给首席大法官-查基机会

新任首席大法官丹斯里查基在受访时承诺，将确保公正和迅速地清除惊人的法院积压的案件。查基保证将确保迅速提供司法保障和最值得公众的支持。常言道“正义拖延等于司法的剥夺。”

马来西亚防范罪案基金会副主席丹斯里李霖泰今日表示在这方面，首席大法官将面临一项艰巨的任务以解决各种问题，如提高司法机构中的传递系统、在法庭上解决官僚机构的问题、如何清除行政的障碍，克服法官的不足和其他辅助人员、以及最大限度的将案件推迟等。

为了克服这些与其它的各种挑战，首席大法官需要各方面的支持，如政府、律师公会、司法与法律界及总检察署的合作。

李氏表示担任最高司法职务需要做很多的工作，以恢复公众对于司法的信心、完整与独立性。首席大法官将面临最大挑战是改善形象和公众对于司法机构的看法。

李氏表示从访问中，丹斯里查基无疑已经显示出他的愿望和决心，以改善我国的司法。而他指出在前任大法官敦阿都哈密时期，已经开始努力改善司法的形象。

我们决不能忽略至今为止人民对于国家司法机关的消极看法。但与此相反尽最大努力扭转这种趋势的消极思想和公众的看法。新任首席大法官将尽最大的努力改善我国的司法领域。

无论过去所发生损害了我们司法机构的形象，目前，我们开始了新的篇章，将恢复司法机关的光荣，而面临的挑战是巨大的。让我们给予新任首席大法官一个机会，使他能够通过他的表现证明其它人对于他的批评是错误的。

Give new CJ a chance to improve the Judiciary

Letter to Editor


In an interview with Bernama newly-appointed Chief Justice, Tan Sri Zaki Tun Azmi pledged to ensure speedier justice and clearing the staggering backlog of court cases.

Zaki’s pledge to ensure speedy delivery of justice is most assuring and deserves public support. As the saying goes “justice delayed is justice denied”.

In this regard the Chief Justice faces an immense task to address various issues such as improving the delivery system of the Judiciary, tackling bureaucracy in the courts, clearing administrative hurdles, overcoming the shortage of judges and other supporting staff, minimizing the postponement of cases etc.

To overcome these and other challenges, the Chief Justice needs the support of all relevant parties such as the Government, the Bar Council, the AG Chambers, the judicial and legal fraternity.

Zaki’s decision to give up a more lucrative private-sector carrier and accept a judicial appointment to improve the judiciary is a noble calling for national service which must be given due recognition.

His assumption to the highest judicial office of the land comes at a crucial time when much needs to be done to restore public confidence in the integrity and independence of the judiciary.

The Chief Justice’s greatest challenge would be to improve the image and public perception of the Judiciary.

Reading from his interview, Zaki has undoubtedly shown his desire and commitment to improve the judiciary.

In all fairness it has to be stated that efforts to improve the image of the judiciary began during Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad’s tenure as the former Chief Justice.

Hitherto the negative perception of the state of our judiciary, rightly or wrongly it may be, cannot and must not be ignored.

We must not brush it aside but on the contrary do our utmost to reverse the trend of negative thinking and public perception about our judiciary.

In Zaki Tun Azmi we place our hopes that he will leave no stones unturned in his endeavours to improve the judiciary - the “last frontier of the Nation”.

Whatever happened in the past that jeopardized the image of our judiciary, including a handful of judges who were tainted with corruption, let us put the ignominous chapter behind us.

Let us start with a new chapter to restore the glory of the Judiciary for the sake of our Nation.

The challenges ahead are immense. Let us give the newly-appointed Chief Justice a chance to bring change, measure up to his qualities and prove his critics wrong.

KETUA HAKIM NEGARA

Surat kepada Pengarang



Ketua Hakim Negara yang baru dilantik, Tan Sri Zaki Tun Azmi, di dalam satu wawancara khas dengan Bernama telah berjanji untuk memastikan akan mempercepatkan kes-kes mahkahmah dan menyelesaikan kes-kes tertangguh yang bagitu banyak jumlahnya.

Janji yang diberikan oleh Zaki untuk memastikan perbicaraan dan penyelesaian kes-kes mahkamah dengan lebih cepat adalah amat dialu-alukan dan patut mendapat sokongan orang ramai. Seperti kata pepatah “Proses keadilan yang lambat dilaksanakan adalah keadilan yang dinafikan”.

Dalam hubungan ini Ketua Hakim Negara menghadapi tugas yang amat mencabar untuk menyelesaikan berbagai isu seperti memperbaiki sistem perlaksanaan proses keadilan di mahkamah, menyelesaikan masaalah birokrasi di mahkamah, masaalah pentadbiran, masaalah kekurangan hakim dan kakitangan sokongan, mengurangkan kes yang tertangguh, dan pelbagai masaalah lain.

Untuk menghadapi cabaran tersebut dan pelbagai masalah lain, Ketua Hakim Negara memerlukan sokongan semua pihak yang berkenaan seperti Kerajaan, Majlis Peguam, Pejabat Peguam Negara, fraterniti kehakiman dan guaman.

Keputusan beliau untuk meninggalkan kerjaya yang lebih lumayan di sektor swasta dan menerima perlantikan sebagai Ketua Hakim Negara untuk memperbaiki sistem Badan Kehakiman negara merupakan satu pekerjaan mulia serta satu pengorbanan terhadap negara yang perlu diberikan pengiktirafan.

Beliau memegang jawatan Badan Kehakiman yang tertinggi tersebut pada satu masa dimana banyak perkara yang perlu beliau lakukan untuk mengembalikan kepercayaan orang ramai terhadap badan kehakiman tersebut.

Cabaran yang paling besar kepada Ketua Hakim Negara adalah untuk memperbaiki imej dan persepsi orang ramai terhadap Badan Kehakiman.

Melihat dari kenyataanya, beliau tanpa ragu-ragu telah menunjukkan niat dan komitmennya untuk memperbaiki Badan Kehakiman tersebut.

Perlu juga dinyatakan bahawa usaha untuk memperbaiki imej Badan Kehakiman telah bermula semasa Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad memegang jawatan Ketua Hakim Negara.

Sehingga kini persepsi negatif mengenai Badan Kehakiman, sama ada benar atau tidak, tidak boleh dinafikan.

Kita tidak boleh mengabaikanya tetapi sebaliknya melakukan yang terbaik untuk menukar persepsi negatif mengenai Badan Kehakiman tersebut.

Kepada Zaki Tun Azmi kita meletakkan harapan kita supaya beliau akan memastikan semua halangan dapat diatasi didalam usaha beliau untuk memulihkan sistem Badan Kehakiman yang merupakan “perbatasan terakhir negara”.

Marilah kita menutup sejarah lampau, yang telah mencemarkan imej Badan Kehakiman. Marilah kita membuka lembaran baru untuk mengembalikan keagungan Badan Kehakiman demi kepentingan negara.

Cabaran dihadapan kita amat besar. Marilah kita memberikan peluang kepada Ketua Hakim Negara yang baru dilantik, untuk membawa perubahan, dan membuktikan kemampuan beliau untuk melaksanakan perubahan dan membuktikan kritikan terhadap beliau adalah tidak benar dan berasas.

the allocation of RM250 million to upgrade and repair police stations and living quarters

The MCPF welcomes the allocation of RM250 million, announced by the Finance Minister in Parliament yesterday, to upgrade and repair police stations and living quarters for the Royal Malaysian Police.

Similarly I am also pleased to note that a similar allocation is also allocated to upgrade army camps and quarters for our military personnel.

The allocation is long overdue considering the fact that the conditions of our old police stations and living quarters are in a deplorable state of affairs.

When I served as a Member of the Royal Commission to look into the improvement of the Operations and Management of the Royal Malaysian Police, I visited a number of police stations and living quarters and was dismayed to see for myself the poor and deplorable state of affairs.

The Government has to be mindful of the working conditions and poor amenities of the police force and should not hesitate to do more to improve the situation.

Old police stations with poor amenities must be attended to so that they can provide a congenial atmosphere for our police personnel to serve the public.

Similarly the conditions of old police living quarters must also be rectified so that our men can live decently and their family members be entitled to appropriate amenities.

I have always maintained that crime cannot be fought by manpower alone. What is equally important is to look at the infrastructure, technology and systems which need constant review and upgrading with financial support to keep ahead of criminal activities.

Mangsa Kes Ragut Lagi

Baru-baru ini media tempatan melaporkan seorang lagi suri rumah meninggal dunia di Hospital Batu Pahat selepas seminggu berada dalam keadaan koma dipercayai menjadi mangsa ragut.

Peningkatan kes kejadian ragut di merata tempat di negara kita, yang mana ramai mangsa-nya adalah kaum wanita, amat merunsingkan dan membimbangkan.

Tidak ada sehari berlalu tanpa berlakunya kes kejadian ragut. Saya berpendapat pihak polis, pihak berkuasa tempatan serta pertubuhan-pertubuhan lain yang relevan harus membincang semula mengenai perumusan satu strategi yang lebih efektif dalam menangani masalah ragut.

Memandangkan kepada peningkatan kejadian jenayah, sudah sampai masanya bukan sahaja kepada pihak-pihak berkuasa tetapi juga semua lapisan masyarakat diberi kesedaran mengenai peri pentingnya tindakan yang pantas dan berkesan diambil terhadap bukan sahaja penjenayah tetapi juga isu-isu dan punca perlakuan jenayah.

Misalnya, aduan atau cadangan yang dikemukakan kepada pihak berkuasa yang berkenaan mengenai apa apa langkah yang boleh dilakukan untuk mengelakkan dari berlakunya kejadian jenayah perlu ditangani segera. Setiap aduan yang bersangkutan pencegahan jenayah perlu diberi perhatian.

Sekiranya terdapat aduan mengenai pemasangan lampu jalan untuk mengatasi masalah jalan atau lorong yang gelap, atau aduan yang memerlukan tindakan untuk meningkatkan keselamatan jalan ke sekolah dan taman-taman perumahan maka ia perlu diambil tindakan segera.

Oleh kerana kejadian jenayah masih berterusan dan hakikat bahawa pihak penguat kuasa undang-undang bersendirian tidak mampu mengatasi masalah tersebut, pihak kerajaan perlu mewujudkan polisi dan program sosial yang berkesan untuk mengekang dan membasmi punca kejadian jenayah.

Dalam hubungan ini, saya mencadangkan kepada kerajaan merumuskan dan melaksanakan strategi jangka panjang dan jangka pendek untuk menangani punca kejadian jenayah seperti gejala sosial, pengangguran dan lain-lain.

Walaubagaimanapun pihak kerajaan juga memerlukan pihak-pihak lain yang berkepentingan seperti para peniaga, penduduk, pekerja profesional dan orang ramai untuk membantu memerangi jenayah.

Oleh yang demikian pembuat dasar, ahli-ahli akademik dan pelbagai lapisan masyarakat perlu bersatu menghadapi cabaran dan menjadikan bandar, pekan dan kampung selamat untuk didiami oleh semua penduduk.

Dalam hubungan ini, usaha berterusan perlu dilakukan untuk mengurangkan kadar jenayah dan perasaan takut terhadapnya di samping mewujudkan kejiranan dan bandar yang lebih selamat di mana perniagaan dan penduduk boleh memaju.

Agenda untuk mengawal dan membasmi jenayah memerlukan usaha yang bersinergi, bersepadu dan bersungguh-sungguh dari semua pihak. Semua pihak mempunyai peranan dan tugas untuk dilakukan dalam usaha memerangi jenayah.

Orang awam perlu diberi kesedaran bahawa tanggungjawab memerangi jenayah adalah tanggungjawab bersama. Sejak penubuhannya, MCPF terlibat secara aktif di dalam kempen kesedaran dengan berbagai organisasi yang berteraskan masyarakat untuk membantu meningkatkan kesedaran mengenai keperluan untuk tidak mengambil ringan keselamatan mereka tetapi sebaliknya mengambil bahagian secara aktif untuk memerangi jenayah.

Melalui projek inisiatif kejiranan selamat dan kelab pencegahan jenayah di sekolah, MCPF berharap dapat menggembeling penyertaan semua lapisan masyarakat termasuk pelajar di dalam mendidik orang ramai mengenai apa yang mereka perlu lakukan untuk mengelakkan kejadian jenayah.

MCPF menyeru semua rakyat Malaysia untuk berusaha ke arah jenayah sifar dengan membentuk satu budaya anti-jenayah dan menjadikan keselamatan sebagai cara hidup.

Usaha untuk membasmi jenayah tidak akan berkesan dan berkekalan kecuali seseorang itu bertekad dan bersedia untuk mengamalkan budaya anti-jenayah dan menjadikan keselamatan sebagai cara hidup.

Cost Cutting by Employers

NIOSH Chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye today advised employers and top managements of companies not to use the present state of our economy as an excuse to cut back or reduce OSH expenses as such cost-cutting measure will not be in the interest of the safety and health of their employees.

NIOSH is aware that the present sluggishness and economic uncertainty experienced by Malaysia has had a significant impact on our industries as a whole.

Many companies have had to tighten their budgets. This measure is unavoidable. However, in the process, a number of questions come to mind:

a) Should a company cut back on the safety and health budget in the workplace during this economic slowdown?

b) Is this a logical or viable step to take?

If you stop to think for a moment, compromising safety and health at the workplace is tantamount to incurring additional costs to a company. Why do I say that? Can a company afford to:

1. have an unwanted accident which might disrupt production?

2. be distracted with having to investigate the accident whereas it should be occupied with other scheduled productive duties

3. and in the worst case scenario, be issued with a stop-work order where productivity will be affected.

These are few examples of what accidents can do to the bottomline and productivity of a company.

Certain executives at the management level might have the notion that cutting back on OSH expenses is an acceptable way because they see it merely as a cost cutting measure. However, this should not be the case. Have you ever come across a saying which goes “if you think safety is expensive, try an accident.”

So how do we address OSH issues in these difficult times?

The answer lies in the development of a “good OSH management system.” This responsibility lies with the management team, which must accord serious attention to the aspect of how to manage OSH appropriately. The very objective of good OSH management is to provide the required investment in terms of commitment – financial, human resources and equipment in systematic OSH strategies – in order to secure the highest rate of return on investment such as zero accident without jeopardising the company’s overall profit performance.

A good OSH management system leads to:

1. minimizing unnecessary spending of financial, manpower and other resources to unproductive safety measures by prioritizing OSH activities.

2. ensuring that OSH committee in the workplace is a focus for both management and workers to work together for the improvement of OSH.

3. to change the approach to safety and health at the workplace from being reactive to a more proactive approach or in other words prevent the accident rather than cope with it.

Good OSH management is therefore an integral part of a good overall company management system.

Mental Disorder

Letter to Editor

Mental health problems, especially stress-related ones among Malaysians are a matter of serious concern and need to be addressed urgently at the workplace so that problems like depression, mental illness and psychiatric disorders can be avoided.

Although a 1996 national health study found mental illness to be prevalent in about 10.7 % of the population, the facts seem to indicate a surge in mental illness which are the manifestations of the ill effects of urbanization, stress and poor mental health. We cannot be unconcerned over the increasing spate of incidents involving the mentally ill or those suffering from mental disorders.

In previous years mental health has been a topic of low priority for the government and the community as compared to other health problems. But increasingly as reflected worldwide, mental health has gained more prominence.

In Malaysia we need to do more for those who suffer from mental illness. On the welfare services front, the government should include the mentally ill as disabled persons and brought under the category of ‘orang kurang upaya’ and they should be accorded opportunities in employment to help them return to society and not be a burden to it.

Mental disorders is a subject very few people wish to talk about but it is a reality which we have to grapple with. Amok and suicide cases reported in the media from time to time involving mentally sick persons, which are of concern to us, are tragic reminders of another side of life less talked about but nevertheless very real.

NIOSH is of the view that urgent steps need to be taken to address mental and health issues at workplaces involving employers, employees and the relevant authorities.

In line with this, it might be timely for the government to introduce guidelines for mental health care promotion to enable implementation of basic measures to be adopted and implemented by employers at workplaces, suited for the practical conditions of each enterprise.

In promoting mental health care, the employers should consider the specific nature of mental health problems, consideration of individual worker privacy, relationship with human resource management policies and issues emanating from problems related to family or individual lifestyles.

Employers should use Safety and Health Committees at the workplace to examine and clearly identify the current situation and problems relating to the promotion of mental health care at workplaces and to formulate a fundamental programme focusing on the following:-

a) identification of problems at workplaces related to poor mental which needs to be addressed;
b) securing the necessary resources to develop the mental health care programme;
c) improving the work environment;
d) taking steps for mental health promotion involving the employees;
e) remove all forms of discrimination against persons who have recovered from mental illness so that they can be successfully reintegrated into society just as we want to see rehabilitated drug dependants get back into the mainstream of society;
f) making available an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) which can provide both prevention and early intervention for employee problems related to mental health, stress and emotional issues which affect job performance. Funds expended on EAPs have documented investment returns in such areas as productivity and work performance. Companies are finding that investing in employee’ emotional well-being can mean a healthier bottom line.

Promoting mental health requires joint efforts between the government and relevant NGOs as well as volunteers working in unison to promote mental well-being. A comprehensive community mental health programme is therefore needed to encourage the community to be better informed about mental health issues and how they can play an effective role in promoting mental health and helping the mentally ill.

Sharing existing resources with relevant government agencies and NGOs, mental health professionals, volunteers and community leaders is necessary to address the needs of people with mental health problems.

The shift of focus from institutionalized care to Community Mental Health service is the direction of future psychiatric services. The national mental health policy advocates community participation in the planning, management and evaluation of community based activities.

Ke arah aduan sifar

Surat Kepada Pengarang

Imej sesebuah kerajaan, sebahagian besarnya, di tentukan oleh kualiti, sikap dan perlakuan kakitangan kerajaan.

Malaysia amat bernasib baik kerana mempunyai kakitangan perkhidmatan awam yang baik secara umumnya, yang telah menyumbangkan bakti yang besar terhadap pembangunan negara sejak dari mula mendapat kemerdekaan dahulu.

Orang ramai secara umumnya telah mengetahui dan memahami peranan perkhidmatan awam yang telah memberikan perkhidmatan yang cemerlang terhadap pembangunan negara dan meningkatkan kualiti kehidupan rakyat.

Walaubagaimanapun, seperti juga semua organisasi, terdapat ruang untuk peningkatan didalam perkhidmatan awam untuk menjadikannya lebih efisyen, berkesan, bertanggung-jawab, dan telus.

Kakitangan perkhidmatan awam perlu memberi tumpuan kepada bagaimana mereka dapat memberikan perkhidmatan yang terbaik kepada masyarakat. Mereka perlu peka terhadap semua aduan dari orang ramai. Apabila masyarakat menjadi lebih maju, rakyat menjadi lebih prihatin terhadap hak mereka dan mereka menaruh harapan yang lebih tinggi terhadap mutu perkidmatan awam yang lebih baik dan cemerlang.

Sementara kita mengharapkan perkhidmatan yang lebih baik dari kakitangan perkhidmatan awam, mereka juga perlu diberikan imbuhan yang adil dan sesuai dengan kemampuan kerajaan.

Etika dan nilai moral yang baik adalah amat penting sekiranya kita mahu pentadbiran yang bersih, berkesan, dan telus. Kakitangan awam hendaklah membangunkan satu budaya yang menjurus kepada pembentukan perkhidmatan awam yang bukan sahaja berdedikasi, efisyen, dan berkesan, tetapi juga memberi penekanan kepada integriti pengurusan.

Utuk mencapai objektif ini, adalah penting diujudkan satu budaya yang mendukung disiplin, etika, bertanggung-jawab dan telus. Moral, etika dan integriti bukan sahaja penting kepada kakitangan awam, tetapi juga kepada sektor swasta dan masyarakat keseluruhanya.

Cadangan saya kepada kakitangan awam ialah supaya mereka meneruskan perjalanan yang sudah hampir sampai, dan berusaha untuk mencapai kecemerlangan didalam perkhidmatan awam.

Masanya sudah sampai kepada semua jabatan, agensi, dan pihak berkuasa awam untuk berusaha kearah aduan sifar didalam usaha untuk meningkatkan tahap efisyenan dan kecemerlangan didalam perkhidmatan awam.

Ketua jabatan dan pihak berkuasa awam hendaklah sensitif terhadap aduan dan cadangan mengenai jabatan masing-masing dan mengambil tindakan yang sewajarnya.

Rakyat mempunyai peranan di dalam pembangunan perkhidmatan awam yang bermutu tinggi. Dengan memberikan maklumbalas dan cadangan, mereka boleh memainkan peranan untuk meningkatkan perlaksanaan sistem perkhidmatan awam yang cemerlang di dalam Negara kita.