NST Online: Topnews

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 08:04 PM PDT

Chinese hit and run toddler dies

BEIJING: A Chinese toddler who was ignored by 18 passers-by as she lay critically injured in the street after being run over by two vehicles has died, the hospital treating her said Friday.

Surveillance camera footage of people walking past the two-year-old girl, nicknamed Yue Yue, as she lay bleeding and unconscious sparked a wave of condemnation and soul-searching on China's hugely popular social networking sites.

A rubbish collector who finally moved the girl to the side of the street in the southern Chinese city of Foshan was hailed as a national hero, but the incident also led many online commentators to question the state of Chinese morality.

"Yue Yue died of systemic organ failure," a spokesman from the hospital treating her told AFP, adding that no expense had been spared to try to save the girl, whose parents are migrant workers.

Doctors had earlier said Yue Yue, who had been in a coma since the October 13 incident, was unlikely to survive.

The death of Yue Yue was one of the most popular topics on China's weibos — microblogging sites similar to Twitter — on Friday as people expressed sorrow and anger over the incident.

"Farewell to little Yue Yue. There are no cars in heaven," wrote one microblogger on Sina's weibo.

"Yue Yue was consumed for a week by the fake kindness of netizens... All the wishes are fake and only the 18 passers-by are real. Farewell, and do not be born in China in your next life," another weibo user wrote.

Police have detained the drivers of both vehicles involved in the incident. - AFP

Air your comment on this issue:

Chinese hit and run toddler dies

Log in with your Facebook account or use the form below to comment.

New Straits Times reserves the right not to publish offensive or abusive comments and those of hate speech, harassment, commercial promos and invasion of privacy. Your IP will be logged and may be used to prevent further submission.The views expressed here are that of the members of the public and unless specifically stated are not those of NST.

Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Indonesia lifts maid freeze

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 06:24 PM PDT

2011/10/21
From Noor Adzman Baharuddin in Mataram (Lombok)

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the 8th Malaysia-Indonesia Leaders' Consultation in Lombok yesterday. — Bernama picture

PRESIDENT Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Indonesians can once again work as maids in Malaysia from Dec 1.

He said both countries had resolved all problems and obstacles to Indonesians becoming maids in Malaysia.

A Malaysian-Indonesian task force will submit a report to him and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak when they meet again at the Asean Summit in Bali on Nov 17.

Susilo said: "There are many Indonesians working in Malaysia and the governments of both countries have agreed to provide protection and assistance to our workforce, since they are contributing to the Malaysian economy.

"We are also happy with the amendments made between the two governments on the recruitment and placement of maids this year.

"As such, we have agreed in principle to normalise this (lift the moratorium) on Dec 1," he said at a press conference with Najib at the end of the 8th Malaysia-Indonesia Leaders' Consultation here yesterday.

Indonesia imposed a freeze on the sending of its citizens to work as maids in Malaysia in June 2009, following complaints of abuse.

In May this year, the two-year freeze was supposedly lifted when Malaysia and Indonesia signed a new memorandum of understanding.

Among the conditions agreed upon was that the employer would get a replacement maid or compensation if the maid ran away, was inefficient or failed the medical test in six months.

But, two weeks ago, Indonesia said it had not lifted the moratorium.

Najib said he did not see problems with lifting the moratorium. He said people had inundated his social network Facebook and Twitter accounts with concerns about the maid freeze before he came for the meeting.

"We have resolved the matter and President Susilo's announcement reflects his sincerity and earnestness to boost cooperation and bring greater prosperity to both countries." Najib advised Malaysians against mistreating Indonesian maids.

He said there might be only a handful of abuse cases, but prospective Malaysian employers must improve the image Indonesians had about how Malaysians treated maids.

"The number of cases of mistreatment may be small, but don't let a few bad apples spoil our good name." On the issue of wages for maids, he said thematter would be covered under the National MinimumWage Policy, which would be announced soon.

Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Khamis, 20 Oktober 2011