shaikh Mira Road-based Faisal Shaikh, 50, was accused of being the head of Lashkar-e-Toiba's (LeT) Mumbai unit and convicted for being the key financier of the Mumbai train blast. He was accused of planning the conspiracy, obtaining hawala money to fund it, harbouring Pakistanis, assembling bombs, and planting them. Faisal is the eldest of three sons of Attaur Rahman, who worked in Saudi Arabia. The family, which spent some time in Pune, shifted to Mira Road, where Shaikh was allegedly indoctrinated by SIMI. In June 2001, he obtained a legitimate Indian passport, hoping to travel to Pakistan. Six months later, in January 2002, Faisal allegedly crossed the border on the Samjhauta Express and trained with the LeT in Muzaffarabad and Lahore. The police claimed that he was responsible for indoctrinating both his brothers. One of them was convicted along with him, while another is said to be on the run. It is, however, believed that Faisal was estranged from his family. 3) Ehtesham Qutbuddin Siddiqui Ehtesham Siddiqui, 42, was charged with harbouring Pakistanis, surveying trains, assembling the bombs, and planting the bomb which went off in Mira-Bhayandar. The son of Qutbuddin Siddiqui, who worked in the Gulf, Ehtesham Siddiqui left his hometown of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh and came to Maharashtra, enrolling himself in an engineering college in Pen. He, however, dropped out soon after and was reportedly drawn to SIMI. In 2001, he was picked up from a library in Kurla run by SIMI and booked. He had been on the police radar since then. Siddiqui subsequently started his own publishing business, printing books under the Shahadah Publishing House brand. Siddiqui also served as an office-bearer of SIMI's Maharashtra unit. The police claimed to have seized jihadi literature, including books like Jihad Fi Sabilillah (Crusade in the Name of Allah) and Jihadi Azkaar (Tales of Crusaders). Interestingly, these 'objectionable books' were found to be freely available across Mumbai at the time in bookstalls. 4) Naveed Hussain Khan Rasheed Call centre employee Naveed Rasheed, 44, was supposed to have helped in assembling the bombs and planting the device that exploded in Bandra. Rasheed was born in Kuwait and is supposed to have returned with his family after the death of his mother. According to reports, his mother was a Pakistani citizen who worked as an Islamic teacher in Kuwait. The family had purchased a flat in Mira Road, and Naveed had developed a strong friendship with Faisal Shaikh, who was said to be the person to chiefly fund the conspiracy. Rasheed had moved to Secunderabad, where he was working in a call centre. Police, however, claimed that he was in touch with all the accused and was in Mumbai when the blast took place. He was arrested from Secunderabad. 5) Asif Khan Bashir Khan Asif Khan, 52, was supposed to have harboured the Pakistani terrorists at Mira Road. He was responsible for procuring the pressure cookers and helped in assembling the bombs. He was also accused of planting the bomb that went off in Borivali. The lanky civil engineer hails from Jalgaon and was a known SIMI member. Two cases were filed against him in Jalgaon, including one involving a pipe bomb. His co-accused were acquitted in the case, but Khan was shown as absconding. He had by then taken up a job at a leading construction firm in Mumbai and was residing in Mira Road. After the blasts, Khan left the city and shifted to Belgaum. He was the last accused to be arrested in the case. His family, however, claims that he was working in his office when the blast occurred. Those serving life sentences: 6) Tanveer Ahmed Mohammed Ibrahim Ansari Tanveer Ansari, 50, is a resident of Agripada and was convicted of attending terror camps in Pakistan and surveying local trains in which the blasts took place. Tanveer, who has eight siblings, completed his degree in Unani medicine from Nagpur and got associated with SIMI. He denies his association with the outfit but was part of a relief team organised by the group and sent to Gujarat after the January 2001 earthquake. He was picked up months later and booked by the Mumbai police after he was found sitting at a library operated by SIMI, which had been banned by then. In spite of being booked and under surveillance, Tanveer was allowed to fly to Iran in 2004 for what he claimed was a pilgrimage. He was later picked up by the Mumbai police in 2006 from an Intensive Care Unit of a hospital, where he was treating a patient. 7) Mohammed Majid Mohammed Shafi Majid Shafi, 46, was convicted for helping six Pakistanis cross over into India through the Bangladesh border. The youngest of 12 siblings, Majid operated a footwear shop in the Raja Bazaar area of Kolkata. The police claimed that he was operating a hawala racket and would frequently cross the porous Indo-Bangladesh border. His family, however, claimed that they had relatives in Bangladesh and visits to the country were frequent. His family also asserted that the clean-shaven Majid never had any terror links or showed signs of radicalisation. Interestingly, Majid was known to be friendly with local police personnel, and his shop was a regular haunt for beat constables in the locality. He also claimed to have never visited Mumbai in his lifetime. 8) Shaikh Mohammed Ali Alam Mohammed Ali, 55, was charged with assembling bombs at his house in Govandi with the help of Pakistanis who had sneaked into India. A resident of Shivaji Nagar, one of the poorest localities in Mumbai, Mohammed Ali worked at a cooperative bank before moving to Dubai. He reportedly returned within a month and started his own business of supplying Unani medicines. Mohammed Ali used to procure medicines from Hyderabad and distribute them to Unani doctors. During this time, he started working as a SIMI operative and was known to have launched a campaign against video parlours in his locality. He had been booked for being a member of SIMI and was summoned by the police numerous times, including after the 2002–03 blasts in Mumbai. Constantly under the vigil of local police, his 100-square-foot house was allegedly used by over a dozen of the conspirators to assemble the bombs. 9) Mohammed Sajid Murgub Ansari Sajid Ansari, 47, a resident of Mira Road, was supposed to have procured timers for the bombs and helped assemble them. He also allegedly harboured two of the Pakistanis. Sajid ran a mobile repairing shop in Naya Nagar, which was frequented by the other accused. He is said to have fallen under the sway of extremist ideology. The police claimed that his technical know-how was used in the entire conspiracy and that he helped procure the timers for the bombs. Tragedy seems to have befallen Sajid's family after his arrest, with his sister passing away and his mother in critical health. Like the other accused, Sajid seems to have found solace in filing Right to Information (RTI) applications and collecting literature published by central government agencies. 10) Muzammil Ataur Rahman Shaikh A software engineer, Muzammil, 40, was supposed to have been trained in Pakistan and had surveyed the local trains that were to be bombed. He is the youngest accused in the case, and two of his brothers — Faisal and Raahil — are believed to be the main planners of the conspiracy. Raahil was never caught. Muzammil had joined Oracle Corporation in Bangalore as a software engineer a few months before the 2006 blasts. According to news reports, the Bangalore police picked him up on July 13 that year but let him off as he was not in Mumbai on the day of the train blasts. They later tipped off the Mumbai police about him after his brother Faisal was held. Locals in Mira Road vouch that Muzammil was a good student. He claims that he had nothing to do with the blast and was in Bangalore when the incident occurred. 11) Suhail Mehmood Shaikh Pune resident Suhail Shaikh, 55, was supposed to have taken arms training in Pakistan and surveyed the trains to be targeted. A resident of Bhimpura Lane in Pune's Camp area, Suhail is the eldest in the family and earned a living doing zari work and clothing alterations. Known to be pious, he was educated in an English school and also acted as a faith healer. He is supposed to have visited Iran, which his family claims was to set up a dry fruits business. In police records, he was known as a SIMI operative and was arrested after the organisation was banned. He had been under surveillance since the ban was enforced. Soon after his arrest, his mother passed away, and his 21-year-old son, who was trying to eke out a living, was denied a passport. 12) Zameer Ahmed Latifur Rehman Shaikh Worli resident Zameer, 50, was accused of training in Pakistan, surveying trains, and attending conspiracy meetings. He did his schooling at Khairul Islam High School in Mominpura and completed his graduation from Maharashtra College in Nagpada in 1996. He subsequently set up a roadside business making duplicate keys. It was in the early 2000s that he supposedly came into contact with the other accused. He is also said to have travelled abroad for 20 days in 2005. Zameer's family, however, claimed that he had gone out of the country in search of a job but returned after failing to find one.
LeMonde
4 days ago
- Health
- LeMonde
In Syria, a cycle of revenge engulfs the Druze city of Sweida
Bodies were piled on the floors of rooms inside the National Hospital of Sweida, in the center of this majority-Druze city in southern Syria. Others were lined up in blood-soaked corridors. Kamal, a Druze doctor at the hospital, confirmed to Le Monde the authenticity of scenes shown in two videos filmed on Wednesday, July 16. For security reasons, the names of all witnesses quoted, including Kamal, have been changed. The city, surrounded, is cut off and inaccessible. Caught in the fighting from Tuesday to Thursday that pitted government forces, backed by tribal fighters, against Druze factions, the medical team had to operate without electricity, without water and with only the remaining medical supplies. "Most of the bodies are those of civilians. We had nowhere left to put them. Since then, the number has increased even more. There are at least 200, maybe 300, including at least 21 women and 45 children," Kamal said by phone on Thursday evening. The victims were killed by artillery fire, sniper fire and, in some cases, summary executions. The doctor accused government forces, who took control of the neighborhood on Wednesday, of attacking the hospital before withdrawing from Sweida at midnight. "They placed two tanks in front of the hospital and started shelling us until an RPG round destroyed one of the tanks," the doctor said. "Anyone who tried to bring the wounded to the hospital was targeted by the tanks and snipers. The soldiers told us: 'If you leave the room, you'll be shot. If you hide anyone, you'll be executed.' They asked us if we were Druze or Muslim," Kamal continued. He said that a young man helping the medical staff was shot dead because he stood up to the soldiers. Two doctors, Faten Hilal and Talaat Fawzi Amer, were killed by snipers near the hospital.
Toronto Sun
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Toronto Sun
Boutique studio embraces holistic design
Seen here, the Blossom Moments Floral Café in Mississauga's Square One. Design isn't just about making everything pretty, the space needs to be harmonious, says Jude Kamal, founder of Sansa Interiors. Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Sansa Interiors brings its unique ethos to homeowners This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account When you embark on a home improvement project you might think you know the look you want. But if you take a more holistic view – considering natural elements like light as well as functional flow and your overall well-being in the space – chances are the design will change. Because interior design is not just about making everything pretty, cautions Jude Kamal, founder and principal interior designer of Sansa Interiors. It's about designing harmonious spaces that take into account a user's needs and energy, and that takes an experienced eye. 'I would say 95 per cent of people actually don't know what they want and we have to make them realize it,' said Kamal. Great design, she says, goes beyond aesthetics – it should support your lifestyle, nurture your mind and body, and most importantly, reflect your individual story. A collector should display their collection and a hobbyist should showcase their creation, for example. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. When they do their initial site visit at a client's home, the Sansa Interior team is constantly assessing flow and energy. Their questions range from 'How do you use this?' or 'What do you do here?' to 'What's your favourite room?' or 'What room do you hate the most?' 'We very quickly start to see what they're aiming towards and what they're talking about the most,' said Kamal. 'A lot of times people say they want open concept but … we don't give it to them unless it actually suits their lifestyle and needs based on how we observe the behavioural notion of the space.' Taking their cue from the company's name – sansa is the Sanskrit word for praise, charm and attention to detail – the design team is trained to notice how small changes can have big impact. Perhaps the hardware needs to be raised on the cabinetry or the gable ends should be thicker. If tile abuts stonework around a corner, they'll be looking to see that the connection detail is deliberate and seamless. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Sometimes doing the right thing holistically means leaving a corner empty to create negative space. Other times it's about choosing sustainable finishes or products made from recycled stones or resins that can be repurposed, or opening up entrance ways to let natural light in. Almost always the focus is on organization and reducing clutter, and there's one element they try to steer clear of altogether. 'I know designers use them to make spaces feel bigger but we try to avoid mirrors within a home because that tends to be one of the biggest energy reflectors and if you're not reflecting the right thing, it could hinder your flow within the space,' said Kamal. When they design in the high-end commercial space, such as Blossom Moments Floral Café in Mississauga's Square One Shopping Centre and Hale Coffee's fourth Toronto location, the Sansa Interior team focuses on equipment flow at the 'back of house' and customer experience at 'front of house.' The same techniques can apply to residential spaces, says Kamal. In fact, if they want to experience the end result of an elevated holistic design, she urges people to simply spend time in a café designed by Sansa Interiors. 'A lot of clients now just want 'Instagrammable' spaces,' she said. 'For commercial we would think about how would we give it that buzzworthy feel, but for residential, it's how can we make it timeless and how can the finishes we choose last you and keep you on trend for 20 to 30 years.' Toronto & GTA Tennis Toronto & GTA MMA Toronto Maple Leafs
Borneo Post
5 days ago
- Borneo Post
Sarawak association calls for greater action on rising child sex abuse cases
Prof Dr Kamal Kenny MIRI (July 18): The Sarawak Family Planning Association (SFPA) has expressed deep concern over the alarming hike in child sexual abuse cases, stressing that far more must be done to address what it calls a serious national problem. SFPA member Prof Dr Kamal Kenny, a consultant and social psychologist, said the biggest challenge in protecting babies and children from sexual violence is the reluctance of Malaysian society to speak openly about such abuse. 'Cases of incest, child sexual abuse, and exploitation are undoubtedly on the rise—a concern also shared by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM),' he told The Borneo Post when contacted. Dr Kamal highlighted that last year, PDRM raised concerns about a stark increase in incest cases in one of the states in Peninsular Malaysia. However, he warned that the official reported cases might not reflect the true extent of the problem at the grassroots level. 'This is because the matter is very sensitive, and many people choose to sweep it under the carpet,' he added. His comments came in response to two recent headline-making cases reported on July 16. In one, a man was accused of impregnating his 12-year-old daughter, while in the other case, a three-month-old baby was reported sexually abused and a video of the act was circulated online. Dr Kamal said while non-governmental organisations (NGOs) like SFPA have strived to create awareness by reaching out to different communities, these efforts have often been met with limited support from various parties due to the sensitive nature of the topic. 'While there are laws and penalties in Malaysia, the issue itself is often regarded as a taboo subject and many choose to not 'shake the hornet's nest' due to social and cultural values.' Regarding support for victims, Dr Kamal emphasised the need for ongoing trauma counselling, adding that involving the family in therapy is crucial to help them build long-term coping mechanisms. 'SFPA has always believed that a concerted effort by various agencies is essential in helping victims navigate the trauma they experience, and that a proper support system must be firmly in place,' he said. He highlighted that awareness programmes are vital in breaking the silence and stigma surrounding sexual violence. These initiatives, he noted, should be carried out across all segments of society—urban and rural alike—as the psychological impact on victims remains equally severe, regardless of geographical location. Dr Kamal also stated that SFPA remains committed to engaging with the Ministry of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, Ministry of Education, and parent-teacher associations to encourage the rollout of awareness programmes aimed at reaching as many people as possible. At the national level, he stressed that child sexual abuse must be addressed in Parliament. He urged for the immediate implementation of institutionalised programmes in schools to raise awareness among children, helping them understand that such acts are criminal, and must be firmly resisted and reported. child abuse Dr Kamal Kenny Sarawak Family Planning Association
