MP SPEAKS | Autism: Great deal of stigma and low awareness

MP SPEAKS | During the parliamentary debate held yesterday, Kapar MP Dr Halimah Ali made a rather peculiar statement regarding how “low-quality food” supposedly causes autism.

She was quoted as saying “As much as I support the Menu Rahmah movement, I don't want the B40 group to be exposed to diseases like cancer, autoimmune diseases, or autism.”

What makes this statement even more puzzling is that Halimah, a doctor who served in Hospital Universiti in Petaling Jaya, Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang as well as other government clinics, has decades of service within the government health system under her belt and this positive attribute indicates a wealth of experience and expertise in the field.

Such a statement coming from someone qualified within the medical field certainly raises a lot of questions, but one fact remains...