Planning on Resigning? Do it the right way

This month alone, I came across 5 close acquaintances who are planning (1 will resign as of tomorrow) of resigning from their current job for various reasons.

Normally it would be due to a better renumeration & benefits package. Sometimes its office politics. It might also be due to a location nearer to home as apart from tow truck owners, I have no idea who appreciates traffic jams.

Personally, I do think that if you remain in the same company for 25 years, you might end up with 1 year of experience 25 times ! Thats why migrating to a new organization might be a positive change.

Anyway, the article below from skorcareer.com might be of some use.

Resigning from job – get it right

Writing Resignation Letter

Few of the most popular questions I received related to the resignation issue are:

“Can you help to write my resignation letter?”
“Do you have a sample of a good resignation letter?”
“I just wrote my resignation letter. Can you check if the letter sounds OK to you, or not?”

With all due respect, while resignation letter is an important document that needs to be officially submitted upon resignation, writing a so-called good resignation letter is the least you should be worry about. Some people try too hard to make impression in their resignation letter without realizing that it carries little or no impact.

After all, it is not how you write your resignation letter that forms the overall feedback to your employer; it’s your work performance that does. So, if you work in your company and you were doing a pathetic job over there, then no amount of beauty that you put in your resignation letter will change the way your boss thinks about your job performance.

So back to the writing the resignation letter, let us understand that it is an official document that indicates our intention of leaving the company. It can be as short as 1 or 2 sentences. For example, you can write the following:

Date:

I am writing to inform you of my resignation and will be serving my notice effective immediately as per stipulated in my offer letter.

I take this opportunity to thank you for the opportunity provided for me here and I wish the company a continued success in the future undertakings.

That ought to do it. As you could see, the letter contains two important elements; first, the information that tells you are leaving, and secondly, the date of your resignation letter. As for your last date of employment, this will be decided after due discussion with the Human Resources department, or this will be done purely based on what is stated in the agreement or letter of offer. I noticed that a number of employees make attempt to calculate their last day based on their length of notice they need to serve.

For example, if your resignation date is 14 of July 2007 and your resignation notice is 1 month, you figure you last date of employment will be 13 August 2007. Even though that may be true, the process is not that quite right. It is the employer that should tell you your last date of employment, and not the other way around. Further, it is very likely that your last date will not be 13 August, if we factor in your unused annual leaves.

Once your boss receives your resignation letter, he or she needs to pass it to Human Resources for the proper follow up, which includes calculating your remaining annual leaves and salary issue that covers your last salary amount, date of last salary payment, and method of last salary payment (normally by cheque). If you still have unused annual leaves, the HR may ask you if you want to utilize them, or if you would like to cash in (=more money).

After all required elements are covered, then the HR will give a letter that acknowledges your resignation, and stating the closure of outstanding issues that we have discussed above. For example, here is how an acknowledgment letter is written:

Dear Jenny,

This is to acknowledge your resignation with us. Your last date of employment is 10 August 2007. Your last salary is is RM3200 and will be paid via cheque, which will be ready for collection on 22 August 2007. You also have 2 days of remaining annual leaves that you can utilize during serving the notice.

We at ABC company would like to thank you for your contribution in this organization, and wish you the best of luck.

Some of you who have resigned before may be surprised that you have never received such a letter before. Actually, many companies do not practice this and the final agreement of matters especially payment is purely based on mutual agreement and trust. However, this is not supported by any official document. In any case you don’t get any payment, you will have to undergo a tedious process to claim your last payment. This has happen to a friend of mine before. So, to avoid any disappointment, especially when you and the company do not have a good term, make sure all things are put in place when you resign.

Get Your Boss to Write a Reference Letter For You.

If you and your boss have formed good partnership during your work there, as much as possible, try to get a reference letter from your boss that gives testimony of your work there. You will know that you are doing at least an OK job if your boss agrees to writing a reference for you. A good reference letter could help you later in your job quest as the prospective employer may waive making a reference call after seeing the reference letter. This saves time for all.

Understandably, your boss is a busy person and may hesitate (or forget) to write you one because of the time constraint. If that is the case, take the initiative to offer writing the letter by yourself and show it to your boss. It does not have to be long. A reference letter tells the reader what he thinks about the person he is referring, strengths, weakness and if he recommends you to work with the reader. If your boss likes the reference letter you have written, he signs it. If not, he makes a few adjustment accordingly. I will upload a sample of a reference letter that I have written for a client before.

Getting It Right.

So, whenever you are resigning, ensure the process is right, and ensure all important aspects are covered:

1. State your intention to resign, and submit resignation letter
2. Wait for acknowledgment from your boss/Human Resources. Ask for a letter that indicates settlement of your annual leaves, salary, bonuses (if any) and other related matters.
3. Get a reference letter from your boss before you leave the company for good.

Supersomething has MOVED !

Here is the new address :
http://supersomething.wordpress.com/
(hopefully he’ll buy me breakfast or lunch or both at a posh restaurant instead of just the normal ikan bakar at his office for this free advert… hahaha!)

Tunku Abdul Rahman’s Tailor

I have always been curious of who is the guy that makes the clothes for the Prime Minister, Royalties, Celebrities and other VVIPs.

Not only that but I also wonder who cook for them, who cut’s their hair, who is their gardener, photographer, IT adviser and what its like to be their driver or pilot (I once came acquainted with one of the pilots who led the crew for our previous PM, Tun Dr Mahathir) for these VVIPs.

Please do not get me wrong as I’m not here to discuss politics but more of the personal refined character of these VVIPs and their interests. For example it is a well known fact that Tun Dr Mahathir is very careful about what he eats, thus resulting in an above average bill of health for his age. But many people might not know that he likes to eat chocolates, in small quantities of course.

I have also come into acquaintance with the tailor of the late Tun Dr Ismail, our previous Deputy PM and I learned that he was a very passionate golfer.

Wednesday August 29, 2007

Sewing for the prime minister

Story and photo by CHARLES FERNANDEZ

FOR the past 50 years, Douglas Ratnapala, a retired teacher had been closely following every Merdeka celebration and this year it is extra special for him and the other members of his family

The nation is celebrating its 50th anniversary and Douglas, 62, doesn’t want to trade this moment for anything else.

A proud moment: Douglas holding a black and white photograph of his father with Tunku and Datuk Gian Singh’s son, Balwant Singh.

Douglas was 12-years-old when he watched the nation’s first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman proclaim the country’s independence with the shouts of Merdeka. It was a proud moment for him, his siblings and his parents because the suits the country’s first prime minister and several other dignitaries wore on that day were designed and tailored by his late father G. K. Sediris Appuhamy.

“My father was 60-years-old when he made the suit for Tunku. Those days they were better known as cutters and my dad was working for Gian Singh and Co, which was one of the few tailoring shops then. It was situated at the former Robinsons building along Mountbatten Road, now known as Jalan Tun Perak,’’ said Douglas.

Recounting a period during one of his visits to the shop to see his father at work, he was told that the Tunku would be dropping by to make a suit but changed his plans at the last moment because of his busy schedule in preparation for the country’s .

“The Tunku had visited the shop earlier and this was an opportunity for me to see the Tunku up close but I was disappointed when my dad was summoned to his residence instead to have his measurements taken. As the main cutter at Gian Singh and Co, my dad was also given the task of designing his suit,’’ said Douglas.

Douglas missed out on a meeting with the Tunku. However, he and the other members of the family cannot but feel proud to be part of this big celebration come August 31.

“My father’s memories are brought back to life each time the footages of the Tunku are shown over television,’’ Douglas said as he showed a black and white framed photograph of his father standing with the Tunku and his boss’ son Balwant Singh taken at the Tunku’s residence.

Although none of his brothers and sisters had followed their father footsteps in tailoring, one thing was certain; the sounds of Merdeka will forever ring in their minds.

Gian Singh and Co became a household name in the tailoring industry following Tunku’s only visit there.

Douglas said that his father was even busier after the country achieved Merdeka as many VIPs wanted their suits tailored by him.

The master cutter continued with his dexterous job at cutting until he retired in 1965, eight years after he made that famous suit for the man called Bapa Malaysia.

Tunku Abdul Rahman as a political mentor and guide

The Tunku (Father of Independence)  from Tengku Tan Sri Ahmad Rithaudeen’s personal perspective and experience.

The Star : Wednesday August 29, 2007

My political mentor and guide

BY TENGKU TAN SRI AHAMD RITHAUDDEEN TENGKU ISMAIL

When he gave talks on his Merdeka Mission, Tunku spoke from his heart, with sincerity, candour, honesty and a sense of humour.

I FIRST heard about Tunku in the early years of the Japanese Occupation, when he was a District Officer attached to the Kedah Civil Service. But it was much later, when I was in my teens, that I actually met him in person at an Umno gathering in Arau.

As a Malay, I felt proud to know there were Malay leaders who were agitating for a worthy cause for the country and its people.

I was fortunate to have been able to read law in the United Kingdom way back in the mid-1950s, when the opportunities for further education in Malaya were limited to the one university in Singapore. Student life in London was interesting and enjoyable. The spirit of camaraderie among fellow Malayans, in particular the Malays, was strong.

The Malay Society of Great Britain – established many years back by none other than Tunku himself as a young student – had helped to create a network among Malay students in the UK and often invited Tunku to give talks whenever he came to London on his Merdeka Mission.

A time together: Rithauddeen paying a visit to Tunku at his home in Penang. Picture is taken from Rithauddeen’s private collection.

I used to enjoy listening to him, as he spoke from his heart, with sincerity, candour, honesty and a sense of humour. He reminded us that Malaya would soon gain its independence, and that there was a need for qualified people to serve the nation. He did not want us to overstay in London, and advised us against following his example of taking 23 years to complete his Bar-at-Law.

Tunku had a salutory way of dealing with the insinuations made against him, mostly from Parti Negara, the main opposition Malay political party led by Datuk Onn Jaafar. Tunku at that time had just assumed the leadership of Umno.

To counter the allegations, Tunku visited Kuala Terengganu and there at the Padang Istana Maziah, he admitted that the remarks were all true.

But he added, “When we are young, our minds are untrained, but as we grow older we realise the folly of our past actions and try to reform accordingly. However, there are still some amongst us who refuse to learn and discard old habits even though they are now adults”.

One had to be a visionary leader and a political strategist to lead a country like Malaya. Tunku treaded the political path cautiously in striking a balance.

Tunku introduced measures to reduce inequality of income and made his deputy, Tun Abdul Razak, responsible for rural development. Tunku himself concentrated on fostering a sense of national consciousness among the people.

In 1960, Malaya, which recognised Taiwan at the time, faced the dilemma of which China to recognise in the long run. However, when Tunku was overseas he stated that Malaya would have to recognise the People’s Republic of China (mainland China) sooner or later.

At that time, the Foreign Minister was Tun Dr Ismail, a very hot-tempered but highly principled leader. He was furious at not having been consulted. Malaya was then fighting the Malayan Communist Party on its home turf.

When Dr Ismail sought an explanation from Tunku, the latter regretfully said, “Oh God! I completely forgot”.

Back in Malaysia, Tunku must have got wind of Dr Ismail’s intended visit to see him at The Residency to submit his letter of resignation.

Tunku told Che Cai, his housekeeper, “If Dr Ismail comes, I know he will come tomorrow, tell him I’m not at home”.

Dr Ismail did come very early the following morning, at about 8am, and I think for three days consecutively thereafter, but each time he failed to meet Tunku. After three days, Dr Ismail cooled off, and decided against submitting his resignation.

Dr Ismail was subsequently appointed Home Minister, a post specially created for him, in a minor Cabinet reshuffle.

It was vintage Tunku – non-confrontational and fair despite facing the most trying years in the young nation’s 50-year history. Through it all, he retained his legendary humour and remained very kind even to his detractors. Tunku never harboured any ill will towards anyone. He was the epitome of grace.

Born in Kuala Krai, Kelantan into the royal household of Patani in 1932, Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen joined the judicial and legal services before turning to private practice. He has held various ministerial portfolios from 1970 to 1990 including Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. He is presently chairman of the Umno Disciplinary Board.

7 for Merdeka

The Star : Wednesday August 29, 2007

Seven major events to mark National Day

By LOONG MENG YEE,

KUALA LUMPUR: A prayer for the nation, a walk down memory lane, a parade of pride and a showcase of unity.

Malaysiaku Gemilang (My Sterling Malaysia) gets a grand display spread out over seven major events as Malaysia celebrates her 50th year of Independence.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched the Merdeka celebrations at Dataran Pahlawan in Malacca on Aug 17. His call for every Malaysian to be patriotic set the tone for the occasion.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin will lead the nation in prayer at 7pm today.

The King, Abdullah and other Muslim dignitaries will pray at Masjid Negara while non-Muslims will pray at their respective places of worship.

Our elders have been telling us how emotional it was when the Malayan flag was hoisted up for the first time at midnight on Aug 30, 1957 at Dataran Merdeka.

Tomorrow midnight, the same scene will be re-enacted. Lights and sound shows depicting Malaysia’s journey in the last 50 years will be projected onto the surrounding buildings starting at 8.30pm.

On Friday morning, the National Day parade will be held at Dataran Merdeka. The King and the entire Cabinet will be at the parade featuring segments of different eras helmed by the various Prime Ministers.

The eras are Independence (Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman), Development (Tun Abdul Razak Hussein), Unity (Tun Hussein Onn), Modernisation (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) and Excellence (Abdullah).

At 4pm the same day, the King and Queen will host a royal high-tea for invited guests at Istana Negara.

At night, the celebrations will culminate with a mega gathering at Stadium Merdeka. The first segment of this Merdeka giant celebration starts at 8pm, when Abdullah will give a speech that will be broadcast live nationwide.

When Abdullah shouts “Merdeka” seven times, a holographic figure of Tunku Abdul Rahman will also appear, followed by the hoisting of the Jalur Gemilang and the singing of the National Anthem.

The second segment is themed leadership era of all the Prime Ministers while segment three is the singing of patriotic songs.

On Sept 10, the celebration goes to Sarawak at the Stadium Negri in Kuching.

The King, Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abang Muhammad Abang Barieng, Abdullah and Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud will be at the event – where there will be a grand show and dance.

RM 1,957 for a ‘Merdeka Pen’

Talking about Merdeka, here’s a touching article I came across today. Of course to most of us, spending almost RM 2,000 for just 1 pen is ridiculous but to me honest with all of you, being the person I am, if I could spare that much money, I truly would buy one of these limited edition pens, 188 pieces in total.

Here is the touching part :

“The pen is not made for profit purposes. It is to represent a family legacy of patriotism to Malaysia and even if we lose out, it’s a small price to pay for so much that we have gained from the country,” Ridzuan said in an interview at the store in Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman here yesterday.

Kudos to the ‘Pen Doctor’ !
The Star : Wednesday August 29, 2007

Pen doctor’s dream to do something special for celebration

By MANJIT KAUR

KUALA LUMPUR: K.S. Gill had always dreamt about doing something special for his late good friend, Tunku Abdul Rahman, in conjunction with the nation’s Merdeka celebration.

It was no wonder that the “pen doctor”, as he is popularly known, came up with the idea of producing “Merdeka pens” to celebrate the nation’s 50th birthday.

Gill, founder of the country’s pioneer pen specialist store, K.S. Gill (KL) Sdn Bhd, which opened in 1941, became friends with Tunku Abdul Rahman as both were then members of the Selangor Club.

Its present managing director M. Ridzuan Gill said his 93-year-old father’s dream was to do something special for the celebration, so he thought about producing handmade American “Statesman” pens with the Jalur Gemilang design on them.

Collector’s item: Ridzuan showing the limited edition Statesman pens produced for the 50th Merdeka celebration.

Ridzuan, 49, said the pens, which cost RM1,957 each – to mark the year the nation gained independence – would be presented to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak soon.

There are 188 of these limited edition pens which work both as a fountain and rollerball pen.

“The pen is not made for profit purposes. It is to represent a family legacy of patriotism to Malaysia and even if we lose out, it’s a small price to pay for so much that we have gained from the country,” Ridzuan said in an interview at the store in Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman here yesterday.

He said different materials were used to make the pen. The nib is a German two-tone broad Iridium, with rich 22K gold hand-cast engraved insets on the cap, barrel and accent band surrounded by brilliant Rhodium plating to enhance the four different types of wood used in the depiction of the Malaysian flag.

Ridzuan said dyed American maple is used for the red stripes, natural American holly for the white stripes, dyed American curly poplar for the blue canton and natural Brazilian satinwood for the yellow crescent and star.

“It takes four days to make one pen, and this will be the first and last time that we will make such pens,” he said, adding that 47 pieces had already been sold.

He said that since each pen was handmade, no two pens were exactly alike as the subtle differences of wood colour and grain enabled each pen to be unique.

The limited edition comes protected in a specially designed wooden box with a patriotic touch, a convertible rollerball section and refill, a black pen pouch and a bottle of ink.

A Merdeka Show on Menara Maybank

This looks cool !  I wonder how big those projectors are and how much each costs… hmmm. And I also wonder if the same thing could be done on the Petronas Twin Towers… hehe.

The Star : Wednesday August 29, 2007

Menara Maybank becomes giant screen

Giant slideshow: The images and slideshow at Menara Maybank in Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur, can be seen from 8pm to midnight.

KUALA LUMPUR: The 51-storey Menara Maybank has become a giant screen as two sides of the building have been lit up with Merdeka images.

Five images show the Jalur Gemilang, the 50th Merdeka logo in the Maybank corporate yellow background, the national flower (bunga raya), the 50th logo with fireworks and the famous declaration of independence pose by Tunku Abdul Rahman.

The images and slideshow are beamed onto the 244m-tall building by special projectors.

Two sides with these images face Dataran Merdeka and Cheras. They can be seen as far as 15km away.

The other two sides – facing Bursa Malaysia and Puduraya – are lit up in the Jalur Gemilang colours.

The slideshow started on Monday and will continue until Sept 10 as part of Maybank’s way to celebrate the country’s golden jubilee.

Congratulations to The Star CEO !

I would like to personally congratulate Datuk Steven Tan for leading The Star to become the organization of as it is today.  You have worked very hard to earn this award.

We are currently living in the information age and not a single day goes by without the hunger for the latest and up to date information on various issues, locally and on the international front. Information is so crucial today as we are living in the fastest growing society in all of human history.

Once again, congratulations Datuk & all the best for the future!

The Star : Wednesday August 29, 2007

The Star CEO gets top employer award

KUALA LUMPUR: Four Asian chief executive officers and a bank were awarded the Union-Network International UNI-APRO Outstanding Employer-Partner Award for being good employers.

The recipients were Star Publications (M) Bhd managing director and CEO Datuk Steven Tan, Telekom Malaysia CEO Datuk Wahid Omar, MediaCorp Singapore CEO Lucas Chow, the Philippines Banco de Oro Universal Bank chairperson Teresita Sy Coson and the Overseas Chinese Bank Corporation of Singapore.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi presented the awards at the 2nd Asia- Pacific Regional Conference here yesterday.

The award for Tan was given in recognition of his feat in steering The Star through a difficult five-month suspension in 1987-1988 to its position today as “one of the five most admired companies in Malaysia”.

Well done: Abdullah presenting the Outstanding Employer-Partner Award to Tan in Kuala Lumpur Tuesday. The Staris today ‘one of the five most-admired companies in Malaysia’.

The citation for the award stated that behind the dramatic survival-growth story of The Star, there was an equally dramatic story of union-management partnership.

It said Tan had asked employees led by the National Union of Newspaper Workers to join forces with the management in surviving the crisis together and supporting The Star’s growth programme.

This partnership deepened through two decades of mature bargaining, direct union-management communication, respect for and consultation with one another and a win-win sharing of the fruits of business expansion, it said.

In accepting the award Tan said: “I accept the award with all humility on behalf of all colleagues because no one person could have achieved the desired objectives.

“The award is an encouragement for all of us to do better in relationships – not only between the union and management but also in our day-to-day relationship with one another, especially in our multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural environment.”

Wahid said he was humbled by the award as he always believed in a good employer-employee relationship.

In conferring the award on Wahid, the network stated in its citation that TM had “successfully pursued expansion and modernisation by avoiding any unilateral labour-shedding exercise, largely by sitting down and listening to TM employees and the National Union of Telecom Employees”.

UNI is the largest amalgamation of unions globally, uniting about 1,000 national affiliates with 15 million members from 150 countries.

‘Bus-Chased’ to ‘Bus-ted’

So, its no wonder that I was being chased by that SKS bus on the PLUS highway yesterday morning. In reality, based on the report below, the scenario is a lot lot worse!

The Star : Friday August 24, 2007

Six held for drugs, 117 summonses issued in op,/h3>

By V.P.SUJATA and M. SIVANANTHA SHARMA

PUTRAJAYA: It’s been barely 24 hours since the start of Ops Bersih and the authorities have already arrested a driver and his co-driver for testing positive for drugs while driving an express bus.

They also issued 117 summonses for various traffic offences, including one to a driver who was supposed to be under suspension because he had accumulated more than 15 Kejara demerit points.

On top of that, a lorry driver was arrested for carrying 50kg of ketum while three passengers in an express bus were detained for testing positive for drugs.

Road Transport Department (JPJ) enforcement chief Salim Parlan said these were the first successes as more than 680 buses and lorries were inspected at 15 locations nationwide.

Among the summonses issued were for permit violation (49 offences), absence of co-driver (10), violation of driving licence (18), overloading (45) and technical offences such as having bald tyres and faulty brakes (32).

The driver and co-driver who tested positive for drugs were arrested during operations at the Juru toll plaza in Seberang Perai.

The driver who tested positive for drugs was also supposed to have been suspended for having more than 15 demerit points. And he was behind the wheel of a bus which had 77 summonses for speeding.

The bus, owned by one of the largest express bus companies in the country, left the Sungai Nibong bus terminal on Penang island at 10.30am with 27 passengers and was stopped about 45 minutes later.

With both the driver and co-driver arrested, the bus was grounded and passengers had to wait for an hour for a replacement bus.

Salim said that another driver who was driving despite his licence being suspended was caught at the Sungai Besi toll plaza in Kuala Lumpur.

Tourists in the bus had to wait until a substitute driver was sent, he added.

Salim said three bus passengers were arrested after testing positive for cannabis and morphine at the Senawang rest area during random sampling on Wednesday.

“It was easy for the narcotics police to do urine tests on the spot as the operations were at rest areas and toll plazas where there are toilets,” he said.

Salim said additional locations for spot checks were set up to catch as many culprits as possible.

The locations included the Jalan Duta and Gombak toll plazas and at bus terminals in all major towns.

The JPJ and the police are among five agencies involved in the joint Ops Bersih, which was launched on Wednesday and will go on until the end of the Hari Raya holidays to bring to book errant commercial vehicle drivers throughout Peninsular Malaysia.

The other agencies involved are the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board, Puspa-kom and Immigration Department.

Lack of Health Insurance (Medical)

I don’t know what the statistics in Malaysia are but  since the current trend is to reduce the reliance on government hospitals, I strongly advise that everyone at least own 1 medical card. It can be from any insurer of your choice.

 

Among the major aspects that you should consider is package, guarantee on renew ability, entry and exit age, co insurance system, exclusions, guarantee letter facility, family package options and network of panel hospitals. Also look at the annual and lifetime limits where applicable.

 

But most important, make sure you have a good agent to service you.

 

The Star : August 23, 2007

One of 6 New Yorkers lack health insurance – report

NEW YORK (Reuters) – One of every six adult New Yorkers has no health insurance, even though nearly two-thirds of these individuals have jobs, according to a report by the city’s health department released on Wednesday. 

The high cost of medical care discouraged 41 percent of New Yorkers who had no insurance from seeking care — about four times as many as those who did have benefits, according to the report by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 

Whites were more likely to have health insurance than other ethnic groups. One in 10 whites had no benefits, compared with one in four Hispanics who lacked insurance, one in five Asians, and one in six blacks. 

“All of this adds up to people landing in emergency rooms with costly, devastating health problems that could have been prevented or treated,” said Dr. Thomas Frieden, the city’s health commissioner, in a statement. 

“This report tells us that hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers are missing out on routine screenings that could prevent illnesses and save lives,” Frieden added. 

In 2005, some 435,000 patients who lacked health insurance were treated at the city’s public hospitals, costing the hospitals some $515 million, said Doug Turetsky, a spokesman for the Independent Budget Office. 

New York City, with a population of more than 8 million, has one of the biggest U.S. public hospital systems. 

The city will spend more than $5 billion on Medicaid, the state-federal health plan for the poor, out of its current $59 billion budget, Turetsky said. Rating agencies scrutinize the city’s health-care costs, which are nearly 12 percent of its budget. 

Some 24 percent of the uninsured group failed to fill prescriptions, about twice as many of those with benefits. 

One in five men had no health insurance. The results were slightly better for women, at one in eight, the report said. 

Though New Yorkers who do have a regular health care provider get more advice on nutrition, exercise, and weight control, this “does not increase the likelihood of following this advice,” the report added.