New Straits Times

Friday, 24/06/2011

Gasing Indah aims to become country's first dengue-free zone
By Masriwanie Muhamading

PETALING JAYA: A campaign to raise public awareness of dengue was recently held in Gasing Indah.

The effort to educate the community was organised by Tunku Naquiyuddin Foundation, Gasing Indah Rukun Tetangga and EntoGenex Industries — the latter is a biotechnology company that specialises in pest management.

Foundation chairman Tunku Naquiyuddin Tuanku Ja'afar said the campaign aimed to inform the public of its role and responsibilities in the fight against dengue.

Its ultimate goal is to make Taman Gasing Indah the first dengue-free zone in Malaysia, he said.

Selangor state executive councillor Xavier Jayakumar, who launched the campaign, said there had been 3,445 recorded cases of dengue and three deaths since January to early June.

"We have taken measures to prevent dengue in the state such as the release of about 400 predatory jungle mosquitoes in USJ 1 several weeks ago.

"For now, however, we are not going to release the genetically-modified mosquitoes.

"There has been research to show that it is safe, but we cannot be certain yet that these mosquitoes will not have an effect on the ecology or produce a species that is immune to existing insecticides, for example," he said.

Activities that were entertaining as well as informative to the visitors included a band performance by SMK (Perempuan) Taman Petaling students, a talk on dengue by Prof Madya Dr Hidayatulfathi Othman from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and an exhibition on the same topic.

A gotong-royong to clean up the residential area was also held.

EntoGenex showcased a preview of its range of insect-control products that would be launched nationwide in August.

Also present at the launch was Petaling Jaya Selatan member of parliament Hee Loy Sian, Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) councillor Chan Chee Kong and MBPJ Department of Environmental Health senior assistant director Dr Chithra Davi N. Vadivellu.