It’s all in the chromosomes

NINE out of 100 males are colourblind, says consultant opthalmologist Dr Tan Niap Ming.
She said there were many types of colour deficiency, but the most common was the “red-g reen” colour blindness.

“Many people with the condition cannot tell the difference between green and tones of red.

“But a big majority of them can differenti at e solid colours, even if it is between green and red; and they usually face difficulty in identifying desaturated hues of colours.” Dr Tan said to help such people drive on public roads, some countries had added a tinge of blue to the traffic light ’s green bulbs, so they have a greater contrast with red bulbs.

“They can also read the red light’s position on traffic lights.” The traffic light system, where red is the highest bulb and green the lowest, is universally standardised.

“Abnormal colour perception, or colour deficiency, is the termprefer red by medical practitioners as the word ‘blindness’ implies it is a disability or handicap,” Dr Tan said.

Even though the condition could not be cured and visual aid to correct the abnormalities had not proven to be effective, she said people with abnormal colour perception could function just as well in their daily commitments as others, such as driving.

“People with abnormal colour perception should be allowed to drive as their condition is really not a big hindrance.” However, she maintained that other professions which required perfect colour and eye vision, such as airline pilots or bus drivers, should continue to keep the ruling as the risks were much g reater.

Dr Tan urged parents to check their children to see whether they had the condition.

She said it was important to do so because only then could they provide clearer career guidance.

Dr Tan, who is also an aviation opthalmologist, said she had to tell many young, aspiring pilots they could not pursue their dream career because they had colour deficiency. Most of them did not know it.

“They had wanted to become pilots all their lives. Imagine having to ditch 10 to 15 years of preparations just because they did not know they had abnormal colour perception.” She said parents should start testing their children from the ages of 5 to 7.

“Grownups above the age of 40 should test their colour perception as well, as the ability to detect different hues of colours tapers off at that age due to the natural yellowing of the lens.” She said the reason the condition was apparent in males was that males only had one X chromosome, whereas females had t wo.

The abnormality is caused by a mutation in the red-green receptors in one’s eye, and the genes of which are located in the X chromosomes.

“Since men only have one X chromosome, the condition will show if it is inherited from their parents (one of whom or both carry the mutated chromosome),” said Dr Tan.

“Women are less susceptible to display colour deficiency because they have two sets of X chromosomes.” She said if one X chromosome carried the hereditary mutated gene, there was a second healthy X chromosome that could override the deficiency.

“But some women, although not colour-blind themselves, can be a carrier of that gene. Her male children may inherit and display the condition.” Dr Tan said other than genetic inheritance, colour blindness could also be caused by nerve damage or degeneration of the eye receptors.

Taken from New Straits Times Online

IWK to be privatised to 1MDB

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 — Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) is expected to be privatised soon to a consortium led by strategic investment agency 1MDB, some 11 years after the government was forced to bail out the national sewerage company from financial difficulties under its previous owners, according to sources in the Finance Ministry. The sources told The Malaysian Insider that the 1MDB-led consortium will include water distribution company Puncak Niaga, and that the deal has been given the nod by the Economic Council chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. However, it is understood that some ministry officials are still scrutinising the deal because of concerns about its feasibility and worries that the government could once again be forced to bail out the company if the latest plan fails. Under the proposed deal, the 1MDB consortium will acquire IWK for RM1 and take over its debts which include more than RM1.5 billion in loans still owed to the ministry. The consortium is seeking a 60-year concession from the government and will only pay back the principal amount and interest on the loan over the long term. It also has plans to link sewerage charges to water usage. The plan could spark a new round of controversy because of the lack of transparency surrounding negotiations, with consumers still wary about deals involving IWK. From Day One, IWK has had problems convincing a sceptical public to pay for separate sewerage charges which had previously been part of the water bill. In 2000, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration paid nearly RM200 million to nationalise IWK to “safeguard public interest and to avoid service disruptions.” The nationalisation of IWK was to tackle the company’s debt then of nearly RM700 million. IWK’s bailout in 2000 exemplified the pitfalls of Dr Mahathir’s privatisation policy in which government-owned assets or resources were allocated or sold to private investors in the hopes of generating profits. The IWK story began in 1993 when businessman Tan Sri Vincent Tan convinced the government to let a consortium of private interests led by him to take over the ownership, operation and maintenance of more than 2,800 state-owned sewage-treatment plants nationwide. But IWK subsequently found that many of the treatment plants it inherited from the government were not functioning and costs began escalating. A nationwide furore also ensued, with many consumers and businesses complaining bitterly about IWK. Maintaining the plants and staying profitable proved impossible for IWK. Under pressure, the government also forced the company to reduce its charges. By 2000 Dr Mahathir’s government then decided to nationalise IWK. The Najib government’s new plan could attract similar criticisms because it involves 1MDB and Puncak Niaga, a company that is seen as politically connected to Putrajaya.

 Taken from Malaysian Insider