ATM Must Update Strategies
To Check Foreign Threats - Agong

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 6 (Bernama) -- Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Thursday urged the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) to be sensitive to global challenges by updating and realigning its strategies.

He said failure by ATM in planning suitable strategies could expose the nation to threats from foreign elements.

"Threats against the nation do not only come in the form of military invasion but also via communication, social and culture," he said at a royal parade and presentation of appointment letters to 220 cadet officers at Universiti Pertahanan Nasional here today.

The Agong said in planning suitable strategies, the ATM personnel should be equipped not only with military know-how but also all disciplines of knowledge.

He said over-dependent on foreign powers had led to the collapse of several countries adding it should serve as a lesson to Malaysians who should strive to protect the sovereignty.

Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, ATM Chief, Jen Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal and Chiefs of the Royal Malaysian Army, RMN and RMAF.

-- Bernama

IJN Media Statement:
Mahathir Remains Stable

Institut Jantung Negara, 5 September, 2007: YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad remains stable following close overnight observation by doctors and nurses at the Intensive Care Unit of Institut Jantung Negara.

Doctors are happy with his rate of progress which is as expected in post-bypass surgery. All his vital parameters, thus far, are also stable as anticipated.

Tun Dr Mahathir is still however, within the crucial intensive observation period and will continue to be warded at the ICU.

IJN will continue to issue updates as and when there is significant change in Tun Dr Mahathir’s condition. Visitations continue to be confined to immediate family members only.

Attention Now On Second Phase
Says Mukhriz

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 (Bernama) -- The attention now was on the second phase (post-surgery) for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's recovery and the family hoped it would go smoothly and safely, said his son Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir.

Mukhriz, the fifth child of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, 81, who underwent a successful second coronary bypass surgery at the National Heart Institute here Tuesday, said the doctors gave 48 hours for Dr Mahathir to regain consciousness and get past the critical stage.

"This recovery phase is a "lifeline" for dad, because anything can happen during this time. So we need to pray harder and give special care and attention for him to pass this second test.

"The doctors said my father's situation is stable and that his heartbeat and pulse are normal. Tun (dad) can regain consciousness any time, we will keep the media informed of developments from time to time," he told reporters when met at the hospital's lobby Tuesday night.

Mukhriz, 43, also said that his mother Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali was very thankful to all Malaysians for their prayers and well wishes that this surgery would go smoothly.

He said Siti Hasmah was deeply touched by the SMS messages and e-mails of support the family received from Malaysians of all walks of life.

"She was so delighted when I showed her the SMSs and e-mails. Our family is very thankful to everyone for their concern," said Mukhriz, who is also an Umno Youth executive council member and chairman of its International Relations and Non-governmental Organisations Bureau.

He added that the doctors would not allow anyone to visit Dr Mahathir during this period as he needed a lot of rest and had to be monitored closely.

Dr Mahathir underwent his first coronary bypass operation on Jan 24, 1989 at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

-- BERNAMA

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A Successful Bypass Surgery:
Tun Mahathir Now In ICU


MEDIA STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Institut Jantung Negara, 4 September... YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad has successfully undergone coronary bypass surgery at the Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) today.

Currently Tun Dr Mahathir is warded at the Intensive Care Unit of the IJN where his condition will be observed for the next few days as is routine in post-bypass surgery. The next 48-hours is the crucial period in his post operative care and hence he will be under close observation in Intensive Care Unit by a team of doctors and nurses. Overnight, he will be fully sedated.

Earlier, Tun Dr Mahathir was taken into the Operation Theatre Complex at 8.45am where immediate family members were allowed to see him before he was brought into the Operating Theatre. The operation commenced at 9.40am and was completed at 3.05pm. He was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit at 3.30pm.

Doctors are happy that the procedure progressed as anticipated and his vital parameters thus far are stable.

Tun Dr Mahathir was operated on by a panel of surgeons led by Tan Sri Dr Yahya Awang. The other members of the surgical team are Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery of the Mayo Clinic, Prof Dr Hartzell Schaff, Dato Dr Rozali Wathooth, Dato Dr Azhari Yakub, Dato Dr Venugopal Balchand and Dr Mohamed Ezani Mohd Taib.

The anaesthetic team led by Dato Dr Mohd Hassan Mohd Ariff included Dr Sharifah Suraya Syed Tahir, Dato Dr Syed Abdul Aziz Syed Zain and Dr Nor Azlina Abdul Jalil.

The panel of doctors is headed by IJN’s Medical Director, YBhg Dato Seri Dr. Robaayah Zambahari and includes consultant nephrologists Dato Dr Zaki Morad Mohd Zaher, Dr Ghazali Ahmad and consultant gastroenterologist, Dr S Ganeshanathan.

Tun Dr Mahathir had been admitted to Institut Jantung Negara on Sunday for the elective coronary bypass surgery.

IJN will continue to issue updates as and when there is significant change in Tun Dr Mahathir’s condition. Doctors have also advised against Tun Dr Mahathir receiving visitors apart from immediate family members.

Dr Mahathir Operated On At 9.30am
Says His Special Officer

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 (Bernama) -- Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad underwent his second coronary bypass surgery at the National Heart Institute (IJN) here at 9.30am today.

The operation by a team headed by his former cardiac surgeon, Tan Sri Dr Yahya Awang, is expected to take four to six hours, his special officer Sufi Yusoff told Bernama.

He said Dr Mahathir was wheeled into the operating theatre at 9am.Dr Mahathir, 81, underwent a coronary bypass operation at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital on Jan 24, 1989 following a heart attack.

Meanwhile, his daughter Marina in her blog, "RantingsbyMM", said the operation team would be assisted by Dr Hartzell Schaff, chief cardiac surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in the US."Dr Schaff has operated several times with Tan Sri Yahya at IJN before," said Marina.

She said that in December 2005, Dr Mahathir had a check-up by the IJN team led by its medical director, Datuk Seri Dr Robaayah Zambahari, who is currently heading the panel of doctors attending to Dr Mahathir, and the decision then was that he did not need surgery again."

However, after three episodes in fairly quick succession since, this decision was relooked at. Hence two weeks ago, he went in for some tests and an angiogram to determine the next course of action after which this decision to redo the bypass was made."

At 82 (Dr Mahathir will turn 82 on Dec 20), he is probably the oldest person to have a redo in Malaysia although Dr Schaff has done plenty in the US," she said.

Dr Mahathir, who retired in October 2003 after 22 years in office, was admitted to IJN on Aug 18 for a routine check-up and underwent comprehensive cardiac tests. He was discharged two days later.

On May 14, he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Langkawi Hospital after complaining of breathing difficulty and was flown to Kuala Lumpur for further treatment at IJN the following day.

Five days later, he was transferred out of IJN's Coronary Care Unit (CCU) to the Bunga Raya ward and discharged on May 24.On Feb 11, Dr Mahathir was admitted to IJN for a day after a bout of flu.

The former prime minister was admitted to the institute for mild myocardial infarction (mild heart attack) on Nov 9 2006 and discharged on Nov 14.In 1999, Dr Mahathir was admitted to IJN to rest and undergo full treatment for a lung infection which he suffered after returning from performing the haj.-- BERNAMA

An Appeal To The Malay Rulers

Ibnu Hakeem

Ke Bawah Duli Duli Yang Maha Mulia Raja Raja Melayu,

All temporal power in the land is derived through the will of the people.

After 50 years of being sidelined, and with the country now being hijacked by the corrupt, the mentally inept, the sleepy, and the cowards, the Malay Rulers are at last being recognised as that other necessary arm of power sharing in our Constitutional Monarchy. We have always called ourselves a Constitutional Monarchy based on the Westminster model of Parliamentary Democracy. Only now are we beginning to appreciate the value of the Malay Rulers.

The power to rule the country is divided between the Executive, the Parliament, the Judiciary and, last but not the least, the Malay Rulers. Due to the skewed nature of our election results (caused by our skewed voting behaviour) the Parliament has become completely subservient to the Executive. These two combined have totally overwhelmed the Judiciary. The end result is that the Executive is supreme.

But all this is possible only and only with the connivance of the population. The population expresses its willingness in this connivance through the ballot box. It is the will of the people that gives the Executive complete rubber stamp authority over Parliament as well as the Judiciary.

Until now, the will of the people ignored the role of the Malay Rulers. Until now, of course. The populace now recognises that it has created a monster and the populace has little chance of getting rid of this monster that it has helped create. Hence the will of the people is changing.

The will of the people is now reverting to the Malay Rulers to save the people from the clutches of the mentally inept, the corrupt, the sleepy, and the cowards. The country is most certainly going down the toilet.

Bus drivers will not be driving buses for the Merdeka weekend and the Hari Raya holidays because too many are on drugs, have serious traffic violations, or even have criminal records. A corrupt system kept them driving buses right off the road. When people start dying in large numbers, the breakdown in the system comes into the open.

The tuition teachers are on strike because a corrupt and inept system which makes a mockery of the schools made it necessary for tuition centres. Now, with the tuition centres being shut down, who is going to teach the children?

The Police are caught between a rock and a hard place. They do not know whether to work for the good of the people or for the crooks and the gangsters.

The Prime Minister has made Australia his second home. He has also gone overseas 83 times (and counting) in just three years in power. The Prime Minister's favorite phrase is 'I dont know'.

The Ministers and the high and mighty are robbing the country blind. The Iskandar Corridor is a fake. The Northern Development Corridor is another fake. The Prime Minister's son, son in law and their cronies are set to make billions from land development in these areas.

Vast amounts of tax payers savings in EPF, SOCSO, Tabung Haji, LTAT and in the GLC's are being used to speculate on the Stock Market which is now crashing. The Prime Minister who is also the Minister of Finance says 'I dont know'.

The Government machinery only works when enough money is used to grease its rusting wheels. Hawker permits, building approvals, college accreditations, drivers licenses, lorry permits can all be had for a price. Pay and you shall get.

Murder cases can be totally and completely mishandled if you can pay enough money. The Judges and the Public Prosecutors can all be bought.

The country is going to the dogs. It is a question of time before there is complete break down of law and order.

The Malay Rulers cannot wait for the situation to worsen further. The Malay Rulers cannot wait for the people to get down on their knees and beg the Malay Rulers to save them.

The Executive has no power. Parliament has no power. The Judiciary has no power. Power resides only with the people. Power resides where the people decide to place it. Right now, the people are turning to the Malay Rulers to intervene to save the country. The people will empower the Malay Rulers. The Malay Rulers cannot ignore the people at this most crucial time.

The Malay Rulers have it in their power to dismiss the Executive. There are sufficient provisions in the Federal Constitution to allow the Malay Rulers to fire the Executive. If the Malay Rulers choose to exercise this authority, the people will support the Malay Rulers.

If the Malay Rulers do not intervene now, the population will suffer. The country will be thrown into chaos. If that happens, history will ultimately question the role of the Malay Rulers.

The Prime Minister is not a leader. He is a monyet. He has to be replaced and all his henchmen thrown out.

To be born into real leadership is not a privilege. It is a commitment, a duty, and an awesome responsibility. That shall be the Daulat. To save the nation is paramount. The Malay Rulers must act decisively now.

Daulat Tuanku.

http://malaysia-today.net/blog2006/letters.php?itemid=7598