Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek hit out at Malaysian AIDS Council president Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir for criticising his public announcement on the harm reduction programme to fight HIV/AIDS.
Chua said he was appalled to learn that Marina had slammed the ministry for announcing the programme, which would see a free distribution of condoms and needles to drug addicts.
“I am shocked with her behaviour because she was one of the first few people who called to thank me and to support the programme.
Dr Chua slammed the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) for its "know-it-all" attitude. "Their attitude is that they know all and they are the best. They use insulting terms and talk down to my officers. I have been tolerating it for some time," he said.
Marina Mahathir downplayed the disagreement with the Health Ministry as a "storm in a teacup".
She noted that with every relationship, there are bound to be difficulties due to a different outlook. "But we compromise and have been doing our part in educating the public on the programme. We have certainly never publicly put the ministry or its officers down," she told the New Straits Times.
She said Dr Chua’s announcement on the programme caught everyone, including the Health Ministry’s officers by surprise.
At the Sunday's Mingguan Malaysia interview, Marina commented that the programme should be announced only after it was proven to be successful and that it should be quietly implemented while educating society.
Chua, however, said it would be impossible to carry out the pilot project discreetly, as it involved over 100,000 people and it needed support from all quarters, including religious groups.
“We also have to ensure that those involved in the pilot project received training and exposure before we run the programme nationwide.”
In her article, "Will this register?" on 16th November 2005, at her bi-monthly column, Musing With Marina published in The Star, Marina posted the question: "What is happening? National responses to HIV/AIDS in many countries can be summed up in two words: lip service. "
Chua said he was appalled to learn that Marina had slammed the ministry for announcing the programme, which would see a free distribution of condoms and needles to drug addicts.
“I am shocked with her behaviour because she was one of the first few people who called to thank me and to support the programme.
Dr Chua slammed the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) for its "know-it-all" attitude. "Their attitude is that they know all and they are the best. They use insulting terms and talk down to my officers. I have been tolerating it for some time," he said.
Marina Mahathir downplayed the disagreement with the Health Ministry as a "storm in a teacup".She noted that with every relationship, there are bound to be difficulties due to a different outlook. "But we compromise and have been doing our part in educating the public on the programme. We have certainly never publicly put the ministry or its officers down," she told the New Straits Times.
She said Dr Chua’s announcement on the programme caught everyone, including the Health Ministry’s officers by surprise.
At the Sunday's Mingguan Malaysia interview, Marina commented that the programme should be announced only after it was proven to be successful and that it should be quietly implemented while educating society.Chua, however, said it would be impossible to carry out the pilot project discreetly, as it involved over 100,000 people and it needed support from all quarters, including religious groups.
“We also have to ensure that those involved in the pilot project received training and exposure before we run the programme nationwide.”
In her article, "Will this register?" on 16th November 2005, at her bi-monthly column, Musing With Marina published in The Star, Marina posted the question: "What is happening? National responses to HIV/AIDS in many countries can be summed up in two words: lip service. "
Read a passage of it below:
In Malaysia, the government announced that it would provide up to 4,000 Malaysians living with HIV with ARVs, even though it is estimated that about 7,000 actually need them. Yet only about 2,500 are actually getting the treatment. Has anyone looked into why exactly the rest are not coming forward? Do they know where to go and will they get fair and professional treatment when they do go?
As long as we remain queasy about realistic prevention programmes – and that means promoting condom use consistently to ensure safer sex by everyone, and harm reduction programmes for injecting drug users – we will never make a dent in the course of the epidemic.
Why aren’t we in Malaysia doing enough prevention? Firstly, because it means having to deal with things we don’t want to deal with, such as drug use, and sex outside marriage, among young people and between people of the same sex.
Secondly, when we do try and deal with them, we refuse to use programmes that have been known to work, preferring to believe that we are so unique that we need our own. We refuse to promote condoms because we think it causes more people to have sex. Yet from the evidence from countries where condom programmes have been comprehensive and long term, the results are showing.
Thirdly, we need to do programmes at a scale that actually makes a difference.
Fourthly, we need to seriously deal with stigma and discrimination.
On 13th December 2005, The Star headline: Marina to quit as AIDS chief
After more than a decade helming Malaysian AIDS Council, promoting safe sex and taunting public prejudices against HIV+ people, Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir is now calling it a day. Marina will step down as council president on Jan 1, 2006.
“I feel it is high time that I relinquish the post and all the obligations that come with it. But I am not leaving the AIDS field. It’s just that I will get to choose which areas to go into. Now I will concentrate on gender and Islam.”
Marina will also quit her post as chairman of the Malaysian AIDS Foundation, a position she took on in 1993.
“My greatest frustration is that 12 years later, there are still people talking about isolating people with HIV/AIDS or having mandatory testing as if that is the answer to the problem,” she mourned.
Is Marina's resignation got to do with the Health Minister or his Ministry officials? Ponder!!!!
In Malaysia, the government announced that it would provide up to 4,000 Malaysians living with HIV with ARVs, even though it is estimated that about 7,000 actually need them. Yet only about 2,500 are actually getting the treatment. Has anyone looked into why exactly the rest are not coming forward? Do they know where to go and will they get fair and professional treatment when they do go?
As long as we remain queasy about realistic prevention programmes – and that means promoting condom use consistently to ensure safer sex by everyone, and harm reduction programmes for injecting drug users – we will never make a dent in the course of the epidemic.
Why aren’t we in Malaysia doing enough prevention? Firstly, because it means having to deal with things we don’t want to deal with, such as drug use, and sex outside marriage, among young people and between people of the same sex.
Secondly, when we do try and deal with them, we refuse to use programmes that have been known to work, preferring to believe that we are so unique that we need our own. We refuse to promote condoms because we think it causes more people to have sex. Yet from the evidence from countries where condom programmes have been comprehensive and long term, the results are showing.
Thirdly, we need to do programmes at a scale that actually makes a difference.
Fourthly, we need to seriously deal with stigma and discrimination.
On 13th December 2005, The Star headline: Marina to quit as AIDS chiefAfter more than a decade helming Malaysian AIDS Council, promoting safe sex and taunting public prejudices against HIV+ people, Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir is now calling it a day. Marina will step down as council president on Jan 1, 2006.
“I feel it is high time that I relinquish the post and all the obligations that come with it. But I am not leaving the AIDS field. It’s just that I will get to choose which areas to go into. Now I will concentrate on gender and Islam.”
Marina will also quit her post as chairman of the Malaysian AIDS Foundation, a position she took on in 1993.
“My greatest frustration is that 12 years later, there are still people talking about isolating people with HIV/AIDS or having mandatory testing as if that is the answer to the problem,” she mourned.
Is Marina's resignation got to do with the Health Minister or his Ministry officials? Ponder!!!!
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