Month: June 2024

KUALA LUMPUR, Employers and employees are urged to take the amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) 2022 seriously as they come into effect today.

Alliance for Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the OSHA 2022 Amendment is crucial for enhancing workplace safety and health, consequently reducing accidents, promoting productivity and yielding positive outcomes for companies.

‘Both employers and workers have a role to play in maintaining optimal safety conditions in the workplace. Workers must consistently adhere to safety measures and prioritise performing their duties safely.

‘On the other hand, employers must ensure a safe working environment in all aspects. They cannot afford to overlook these amendments,” he said in a statement today.

Lee suggested that one of the measures employers can take to enhance safety and health is by investing in safety equipment and facilities or offering educational and training opportunities for employees.

Lee highlighted a key provision o
f the amendment – every company with five or more employees must appoint a trained occupational safety and health coordinator to oversee all related matters in the workplace.

“This is a practical measure to ensure workplace safety and promote a culture of safety,” he said.

On April 28, the government announced the Occupational Safety and Health (Amendment) Act 2022, passed by Parliament on March 16, which will enhance workplace safety and health nationwide starting June 1, 2024.

Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong, reportedly said that the enforcement of the amendment mandates employers to assess workplace risks and appoint safety and health coordinators.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Many cases of lung cancer recorded among non-smokers are due to exposure to second-hand-smoke (SHS), third-hand-smoke (THS), or air pollution.

Dr Anand Sachithanandan, consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City, therefore, encouraged targeted lung cancer screenings to detect the disease earlier, which can be treated more effectively.

He said that lung cancer is no longer just a disease for male smokers, as most new cases now also involve non smokers, predominantly women, many of whom may be victims of chronic SHS exposure.

.”Besides lung cancer, SHS and THS also contribute to other respiratory problems including asthma attacks, bronchitis, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) because cigarette smoke can affect lung tissue elasticity and cause inflammation in the respiratory passages.

“Additionally, smoking has been proven to be a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and hypertension, weakens the body’s immune
system, and leads to premature aging,” he said in a statement today.

Dr Anand, who is also Lung Cancer Network Malaysia (LCNM) chairman, said children and adolescents are more exposed to the dangers of SHS and THS as their immune systems are not yet fully developed.

“Exposure to SHS and THS at home, in public places such as eateries or workplaces, as well as in vehicles, can increase the likelihood of developing respiratory diseases in the long term,” he said.

He added that according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), 77.6 percent of Malaysians surveyed reported being exposed to second-hand smoke in eateries.

Meanwhile, Dr Anand said the best screening test is through low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans, which are widely available throughout the country and that currently, the target individuals for screening tests are smokers and former smokers within certain age groups.

LDCT is a single- breath high resolution non-contrasted chest scan that requires no insertion of needles, blood test or
prior fasting.

Dr Anand noted that individuals with a family history of lung cancer should also consider getting checked, even if they do not smoke.

‘Currently, we are exploring the use of artificial intelligence (AI) enabled chest X-rays as a prelude to LDCT screening as this is more affordable and widely accessible.’

“This is still under clinical investigation, as well as efforts to develop the potential use of blood tests as biomarkers to improve lung cancer detection outcomes during screening,” he said, adding that lung cancer screening among non-smokers remains a challenge that needs to be addressed.

He said the public can also play a role by being considerate smokers, smoking only in Designated Smoking Areas (DSAs).

He underscored that the implementation of DSAs proposed by the Ministry of Health is also a pragmatic approach that can be achieved if carefully planned and implemented, and strictly enforced.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

The Minister of Information strongly supports the initiative of Tnaot App, an online news site in Khmer and Chinese, to organise a badminton championship between Cambodians and Chinese people.

H.E. Neth Pheaktra highlighted his support in a meeting on May 30 with Tnaot App’s Director General Mr. Tang Bingjian (Tony) at the ministry.

According to Mr. Tang Bingjian, the event titled People to People Exchange Amateur Badminton Championship 2024 will be held in June.

It will promote mutual cultural understanding and friendship between Cambodians and Chinese, he said.

The championship will engage Chinese people who are doing business in Cambodia in line with the 2024 Cambodia-China People-to-People Exchange Year committed by the two governments.

The planned event, he added, was broadly supported by business partners, users, and supporters of the Tnaot App.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is organising a two-day “Khmer Agricultural Village’ exhibition on June 1-2, 2024 in Phnom Penh to promote and seek support on home grown agricultural products.

The exhibition was kicked off under the presidency of the First Lady, Lok Chumteav Dr. Pich Chanmony Hun Manet, with the participation of Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries H.E. Dith Tina, officials from relevant ministries and institutions, businessmen, investors, and national and international guests.

In her opening speech, the First Lady called for support for domestically-grown agricultural products, and encouraged food service companies, as well as chefs’ associations, tourism associations and restaurants to join the movement by collaborating directly with Cambodian agricultural associations and cooperatives on agricultural supplies.

She encouraged farmers and agricultural cooperatives to enhance and strengthen their farming productions sustainability and friendly to environment to
build and strengthen consumers’ trust.

H.E. Dith Tina said that this exhibition is aimed to promote the use of Cambodian agricultural products more widely for the benefit of the people and farmers.

“At a time when the world is experiencing crises such as climate change and the Russia-Ukraine war, Cambodia is able not only to ensure complete food security for the people across the country, but also to produce for export to foreign markets.

Last year, Cambodia exported some 8.4 million tonnes of agricultural products such as rice, cashew, pepper, banana, mango, rubber to foreign markets worth US$4.3 billion.

A resident of Phnom Penh, Mrs. Srey Touch, who visited the exhibition, expressed her surprise to see plenty of locally produced products, mostly made from agricultural raw materials showcased in the exhibition.

‘I’m impressed with products produced locally in terms of both quality and proper packaging. This made me think that Cambodian farmers and producers can produce quality products, which are compa
rable to imported products,’ Mrs. Srey Touch said.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse

The Prime Minister marks the Children’s Days with an emphasis on child protection, especially against online abuse and exploitation.

Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, who is also Honorary President of the Cambodia National Council for Children (CNCC), sent the message in an open statement to cheer the 75th International Children’s Day on June 1, the 23rd World Day Against Child Labour on June 12, and the Cambodian Children’s Day 2024.

The advancement of digital technology comes with challenges such as online crimes, kidnapping, trafficking and exploitation, and sexual harassment and abuse, he said in the statement.

Children and youth have become primary targets of the crimes, he added, underscoring an equally important urgency to address forced labour among children and severe forms of child labour.

According to Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet, in addressing online crimes, the government ratified the WePROTECT statement of actions in 2015 against child sexual exploitation and abuse online and jointly ad
opted the ASEAN statement for the same purpose in 2019.

On the ground, the government is implementing the National Policy on Child Protection System 2019-2029 through capacity building for competent authorities, public awareness building campaigns, and accessible intervention mechanisms.

Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet spoke highly of achievements and milestones in child rights promotion and protection made possible through the hard work of the CNCC, concerned ministries and government bodies, development partners, the private sector, as well as individual families and communities.

The Premier advised full compliance with all the action plans and closer cooperation among all players, including the mass media, particularly to increase awareness of online risks among children and youth.

The statement also highlighted the main outcomes of the promotion of the rights to survival, education, and participation of children by the government.

They include the reduction of maternal, infant, and child mortality rates,
improved nutrition for pregnant women and children, equitable access to education with information technology mainstreaming, quality learning and teaching, scholarships for students from poor households, and social assistance schemes that significantly benefit vulnerable children.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse