Pick non-smokers as candidates for next general election, says group

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THE Association of Former Umno Elected Representatives (Pakku) has suggested that priority be given to non-smoking and healthy candidates for the next general election, reported Berita Harian.

Its president Tan Sri Adam Abdul Kadir said this would ensure that the elected representatives would be able to serve effectively and would not get smoking-related diseases.

He added that as elected representatives, they should support the Government’s anti-smoking policy and become true role models.

Umno veteran Tan Sri Sabaruddin Chik said the Health Ministry’s suggestion to include the health condition of representatives in their Key Performance Index was good but it would not guarantee they would remain healthy due to their responsibilities.

The suggestion was seen as necessary after the worrying trend of many representatives dying due to non-transmittable diseases which have resulted in many by-elections.

Since the 12th general election in March 2008, 14 by-elections have taken place while two more are due in Merlimau and Kerdau following the deaths of their representatives.

Twelve elected representatives had died due to conditions like heart disease and cancer.

> A 26-year-old man beat up his wife in front of his parents after she accused him of having an affair at Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi on Sunday, reported Harian Metro.

The man had initially denied the affair, but his 27-year-old wife pestered him to admit it.

He then started hitting her continuously in the 10pm incident, and she sustained injuries to her face, head, lips and hands.

He then left the house while the victim lodged a report at the police station.

A source said that both of them had been quarrelling regularly and this was not the first time he had beaten up his wife.

Police said the case was being investigated under Section 323 of the Penal Code.

Other News & Views is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this > sign, it denotes a separate news item.

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