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WAR OF WORDS: SAMY vs KHIR

Who and what would you believe if two "not-so-truthful" friends tell you something weird but real? What is your next course of action? A few weeks ago it was about pig farming, then Balkis affair and finally today it is about temple demolition. What's next?



Source: the Staronline
Wednesday April 30, 2008

It was Samy’s idea, says Khir

SHAH ALAM: Enough is enough. It is time to set the record straight on the demolition of the Hindu temple in Padang Jawa, said Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo.

The former Selangor Mentri Besar claimed it was MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu who asked for it to be torn down.

“I have been silent on the issue long enough. Datuk Seri (Samy Vellu) met me two days before Deepavali at the Grand Bluewave Hotel in Shah Alam where the Prime Minister (was attending a function.

“The Prime Minister was there when Samy Vellu asked me to put off the demolition of the temple in Padang Jawa in the interest of the Indian community and we stopped the exercise despite having a court order to go ahead,” Dr Khir said yesterday.

However, several days after Deepavali, he said, Samy Vellu called him at 11pm and told him that the temple had been infiltrated by Hindraf supporters who planned to carry out a 40-day fast and prayers there to rile up nearby residents.

“It was during this conversation that he told me that we (the state government) should move in and demolish the temple to deter Hindraf supporters from capitalising on the temple issue,” Dr Khir said.

“It is unfair for him to now blame the whole episode on me since I had only taken his suggestion as the leader representing the Indian community to carry out the demolition.”

When contacted Samy Vellu said the temple was already “considered” as demolished when the deities were removed on Oct 30.

“How can it be a temple, when the deities had been removed. It is only a structure,” he said.

It is believed that the deities were removed after the enforcement personnel tore down the illegal extension of the temple on Oct 30.

It was reported that the enforcement officers came to the temple at 10am on Oct 30 to tear it down but they did not produce any court order when requested.

The temple committee was given until 2pm to remove the deities.

After the enforcement officers came back at 2pm, they said that the order for the demolition came from Dr Khir and a free for all started at 4pm.

Samy Vellu said he went to the temple at 4pm after part of the temple had been demolished and later rushed off to meet Dr Khir and Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

“My request to him (Dr Mohd Khir) is to stop talking about all these and let us rebuild the Barisan Nasional and the component parties to regain the support of the people,” he said.

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Aktiviti 2 Exco pada 29/04/08: Bertemu Warga Kerja KUIS



Penyarah dan kakitangan sokongan KUIS sedang mendengar taklimat Exco pendidikan di Dewan Besar KUIS.

Dato' Rektor. Exco Hal Ehwal Islam, Adat-adat Melayu, Infra dan Kemudahan Awam serta Exco Pendidikan.
Perjumpaan serta perbincangan dengan Rektor, Dato' Hj Mohd Adanan bin Isman, Timb Rektor,
Bursar, Pustakawan, para Dekan dan para Eksekutif Pentadbiran.

BbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbaaBursar


Yb Dato' Dr Hj Hassan Mod Ali dan Dr Halimah menerima cenderahati dari Y. Bhg Dato' Rektor.
Sesi bergambar di akhir lawatan.

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KEHALALANNYA DIHARAMKAN

Apabila hilangnya "kehebatan" pihak-pihak yang menguruskan hal ehwal Islam serta kebajikan orang Islam seperti jabatan-jabatan agama dan sebagainya, maka pihak-pihak yang ingin mengaut keuntungan segera akan bermaharajalela. Apabila rasuah dan pecah amanah berleluasa, yang "haram" akan bertukar menjadi "halal" dan sebaliknya. Apabila pemantauan dilakukan bermusim, perkara yang sama juga berlaku. Apabila undang-undang yang sedia ada tidak dikuatkuasakan macam-macam boleh berlaku. Apabila undang-undang yang sedia ada terlalu "lemah" dan tiada "kehebatan" , pihak -pihak yang terbukti bersalah akan membayar denda atau kompaun dan esok mengulangi kesalahan atau langgar lagi undang-undang yang sama. Tiada kesudahan.

Inikah caranya negara kita bercita-cita untuk menjadi pembekal dan pengeksport produk atau makanan "halal" - halal hab. Rakyat dalam negara sendiripun hilang keyakinan tentang kehalalan produk makanan yang terdapat dalam negara.

Di bawah, diperturunkan garis panduan yang digunapakai di Britain tentang penyembelihan binatang halal.


Jawi pantau premis jual daging

Sumber: Sinar harian

KEPONG - Jabatan Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (Jawi) memandang serius premis sembelihan yang tidak menggunakan perkhidmatan tukang sembelih yang diiktiraf. Timbalan Pengarah Operasi Jawi, Ustazah Saimah Mokhtar berkata, menerusi pemantauan yang dibuat, kebanyakan rumah sembelihan dan premis menjual daging di seluruh Wilayah Persekutuan diragui serta melanggar hukum syarak.

HALAL FOOD AUTHORITY OF UK



Definition of Halal

The word 'halal' literally means permissible- and in translation it is usually used as lawful.

The Halal food Authority rules for halal are based on Islamic Shari'ah. Opposite to halal is haram, which means unlawful or forbidden.

It is well known in the meat trade that Muslims consume halal meat. However, at times questions are asked, what is halal? In Arabic it simply means permissible or allowed. Opposite to it is haram, which means forbidden or not allowed. Arabic is the language of Qur`an, a scripture revealed to the Holy Prophet of Islam by the Almighty Allah to be followed in its entirety by the Muslims.

Now to make meat halal or permissible, an animal or poultry has to be slaughtered in a ritual way known as Zibah. To make it readily comprehended halal is somewhat like Jewish kosher and, Zibah is with some exception similar to Shechita. The Qur`an gives following underlined injunctions in chapter al-Maida 5:3 that
  • Zibah require animals to be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter, since carrion is forbidden and, jugular vein, carotid artery and windpipe have to be severed by a razor sharp knife by a single swipe, to incur as less a pain as possible. Here the only difference is that a rabbi will read what is required by his faith and, a Muslim will recite tasmiya or shahada, which fulfils the requirement of dedication. The question of how to overcome the issue of recitation of shahada on individual bird whence we now have poultry being slaughtered at a rate of six to nine thousand per hour, has already been addressed. A Muslim is commanded to commence all his deeds in the name of Allah.
  • All the flowing blood (al- An`am 6:145) must be drained out of the carcass, as blood is forbidden
  • Swine flesh is also forbidden, and it is repeated in few other places in the Qur`an
  • Forbidden is an animal that has been killed by strangling or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall
What now becomes abundantly clear for halal purposes is that:
  1. An animal should not be dead prior to slaughter
  2. A Muslim should perform slaughter
  3. Any flowing blood of the carcass should be completely drained
  4. Choice of modern and in vogue method has to be considered with caution and, it should be mirroring to the Islamic ethos

Since pork is forbidden, halal slaughtering must not be done where pigs are slaughtered or in the vicinity of pigs slaughtering area. There are a few more edicts and rules that have to be followed in the interest of animal welfare. For example, animal has to be fed as normal and given water prior to slaughter, one animal must not see the other being slaughtered, knife should be four times the size of the neck and razor sharp, and as far as possible the slaughterer and the animal should face Qibla or Mecca and, animal must not be suffering with any ailments or any lacerations.

Law in support of Halal

First we had Slaughterhouse Act 1974 that is now replaced by Welfare of Animals Slaughter or Killing Regulation 1995. Halal Food Authority have been a privileged member of the Group which deliberated on behalf of the Muslim community to encapsulate the Muslim requirements to be read and included in the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995 (statutory instrument (SI) no. 1995/731 as amended by SI no. 1999/400). This statute law has to be followed now, for everyday halal slaughter and, for Udhia/Qurbani slaughter that takes place once a year at the time of Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. On this occasion Muslims have to sacrifice an animal. This law directs that for halal slaughter:

  • a licensed Muslim slaughterer would slaughter in a
  • licensed slaughterhouse and
  • in the presence or supervision of a Veterinary Official

It goes without saying and it is also obvious that ethics and ethos of animal welfare are always being complied with and more importantly, a discipline and decorum is being established for meat hygiene and environmental health laws.

Here it should be noted and understood that since in Islam carrion is not allowed to be consumed, an animal or bird should not be subjected to by any external force, so that it could be dead or seem to be irrecoverable to life, prior to slaughterer putting his knife to do the ritual act of killing. Hence stunning is a bone of contention, controversy and discord. We are aware that by cutting the throat we are killing the animal to consume. But it has to be in a humane way.

All religions allow the consumption of meat. Take it as a sequence of commensalisms, a cow eats grass and we eat the cow and we know that big fish eats small fish and lo and behold, man eats the small ones and the big ones both! It is to be iterated that the Halal Food Authority is on record to say firmly that no stunning is allowed to kill the animal prior to slaughter. However, since Islam is a religion of science, a science which without laboratory testing gave us a covenant that blood is not allowed to be consumed and its raw form could be a hazard and an imperilment to human health. Centuries later, we have the affirmation from Mister Scientist that it is harmful for humankind! Least we can do is to listen to experts who would slaughter animals in scores of numbers per hour and with humane methods.

Aids prior to slaughter

Generally it is believed that for humane killing stunning modes and methods have been in use for a long time. We all know that for sure it is not the fact and it is untrue. It is only a few decades old engineering and still is in experimental stages. It is the expediency of the machinery for the numbers and volume which the viable commercial enterprise requires, for some kind of immobilisation of animals on the slaughtering line, to avoid injury to all concerned and bruising of the carcass. Bruised and bloodshot parts are neither to be sold, nor are they allowed in any way in achieving required financial yields.

There are four known methods of rendering partially or completely immobilising the animals:

  1. Captive bolt system used mainly on cattle
  2. Gas system for asphyxiation
  3. Electrical stunning for ovine animals and / or
  4. Electric-water bath stunning, the type used for poultry

Captive bolt used on cattle smashes its brain to smithereens and this causes animal to die prior to slaughter. Hence it is irreversible procedure and cannot be deemed to be halal. Similarly gas smothers the animal or the bird and there is no known revival method, so this is also not allowed.

Since majority of abattoirs, because of the wordings of the EU directives or for some given reasons use stunning prior to slaughter, we at the Halal Food Authority have researched and scrutinised it. It was categorically then encapsulated in halal rules as stated earlier, that because of the possibility of death prior to slaughter, no stunning is allowed to be used to kill the animal. However, at the initiative of the Meat and Livestock Commission, Mr. Steve Wotton of Division of Food Animal Science of Department of Clinical Veterinary Science of the University of Bristol, has developed a prototype method of stunning and have produced a stunner together with Hellenic Co., by which the animal will not succumb to the shock and can also be sent back to grazing pasture duly revived. How does it work?

Unlike ordinary stunning method where animal loses only 50-60% of the blood volume at exsanguinations - that is bleeding in simple terms- because cardiac arrest takes place and animal never recovers consciousness and, there is a reduced convulsion. This somewhat fail safe new system of head-only stunning, is reversible. Electric dosage though is of high frequency and electrode are sharp, this pre slaughter stunning in not painful. It is defined as being at humane level and within the remit of the relevant EU law and with an auto-calibration system for current monitoring and there is a very accurate record of stunner's performance.

Logging systems enable a progress check separately on every animal individually. In test conditions it was found that animal whence slaughtered bled profusely with convulsions. Animals do revive naturally, within a safe period if spared from slaughter for whatever reason.

There could still be a prevailing opinion of a section that even this fail-safe method does not mirror to the Islamic requirement. For reasons that electric shock is unethical and, in the knowledge and opinion of the critics there is no guarantee of feasibility of revival. It has, time and again to the contrary to this belief, been proven that animals do regain consciousness within a desired period.

It is also argued that since even Jewish faith does not subscribe to stunning, why should the Muslims even contemplate to look at it. The evidence is that although the quantity of kosher meat is small and can be operated manually, it is now emerging that there is some leaning by some Rabbinical section towards the possibility of adopting the system. We Muslims have to be positive and should not appear to pre-typify technology and at the same time ensure that we do not change or seem to be changing the dietary laws as commanded by the Scripture, the Holy Qur`an and the Shari`ah, the Islamic jurisprudence.

Halal Food Authority is satisfied that this system is superior to, and there is potential for further improvisation and, safer than the one in use for halal slaughter in New Zealand and Australia. Thousands of tonnage of meat is exported from these aforementioned countries to a considerable number of Muslim States and, is used even here in the UK We are given to understand that Steve Wotton has nearly completed his work on Poultry Stunner Monitor as well, and this in due course could be a good news for providers of halal poultry and the consumers. Needless to say that there is a dire need of constant halal inspection, audit and stringent monitoring of the developing situation.

Animal Feed

Apart from slaughtering methods we have to ensure that the animals for the Islamic ritual slaughter are raised and procured from farms which do not feed them any thing that might contain animal derivatives. For regurgitating animal there is a laid down Qur`anic rule that says, "eat and pastures your cattle therein" Ta Ha 20:54 This is a lucid and transparent axiom. There would have been no BSE or vCJD, millions of pounds and dozens of lives could have been saved, if only proper care was taken for animal feed and, this consideration had been implemented.

HACCP – Hygiene

Halal Food Authority takes it for granted and are appreciative of the fact that all slaughterhouses and abattoirs in the UK have established HACCP systems in their premises and operations, and are approved by the EU. No carcass comes out of the abattoir without having been passed by the Veterinary Officer, both for quality and to be deemed to be fit for human consumption. As a majority of slaughterhouses partaking in halal slaughter are neither owned, leased nor at times operated by the Muslim fraternity, a number of these abattoir do both halal and non-halal slaughtering, It has to be ensured that the carcasses are not mixed, whilst within the compounds or on their way to chosen destination. Along with the MHS inspectors' stamp there should be a tag or a marking on the halal carcass to differentiate and identify. Perhaps the MHS stamp itself could have the word H for halal inscribed on it together with the number of the abattoir. Halal Food Authority would be pleased to audit and authenticate contractually the halal validity of products.

To curtail unregulated, haphazardly authenticated halal imports of meat and, to boost the UK meat trade, we implore you to make provisions, in case do not already have, for halal slaughtering in your premises. There are two million Muslims within these shores alone. With your exporting facilities you could reach with your audited quality products a further six to eight millions Muslim consumers in EC countries.

It should be noted that by adopting correct method of slaughtering for halal, together we will be instrumental in providing what is required by the Islamic laws and, enhance abattoir and meat trade by making it modestly priced at par with other non-halal carcasses. It is manifestly clear that the only station which is manned by a Muslim in this operation of slaughter is the first one - where the animal is killed, in other words where Zibah or every day slaughter takes place. The remainder of stations in the abattoir, for example, for de-skinning, taking the guts out, weighing, portioning, in preparation of carcasses for maturing, labelling, storage and transporting carcasses to prospective customers are entrusted to be manned and operated normally by other loyal employees and of course, as usual by Jack - if we may say so, the non Muslim colleague.

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PAMERAN SENIBINA HAIWAN DI MUZIUM SULTAN ALAM SHAH SHAH ALAM

Sumber: Suara Selangor Maju

Pameran Senibina HaiwanAntara Naluri dan KehidupanBermula Hari Ini




SHAH ALAM, 29 April – Muzium Sultan Alam Shah di sini mengadakan pameran Senibina Haiwan ‘Antara Naluri dan Kehidupan’ bagi memberi peluang kepada pengunjung khususnya warga Selangor untuk menghayati dan memelihara keunikan senibina haiwan.


Pameran yang baru bermula hari ini dirasmikan Dato' Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, petang tadi.

Turut hadir Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Tetap Kebajikan, Hal Ehwal Wanita, Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi, Rodziah Ismail, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Tetap Pendidikan, Pendidikan Tinggi dan Pembangunan Modal Insan, Dr Halimah Ali dan Timbalan Setiausaha Kerajaan (Pengurusan) Dato’ Tarmedi Omar.

Tan Sri Abdul Khalid ketika ditemui berkata pameran selama tiga bulan itu bukan sahaja unik malah dapat memberi ilmu kepada pengunjung terutamanya di kalangan pelajar.

“Saya harap pameran ini dapat menarik minat pelajar-pelajar senibina yang ingin mengkaji mengenai keupayaan haiwan untuk membina struktur rumah dan sarang,” katanya yang turut meluangkan masa kira-kira setengah jam melawat pameran.

Sementara itu, pelbagai aktiviti menarik sepanjang pameran berlangsung antaranya Pertunjukan Orang Lebah, Teka Rasa Madu, Kuiz Pameran Senibina Haiwan, Kursus Taksidemi, Pertandingan Menulis Esei, Jejak Maklumat dan Teka Suai Padan Gambar.

Orang ramai khususnya warga Selangor dipelawa mengunjungi pameran ini yang akan berakhir 29 Julai depan.

Pameran dibuka setiap hari Selasa hingga Ahad bermula pukul 9.30 pagi hingga 5.30 petang dan masuk adalah percuma. – MURIZA ABDUL HAMID
















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SINAR HARIAN MEWAWANCARA EXCO PENDIDIKAN DAN PEMBANGUNAN MODAL INSAN

Wartawan akhbar Sinar Harian telah mewawancara Exco Pendidikan, Pendidikan Tinggi dan Pembangunan Modal Insan dan telah disiarkan oleh akhbar berkenaan pada 28hb April 2008.

Secara umumnya Exco menegaskan bahawa kita adalah hasil, natijah, output atau "by-product" suatu sistem pendidikan yang telah kita lalui. Perlu wujud penambahbaikan kepada sistem pendidikan yang sedia ada sekarang kerana kita dapati pelajar kini hanya mengejar keputusan akademik yang cemerlang tetapi mereka terdedah kepada risiko menjadi penjenayah dan sebagainya.

Manakala konsep modal insan bermaksud insan yang berada di Selangor khususnya menjadi satu aset dan bukan bebanan, malah aset yang berguna agar Selangor menjadi produktif dan maju ke depan. Sekiranya rakyat menjadi penagih dadah dan penjenayah, maka bebanan itu menyebabkan kos dan kerugian, malah kerajaan terpaksa mengeluarkan wang untuk merawat
dan memulihkan mereka.


Dalam membangun modal insan ini kita akan mengambil kira lima unsur penting yang terdapat pada seorang insan iaitu, fizikal, intelektual, spiritual, emosi, dan sosial. Sila lihat teks akhbar.

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BENGKEL PENYEDIAAN PELAN STRATEGIK P,PT& PMI SELANGOR 2008-2013

Satu bengkel bagi tujuan penyediaan Pelan Strategik Pendidikan, Pendidikan Tinggi dan Pembangunan Modal Insan Negeri Selangor bagi tahun 2008-2013 telah diadakan pada 28hb April 2008 bertempat di Kelab Shah Alam , Shah Alam Selangor yang telah berjaya mengumpulkan antara lain cendikiawan, intelek, pendidik, guru TASKA serta PASTI, pensyarah Universiti/kolej awam dan swasta, pengarah syarikat , usahawan , ustaz , kaunselor, doktor, ahli politik, dan pakar motivasi. Bahagian Pengurusan Sumber Pejabat SUK telah menjadi urusetia bengkel ini.
Moderator sedang membincangkan Kerangka Pelan Pembanguan




Moderator sedang membincangkan Teras Strategik Kerangka Pelan Pembangunan Negeri Selangor.

Pengerusi Tetap Pendidikan, Pendidikan Tinggi dan Pembangunan Modal Insan Kerajaan Negeri Selangor berucap di sesi penutup bengkel seraya mengucapkan terima kasih serta ucapan penghargaan kepada para peserta yang telah menyumbangkan idea serta buah fikiran.

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PENULISAN JURNAL & TESIS PENSYARAH KITA

Bestari Nasib jurnal tempatan

Oleh Ruhaiza Rusmin
ruhaiza@hmetro.com.my


.


PENGIKTIRAFAN terhadap penghasilan jurnal atau tesis oleh pensyarah adalah antara cara memartabatkan taraf pendidikan sesebuah institusi sama ada di peringkat tempatan atau antarabangsa.

Menerusinya, keupayaan, kredibiliti, kemampuan dan nama sesebuah institusi itu mampu dinilai dan dikenali selain meletakkan taraf pendidikan negara setara universiti ternama.


Biarpun institusi tempatan giat menghasilkan jurnal atau tesis, masyarakat masih mempunyai persepsi negatif pensyarah tempatan tidak mampu menandingi keupayaan pensyarah luar.

Penghasilannya pula bagaikan tersekat kerana dikatakan tidak menepati piawaian ditetapkan.

Biarpun ada ramai pensyarah tempatan berkaliber, kegagalan menempatkan hasil jurnal atau tesis di peringkat nasional atau tempatan menyekat peluang menonjolkan kemampuan.

Apakah kegagalan itu disebabkan diskriminasi terhadap latar belakang pensyarah atau memang tidak mampu memenuhi kehendak penghasilan ditetapkan hingga jauh ketinggalan dan akhirnya hanya terperap di universiti?

Timbalan Dekan Pusat Pengajian Siswazah Perniagaan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Profesor Dr Aliah Hanim M Salleh, berkata tidak timbul isu kegagalan pensyarah institusi tempatan menepati piawaian penghasilan tesis atau jurnal kerana mereka mempunyai nilai kualiti setara.

Beliau berkata, mereka ada kualiti pendidikan dan pengalaman, justeru tidak timbul produk yang dihasilkan tidak bermutu.

“Keupayaan pensyarah tempatan hebat dan setara negara lain. Kebanyakannya melanjutkan pengajian ke luar negara dan berpengalaman.

“Sudah tentu penghasilan produk jurnal atau tesis yang dihasilkan berkualiti. Merendahkan keupayaan mereka sama seperti mempertikaikan tahap pendidikan tempatan.

“Saya tidak bersetuju pendapat kononnya kebanyakan hasil kajian dan tesis pensyarah tempatan tidak dikomersialkan dan hanya terperap di universiti,” katanya.

Ditanya mengapa penghasilan jurnal atau tesis kurang ketara, Dr Aliah Hanim berkata ia berpunca daripada beberapa faktor seperti kekurangan sokongan kewangan dan masa.

“Menghasilkan tesis atau jurnal bukan murah, faktor kewangan perlu diambil kira. Kebanyakan pensyarah juga terikat dengan tanggungjawab mengajar, justeru pembahagian masa kena selari.

“Jangan suka buat perbandingan, itu tidak adil sebab institusi luar mempunyai ramai tenaga pengajar dan sistem pendidikan tidak sama.

“Bagaimanapun, saya berpendapat, produk pensyarah tempatan tidak kurang hebatnya. Cuma kurang ketara kerana kebanyakan mentaliti masih merujuk atau mencari penghasilan luar,” katanya.

Beliau mengakui,, produk tesis pensyarah tempatan setanding dengan institusi luar, cuma segelintir mungkin menghadapi masalah menguasai bahasa Inggeris yang baik.

“Menghasilkan penulisan bukan saja memerlukan penumpuan malah penggunaan bahasa Inggeris juga penting. Ini membezakan pengalaman dan kepakaran seseorang pensyarah.

“Melabelkan pensyarah kita tidak bermutu kurang tepat sebab bukan hanya berlaku pada institusi tempatan, malah seluruh dunia,” katanya.

Menurut Dr Aliah Hanim, usaha melahirkan pensyarah cemerlang bukan hanya bersandarkan kepada pencapaian akademik tapi kemampuan sesebuah universiti memberi pendedahan.

“Proses melahirkan pensyarah, tesis atau jurnal terbaik memerlukan tempoh panjang. Selain inisiatif diri sendiri, sokongan pelbagai pihak juga penting kerana pensyarah luar lebih berpengalaman dan mempunyai pelbagai kemudahan,” katanya.

Beliau berharap pensyarah tempatan jangan patah semangat, menggandakan usaha dengan melakukan pelbagai penyelidikan, kajian serta rajin menghadiri seminar antarabangsa bagi menambah ilmu.

“Memang ada cabaran dan pelbagai kerenah birokrasi, bagaimanapun terimanya dengan positif.

“Golongan pensyarah adalah cendekiawan dan berperanan mengangkat serta meneroka kepelbagaian cabang ilmu.

“Penghasilan bermutu bukan saja membantu menaikkan nama institusi dan negara di mata dunia malah membantu melahirkan generasi berkepakaran pada masa depan,” katanya.

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MENARA PEMANCAR BAWA PADAH

Pemandangan begini sudah menjadi suatu landskap yang biasa di negara kita. Di tempat saya di Klang, terdapat sebuah menara pemancar yang agak besar tersergam di atas sebuah bukit yang masih belum digondolkan. Di bawah pemancar itulah terdapat pelbagai ragam manusia. Ada yang sedang bersenam, ada yang sedang bertai chi, ada yang berlari anak, ada yang sedang makan di tepi tasik dan ada yang saja duduk-duduk bersantai. Tak jauh dari situ terdapat sebuah sekolah menengah dan sekolah rendah serta beberapa taman perumahan. Sebuah stesen bomba telah dibina di situ.

Saya juga telah mendapat beberapa surat aduan serta satu petisyen yang ditandatangani penduduk di sekitar sebuah rumah kedai dua tingkat di Teluk Pulai Klang yang mengadu bahawa pemancar telekomunikasi berkenaan tidak sepatutnya ditempatkan di situ.

Apakan daya kita ?

Hidup bawah pancaran maut

Oleh Helmy Abd Rahman
helmy@hmetro.com.my

KELANA JAYA: Ibarat telur di hujung tanduk. Itulah situasi dihadapi penduduk Taman Subang di sini, yang dipercayai berisiko lebih tinggi diserang kanser dan pelbagai penyakit kronik lain berikutan tinggal berhampiran menara pemancar telekomunikasi.

Pendedahan mengejutkan itu dibuat Profesor Bersekutu Fakulti Perubatan Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Prof Madya Dr Adlina Suleiman, bersama 10 pelajarnya, baru-baru ini, melalui kajian kesan radiasi menara pemancar telekomunikasi terhadap penduduk di taman perumahan itu.

Anak lelakinya dimasukkan ke hospital kerana mengalami ketumbuhan pada wajah dan peliknya selepas dirawat, ketumbuhan itu kembali berulang.

Anak perempuannya pula dijangkiti ‘herpes zoster’ iaitu sejenis kayap yang tidak akan menyerang sistem imun badan orang normal.

Hasil kaji selidik dua minggu membabitkan 170 penduduk taman perumahan itu mendapati 8.23 peratus responden dilaporkan diserang kanser berbanding tidak sampai satu peratus daripada jumlah keseluruhan rakyat negara ini mengalami penyakit sama.

Kebanyakan kes berlaku sesudah sebuah menara pemancar telekomunikasi didirikan di taman perumahan itu 10 tahun lalu, sekali gus menimbulkan persoalan sama ada ia mempunyai kaitan secara langsung dengannya.

Dr Adlina yang turut menghuni taman perumahan itu mengambil inisiatif membuat siasatan mengenai bahaya kesan radiasi gelombang elektromagnetik (EMR) dihasilkan menara pemancar telekomunikasi sebelum melakukan kaji selidik dua minggu membabitkan 170 responden terbabit.

“Mengikut kajian satu badan dibiayai Kesatuan Eropah (EU) yang dipanggil Reflex menunjukkan, wujud kemungkinan gelombang elektromagnetik bertenaga rendah (EMF) dapat memusnahkan kromosom, merubah aktiviti sesetengah gen dan mempercepatkan pembahagian sel.

“Ini bermakna ada kemungkinan sesiapa yang mempunyai sel kanser peringkat awal berdepan risiko maut secara mendadak jika masuk ke Taman Subang dengan percambahan segera sel itu yang dipertingkatkan melalui gelombang EMF.

“Dengan jumlah lebih 50 antena dan cakera pemancar gelombang yang dipasang pada menara berkenaan, bayangkan berapa banyak gelombang EMF terpaksa diserap penduduk setiap hari,” katanya kepada Harian Metro.

Beliau berkata, objektif kaji selidik yang dilakukannya untuk menentukan kesan EMR terhadap penduduk Taman Subang membabitkan kejadian kanser, simptom tertentu, kekerapan sambaran kilat dan kebimbangan penduduk setempat berhubung kewujudan menara telekomunikasi berkenaan.

“Hasil kaji selidik itu menunjukkan angka mengejutkan membabitkan kejadian kanser di kalangan penduduk apabila mendapati 18.8 peratus daripada responden lelaki berumur 40 hingga 59 tahun diserang kanser berbanding hanya 0.21 peratus penduduk lelaki Malaysia dalam lingkungan usia sama mengalaminya.

“Responden wanita pula dalam lingkungan usia sama 2.56 peratus berbanding hanya 0.38 untuk keseluruhan kes di negara ini.

“Bagi lelaki berumur 60 ke atas (responden) pula, 11.54 peratus penduduk Taman Subang mengalaminya berbanding lelaki negara ini yang seusia (0.94 peratus), manakala wanita seusia di Taman Subang 13.3 peratus berbanding 0.67 peratus di Malaysia.

“Secara amnya, 8.23 peratus di kalangan 170 responden mengalami kanser berbanding tidak sampai satu peratus membabitkan keseluruhan populasi penduduk negara ini mengalaminya,” katanya.

Menurutnya, kaji selidik berkenaan dibuat membabitkan penduduk yang tinggal dalam lingkungan jarak 120 meter dari menara berkenaan dengan populasi penduduk dibahagikan tiga zon lingkungan iaitu Radius A yang berjarak 40 meter, Radius B (80 meter) dan Radius C (120 meter).

“Penduduk yang tinggal dalam Radius A mengalami simptom paling tinggi membabitkan keluhan pening, hilang ingatan, kurang penumpuan, loya, kemurungan, hilang selera makan, sakit kepala, gangguan penglihatan, gangguan waktu tidur dan ketidakselesaan, manakala penduduk yang tinggal dalam Radius B pula mengalami gangguan haid, penurunan keinginan syahwat, masalah kardiovaskular, kelainan pergerakan, gangguan pendengaran, keletihan serta ketidakselesaan.

“Walaupun simptom itu semakin berkurangan apabila menuju Radius C, zon berkenaan mencatat distribusi kes kanser paling tinggi,” katanya.

Dr Adlina berkata, pihak berkuasa perlu mengambil langkah sewajarnya dengan menghentikan operasi menara telekomunikasi itu seberapa segera untuk kesejahteraan penduduk.

“Saya sendiri terpaksa mengeluarkan belanja lebih RM20,000 untuk merawat dua anak. Anak lelaki saya dimasukkan ke hospital kerana mengalami ketumbuhan pada wajah dan selepas dirawat, kembali berulang. Anak perempuan saya pula dijangkiti ‘herpes zoster’ iaitu sejenis kayap yang tidak akan menyerang sistem imun badan orang normal. Seluruh ahli keluarga kami juga sentiasa berasa pening kepala melampau.

“Selain itu, kedudukan menara yang terlalu hampir dengan rumah penduduk iaitu sekadar 10 meter menimbulkan persoalan kerana garis panduan dikeluarkan Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) menyarankan jarak 150 meter,” katanya.

Read More “MENARA PEMANCAR BAWA PADAH”  »»

APA KATA ISTERI DR KHIR TOYO ISU BALKIS







Pada pendapat saya, isu ini akan dapat diselesaikan tidak lama lagi Insya ALlah.
YAB Tan Sri MB Selangor yang kaya dengan pengalaman dalam dunia korporat
tentu sudah biasa dengan masalah "take over", "hostile bid" dan sebagainya.




Isu Balkis
: MB kata tidak beretika, apa jawapan Zaharah

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OLEH BEN ROSA


SHAH ALAM, Ahad 27 April : Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim menyifatkan tindakan Badan Amal dan Kebajikan Isteri-isteri Selangor (Balkis) memohon pertubuhan itu dibubarkan Pendaftar Pertubuhan sebagai satu tindakan tidak beretika.

Katanya, Balkis sebagai institusi kebajikan yang menerima sumbangan dana daripada masyarakat tidak seharusnya bertindak demikian tanpa memberitahu penyumbang dana tersebut.

“Duit yang dikutip daripada masyarakat adalah duit yang diberi secara amanah, oleh sebab itu membubarkan atau menukar bentuk dengan tidak memberitahu pemberi dana tersebut boleh menjadi satu perkara yang tak ada etika,” ujarnya.

Abdul Khalid ditemui selepas menghadiri majlis silaturahim bersama penduduk Bukit Jelutong di Dewan MBSA, Jalan Adang dekat sini petang tadi.

Abdul Khalid diminta mengulas tindakan Balkis memohon pertubuhan itu dibubarkan pada 11 Mac lalu, tiga hari selepas pilihan raya umum ke-12.

Menurut satu kenyataan pada 24 April, kerajaan negeri sudah menerima laporan daripada pegawai Balkis bahawa pertubuhan itu telah memindahkan sebanyak RM9.9 juta ke Badan Amal dan Kebajikan Tenaga Isteri-isteri Menteri (Bakti). Balkis juga dikatakan telah menerima sumbangan daripada anak-anak syarikat kerajaan negeri.

Kenyataan itu turut mempertikaikan kesahihan bekas Yang Dipertuanya, Datin Seri Zahrah Kechik memanggil dan mempengerusikan mesyuarat tergempar Balkis dengan tujuan membubarkan pertubuhan itu.

Dalam ucapannya sebelum itu, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid berkata Balkis yang ditubuhkan pada 1985 seharusnya tidak dibubarkan hanya kerana kerajaan sudah bertukar.

“Pegangan RM9 juta itu tidak jadi masalah (bagi kita) sebab pendapatan (daerah) Klang saja boleh jadi RM200 juta dan peruntukan bajet kita RM1.3 bilion. Tapi yang masalahnya ialah dari segi prinsip.

Sementara itu, Zaharah dalam siding medianya di sini, hari ini menyatakan pembubara Balkis atas persetujuan dua pertiga ahlinya dalam satu mesyuarat agung pada 11 Mac lalu.

Menurutnya, pembubaran itu selaras dengan peruntukan fasal 15 (1) Perlembagaan Balkis dan minit-minit mesyuaratnya boleh mengesahkan pematuhan
segala peruntukan undang-undang ini.

“Ttindakan memindahkan segala baki wang Balkis kepada Badan Amal dan Kebajikan Isteri-Isteri Menteri (Bakti) juga adalah selaras dengan peruntukan
Fasal 15 (2) Perlembagaan Balkis,” ujarnya.
Fasal itu menyebut segala baki wang yang ada akan didermakan kepada kerajaan atau
tabung lain yang serupa yang diluluskan oleh Pengarah Hasil Dalam Negeri.

Hadir sama ialah bekas Setiausaha Balkis, Datin Pon Ishak, ahli-ahli jawatankuasa Balkis dan ahli-ahli pertubuhan itu.

Dalam perkembangan sama, Zaharah mempertahankan tindakannya mempengerusikan mesyuarat agung Balkis pada 11 Mac lalu kerana ketika itu beliau masih Yang
Dipertua dan masih belum meletak jawatan.

``Sebelum isteri seorang Menteri Besar dilantik menjadi Yang Dipertua, ianya hendaklah disahkan dahulu dalam satu mesyuarat agung serta mendapat persetujuan
dari isteri Menteri Besar itu sendiri yang selaras dengan peruntukan Fasal 9.3 (a) Perlembagaan Balkis.

``Saya menegaskan di sini pada tarikh 11 Mac lalu, Menteri Besar Selangor yang baru masih belum dilantik, oleh itu isterinya juga masih belum boleh dilantik
menjadi Yang Dipertua Balkis.

``Ini bermakna saya masih Yang Dipertua Balkis ketika itu kerana saya juga belum meletak jawatan. Jadi tidak timbul soal saya tidak mempunyai kuasa mepengerusikan
menyuarat agung untuk membubarkan Balkis ketika itu,'' jelasnya.

Read More “APA KATA ISTERI DR KHIR TOYO ISU BALKIS”  »»

PENDIDIKAN ISLAM MAMPU: SULTAN SELANGOR BERTITAH

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Sultan Sharafuddin melawat murid-muris di kelas Sekolah Rendah Agama Integrasi Tengku Ampuan Fatimah selepas merasmikannya, semalam. Turut serta Dr Hassan Ali (kanan).





Sumber: Suara Selangor Maju


KLANG, 28 April – DYMM Sultan Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj bertitah pendidikan Islam di peringkat awal lagi mampu melahirkan generasi Islam yang mempunyai akidah kukuh, ibadah yang benar dan akhlak yang sejahtera.


Titah baginda walaupun kita harus mengikut arus pemodenan dalam era globalisasi ini, ia harus diterima agar kita tidak ketinggalan.

Sultan Sharafuddin bertitah al-Quran juga perlu dibaca, difahami dan dihayati serta mengerjakan solat bagi melahirkan murid yang berjaya dan tabah mengharungi cabaran global.

“Kita juga harus terus aktif memainkan peranan masing-masing untuk mempertingkatkan kualiti diri dan produktiviti supaya negeri Selangor terus maju setanding dengan negara-negara maju di dunia,” titah baginda pada Majlis Perasmian Sekolah Rendah Agama Integrasi (SRAI) Batu Belah dekat sini pagi tadi.

Hadir sama Speaker Dewan Undangan Negeri, Teng Chang Khim, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Tetap Hal Ehwal Islam, Adat-adat Melayu, Infrastruktur dan Kemudahan Awam, Dato’ Dr Hassan Mohamed Ali dan Pengarah Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais), Dato’ Mohammed Khusrin Munawi.

SRAI Batu Belah kini dikenali dengan nama SRAI Tengku Ampuan Fatimah.

Sultan Selangor juga mahu guru-guru memainkan peranan mereka dalam menyumbang ilmu dan pengalaman untuk mengajar, mendidik dan membimbing murid-murid untuk menguasai dan mendalami ilmu-ilmu yang bermanfaat.

Di samping itu juga, mereka perlu menjaga identiti dan integriti agar dapat dijadikan contoh kepada murid-murid.

“Guru-guru tidak wajar merasakan tugas mereka telah selesai apabila telah tamat waktu di sekolah. Insafilah bahawa murid-murid di luar sekolah akan berdepan dengan krisis identiti, personaliti, budaya dan kerjaya sekiranya mereka gagal mengurus diri mereka.

“Dengan sebab itu guru-guru wajar mendampingi murid pada setiap ketika,” titah baginda.

Baginda bertitah, Persatuan Ibu Bapa dan Guru (PIBG) turut boleh berperanan lebih aktif dan memberikan kerjasama kepada pihak sekolah.

SRAI Batu Belah adalah salah sebuah dari 10 buah sekolah SRAI yang diwujudkan di Selangor.

Sekolah yang mempunyai 56 tenaga pengajar dan 770 murid ini melaksanakan konsep pendidikan seimbang melalui Kurikulum Baru Sekolah Rendah (KBSR) dan Kurikulum Pendidikan Islam Sekolah Rendah Agama (KPISRA).

Selain SRAI, Jais turut mengurus 12 pra sekolah, 197 Sekolah Rendah Agama (SRA), 275 Kafa Integrasi, 23 Sekolah Agama Menengah dan sebuah Sekolah Agama Menengah Tahfiz Istana Bandar.– NOOR ALLIA KASSIM

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DYMM Sultan Selangor bertanya sesuatu kepada guru di sebuah kelas SRAI Batu Belah
sambil diperhatikan Dato' Dr Hassan. Sekolah itu kini dikenali SRAI Tengku Ampuan
Fatimah. Foto AHMAD FADHLI YAHYA

Read More “PENDIDIKAN ISLAM MAMPU: SULTAN SELANGOR BERTITAH”  »»

THE CUTTING EDGE IN DENGUE PREVENTION


MILLIONS of genetically modified (GM) male "warrior" Aedes mosquitoes will soon be released into the fishing village of Pulau Ketam off Selangor as part of international field trials to fight the dengue scourge. The Aedes mosquito is the main vector for dengue and chikungunya fever. Much has to be seen but we are optimistic since if it succeeded, it is going to be major breakthrough in our war against dengue.

It is said that the conventional sterilisation programmes using radiation or chemical treatment to foster sterility, which were tried on mosquitoes as well, did not work. Irradiation rendered these mosquitoes so sickly and unattractive (not so handsome ma ) that their female counterparts shunned them for the wild ones. Conventional methods such as fogging have been ineffective in controlling the spread of these diseases.

If this field trials prove successful, the next step would be to introduce the killer mosquitoes in bigger towns which have a high incidence of dengue. The hot spot map would locate the dengue prone areas.

The location on the island for the field experiment has to be selected carefully since the settlement is unique. A lot of travelling to and fro are taking place daily between the island and the the mainland. Some of these "warriors" may hitch a ride to the mainland and interact with a more diversified fauna on the mainland. What would happen if the "genes" found its way into other species of animals? Another story from science fiction film? no, this time is going to be real. Back home at your doorstep.

Please read on.



2008/04/28

Big hope for 'warrior' Aedes
By : Heidi Foo
If the Pulau Ketam field tests are successful, the days of the Aedes mosquito may be at an end.


KLANG: The Health Ministry will consider all factors when conducting field trials using genetically modified (GM) Aedes mosquitoes.

Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said it was too soon to conclude whether the method would be a success as it was at the research stage.

"It is a technological breakthrough and we are hoping that it can control the disease," he said, adding that research was also being done on vaccines.

Liow was commenting on fears expressed by environmentalists that the release of GM Aedes mosquitoes could cause more harm than good.

The New Sunday Times reported yesterday that the Institute of Medical Research and a company partly owned by the University of Oxford would release "warrior" mosquitoes in Pulau Ketam off Selangor to combat the dengue scourge.
Speaking at a press conference after officiating the Federation of Alumni Associations of Taiwan Universities, Malaysia annual general meeting in Centro Mall yesterday, Liow said there was a shortage of about 9,000 doctors in the country, adding that in the past five years, more than 100 Malaysian specialists practising abroad had applied to return.

He said those who returned could apply for research grants from the government.

He said the eight Taiwanese universities that were recognised by the government were Medical School of Taiwan, Defence Medical School, Yang Ming Medical School, Chung Kung Medical School, Taipei Medical School, China Medical School, Chung Shan Medical School and Kaoshiung Medical University.


NST Online
2008/04/27
'Warrior' mosquitoes to fight dengue scourge
By : P. SELVARANI


If the Pulau Ketam field tests are successful, the days of the Aedes mosquito may be at an end.

The days of the Aedes mosquitoes appear to be numbered, thanks to the efforts of a British bio-tech company and Malaysia's Institute of Medical Research, writes P. SELVARANI.

MILLIONS of genetically modified (GM) "warrior" Aedes mosquitoes will soon be released into the fishing village of Pulau Ketam off Selangor as part of international field trials to fight the dengue scourge.

The GM male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which carry killer genes, will be released into the wild to eliminate the Aedes mosquito population which spreads dengue fever.

The field trials will be undertaken by the Health Ministry's Institute of Medical Research (IMR) in collaboration with British-based Oxitec Ltd, an insect bio-tech company part-owned by the University of Oxford.

This follows the success of confined lab trials which were conducted under the supervision of the IMR over the past year.
The field testing is expected to be conducted on a wider scale on Pulau Ketam at the end of the year or early next year.

The team is undertaking a baseline survey of the island, which is reported to have a high number of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Oxitec has advertised on its website vacancies for the Pulau Ketam field-testing job, which includes a position for a senior entomologist.

The field trials on the island, which is a 30-minute boat ride from Port Klang, are expected to be carried out over a year.

Health Ministry and IMR officials did not want to comment on the tests.

In February, Oxitec had announced that it planned to release the GM mosquitoes in Malaysia on a large scale in three years, following its successful trials.

Calcutta's The Telegraph newspaper had quoted Oxitec's head of public health, Seshadri S. Vasan, as saying that the first confined field study under the supervision of the IMR "yielded encouraging results".

Sources said the controlled lab tests done here were the first in the world and was a breakthrough in the fight against dengue, which has grown to alarming proportions across the globe in recent years.

The technique involves releasing GM male Aedes mosquitoes to mate with the female Aedes mosquito. The lethal genes cause the larvae to die.

(Only a female mosquito can transmit the disease-causing germ because it, and not the male mosquito, has a proboscis that is capable of piercing the human skin.)

The Aedes mosquito is the main vector for dengue and chikungunya fever and conventional methods such as fogging have been ineffective in controlling the spread of these diseases.

However, environmental non-governmental organisations fear that releasing these GM mosquitoes in the wild may affect the ecosystem and cause further damage.

Gurmit Singh, the chairman of the Centre for Environment, Technology and Development, said: "Like all GM organisms, once they have been released in the wild, how do you prevent them from interacting with other insects and producing mutants which may be worse than the Aedes mos-quito?"

It is learnt that if the Pulau Ketam field trials prove successful, the next step would be to introduce the killer mosquitoes in bigger towns which have a high incidence of dengue.

The Telegraph had also reported that the sterile insect technique (SIT), which involves releasing millions of sterile male insects over a wide area to mate with the native female ones, had been around for decades.

It said the conventional sterilisation programmes using radiation or chemical treatment to foster sterility, which were tried on mosquitoes as well, did not work.

Irradiation rendered these mosquitoes so sickly and unattractive that their female counterparts shunned them for the wild ones.

On the other hand, mosquitoes subjected to Oxitec's proprietary technique, called RIDL-SIT, remained healthy and attractive enough to woo the native female insects.

This was proved in independent case studies in Oxford and France and in contained semi-field trials in Malaysia.

Vasan was quoted as saying that the latest study in Malaysia showed that "up to 50 per cent of the wild type female mosquitoes chose to mate with Oxitec's RIDL male mosquitoes".

The paper added that Oxitec had received regulatory and import permits for confined evaluation in the US, France and Malaysia
Maps predict places at greatest risk of dengue
NST ONLINE 20/04/08
WHAT THE SATELLITES SEE IN SUBANG JAYA (pdf) " border="0" height="672" width="350">
WHAT THE SATELLITES SEE IN SUBANG JAYA (pdf)

IMAGINE opening a map and immediately being able to identify the area where a dengue outbreak is going to occur.


Darus Ahmad is working to increase the accuracy of the risk maps
Darus Ahmad is working to increase the accuracy of the risk maps

Now imagine doing this monthly and preventing an outbreak.

This would be the reality next year if Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency director-general Darus Ahmad has his w ay.

Preferring to focus on prevention rather than the cure, Darus came up with the idea of using remote sensing technology to come up with a dengue risk map.

“The idea came about when we realised that current approaches are only used to address the issue after it had already happened.

“So we thought of preventing it before it happened by narrowing down the likely areas to be affected before the dengue outbreak even occur red,” Darus said.

The map, which is expected to be ready by the end of the year, would identify dengue “hot-spots” on a monthly bas i s.

The map will also be able to identify areas which are not dengue-prone in the past but may be in the future.

It will also show the exact locations and the severity of dengue outbreaks.

In addition, the map will also be able to identify activities which contribute to the presence of Aedes mosquitoes.

“For example, we found that the number of dengue cases was lower in areas with bungalow houses than those with terrace houses,” Darus said.

The dengue risk map pilot project started in 2005 and covered the area of Subang Jaya .

It was jointly conducted by the Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency, Institute for Medical Research and the Subang Jaya Municipal Council.

Subang Jaya was chosen for the pilot project because it was among the areas with the highest number of dengue c a s e s.

The pilot project involved drawing up dengue risk maps for the years 2002 and 2005.

To test the veracity of the maps, they were compared with the incidence of dengue outbreaks in those two years.

As the maps proved to be accurate, it was decided a risk map for 2009 would be drawn up.

The 2009 dengue risk map identified Seri Kembangan and USJ11 as areas with the most severe probable incidence of dengue.

It also found that 20 per cent of the 437,121 square kilometres area studied was in the “very high risk” category for dengue outbreaks.

“Some of the areas in this category have no dengue cases at the moment but have a high probability of having dengue outbreaks in the future.

“We use satellites to monitor physical parameters or factors that affect the population of Aedes mosquitoes.

“This is then related to weather factors and ground data provided by the Health Ministry.We then map out the potential dengue risk areas.” The satellites are used to measure land use changes and its patterns, types of housing, land surface temperatures, land surface elevation and population density.

Weather patterns would also be included as one of the measurements in the future, said Darus.

“I hope the dengue risk map will help lead to better prevention methods.” Once the pilot project map is ready, he plans to roll it out nationwide and make the map available to the public.

“If the public are aware of the high-risk areas, they will most likely be more co-operative and more responsive to government advice.” Darus said the process of coming up with the risk map had also resulted in some interesting findings.

“We found that most dengue cases happened near construction sites and industrial areas. Interestingly, the areas with the highest number of dengue cases have mostly terrace houses.

Read More “THE CUTTING EDGE IN DENGUE PREVENTION”  »»

MALAYSIAN MEDICAL STUDENT WON AWARD IN UK

Congratulation to Stephanie Siew Jean Tiew, the fourth year medical student of University of Manchester who was among more than 1,500 students representing 127 nationalities in the annual competition by the British Council that won the prestigious award of the International Student of the Year 2008 award, and a cash prize of STG2,000 (RM12,500). She also won the prestigious Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Student Prize.
Medical student wins British Council award
By : Zaharah Othman in London
Source: NSTonline
Medical student Stephanie Siew Jean Tiew flanked by Datuk Jimmy Choo (right) and veteran broadcaster Moira Stuart after receiving the award last Wednesday.
Medical student Stephanie Siew Jean Tiew flanked by Datuk Jimmy Choo (right) and veteran broadcaster Moira Stuart after receiving the award last Wednesday.

MEDICAL student Stephanie Siew Jean Tiew's passion and dedication in saving the lives of babies has won her the International Student of the Year 2008 award, and a cash prize of STG2,000 (RM12,500).

The fourth year student of University of Manchester was among more than 1,500 students representing 127 nationalities in the annual competition by the British Council.

The competition aims to shine the spotlight on international students and their unique contributions to life in the UK.

Siew, who established the "Save a Baby's Life" Society with fellow students, goes to local communities to teach parents and carers of babies about basic life support skills. She also raises funds for the society.

Present to hand over the prize to Siew at the award ceremony last Wednesday was Datuk Jimmy Choo.
Siew was one of 12 finalists to vie for the award and the entry letter that she submitted, detailing her achievements that helped make her time in the UK so rewarding, moved the judges.

In her letter, Siew said: "Since coming to the UK, I feel the sky is the limit and I have dared to dream. This is a place full of opportunities and endless possibilities. The supportive culture in campus, be it from faculty staff or peers, has knitted an extraordinary student life for me. I am a simple country girl who has blossomed into a confident and capable woman."

Despite her busy schedule, Siew finds time to counsel local teenagers interested in a career in healthcare and writes for the medical school newsletter, Mediscope, while also representing the university in debating tournaments.

On her award, she said: "I am thrilled and delighted to have been chosen as an ambassador for my university and country."

Siew has also won the prestigious Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Student Prize and has been invited to present one of her papers at an international conference.

Martin Davidson, chief executive of the British Council, said: "The British Council knows that international students make a huge contribution and commitment to life in the UK.

"This competition provides a fantastic opportunity for them to earn some well-deserved recognition for their achievements, a great chance for them to show the world what they've achieved while in the UK.

Read More “MALAYSIAN MEDICAL STUDENT WON AWARD IN UK”  »»

FIIXING "ELECTION FIXING IN UMNO"

After fifty odd years, UMNO suddenly woke up one day from an episode of bad dream to find that she has to fix the problem of "election fixing" otherwise all the talk about transparency, integrity and good governance is just a gimmick.
Money politics has been an acute-on-chronic problem in Umno each time members go to the polls to choose their party leaders. The phenomenon of money politics in UMNO is translated into that of the national politics. This in turn causes a cascading effects into the activities of the government agencies and departments.

It has been the practice in UMNO AGM in some division for its leaders to direct delegates to opt for block-voting . Copies of the list of names of the preferred candidates, like a "shadow cabinet", are usually distributed to delegates, who will in turn carry out block-voting or what the party grassroots call sistem rakit or main rakit.
Delegates are rewarded with cash, gifts and holiday trips to Langkawi, Bali or Europe.

While the division chiefs are usually the king-makers, agents or lobbyists are in cahoots distributing copies of the list of names -- from the posts of party president, deputy president, and three vice-presidents to the 25 supreme council members -- several days before the elections, and even outside meeting halls before the AGM starts.

The corrupt practice had put Umno at the mercy of the delegates and there was no freedom of choice, even at the lowest level of the party.

Despite this glaring corrupt practice, many educated Malays still find UMNO to be an appealing political platform.
Umno fixing problem of 'election fixing'
By : Zubaidah Abu Bakar

Source:NSTonline

ASK any Umno member and he will not deny that those holding posts at various levels in the party have, more often than not, used their positions to ensure the victory of candidates of their choice in party polls.

And at the annual general meeting of some divisions, this unhealthy practice is employed openly.

It saves time -- that is usually the excuse for "directing" delegates to opt for block-voting so that they will not have to go through the tedious voting process.

Copies of the list of names of the preferred candidates, like a "shadow cabinet", are usually distributed to delegates, who will in turn carry out block-voting or what the party grassroots call sistem rakit or main rakit.

While the division chiefs are usually the king-makers, agents or lobbyists are in cahoots distributing copies of the list of names -- from the posts of party president, deputy president, and three vice-presidents to the 25 supreme council members -- several days before the elections, and even outside meeting halls before the AGM starts.
There have also been cases in which delegates found themselves with more than one list.

During the last Umno elections in 2004, the party found that there were leaders who used this voting system to ensure that candidates of calibre were sidelined in favour of their chosen candidates.

Delegates were also believed to have been rewarded with cash, gifts and holiday trips.

The corrupt practice had put Umno at the mercy of the delegates and there was no freedom of choice, even at the lowest level of the party.

Well, it will no longer be easy for leaders to fix elections from now on.

The Umno supreme council's decision last month to ban block-voting should put a stop to this old practice of "election fixing", which unfortunately breeds money politics.

Delegates will be more free to make their choices when Umno holds its branch elections from July 27 to Aug 23, division polls (from Oct 9 to Nov 9) and elections at the central level from Dec 16 to 20.

The council, at its last meeting on March 27, had endorsed amendments to the party's code of ethics for party elections, which included a clause preventing members empowered to conduct elections at the branch, division and supreme council delegates' meetings from using the block-voting system.

Since the regulation is effective six months before the election process, the ban, therefore, is effective immediately.

The ban will alleviate the emergence of camps or factions.

More importantly, it will help check money politics, an acute problem in Umno each time members go to the polls to choose their party leaders.

As warned by party vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, members can face disciplinary action, including expulsion, if found guilty by the party's disciplinary board.

Muhyiddin will begin a nationwide tour in Sabah to explain to party members the new provision and other amendments made to the Umno code of ethics for elections -- a move, many say, should discourage a practice which would have fractionalise Umno further.

While the regulation is lauded because it can help eliminate, if not reduce, money politics, a problem staring back at Umno is how effective enforcement can be.

This again boils down to the commitment of members.

If they help the party act against those who misuse their positions and indulge in money politics, the law will take its due course and offenders will be punished.

Read More “FIIXING "ELECTION FIXING IN UMNO"”  »»

A MISSING INGREDIENT IN NATIONAL SCHOOL:OPINION

Source NST
By Chok Suat Ling

One way to encourage more non-Malays to become teachers is for the Education Ministry to hold career talks in schools.
One way to encourage more non-Malays to become teachers is for the Education Ministry to hold career talks in schools.

The lack of non-Malay teachers will put a dent in the government's goal to make national schools attractive to everyone, writes CHOK SUAT LING.

MAULIDUR Rasul celebrations are a hugely anticipated event in schools. Muslim students are told to dress up in their best baju Melayu and baju kurung for the festivities, which are held after the national-level celebrations.

Indeed, having such events in schools is a learning experience for students. But as some parents have said, especially when the government is striving to "memperkasakan sekolah kebangsaan" or make national schools attractive to all Malaysians, similar attention should be paid to the festivities of other races.

According to some school heads, it is not that the schools refuse to hold such events; many just lack the know-how to plan them.

The majority of teachers in national schools are Malay, they say. And organising Pesta Tanglung or Ponggal-related events are not within their field of expertise, or high on their list of priorities.
A headmistress of a well-known Kuala Lumpur school says there are many ways to attract students of all races to national schools.

"The most crucial is to ensure academic excellence. Parents will send their children to schools with good public examination results."

But parents contend that the school environment should also welcome non-Malays.

The headmistress says she has appealed to the parent-teacher association (PTA) to organise multicultural events.

"Parents have brought up this issue during PTA meetings and I agree that children should be exposed to other cultures. However, it will have to be up to the PTA to plan, and for parents, especially, to take a lead role in organising them."

While the effort is laudable, putting the onus on parents is not. The school is divesting itself of its burden to parents.

It remains, therefore, that what's best for the education system is a higher percentage of non-Malay teachers in national schools.

There has been concern that national schools do not reflect the character and spirit of multi-racial Malaysia. Consequently, the need to increase the number of non-Malay teachers and school heads is imperative, as is the need to get them to be more aware and responsive to multi-racial needs and sensitivities.

Former headmaster and ex-unionist Shahul Hamid Mydin Shah has said that the government needs to look at the composition of teachers as more than 90 per cent are Malay. It is also difficult, in a random check, to find more than 10 per cent of schools having non-Malay headmasters or deputy heads.

"There was a good racial mix of teachers, even in missionary schools, in the past," Shahul Hamid says.

According to Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, the response among the Chinese remains poor.

He says the ministry had hoped to enrol 770 Chinese graduates for the 2008 post-degree teacher-training course or Kursus Perguruan Lepas Ijazah (KPLI) intake but received only about 600 applications, of which 400 were successful.

He says 6.7 per cent or 7,288 of the 108,394 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia school-leavers who applied for this year's intake for the teachers' training course are Chinese.

Several reasons have been given for the poor response.

It is said that teaching occupies a much lower rung of respectability compared with before and is not viewed as a profession of choice for various reasons: heavy workload, overbearing parents, lack of promotion prospects and being posted to remote areas.

According to retired teacher Chor Kam Fook, teaching was a respected profession in the past and it was considered an honour to be part of it.

"Until now, my former students, now adults with children, call me 'sir' when they see me," says Chor, who had wanted to be a teacher from when he was in school.

His wife is also a retired teacher. "She was persuaded by her grandmother who told her it is a good profession with many perks and long holidays."

But this mindset is apparently no longer shared by the current generation.

What is needed is a concerted push to recruit more non-Malay teachers. Better wages, perks and terms of service would be a significant pull factor, experts say.

Educators have long called for the establishment of a teachers commission, an independent body for teachers not unlike the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, or Suhakam.

With a commission to look after its welfare, the teaching profession could be separated from the civil service and put on a different salary scheme. A memorandum with this proposal was submitted to the Education Ministry in 2004.

Former headmaster and unionist Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam says: "The profession is huge and separating it from the civil service makes sense. Teachers have been urging for this for a long time as they feel their benefits do not match their efforts and contribution."

He says other civil servants can switch off from work when they leave the office, but not teachers.

"Classes might finish around noon but that does not spell the end of the day for teachers. They have other activities to attend to."

One other way to encourage more non-Malays to become teachers is for the ministry to hold career talks in schools.

"They have to tell schoolchildren about the profession, what teachers are required and expected to do and their role. This is carried out in some countries to encourage the young to consider teaching as a profession," Siva Subramaniam says.

Some, however, doubt the veracity of claims that non-Malays are disdainful of joining the teaching profession. It is argued that the situation is not as severe as perceived.

According to one teacher, "thousands" of young Chinese applied for the KPLI but failed to secure a place.

"They are keen but not given the opportunity. Only a small percentage got in. This has given rise to suspicions of a quota being imposed, that the numbers taken in are controlled. Dr Wee should interview these young people and find out the true picture," she says.

Siva Subramaniam says many non-Malays are interested but fail to secure places.

"To be fair, things have improved for teachers in terms of salary, promotions and others in the last decade, and there are more non-Malays interested in joining now. They submit their applications but are not even called up to sit the entrance test."

He urges the ministry to look into this. "Perhaps the information it is getting is not reflective of what is happening on the ground."

Read More “A MISSING INGREDIENT IN NATIONAL SCHOOL:OPINION”  »»
 

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