Breast cancer care must look beyond treatment, experts say

 

MALAYSIAN cancer experts have called for greater attention to breast cancer recurrence and long-term survivorship care, saying patients need clearer information about their individual risks even after completing treatment.

The issue was highlighted at a plenary session titled “Understanding and Managing Recurrence Risk in Early Breast Cancer” during the Reach to Recovery International Breast Cancer Support Conference 2026, held in Malaysia from June 26 to 28.

Sponsored by Novartis, the session aimed to equip patient advocacy groups with a better understanding of how recurrence risk varies according to individual clinical and genetic factors, and how advocates can help patients discuss long-term care with their healthcare teams.

Prof Dr Murallitharan Munisamy, managing director of the National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM), said existing frameworks to improve breast cancer care did not adequately capture recurrence, leaving gaps in understanding how many patients experience a return of the disease.

“While national frameworks such as the National Strategic Plan for Cancer Control Programme and the BCCQI exist to standardize therapy and drive improvements in the quality of breast cancer care, these do not capture recurrence,” he said.

“We simply don’t know how many women with early breast cancer go on to experience a recurrence, and while we know that many patients are fearful that the cancer may return, it is rarely named or spoken of.”

Murallitharan said the lack of data made it difficult to plan services and allocate funding for patients who require ongoing support after their initial treatment.

“This is a real challenge – without data, we are unable to plan for it or fund it, and this is why we need to examine ongoing gaps in survivorship and continuity of care, particularly in how patients are supported beyond initial treatment,” he remarked.

He added that improving outcomes would require a closer examination of equitable access to long-term care and how early and openly recurrence risk was discussed with patients.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Malaysia, according to the Malaysia National Cancer Registry Report 2017–2021.

However, the risk of recurrence differs between patients and depends on factors including tumour characteristics, stage at diagnosis and treatment received.

The plenary explored how tumour biology, biomarkers and genetic testing can inform treatment decisions and assessments of recurrence risk. It also discussed factors that may raise or lower risk, long-term monitoring and practical ways for advocates to support patients beyond their initial treatment.

Sanjeev Balachandran, country president of Novartis Malaysia, Brunei and Asia Emerging Markets, said breast cancer care should address patients’ lives after treatment as well as their immediate treatment outcomes.

“Early breast cancer is no longer just about survival. It is about what comes after – how patients live, how they are monitored, and how prepared they feel for what lies ahead,” he noted.

“This means making recurrence risk part of the routine dialogue, not something that happens too late or not at all.”

Balachandran said Novartis aimed to support better outcomes by normalising discussions about recurrence and encouraging patients to take an active role in their long-term care.

The session also highlighted the need for closer coordination among clinicians, patient advocacy groups and other healthcare stakeholders to ensure patients have access to reliable information and support throughout their cancer journey.

Among the resources highlighted was the National Breast Cancer Directory, a platform developed by NCSM in partnership with Novartis to help people find information on breast cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment and support services in Malaysia.

Patients can also access educational information and support tools through the ICanCare app, available on mobile platforms.

The organisers said these initiatives were intended to strengthen patient advocacy and make discussions about recurrence risk a more routine part of breast cancer care. ‒  Focus Malaysia

Deepavali vs Halloween: MyTown Cheras, 1Utama under fire for glorifying foreign theme

 

DEEPAVALI which is popularly referred to the “Festival of Lights” is a Hindu festivity symbolising the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and is a seen as a major celebration in melting pot Malaysia.

Henceforth, some Malaysians are non-plussed that certain malls and businesses seem more keen on promoting Halloween rather than celebrating Deepavali.

This was highlighted across social media as the festival approaches on Nov 8 with netizens of all faiths asking some barbed questions.

Threader Davveen Vasudev (@davveen_vasudev) could not hide his disdain at misplaced priorities of politicians.

“While Indian politicians are busy debating the inconsequential distinction between Diwali and Deepavali, including the Deputy National Unity Minister, Malaysians are busy calling out shopping malls that have no Diwali decorations” he lamented.

“Our politicians are caught up debating terminology while the public is concerned with visibility, representation and inclusion in everyday Malaysian life.”

This concern that Malaysia is losing its multi-cultural identity amid the spread of foreign celebrations such as Halloween was highlighted by content creator Chinepaiyen (@chinepaiyenofficial) who singled out MyTOWN Cheras mall as a prime offender.

Highlighting the mall management’s seemingly unconcerned attitude towards Deepavali, the irate influencer claimed the shopping destination seemed more interested in promoting Halloween with its House of Vampires theme that apparently ran for a month (Oct 1- Nov 1).

It was highlighted with even images of other major celebrations such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidil Fitri and Christmas received grand treatment with decors aplenty adorning the entrance and concourse areas of the MyTOWN Cheras mall.

Contrast that with the dull and dispiriting looking décor (from last year) that was put up by the shopping complex for Deepavali which was drowned out by the Halloween items, claimed this non-plussed observer.

Emphasising that neighbouring Ikea, a Swedish brand, had its Deepavali decorations up since Sep 26, it was insinuated that it is embarrassing that a Malaysian-owned establishments need reminding about celebrating Deepavali with proper grandeur.

“Does Malaysia want malls such as MyTOWN?” he pointedly asked. “Claim to be Malaysian but don’t treat festivals like Deepavali with equal respect.”

Just to emphasise that MyTOWN Cheras was not alone, this intrepid Threader ventured to popular Petaling Jaya shopping destination – 1Utama – which had been previously highlighted as having among the poorest mall decorations for Deepavali in previous years.

Alas, a recent visit yielded disappointing results yet again to this Threader’s eyes with Deepavali playing second fiddle to the ever-favourite Halloween theme.

Boycott errant malls

Enquiries at the mall’s information counter about when Deepavali décor was going up was met with an unsatisfactory “I don’t know”. Even more shocking was the staffer’s apparent cluelessness as to actual date for Deepavali this year!

That’s when some on social media suggested using the power of boycott to teach these errant malls a lesson.

“After all, there is no holiday in Malaysian calendar for Halloween. There is one for Deepavali” was the common sentiment here.

Few things to note.

This isn’t a new issue. Every year, many shopping malls’ public relations and marketing departments become tone deaf to this vehement criticism by Malaysians from all walks of life over this blatant disregard for a major Malaysian festival.

Secondly, this isn’t a question of ‘demographics. It is about inclusivity and celebrating what makes Malaysia unique. It is not a call to ban Halloween décor but rather to give a cultural festival that is deeply rooted in this country higher visibility than Jack O’Lantern.

Thirdly, it is refreshing to see Malaysians from all backgrounds rally behind this commonsense call for inclusivity and fair representation.

As highlighted by some, it is not difficult to do. It adds colour, vibrancy and a truly uniquely Malaysian flavour to any shopping experience regardless of what background the visitor may be. Isn’t it about time that these errant malls learn a thing or two?

FocusM wishes all Hindu readers Happy Deepavali. –  Focus Malaysia

Undergraduates are not robots, they are future leaders, says DAP leader in defence of Ummi Umairah

 

SENATOR Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali of DAP has come forth in defence of  Ummi Umairah Bakhit who has been under pressure after stating that the stupidest thing that she has ever seen was ordinary people donating for former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“I am confident that the threats and condemnations have not rattled her. I also believe that many students are daring enough to voice out the truth just as Ummi Umairah,” said Sheikh Umar who is also Johor DAP vice chairman.

“Students go to university not merely to study in lecture rooms. They go to university not to become robots. That is why they are MAHAsiswa (undergraduates).

“They are leaders of the future. They become spokesperson of the people and shape the nation in the future,” added Sheikh Umar who is also a DAP central executive committee member.

He added that Ummi Umairah raised the issue for the greater good of the nation.

“Undergraduates such as Ummi Umairah raised the correct issue for the greater good of the nation. So, don’t be afraid to voice out. Speak the truth.”

Ummi Umairah, an economics undergraduate and Universiti Malaya Student Union member, has been under the spotlight for criticising donors for Najib’s fine. Najib is a former UMNO president.

Najib is required to pay a discounted fine of RM50 mil. The fine settlement will enable him to serve his prison term under house arrest. This is in relation to the SRC International Sdn Bhd case.

She criticised in a forum by the Higher Education Ministry in the presence of prominent UMNO leaders such as Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar.

Five days ago, the media reported that she was facing online threats and harassment. UMNO supporters have claimed that her actions were rude.

Deputy Education Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim and Communication Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil have defended Ummi. —  Focus Malaysia

Akmal won't back down from those in power, wishes 'happy campaigning'

 

Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh has vowed not to back down from those in power.

In a brief and cryptic Facebook post this evening, the Malacca state exco said that those who currently hold power may do whatever they wish.

"As for me stepping down - absolutely not. Happy campaigning," the Merlimau assemblyperson stated.

Malaysiakini has contacted Akmal to clarify whether his remarks were in reference to a court ruling earlier today ordering him to pay DAP MP Teresa Kok RM300,000 in damages and legal costs in a defamation suit.

The Malacca High Court ruled in Kok's favour over a social media dispute between the two concerning the government's proposed halal certification requirement for businesses.

In September 2024, Akmal had slammed Kok as an "old Nyonya" who should not have interfered in Islamic affairs, adding that he would ask the government to prepare a non-halal logo to stick on her forehead.

This was after Kok (above) was questioned by police following her statement that the government's proposal to make halal certification mandatory for restaurants and food companies that do not serve pork and alcohol would burden businesses and may subject Malaysia to ridicule.

In response to Akmal, Kok issued a letter of demand seeking RM25 million in damages, a retraction of his remarks, the publication of an apology, and a written undertaking that he would not repeat similar defamatory comments.

In the notice, Kok said Akmal's remarks portrayed her as a racist, disrespectful towards Islam, ignorant of halal certification, and opposed to government policies on Islamic practices.

Akmal then replied to Kok's legal notice by saying he would face her in court.

“Ok, Nyonya. We meet in court. No fear, no surrender,” he stated then. - Mkini

Govt websites still getting hijacked by online casinos

 

Government websites continue to be hijacked to promote online casinos, with the latest being reportedly the national language agency, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP).

The incidents raise fresh concerns over cybersecurity as Malaysia increasingly shifts government services to digital platforms, amid years of reports of data leaks and other online security breaches.

Over the past three years, reports have emerged of search engines such as Google finding links to illegal gambling sites hidden within government-controlled web domains.

Freelance investigative journalist Nigel Aw is the latest to flag such a case, alleging that DBP’s website contained hidden links to online casinos when he visited it on Oct 13.

In an article on his website, Aw said DBP’s online platforms appeared to have been compromised in three ways to conceal links to gambling sites.

First, hidden hyperlinks to gambling websites had been inserted into the underlying code of the website dbp.gov.my.

Second, observium.dbp.gov.my had been replaced with a gambling page. Third, searches for epp.dbp.gov.my on Google directed users to a gambling website, though regular users are still served the normal website.

“It would appear that whoever was responsible intended to leverage the ‘gov.my’ domain suffix to boost the ranking of gambling sites on Google Search,” he explained.

‘Free-ride on reputation’

In simple terms, Google sees government websites as an authoritative source of information and makes them more prominent in its search results.

The perpetrators of the cyberattack appear to be attempting to free-ride on this reputation to promote their own services.

As of the time of writing, the first and second issues appear to have been fixed, but the third has not been fully addressed.

DBP is not the only apparent victim. Malaysiakini’s checks found that a state government website has also been compromised in a similar manner.

Malaysiakini is not identifying the state government website pending comment.

A previous investigation by The Fourth and Indonesian newsroom Tirto.ID also identified more than 150 government websites in Malaysia and Indonesia that had been used to display gambling advertisements.

In June, the two newsrooms revealed that the operation was most likely run by scam centres in Southeast Asia’s “Golden Triangle” - a mountainous region spanning across the borders of Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos.

Their analysis of the source code on compromised websites suggested that the code had been developed by operators based in China.

Among the clues were Chinese characters embedded in the code, references to Chinese web browsers, and the use of the Chinese yuan as the default currency for transactions.

Happening since 2023

According to a local cybersecurity company, Syntx Sdn Bhd, gambling sites have been hiding in Malaysian government and university websites since at least Aug 2023.

That month, local technology news site Pokde.Net reported that the government’s official halal website, halal.gov.my, had been replaced by a gambling website.

In a blog post in June, Syntx described the operation as a search engine optimisation (SEO) “poisoning” campaign that exploited government and university hosts.

“We have confirmed 83 compromised government and university hosts across 43 organisations, 34 government agencies and seven universities, from our own evidence, and 17 were still live at our last check.

“This is not the full picture. New ones keep surfacing as we scan,” it said.

Syntx named the campaign “Tundra”.

Malaysiakini has contacted DBP, MCMC, Communications Ministry, Digital Ministry, and the National Cybersecurity Agency for their comments and clarification on measures being taken to strengthen the security of government websites. - Mkini

DAP rep brands Sarawak minister ‘coward’ for attacking Chieng Jen

 Pending assemblyman Violet Yong says Lee Kim Shin had the Sarawak DAP chief removed from the state assembly and was now attacking him in his absence.

Pending assemblyman Violet Yong has accused transport minister Lee Kim Shin (right) of being a ‘political coward’ for tabling a motion last week to suspend Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen.

PETALING JAYA:

A Sarawak DAP assemblyman branded the state’s transport minister Lee Kim Shin a “coward” for criticising a recently suspended elected representative at the state assembly sitting.

In his winding-up speech, Lee described as “short-sighted” the call by Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen for the Sarawak government to abandon the proposed new Kuching international airport and other major strategic infrastructure projects due to their substantial development costs.

He also said Chong’s remarks reeked of double standards, the Dayak Daily reported.

Lee’s comments prompted Pending assemblyman Violet Yong to argue that he should not comment on Chong’s remarks as the latter was not present to defend himself.

“If he wants an answer, why (did) he remove Padungan?” Yong was quoted as saying, referring to the motion tabled by Lee last week to suspend Chong.

This is called political cowardice.”

Lee, who is the Senadin assemblyman, demanded Yong retract the word “coward,” explaining that the suspension was a collective decision by 62 assemblymen and not his personal decision.

Yong, however, refused to withdraw her remarks and doubled down.

“I am not going to withdraw (my remarks) because he is a political coward. He moved the motion, he removed him and he attacked him. Is he not a coward? He is a coward.”

Yong’s remarks led to Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap accusing her of engaging in political theatrics and suggesting that she wanted to be ejected from the House.

“Then the minute she gets kicked out from the Dewan, we’ll have another set of videos coming out saying that this particular Dewan bullies her.”

Chong, who is also Sarawak DAP chief, was suspended from the state assembly on Oct 15 for the remainder of the current session after a motion was adopted alleging that he misled the assembly about the Sarawak 2027 budget document and acted improperly during its debate.

Yong had previously taken issue with state assembly speaker Asfia Awang Nassar for stating that Chong had chosen not to attend the sitting last Thursday.

She said that Asfia was being unfair as he knew that Chong, who is Stampin MP, was in the Dewan Rakyat. - FMT