AP RELIEF: (Jan 30) The problem of imported vehicles stuck at several ports in the country will be eased as about 8,000 Approved Permits (APs) are being issued as an interim measure. Deputy Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mah Siew Kiong confirmed the processing of APs had begun and that the ministry officials had met importers on the matter. Car importers were happy with the ministry’s decision to issue APs for several thousand imported cars, which were lying idle in ports towards the second half of last year.
OFFICIALS BAFFLED: (Jan 31) Health authorities scrambled to determine the cause of the acute neurological syndrome (DIL) that killed two people in the Tanah Merah district in Kelantan. Health Department director Datuk Dr Ahmad Razin Ahmad Maher said DIL could be linked to the Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus. Initial signs of DIL were fever and vomiting, which could later develop into breathing difficulties. Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek later said they actually succumbed to dengue and bacterial meningitis.
