Tax on Sugared Water

TAX ON SUGAR WATER

I already wrote about this on August 27. Instead of being pro-active and doing scenario planning, contingency plans, and etc., many corporations I have spoken to told me they have not received any official word and simply adopt a “wait and see” attitude. 

Well, now you have official word and your wait is over. Selamat berkial-kial, mofos...

https://says.com/my/news/budget2019-government-to-introduce-tax-on-sugary-drinks-from-april-2019

My piece of Aug 27:

http://azlanadnan.blogspot.com/2018/08/soda-tax.html

Bila nak terberak baru nak cari changkol gali lobang...

I welcome suggestions from diabetics on how the 40 sen tax should be spent on to improve our quality of life. I’ll compile your suggestions and sent it as an open letter to:

YB Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad

Minister of Health Malaysia

Ministry of Health

Block E1, E3 , E6 , E7 & E10, Parcel E

Federal Government Administration Centre

62590 PUTRAJAYA

Malaysia

Phone No: 03-8883 2527

Email: drdzul@moh.gov.my 

I first met YB Dr Dzul six and a half years ago, he is on the extreme left in this video:

https://youtu.be/RcLZoCFIN3A

If you want to write to him directly, please feel free to do so. The more people write, the more our voice will be heard.

For example, I visited both Klinik Kesihatan Kota Damansara and Klinik Kesihatan Kelana Jaya earlier this week. There is so much room for improvement...

Some notes about the state of public healthcare in Malaysia. 

I live in Kampung Sungai Kayu Ara, within the catchment area of Klinik Kesihatan Kelana Jaya, which has a pathology lab. The earliest date I can get to check my HbA1c, lipoprotein profile, uric acid, and etc is in Feb 2019. I can only get the results a month later. The results will be handwritten as the clinic does not have a printer.

https://goo.gl/maps/77ctvwpbVoq

There is a Community Clinic (previously known as Klinik 1Malaysia) within walking distance to my place. They can only do FBG and BP. Even then, the MA says they get sent only 15-20 test strips a time, and frequently run out.

https://goo.gl/maps/SQPRRtniesT2

Klinik Kesihatan Kota Damansara is even more horrific. Two MOs share an examination room. They sit on desks pushed against each other and sit facing each other. You tell your medical problems to the MO attending to you whilst another patient does the same to the other MO within earshot of you, although you sit back to back.

https://goo.gl/maps/82Df5DiBxXm

There is no pathology lab in Klinik Kesihatan Kota Damansara; all specimens are sent to the pathology lab at Klinik Kesihatan Kelana Jaya and it typically takes three weeks to get your results back. I neglected to inquire if they have a printer.

If you think there is room for improvement, please lobby your MP to vote for a bigger budget for healthcare and less on military spending. We, the Rakyat, need to make our voices heard for change to happen. Change doesn’t happen spontaneously without a call to action.

In Latvia, sugared drinks are banned altogether - no cordials like Ribena, SunQuick sold in supermarkets or wherever. Fruit juices are not permitted to contain added sugar, just pure fruit juice. Soft drinks like Coke need to be zero calories, only with non-calorific sweeteners.

On all my visits to Riga and Jūrmala, I noticed the girls are all svelte, slim and look like ballerinas. Now you know why I go to Latvia every summer...

https://youtu.be/k8pb0aSJMhg

Copyright 2003-2018 Azlan Adnan. This blog post is sponsored by The Green Party of Malaysia