COMMITTEE ON INFLUENZA TO MEET THURSDAY - MINISTER

KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 (Bernama) -- Due to the urgency of the matter, the
Inter-Ministry Influenza Committee will hold its maiden meeting on the Influenza
A (H1N1) pandemic on Thursday, instead of Friday.

The committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, would
discuss various pertinent issues and precautions pertaining to the influenza,
said Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai.

"This will be the first meeting and it was initially scheduled for Friday
but was brought forward due to the urgency of the matter.

"I had a discussion with Muhyiddin and he was very concerned about the
latest development of this pandemic," Liow told reporters after launching the
Federal Territories-level School Combi programme at SRJK(C) Tsun Jin here
Tuesday.

To date, Malaysia has registered 17 confirmed Influenza A(H1N1) imported
cases.

The number of those infected worldwide has surged to more than 30,100 cases
and killed 145 victims across 80 countries.

Meanwhile, Liow said the ministry would not impose a travel advisory as
such a move was not proposed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) yet.

He said precautionary measures at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport
(KLIA) would also be stepped up.

"We are now setting up a permanent screening at KLIA to screen everyone,
including transit passengers," he said, adding however, there was no necessity
to screen domestic passengers.
-- BERNAMA