Letters to the Editor

Field only qualified candidates at elections
Since there is talk of a general election during the course of the year or early next year after the presidential election, members of all political parties will, from now on, be gearing to face the polls.

This reminds me of the candidates who sent in their nominations during pre-Independence days. They were well educated, many were professionals and the majority of them used their own wealth and resources to uplift the masses and assist the economic development of the country. They were honest freedom fighters who sacrificed everything for their country. Some were even sent to jail by the colonial rulers.

However, in the past six decades, our country has had to face several problems, perhaps due to the wrong type of candidates being elected to the provincial, municipal and urban councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas and even Parliament.

When elected, the first thing they do is to promote their kith and kin for jobs. Appointments are made placing square pegs in round holes and nothing is done thereafter. Also, unsuitable persons are appointed Justices of the Peace. These politicians later get wings to fly to foreign countries with all their family members and even their domestic aides at the taxpayers’ expense.

If the country is to go forward, the government should, instead, send technicians, researchers, professionals, and environmentalists for training to developed countries such as Australia, Germany, France and Britain.
If my memory serves me right, the only politician who never left the shores of Sri Lanka was the late Dr. W. Dahanayake, who was a parliamentarian, minister and Prime Minister at different times.

Today, to be elected to any council or Parliament, one need not have any basic educational qualifications or age limit. However, to enter into employment in the public or private sector you need to have some minimum educational qualifications and age limit together with a certificate from the Grama Sevaka for public clearance.

Leaders of all political parties should ensure that no candidate defeated at the polls will be promoted through the National List. If they do, it will be an undemocratic action.

Today, some of the politicians' sons and their henchmen have become powerful and have taken the law into their own hands — of course, with the blessings of their parents. This should stop immediately and the government should take meaningful action to ensure that nobody is above the law.

What the people want today is peace and stability, so that they can go on with their normal work peacefully and develop the country for future generations. To achieve this, all political party leaders should put forward suitable candidates at the elections with at least the following qualifications:

1) Candidates should have the minimum G.C.E. (Advanced Level) qualification.
2) Good knowledge of the three languages, Sinhala, Tamil and English.
3) Professionally qualified persons in all fields to develop the country.
4) Character certificate either from the head of the temple, church, kovil or mosque as to the suitability of the candidate to hold high office.

5) Declaration of the assets and liabilities of the candidates. Also the candidate selection process should include points for persons professionally qualified in their field so that they will not require the services of the underworld thugs to campaign for them. Given these circumstances the people will judge and elect the best qualified person.

Allah is merciful, not cruel
Muslims whenever they begin anything recite "Bismilla Hirrahmanir-raheem" which means in the name of Allah the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. Every chapter in the Holy Quran, except one, begins with this sentence.

Therefore, it is shocking to find a few Friday prayer moulavis in their sermons declare that "those Muslims who wear their trousers below their ankle will burn in hell-fire". To make matters worse, in certain mosques (for example, a mosque in Dehiwela) notices to this effect too have been put up.

We do not know what these people, responsible for such statements and acts, hope to achieve by this. For one, the Prophet Muhammed made this statement in a different context. At that time the rich and powerful Arabs wore their clothes below the ankle to show off their superiority in an act of arrogance. The point was not just the length of the dress but the attitude of arrogance.

So what the Prophet emphasised was that those who adopted this style to show off their superiority would earn God's wrath. Thus, the Prophet’s warning is not aimed at those who merely wear long trousers stretching below the ankles but at those who may have long beards and wear clothes above the ankle if they are arrogant and think they are superior to others and that they are the only ones to enter paradise.

However, what is worse is the action of these moulavis and mosque trustees in making such statements distorting the Prophet's word. How could a compassionate and merciful Allah burn people in hell merely for wearing trousers below the ankles?

What these people are doing is giving Islam an ugly face and God a terrible, cruel image.

Crack down on killer chemists
It is high time the authorities took a firm stand to check the proliferation of unlicensed pharmacies. The problem has escalated to an alarming level.
Laws and regulations require the presence of licensed and qualified pharmacists at all times when a pharmacy is open for business.

The dispensation of drugs is a serious and responsible task. When it is performed by unqualified persons there is a danger of serious mishaps and unfortunate incidents occurring.

Often, at these unlicensed places, only a pharmacist's certificate is prominently displayed, while dispensation is done by an unqualified person. A long white coat alone does not satisfy legal requirements. This constitutes a grave and real danger to the unsuspecting buyer. A few incidents and mishaps are occasionally reported in the media but there are many more which are not.

Another aspect of the problem is how these ‘fly-by-night’ establishments affect those who are operating legitimate pharmacies, manned by qualified personnel.
In the present context of rising prices and increasing competition, the genuine operator is finding it increasingly difficult to keep his establishment going, while obtaining a reasonable level of profit.

The drop in turnover caused by the multiplication of these unlicensed outlets is causing distress to the authentic establishment . A decent margin of profit requires a high turnover due to the numerous essential basic expenses and taxes. They also often have to accept the cost of the outdated drugs while unlicensed pharmacies continue the highly dangerous practice of continuing to sell outdated drugs.

Literally thousands of brand name medicines are on sale in pharmacies. The authorities should take urgent action to ensure a workable limit is set on the drugs now allowed into the market. Too often the same medicine prescribed under one brand name is available, much cheaper, from a less recognised company. A selected choice of imports would eliminate this problem.

Unfortunately, due to the perks extended to them by global giant pharmaceutical companies, doctors continue to prescribe highly priced new and fashionable brands of medicines, instead of other, equally effective and less expensive drugs.

There are many problems to be addressed and redressed. It is hoped that the authorities take notice and follow up with concrete action instead of confining themselves to issuing empty and politically motivated pontifications, which remain what they are -- more hot air.

Teaching science: Enhanced formula need of the hour
Sri Lanka is in a transition period from the Bandaranaike era to a new era to be determined at the November 17 presidential election. Our Education Ministry has already taken steps to introduce all three science subjects — physics, chemistry and biology for G.C.E. (O/L) from 2007. The last syllabus change took place in 1999/2000.

During the 1972 Science-for-All curriculum reforms, it was agreed to introduce an integrated science subject from Grade 6 to Grade 11. We are now planning to introduce an updated syllabus for these three subjects from Grade 9 in the English medium.

The present day G.C.E. (O/L) qualified government school students are considered weak in science when compared to international school students.
We are living in an information era. At the end of the last century, the subject science has expanded in to areas such as electronics, nuclear chemistry and bio-technology.

Our science knowledge should be geared to the IT era. Therefore students reaching A/L should be enriched with the new concepts of science. Our secondary schools are now better equipped with science laboratories and qualified science teachers than in the 1970s.

A majority of our students are handicapped by studying only integrated science up to Grade 11. This has created a social bias. Several new employment opportunities are available for urban students in fields such as aeronautical engineering, BIT, commerce, marketing and oceanography and students should be able to make use of them.

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