NEWS FROM THE UAE
Source : The National

Undercover police in 'Q-cabs' target bad drivers

ABU DHABI - FEB 03: Be sure to be on your best behaviour the next time you flag down a gold-and-white taxi – for the driver may be an undercover policeman.

The "Q-cabs" are among a new fleet of 48 vehicles being used as unmarked police cars in a campaign to catch reckless drivers, like the "Q-boats", decoy ships used in the Second World War to catch enemy submarines.

Their introduction more than doubles the unmarked fleet. The increase follows a police campaign against tailgating – driving too close to the vehicle in front – in which officers found that there were more drivers breaking the law than abiding by it.

Officials said yesterday that the rented vehicles, which also include SUVs and compact cars, had now been deployed.

The decoy cars will be driven by plainclothes officers from Abu Dhabi Police’s traffic investigation section, on the lookout for motorists who flout road rules or drive dangerously.

Lt Col Hamad al Ameri, the head of the section, said 30 unmarked cars would be used in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, 10 in Tarif city and eight in Al Mafraq.

“Monitoring roads through unmarked cars is one of the creative methods used in developed countries and has proved effective when it comes to raising the level of road safety,” said Maj Gen Nasser al Naimi, the director general of the Ministry of Interior.

Since the start of the year, police have launched a major effort to improve road safety.

Shake up for schools' code of conduct to deal with unruly pupils

UAE - FEB 03: Thousands of public school pupils throughout the UAE are to be given a new code of conduct in a move intended to respond to a rapidly changing learning environment.

An influx of new ideas and technology is contributing to bad behaviour in Emirati schools, officials and parents say, and they hope an up-to-date code will address 21st century problems such as unfettered social networking, improper use of the internet, dating, smoking and inappropriate clothing.

In a statement, Humaid al Qattami, the Minister of Education, said the country faced “many changes and strange behaviours for UAE society”.

He said the challenges only “increase the ministry’s will to develop the educational environment”.

Mr al Qattami conducted a series of meetings with parents and teachers across the country over the past two months, and complaints of pupils behaving badly were common.

He said a new code of conduct should be flexible and not rely on punitive measures. But it must also stress the value of adhering to the country’s traditions and values.

The code will apply to public schools, but Mr al Qattami urged private schools to develop similar frameworks, stressing that “the UAE is an Arab and Islamic nation that enjoys values and traditions that differentiate it from a lot of societies”.

While a code of conduct already exists, outlining penalties for misconduct by pupils, many feel that it is outdated and fails to address contemporary problems.

Many of those problems are fairly traditional to any learning environment, such as skipping class and fighting on the playground. “The kids like vandalism and drawing on public property,” said Ahmed al Habsi, the principal of Abdul Rahman al Dakhel School in Al Ain. “These are the ones that are widespread.”

More “modern” concerns that educators hoped the ministry would address are the effects of new media and technology, which the country’s youth often use inappropriately, they say.

“Even third-graders now have BlackBerrys,” said Mariam Khatem, a representative of the Fujairah Women’s Council, an organisation that represents parents in the emirate’s schools.

“The BlackBerry is destructive,” said one Emirati mother with children in public schools, who did not want to be named. “It has a lot of harmful effects, they send things like indecent pictures and messages to each other.”

Addiction to technology and the internet also made many school-aged girls antisocial, she said. “They don’t even see any of their extended families any more.”

Exposure to other cultures that dress less conservatively has also led girls in school to dress inappropriately and to break rules on uniforms and dress codes.

“It’s a fashion show in schools now,” said Amna al Shehhi, a teacher at a public school in Ras al Khaimah. “The girls put on make-up and wear a lot of colours. It is not appropriate at all.”

Some had also taken to dating as well, she said, a result of “the parents being busy, their absence from home. The maid is now the mother and the father”.

Mr al Habsi and other parents said television and the rest of the media promoted antisocial behaviour among pupils.

Last month, the ministry said it would require schools to hold an open day each term that would allow parents to meet teachers and stay posted on their children’s academic performance and behaviour.

“The home is crucial,” said Ms Khatem. The family could plant values like respect for teachers in their children, she said.

The reasons for behavioural issues were numerous, said Wafa Saleem, an Emirati mother and former schoolteacher.

“Sometimes, the mistake is at home because there is no good example, like if the father smokes or spends a lot of time outside the home.” she said.

“But the school must also try to be an attractive environment. Society is inter-connected.”

Lack of respect for teachers has often been cited as a problem by parents and school principals, with some students resorting to insults and verbal abuse with teachers and students.

“Their tongues get used to what is on television,” said Fawzia al Genaibi, the principal of Sheikha Bint Suror Primary School in Al Ain.

But Ms Saleem said schoolteachers also had a duty to respect students and not embarrass them in front of their classmates.

Teachers also had to know how to respond to students of different backgrounds, she said.

Ms al Shehhi said a new code of conduct was needed to address the lack of clarity and to modernise the old code, bringing it up to the challenges of the current age. One thing the code should stress was the responsibility of the teachers, some of whom resorted to corporal punishment to discipline students. This should be expressly banned, she said.

In addition, development of the code should involve different stakeholders, like parents, school management and law enforcement, said Mohammed al Hosani, principal of Abu Dhabi Secondary School.

Others said the ministry should stress the importance of counsellors in the treatment of misbehaving students, and training sessions for parents and students to educate them about the code of conduct.

Fly-posters swatted as hundreds help in city clean-up

DUBAI - FEB 03: They advertise anything from jobs and flats for rent to massage parlours, but the thousands of flyers that litter large areas of Dubai are driving officials up the wall.

Yesterday, as a clean-up campaign began, the authorities said “enough is enough”, warning offenders that they face fines of Dh200 (US$54) and that they have a plan to catch them.

Hundreds of volunteers joined the municipality’s No Bills campaign, tearing down posters and flyers from walls, bus shelters, telephone booths and lampposts.

All the paper that is removed during the week-long campaign will be recycled.

The campaign comes amid growing concern that many of the flyers advertise illegal activities such as prostitution.

“Such unwanted stickers give a bad image and should not be encouraged,” said Suhai Alawadhi, who is leading the clean-up in Bur Dubai.

The campaign was launched at Karama Park, where the problem is particularly acute. Other areas which will be targeted include Satwa, Deira and Al Qusais.

Four teams of undercover inspectors, each comprising four members, will hand out fines to anyone caught posting flyers.

Residents are aware that putting up flyers is illegal, Mr Alawadhi said.

“They know it is wrong. There will be no more grace and we will fine anyone who is caught,” he said.

However, he said catching the culprits might not be easy, even though most flyers carry contact numbers.

“If we call them and tell them that they are being fined, they will never turn up to pay the fine,” said Mr Alawadhi.

To get around this, municipal workers of different nationalities will pose as customers and try to meet them, at which point they would be fined, he said.

“If they do not fall for it, they will be lucky,” said Mr Alawadhi.

Hussain Nasser Lootah, the municipality’s director general, said: “We launched this as part of the municipality’s efforts to tackle every aspect that gives an unacceptable look to Dubai.”

The campaign will focus on educating residents. “The idea is not to issue fines to everyone. Sometimes people really need to advertise and we are working on alternatives for them,” said Mr Lootah.

Legitimate advertisers can advertise on noticeboards in supermarkets and in newspapers, officials said.

Anosh Shafi, an Indian accountant who lives in Karama, said: “I can understand why the municipality wants this to stop, but many have no other alternative to advertise. I was able to find accommodation through such posters.”

He agreed, however, that advertising could be done in a more organised manner. “Probably some boards to post flyers in such areas would help,” said Mr Shafi.

The municipality plans to follow up its No Bills campaign with one urging residents not to hang clothes on balconies to dry. Officials have raised the issue several times, saying laundry on balconies is unsightly.

All nationalities queue for Abu Dhabi job fair

ABU DHABI - FEB 03: Job seekers of all nationalities queued to enter a career fair today amid a global recession that has tightened the job market and made new employment difficult to come by.

The Tawdheef recruitment fair, which runs until Thursday, began at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, ostensibly to showcase the opportunities available to young Emiratis.

However, workers from the Philippines and India also turned out in droves to interview with local human resources firms and to find more stable employment as the fear of layoffs continued to mount.

“We would like to find a job with accounts. Our present employer is a small travel agency,” said Rosella Franco, 28, who was filling out an application at the fair alongside her husband. Both are from the Philippines.

She said they were looking for a job within the government sector because they are concerned about their prospects in the smaller firm.

“We started to worry because of the recession,” she said. “I feel that if I can find a government job, that will provide a good future for my family.”

Ian Giulianotti, the director of Nadia recruitment, said the job market has changed dramatically over the past 18 months.

“Before, if you had an open house, the people looking for a job would be unemployed,” he said.

“It’s a matter of supply and demand. If you came to me 18 months ago and said, ‘I need a secretary,’ you would get three CVs and you would have to make a decision within three days. Then you would have to offer 50 per cent more pay,” Mr Giulianotti said. “Now if you ask me for a secretary, you’ll get between five and 10 CVs and you could make an offer that was non-negotiable.”

The instability of the market has also led to non-payment and job insecurity, he said.

“People are sitting around, noticing companies not doing well and they ask, ‘should I jump before I’m pushed?’”

Mahmoud Thouseef, 21, who recently graduated from an MBA programme in India, has spent the past week searching for an administrative or accounting job.

“There are few positions. It’s the recession that is putting the pressure on,” he said.

Some of the country’s top public and private sector employers – including the telecoms providers Etisalat and du, and the Navy and Air Force – were on hand to try and recruit Emiratis.

“These fairs are quite useful because they give us the opportunity to talk to a lot of people within a short period of time,” said Fahad al Hassawi, the chief human resources and corporate services officer with du.

Fairs are also often used by companies to showcase the latest efforts they have made towards increasing the number of Emirati employees.

Most private sector companies find Emiratisation efforts to be difficult as they cannot match public sector wages.

Hantoma Mazrouei, who was volunteering to promote a job database website, said some Emirati job-seekers seemed frustrated and resigned.

“Some people have skills but they don’t know which jobs might fit them better,” she said. “There should be a programme for people to find jobs that match their skills.” [Note] Among Emiratis who have spent months searching for work, the mood was dour. Companies, they said, just are not trying.

Tariq al Mazrouei, 26, an Emirati, said he attended the fair last year and was offered a job with UAExchange within two days. However, he said he quickly realised the position was not for him and has since spent a year trying to find a new position.

“I’m looking for a new job in a different field because I like change,” he said.

Numerous obstacles tend to keep Emiratis out of the private sector, where they constitute less than one per cent of the workforce.

Public sector jobs tend to offer more stability and better hours than the private sector jobs.

“Right now, I have a job as a policeman,” said Alhaj Amouya, 42, an Emirati. “But I want to quit the police. I want to look for something better.”

He did not know what other jobs he might be interested in. “Something in the public sector,” he said.

However, du’s Mr al Hassawi said with increasing opportunities in the private sector, that tide may be shifting.

“The private sector can provide better career growth opportunities,” he said. “In the public sector, they can get stuck.”

Can we do Bollywood? Yes, we Khan

ABU DHABI - FEB 03: The highly anticipated film My Name is Khan, starring the Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan, will have its world premiere in Abu Dhabi next week.

Thousands of fans are expected to descend on the Emirates Palace hotel in the capital on February 10 to catch a glimpse of the “King of Bollywood”.

In the film, Khan plays a man with Asperger’s syndrome who travels across the US trying to prove that his surname does not automatically make him a terrorist.

The director, Karan Johar, has had a string of successes with films such as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, starring Khan and the Bollywood actress Kajol.

This project reunites the pair for the first time in eight years. Kajol was on hiatus to marry and start a family.

“My Name is Khan, at its core, is an epic love story between two people who have a unique way of seeing the world,” Johar said. “But what sets it apart is the landscape on which the story unfolds.”

The film will be shown at the Berlin International Film Festival after its Abu Dhabi launch. It is set for worldwide release on February 12.

My Name Is Khan is one of the first Bollywood films to be distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures in the United States. Imagenation Abu Dhabi is in a partnership with Fox Star Studios to distribute the film in the Middle East.

“Since its formation, Imagenation has intended to participate in the best of world cinema,” said Edward Borgerding, the chief executive officer of Imagenation Abu Dhabi. “Thus, the opportunity to partner on My Name is Khan with its outstanding Bollywood talent is a great first step toward achieving the objective.

“The movie itself is a powerful reflection of the current state of racial-profiling and discrimination pre- and post-9/11 in the US, which is told in an accessible and entertaining way. We are convinced it will captivate audiences not only in India and the Indian diaspora, but also audiences around the world.”

The actors are currently in the US promoting the film. On Monday they rang the Nasdaq bell in New York to open trading for the day. It is the first time any Indian actors have been invited to the world’s highest-volume stock exchange.

Meanwhile, in India on Monday, members of Shiv Sena, a right-wing nationalist party, burnt posters of the film in a number of Indian cities, including Pune and Mumbai. They were angered by comments Khan made about the exclusion of Pakistani cricketers from the Indian Premier League (IPL). Khan is the co-owner of the cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders, which is part of the IPL.

Bal Thackeray, the head of the Shiv Sena, accused Khan of being a Pakistani sympathiser, which prompted party members to rampage and stage demonstrations outside Khan’s residence in Mumbai.

 
Hospital safety questioned after baby falls on floor

DUBAI - FEB 03: A father wants hospital examination tables to be fitted with safety rails after his baby daughter rolled off one onto the floor.

Umair Multani, 30, had taken six-month-old Haneya to Zulekha Hospital in Dubai for a flu check-up.

After the examination, the doctor turned away to her computer, said Mr Multani, a British Pakistani who works in sales. “Then the nurse left the baby alone. The baby was turning over. She fell on the ground, skull first,” he added. “I heard a loud thud. I was the first to rush to the baby. This is very serious and shouldn’t happen.”

A CT scan indicated that Haneya was not seriously injured, but her father, who had been a metre or so away when the accident occurred, wants assurances from the hospital that it will not happen again.

He made a formal complaint to the hospital on January 3, three days after the incident.

Mr Multani did not receive a response until three weeks later, after The National contacted the hospital administration director, who then telephoned Mr Multani to say that the hospital had done nothing wrong.

Mr Multani, from Sharjah, said: “For the hospital not to accept their mistake indicates that they aren’t interested in improving the quality of health care.

“The lack of feedback initially and the denial of any wrongdoing makes us believe that we need to continue exploring options to bring about positive change.

“In this hospital we found some good doctors whom we were comfortable with, before the actions of a few eliminated the trust we had.”

Dr Syed Mujtaba, Zulekha’s administration director, said the hospital did not accept responsibility for the accident. He said the examination had finished and it was up to Mr Multani to look after his child.

“I don’t think we have done anything wrong,” said Dr Mujtaba. “He should have taken care of his baby. “This is the first time something like this has ever happened in our hospital.”

However, Dr Mujtaba said he would consult the hospital’s health and safety department to investigate the cost and benefits of putting safety rails on baby examination tables.

“It’s definitely a new experience and we will try to do whatever we can,” he said.

“After the incident, we gave the baby a free CT scan as a humanitarian goodwill gesture, but this was not our responsibility.”