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Knowledge and Perceptions of Blood Safety
Knowledge and Perceptions of Blood Safety
Oleh: Nur Syakirah, Alya Afiqah,Ummi Fatihah,Nur Karmeela
A nurse logging the bags of donated blood at the Hospital Sultanah Aminah blood bank in Johor Baru.
Source: The Star / YEE XIANG YUN
Blood supplies are in all-time low, as Covid-19 pandemic persists, making it harder for blood banks to replenish their supplies.
For the past few months, the number of cases are rapidly climbing and it looks like it won’t be slowing down any time soon.
Since the 12th January, the government has decided to bring back MCO (Movement Control Order) and CMCO (Conditional Movement Control Order) nation-wide, as a method to curb the cases of Covid-19.
With the MCO and CMCO implemented nation-wide, hospitals and blood banks are suffering, from low supplies of blood, and with stricter SOP, it’s harder to organize and donate blood.
“During the movement control order (MCO) enforcement, blood supply at the National Blood Centre and other Blood Centres throughout the country has decreased by 40% compared with previous years.
“For example, blood collection from March 2018 to May 2018 was 111,328 bags. However, from March 2020 to May 2020, there were only 67,135 bags.”
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah stated in an article reported by the Star, last May.
Even before the pandemic, not many Malaysians are willing to donate blood as they are afraid of the myths surrounding blood donation and blood transfusion.
Myths like weight gain after donation or blood transfusion, and also the myth of infectious diseases that can be transmitted through blood donation or transfusion.
According to Dr. Siti Marlina Misran, who had experience working in a hospital blood bank in Johor and knows about Blood Safety.
“All blood collected or received from mobile blood drive, will go through re-checks and screening, in order for them to be accurate labelled and safe for use.
“In the re-checks, the blood bags will be re-checked and grouped according to their group. Like blood type A, B, O and AB and RH grouping; the negative or positive present of RH proteins.”
She also states that there will be a screening, for the new collected blood, in hospital laboratories. To check for diseases like HIVS, hepatitis B & C virus (HBV & HCV), and syphilis.
Online interview with Dr Siti Marlina.
Source: Siti Nur Karmeela & Ummi Fatihah
Then the blood is stored in specific refrigerator with a controlled temperature, in order to preserve the blood.
Before storage, the blood will separated into 3 components, the pack cells (red blood cells), the platelets, and the plasma. All three components have different storage controlled temperature, and kept in different sections.
“For pack cells, the controlled temperature is from 2 degree Celsius to 6 degree Celsius. For Platelets it’s room temperature, 24 degree Celsius to 25 degree Celsius. And for Plasma, it must be below −25 degree Celsius”
“To ensure that the blood components (red blood cells, platelets, and plasma) are safe and not damaged. An example, if a pack cells bag component, is left at room temperature.
“Haemolysis (rupture or break-down of red blood cells) will appear in the bag, damaging the cells and its functions. It is not safe and the blood bag is not in good quality.”
She also in full detail explained that blood shelf life differs for each components, pack cells last for 35 to 40 days, and Platelets last for 5 days and Plasma last for 3 years.
As well as putting in the specific refrigerator, in order for pack cells to remain preserve during the storage phase, nutrients, like anti-coagulant addivities solutions, will be added in the bag, as a medium for storage duration. The blood will be preserve and have nutrients throughout the storage phase.
This is the same as for Plasmas and Platelets, however Platelets will be store at room temperature in a special machines, Platelet Agitator, to ensure the platelets are consistently moving or vibrating. And Plasmas will only be thaw, if there is a need for the component transfusion.
“It is hard to ask for blood bag, only in emergencies will the blood bags be given, examples like postpartum haemorrhage; heavy bleeding after giving birth and E.R emergencies.
“If a patient needs blood transfusion, the doctor in charge will have to test and survey the patients for any indications or signs that the patient really needs blood transfusion.
“We, medical staffs and doctors, will remind each other for the clarification and indications of a patient, if they need blood transfusion. If the patient is indeed in need for a blood transfusion, only then we will proceed with the procedures” she clarifies.
Lastly, she also advised that the public to know their blood type. As this is to help doctors and medical staffs to react and give appropriate treatments without delay.
Infographic of What To Do Before, During & After Blood Donation
Quiz What Blood Type Are You
Quiz What Blood Type Are You
The Misuse Of Dietary Supplement
The Misuse Of Dietary Supplement
Oleh: Muzaffarshah Ali, Aiman Yatimi, Ahmad Zulfakhri & Rahmat Rosman
Additional dietary supplementation
Source: unsplash.com
The topic of dietary supplementation is becoming more widespread in the media, with interesting descriptions that often exaggerate the actual findings of the actual products.
The misuse of unauthorized dietary supplements can cause liver and kidney damages in a long-term effect.
Demand for supplements / food supplements is increasing in our country in line with the growth of mushroom entrepreneurs of health food related products.
Consumers are trying to extend life expectancy and ensure a better quality of life while entrepreneurs use this opportunity to produce a variety of products, increase sales and ensure double profits.
It is believed that our daily diet today is no longer nutritious, contaminated and genetically modified. Modern medicines are said to contain harmful chemicals.
Consumers are turning to alternative food and alternative medicine products that are said to be more natural and safer.
There are various options of dietary supplements on the market, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, probiotics and other to mention.
Consumers who choose the traditional way can take health products based on herbal ingredients, organic or sunnah foods to improve health.
In Malaysia we see various traditional plants modified, formulated and commercialized according to market needs.
Manufacturers produce products in various formulations, some are in the form of syrup, for easy consumption, some in the form of pills, capsules, tablets and sachets, for easy carrying anywhere, some in formula milk preparation, for babies, children and pregnant mothers.
Supplements are not intended to replace daily meals because it cannot fully supply all the nutrients and benefits available from real food, our daily diet offers three main benefits over supplements.
1. First, it is more nutritious. Ordinary foods are more complex, just one meal can contain a variety of nutrients that our body needs.
2. Second, it contains fibre. Foods such as grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits are rich in fibre which is important for intestinal health and prevent constipation.
3. Third, it contains micronutrients that are important to prevent diseases and minerals that work to stabilize electrolytes in body fluids.
If a person is physically fit, eats enough daily food and practices a proper diet, they do not need supplements for additional nutritional needs because taking supplements by a healthy person is a waste, and may even bring harm.
According to Dr Nurul Huda Razali from “Pusat Kajian Penuaan Sihat & Kesejahteraan” (H-Care) said supplements and nutritious enriched foods are good substitutes if there is any lack of nutrition in the diet.
Dr Nurul Huda Razali
Source: Instagram @hudarazali_
“There are also supplements that can help reduce the symptoms of the disease. So, dietary supplements are necessary in certain situations only.
“Women who plan to become pregnant should take folic acid in addition to their daily diet to prevent birth defects in babies,” she said.
Pregnant women need iron supplementation in their diet to prevent anaemia.
“Patients with nutritional or nutrient absorption problems should be given supplements or substitutes based on need.
“There are also cases where healthy individuals also need to take supplements, it is usually due to the lifestyle they choose or the geography and surrounding conditions in which they live,” she said.
Vegan or vegetarian practitioners need to get a supply of vitamin B-12 because those vitamins are only available from meat and animal products.
People who live in areas far from the sea and do not have access to fish and marine resources should take omega-3 fatty acids to prevent heart disease.
Those who do not have access to sea salt need iodine supplementation to prevent thyroid disease.
Individuals with lactose intolerance or allergies to dairy products need calcium supplements or other foods that contain calcium such as sardines.
Women who experience a lot of bleeding during menstruation need extra iron.
Taking supplements, even if a person is listed in individuals who need extra nutrition requires the advice and monitoring of a doctor and dietitian.
Talk to them about the supplements you need, the safe combination and the right dose for you as everyone has different needs and always be aware of any possible side effects and inform your doctor immediately.
Need to be more careful when taking supplements when pregnant or breastfeeding, also when giving to children because most supplements are not tested for safety for pregnant mothers, infants and children.
Herbal capsules that are often eaten by pregnant mothers
Source: Canva.com
Supplements taken to dilute the blood are at risk of causing bleeding during surgery or when involved in an accident and also can interact with hospital medications and affect healing.
Here are some examples of interactions that can occur when taking supplements:
- Vitamin K can make blood thinners less effective; patients will be at risk of blood clots. St. John’s Wort, herb that can break down the chemical structure of some types of drugs such as antidepressants and birth control pills, makes the drug no longer effective. Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E can make cancer treatment therapies less effective.
- Taking supplements in excess of the recommended dose, in addition to a waste, can have adverse effects. For example, taking too much vitamin A can cause headaches, liver damage, bone weakening and cause birth defects.Excess iron causes nausea and vomiting and can damage the liver and other organs.
- A product sold in the market, advertised on TV, recommended by famous artists, promoted by muscular athletes is not a guarantee of safety and effectiveness.
Always seek expert advice and be sensitive to any side effects.
If you experience any side effects when taking a product, you can make a complaint to the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency, or just tell your doctor.
They will report to the authorities.
Before that, let us take a deep dive into what a dietary supplement is.
Dietary supplements are supplements that supply certain nutrients to the body, apart from our daily diet.
These supplements are divided into several types such as:
- Supplement vitamin and mineral (such as Vitamin B, C, Multivitamin, Calcium, Iron, and others).
- Special supplements (such as Omega-3, Fibre, Probiotic, Glucosamine, and others).
- Herb and plants (such as Green Tea, Garlic, Maidenhair tree, ginseng).
- Sport dietary.
- Beautification (such as protein, garcinia Cambogia, collagen, and others).
Our body does not need supplements when we adopt balanced and healthy eating habits.
However, due to factors such as age, disease and health level, these individuals do require supplements in their daily diet.
For example, patients with deep wounds or severe burns, require higher protein supplementation than normal people.
When the need is not acquired with a regular diet, it is recommended for them to take protein supplements such as My protein or Whey Protein to meet their needs.
In another situation, patients with Anaemia or lack of Haemoglobin (Hb) in the blood, must take iron supplements to increase their Hb counts, and vitamin C supplements to help with the absorption.
On a side note, vitamin D and Calcium supplements are recommended for the elderly or menopausal women who are at risk of bone fragility.
There are also situations where we are not allowed to take supplements.
For example, patients with Level 3 and 4 kidney failure (before undergoing dialysis) are not allowed to take protein-based supplements, including collagen or glutamine (except in cases of need).
Although it is not a necessity to get a prescription from certified healthcare providers to get supplements, you are still recommended to seek advice from pharmacists or dieticians.
It can help optimise the benefits and avoid misdiagnosed and wrong dosage requirements.
Herbal supplements such as ginseng, Maidenhair tree, aloe vera will cause drug interactions with medications such as Warfarin and Aspirin, resulting in various complications.
Moreover, the consumption of certain supplements with green tea, guarana, and caffeine which has a double 'stimulant' effect on the body, which can be threatening to patients with heart diseases and blood hypertension.
According to Dr Nurul Huda, a senior lecturer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, some might not give a side effect, because it all depends on the dosage such any nutrients when we consume it extremely high can be toxic to our body.
“Therefore, some supplements still can give a side effect to our body.
“It is important to be truthful to the doctor if you are taking supplementation because the doctors might want to do a blood test just to make sure it does not have any reaction which is called drug-nutrient interaction.
“That’s why before taking a supplementation, we have to make sure that it is safe,” she said.
Back to basics, which is to get all the nutrients needed through a healthy, varied, and balanced diet.
If it is proven that we are deficient or in need of a nutrient more than the normal rate, consult an expert in their field first.
Preferably, do a test to confirm the symptoms you are experiencing, not just make your own assumptions.
Do not be easily influenced by the latest trends of society to stay healthy by taking health food supplements or supplements because its use does not necessarily guarantee well-being as claimed.
This is because of its intake depends on the level of health of the individual and it is feared that inappropriate intake invites side effects that can be detrimental to the health of consumers.
The effect depends on a person's level of health and varies according to the body's ability to receive the substance which is said to increase fitness.
To prevent unwanted incidents from taking supplements, Dr Huda advised consumers to see a doctor for a health examination.
She said, the initial reference is important to enable doctors to assess their level of health at that time to identify whether they are suitable or not.
"For example, in a situation where pregnant women are deficient in nutrients and have urgent needs, vitamin and mineral supplements help maintain the health of mother and baby," he told BH.
Apart from pregnant women, Dr Huda said, individuals who are advised to get nutrients include mothers who breastfeed, patients who are hospitalized, children with growth problems and the elderly who have poor appetite.
She said every consumer has a good reason to take supplements, but it is usually closely related to health.
"Other reasons are believed to be to maintain beauty, slow down the aging process and reduce the risk of chronic disease attacks, “she said.
Dietary supplements can be categorized into four namely vitamins, minerals and multivitamins, treating certain diseases, herbal-based and fish-based.
Dr Huda, in consumers chasing the dream, it should be remembered that supplements are not a substitute for a balanced diet.
"Individuals taking dietary supplements may feel they are unable to achieve nutrients from a normal diet for some reason.
"If possible, every individual should strive to get nutrients from natural sources through a balanced diet without relying on this supplement," she said.
The complete diet options, said Dr Huda, are from a selection of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, milk, fish and oils. The selection of this healthy meal is sufficient to meet the daily nutrient needs.
She added that a balanced diet has complete nutrients and has nutrient components that are sure to ensure better health.
"For example, vegetables and fruits have vitamins, minerals, fibre and nutrients that can prevent various diseases.
"While multivitamin pills only have vitamins and minerals, high fibre intake has been scientifically proven to prevent chronic diseases such as colon cancer.
"Phytonutrients which are also nutrients from plant sources rich in antioxidants also help prevent the onset of chronic diseases," she said.
Info:
- Taking supplements without undergoing a doctor's examination is feared to have serious consequences including exposure to the risk of liver and kidney disease.
- Not all supplements taken are acceptable to the body as some of them are eliminated and wasteful due to their high price.
- The body gets rid of excess vitamins (especially water-soluble vitamins such as vitamins B and C) through the urine.
- Intake due to the influence of marketing strategies and user testimonials prompts them to take it even when it is not necessary.
- The busyness of the task caused them to think that the daily diet was incomplete and without further examination continued to take supplements.
Tips for Buying Natural Dietary Supplements
Many us are supplement users.
Enhancements incorporate not just nutrients and mineral enhancements like Vitamin B complex and calcium pills, yet additionally natural and different enhancements like glucosamine sulphate and lutein pills.
All in all, how could you approach picking the correct one?
1. Talk to Your Pharmacist
We regularly request that peruses converse with the specialist, yet for this situation, converse with your drug specialist particularly if you are taking long haul prescriptions.
Natural enhancements may cause results when blended in with doctor prescribed medications or decrease the viability of a medication.
Some different enhancements, like garlic, may meddle with your blood coagulating capacity – something to remember whether you have a forthcoming medical procedure arranged.
These impacts can be perilous, so you ought to consistently address your drug specialist prior to beginning another enhancement.
2. Be Realistic
A few enhancements may help forestall a few conditions.
For example, iron can help forestall weakness, however nothing has been demonstrated to fix any significant infection.
In the event that you hear or read on the Internet that an enhancement can treat or fix a sickness or assist you with getting thinner quickly, your doubt level ought to be raised right away.
The best spot to investigate a characteristic enhancement is at the Office of Dietary Supplements by the National Institutes of Health and the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
3. Be a Label Detective
All herbal supplements should carry on the name of the spice, a total rundown of fixings, serving size, dynamic fixings, sum, and producer data.
On the off chance that you have a decision, pick normal dietary enhancements that convey the “Verified” logo. This implies the item satisfies the guideline set.
If all else fails, you ought to consistently explore more by signing on to the Dietary Supplement Label Database by the National Institutes of Health.
4. Choose Single-Ingredient Supplements
Consolidating numerous fixings in a solitary pill truly doesn't add additional worth or therapeutic advantages.
We should investigate calcium supplements. A pill can evidently hold 600 mg of calcium.
In any case, on the off chance that you add magnesium and Vitamin D in a similar pill, the measure of calcium will be less.
Another model we see regularly is glucosamine sulphate for joint wellbeing. A solitary fixing glucosamine sulphate pill by and large contains 500 to 750 mg.
However, a multi-fixing pill with added chondroitin has considerably less glucosamine.
So, stay with a pill containing the most useful fixing, not supporting fixings
5. Buy Your Supplements from a Known Source
As such, do not get them from a companion or through direct deals. They might not have the essential clinical information to “advice” you on what to take and what not to take.
6. Choose a Trusted Brand
Guidelines on characteristic dietary enhancements are not as exacting as they are for meds, so quality may change.
Take fish oil supplements for instance and there might be significantly more than fish oil in a container of pills. The best practice is to pick a known brand you can trust.
When You Should Take A Dietary Supplement?
Taking supplements is a significant and simple approach to fill nutrient gaps and meet individual dietary requirements.
At the point when we take our nutrients, however, can be as fundamental as taking them.
When is the best an ideal opportunity to take the enhancements? Is there a second every day when we'll capitalize on them?
Peruse our guide on streamlining nutrients and enhancements admission to capitalize on the correct nourishment plan.
It's important to stick to the directions recorded on the completed item, yet there are some broad guidelines which merit following in the event that you need to capitalize on your supplementation plan overall.
It is crucial to recollect that dynamic fixings contained in the enhancements respond with one another and keeping in mind that a few mixes may upgrade ingestion of the helpful supplements, some may essentially impede the adequacy of different items.
Considering different research and accessible proof on the best way to time supplemental admission for maximal adequacy, we have assessed the most famous of our item classifications.
MORNING
● Iron
Iron is one of those minerals that meddles a considerable amount with different supplements. It ought not be taken close to Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc or a few nutrients, similar to Vitamin E, as it can hinder their retention.
Iron is the indispensable supplement that assists with moving oxygen all through the body and in this manner significantly affects the general prosperity.
Individuals with low iron levels regularly experience sluggishness, fatigue and low state of mind. To get going the day right it best to take iron enhancements on a void stomach, before breakfast.
In any case, a few type of Iron can cause stomach irritation, is which case, theenhancement can be taken with feast. Iron’s ingestion is increadibly improved byVitamin C, which is the reason it’s a smart thought to wash them down with squeezed orange or water with lemon.
● Vitamin B
Nutrients from group B are water-solvent which implies they don't should be taken with suppers.
Water dissolvable nutrients are not put away in the muscle to fat ratio's tissue and should be supplanted everyday whether it be from count calories or control supplementation.
Every one of B nutrients has its own particular properties and medical advantages, however lion's share of them helps with energy-yielding digestion and changing food over to cell energy.
Hence, it's in every case great to have a stockpile of those nutrients straight in the first part of the day.
These ‘energy nutrients can meddle with rest when required past the point of no return in the day.
● Vitamin C
Essentially to Vitamin B, Vitamin C is likewise water dissolvable and doesn't need dietary fat to be successful.
Be that as it may, notwithstanding a few similitudes, those two ought to be taken independently if conceivable as Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) can meddle with the ingestion of B12.
Nutrient C works out in a good way for Iron and Calcium, upgrading their assimilation.
Since Vitamin C just endures not many hours in the circulation system, parting portions can improve ingestion, keep the blood step up and can forestall the stomach upset that a few people insight with single dosages surpassing 1,000mg.
It's best to take the primary portion of Vitamin C before breakfast and afterward proceed with the rest of the day.
AFTERNOON / MIDDAY
● Zinc
Zinc is regularly enhanced as a piece of a multivitamin and mineral tablet and this minor element requires a moderately modest quantity to cover the RDA.
It's best when taken on a void stomach, preferably 1 hour prior or 2 hours after suppers, yet may cause stomach upset – in these cases it ought to be taken with dinners.
Zinc additionally interfaces contrarily with a few regular minerals, in particular iron and calcium. Thus, it's additionally prescribed to abstain from taking zinc not long after/prior to eating dairy.
● Multivitamin
Multivitamins (or single fat-solvent nutrients: D, A, K and E) are best taken with the principal supper of the day or at least some great fats.
Dietary fats go about as a transporter that vanishes the Vitamins across the intestinal coating and into the overall flow (from where they can get to all body tissues).
It's essential to not take Vitamin D and any multi supplements containing it past the point of no return in the day as it can interfere with the body's creation of melatonin and can disturb rest.
Multivitamins can be taken along with Fish Oils for a commonly gainful effect on assimilation of dynamic fixings.
● Fish Oil
Fish Oil is obtained from tissues of sleek fish and ire an incredible wellspring of Omega 3 unsaturated fats.
Be that as it may, since fat takes any longer to process than carbs or protein and it is the slowest large-scale supplement in its stomach related speed, unsaturated fat enhancements ought to never be taken before actual work.
It is ideal to take them with nourishment for maximal viability, except if the dinner is before actual work.
Fish oil may best be devoured close by other fat-solvent nutrients for example, those found in multivitamin supplements.
EVENING
● Calcium
Calcium is the most bountiful miniature supplement in the human body.
Like with numerous different minerals, the type of calcium supplement decides whether it ought to be taken with a supper or on an unfilled stomach.
Calcium carbonate requires the presence of nourishment for better ingestion, while calcium citrate can be taken in any case, yet does not need food or stomach corrosive for retention.
Calcium is believed to be more effectively used by the body around evening time and goes about as a characteristic muscle relaxant, advancing quality rest.
A few examinations have even indicated that low serum calcium levels were answerable for upset rest designs, including absence of REM period of rest.
Calcium ought not be taken with Iron or Zinc.
● Magnesium
Both Calcium and Magnesium are basic for bone wellbeing and it is crucial to guarantee they are given in the correct equilibrium.
Notwithstanding supporting solid bones, these two minerals can likewise profit competitors, advancing right muscle work, in which case they can be taken pre-exercise.
Magnesium is recommended to have quieting consequences for the musculoskeletal and sensory systems and considering that it's best taken at night and with food, which helps in its retention.
Here you can locate a short summary of the prescribed procedures for the enhancements referenced previously.
Example of side effects
If you want supplements or health products as well, first read the contents of the product, do research, and weigh it.
Of course, they do not know about all the products but at least they can check to assess whether the products taken have a good effect or otherwise.
Before taking supplements, it is important to seek professional advice, especially when you have an illness.
If you are unsure, ask those who are more knowledgeable and certified.
Aura, Kuasa Penyembuhan Di Sebalik Batu Kristal
Aura, Kuasa Penyembuhan Di Sebalik Batu Kristal
Oleh: Zulaikha Fahrol, Hallyna Aziz, Izzah Zulnaidi, Amira Awaludin & Fifi Sufiana Kamarudin
Antara koleksi batu kristal yang dipamerkan di kedai kristal Mahadi, Gunung Keriang, Alor Setar, Kedah.
Sumber: Izzah Zulnaidi
Pesona kilauan batu kristal semula jadi yang dipamerkan dalam kotak-kotak kaca di kompleks beli-belah sering kali memukau mata pengunjung sehingga menimbulkan rasa kagum terhadap ciptaan Tuhan.
Pemakaian batu kristal pelbagai warna sebagai perhiasan diri telah menjadi trend masa kini kerana kristal dikatakan memiliki daya tarikan tersendiri apabila pengguna menggayakannya.
Bukan sahaja menjadi aksesori wanita, malah kristal turut dijadikan sebagai perhiasan rumah di mana ia mampu untuk menarik aura positif dan memberi ketenangan bagi penghuninya.
PEMBENTUKAN BATU KRISTAL
Kristal adalah gabungan atom terdiri daripada unsur yang sama atau berbeza dan kemudiannya membentuk tujuh sistem kristal iaitu triklinik, monoklinik, ortorombik, tetragonal, trigonal, heksagonal dan kubik.
Atilia Bashardin, 34, Pegawai Geosains di Jabatan Mineral dan Geosains Malaysia (JMG), Kelantan, berkata, kristal dan unsur-unsur lain di atas muka bumi telah wujud sekitar 4 bilion tahun yang lalu.
“Tempoh kewujudan kristal jauh lebih lama daripada spesies manusia, unsur-unsur yang berada di atmosfera bertindak balas lalu membentuk kristal.
“Kristal adalah unsur asas dalam batu di mana batu merupakan gabungan daripada beberapa jenis kristal yang berbeza dan ia bergantung kepada proses pembentukannya iaitu penghabluran.
“Sebagai contoh, kalsit (calcite) berunsur kalsium karbonat (CaCO3) manakala kuarza (quartz) berunsur silikon dioksida (SiO2), kedua-dua mineral ini melalui pembentukan yang berbeza,” katanya.
Pembentukan kristal amat bergantung kepada suhu dan tekanan, skala Celsius (°C) yang berbeza akan mempengaruhi kejadian kristal mengikut jenis dan bentuk.
Dari segi struktur, arang dan berlian (diamond) mengandungi unsur yang sama iaitu karbon tetapi memiliki rupa bentuk yang berbeza disebabkan penyusunan karbon yang berlainan.
“Unsur sama tetapi penyusunan yang berbeza akan membentuk pelbagai variasi kristal.
“Apa yang unik adalah setiap elemen atau unsur menentukan warna dan bentuk kristal.
“Kewujudan kuarza dalam warna yang berlainan seperti merah jambu, ungu dan kuning bergantung kepada silikon dioksida (SiO2) yang membentuknya,” katanya.
DUA KUMPULAN BATU KRISTAL MENGIKUT SAINS GEMOLOGI
Batu separa berharga seperti kuarza dan baiduri delima (garnet) merupakan antara batu kristal yang mudah ditemui manakala golongan batu berharga seperti berlian dan delima (ruby) amat sukar untuk diperolehi justeru menjadikan harganya tinggi di pasaran.
“Yang menentukan nilai kristal adalah rarity (pembentukan kristal yang jarang berlaku), semakin sukar dan rumit proses untuk kita mendapatkan kristal itu, semakin tinggi harganya di samping melihat kepada tahap kecantikan dan ketahanan kristal tersebut.
“Berlian adalah antara contoh batu yang bukan mudah untuk kita perolehi, beberapa negara sahaja yang memilikinya seperti Rusia yang merupakan pengeluar terbesar berlian setakat ini di dunia,” katanya.
KETULENAN BATU KRISTAL
Di pasaran, terlalu banyak lambakan kristal yang dijual dengan harga yang murah sehingga menimbulkan kecurigaan kepada pembeli.
Perbezaan antara kristal asli dan tiruan bergantung kepada ketidaksempurnaan kristal tersebut.
Sebagai seorang ahli geologi, dia menerangkan bahawa kristal asli memiliki garis-garis pada permukaannya menjadikan rupa bentuk kristal tidak sempurna.
Kristal tiruan pula memiliki permukaan yang sempurna tanpa cacat cela tetapi pengeluar sudah maju ke hadapan dengan menghasilkan kristal yang memiliki corak garisan persis kristal asli menjadikan proses pengenalpastian sukar untuk dijalankan.
Keaslian kristal juga dapat ditentukan mengikut berat kerana setiap mineral mempunyai tahap keberatannya mengikut nilai gram yang tersendiri.
3 FAKTA MENARIK MENGENAI BATU KRISTAL
Gunung Keriang di Alor Setar, Kedah merupakan antara lubuk terbesar batu kristal di Malaysia di mana ianya terdiri daripada mineral kalsit.
“Mineral kalsit adalah lebih kurang berharga disebabkan kewujudannya yang banyak serta memiliki tahap ketahanan yang rendah.
“Kalsit berwarna cloudy white iaitu putih yang tidak jernih seperti warna awan.
“Gunung Keriang adalah gumpalan batu kapur berusia 250 juta tahun dan terbentuk dalam satu jalur panjang yang dipanggil sebagai belerang.
“Proses pembentukan batu kristal di gunung ini mengambil masa yang lama oleh itu menghasilkan bentuk kristal yang sempurna, lebih lambat proses pembentukan berlaku, lebih cantik batu kristal itu terhasil,” katanya.
Batu kristal pelbagai warna dan bentuk dijadikan perhiasan diri.
Sumber: Zulaikha Fahrol
PROSES PENGGALIAN BATU KRISTAL
Pencari dan pengusaha batu kristal, Mahadi Mat Akhir, 55, berkata, pencarian dan penjualan batu kristal mula diusahakan oleh bangsa Cina pada sekitar tahun 1994.
“Semasa permulaan pencarian, batu kristal tidak dikenali lagi di kalangan orang ramai.
“Tetapi pada tahun 1997, masyarakat di kawasan Gunung Keriang sudah mula tahu tentang kewujudan batu kristal di kawasan ini,” katanya.
Proses penggalian untuk mendapatkan batu kristal mengambil masa yang panjang serta memerlukan kesabaran yang tinggi.
“Batu kristal di kedai saya semuanya diperoleh dari dalam gua Gunung Keriang tetapi proses pencarian mengambil masa yang panjang.
“Bukan masuk terus ada bunga kristal, kita kena tebuk dinding-dinding gunung kemudian kena tebuk untuk buat gua pula.
“Sepanjang proses menebuk, kita sendiri tidak tahu berapa jauh kedalamannya, jika masuk ke dalam sangat, oksigen akan mula berkurang.
“Pada mulanya, saya memakai pahat tetapi memakan masa kemudian saya tukar menggunakan mesin khas untuk menggali batu kristal,” katanya.
Bunga kristal yang dianggarkan berharga antara RM20,000 hingga RM25,000.
Sumber: Izzah Zulnaidi
Batu kristal yang terdapat di Gunung Keriang lebih dikenali sebagai bunga kristal oleh penduduk setempat dan ini adalah disebabkan rupa bentuk kristal yang kembang seperti bunga.
3 JENIS PERINGKAT BATU KRISTAL DI GUNUNG KERIANG
“Bunga batu adalah ketika kristal masih kecil, apabila meningkat dewasa, kita panggil sebagai bunga kristal, semakin tua dan padat, batu ini akan berubah menjadi batu kristal.
“Batu yang paling mahal adalah bunga kristal kerana pembentukannya memakan masa jutaan tahun dan proses penggalian juga mengambil masa yang lama,” katanya.
Batu kristal di sini mempunyai peminatnya tersendiri terutama kaum Cina yang percaya batu mempunyai aura baik serta mampu menolak aura jahat jika dipamerkan di dalam rumah atau premis perniagaan.
Bagi kaum Melayu pula mereka gemar menjadikan batu kristal sebagai perhiasan di rumah kerana mampu mengeluarkan aura yang memberi ketenangan.
Batu kristal secara umumnya dijadikan sebagai perhiasan, namun turut digunakan dalam terapi kristal sebagai proses penyembuhan semula jadi.
Antara batu kristal yang dijadikan perhiasan rumah bagi memberi ketenangan jiwa.
Sumber: Zulaikha Fahrol
TERAPI WARNA DAN CHAKRA
Menurut Shuha Khamis, pengasas Qamara Butiq, batu kristal sebenarnya merupakan batu semula jadi yang mendatangkan khasiat penyembuhan dari alam.
Dia berminat mendalami bidang terapi kristal kerana ingin memberi penerangan kepada umum serta menggunakan ilmu tersebut dari sudut saintifik.
“Di Qamara Butiq, 90 peratus pembeli merupakan kaum Melayu yang beragama Islam, oleh itu, penting untuk kita beri penerangan kepada pembeli mengenai konsep terapi warna.
“Batu kristal ini bukanlah kepercayaan syirik atau khurafat kerana ia berkaitan dengan alam semula jadi,” katanya.
Dia turut menerangkan bahawa pelanggan yang berkunjung ke kedai kebanyakannya di atas sebab terapi atau berkaitan isu kesihatan.
“Kristal penyembuhan dikaitkan dengan terapi warna kerana warna-warna terdapat dalam alam semula jadi yang boleh membawa sifat penyembuhan.
“Contohnya seperti buah-buahan, kita akan memilih untuk makan buah tembikai dalam cuaca yang panas terik, tembikai yang berwarna merah dikaitkan dengan sifat bertenaga.
“Apabila dimakan ketika musim panas, kita akan merasa lebih bertenaga. Begitulah kaitan terapi warna yang memberi tenaga semula jadi berdasarkan alam,” katanya.
Batu kristal yang dipercayai mampu memberi aura mengikut tujuh warna pusat tenaga manusia.
Sumber: Zulaikha Fahrol
Terapi warna juga dapat dikaitkan dengan ‘Chakra’ atau pusat tenaga manusia yang memiliki aura-aura tertentu.
‘Chakra’ adalah suatu organ metafizik yang wujud dalam sistem bioenergi manusia maka ia tidak dapat dilihat dengan mata kasar.
Teknologi yang terdapat pada zaman kini memberi kelebihan kepada manusia untuk menghasilkan alat pengimbas yang boleh mengenal pasti aura pada seseorang itu.
‘Chakra’ atau aura seseorang boleh menentukan sekiranya mereka mempunyai pusat tenaga yang bersifat positif atau negatif.
Kelebihan atau kekurangan aura pada pusat tenaga seseorang itu akan menyebabkan keharmonian ‘Chakra’ terjejas dan mendatangkan pelbagai masalah serta penyakit.
Setiap warna pada pusat tenaga manusia mempunyai kesan psikologi harmoni dan psikologi negatif yang juga turut dikaitkan dengan penyakit tertentu.
Contohnya, ketidakstabilan pusat tenaga pada bahagian kerongkong atau ‘Throat Chakra’ akan memberi kesan terhadap keyakinan diri dalam berkomunikasi dengan lebih lancar di khalayak ramai.
Masalah sedemikian boleh diatasi dengan terapi kristal, di mana batu kristal digunakan untuk menyerap tenaga negatif serta mengimbangkan pusat tenaga seseorang.
Menurut Mir Hazil Azran Ramli, penulis buku ‘Bongkar Potensi Diri Melalui Psikologi Warna’, pusat tenaga yang dikenali sebagai ‘Chakra’ dalam bahasa Sanskrit dapat dikesan dalam 7 kategori warna aura iaitu merah, jingga, kuning, hijau, biru, indigo dan violet.
Terdapat 40 jenis batu kristal asas yang dikaji oleh manusia dan terdapat beratus-ratus jenis batu kristal kompleks yang sukar dibahagikan mengikut jenis-jenisnya.
Maka, batu kristal dibahagikan mengikut 7 warna yang terdapat pada pusat tenaga manusia dan setiap warna mempunyai aura dan kesan yang berbeza.
7 WARNA PUSAT TENAGA MANUSIA
PENGAJIAN ILMU KRISTAL
Ilmu terapi menggunakan batu kristal ini bukanlah rekaan semata-mata kerana ianya boleh dipelajari di akademi pengajian tertentu seperti Nusantara Academy of Energy Medicine.
Pearlie Tan, pengusaha Kristalmedic di Klang Parade, merupakan seorang penuntut di akademi tersebut di mana pembelajaran ilmu kristal didalami melalui pengajian getaran kristal serta tenaga penyembuhan.
“Terdapat sembilan modul dalam pengajian ilmu kristal dan kursus ini mendapat pengiktirafan daripada Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia yang ditawarkan oleh Jabatan Pembangunan Kemahiran.
“Antara modul yang dilaksanakan adalah diagnosis pusat tenaga, kefahaman terhadap 40 jenis batu kristal, konsultasi pelanggan, hidroterapi, urutan fizikal serta penggunaan kristal, senaman dan meditasi, terapi suara, warna serta aroma, peruncitan dan pengurusan.
“Batu kristal sudah wujud sejak jutaan tahun lalu tetapi sumber asalnya tidak dapat diperincikan daripada masyarakat yang mana.
“Namun, batu kristal sering digambarkan dalam budaya barat sebagai bola kristal yang boleh meramal masa depan serta nasib seseorang.
“Tidak ketinggalan juga, kaum Cina dan India turut mengakui kewujudan batu kristal dalam budaya mereka,” katanya.
9 MODUL PENGAJIAN ILMU KRISTAL
KEPERCAYAAN BATU KRISTAL
RAWATAN PEMBERSIHAN CHAKRA
Amira Madiha, 23, seorang pengguna yang telah mencuba rawatan batu kristal sejak awal tahun 2020 di pusat rawatan Holistika Healing.
“Pada awalnya saya tidak percaya kerana tidak mempunyai sebarang pengetahuan mengenai rawatan ini, tetapi selepas berjumpa dengan ‘healer’, dia menceritakan kebaikan kristal dan jenis-jenis ‘Chakra’ di dalam badan.
“Saya mempunyai masalah mental yang agak teruk dan cuba untuk mencari cara untuk membantu masalah ini.
“Saya terjumpa akaun Holistika Healing di laman Instagram yang berkongsi bagaimana mereka membantu orang yang mempunyai masalah kesihatan mental.
“Mereka menawarkan pelbagai jenis rawatan dan selepas membuat janji temu untuk konsultasi, saya terus berminat untuk mencuba rawatan batu kristal ini,” katanya.
Dia mempunyai masalah kesihatan mental sejak berumur 18 tahun selepas berlakunya satu kejadian yang mengakibatkan trauma.
Sejak itu, dia berusaha mencari pelbagai jenis rawatan untuk membantu melawan depresi dan kecenderungan untuk mencederakan diri sendiri.
‘Chakra’ yang tersekat di dalam tubuh mampu membuatkan keadaan emosi seseorang tidak stabil, sebagai contoh mempunyai tahap tekanan yang tinggi.
Proses rawatan ini bermula apabila ‘healer’ mengambil sebiji batu kristal yang telah dibersihkan daripada segala aura negatif dan kemudian menyediakan satu baldi air kosong yang bersih.
Rawatan pembersihan ‘Chakra’ yang mampu menyerap aura negatif dan mengimbangi ‘Chakra’ di dalam badan.
Sumber: Fashionista
“Saya diminta untuk duduk di atas kerusi dan memejamkan mata. ‘Healer’ mula memfokuskan kristal itu kepada beberapa kedudukan ‘Chakra’ di dalam badan seperti hati dan akan menarik aura negatif menggunakan kristal.
“Kemudian, dia akan membuang aura negatif di dalam baldi yang berisi air tadi.
“Proses ini berterusan selama setengah jam dan saya menganggap perkara ini sebagai meditasi kerana ia membuka ruang untuk saya bertenang.
“Saya mempercayai bahawa batu kristal mampu menarik aura negatif di dalam diri manusia walaupun tiada kajian saintifik kerana sesetengah perkara memang tidak dapat dijelaskan.
“Selepas rawatan saya sentiasa rasa seperti seorang individu baru dengan ketenangan yang luar biasa,” katanya.
‘Chakra Cleansing’ dilakukan ke atas individu bagi membersihkan laluan ‘Chakra’ yang penting di dalam badan untuk mencapai ketenangan yang optimum.
Cara meditasi yang betul serta rawatan batu kristal yang dijalankan telah sedikit sebanyak memberi kesan positif dalam kehidupan Amira Madiha.
MEMBERI KEBAHAGIAAN DAN KEKAYAAN
Nick Yau, 60, seorang Cina Muslim yang pernah mempercayai aura dan kuasa penyembuhan batu kristal bermula dari sekadar hobi mengumpul batu tersebut sejak tahun 2001.
Dia berpendapat bahawa tidak semua orang mempercayai penggunaan batu kristal. Namun, batu kristal sebenarnya mempunyai getarannya yang tersendiri dan memberi aura serta kuasa penyembuhan tertentu.
“Saya mengetahui tentang kuasa batu kristal ini sejak tahun 2001 hingga 2016, di mana saya didedahkan kepada batu kristal melalui pembelian buku bertajuk ‘The Power of Stones’.
“Buku ini memberi ilmu pengetahuan kepada saya mengenai batu kristal dan menambahkan rasa minat untuk membaca 30 hingga 40 buah buku yang menceritakan manfaat batu kristal.
“Batu-batu kristal yang pelbagai ini mempunyai sifat penyembuhan yang berlainan. Contohnya seperti batu citrine yang mampu memberi kekayaan dan kebahagiaan, manakala batu akik (agate) boleh menjauhkan diri daripada kezaliman.
“Sebelum ini, saya amat menyukai batu nilam kuning (yellow sapphire) kerana ia membawa kebahagiaan dan kekayaan. Cincin perkahwinan saya juga diperbuat daripada batu ini.
“Saya pernah memakai cincin batu nilam (sapphire) dan ia berkesan dalam membawa kebahagiaan serta memberi kelancaran terhadap perniagaan saya.
Batu nilam kuning yang dipercayai mampu memberi kebahagiaan dan kekayaan.
Sumber: Brahma Gems
“Mungkin kerana saya telah membaca terlalu banyak buku-buku berkaitan batu kristal dan secara tidak sedar telah mempercayai kuasa batu kristal,” katanya.
Batu kristal dilihat sebagai satu penggunaan yang memerlukan kepercayaan sekiranya ingin mendapat manfaat hasil daripada kuasa batu kristal tersebut.
Sehingga kini, dia masih memakai sekeping batu jed (jade) pada lehernya kerana ia masih merupakan tradisi kaum Cina. Batu kristal ini juga turut digunakan oleh isterinya sebagai tujuan perhiasan.
Namun, bermula pada tahun 2016, dia mula mendalami ilmu agama Islam dan Al-Quran di mana hanya meletakkan kepercayaan kepada Tuhan Yang Maha Esa.
Nick Yau berpendapat bahawa batu kristal sebenarnya hanya memberi kesan plasebo yang mempengaruhi fikiran manusia secara tidak sedar di mana hanya digalakkan untuk diguna sebagai batu perhiasan sahaja.
KETIDAKPERCAYAAN BATU KRISTAL
KUALITI HIDUP
Mior Muhammad Asyraf Mohd Azmi, 23, merupakan antara golongan yang tidak percaya akan kekuasaan yang dimiliki oleh batu kristal dari segi sifat penyembuhan.
Sebagai seorang bekas pengguna batu kristal, dia merasakan bahawa batu kristal tidak memberi sebarang perubahan dalam kualiti hidupnya.
“Kristal penyembuhan ini dikatakan mampu menyembuhkan kita dari segi penyakit dalaman atau lebih dikenali sebagai metafizik iaitu tenaga dalaman.
“Saya tidak mempercayai batu kristal kerana saya sendiri pernah menggunakannya dan tidak ada perbezaan dari segi kualiti hidup saya di mana hidup masih dalam keadaan normal.
Batu kristal dikatakan mampu meningkatkan kualiti hidup seseorang.
Sumber: Goodful
“Sebagai seorang Muslim, saya melihat perkara ini hanya bermain di minda, merangkumi secara harfiah dari segi pemikiran kita sendiri.
“Maknanya jika kita melihat sesuatu perkara itu secara positif maka ianya akan menjadi positif.
“Haram hukumnya jika kita mempercayai sesuatu benda itu mampu memberi keajaiban atau kesembuhan pada diri kita,” katanya.
Banyak testimoni-testimoni positif penggunaan batu kristal yang ditunjukkan di media sosial tetapi secara harfiahnya tiada penyelidikan saintifik yang dapat membuktikan sifat penyembuhannya.
KESAN PLASEBO
Farzana Yah Abdul Hanan Yah, 23, pelajar perubatan di Trinity College Dublin berpendapat bahawa kristal penyembuhan tergolong dalam rawatan pseudosains.
Pseudosains merupakan kepercayaan atau amalan yang dianggap berkait rapat dengan ilmu sains.
Walhal, kepercayaan dan amalan perubatan tersebut dilakukan tanpa asas bukti yang kukuh dan kajian mendalam dari segi sains sebaliknya disandarkan kepada akal dan imaginasi manusia.
“Secara peribadi, saya tidak mempercayai kristal penyembuhan kerana ianya berkait rapat dengan pseudosains.
“Saya belum menemui penyelidikan dan penjelasan saintifik yang jelas untuk menyokong sifat penyembuhan yang dimiliki batu kristal oleh itu sukar untuk saya mempercayainya.
“Sebagai seorang pelajar perubatan, saya menjelaskan kesan penyembuhan batu kristal berdasarkan kepada kesan plasebo.
“Batu kristal itu sendiri tidak memiliki sifat penyembuhan tetapi disebabkan oleh kepercayaan masyarakat.
“Ia mengubah fisiologi badan seseorang untuk menyembuhkan diri berdasarkan kepercayaan mereka,” katanya.
Kesan plasebo memberi penyembuhan berdasarkan kepercayaan individu dalam rawatan tersebut.
Farzana Yah percaya bahawa batu kristal sememangnya tidak memberi kesan dari segi penyembuhan atau meningkatkan kualiti kesihatan seseorang.
Ini kerana tiada penjelasan yang kukuh untuk menerangkan bagaimana batu kristal ini berfungsi untuk menyembuh tubuh manusia.
Dia merasakan bahawa sebahagian besar fenomena ini terjadi adalah berdasarkan kepercayaan semata-mata yang tidak berlandaskan kepada penjelasan saintifik.
Pelbagai perspektif dan pandangan masyakarat yang telah dirungkai, segelintir golongan mempercayai akan kuasa penyembuhan batu kristal namun masih tidak dapat dibuktikan kesahihannya.
Ikuti laporan khas untuk memahami dengan lebih lanjut mengenai aura dan kuasa penyembuhan di sebalik batu kristal berdasarkan penjelasan daripada pengasas Qamara Butiq, pandangan ahli psikologi klinikal dan juga pakar syariah.
Dr. Akif Basri akan menjelaskan perspektif dari segi kesan plasebo, manakala Prof Madya Dr. Mohd Dani Muhamad akan menerangkan dari segi hukum syarak.
KUIZ WARNA AURA DAN PERSONALITI DIRI
KUIZ WARNA AURA DAN PERSONALITI DIRI
The Conspiracy of The Infamous "White Teeth"
Written by Iffah Salleh, Ain Zaki, Damia Zulkapli, Rahman Kunyu
THE BRIEF HISTORY HOW THE GREAT “WHITE TEETH” BECOME FRONTLINERS
You read it right. The “White Teeth '' that has stolen some of people's interest this couple of years. These worlds keep moving forward, innovative technologies and trends that keep changing everyday.
Teeth, they have been laughing at whether teeth are considered mandatory health or part of the family of medicine because its more synonym with cosmetics towards society. You need a healthy body to help yourself with everyday activities but does having white teeth make a person's life longer, huh.
Having white teeth somehow becomes vital for every aesthetic-goer, having white teeth might categorize as luxury desire due to expensive bills. Again, with the world's keep going forward, having white teeth is no longer a luxury but it might take something in return to cover the loss expense.
Dental aesthetics becoming a great helper in boosting confidence, having great teeth can make someone that is less attractive become a movie star in a day. Decolorization of teeth or should be called “Yellow teeth” slightly can influence the quality of life.
In Malaysia, whitening teeth is more pressure of trending, cosmetic or to reach the beauty standard of the society rather than a mandatory lifestyle. There a saying goes, “The whiter the teeth, The richer the person is”, we’re not sure if you never heard of it but there always is first in everything.
Like been told, appearance is important. Whiten teeth have vital tooth bleaching called “tooth whitening”. Whiten teeth have become a trend, the most common and inexpensive method for thrifty decolorization teeth that have captured the heart of Malaysian’s heart is online-thrifty.
The teeth whitening products such as whitening teeth charcoal toothpaste and the second popular product whiten teeth by using baking soda. Both were glamourized to be the helping agent to whiten teeth. Both products are among the best-selling products in the online community.
A huge amount of whitening teeth products in Malaysia indirectly tell us that Malaysian people are obsessed to get their teeth as white as paper. All these products can be seen all over the internet and more worryingly, this kind of product can be sold out in less than a day.
The problem of buying cheap products but having great benefits does not add up, the products that are sold online, agents, and herbal shops mostly promote the aesthetic aspect rather than the benefit of the teeth itself.
Most of the product does not come with Malaysia’s Quality Agency certification, the consumer blindly takes the words of the seller without checking it. Especially the youth and elders that are easily tricked.
The seller bait the consumer such as it can improve the appearance and whiten smile in a short time period. Plus, charcoal is already a well known product to be a great benefit for teeth. With the high demand from the consumer that becomes a product sensation among youth and young-adult.
Sometimes they are aware of the ugliness using the unauthorised product, but to compare the expensive dental procedure, this does not sound wrong if the ending result is almost the same. This comeback to ourselves, is having pretty teeth really that desperate, the answer is yes, it is proven some people think like that at least.
The product itself is not harmful but the way of usage by the consumer might abuse the benefit the product can offer without notice. Consumers take it too simple, they may not read the ugly side of using it as daily. Whitening teeth should not be used daily like the normal daily toothpaste.
Whitening teeth have been fused with undisclosed chemicals which can be dangerous to the teeth if used as daily. Read the ingredients before consuming and use the product as indicated.
Some consumer thought if double the amount been indicated can help boost the effect, but that’s again, just a myth. The indication was there for a reason, a product was produced after an amount of research had been undergone.
Ever heard of good things consume time, success does not happen in a night but if you’re lucky, sure. A great patience and consistency will give a great success at the end of the road. Be patience and trust the product.
But if you’re rich and important, you may go directly to a dental clinic nearby, where they have a treatment to whiten teeth which the result can be shown within an hour.
YELLOW TEETH IS THE UNSUNG HEROES AND CHARCOAL DOES NOT MAKE YOUR TEETH ANY WHITER
Do not fall for the myth that said yellow teeth is bad and white teeth are better. The outer teeth are called “enamel”, it protects our beloved teeth to not break and strong. The stronger the enamel the longer the time it takes an individual becoming toothless. Most people being tricked believe having white teeth to be beneficial, which is wrong.
The yellow stains that cover the enamel are protecting the teeth for not damaging the surface of enamel. Thus, having yellowish teeth indicates a healthy teeth, it must naturally be yellow even after brushing it not because of yellowish due to not brushing it. Just to clarify it.
For several purposes, the colour of teeth can vary, and it is common for them to darken with age naturally. But tobacco, some foods, and drinks such as coffee, tea and wine may also stain the teeth. However, our mind has been brainwashed that white is the most suitable colour for our teeth.
Infographic on the side effect of whitening teeth
The misunderstanding about beneficial use of charcoal-based products, yes you guess it right, it can whiten the teeth.
It’s not fully wrong but it's only beneficial if only external stains of the tooth. Technically, the person itself has white teeth but the stains cover it. We can simply say that charcoal does not enhance the teeth any whiter.
The real purpose of charcoal toothpaste is to remove dirt on the surface of the tooth, such as someone that just drinks red wine which the strong colour of wine will leave the stain. In other scenarios, drinking coffee or tea also contributes to decolorising teeth.
While baking soda which can be more harmful and dangerous especially for those already having tooth decay and does not receive any treatment. Baking soda infuses the unknown chemicals, not that it harms the outer teeth but also inside.
If the person already has good teeth then using baking soda daily will harm the enamel. For decaying tooth problem people using it, it might go for the nerve and damage it which can lead teeth to have to be removed.
We do not want our teeth to be removed, how can we avoid that, the answer is do not use any toothpaste for whitening teeth that have fuse with bleaching agent. There’s a reason such things need to be used weekly.
For example, cleaning your bathroom by using a bleaching agent. You do not clean it by using it everyday. Maybe weekly or monthly but never daily, this is because the concentrated chemicals will harm your health such as dryness to your skin if you are in contact and will be difficult to breath if inhaled regularly.
Use the product as indicated.
DO NOT BE A VICTIM OR MASTER THAT FALL UNDER “ SECTION 12 OF THE DRUG SALE 1952 ACT”
The question such as, “Are these products safe?”, “Is it true that the white colour is the most suitable colour for our teeth?”, “Do the sellers itself use their product to make their teeth look white and shiny?,” that kind of thought should not be ignored, people need to be sure about the products they are going to use.
The screenshot of a teeth whitening seller doing a demonstration regarding her product by using a plate.
Source: Jamumall/Facebook
Easy-access to online shopping nowadays have many platforms for consumers to choose, such as Shopee, Lazada, Instagram and many more.These among platforms that can sell the unauthorized product.
This is because the product can be from any country in the world, which is really hard for the government to detect. The opportunity for the seller to sell their product is wide. The consumer that easily influences with advertisement and testimonial easily took the bait.
If it is not due to the unauthorised, it can be goods that are not original that are sold at much lower prices but state otherwise by the sellers, which can lead to more damages as the consumer is not sure the ingredient that has been used as a substitute.
There are some authorised websites that sell the legit goods and authorised products such as Hermo, Zalora, iHerb, Sephora and more. It is crucial for people to check products on the right and authorised website.
Do not be a fool with lower prices being offered, if it is too cheap which the product should be otherwise, check again. Even being told because of the clearance sale, be a mighty consumer, compare the product with other websites whether the sale makes sense.
Choose to not be sorry in the future, it might be a bit troublesome to do some check ups but save a lot of pains in the future. Do not forget, saving the money that you are going to spend on something might be harmful for yourself.
Under Malaysia’s Law, Pharmacy Enforcement Division of the Ministry of Health Malaysia, Section 12 of the Drug Sale 1952 ACT, protected for those be a victim of the unauthorized seller or possessed unchecked product by the MQA.
The Act also covered the offense of advertising drugs without the approval of the drug advertising board, this including onlines sales and advertising which can be punished if convicted under, Section 5 medicine Act (Advertising and Sales) 1956.
According to the Drug Sales Act 1952, individuals or companies that manufacture, sell, distribute, import or use unregistered drugs are in violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Control Regulation 1984. If convicted, the penalties imposed are as followed:
- Individual:
- First offense: A fine not exceeding RM25,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or both.
- Subsequent offenses: A fine not exceeding RM50,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 5 years or both.
- Company:
- First offense: A fine upt to RM50,000.
- Next offense: RM100,000.
While under the Medicines (Advertising and Sale) Act 1956, a person convicted of participating in advertising that violates Section 3, 4 or 4B if convicted, can be punished as followed:
- First offense: A fine not exceeding RM3,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 1 or both.
- Subsequent offenses: A fine not exceeding RM5,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 2 years or both.
Therefore, sellers are asked not to sell unregistered drugs and not to advertise drugs and not to advertise drugs that are against the law. Be a responsible seller and advertiser.
If you are unsure of the products, seek help from someone that understands. If you cannot find a helper, do not sell it. Do not risk other people’s life for self-indulgence.
SEEKING HELP FROM THE PROFESSIONAL
Follow us with an exclusive interview with Dr. Hazel Lim, a dentist with six years of experience at a private dental clinic, Alphadental, located in Taman Molek, Johor Bahru.
“Honestly, it actually depends on the dental and well-being of an individual's teeth health,” according to Dr. Hazel.
The products that have been used also play a huge role in having healthy teeth. It is strongly suggested to not buy the whitening teeth product directly, especially if they’re not approved by the Malaysian Qualification Agency(MQA).
“To buy something that are not approved might cause harm to your teeth this is because you’re not sure with the ingredients that been used in the products
“Make an appointment with the nearest dentist, consult about your teeth if you really want your teeth to be whiten because if you ask a professional it is safer and it will directly put you under the right treatment for your teeth need,” said her.
As being told there is downside of using whitening teeth that most public’s normally overlook because vanity is more attractive than facts. The most popular whitening teeth that have been used by the consumer are charcoal-based and baking soda-based.
Whitening teeth’s product
Source: etsy.com, dentalblu.com
If the products haven’t been used severely, it might cause harm to the enamel (teeth surface). The ultimatum suggested by Dr.Lim for whiter teeth. Firstly, discover the reason that makes your teeth yellowish.
There are some reasons that make teeth become yellowish, a common reason being due to coffee, tea, strong-colour food such as soy sauce or habits, those are called external staining reasons.
There also due to internal staint reasons, such as tooth decay or some case teeth becoming black due decay underneath. The whitening teeth won’t do any benefits if being used if this is the reason because it's not an external problem, the problem is the tooth is decaying.
Other internal staint reasons are dental psoriasis, this case mostly diagnosed with kids. The toothpaste that has been used is being swallowed by them. This resulting white patch and brown teeth effect, it does not just affect one tooth only but all general teeth.
One more case for internal staining is tetracycline staining, mostly diagnosed due to women during pregnancy in their second trimester resulting from the antibiotic they consume. Even children have affection that has been prescribed with the antibiotic might tetracycline also.
“It won’t improve anything if you have whitening teeth if yellowish teeth due to internal staining.
“Take care of your health teeth because once damaged the result cannot be reversed. If enamel breaks it won't heal perfectly as before,” pressed Dr. Hazel against using unauthorised whitening teeth.
If you actually want whiter teeth, there are some treatments for it that are available in most dental clinics. Again, depend on the reasoning of the yellowish teeth.
If it is based from external staining which is easier to treat, as example nicotine stains and plaque. The suggested treatment will be scaling and polishing which will help remove nicotine.
Other than that, if the teeth due to coffee or tea, they actually can use the authorised whitening product. Whitening teeth treatment divided into two which is home kit whitening teeth and in-office treatment.
Differences between teeth whitening and teeth cleaning
Home kit whitening teeth product method is do-it-yourself where the clinic will supply whitening teeth gel that can be used at home, the result can be seen after ten days.
While, in-office treatment will be done at the dental clinic and after one hour treatment the result can be seen straight away
Moving on to internal stain treatment for whiten teeth, it differs from every reasoning.
For tooth decay, advisely to do filling treatment. Tooth nerves need root connection treatment coupled with non-whiten bleaching also known as walking bleach. Then, whitening treatment followed.
Lastly, tetracycline treatment, she suggested teeth whitening but it will need multiple visit to dental clinics up to six months just to get rid of all stain and vernier treatment afterward to make the teeth whiter.
Dr. Hazel Lim, 32, one of the dentists at Alphadental
“Tooth not healthy are from gum problems or tooth decay. Yellowish teeth do not promote unhealthy teeth,” she said.
The first layer of teeth is enamel, when people get older it will become thin. Then the second layer of tooth normally will become yellowish due to age factor. The teeth becoming yellow is not a sign of unhealthy teeth.
According to her, if using baking soda-based to whiten teeth, it might break your enamel.
“Using baking soda-based as a whitening agent for your teeth, this will lead the individual’s teeth use it will get tooth sensitivity because the agent already breaks the enamel and disturbs the nerve of your tooth.
“While for untreated tooth decay, can cause harm to the nerve, it’ll make the nerve die off because the chemicals stimulate the nerve where it's not supposed to happen,” she said, talking about the side effect of whitening teeth.
The tooth anatomy
Source: Hellodoktor.com
How chemicals in whitening teeth product whiten the teeth and damages enamel for making the teeth more whiter
Teeth checking is important to keep our teeth healthy and to avoid tooth problems, treatment depends on the risk of the teeth.
Higher the risk the longer it takes to heals, it might take up to three months, six months or in some cases a year. If rarely flossing, welcome to come by the dental clinic and do scaling treatment.
To avoid tooth decay, it is advisable to come and do teeth scaling every six months.
In conclusion, to get healthy and white teeth, the key is to use the correct toothpaste. In this case, to whiten your teeth, choose a toothpaste that contains fluoride but dental clinics do sell special gel toothpaste to make teeth white.
“For individuals that have damaged teeth, do not be afraid and get treatment from the dental clinic nearby. We can suggest a filling treatment to conceal the breakage of enamel.
Taking good care of your oral hygiene also contributes to getting healthy teeth. If you’re a smoker, quit it and if you have plaque, do scaling,” suggestion by her for healthy teeth.
Her final words to wrap-up the interview, strongly advise those that have teeth problems or desire to whiten their teeth to consult professionally to find out causes of yellowish and correct treatment.
“Not all teeth need whitening, maybe there is other treatment such as veneer, crown or filling that your teeth actually needed. Truly, all depends on the reasoning,” she said.
It is clear that teeth whitening causes more harm than good. Do not easily fall for whitening products that are sold all over the Internet.
FEEDBACK FROM THE “WHITENING TEETH PRODUCT” CONSUMER
One of the teeth whitening users, Farah Azis, 20, said that she is one of the people who is obsessed with having whiten teeth. Using teeth whitening products as the alternative because she thinks having yellowish teeth affecting her confidence.
She’s also becoming the victim of the ugliness of using unauthorised whitening teeth products, she been misled by the advertisement offered the beneficial of the products.
Farah with her new found confidence, “white teeth”
“During school days, I would use baking soda almost everyday to make my teeth appears white and shiny,
“After SPM, I usually splurge my money on teeth whitening products that I see on Shopee as I believe the testimony,
“After several months, I noticed that my teeth are more sensitive, I cannot eat ice cream as it will hurt my teeth,
“I went to the clinic and the dentist said that the ingredients in the whitening product that I use contains hydrogen peroxide which causes sensitive teeth, more worrying, it also results in grafting and loose teeth that may be difficult to repair.
“I am very lucky because I did a check up before I did more damage to my own teeth,” she added.
She seeks professional help to get treatment that suits her teeth, now she smiles bright and full of confidence. It’s not wasting money if it's for your well-being.
According to the second consumer of whitening teeth product, wanted to be called as Miss Z, a longtime herbal whitening teeth product called JamuMall, she first encountered the product through Facebook.
Miss Z, a satisfied consumer of whitening teeth product
In her words, as a long-term consumer, the product does not give her any downside. She uses the product three times a day just like daily toothpaste.
“So far, no bad effects have come to me from using these products even though I use the products thrice daily,” she said.
She cannot relate with the professional point of view, but she believes maybe this is because the way she uses the product accordingly is prescribed with the product as her whitening teeth product based on herbal and organic.
In her opinion, the consumer that becomes the victims of the whitening teeth product might already have decaying teeth upon consuming it, different from her because she knows her teeth are in good condition.
Thus, she will proceed using the product, the outcome from using the product already showing and it does whiten her teeth as she compares from before.
The seller may not really care or know about the ugliness by using unauthorized whitening teeth products. May care more about the income they generate, it's a tough life we all strive to survive.
But life is fair if we actually seek help, such as reporting if you saw unauthorised seller to the right enforcement that controls the matters whether individuals or companies. Other than that, educate yourself because it's for your own benefits.
To have a white teeth, it's not wrong to have desire or be trendy, but be careful, seek professional treatment. If it is not on your budget, ask for suggestions or an alternative in order to whiten your teeth.
A great health prosper for a lifetime, like the saying goes “An apple a day, save you a visit to the doctors,”. Imagine if you have great health with a great healthy yellow-almost-white teeth, what a wonderful life.
✨ Learn more about harmful bleaching teeth ✨
✨ Check out our infographic ✨
Beauty Gone Wrong: How Mercury is Slowly Destroying Your Body
Written by: Iman Batrisyia, Jacintha Jolene, Marcella Clarice, Nurul Arfah, Syamirul Hakimi
Obsession with fairer and lighter skin
Cosmetics and skin care products have been around for such a long time. Throughout Asia, the desire to achieve white and lighter skin colour is very much rooted from the practice of the ancient times. For example, Chinese mythology states that by using an ingredient called pearl powder, it can help lighten one’s skin colour. In the western context, back in the 17th and 18th centuries, aristocrats have taken the measures of applying lead oxide powder onto their faces, just to differentiate themselves from the working masses. One of the contributing factors for the assumption that white is dominant and beautiful is said to be coming from the colonial legacy in South Asia, where the white race was usually the ruler and the dark natives were the governed.
The skin lightening industry didn’t slow down as they heard the cries of people wanting such white skin. Thus, it was reflected in the Asian skincare market with 60% sales, with skin lightening products dominating the rest. Skin lightening products are made to be readily available and gain easy access to, from big cosmetics companies, to local convenience stores, widely sold on the Internet, or even at a night market. These types of products are labeled as skin-evening creams, skin lighteners, skin brighteners, skin whiteners, skin toners, fading creams or fairness creams.
Are you doing your skincare right?
A usual skincare routine usually consists of cleanser, toner, moisturizer and followed by sunscreen for daytime. However, with the recent craze from South Korea where the ladies are applying seven steps or even a 10 step skincare method, we are buying more than what our face actually needs. The 10 steps include cleanser, exfoliator, toner, essence, serum or ampoules, sheet mask, eye cream, moisturizer, sleep mask and a sunscreen. Some skincare experts voice their disagreement with using too much products but with the high influx of skincare and beauty influencers in the media industry, their followers are more likely to follow their opinion because of the claims made about the said products.
So, is a 10 step skin care routine necessary for everyone to follow? According to Dr. Jennifer Chwalek, a dermatology based in New York, a very lengthy and elaborate skin care routine isn’t necessarily healthy for the skin. How sure that these products will function to the optimum when applied to the skin with so many layers of product on top?
Therefore, all of these layering of products will cause one problem: the compatibility of each product with the skin. Of course, every ingredient in every formula is tested in the laboratory and how well reactive each ingredient is with each other as there are some products that should and shouldn’t be used together, for example, acids like glycolic acid and salicylic acid, retinols and vitamin C. We are spoilt with product choices, hence it is not always a flowery path to decide which products will suit best with our skin.
Chwalek also mentioned that each skin care or beauty products are tested for their efficacy only on an individual basis. When there are multiple layers of products applied onto the skin, there’s always doubt that these active ingredients will penetrate deeply into the skin and show you the results that you want, she added.
When applying a product with other ingredients, it could deactivate another active ingredient or affect the pH level at which the active ingredient works. Chwalek agreed that by applying too much skincare can actually irritate our skin even further, thus making it difficult to point out which ingredient is causing that irritation.
If you have a variety of skincare products that you like to use, it is suggested that to use them on alternate days. For example, if you have two cleansers, consider to use one in the morning and the other one at night.
Do you know what’s in your beauty products?
Speaking of ingredients, most cosmetic companies and beauty influencers would claim ingredients such as niacinamide are suitable for acne-prone skin, hyaluronic acid is good for your skin barrier and many more which are critically acclaimed by them. Consumers are easily swayed by these statements, making them want to purchase such products to test it on their skin.
However, are we aware of other harmful ingredients such as parabens, sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), hydroquinone, mercury and many others? And how can it potentially harm us? Most Malaysian ladies still prefer to achieve brighter and lighter skin colour and the widespread practice is still going on until today. A Synovate regional survey conducted back in 2004 stated that 61% of women in Malaysia believed they looked younger with lighter complexion. There’s a huge demand and market for skin lightening products in this country. The sales of skin lightening products have also been booming and increasing every year for the past five years.
Health ministry to put a stop on production of harmful beauty products
Times and times, the health ministry has advised and notified the public to stop using and buying cosmetic products which contain mercury and hydroquinone. But some irresponsible and so-called local cosmetic founders still managed to find their ways to sell their products and claimed that instant changes are guaranteed even in just a few days or weeks.
As reported in Free Malaysia Today, just in the year 2020 alone, nine products have been notified and found to contain these harmful poisons. The products that made it to the list include:
- Deeja Cosmetics Laika Cream (containing mercury),
- Deeja Cosmetics Zulai Cream (hydroquinone),
- Deeja Cosmetics Yus Cream (hydroquinone)
- Dnars Luvee cream (Normal & Sensitive) (hydroquinone),
- Dnars Gold Lifting Serum (Night) (mercury),
- Sparkle Beauty Cream (hydroquinone, tretinoin & betamethasone 17-valerate)
- Sparkle Sun Day Cream (mercury)
- Qeziger Age-locking Recharging Spot A.M Cream (mercury)
- MS Skinz Night Cream (mercury)
Effects of having mercury in your beauty product
So, how harmful is mercury to an individual if it is continuously consumed? According to American Academy of Dermatology, as much as a skin lightener or brightener can help in the fading of dark spots, inevitably it comes with deadly health risks. If the product contains mercury, it could damage your inner organ such as your kidneys.
It can also hurt your nerves, which leads to a constant feeling of numbness or tingling along your body parts.
Other effects include:
- Irritation
- Problems with eyesight and/or hearing
- Skin rashes
- Scars
- Discoloration
- Anxiety
- Depression
“Beauty is pain”
However, nothing goes right with this 25 years old lady. Individual A has given into the pressure from her friends and made the decision to instantly purchase these harmful products as she’s curious how her friends could achieve such “fair and flawless skin”.
She was drawn to the products as she saw a lot of her peers were using it as well. She was also deceived by how fast and instant effect of the said products, not helping that she saw a lot of good claims made about it. “A” stated that she spent almost RM 500 for beauty products, buying both local and other beauty brands.
Her road to a clearer skin is definitely a bumpy one, and is willing to take up to a year to achieve her desired skin goals.
“I’m willing to invest a lot of money, as long as I look pretty at the end of the day”, she shared.
“I saw one harmful ingredient such as hydroquinone in one of those products but I still bought it because I was deceived by the testimonials.
I still insist on using these products because I’d get compliments like “flawless and glowy skin”, “rosy cheeks”, “shiny nose” and many others. These compliments make me feel good about myself and people wouldn’t know that all these effects are from consuming local products”, A added in her sharing.
Realization hit upon her that these products will cause complications to her health, therefore making the decision to stop using these products gradually. “A” stated that she felt burned and had painful acne all over her face. She was so petrified by the side effects thus staying away from buying such products anymore.
Before and after effects using mercury-contained products
One advice from her to all ladies out there is to stop buying and consuming these harmful products. The number of years from using the products doesn’t guarantee a life-long effect and does not compromise your health.
From the desk of an expert
According to Miss Ony Nurhusni, a pharmacist with more than 14 years of experience, her thoughts about local skin care as compared to five to 10 years back have slightly changed. Back then, very vague and shady ingredients were used in the products. Fast forward now, the local market is slowly improving and using ethical methods to sell skincare products. Besides being a pharmacist, she’s also the co-founder of ANNONA, a local brand which sells both beauty and health products. Having won the Cosmetic Icon Kedah back in 2018, Miss Ony shared on how she got the opportunity to visit beauty factories in South Korea. The country is referred to as a research centre for all things skincare. From smaller brands to high-end beauty brands, all are being flown to South Korea for testing firsthand. She saw how raw ingredients were being tested in the lab in a very tedious manner before going through the packaging and certifying process.
Miss Ony Nurhusni, pharmacist and co-founder of Annona
Source: Ony Nurhusni
As of now, Miss Ony is really proud with local skincare products as beauty founders now are taking a similar approach as well, by using safe ingredients and also provide labelling which abides by the law. These local brands, too, are slowly catching up with well-known brands, marking themselves to be on par with the rest.
Her experience dealing with former patients who used such dangerous products would be their lack of knowledge, awareness and also environmental factors. It is also the reason why she stressed on educating the locals to avoid using products containing mercury using every social media platform she has online. With the desire to look beautiful in a short period of time and influence from peers, certain shady and irresponsible business owners took this opportunity to advertise false effects of such products. The mindset of our people which has been ingrained to look beautiful in an instant is very dangerous.
To break the chain of buying mercury-contained products is very hard because if there’s demand, there will always be supply. The Ministry of Health and National Pharmaceutical Agency (NPRA) have been trying their best to curb the production and distribution of these products by confiscating them.
Miss Ony’s former patients had consulted her about the effects of using mercury-contained products over the long run. According to her client experience, at the first stage of using the product, the consumer will not feel any after effect. Not long after using it, the skin will turn into a glass looking skin, which is perceived as glowy and shiny.
Well, some people might feel excited when they thought that this product worked effectively fast. But the rapid changes have a lot of damaging effects on the body. Miss Ony explained that after using the product for quite a while, the skin will produce tiny bumps. This is when the consumer has reached the stage when they have to continue using the product because if they suddenly stop, the skin will get worse.
The skin started to get thin and lost their melanin bit by bit. Melanin is important because it protects the skin from UVB and UVA rays from the sun. One of the characteristics of mercury is it is in a form of small molecules. When consumers continuously use it, the small molecule can even get into the skin cells, which lead to skin cancer. Mercury products can also cause kidney damage because the mercury can get into the blood cells. Furthermore, women in pregnancy have to be aware of consuming any mercury products as it can cause fetal disability.
Miss Ony also gladly shared information about the process in getting the notification number of a product which this number indicates that the cosmetic or skincare products are safe to be consumed by everyone. She said that many people don’t know the differences between KKM approval and notification number. For cosmetics and skincare products, the term notification number is more accurate to look for.
Every new cosmetics or skincare products must be registered at the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) and wait for the verification.
Law concerning mercury-contained products
According to the Guidelines for Control of Cosmetic Products in Malaysia, a cosmetic product shall mean “any substance or preparation intended to be placed in contact with various external parts of the human body (epidermis, hair system, nails, lips and external genital organs) or with teeth and the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, with a view exclusively or mainly to cleaning them, perfuming them, changing their appearance and/or correcting body odours and/or protecting them or keeping them in good condition”.
All cosmetic products that are marketed on the market in Malaysia shall first be notified to the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) and may only be legally imported or produced for sale in the country by notified products. It is a process that requires companies to be responsible for the product information submitted to NPRA on their products marketed in Malaysia. Notified cosmetics does not mean it is being approved by the Ministry of Health (MOH).
To ensure the quality of the product
The notification holder or the founder of the product itself must ensure that the product is safe for use and of good quality. Cosmetic products must not contain any ingredients listed as banned substances or substances used beyond its allowable conditions such as restricted concentrations and uses. All notified products marketed in Malaysia must be manufactured in a manufacturing premise that conforms to the requirements of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in Malaysia.
Any information on banned ingredients and ingredients with specific conditions of uses and concentrations is available in the Guidelines for Control of Cosmetic Products in Malaysia and also in the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) website.
Basically, every cosmetic product in Malaysia is regulated under the Control of Drugs and Cosmetic Regulations (CDCR) 1984 which were promulgated under the Sale of Drugs Act 1952.
- Control of Drugs and Cosmetic Regulation (CDCR) 1984
To sum, these regulations shall come into force where products are appointed on one commencement date, be it cosmetics or other beauty products, under different provisions or different parts of the Federation, which any combination of both can be used as alternatives.
- Sale of Drug Act 1952
Section 15, Adulteration.
Overall, for the purposes of this Act any drug shall be deemed to be adulterated if contains of the mixture with any other substance is stripped off from its benefits, any substance has been extracted and are sold as less nutritive due to its deteriorated state, using substance of lower commercial value or substances which can lead to serious injury as it does not comply with the standard prescribed under this Act.
One last advice
The most important thing to remember when finding a skincare product is to trust in ourselves, no one knows our skin in a way that is better than us. There are a ton of skincare product items available and it's easy to waste a huge amount of time and money by trying to find the right one. So take a moment to educate ourselves before buying skincare products. Keep in mind, information serves as a guide only. Make sure to check with an expert or doctor regarding our skin condition.
With all this information, you can wisely figure out skincare product items to discover the ones appropriate for your particular skin type. Packaging and popularity are some easy traps that we fall into. Always buy a trial set and test out on our face to see how it reacts so that we can decide to consume it or stop right away. Buying a skincare product might seem expensive but it’s like an investment to us in the future because skin is just like wine, it gets better with age and the best is yet to come.
Learn more about harmful skincare products in this video:
Check out our infographic
JUNE 2020 Edition
JUNE 2020 Edition
Extinction of Malayan Tigers and Sea Turtles Affects the Environment
Extinction of Malayan Tigers and Sea Turtles Affects the Environment
By: Fatin Shazwani, Farha Humairah, Nur Aqilah, Auni Yasmin, Izzatul 'Ain
Extinction of Malayan Tigers and Sea Turtles Affects the Environment
Malaysia is a precious jewel that is between the 12th richest countries in terms of biodiversity. It has over 200 tree species, more than 15,000 flowering plants, over 185,000 animal species including Malayan tigers and sea turtles. Biodiversity and ecosystems provide us such great services not only for the nation, but also for the world.
Sadly, the numbers of Malayan Tigers and Sea Turtles in Malaysia specifically are decreasing due to some illegal activities that we, as human, do just for our own pocket money without even realizing that these animals are now listed for endangered species.
But do we realize that the extinction of these endangered species might effects on our environment? Malayan Tigers help so much to the ecosystems by controlling the population of herbivores and the meso-predators. They also help keep the vegetation from not dying out and the tier also help farmers because they keep the small animals from coming to their farm land and eating the crops.
Picture 1: Malayan Tiger’s food chain that co-relate to each other species
The population of deer, wild pig, antelope and gaur will rise dramatically because the tiger that go extinct cannot control the population. In a simple food chain of Malayan Tiger, it clearly shows that the tigers are the prey of all animals. If they go extinct, the impact might also be on the other animals that used to be their food. When all the large animals like deer and wild pig that the tiger was supposed to prey on eats the whole forest, the plants will stop growing and the soil will become infertile so no more plants will grow and everything that depends on the forest will also go extinct.
That is worst enough to hear right? But, there is one more problem besides all the animals dying. The tiger technically helps prevent climate change because the tiger stops the animals from eating the trees or grass. If there are no more trees, we lose a large oxygen providing place. The environment, the climate change will go beyond than what we have experienced so far.
Animal poaching and illegal trading are two reasons why tigers are technically going extinct in Malaysia and all over the world. This happens because of greediness and the ignorance also lack of empathy of human to other species that live in this world. Tiger skin could bring millions in return because of the high demand of products that made by tiger’s skin like handbags, shoes, wallets and all those luxury items.
Sea turtles are now facing the same thing as Malayan Tigers. The fact that people now do not really realize that they are going extinct. It is like people hear the problem but not really listen to the problem. They aware that some of the species are going extinct but they think like they cannot do anything to prevent that to happen even though in 10 or 20 years’ time, they will see the effects of extinction of these animals to the environment.
In an interview with Dr Uzair Rusli a biologist from Seatru, University of Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) stated that the population of turtles cannot be counted just like tigers because they live in a sea while tigers live on land.
Camera tracking and tagging are some of the ways to control and observe the population of tigers but not for sea turtles. Cameras can be placed on top of trees to track their movement in the forest. Drone or satellite technology only can be used to track movement of sea turtles but that techniques can only do to female sea turtles because only the females will go ashore laying eggs for about two to three months for layering process to be completed.
However, the environment too will be affected when sea turtles go extinct. Dr Uzair also stated that, leatherback sea turtles that have extinct specifically in Terengganu because the amount that they have now cannot produce more to breed affects the environment.
Picture 2: Leatherback Sea Turtles that have extinct specifically in Terengganu
“Leatherback sea turtles prey on jellyfish. So if they go extinct, the numbers of jellyfish will drastically rising and affects the population of fishes in the sea because they hunt for fish and their eggs.
Picture 3: Many will be affected if sea turtles go extinct
“Recently, there is one species that looks like jellyfish but scientifically it is not, named Portuguese Man of War that more poisonous and toxic than the actual jellyfish that also caused the decreasing number of tourists to get into the water,” said Dr Uzair.
Dr Uzair urge people to take part in any activities in conserving animals and the environment and do not just sit back and relax while letting other people to do what it takes to conserve these animals because it will be great if we work in a team.
Basically, the extinction of sea turtles and Malayan tigers is not only affects the environment but tourism; economically, source of foods for people like fishes and many other things. In order to preserve the environment, we need to take a step back, and focus on small things that may be affects the big thing; the environment. We live in this world to stay as long as we can and when the world collapse, nothing we can do to get where we left of.
Coral Reefs: City In The Sea
Coral Reefs: City In The Sea
By: Nur Syifaa, Nur Dayana Husna, Nurul 'Izzah, Nurul Natasha, Nur Ayuni
Pulau Redang coral reefs view in the ocean
Source: JomDiving
INTRODUCTION
How corals help the ecosystem? This is one of the questions that everyone wants to know when it comes to coral. So, we have an interview with Dr. Siti Nurtahirah Jaafar which is one of the lecturers from School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) to ask for more details about coral reefs in Malaysia. According to Dr. Tahirah, as Malaysia is located in Southeast Asia waters, we can see that Malaysia is one of the countries that have a lot of rich species. Malaysia’s coral reefs are a compromise of a huge area that has various kinds of coral. It is also known as the city of the sea. As the coral reef has a huge area so there are some other aquatic living that live together such as coral fishers and also some small marine such as clams and mussels. It is a very nice city as there are a lot of aquatic living that live together in such a huge area, coral reefs. In Malaysia, there are some places that have coral especially in some islands in Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak. As in Terengganu, there are some islands that have such a huge area of coral reefs such as Pulau Redang, Pulau Perhentian, Pulau Lang Tengah, Pulau Kapas and many other islands. Out from Terengganu also can be spotted huge areas of corals such as Pulau Tioman and Pulau Langkawi while for the east coast, there are also lots of islands that have huge areas. In Sabah, there are few islands in Pulau Semporna that have a huge area of coral reefs. One of the islands is Pulau Mabul and Pulau Sipadan. As in Sarawak, there are some islands which are near Kuching as well. As Malaysia has a beautiful area of coral reefs, Malaysia is categorised in the rank of top 12th in the world among 17th mega biodiversity countries.
The location of Malaysia which is also known as a tropical country that is located under the equator line is the reason why Malaysia is rich with biodiversity. The rich biodiversity in the sea makes it more colourful. In this case we can see why many tourists love to visit Malaysia especially the islands as their place is unlike Malaysia. That is why everyone especially Malaysians need to protect the biodiversity area which is the coral reefs. Even the government under the Department Of Fisheries (DOF) had created the Marine Protected Area (MPA) which is under the marine park. There are few types of marine park. The first one is the Marine Protected Area (MPA). There are few marine parks in Malaysia such as in Pulau Redang and Pulau Perhentian which is located in Terengganu. So those who want to go to the islands need to pay the fees as the island is protected by the Marine Protected Area (MPA). The second one is Fisheries Protected Area. This one is implemented to fishermen depending on their license. Not every fisherman can simply go fishing at the sea as they want because they need to have a different kind of license. There are license A, license B and license C and all of these licenses have been categorised as only certain areas at the sea that they can go fishing. For example, for license A, they only can use the small fibre boat and they can only go fishing only near the seashore. For license B, they can use a big boat that is made from wood and can go further and further than the seashore while for license C, they fishermen can go with a huge boat and can go into deep sea but they are not allowed to go to the seashore as it will damage the coral reefs. The other two marine parks are Wildlife Reserve and also Turtle Sanctuary. There is also a place in Terengganu named Pulau Bidong which has been gazette under Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) to do research especially regarding coral reefs. Not only coral reefs but also some other aquatic living such as fish or even plankton.
Malaysia’s coral reefs extend from the renowned ‘Coral Triangle’ which is connected with Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Island and Timor Leste. In fact, the researcher also has reserved this ‘Coral Triangle’ as this place has been known by the researcher as the most richest biodiversity area. In this area, we can see there are lots of aquatic living in the deep sea which have various kinds of living.
SPECIES OF CORAL
In this interview session with Dr. Siti Nurtahirah, we have asked her several questions regarding coral reefs. So the first question that we ask her is what species of corals that we have in Malaysia? According to Dr Tahirah, Malaysia has a huge number of species in Malaysia. In east Malaysia which is Sabah and Sarawak, estimated about 515 species of coral reefs while in peninsular Malaysia, estimated abot 480 species of coral reefs. To differentiate the coral reefs also can be seen from the shape, colour and nature. Each of the species has different kinds of characteristics which are also known as coral taxonomies among scientists, said Dr Tahirah.
TYPES OF CORAL
For the second question, as we know that there are certain types of coral reefs that have differences based on the sea depth, so what are the differences? Coral is an animal but algae which is a plant also lives together with coral. Algae that lives at the coral called zooxanthellae. There are many types of zooxanthellae and Dr Tahirah said zooxanthellae carried genetic information. If the coral has a lot of zooxanthellae, it means that the coral has done lots of hyposynthesis which gives energy to the coral to stay alive. Plus, the coral can live in any level of seawater. It also can be seen more obvious and clear at the seashore or even when you snorkelling. In fact, coral can’t be seen at the seashore of the mainland because they can’t live and survive at heavy wave seashores unless the coral is from stone and can hit hard surfaces. In Terengganu mainland seashore, the government of Terengganu have already put a beach breaker because of the destructive area at the seashore. As a result we can see there are lots of stony coral which makes sea urchin get attached to those areas. But most people love to go to the island because compared to the mainland seashore, the waves at the island are much calmer unless there is a strong wind. In fact, on the island, we can see some coral shaped like brainy shape and branchy, they can survive as low as two to three metres of low tide and for high tide is about seven to eight metres. Apart from that, coral also can survive to 20 metres especially soft coral. Dr Tahirah adds that we also can see the deep sea coral but most of it is stony coral. There are differences between stony coral and soft coral. For stony coral, it is more hard because the structure of the coral is made up from calcium carbonate (CO3) which it also uses to create dentures. So, from this question, we can see that coral can live in any sea depth even 20 metres.
CORAL’S LIFE EXPECTANCY
The corals also will disintegrate and die in many ways, some of the ways may be from human activities or natural disaster. The most worrying way of the corals to disintegrate is by human activities. One of the parts of human activities is carrying capacity which is when there are too many tourists going to any island that makes an environment unable to sustain over time without destroying or degrading the environment. This answered why we have protection areas in Malaysia like Marine Park in Pulau Redang that need visitors to pay fees before entering. Marine Park controls the tourists capacity so that the capacity is not overloaded.Tourism carrying capacity can be further broken down into its fundamental components of ecological or environmental, physical, social and economic carrying capacities. Overloaded tourists will lead to waste problems such as food plastics, straws and mineral bottles which normally happened when tourists left the island where they went for holidays. Plastic bottles usually float, slowly sink deep in the ocean and degrade into small particles, also called microplastics which will degrade to even smaller particles that are called nanoplastics and finally release harmful chemical properties. Dr. Tahirah explained that the marine environment has its own life cycle or food web just like humans. In the ocean, there are two microscopic organisms named zooplankton and phytoplankton that generate oxygen to the ocean. Phytoplankton is a plant that sits in the bottom of the food pyramid that has millions of quantities and lives on the surface of water or a few metres of sea level. It will do the photosynthesis process and release the oxygen to the other sea life. Zooplankton is a small larvae from fish, sea urchin and other sea life that can only be seen through a microscope and it eats phytoplankton. Small fish eat zooplankton while it will be eaten by bigger fish that makes the total of four levels of the food chain in the ocean.
The visual of zooplankton
Source: biologydictionary.net
So, when the plastic bottles degrade to small particles that are called nanoplastics, it actually becomes as small as the zooplankton and phytoplankton that make fish cannot differentiate between the three of them. Fish will end up eating the plastic particles instead of planktons. This case is the same as the one that always popped out on social media, which is a lot of plastics such as bottle caps, chewing gum wrapper are found in birds stomachs because they cannot differentiate between their food and waste. This also what actually happened to corals too, especially the soft corals or sea anemone that affected the cavity of it. It also assumed that the plastic particles are plankton and ended up died. Same goes like humans that will die if they do not get enough nutrients to stay alive.
Dr. Tahirah then continued by saying that chemicals are the next cause of corals disintegration. Corals are very sensitive to water temperature, salinity or the concentrations of salts in water and water flow. When the sea that corals live in does not have proper waste management, the waste will destruct the ocean. The other cause of coral disintegration is ocean warming and our ocean is getting warmer day by day. A few years back, there was a huge coral bleaching event in a huge corals strength area Great Barrier Reefs, Australia that affected the lives of algae that lives on corals, zooxanthellae and resulted in the corals to be from colourful to all white. Corals cannot live without zooxanthellae because they are symbiont so they need each other to share the food and energy. The coral provides the algae with a protected environment and compounds they need for photosynthesis. In return, the algae produce oxygen and help the coral to remove wastes.But, the zooxanthellae is so sensitive that it can detect if the coral body is stressed. When corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients, they expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white. Warmer water temperatures can result in coral bleaching. This is called coral bleaching and in the end, the coral will only depend on its own body without algae and cannot survive any longer and finally die. But, if the temperature is improving in a certain time, the corals can recover but it depends. Dr. Tahirah also mentioned that the water movement can also affect the lives of corals and that proves that marine life is very complex, exciting and there is a lot that we can learn from the ocean.
Coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
Source: theguardian.com
When the zooxanthellae went out from the corals, they would float on the sea surface or we called it as substrate which the surface or material on or from which an organism lives, grows, or obtains its nourishment. Zooxanthellae will substrate to find their new home but if they do not find it, they will degrade and die. In addition, she also said that it really took more than 10 years to improve the bleaching coral area but it only took two days to destroy the corals. However, nature is now improving a lot since the lockdown due to COVID-19. Dr. Tahirah said that if we want nature to change, we humans need to change for nature because nature will not change because of us.
IMPORTANCE OF CORAL REEFS
The next question that Dr. Tahirah answered is why everyone is concerned about the decline of coral reefs. In her point of view, she said that the first one is education. Everyone nowadays has knowledge but it is not necessary from our education background, but the knowledge can come from social media like news and also could be from the awareness campaign that we joined. These are the reasons why we can have that knowledge about nature and awareness to protect it, especially the corals. Our society finally realized that taking care of nature is important because it is our source of food. If there are no corals, no fish will live because the coral reefs are like the city of the sea which fish lives in as a shelter during the day, and as a hunting ground by night. Coral reefs rely on fish, too. Fish excrete ammonium, an essential nutrient for coral growth, through their gills. The coral reef is also where most of the zooplankton and phytoplankton live so the small fishes can get their source of food. The second reason why everyone is concerned about the decline of coral reef is because of our social life. We can get all information from the internet by having easy internet connections such as wifi or mobile data such as getting news about COVID-19, same goes to knowing more about our nature like coral reefs. We can also experience the 360 degree videos or the Virtual Reality, imagining that we are diving underwater although we are only sitting in front of the pc screen. This is how society is influenced to take care of the coral reefs.
Coral reefs are like a city in the sea
Source: Volodymyr Goinyk
THE FUTURE
We are currently facing the worst bleaching of coral reefs ever known in history, but what would happen if all the coral reefs died off? We have already lost 50% of the world's coral, and we are at risk of losing even more. Dr. Tahirah answered that if there is no coral, there will be no fish alive, no source of food for us and no living organism in the ocean. That is why coral reefs are important. Some coral reefs can live more than 40 to 50 meters deep in the ocean but most of them can only live not more than forty meters. She also added that we do not need to worry since we still have a huge area of coral in Malaysia and hundreds of scientists are working on improving the corals area, that is a lot of mitigation which is the effort to improve the coral reef area by government agencies like scientists like her and the local authorities to ensure the coral reefs are protected and improved by time. On top of that, there are a few efforts which propagate in building artificial coral reefs to the ocean or coral restoration to introduce the coral improvement. The restoration process is done on the area that previously has a lot of corals that has been affected by human activity, natural disaster. Any natural coral business is so wrong to be supported, for example when people are selling corals, But, if they do propagation by building up a huge tank, putting a base in it without taking the natural sources, that is right and can be supported. For example, like tanks in aquarium shops, they use the corals that are easy to propagate, not the rare species of corals, otherwise, they need a license to do so. Coral nurseries started out as a way to rebuild reefs that had been damaged by ship groundings or major storms, but the investment in coral nurseries has grown beyond that. These days, researchers are looking at ways to actively build the resilience of corals through coral nurseries in the ocean and in the lab. Scientists want to know what factors allow corals to adapt to a changing climate and how they might intervene to help the corals. For example, how do stress and location affect corals? More research will help scientists answer these questions and take efforts to save coral reefs to the next level. In the meantime, conservationists continue to improve their ability to grow corals in nurseries and repopulate reefs.
To conclude, we can see how important coral reefs are to aquatic life. Coral reefs play such a big role especially in the sea as they not only have such a huge area but they light up the sea to aquatic life. Without coral reefs, there will be no aquatic living such as fish and sea anemones.
Infographic about the types of corals
Short documentary about coral reefs
Water Pollution: A Global Crisis
Water Pollution: A Global Crisis
By Ainul Azaman, Khairul Hafiz, Nurul Azriazela, Hannan Balqis, Qasyida Zamri
Water is a source of life and the most important of natural resources
Source: Unsplash/Aaron Lee
Water is a source of life and considered to be the most important of natural resources. Water covers most of our water; however, about 98 per cent of this water is seawater and is unusable to drink due to the high salt concentration. Clean drinking water is required from around the world for human health. Water is a major source of infection and is a universal solvent. Water pollution is both a national and a global issue.
Human beings and all of the world's living creatures suffer the worst consequences of contaminated water. Water pollution occurs when undesirable materials enter water, changes water quality and is harmful to environment and human health.
Discharge of waste from domestic and industrial effluent, water tank leakage, marine dumping, radioactive waste and deposition in the atmosphere are major causes of water pollution. Heavy metals which have been disposed of and chemical waste can accumulate in lakes, rivers and oceans, proving to be dangerous to humans and animals.
Toxins are the primary cause of immune suppression, reproductive failure and acute toxicity in industrial waste. Infectious diseases, such as cholera, typhoid fever and other gastroenteritis diseases, diarrhea, vomiting, skin and kidney problems spread by polluted water. The direct damage to the plants and animal nutrition affects human health.
Water pollutants kill marine weeds, molluscs, fish, marine birds, crustaceans and other marine organisms which serve as food for human beings. Concentration of insecticides, such as dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), is growing throughout the food chain. These insecticides are noxious to humans.
Effects of Water Pollution to Social Costs
Effects of Water Pollution to Social Costs
The social cost of a pollutant releasing into the environment depends on how far it travels and how pollution impacts the water quality downstream when physical, chemical, and biological indicators change.
The shift of social costs in relation to the new pollution levels is based on the impact on ecosystem services in downstream locations on changes in services cared for by people, such as clear water for swimming, safe drinking water or clean water supported by a variety of indigenous fauna and flora, and the loss of value of services for those affected by the reduction. This figure shows how pollutants affect people ultimately and contribute to water pollution social costs.
Source: Resources/Freeman, Herriges and Kling
Effects of Water Pollution on Human
Effects of Water Pollution on Human
According to a study published in The Lancet, 1.8 million deaths in 2015 were caused by water pollution. Low-income communities are the most exposed to contaminated water as their homes are often close to the most polluting industries.
In Mumbai, the use of nitrogen-based fertilizers in agriculture exposed the people to polluted water during their early childhood.
Study finds the damaging health effects persist even when pollution levels are below the government’s prescribed safety limits for Indian rivers.
Even in a developing and developed nations, illegal or accidental releases from sewage treatment facilities can contribute harmful waterborne pathogens.
Effects of Water Pollution on The Environment
Effects of Water Pollution on The Environment
Healthy ecosystems rely on a complex web of animals, plants and microorganisms. They are all direct or indirectly interact with each other. Harm to any of these organisms can create a chain effect putting aquatic environments at risk.
Based on a study conducted by Professor Charles Tyler of the University of Exeter in Britain, oestrogen-like chemicals disposed by household sewage introduce male fish to female hormone.
“Male fish display female characteristics including egg production, sperm count reduction and less aggressive behaviour,” Professor Tyler told United Press International (UPI).
In other hand, antidepressant drugs reduce natural shyness of some fish species, including the way they react to predators.
“Natural behaviour of prey fish species will change and puts them at risk, making them an easy meal,” he added.
Other than that, the widespread use of plastic has been a threat to aquatic environment as well. There are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean and of that mass, 269,000 tons float on the surface according to Laura Parker from National Geographic.
David Attenborough explained in an interview on Blue Planet II, “Plastic does not just look like food, it smells, feels and even sounds like food to an animal,” he said.
A dead turtle found in Congot beach, Kilon Progo, Indonesia with plastic full stomach. Source: The Guardian/Bambang Triatmojo
According to the head of Wild Water Indonesia (WWI) Kulon Progo, Hary Hermanto found a dead Lekang in Congot Beach. He said the turtle was dead when they found it near the tower 200 meters from Congot Beach.
“This is the first time a turtle was found with so much plastic waste in its stomach,” he said. He added the turtle smelled terrible and even its holes were covered with plastic.
Facts About Global Water Pollution
Facts About Global Water Pollution
According to Water Logic, more than 7 billion people live on our beautiful blue planet. The number is predicted to grow by 2050 to a whopping 10 billion. As the population increases our resource demand is causing growing problems. In particular, water supplies are being significantly affected by population growth. Water is now more contaminated than ever, across all content.
Interactive Infographic on Types and Effects of Water Pollution
Interactive Infographic on Types and Effects of Water Pollution
A Guide to Protect Your Mental Health During Pandemic
A Guide to Protect Your Mental Health During Pandemic
By : Aiman Khalida, Nur Syafiqah, Nurul Nabila & Fatin Nadia
If someone struggles with isolation, do reach out to them to make sure they are doing alright.
Source: Zana.com
Constrained from going outside, worrying about the uncertain future and drastic adjustments to daily routines, this is not an easy time for all of us, indeed. The coronavirus outbreak has impacted the society, global economy, schools and even the intangible issues like our mental state.
For some people in Malaysia, not until the recent Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) or Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan Pemulihan (PKPP) was announced that they finally be able to get away from a long-time isolation. The effects of four phases of Movement Control Order (MCO) can be huge to our mental health.
Consider these 12 recommendations from Britain's National Health Service (NHS) to help you with your mental health during this pandemic:
1. Stay in touch with your family and friends via phone calls, video calls or social media. Maintaining relationships with the people you trust is important for your mental well-being.
2. Meeting people from outside your household. Although it is a good idea to meet someone that is not strictly from your house, keep in mind that Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) needs to be practised to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
3. Help and support others. Helping others around you could make a difference to them and can make you feel better too, it is mutually beneficial. If someone struggles with isolation, do reach out to them to make sure they are doing alright.
4. Talk about your worries. In this state, it is common to feel worried, scared or helpless. Keep in mind that you are not alone in facing the drastic changes this pandemic has brought. Seek for your family, friends or call a mental health hotline by Befrienders, Mercy Malaysia, or Talian Kasih helpline.
5. Care for your physical wellbeing. Your physical health can leave a big impact on how you are feeling emotionally and mentally. Eat balanced-meal, keep hydrated, exercise inside where possible and go outside at least once a day.
Since restrictions on going outside have been loosened, try jogging at the park while adhering to the SOP. If you feel more comfortable working out inside, you can find exercise videos online especially on YouTube.
6. Look after your sleep. Try to get a goodnight sleep instead of staring too much at your phone screen before going to bed. You can consider turning on the blue-light filter feature on your phone to make sure it does not affect your sleep.
7. Work on managing difficult feelings. The drastic change to how everything operates after COVID-19 may leave a significant effect on those that experience intense anxiety. Try to focus on the things that you can control. The Every Mind Matters page on anxiety and NHS mental wellbeing audio guides provide further information on how to manage anxiety.
8. Plan a new daily routine. Think about how you can adapt and build successful new habits – try participating in productive activities (such as washing, cooking, or exercising) or enjoyable activities (such as reading or calling a friend). Planning your days would be a lot more helpful than you think it will.
9. Do the things you enjoy. Doing the things that you enjoy like your favourite hobby could help you ease your mind a bit. When you can't do the things that you usually enjoy while you're sitting at home, try thinking about how you can adapt them, or try something different.
10. Keep your mind active. Play Sahibba, do crossword puzzles, read, write, or draw. Find something that’ll keep your brain active.
11. Relax and focus about the future. This can help with difficult emotions, worries about the future, and can improve well-being. Relaxation strategies can also help a few people cope with distress feelings.
12. If you can, once a day get outside, or bring nature in. Walk around your house compound and let the breath of fresh air relax you. If you are worried about going outside, open your windows, get some sunlight and arrange space to sit to see a nice view or get out into the garden if you can.
If you do sense that your mental health is getting worse due to the pandemic, do consider to follow the guide suggested by the NHS above, or call mental health hotlines to seek advice.
Can this pandemic leave long-term effects on us mentally?
Can this pandemic leave long-term effects on us mentally?
Long-term social isolation caused by circumstances brought by COVID-19 has left psychologists shifting focus on mental health problems this pandemic could bring. A study has been commenced on particularly two most vulnerable groups of people exposed to sudden lifestyle change which are pregnant mothers and adolescents.
Stress during pregnancy could lead to postpartum mental health problems for pregnant mothers.
Source: The Conversation
Psychologists of University of South Wales (UNSW) Sydney set up a global team to investigate the two extreme psychological stressors on the said vulnerable groups during this time of global pandemic namely, existential threat and social isolation.
The study’s chief investigator, Dr Susanne Schweizer from UNSW’s School of Psychology, is focusing on the cognitive development of adolescents as she believes the time taken away from interactions with peers could affect their social development when it is the ripe age to socialize.
This group of researchers is also carrying out a research on how exposure to social isolation could leave an impact towards pregnant mothers. Dr Schweizer said that stress during pregnancy could lead to postpartum mental health problems for pregnant mothers, which would lead to a bigger issue for their newborn babies - poorer mental health and poor cognitive development.
However, there is yet a final say to how this pandemic would affect this group mentally as the research is still being carried out. Hypothesis is being drawn by past studies demonstrating the linkage of social isolation in older people to reduction of cognitive functioning. Now, they are trying to find out the results of how social isolation with extreme stressors could affect different age groups.
Infographic - How the MCO Influences the Psychological Effects of Stranded University Students
Sustainable Fashion: The Way to a Better Future
Sustainable Fashion: The Way to a Better Future
By Izzul Hatimi, Amiry Fahmi, Nur Aisyah, Neenatul Aizal, Mohd Shahrul
A fact which may be surprising to some is that behind the oil industry, the clothing and textile industry is the second largest polluter in the world due to its long supply chains and energy intensive production.
The world’s fashion market is condensed in Europe, USA, China and Japan, where they make up 75% of the world’s fashion market. This results in these countries having more leverage in controlling the direction of the fashion industry.
In a press release back in 2018, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) stated,”nearly 20% of global wastewater is produced by the fashion industry, which also emits about 10% of global carbon emissions.”
The impact of the cloth and textile industry as a whole has a big negative impact on the environment, but is widely overlooked by the public as the oil industry steals the spotlight for environmental issues.
The United Nations (UN) stated in their event ‘UN Partnership on Sustainable Fashion and the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)’ back in 2018,” the UN is committed to changing the path of fashion, reducing its negative social, economic and environmental impacts and turning it into a driver for the implementation of the SDGs.”
However, even though the UN only pledged to take a more active role in 2018, the problem could have been spotted a lot earlier, during the fashion industry’s rapid growth in the early 21st century.
In their 2018 event, the UN reported that, “between 2000 and 2014, clothing production doubled with the average consumer buying 60% more pieces of garment compared to 15 years ago.
“Yet, each clothing item is now kept half as long. The industry has truly entered the era of ‘fast fashion.”
Fast fashion has received a lot of criticism over the past few years, ranging from its exploitation of underpaid workers, methods of disposing waste, and the high environmental tolls of manufacturing the clothes.
Fast fashion brands which can be found in Malaysia such as Uniqlo, H&M, Zara and many others can attribute their financial growth to the exploitation of the environment and marginalised workers.
A 2018 study done by the SWCorp Malaysia, an agency whose role is to regulate the management of solid waste in the country, revealed that the amount of fabric waste entering Malaysian landfills was 2.8% in 2012, to a figure of 6.3% in 2018.
This means that the percentage of fabric waste comprising our total solid waste is increasing, this highlights that the problem is getting worse as consumers continue to consume fast fashion.
However, there are many alternatives to fast fashion which can help decrease the environmental burden, while still allowing consumers to use products from the clothing and textile industry.
One such alternative are thrift stores or also known as secondhand stores, these types of stores have always existed. But there are certain stigmas placed on thrift stores which result in consumers avoiding them.
In 1890s America, consumers could buy used goods from ‘rag dealers’, who were often Jewish Immigrants. However, when anti-immigrant and anti-Semitic prejudice set in, the public began painting their profession as filthy and predatory.
In the modern era, the majority of the public would have the stigma that second hand items are ‘used’ and therefore less valuable. This led to a stigma of second hand clothing being for ‘poorer’ people.
But thrift stores are entering the mainstream because consumers are willing to buy secondhand or vintage clothing. Reasons may range from the price-point or the nostalgic charm that only vintage clothing genuinely possess.
In Malaysia, thrift stores entering the mainstream and also the advent of the Internet has resulted in a lot of new thrift stores or businesses revolving around second hand items emerging.
One such example is Iman Nurainaa Binti Dziauddin who opened up Million Thrift Shop who decided to open an online business selling second hand sweatshirts. She said the reason she chose to use an online platform was because, “it is very suitable with people today and everything is accessible at the tip of your fingers, while I also save a lot of cost by focusing on an online platform.”
She still faces negative comments from certain consumers who say that her products are overpriced, in bad condition, and dirty. Iman comments that “a lot do not understand that second hand clothes have a sentimental value and most are limited pieces.
“They do not understand the meaning of second hand clothing, and they want the clothes to be in perfect condition with a cheap price.”
When it comes to environmental benefits of thrift stores, Iman adds, “thrift stores can help sustain the environment by recycling used clothes, decreasing the process of manufacturing new clothes.”
Another alternative is a more direct take at sustainable fashion where fashion designers make garments with extra fabrics which were left unused or rejected garments which would eventually be discarded.
Seri Mirza Mizani Mustaza, 22, is an advocate for sustainable fashion known as Serimizani on Instagram with 9844 followers. Her roots as a sustainable fashion advocate started back when she was in fashion school and would notice a lot of extra fabrics and rejected garments.
She says, “I went to an empty studio space that was fully filled with second hand clothes that did not sell.
“I was overwhelmed with the amount of clothes that I saw and how much more that I did not get to see across the globe.”
This was the catalyst which led her towards the path of sustainable fashion. She believes that “sustainable fashion is just as vital as other forms of environmental conservation because by reusing and up-cycling the clothes that we already own, we can prolong not just the lifespan of clothing, but we can also reduce the amount of textile waste being sent to the landfill.”
The fast fashion industry continues to be one of the most consumed industries in the world, even after being riddled with scandals year after year. Next time you go out, think about the footprint you are leaving behind and think if there is a sustainable alternative available.
A video explaining 'Diseases Caused by Animals'
“If you are infected, you should seek treatment as soon as possible,” said Dr. KatrinaSource image: Getty
“Infections of animal diseases are very dangerous and can cause death,” said Dr. SalinaSource image: Healthline
Infographics on 'Diseases Caused by Animals'
How Dangerous and Fatal is a Disease That Was Caused by Animals from The Medical Practitioners' Views
By Faridah Amiratul, Norliyana Ramli, Aliff Syafiq and Aina SarahHow Dangerous and Fatal is a Disease That Was Caused by Animals from The Medical Practitioners' Views
The world is shocked when COVID-19 pandemic hits globally. It is reported that the COVID-19 coronavirus infection emerged in Wuhan, China at the end of December 2019.
Scientists say that it is highly likely the virus came from bats but first passed through an intermediary animal in the same way that another coronavirus the 2002 SARS outbreak. One animal implicated as an intermediary host between bats and humans is the pangolin.
The number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has exceeded 7 million and it also has caused a number of deaths exceeding 400 thousand worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how dangerous and fatal is a disease that was caused by animals. In Malaysia, there are certain diseases that are caused by animals and they have quite a large number of cases.
The cases for Dengue fever, Malaria, Leptospirosis, and Rabies in Malaysia show quite high numbers, some of them causing death.
Malaysian Ministry of Health stated that Malaysia recorded the highest number of Dengue cases in four years at over 130,000, rising 61 per cent from 2018. A total of 16,500 Malaria cases were notified in Malaysia from 2013 to 2017.
According to the Malaysian Ministry of Health report, there has been a steady increase in the number of reported Leptospirosis cases and deaths since the disease was gazetted as a notifiable disease in 2010. Statistics also show the number of cases and deaths that have been recorded are high.
The findings of Malaysia's Health Ministry reported that the Sarawak Rabies outbreak is an ongoing Rabies outbreak in the state of Sarawak in Malaysia. Until November 2019, 22 confirmed Rabies cases have been reported and 21 people have died.
“In Malaysia, Dengue is the most common and it is a vector-borne disease, caused by Dengue virus and carried by mosquitoes. Other diseases that are commonly seen in our country are like Leptospirosis, caused by bacteria and carried by rodents, Malaria is caused by parasites carried by mosquitoes while Rabies is caused by virus carried by infected dogs,” said the Medical Specialist, Dr. Katrina Lau.
“Infection from any of these diseases, if untreated they can be lethal. Humans will only get infected if exposed or come in contact with the vectors carrying the disease. For example, if you are bitten by mosquitoes carrying dengue virus, you contracted dengue but not other diseases.”
“For dengue and malaria, if you are bitten by mosquitoes, not all mosquitoes, only if the mosquitoes are carrying the virus or parasites. For leptospirosis, if you are in contact with rats’ urine, the bacteria in the urine can infect you if you have a break to your skin like wounds or any openings. So, sometimes if you waddle in a pool which is contaminated by rat's urine, you are at risk of getting leptospirosis. Rabies, as you all know, if you are bitten by an infected dog,” as Dr. Katrina explained how people get infected with the diseases.
Hence, she said that, if you are infected, you should seek treatment as soon as possible. Delay in treatment can end up with various complications which if the person survives, there may be certain damage to some major organs, for example lungs, kidneys or brain. However, most of the time, patients will have full recovery. Again, it depends on which infection you contracted. Like, for rabies, it has a poorer prognosis.
When asked on how to prevent these diseases, Dr. Katrina said that the best way to prevent ourselves from being infected, of course, is by avoiding them as these are vector borne diseases.
“For mosquitoes, we should keep our environment clean to prevent breeding. Use repellent if you have to go out and also avoid going outdoors during their most active time. For example, Aedes are the mosquitoes carrying dengue love to bite at early morning and evening. For Malaria, if you have to go to a high risk area, apart from repellent, you can take oral prophylaxis which is a medicine to help protect you.”
She added that the Dengue vaccine was introduced some years ago, however for Malaysia we are not using it yet as the outcome is still debatable. Also, dogs can be vaccinated to prevent them from contracting Rabies and thus transmitting it to humans.
In another point of view, according to the medical officer, Dr. Salina Hamid, infections of animal diseases are very dangerous and can cause death. All the diseases will attack the system in the human body and destroy it. For example dengue fever, the virus will destroy the platelet and cause bleeding. While Rabies will attack brain tissue and cause convulsion.
“Hygiene is important to control the diseases. Leptospirosis is the virus spread via rat urine. When humans have contact with contaminated water or surrounding areas he will get the disease. For Dengue and malaria the viruses are spreading via mosquitoes, so destroying the breeding areas is very important.” said Dr. Salina.
Through the interview conducted via Whatsapp towards both Dr. Katrina and Dr. Salina, it was clear that hygiene and medical treatment play important roles to prevent and overcome the diseases. Medical experts too have outlined some of the ways to overcome and prevent these diseases.
There is no specific treatment for Dengue fever. Patients should seek medical advice, rest and drink plenty of fluids. Paracetamol can be taken to bring down fever and reduce joint pains. However, Aspirin or Ibuprofen should not be taken since they can increase the risk of bleeding. For severe Dengue, medical care by physicians and nurses experienced with the effects and progression of the disease can frequently save lives. Maintenance of the patient's circulating fluid volume is the central feature of such care.
The only current method of controlling or preventing dengue virus transmission is to effectively combat the vector mosquitoes. Proper solid waste disposal and improved water storage practices, including covering containers to prevent access by egg-laying female mosquitoes are among methods that are encouraged through community-based programmes.
Indoor residual spraying (IRS) with insecticides is another powerful way to rapidly reduce Malaria transmission. Antimalarial medicines can also be used to prevent Malaria. Early diagnosis and treatment of Malaria reduces disease and prevents deaths. RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) is the first and, to date, the only vaccine to show that it can significantly reduce Malaria, and life-threatening severe Malaria.
For Leptospirosis, treatment with effective antibiotics should be initiated as soon as the diagnosis of Leptospirosis is suspected and preferably before the fifth day after the onset of illness. Supportive care needs to be given in complicated cases. For good prevention, avoid areas of stagnant water, especially in tropical climates. If you are exposed to a high risk area, taking doxycycline may decrease your risk of developing disease. The best way to minimize risk of infection is to prevent rat infestations in your house and its surrounding areas.
Rabies is entirely avoidable as vaccines, medicines and technologies have long been available to prevent death from rabies. It can be prevented by tackling the disease at its source which is the infected dogs. Making people aware of how to avoid the bites of rabid dogs, to seek treatment when bitten and to vaccinate animals can successfully disrupt the rabies transmission cycle.
PENGGANTIAN SUNGAI BUATAN MENERUSI KAEDAH HIDROLOGI
Oleh: Muhd Zaim, Najihah Zuraimi, Aiman Hakeem, Hidayah Ab Ghani, Nazira Nasaruddin
Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran Negeri Perak (JPS) kini sedang giat melakukan usaha penambahbaikan sistem pengairan dan proses kitaran hidrologi dengan membina sungai buatan.
Menjadi pengurus sumber air dan hidrologi antara yang unggul di dunia serta menerajui dan menyediakan perkhidmatan bertaraf dunia dalam pengurusan sumber air dan hidrologi bagi meningkatkan kualiti hidup dengan memastikan sekuriti air dan kelestarian alam sekitar merupakan visi Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran di Malaysia.
Bahagian Pengurusan Sumber Air dan Hidrologi memainkan peranan dalam mengurus rangkaian stesen dan data hidrologi untuk pembangunan sumber air negara dan persekitaran, berperanan mentaksir sumber air dan pembangunan negara yang lestari serta memberi perkhidmatan pemantauan kemarau.
Kewujudan sungai bukan sahaja mempengaruhi bentuk muka bumi malah ia turut memberi pengaruh kepada kehidupan manusia. Interaksi antara manusia dengan entiti atau ciri-ciri semulajadi berkaitan sungai sangat berkait rapat.
Sungai memberi sumbangan yang besar kepada manusia terutama sebagai sumber air. Oleh itu, manusia membina pelbagai bentuk binaan dan melakukan pelbagai inisiatif demi mencapai satu penyesuaian dalam interaksinya dengan sungai berdasarkan keperluan yang tertentu.
Berkait rapat dengan kewujudan sungai, iaitu kitaran hidrologi. Secara umumnya, kitaran hidrologi ialah proses perubahan dan peredaran air yang berlaku secara berterusan dalam sistem bumi seperti di atmosfera, litosfera dan hidrosfera. Kitaran ini melibatkan perubahan berbentuk air kepada cecair, gas dan pepejal.
Menurut Pegawai Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran (JPS) bahagian kejuruteraan awam, Rasydan Fikri Zuhal, sistem hidrologi yang digunakan di negeri Perak bertujuan untuk mengurus rangkaian stesen dan data hidrologi untuk kegunaan pembangunan sumber air negara dan persekitaran.
“Sumber air semulajadi perlu dimanfaatkan sepenuhnya, oleh yang demikian pengaliran air hujan perlu diurus dengan sebaiknya bagi mengelakkan daripada berlakunya limpahan air seperti banjir,
“Apabila kawasan-kawasan di permukaan bumi diteroka oleh manusia, maka taburan hujan dan saliran air akan terjejas”, kata beliau semasa ditemu bual.
Penerokaan manusia di permukaan bumi memberi kesan negatif dari pelbagai aspek. Justeru, pihak Jabatan Hidrologi mencari solusi untuk permasalahan ini agar kitaran semulajadi kurang terjejas dan seterusnya dapat mengelakkan masyarakat dari mengalami kesukaran di masa hadapan.
Penerokaan di permukaan bumi yang dilakukan oleh manusia seperti pembalakkan dan penyahhutanan, urbanisasi, perindustrian, pembinaan empangan dan penhutanan semula menjadi punca terganggunya sungai dan kitaran hidrologi yang berlaku semulajadi.
Namun, bagi pembinaan empangan dan kawasan tadahan hujan dilihat sangat penting bagi memastikan sumber air yang bersih serta mencukupi untuk manusia dan memberi pelbagai faedah seperti meningkatkan sektor pelancongan negara.
Menurut Penolong Pengarah Pegawai Hidrologi JPS Negeri Perak, Mohd Zaidi Mokhtar, pembinaan empangan bagi menjana hidroelektrik dan pembinaan tempat tadahan hujan serta tangki air adalah contoh terbaik dalam memanfaatkan air hujan.
Beliau memberitahu bahawa, jika air hujan tidak diuruskan dengan baik, ia akan terus mengalir ke laut dan lebih teruk lagi ia mampu mengakibatkan banjir di kawasan tertentu.
Tambah beliau lagi daerah Taiping di Perak mempunyai purata hujan paling besar iaitu sebanyak 3624mm per tahun dimana bacaan ini diperolehi dengan menggunakan Rain Gauge.
Kuantiti hujan di negeri Perak diukur menggunakan “Rain Gauge” dan mengikut garis panduan dari National Water Resource Study, sebuah kajian berkenaan purata hujan. Keputusan yang diperolehi dari setiap jabatan di setiap daerah mampu membantu persediaan dari segi kejadian banjir.
PENGGANTIAN SUNGAI BUATAN MENERUSI KAEDAH HIDROLOGI
Oleh: Muhd Zaim, Najihah Zuraimi, Aiman Hakeem, Hidayah Ab Ghani, Nazira Nasaruddin
Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran Negeri Perak (JPS) kini sedang giat melakukan usaha penambahbaikan sistem pengairan dan proses kitaran hidrologi dengan membina sungai buatan.
Menjadi pengurus sumber air dan hidrologi antara yang unggul di dunia serta menerajui dan menyediakan perkhidmatan bertaraf dunia dalam pengurusan sumber air dan hidrologi bagi meningkatkan kualiti hidup dengan memastikan sekuriti air dan kelestarian alam sekitar merupakan visi Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran di Malaysia.
Bahagian Pengurusan Sumber Air dan Hidrologi memainkan peranan dalam mengurus rangkaian stesen dan data hidrologi untuk pembangunan sumber air negara dan persekitaran, berperanan mentaksir sumber air dan pembangunan negara yang lestari serta memberi perkhidmatan pemantauan kemarau.
Kewujudan sungai bukan sahaja mempengaruhi bentuk muka bumi malah ia turut memberi pengaruh kepada kehidupan manusia. Interaksi antara manusia dengan entiti atau ciri-ciri semulajadi berkaitan sungai sangat berkait rapat.
Sungai memberi sumbangan yang besar kepada manusia terutama sebagai sumber air. Oleh itu, manusia membina pelbagai bentuk binaan dan melakukan pelbagai inisiatif demi mencapai satu penyesuaian dalam interaksinya dengan sungai berdasarkan keperluan yang tertentu.
Berkait rapat dengan kewujudan sungai, iaitu kitaran hidrologi. Secara umumnya, kitaran hidrologi ialah proses perubahan dan peredaran air yang berlaku secara berterusan dalam sistem bumi seperti di atmosfera, litosfera dan hidrosfera. Kitaran ini melibatkan perubahan berbentuk air kepada cecair, gas dan pepejal.
Menurut Pegawai Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran (JPS) bahagian kejuruteraan awam, Rasydan Fikri Zuhal, sistem hidrologi yang digunakan di negeri Perak bertujuan untuk mengurus rangkaian stesen dan data hidrologi untuk kegunaan pembangunan sumber air negara dan persekitaran.
“Sumber air semulajadi perlu dimanfaatkan sepenuhnya, oleh yang demikian pengaliran air hujan perlu diurus dengan sebaiknya bagi mengelakkan daripada berlakunya limpahan air seperti banjir,
“Apabila kawasan-kawasan di permukaan bumi diteroka oleh manusia, maka taburan hujan dan saliran air akan terjejas”, kata beliau semasa ditemu bual.
Penerokaan manusia di permukaan bumi memberi kesan negatif dari pelbagai aspek. Justeru, pihak Jabatan Hidrologi mencari solusi untuk permasalahan ini agar kitaran semulajadi kurang terjejas dan seterusnya dapat mengelakkan masyarakat dari mengalami kesukaran di masa hadapan.
Penerokaan di permukaan bumi yang dilakukan oleh manusia seperti pembalakkan dan penyahhutanan, urbanisasi, perindustrian, pembinaan empangan dan penhutanan semula menjadi punca terganggunya sungai dan kitaran hidrologi yang berlaku semulajadi.
Namun, bagi pembinaan empangan dan kawasan tadahan hujan dilihat sangat penting bagi memastikan sumber air yang bersih serta mencukupi untuk manusia dan memberi pelbagai faedah seperti meningkatkan sektor pelancongan negara.
Menurut Penolong Pengarah Pegawai Hidrologi JPS Negeri Perak, Mohd Zaidi Mokhtar, pembinaan empangan bagi menjana hidroelektrik dan pembinaan tempat tadahan hujan serta tangki air adalah contoh terbaik dalam memanfaatkan air hujan.
Beliau memberitahu bahawa, jika air hujan tidak diuruskan dengan baik, ia akan terus mengalir ke laut dan lebih teruk lagi ia mampu mengakibatkan banjir di kawasan tertentu.
Tambah beliau lagi daerah Taiping di Perak mempunyai purata hujan paling besar iaitu sebanyak 3624mm per tahun dimana bacaan ini diperolehi dengan menggunakan Rain Gauge.
Kuantiti hujan di negeri Perak diukur menggunakan “Rain Gauge” dan mengikut garis panduan dari National Water Resource Study, sebuah kajian berkenaan purata hujan. Keputusan yang diperolehi dari setiap jabatan di setiap daerah mampu membantu persediaan dari segi kejadian banjir.
About this website
About this website
This website introduces journalism students from the Faculty of Communication & Media Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) on how to write environment and science articles, which also involves helping them to understand the related research subjects, publications, and audiences.
All articles and videos are solely for academic purposes for Environment and Science Reporting course.
AIR POLLUTION, AN ISSUE TO CONTROL
The issue of air pollution is a common thing that was happening in today's world as the issue is always spoken about.
According to National Geographic, air pollution is a mix of particles and gases that can reach harmful concentrations on both outside and indoors. Its effects can range from higher disease risks to rising temperatures.
Air pollution can be classified into two sections, indoor and outdoor air pollution. Another way of looking at air pollution could be any substance that holds the potential to hinder the atmosphere or the wellbeing of the living beings surviving in it.
The sustainment of all things living is due to a combination of gases that collectively form the atmosphere. The imbalance caused by the increase or decrease in the percentage of these gases can be harmful to human, animal, plants and other beings.
Common pollutants such as smoke, mold, pollen, methane, and carbon dioxide are just a few examples of common pollutants that were released in the air.
Every year, Malaysia was hit by haze from the open burning of forests that can cause several health issues on people. John Walke, director of the Clean Air Project, part of the Climate and Clean Air program at Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) said that most air pollution comes from energy use and production.
“The less gasoline we burn, the better we’re doing to reduce air pollution and harmful effects of climate change,” Walke says.
Air pollution consists of chemicals or particles in the air that can bring harm to humans, animals, and plants. There are various cases of air pollution that can lead to air pollution in today’s world.
According to Sinar Harian, the death rate caused from environmental pollution are exceed the death rate of people during war as we rarely pay attention regarding our health.
According to Conserve Energy Future, air pollution happened because of the burning of fossil fuels. It is because, from the burning of fossil fuel, sulphur dioxide emitted from the combustion of fossil fuels like coal, petroleum, and other factory combustibles are one the major cause of air pollution.
Pollution was released from vehicles including trucks, jeeps, cars, trains, airplanes causes an immense amount of pollution. We rely on them to fulfill our daily basic needs of transportation.
To reduce the air pollution issue, people can start using public transport instead of using their own vehicles for transportation on daily basis. They can use public transportation such as Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Light Rapid Transit (LRT), monorail or Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) on daily basis when they are going somewhere such as working place, school and other places to reduce air pollution.
Other than that, the pollutants that were released from the factories and industries. The manufacturing industries release a large amount of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, organic compounds, and chemicals into the air that reduce the quality of air.
Agricultural activities also caused air pollution. Agricultural activities is product of farming practices that result in pollution or deterioration of the surrounding of the ecosystem and can cause harm to human and other being.
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen and it was a common nitrogenous waste that were used as a precursor for food and fertilizers.
Ammonia is one of the most dangerous gases in the atmosphere. The use of insecticides, pesticides, and fertilizers in agricultural activities has grown quite a lot. They release harmful chemicals into the air and it also can caused pollution.
However, there is way to prevent the pollution. The first way to prevent the pollution is by planting more plants at our home. Many household plants are instrumental in removing carbon monoxide from the air.
By planting indoor plants actually can filter all the harmful chemical and dangerous compounds from the air. It also will absorbing the toxins through tiny pores in their leaves and removed the pollution through their stems, roots and out through the soil.
The next way is by using solar energy. Electricity might seem a green way to light out your home, but by using it can increased the ground-level ozone. Solar panels are unique in both design and installation.
Whereas previous generation panels were large and unsightly perched above your roof. By installing the solar panel, usually it can generate enough electricity power to your home.
By reducing the use of automobile also can help on preventing the pollution. Automobile are one of the primary contribution of air pollution due to the lead in using petrol and nitrogen oxide released from the exhausts.
People should choose to walk, cycle or using a public transport instead of driving as it can help to reduce air pollution.
Next, people also should do recycle more often as it can save much time to produce the same product again. Each stage of the manufacture from raw material is accompanied by emissions of polluting particles, heavy metals, chemicals and greenhouse gases.
It also takes more energy to make new items from raw material and it can lead to increasing the environmental footprint including air pollution that is produces.
Lastly, people should change the industrial as many industrial processes certain air pollution. Which it can easily be swept into cities and residential areas. Innovating industrial processes use the method that release fewer particle and chemicals into the air will be beneficial to both our health and environment.
The government should put in efforts to prevent the air pollution before it became uncontrolled. According to Berita Harian, a new draft of law to be replace the Environmental Quality Act 1974 aims to strengthen aspects of control and enforcement on pollution cases, it was expected to be presented in Parliament.
The new act was called Environmental Protection Act, it contains two important things, namely the expansion of jurisdiction into current pollution issues and the second aspect was related to increasing punishment and penalties.
“In the past, we (Department of Environmental) does not have jurisdiction in any case, with the new law, we will have jurisdiction and we can take action against those who has commit the wrong doing,” said Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaafar, Deputy Director General (Operational) on Opening Ceremony of Compliance with Environmental Quality Act 1974.
November 2019 Edition
November 2019 Edition
Panthera Tigris Jackson, Found Its Way to Extinction
Malayan Tigers, as implies in the name, its natural habitat is in the Malayan Peninsula of Southeast Asia. Its scientific name is Pathera tigris jacksoni. The difference in its scientific names is due to the country of its origins which is Malaysia wanting it to be included in its official name.
Despites of its being one of the most prolific of the tiger subspecies, the Malaysian Tiger is an endangered species. According to World Wildlife Federation- Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia), there are 200 of them from 3000 in 1950 until 2014. It is the lowest it has been in the last 100 years.
The prime reason of its extinction is hunting of tigers. Hunting is the biggest reason on the decline. It is not only happening to the Malayan tigers but also tigers worldwide. In Malaysia, tigers are hunted for the use of medication. Surprisingly, we can see that more tigers on the shelves of pharmacies in Malaysia than in forests.
Another reason on why Malayan tigers is endangered is animal poaching and illegal trading. It happens simply because of the greediness of some and the ignorance of others. Malaysian tigers are poached due to the high demand for products from tiger parts.
According to the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Networks (TRAFFIC), Malayan Tigers products are used for a wide variety of purposes and seen as a status symbol in many parts of Asia. Tiger skin could sell for about $16,800 which means RM 70229. It costs a lot for the traders.
Deforestation is another factor of the decline. As we know, Malayan tigers live in forest and Malaysia is the home to one of biggest and richest rain forest on the world which is the Borneo forest.
However, Malaysia has the world’s largest deforestation rate. In the year of 2015, 42,278 square kilometres which are equivalent to 18,244 square miles an area larger than Denmark was chopped down.
As this thing happens, it affects wildlife as the forest is the home. Loss of habitat and lack of food contributes to the lack of tigers in Malaysian rain forest.
As the wildlife lose its habitat, it will also danger itself. For example, there was a case back in 2016, it got hit by a car in the middle of Lebuhraya Pantai Timur 2 (LPT2) which cause death to it.
Another case which happened this year was a Malayan Tiger got lost in Terengganu and people saw it in a village in Terengganu.
Both of it shown that the wildlife is facing a problem where its habitat has been destroyed by human’s greediness and arrogance.
Tigers or we can call it as predators are very important to our ecosystem. People think that this will never affects anything to us, but it does.
In the ecosystem, predators are the top of the food chains and it balances the system. If the tigers’ population is declining, then its prey population will be increasing. Which means, it will decline the plants in the forest and also our source of oxygen will be decline as well. This is why ecosystem need to be balance.
As human, we need to save the tigers and also as Malaysian, Malayan tigers are our symbol and dignity. We can save it by numerous acts.
Government has started to preserve the wildlife by building conservation centre. In Malaysia, there are a couple of tiger conservations and research centres for example in Kenyir Lake Park in Terengganu, Royal Belum State Park in Perak and Taman Negara in Pahang.
Apart from the money, protecting tigers is also vital to the progression of nation and society as we do not just want to be economically and politically developed but also morally developed.
The government has reduced human-wildlife conflict through better livestock management by helping farmers build more secure cattle sheds, significantly reduced human tigers’ encounters.
The national government has come up with numerous laws which protect animals right and is against animal cruelty. The government has also started to develop wildlife corridors to maintain connectivity between forest areas with the construction of roads.
Education efforts have also been implemented which includes comic books describing how to avoid human-tiger conflict and in schools and colleges, students are taught the importance of preserving our flora and fauna.
Through all the initiatives that has been done, it could help the tigers that should be preserve as to balance the ecosystem and also be the pride of our nation. They have no voice which means that they cannot do anything. We as human should be their voice and take actions to save this big cat.
Panthera Tigris Jackson, Found Its Way to Extinction
Malayan Tigers, as implies in the name, its natural habitat is in the Malayan Peninsula of Southeast Asia. Its scientific name is Pathera tigris jacksoni. The difference in its scientific names is due to the country of its origins which is Malaysia wanting it to be included in its official name.
Despites of its being one of the most prolific of the tiger subspecies, the Malaysian Tiger is an endangered species. According to World Wildlife Federation- Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia), there are 200 of them from 3000 in 1950 until 2014. It is the lowest it has been in the last 100 years.
The prime reason of its extinction is hunting of tigers. Hunting is the biggest reason on the decline. It is not only happening to the Malayan tigers but also tigers worldwide. In Malaysia, tigers are hunted for the use of medication. Surprisingly, we can see that more tigers on the shelves of pharmacies in Malaysia than in forests.
Another reason on why Malayan tigers is endangered is animal poaching and illegal trading. It happens simply because of the greediness of some and the ignorance of others. Malaysian tigers are poached due to the high demand for products from tiger parts.
According to the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Networks (TRAFFIC), Malayan Tigers products are used for a wide variety of purposes and seen as a status symbol in many parts of Asia. Tiger skin could sell for about $16,800 which means RM 70229. It costs a lot for the traders.
Deforestation is another factor of the decline. As we know, Malayan tigers live in forest and Malaysia is the home to one of biggest and richest rain forest on the world which is the Borneo forest.
However, Malaysia has the world’s largest deforestation rate. In the year of 2015, 42,278 square kilometres which are equivalent to 18,244 square miles an area larger than Denmark was chopped down.
As this thing happens, it affects wildlife as the forest is the home. Loss of habitat and lack of food contributes to the lack of tigers in Malaysian rain forest.
As the wildlife lose its habitat, it will also danger itself. For example, there was a case back in 2016, it got hit by a car in the middle of Lebuhraya Pantai Timur 2 (LPT2) which cause death to it.
Another case which happened this year was a Malayan Tiger got lost in Terengganu and people saw it in a village in Terengganu.
Both of it shown that the wildlife is facing a problem where its habitat has been destroyed by human’s greediness and arrogance.
Tigers or we can call it as predators are very important to our ecosystem. People think that this will never affects anything to us, but it does.
In the ecosystem, predators are the top of the food chains and it balances the system. If the tigers’ population is declining, then its prey population will be increasing. Which means, it will decline the plants in the forest and also our source of oxygen will be decline as well. This is why ecosystem need to be balance.
As human, we need to save the tigers and also as Malaysian, Malayan tigers are our symbol and dignity. We can save it by numerous acts.
Government has started to preserve the wildlife by building conservation centre. In Malaysia, there are a couple of tiger conservations and research centres for example in Kenyir Lake Park in Terengganu, Royal Belum State Park in Perak and Taman Negara in Pahang.
Apart from the money, protecting tigers is also vital to the progression of nation and society as we do not just want to be economically and politically developed but also morally developed.
The government has reduced human-wildlife conflict through better livestock management by helping farmers build more secure cattle sheds, significantly reduced human tigers’ encounters.
The national government has come up with numerous laws which protect animals right and is against animal cruelty. The government has also started to develop wildlife corridors to maintain connectivity between forest areas with the construction of roads.
Education efforts have also been implemented which includes comic books describing how to avoid human-tiger conflict and in schools and colleges, students are taught the importance of preserving our flora and fauna.
Through all the initiatives that has been done, it could help the tigers that should be preserve as to balance the ecosystem and also be the pride of our nation. They have no voice which means that they cannot do anything. We as human should be their voice and take actions to save this big cat.
Panthera Tigris Jackson, Found Its Way to Extinction
Malayan Tigers, as implies in the name, its natural habitat is in the Malayan Peninsula of Southeast Asia. Its scientific name is Pathera tigris jacksoni. The difference in its scientific names is due to the country of its origins which is Malaysia wanting it to be included in its official name.
Despites of its being one of the most prolific of the tiger subspecies, the Malaysian Tiger is an endangered species. According to World Wildlife Federation- Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia), there are 200 of them from 3000 in 1950 until 2014. It is the lowest it has been in the last 100 years.
The prime reason of its extinction is hunting of tigers. Hunting is the biggest reason on the decline. It is not only happening to the Malayan tigers but also tigers worldwide. In Malaysia, tigers are hunted for the use of medication. Surprisingly, we can see that more tigers on the shelves of pharmacies in Malaysia than in forests.
Another reason on why Malayan tigers is endangered is animal poaching and illegal trading. It happens simply because of the greediness of some and the ignorance of others. Malaysian tigers are poached due to the high demand for products from tiger parts.
According to the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Networks (TRAFFIC), Malayan Tigers products are used for a wide variety of purposes and seen as a status symbol in many parts of Asia. Tiger skin could sell for about $16,800 which means RM 70229. It costs a lot for the traders.
Deforestation is another factor of the decline. As we know, Malayan tigers live in forest and Malaysia is the home to one of biggest and richest rain forest on the world which is the Borneo forest.
However, Malaysia has the world’s largest deforestation rate. In the year of 2015, 42,278 square kilometres which are equivalent to 18,244 square miles an area larger than Denmark was chopped down.
As this thing happens, it affects wildlife as the forest is the home. Loss of habitat and lack of food contributes to the lack of tigers in Malaysian rain forest.
As the wildlife lose its habitat, it will also danger itself. For example, there was a case back in 2016, it got hit by a car in the middle of Lebuhraya Pantai Timur 2 (LPT2) which cause death to it.
Another case which happened this year was a Malayan Tiger got lost in Terengganu and people saw it in a village in Terengganu.
Both of it shown that the wildlife is facing a problem where its habitat has been destroyed by human’s greediness and arrogance.
Tigers or we can call it as predators are very important to our ecosystem. People think that this will never affects anything to us, but it does.
In the ecosystem, predators are the top of the food chains and it balances the system. If the tigers’ population is declining, then its prey population will be increasing. Which means, it will decline the plants in the forest and also our source of oxygen will be decline as well. This is why ecosystem need to be balance.
As human, we need to save the tigers and also as Malaysian, Malayan tigers are our symbol and dignity. We can save it by numerous acts.
Government has started to preserve the wildlife by building conservation centre. In Malaysia, there are a couple of tiger conservations and research centres for example in Kenyir Lake Park in Terengganu, Royal Belum State Park in Perak and Taman Negara in Pahang.
Apart from the money, protecting tigers is also vital to the progression of nation and society as we do not just want to be economically and politically developed but also morally developed.
The government has reduced human-wildlife conflict through better livestock management by helping farmers build more secure cattle sheds, significantly reduced human tigers’ encounters.
The national government has come up with numerous laws which protect animals right and is against animal cruelty. The government has also started to develop wildlife corridors to maintain connectivity between forest areas with the construction of roads.
Education efforts have also been implemented which includes comic books describing how to avoid human-tiger conflict and in schools and colleges, students are taught the importance of preserving our flora and fauna.
Through all the initiatives that has been done, it could help the tigers that should be preserve as to balance the ecosystem and also be the pride of our nation. They have no voice which means that they cannot do anything. We as human should be their voice and take actions to save this big cat.
Gajah Konkrit
Gajah Konkrit
Gajah di zoo mempunyai kehidupan yang berbeza berbanding di hutan liar. Mereka lebih selamat walaupun nampak seperti dikurung.
Gajah di zoo mempunyai kehidupan yang berbeza berbanding di hutan liar. Mereka lebih selamat walaupun nampak seperti dikurung.
Oleh: Muhammad Fitri, Rebecca Joy, Nurul Izzah, Anis Hazim
Zoo Negara merupakan rumah kepada dua ekor gajah betina Asia, Sibol dan Siti. Mereka berdua berasal dari Pahang dan telah menetap di zoo sejak 12 tahun. Sebelum ini terdapat seekor lagi gajah jantan di Zoo Negara tetapi telah mati dua tahun lepas akibat strok haba.
Zoo merupakan rumah terbaik buat dua ekor gajah ini kerana kawasan zoo yang telah direka khas untuk habitat ini. Kehidupan gajah di hutan adalah berisiko tinggi berbanding dengan gajah di zoo kerana mereka adalah haiwan terancam yang menjadi buruan buat pemburu haram.
Gajah Asia merupakan habitat yang terancam dan hanya tinggal lebih kurang daripada 30 ribu gajah pada masa ini. Antara punca yang membunuh populasi mereka ialah pemburuan haram, kehilangan habitat dan kemusnahan kawasan tempat tinggal yang menyukarkan mereka untuk bertahan lama di hutan
Lain pula dengan gajah yang tinggal di zoo kerana mereka diberi penjagaan yang rapi dan tidak mudah jatuh sakit seperti gajah yang tinggal di hutan. Namun, gajah merupakan haiwan yang berdikari kerana jika mereka jatuh sakit mereka akan mencari jalan sendiri untuk menyembuhkan diri. Contohnya, apabila mereka sakit perut, mereka akan memuntahkan isi mereka.
Gajah ini diberi perhatian yang teliti pada setiap pagi semasa di kandangnya, penjaga-penjaga gajah ini akan memastikan mereka tidak akan berada dalam keadaan yang tidak sihat atau tiada mood.
Penjaga Gajah, Mohd Effendi Bin Radzuan berkata, setiap pagi, saya akan masuk ke kandang gajah, memeriksa keadaan mereka dan memanggil nama mereka untuk melihat reaksi mereka.
“Seterusnya, saya dan penjaga gajah yang lain akan membersihkan kawasan kandang dan menukar air minuman yang baru.
“Dalam satu hari, gajah-gajah ini akan diberi makan sebanyak tiga kali. Pada waktu pagi, penjaga-penjaga gajah akan meletakkan rumput sebanyak 200 kilogram. Pada waktu tengahari, kami akan berikan tumbuh-tumbuhan seperti pokok pisang, batang pisang dan daun sawi.
“Pada waktu petang, sebelum gajah-gajah ini pulang masuk ke kandang, kami akan berikan buah-buahan seperti buah epal, pisang, betik dan juga nasi. Nasi akan ditanak seperti biasa dan akan dicampurkan dengan gula merah, kacang soya dan kacang hijau”, ujar beliau lagi.
Bagi mengurangkan kepanasan, gajah kebiasaannya akan berendam dalam kolam selama kira-kira 20 minit selain daripada bermain pasir dan lumpur. Gajah mengeluarkan air mata bukan kerana menangis. Mereka mengeluarkan air mata kerana badan mereka terlalu panas.
Seperti yang diketahui, keadaan kehidupan gajah tidaklah begitu luar biasa. Mereka hidup di salah satu habitat gajah terbaik di Malaysia, penjagaan harian mereka diuruskan oleh kakitangan pakar yang berdedikasi, dan mereka menerima penjagaan kesihatan yang berkualiti tinggi.
Gajah Asia memerlukan 3.6 ekar permukaan lembut yang diliputi dalam 2.5 kaki pasir yang diganti setiap bulan. Seluruh kawasan adalah 6.56 ekar, dengan pelbagai bentuk muka bumi yang menawarkan banyak peluang untuk melakukan aktiviti dan simulasi mental. Keadaan tempat tinggal gajah tersebut mampu untuk menjaga gajah tersebut.
Pihak Zoo telah membuat kajian sebaik mungkin untuk mensimulasikan keadaan hidup gajah di Zoo Negara ini hampir dengan kehidupan mereka di habitat mereka, contohnya mempunyai kawasan berlumpur, kawasan kering, pokok untuk berteduh, kawasan kolam dan air terjun untuk mereka bermain di air sama seperti sungai dan tasik di dalam hutan.
Pada pagi harinya, penjaga-penjaga zoo akan membuat pemeriksaan di pameran gajah ini kerana batu-batu atau benda yang tajam akan membuat kaki-kaki gajah ini sakit dan akan memastikan kaki mereka diperiksa sebelum memasuki pameran.
Umur gajah di zoo lebih lama hidup dari gajah yang hidupnya diluar kerana mereka mempunyai jagaan yang lebih teliti seperti gajah di zoo ni akan hidup lebih 10 tahun berbanding dengan gajah di hutan disebabkan ubat, makanan dan penjagaan yang cukup diberikan oleh penjaga gajah di zoo.
Gajah di Malaysia ini hanya berada di zoo, rizab dan juga hutan liar di Pahang, Gajah Asia, dan Sabah, Gajah Pigmi Borneo dan dengan pembiakan yang selamat di zoo dan juga rizab populasi gajah akan berkembang dengan pelahan.
Gajah di Zoo Negara pernah mempunyai satu pembiakan gajah namun gajah yang dibiak itu terlalu sakit. Kini, gajah ini telah mempunyai dalam satu proses pembiakan untuk menyelamatkan gajah-gajah di Asia daripada kepupusan.
Gajah di Zoo Negara ini hanya mempunyai dua ekor gajah betina dan beberapa tahun dahulu satu-satunya gajah jantan di zoo ini telah pon mati. Ia telah mengakitbatkan pembiakan di zoo ini terberhenti buat sementara waktu dan pihak zoo tengah mencari gajah jantan.
Gajah-gajah ini diberikan bantuan positif untuk meningkatkan mood mereka untuk hari berikutnya. Penjaga gajah akan memberikan bantuan dari segi latihan setiap pagi dan akan membuat role call untuk dua ekor gajah betina di Zoo Negara ini.
Kehidupan gajah di zoo memang nampak macam mereka ditindas namun mereka dijaga dengan lebih baik dari mereka di hutan liar. Gajah ini diberi jagaan yang cukup dan terkawal dengan pemerhatian penjaga zoo dan gajah ini tidak perlu risau akan pemburu yang ingin memburu gading dan kulit gajah untuk keuntungan diri sendiri.
Sekiranya Enggang tiada...
Sekiranya Enggang tiada...
Oleh: Amer Hatta, Atika Mokhtar, Syuhada Ramli, Ezziana Izudin
Tanpa kita sedar, kepelbagaian hidupan liar di hutan negara ini semakin berkurangan dan diancam kepupusan berterusan.
Jika dibiarkan tanpa sebarang tindakan, tidak mustahil spesies berkenaan terus pupus dan tidak lagi ditemui di hutan negara ini dalam jangka masa panjang.
Maka, tiada apa yang mampu diwarisi generasi akan datang sebaliknya mereka hanya melihat haiwan berkenaan di zoo mahupun pusat perlindungan sahaja.
Terdapat beberapa spesies hidupan liar yang diancam kepupusan seperti gajah, badak Sumatera, tapir, harimau Malaya, beruang matahari, termasuklah enggang.
Burung enggang atau nama saintifiknya Bucerotidae merupakan salah satu spesies yang semakin diancam kepupusan. Kehadiran burung enggang di suatu tempat merupakan fenomena yang unik dan menjadi tarikan peminat burung dunia.
Selain masalah kehilangan habitat asal dan penerokaan hutan, kepupusan hidupan liar di negara ini juga berpunca daripada aktiviti pemburuan haram dan penyeludupan oleh individu yang tidak bertanggungjawab yang ingin mengaut keuntungan mudah.
Sejak berpuluh tahun dahulu pemburu haram semakin berleluasa ekoran permintaan tinggi haiwan-haiwan liar di hutan hingga menyebabkan beberapa spesies semakin terancam termasuklah burung enggang.
Permintaan mendadak paruh enggang ini sangat popular di China di mana pengumpul kaya yang angkuh gemar dengan memiliki haiwan yang jarang ditemui atau luar biasa.
Hal ini juga menyebabkan harga paruh burung enggang mencecah hingga lima kali ganda harga gading gajah dalam pasaran gelap.
Pemburuan paruhnya yang menjadi lambang kemegahan dijual di pasaran gelap China pada harga lebih AS$1000 atau RM4017.
Selain permintaan tinggi terhadap paruh enggang, gadingnya turut menjadi tumpuan pakar kraf di China untuk diukir menjadi barang perhiasan, patung dewa dewi dan barangan kemas mewah yang dilihat lebih berprestij.
Situasi ini mengancam habitat haiwan liar sehingga dikategorikan antara haiwan yang paling terancam di Malaysia.
Enggang memainkan peranan penting dalam ekosistem sebagai ‘payung’ spesies dan pemuliharaan burung enggang secara tidak langsung melindungi pelbagai spesies lain yang membentuk ekologi.
Selain itu, ancaman ke atas burung enggang adalah gangguan habitat, kehilangan habitat, perburuan dan pemencilan hutan. Kekurangan pokok-pokok tinggi juga turut mengganggu populasi mereka.
Di Sarawak, burung enggang merupakan elemen penting dalam budaya masyarakat mereka terutama kaum peribumi. Sarawak juga dikaitkan dengan burung kenyalang sehinggakan Sarawak begitu dikenali sebagai Bumi Kenyalang.
Pemuliharaan hidupan liar ini adalah amat penting bagi mengekalkan ekosistem di negara. Setiap spesies memainkan peranan masing-masing dalam memastikan ekosistem berada dalam keadaan stabil.
Hidupan liar amat penting kerana dapat memberikan sumber maklumat atau pendidikan kepada masyarakat terutama kepada pelajar sekola.
Oleh itu, masyarakat akan berpeluang untuk mengenali spesies-spesies yang terdapat di negara kita dengan lebih dekat sekiranya haiwan ini dilindungi dan tidak mengalami kepupusan
Masalah kepupusan hidupan liar ini boleh diatasi apabila masyarakat diberi kesedaran tentang kepentingan menjaga hidupan liar daripada pupus supaya hidupan liar dapat dipulihara sehingga ke generasi masa hadapan.
Selamatkan Orang Utan
Selamatkan Orang Utan
Orang Utan makin pupus dan populasinya makin berkurangan saban hari. Namun, kita sebagai manusia yang berperikemanusiaan perlulah bertanggungjawab dalam memastikan Orang Utan terus hidup.
oleh: Azamuddin, Farhana Syahira, Qahira Auni, Hartika
Orang Utan adalah hidupan kera yang besar di Asia, orang utan atau 'manusia hutan' yang terdapat hanya di pulau-pulau Borneo dan Sumatra. Di dunia mereka diklasifikasikan sebagai hidupan terancam kerana habitat mereka dihancurkan, berpecah belah dan diburu, orang-utan di Malaysia (Sabah dan Sarawak) mungkin paling digolongkan sebagai 'terdedah'.
Menurut kajian yang telah dilakukan, populasi Orang Utan Borneo sudah di ambang kepupusan. Satu pengumuman yang telah dibuat Kesatuan Konservasi Alam Sekitar Antarabangsa (IUCN) menyatakan bahawa spesis Borneo dan Sumatera merupakan sebuah kumpulan primat besar Asia yang telah beralih dari kelas ‘terancam’ kepada ‘ kritikal terancam’.
Purata orang utan sekitar 100,000 yang masih hidup dan tinggal di Borneo. Namun jumlah tersebut berkurangan daripada 288,550 ekor pada tahun 1973 dan akan jumlah tersebut akan semakin jatuh kepada 47,00 menjelang tahun 2025.
Antara faktor yang menyebabkan mereka semkain terancam adalah kerana mereka mengalami tekanan daripada gejala haram manusia sendiri. Kawasan hutan hujan yang menjadi tempat kediaman merek atelah dicerobohi dan diteroka menjadi ladang kelapa sawit.
Perkara ini membuatkan mereka kehilangan tempat tinggal dan sembunyi. Hasil daripada minyak sawit tersebut ialah mee segera, margerin, syampu dan bahan pencuci pakaian. Meskipun produk dan barangan tersebut merupaka keperluan manusia namun ianya seperti membunuh sebuah ehidupan demi kesenangan bersama.
Penebangan pokok yang berleluasa dan tidak terancang juga antara faktor utama punca kepupusan mereka. Mereka hilang tempat berlindung dan mencari makan. Sumber makanan mereka akan semakin berkurangan dan menjejaskan mereka.
Kira-kira hampir 3000 orang utan mati dibunuh kerana penebangan hutan yang tidak dikawal. Hal ini menyebabkan kitaran ekosistem kita terganggu dan akan menyebabkan ketidak seimbangan yang kuat.
Orang utan juga sering diburu secara haram dan diseksa oleh pemburu haram. Mereka akan dijual ke luar negara dengan harga yang tinggi. Mereka akan dibunuh dan dijadikan sebagai ramuan ubatan tradisional, barangan perhiasan dan juga sebagai menu makanan eksotik.
Ada juga diantara orang utan tersebut dijadikan sebagai hamba seks demi memuaskan nafsu manusia. Mereka akan disolek seakan “pelacur” dan dipaksa melayan manusia yang melanggan mereka. Ini sudah semestinya menongkah fitrah alam dan agama.
Namun begitu, terdapat pelbagai cara untuk kita melindungi dan memelihara mereka. Seperti yang telah dilakukan Ketua Menteri Sabah dengan membatalkan pembinaan jambatan merentasi Sungai Kinabatangan di Sukai. Dimana pembinaan ini memburukan lagi populasi orang utan yang sedia ada.
Dua orang penyelidik iaitu pengarah dari Pusat Lapangan Danau Girang dan Pengarah dari HUTAN (NGO) berkata bahawa antara cara yang boleh dilakukan ialah mewujudkan sebuah koridor hutan di tahap landskap. Dengan caraini,ia membolehkan orang utan ini bergerak dengan bebas dan mencari kawasan baharu untuk menubuhkan wilayah mereka sendiri.
Kita sebagai manusia biasa juga boleh menhalang pemburuan haram dengan melaporkan setiap gerak mereka kepada agensi ataupun bahagian yang terlibat. Dengan ini pemburuan secara haram akan semakin berkurang dari tahun ke tahun.
Buat pengetahuan semua, orang utan merupakan sebuah habitat yang unik dimana mereka sebagai pembuka kanopi hutan. Apabila orang utan memetik dahan dan juga daun di pokok,kanopi hutan akan terbuka dan sinaran matahari akan masuk menembusi tanah sejurus tunas tumbuhan baru dapat berkembang dengan baik.
Penyebaran biji tumbuhan biji dari buah-buahan yang orang utan makan akan dikeluarkan bersama najis, jika najis jatuh di tempat yang subur, maka biji tersebut dapat tumbuh menjadi pohon yang baru. Pokok yang menyerap karbon dioksida dan menghasilkan oksigen dimana ia memberi manfaat yang besar kepada manusia.
Orang utan juga amat menarik dimana mereka antara habitat yang boleh mempelajari “buddy sistem”. Sistem ini ialah proses dimana mereka mencari keselesaan antara mereka. Orang utan yang kecil dalam usia 6 hingga 10 tahun akan berkawan dengan duduk secara berpadangan.
Menerusi sistem ini, mereka akan meniru setiap perbuatan antara satu sama lain, contohnya seperti berayun, makan dan berdandan. Mungkin proses ini agak menggelikan, namun dandanan merupakan aktiviti penting untuk kebersihan dan hubungan yang lebih erat.
Sebahagian orang utan yang masih kecil mungkin agak yakin dengan kemampuan mereka untuk berdikari tetapi sesetengahnya lebih suka duduk berpasangan untuk mempelajari sesuatu. ‘Buddy Sistem” membantu orang utan belajar kemahiran melalui perkongsian dan tiruan.
Seperti yang telah kita ketahui dan pelajari, orang utan merupakan sebuah habitat dan kehidupan yang amat penting dalam ekosistem dunia. Mereka juga antara tulang belakang setiap kehidupan. Tanpa mereka, kita mungkin mengalami sedikit keresahan menjalan kehidupa. Marilah bersama melindungi habitat orang utan.
CORAL BLEACHING: EFFECT ON MARINE ECOSYSTEM
CORAL BLEACHING: EFFECT ON MARINE ECOSYSTEM
By : Shawal Hashimi, Nadiah Syazwani, Afiqa, Hajar Umira
Coral reefs are not a common ‘rock’ as many as have thought. It is a valuable marine life to stabilize the marine ecosystem for the ocean.
Coral reefs are a group of marine life that are associated with an algae plant called zooxanthellae which made the coral reefs more beautiful and unique. This marine life also belongs to the type of coral that has tentacles.
This marine life is not uncommon in Malaysian waters especially in the Borneo Islands such as Sabah. Coral reefs are one of the tourist attractions to snorkelling because of their uniqueness and beauty.
However, coral reefs are often associated with coral bleaching which causes the coral to become white and die.
Coral bleaching is the result of loss of intracellular endosymbionts through the expulsion or loss of algae pigment from the coral reefs. Those loss at the same time made the coral reefs become white and dead.
This phenomenon can affect marine ecosystems because coral reefs act as food and home to marine life. Coral reefs are one of the food chains of marine life such as turtles.
Coral reefs also act as protectors or homes for the small fish species as to protect them from predators.
This phenomenon also occurs in the coastal waters of Sabah, especially those found in Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, which is Manukan Island, Gaya, Mamutik, Sulug and Sapi where coral reefs in most of the islands are whitewashed and dead
Changes on the sea temperature of the islands are one of the causes of the coral bleaching happens on those islands.
Manukan and Sapi Island were among the worst affected islands in 2010 and had caused the coral reefs to become “feverish”, white and eventually died.
Senior Marine Research Officer Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park Nasrul Hakim Midin said 25% of the coral reefs on the island were whitewashed because of the phenomenon on that year.
“The phenomenon is happened due to the change in sea water temperature on the island and the lack of coral reef resilient which has led to whitewashed of the coral reefs.
"As a result of this phenomenon, most marine wildlife is deprived of their habitat and this will adversely affect the marine ecosystem," he said.
However, coral reefs on the island are expected to recover as usual.
According to Nasrul, there are still 40% of the coral reef population of various species in Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park especially in Manukan Island after the coral bleaching phenomenon happened in 2010.
Meanwhile, 60% of Sabah's coral reef population is found, around the east coast of Sabah which is in Semporna.
If these coral reefs are not properly kept and protected, they will cause an imbalance in the ecosystem and Tunku Abdul Rahman National will continue to ensure that the coral reefs are protected.
Effect of the Coral Bleaching
Coral reefs had left a major impact on marine life because of their importance to the marine ecosystem.
According to Nasrul, the impact of coal bleaching not only towards the marine life but also towards humans.
“One of the worst effects, is that marine wildlife is losing their shelters and the foods in their food chains.
"Marine life such as fish, crabs, jellyfish, shrimp and star fish also depend on coral reefs," he said.
Human also will be affected by the coral bleaching because coral act as a natural barrier that prevents strong waves from hitting the coast. The loss of this coral reefs means that, human also will lose their natural barrier.
Besides that, humans will also lose their source of food due to the loss of fish species because of the coral bleaching.
Humans and marine life also depend on coral reefs, coral bleaching can affect the ecosystem and the food chain for both marine and human life.
Ways to overcome coral bleaching
According to Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park Anthony Tinggi, he said that they have taken various steps to ensure the coral reefs in the park are protected.
“We have taken the enforcement action by prohibiting tourists from taking coral reefs around Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park.
"We have also restricted the snorkelling area for tourists by placing coloured flags in some areas to prevent coral reefs being trampled on and off by tourists," he said.
Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park authorities also do not allow the construction of resorts that can contribute to the coral bleaching and the damage of the coral reefs.
Fish bombing is also prohibited in park that been gazetted by Sabah government to protect the protect corals and other marine life species.
"If we do not gazette the islands, fish bombing activities will be more frequent, and it will damage the growth of the coral reefs which can contribute to the coral bleaching phenomenon.
"This incident has occurred in one of the islands in Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park although it has been gazetted and this incident often occurs on the island which is not gazetted under the Sabah Park," he added.
By Tunku Nor Aisyah and Ilya Natasha
By Irfan Izzuddin, Ilya Natasha and Tunku Nor Aisyah
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By Tunku Nor Aisyah, Ilya Natasha and Muhammad Danish
THE SPIRIT IN TAGAL
THE SPIRIT IN TAGAL
By Irfan Izzuddin
The exploitation of natural resources such as trees, oil and iron has been practised since the days of our ancestors. One of the natural resources that are often overlooked is fish. Yes, fish is considered as a natural resource.
One of the things that we should be afraid of is the fact that fish is often overlooked because the general population believe that we will never loose fishes as a natural resource as the amount of fish is too many. There are numerous researches stating that we have yet to explore 80% of the vast ocean.
Nonetheless, we must learn to preserve all these important resources. Not just for us, but for our future generation. How are we going to explain to them that due to our ignorance, we failed to preserve one of the most important thing that the population needs?
There are numerous non-government officials (NGO) who specializes in preservation and conservation such as the Malaysian Fisheries Society. Despite their best effort to preserve all the natural resource, it will prove to no avail if the general population refuse to take the same measure. Campaigns and slogan has been advertised but when it comes to actually convincing them to do the deeds, it is hard.
BEHIND THE SCENES OF TAGAL
Luckily for the people in Malaysia, there is a preservation system that has been around for quite some time. It is called the Tagal system which originated in Sabah. Tagal is a word in the Kadazandusun language which translates to “do not” or “prohibited”. The system will restrict the natural resources specifically fish and certain areas to be used as a conservation site and to ensure the existence of those particular resource.
The idea of Tagal was first pitched by Jeffren Wong who is a local. As a local, he is more than aware of the environmental issues happening in his hometown. He decided to go travel and pitch the idea to villages that he believes is suitable to practise the Tagal system.
It was not easy as he had to go to the village by himself and with his own money, in an effort to persuade the village leader. It took him years and now, the Tagal system has evolved exponentially with almost 500 villages practising the system. Jeffren Wong is the pioneer for the Tagal system in Sabah.
The Tagal system will divide the river into three section. The three section are the Red Zone, the Yellow Zone and the Green Zone.The Red Zone is prohibited as the area is specializes in the preservation of fishes such as the Kelah fish, Koi and diving fish. The Yellow Zone is open only once a year for the annual fishing festival while the Green Zone is open to the public.
Although there are three zones dedicated for the Tagal system, not every river that practises Tagal has all three. This is due to the length of the river is different from each other and it also depends on the Chairman of that particular Tagal river. One of the places that practises the Tagal system is Kampung Luanti and Kampung Marakau in Ranau, and Kampung Poturidung in Kiulu.
TAGAL AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION
Sabah is known for their richness in natural resources and their unique cultural heritage. Despite the fact that the Tagal system is recognised as a preservation system, the people of Kampung Marakau see it as something more. The possibility of making the Tagal system as a way of making money by turning it into a tourism spot. The transition from a preservation site to a tourist attraction has benefited the community while preserving the essence of the natural resource.
In an effort to attract more tourists to come to Sabah, the Sabah state government that they are working to produce more tourism product. The Tagal system is aligned perfectly with the economic and social development programs that centralizes the involvement from the local community. What started as the local’s own attempt at preservation, the Tagal system quickly become a more organized system under the supervision of the Tagal Unit in the Department of Fisheries Sabah.
The river used for Tagal can also be used for other purposes. For example, the Tagal river in Kampung Poturidung in Kiulu has another idea which is water rafting. It is an excellent effort to attract the tourist as it is a good water activity. Kampung Poturidung is about 32.4km away from Kota Kinabalu and approximately a 55-minute drive.
The Tagal system is still practised there and some of the activities provided there is foot massage and fish feeding. The fish feeding programme allows the tourists to come and see with their own eyes some of the fish that was preserved there. But they are not allowed to bring the fishes out of their natural habitat as it is against the basic rule of the Tagal system.
Besides preserving the fish, another function of the Tagal system is that it can contain the river from being polluted. Most of the rivers in Malaysia are polluted and the only difference is how dirty and chemically-affected the river is. Not to mention the fact that the dirty and polluted river can affect the eco-system and the natural habitat of those fishes.
According to a news article from ASTRO Awani on 22nd December 2018, the Department of Environment (DoE) states that there are close to 50 rivers that are polluted in Semenanjung Malaysia. One of those river is Sungai Tukang Batu located in Johor and are classified as Class 5 which is a class for rivers that are badly contaminated.
Although it is heavily practised in Sabah, that does not mean that it is not practised in other places in Malaysia. In Sarawak, the Tagal system is practised but the name is different as they are called Tagang which bring the same meaning as it’s Kadazandusun counterpart.
In the Peninsular, there have been cases of the Tagal system being practised such as in Tasik Kenyir and Sungai Chiling. However, the Tagal system is not practised widely as the first practised in the Peninsula didn’t quite live up to its name in Sabah. The difference in management, land and other factor has effected the chances of a successful Tagal system.
AFTERMATH OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES NEAR TAGAL
The Tagal system is very reliable as they have a punishment for those who violates the laws of the system. The punishment or as it is known by the local as ‘Sogit’, which mean fined, is different and varies according to their places. Some would demand the culprit to pay with money. While there are other villages that demand the culprit to pay their sogit in other form like farm animals. Some of the animals that they accept is pork, buffalo, cow, goat and chicken.
Their fishing equipment will also be confiscated and they will be handed off to the local police. The “sogit” is a self-made system by the local to punish the offender for violating the laws. Even after “sogit”, the offender could also face charges and can be brought to the court of law.
Besides Malaysia, our country neighbour which is Indonesia also practices the Tagal system. But, the difference is in the sogit and how they protect the system. According to Mr.Aznir Malek who is the President of the Kelah Action Group Malaysia (KAGUM) and has written books about fishes, said that Indonesia tends to do things outside the law and can be very extreme. There are reported cases where they tend to use meta-physical method.
The meta-physical method refers to what certain culture would call as black magic. It is a form in which they will try to summon dangerous help from other entities. Some of the effect the act will bring is to hide the Tagal river from people who are trying to commit foul things to that particular place. Many religion bans its followers from using black magic as it has a negative effect on the culprit.
The Tagal system is also influenced by the act of Animism. Animism is the religious belief that objects, places and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. They also believe that human should respect other objects as to not anger the spirit. There is also belief that the spirit is the spirit of their deceased ancestors who now lives as other objects. The followers have faith that the spirit of the dead can enter the body of an animal.
There is a widely known stories in which a son of the chairman of a Tagal system was cursed to become a fish after he was suspected to commit foul play on the fishes that are being preserved. The cursed fish is still believed to be in that river and the size of that particular fish is bigger than the other fish. It is to show that we must not mess with nature and must respect the environment.
It is hard to deny the fact that the Tagal system has brought the working committee together in an effort to maintain the freshwater fish resources, river cleanliness and forest ecosystems. The system has one way or another, gives them in what can be called a successful preservation method and as a way to make a profit out of it. The fish are being take care of, the people can find work and the environment are growing better than ever.
The continues strait of effort and strength it took to actually make the Tagal system work should be praised and deserved to be made an example. Without the sheer determination, the people of Sabah that was known for their hospitality and kindness wouldn’t have made a simple preservation step to be very successful. Having almost 500 villages practiced the system is a huge achievement in itself.
The spirit of Tagal should be implemented and practiced worldwide. Although it has not become an instant hit in the Peninsula as it did in Sabah, but it proves that it can work no matter where the place is. The most important part is that the people care and are willing to try to preserve.
It’s a far better improvement compared to back then where most of the people would only rely on the government to take action. Now, there are thousands of NGO’s and private company that are focusing on numerous activity of preservation and conservation. Malaysia could be the pioneer of the Tagal system for the world to follow.
TAPIR PHOTOSTORY.mp4
Nasib Tapir Tidak Terbela, Populasi Semakin Terancam
Nasib Tapir Tidak Terbela, Populasi Semakin Terancam
Oleh: Iffah N., Mulia Y., S. N. Aliaa dan Haidya S.
Apa itu Tapir?
Haiwan ini sering dikelirukan dengan kuda nil, atau “anteaters”, tetapi saudara-mara hidup terdekat mereka sebenarnya badak dan kuda.
Tapir adalah mamalia tanah asli Amerika Selatan yang terbesar, dengan saiz dewasa dari saiznya antara 29 hingga 42 inci (74 hingga 107 sentimeter) dari kaki ke bahu dan beratnya di antara 500 hingga 800 lbs (227 hingga 363 kilogram).
Walaupun begitu, Tapir Malaya boleh membesar sehingga 800 lbs iaitu bersamaan dengan 363 kg.
Tahun 1986, Tapir Malaya telah disenaraikan sebagai spesis yang kian terancam.
Tapir Malaya atau nama saintifiknya, Tapirus Indicus adalah yang paling besar di antara tapir yang lain.
Ancaman kepada Tapir?
Adakah anda tahu bahawa anggaran populasi tapir makin menurun? Antara sebab - sebab penurunan populasi ini adalah disebabkan kehilangan habitat semula jadi serta pemburuan haram yang semakin menjadi-jadi.
Ancaman semulajadi terutamanya daripada haiwan pemangsa seperti harimau yang memburu tapir kerana kulit badannya yang tebal, padat dan kuat.
Jumlah kawasan hutan yang semakin terhad turut menyebabkan jumlah sumber baka tapir semakin berkurangan.
Lama-kelamaan, baka tapir ini akan semakin berkurangan akibat pertalian persaudaraan yang terlalu rapat di antara tapir tersebut.
Populasinya yang kian terancam disebabkan kekurangan maklumat mengenai biologi dan ekologinya, kemalangan jalan raya dan juga kesedaran rakyat terhadap pemuliharaan tapir yang sedikit.
Kempen kesedaran serta strategi atau pelan pihak berkuasa amatlah penting dalam memastikan program pemuliharaan tapir berjaya.
Jabatan Perlindungan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara atau dengan nama lainnya Jabatan Perhilitan, sudah berada di peringkat akhir dalam penyediaan Pelan Tindakan Pemuliharaan Tapir Malaya.
Pelan tindakan yang telah diadakan ini masih terlalu asas iaitu hanya menumpukan kepada pendidikan serta kesedaran awam.
Tambahan pula, sebanyak 144 laluan yang dikenali sebagai kawasan yang popular yang sering digunakan untuk haiwan liar melintas telah pun dikenal pasti. Laluan tersebut terdiri daripada Selangor, Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Johor, Kelantan dan Pahang.
Kesan – kesan yang dijumpai semasa Program Inventori Hidupan Liar, (aktiviti penguatkuasaan yang dijalankan di seluruh Malaysia) ialah dapat mengetahui jumlah bilangan gambar yang telah diambil menggunakan perangkap kamera.
Melalui program tersebut kita dapat mengetahui 1,100 hingga 1,500 anggaran Tapir Malaya yang terdapat di Malaysia.
Bilangan tersebut dipercayai semakin berkurangan akibat daripada dilanggar kenderaan, penebangan hutan dan pemburuan haram.
Jika kita tidak bertindak dari awal, kemalangan yang terus berlaku ini akan memberi kesan terhadap populasi tapir ini.
Sambutan Hari Tapir Sedunia (WTD) yang disambut pada 27 April setiap tahun mengharapkan semua pihak bergiat aktif dalam memulihara Tapir Malaya serta melindungi habitat mereka di Malaysia.
Sambutan ini diadakan bagi menunjukkan peningkatan dari segi pengetahuan, kesedaran awam serta pemuliharaannya dalam kalangan masyarakat.
Hutan yang makin berkurangan, konflik dengan manusia dan kepelbagaian genetik akan memberi tekanan yang lebih serius pada populasi tapir pada masa hadapan.
PULAU GAYA MASIH BERGELUT DENGAN MASALAH PENCEMARAN PLASTIK
PULAU GAYA MASIH BERGELUT DENGAN MASALAH PENCEMARAN PLASTIK
oleh Ahmad Hanif, Nurul Assykin, Putri Nurul Syafiqah dan Rasyidah
KOTA KINABALU: Pelaksanaan larangan penggunaan plastik dan reputasi negara Malaysia sebagai pusat pembuangan sisa plastik di dunia masih tidak dapat menggesa rakyat Malaysia untuk menghentikan penggunaan beg dan straw plastik.
Tabiat penggunaan plastik yang masih tidak dapat diselesaikan turut menjadikan masalah kebersihan di kawasan laut Malaysia semakin teruk apabila segelintir pihak yang tidak bertanggungjawab membuang sampah plastik merata-rata.
Antara kawasan perairan di negeri Sabah yang paling terjejas oleh masalah pencemaran plastik ialah Pulau Gaya yang merupakan pulau bersejarah dan kawasan pelancongan di bawah penjagaan Taman Laut Tunku Abdul Rahman.
Walaupun kempen kesedaran tentang kebersihan dan aktiviti gotong-royong giat dijalankan di pulau itu oleh beberapa agensi dan perbadanan yang terdapat di Sabah, tahap pencemaran plastik masih tidak dapat dikurangkan oleh aktiviti-aktiviti ini.
Pegawai Penyelidik Kanan Marin dari Taman-Taman Sabah (TTS) Nasrulhakim Maidin menyatakan bahawa antara halangan yang dihadapi dalam proses pembersihan Pulau Gaya ialah kekurangan penekanan terhadap pendidikan mengenai kebersihan laut.
“Antara tugas saya sebagai Pegawai Penyelidik ialah untuk memastikan keberkesanan program-program dalam mencapai objektif untuk meningkatkan kesedaran tentang masalah kebersihan laut,” kata Nasrulhakim.
“Oleh itu, saya berpendapat bahawa konsep pendidikan tidak mendapat penekanan yang secukupnya di kalangan pelajar dan penduduk Kota Kinabalu menjadi suatu halangan yang besar dalam mengurangkan sisa-sisa plastik dalam kawasan laut kita.”
Pegawai Penyelidik itu juga menerangkan tentang kategori-kategori sampah yang terdapat di Taman Laut Tunku Abdul Rahman.
“Salah satu dari kategori sampah tersebut ialah sampah dari pelancong,” katanya. “Terdapat segelintir pelancong yang tidak mempunyai tahap kesedaran yang secukupnya lalu membuang sampah mereka ke dalam laut untuk dipungut staf TTS.”
Nasrulhakim juga menerangkan tentang kategori sampah yang paling sukar untuk dibersihkan iaitu sampah di dasar laut.
“Masalah dengan sampah yang terletak di dasar laut ialah bukan semua sampah tersebut boleh ditimbulkan ke permukaan laut kerana ada sampah plastik yang akan tersangkut pada batu karang dan tumbuh-tumbuhan di dasar laut,” kata Nasrulhakim.
Menurut Pegawai Penyelidik Kanan itu, sampah-sampah tersebut hanya boleh dipungut dengan cara menyelam ke dasar laut.
“Proses pemungutan plastik di dasar laut pula mengambil masa yang sangat lama sehingga berjam-jam di satu kawasan sebelum kawasan tersebut dapat dibersihkan sepenuhnya,” katanya.
“Peralatan menyelam kami yang sedikit dan terhad penggunaannya juga merumitkan keadaan apabila sesuatu kawasan di dasar laut perlu dibersihkan.”
Selain itu, kewujudan penempatan setinggan di atas air juga merupakan faktor yang menjadi penghalang untuk mengurangkan pencemaran plastik di kawasan laut Sabah.
“Di Kota Kinabalu, kawasan-kawasan setinggan ini tidak mempunyai sistem pembuangan sampah yang efisien,” katanya. “Contohnya, mereka tidak menyediakan tong sampah dan tiada cara yang sistematik untuk pemungutan sampah.”
Seorang renjer yang bertugas di kawasan pulau Sabah, Norjilan Shapli, turut menyatakan penduduk di kawasan perkampungan laut Sabah mempunyai tabiat pembuangan sampah yang tidak terkawal.
“”Mengikut pengalaman saya bekerja di Taman-Taman Sabah, masalah pencemaran plastik sudah menjadi lebih teruk dari dahulu.
“Antara sebabnya ialah Pulau Gaya sekarang mempunyai lebih ramai penduduk dari zaman dahulu dan jika penduduk lebih banyak, maka jumlah sampah plastik yang dibuang juga akan menjadi lebih banyak,” ujarnya.
Walaupun terdapat halangan dari segi kewangan dan juga sikap penduduk Pulau Gaya yang tidak peduli kepada masalah longgokan sampah plastik, Norjilan tetap optimis bahawa pencemaran plastik di pulau tersebut masih boleh dikurangkan.
“Masih tidak terlalu lambat untuk mendidik kanak-kanak di Kota Kinabalu untuk tidak membuang sampah merata-rata supaya apabila mereka dewasa, mereka akan lebih peka terhadap kepentingan penjagaan alam sekitar,” katanya.
Menurut Nasrulhakim pula, dia juga bersetuju bahawa penekanan terhadap pendidikan tentang alam sekitar amat penting untuk mengawal tahap pencemaran plastik di Pulau Gaya.
“Pihak-pihak yang bertanggungjawab perlulah menggunakan elemen dan alat-alat pendidikan untuk memberi kesedaran tentang kesihatan kehidupan dan kawasan laut kepada penduduk tempatan,” katanya.
“Setiap tahun, kami di Taman-Taman Sabah akan mengadakan program khusus untuk kanak-kanak berumur sekitar 10-12 tahun bernama Program Pendidikan Marin (MEP).”
Melalui program MEP, pihak TTS akan membawa dalam sekitar 100 orang pelajar sekolah rendah untuk mengadakan aktiviti penerokaan alam marin supaya mereka sendiri dapat melihat dan membandingkan kawasan bersih dan kotor di Sabah.
Selain daripada penekanan kepada pendidikan, TTS juga telah menjalankan inisiatif untuk menjalankan aktiviti pembersihan tahunan untuk mengawal pencemaran di pantai-pantai Sabah.
“Setiap tahun, pihak TTS akan mengenalpasti kawasan-kawasan yang berada pada tahap kebersihan yang kurang memuaskan melalui aduan penduduk dan tinjauan renjer taman untuk menjalankan aktiviti gotong-royong,” kata Nasrulhakim.
JUNE 2019 Edition
JUNE 2019 Edition
HOW TO GET FIT IN HEAT WAVE
HOW TO GET FIT IN HEAT WAVE
By Danisyah Dalily, Fatimatul Zahra, Aqilah Anuar, Nurin Nabihah and Nuzul Harisyah
The heatwave is a phase of extremely hot weather in certain areas where it is usually measured in comparison to the average temperature in the area. Therefore, what is termed as heatwave by people in some areas where their region is cooler is considered normal by people who live in hotter climate areas.
On February 2019, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) issued a Level 1 alert for ten areas in the country regarding the ongoing heatwave that was expected to last until April. However, in May, the occurrence did not show any slight improvement therefore, MetMalaysia prolong the expectation to last till September.
This extreme weather is dangerous especially for people who need to stay under the scorching hot sun for a long period of time, for example, the athletes. Athletes are known for their fitness and endurance in sports which are the products of consistency in working out.
However, not just professional athletes, people who exercise regularly for a myriad of purposes might as well get affected by the heatwave. How do we get fit in a heatwave?
Let’s hear what Prof. Madya Zulkifli Abdul Kadir, the Associate Professor at the Faculty of Sports Science and Recreation in Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) says about the matter in Q&A session below:
Q: Does exercising under hot weather affect our health?
A: Oh definitely! It is not conducive and not healthy to exercise under the hot weather condition because the two elements, exercising and exposing to heat create internal heat from a higher cellular collision.
In order to keep the temperature constant, more water has to be released to emancipate the heat which could lead to dehydration if we have low water level in our body. That is why it will be better if we get to exercise under cool condition to avoid the body from overheating.
Q: Do you think indoor exercises are as effective as outdoor exercises?
A: Yes. What we need to care about is not whether it is indoor or outdoor exercises but how we do it. Whoever wishes to do the right exercise must have the right knowledge.
We must understand what we are doing and do it right, then will we get the maximum benefits for the time spent. We can still get fit doing indoor exercises.
Q: Is there any tips you can suggest to us if we choose to do outdoor exercises during a heat wave?
A: You can do it early in the morning around 8.30am or 9.00am as during that time it will not be that hot yet and late in the evening around 6.00pm till 7.00pm. You do not have to spend too much time and stay too long, just do it the right way because what you want is quality time, therefore one hour is more than enough to have a good work out.
If you need to exercise under the hot sun, it is important to wear the proper attire. The best attire for Malaysia’s hot climate condition is to wear cotton which is light, thin and white so heat can easily dissipate.
Avoid anything that insulates your body heat from escaping such as polyester, nylon, thick and dark clothing. Keep in mind to go for comfort, not for a look.
In terms of nutrition, make sure you are well hydrated. Do not eat too close as in two to three hours before your work out time. Eat minimum with the right proportion of food.
Bring your water along, preferably cold water, to be sipped regularly; to ensure the body gets the proper hydration.
However, above all, if you get to choose your own time to exercise, do not do it when the sun is scorching hot. Find a rather shady or air-conditioned area.
Q: What are other indoor activities that can be done during hot weather?
A: Well, there are a lot of things we can do but what is your preferred choice? As for me, I prefer to go to exercise to keep me healthy.
However, there are people who exercise for sports and games and there are also people who do it for leisure. It is based on personal choice. I would go for maximizing my time to do something that will be beneficial to me.
The tips that Prof. shares with us are all beneficial and give us some insight on how to be fit in a heat wave. I hope you guys would find this as helpful. May we all stay healthy and do activities that we enjoy even during disturbing weather.
bahaya dadah sintetik
bahaya dadah sintetik
by Shamimi, Yasmin, Munirah, Shahira, Umi
Suatu ketika dahulu penggunaan dadah candu yang dibawa dari China dadah merupakan paling terkenal.
Kini, penggunaan dadah sintentik seperti syabu dan heroin bukan lagi asing di negara Malaysia. Tidak seperti ganja ataupun ketum, dadah jenis sintetik popular dalam kalangan muda kerana ianya mudah didapati dan murah berbanding dadah tradisional.
Menurut laporan Dadah dunia, ia menjangkakan lebih ramai yang akan menggunakan dadah sintetik berbanding Opium, Heroin dan Kokain.
Tidak seperti marijuana dan kokain, dadah sintetik bukan datang daripada tumbuhan tetapi buatan manusia.
Dadah jenis sintetik yang diklasifikasikan sebagai “New Psychotic Drugs” (NPS) meninggalkan kesan bahaya terhadap para remaja seperti bertindak di luar kawalan dan menyebabkan gangguan mental kekal.
Pegawai Penguatkuasaan Am Bahagian Narkotik Ibu Pejabat Daerah Ampang, Inspektor Mohd Razail berkata dadah ini sering diseludup secara haram melalui tiga laluan utama iaitu udara, darat dan laut.
“Dadah berbahaya ini selalunya dibawa masuk melalui laluan sempadan darat Kedah, Thailand dan Perlis. Untuk laluan air, selalunya dibawa masuk ke Sabah melalui Filipina menggunakan feri atau motor bot.
”Selalunya apabila kami lakukan rampasan, syabu yang berbentuk serbuk kristal yang selalu dijumpai.
Syabu merupakan dadah yang paling kerap dirampas berbanding dengan dadah-dadah sintetik yang lain tambahnya lagi.
”Untuk mengecam seseorang terlibat dengan dadah ini, keadaan fizikal individu tersebut akan pucat, muka cengkung, mata kemerahan dan kelihatan berusia.
Bukan itu sahaja, menurut Pakar Psikiatri dan Psikiatri Penagihan Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Dr. Mohd. Fazli Mohamad lsa dalam laporan Kosmo, pengguna dadah berbahaya ini akan menyebabkan mereka berhalusinasi seperti mendengar suara atau melihat imej-imej yang tidak dilihat orang lain.
Berdasarkan rekod Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia, rekod dalam tiga tahun iaitu 2015-2017, empat negeri telah mencatatkan peningkatan bilangan penagih dadah dalam tempoh ini iaitu Kelantan (3,700), Terengganu (2,044), Sabah (1,047) dan Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan (22) orang.
Menurut Inspektor Mohd Razail, apabila penagih dadah sintetik ditangkap bersama dadah tersebut, proses penghapusan merupakan proses paling akhir dalam prosedur pengurusan dadah yang dirampas.
“Selepas tangkapan dibuat daripada pegawai operasi, bahan tersebut akan diserahkan untuk rekod dan pegawai penyiasat akan menyerahkan bahan itu kepada Jabatan Kimia untuk mengesahkan bahan tersebut dan mengeluarkan laporan kesahihan dan berat dadah sintetik tersebut.
Apabila dadah sintetik sudah disahkan oleh Jabatan Kimia, pihak polis berkuasa untuk membuat pertuduhan terhadap suspek berdasarkan berat bersih dadah yang dirampas. Kes yang dijatuh hukum dan didapati bersalah sahaja akan melalui proses penghapusan dadah tambahnya lagi.
“Pelupusan dadah sintetik mempunyai cara yang tersendiri dan pihak polis akan merujuk pihak alam sekitar mengikut jenis dadah tersebut dan selalunya kaedah pelupusan dengan menanam ke tanah akan dielakkan.
Hal ini kerana, faktor alam sekitar diambil kira kerana dadah sintetik memberikan kesan yang buruk walaupun untuk menghapuskan bahan itu.
Inspektor juga menyatakan bahawa walaupun dadah sintetik ini mempunyai harga yang tinggi di pasaran, namun itu tidak menghalang penggunanya mengambil dadah tersebut kerana kesannya yang lagi kuat dan keras berbanding dadah biasa.
Tidak hairanlah permintaan dadah sintetik di Malaysia semakin tinggi dari tahun ke tahun. Inspektor Mohd Razail menyimpulkan permulaan kepada kencah ini bermula dari pengawasan dan ajaran ibu bapa, sebagai mana acuan, begitulah kuihnya.
Teknologi Ikan Hiasan
Teknologi Ikan Hiasan
Oleh: Ahmad, Iqbal, Firdaus, Balqish
Pusat Ikan Hiasan Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan merupakan kemudahan pemuliharaan akuarium dan laut yang dikendalikan oleh Jabatan Perikanan Malaysia. Tempat ini ditubuhkan pada 2015 dan merupakan pusat pemeliharaan yang menampung lebih kurang 40 jenis ikan hiasan.
Pusat ini diselenggara dan beroperasi di bawah Jabatan Perikanan Malaysia dan berfungsi bagi menggalakkan pembangunan industri ikan hiasan sebagai satu bidang baru di negara ini dan merupakan pusat kajian ternakan ikan hiasan marin pertama.
Pusat ini mempunyai teknologi penapisan airnya yang tersendiri yang mampu memastikan kebersihan dan kelangsungan hidup hidupan laut di sini.
Hidupan marin memerlukan penjagaan dan rawatan rapi untuk memastikan mereka tidak menerima pelbagai penyakit yang berbahaya. Staf atau pekerja di pusat ikan hiasan ini akan sentiasa memastikan air yang digunakan untuk habitat hidupan marin di ini bersih.
Pusat ini mendapatkan air laut semula jadi iaitu air laut dalam di mana paip bawah tanah disalurkan sehingga satu kilometer panjang melalui sistem pasang surut air laut.
Selepas itu, apabila air pasang, air laut akan masuk ke tangki simpanan dan seterusnya akan dipam ke dalam rumah pam untuk disimpan dalam kuantiti sebanyak yang boleh.
Air laut yang baru dipam dari tangki simpanan akan disimpan untuk tempoh satu malam supaya kotoran dan keladak air laut itu menjadi mendap terlebih dahulu sebelum dibawa ke proses seterusnya.
Air laut yang disimpan akan melalui proses penapisan sebelum digunakan oleh pusat ikan hiasan tersebut untuk keselesaan hidupan marin d situ.
Di Pusat Ikan Hiasan Port Dickson, terdapat sebanyak enam tangki penapisan, iaitu terdiri daripada dua tangki untuk menapis sabun, dua tangki untuk menapis minyak dan dua lagi tangki untuk menyimpan air bersih yang telah ditapis.
Air laut perlu dipastikan bersih sebelum digunakan pada akuarium yang merupakan sistem ternakan bagi hidupan laut seperti ikan hiasan dan terumbu karang. Sistem ini dilengkapi dengan penapis, Bioball dan Protein Skimmer.
Protein Skimmer
Protein Skimmer berfungsi untuk menapis kotoran yang lebih halus, supaya tidak masuk ke dalam sistem air ternakan. Perkara ini sudah tentu bagi memastikan agar kualiti air dapat dijaga dengan rapi. Air yang bersih dan berkualiti menjamin kelangsungan hidup ikan hiasan, kuda laut, batu karang dan pelbagai hidupan marin yang lain.
Pautan Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmaefSVWAOA
Sumber: Ahmad Sabri bin Katiman, pembantu perikanan.
Hutan Khazanah Negara
Hutan Khazanah Negara
Oleh: Dayang Hania, Fadhli, Noralia, Fadhilah
Pada 21 Mac setiap tahun seluruh dunia menyambut Hari Hutan Antarabangsa. Tarikh ini penting untuk kesejahteraan manusia dan pengekalan kepelbagaian biologi negara.
Malaysia hingga kini berupaya mengekalkan sejumlah 56.4 peratus daripada keluasan tanah negara sebagai tanah berhutan.
Peratusan ini patut dibanggakan kerana banyak negara luar yang tidak berupaya berbuat demikian kerana kebanyakan hutan mereka telah dibuka untuk pembangunan infrastruktur yang berlebihan.
Hutan Simpan Dara
Hutan simpan dara merupakan jenis hutan yang masih belum dilakukan kerja-kerja pengusaha hasilan ke atasnya manakala hutan simpan kekal pula merupakan kawasan hutan yang dibolehkan untuk aktiviti pengusaha hasilan.
Aktiviti Penyelenggaraan
Dari segi penyelenggaraan hutan ini, pegawai hutan yang bertugas akan menumpukan perhatian kepada sesuatu kawasan yang diluluskan untuk penghasilan.
“Antara kerja-kerja yang dijalankan adalah seperti pengukuran sempadan, menetapkan had batas tebangan dan simpanan biji benih,” kata Pengawai Hutan, Nordin Bin Mohd Nasir.
Hutan simpan dara hanya akan diselenggara ketika projek mengayakan hutan atau penanaman kawasan lapang diadakan.
“Ketika aktiviti mengayakan hutan, pihak jabatan perhutanan akan menanam spesis pokok yang dominan di sesuatu kawasan lapang yang lebih tertumpu pada tanaman jenis damar seperti meranti, merawar dan keruing ,” kata Nordin.
Rawatan hutan
Tambah beliau lagi, rawatan pertama yang dilakukan adalah selepas tiga bulan penanaman pokok bagi menghentikan tanaman anak pokok yang telah mati.
Rawatan seterusnya akan dilakukan pada enam bulan pertama bagi menjalankan rawatan pemangkasan.
Empat Pegawai hutan akan ditugaskan untuk menyelia dan memantau kerja-kerja yang dilakukan oleh pihak yang berlesen bagi mengekalkan kesejahteraan hutan simpan.
“Aktiviti pemantauan oleh pegawai hutan adalah bertumpu pada kawasan bumper zone iaitu antara sungai dan kawasan pengusaha hasilan dengak jarak 20 meter kiri dan 20 meter kanan.”
Denda dan kompaun kepada penceroboh
Kawasan hutan yang diceroboh akan dikenakan denda seperti contoh, menebang dibawah had batas tebangan, pihak pegawai hutan akan menilai ganti rugi dengan tiga kali ganda nilai pasaran.
Sesuatu kawasan hutan akan dilakukan aktiviti bancian terlebih dahulu untuk menentukan hak batas tebangan bagi sesuatu kawasan yang untuk diusaha hasilkan.
Sebahagian pokok yang bertanda cat merah adalah ditandakan untuk menentukan kawasan sempadan kawasan lesen yang diluluskan manakala cat warna kuning adalah untuk menentukan zon penampalan arus sungai.
Hutan haruslah diselenggara dengan baik untuk memastikan sesuatu kawasan hutan dapat mengeluarkan hasil setiap 30 tahun seperti taburan biji benih dan pokok yang berukuran 30 ke 40 sentimeter yang ditentukan ketika bancian selepas tebangan.
Video Youtube Hutan Khazanah Negara (https://youtu.be/1MBqf7bx73w )
KONSERVASI KUDA LAUT
KONSERVASI KUDA LAUT
Oleh: Siti Suraya & Arishah Ainol
Pusat Ikan Hiasan Teluk Kemang adalah salah satu pusat yang melaksanakan proses konserversi haiwan marin dan antaranya adalah kuda laut.
Ianya adalah inspirasi daripada Ketua Pengarah Perikanan, Datuk Ismail Abu Hassan serta disokong sepenuhnya Pengarah Kanan Bahagian Biosekuriti Perikanan, Dr. Marzuki Hashim bagi mengatasi masalah penurunan spesis kuda laut, penyu, dan terumbu karang.
Kuda laut adalah antara salah satu haiwan yang tinggal di perairan tropikal dan subtropikal Ianya antara haiwan marin yang dijaga di bawah pemantauan Pusat Ikan Hiasan, Port Dickson.
Hidupan marin ini bergerak dengan lambat. Antara fakta yang menarik tentang haiwan marin ini juga, ianya merupakan satu-satunya spesies dimana kuda laut jantan melakukan proses pembiakan.
Pusat Ikan Hiasan ini melakukan pelbagai usaha untuk meningkatkan populasi kuda laut khususnya di perairan semenanjung Malaysia.
Buat pengetahuan semua, populasi haiwan ini semakin menurun kerana pelbagai faktor dan ini amatlah membimbangkan. Antara faktor yang menyebabkan hidupan ini terancam ialah apabila sesetengah pengamal perubatan tradisional mempercayai haiwan marin ini memiliki khasiat tertentu, selain ianya juga dijadikan haiwan hiasan di akuarium. Faktor pencemaran dan juga kehilangan habitat menjadi antara penyebab utama spesis unik ini semakin berkurangan.
Menurut Pembantu Perikanan Pusat Ikan Hiasan, Ahmad Sabri Katiman menerangkan bahawa mereka sudah melebihi fasa kedua dan seterusnya anak-anak kuda laut tersebut akan dilepaskan di perairan Port Dickson.
“ Kami melakukan proses ini menggunakan sistem putaran air iaitu antara sistem yang paling sesuai bagi penyelidikan kuda laut dan kami menggunakan kuda laut induk di semenanjung Malaysia.
Usaha murni Pusat Ikan Hiasan ini mendapat sambutan yang baik dan pusat ini berjaya membiakkan sebanyak 40 ekor kuda laut. Jabatan ini berhasrat mengembangkan teknologi pembiakan kuda laut jika kajian tersebut berjaya sepenuhnya.
Kuda laut adalah antara spesis yang tidak dilindungi di bawah undang-undang kecuali spesis yang tinggal di taman laut, dan ini tidak mencukupi.
Kuda laut yang tidak tinggal di taman laut terus-terusan diburu dan diproses dijadikan ubat-ubatan serta barang aksesori. Perkara ini sepatutnya dikaji dengan lebih mendalam oleh pihak berwajib dan kemukakan jalan penyelesaian agar
“Di perairan Malaysia, kuda laut boleh didapati kebanyakannya di Sabah dan Sarawak,” katanya.
Tanggungjawab terhadap hidupan ini haruslah digalas oleh semua pihak dan bukan sahaja pihak bertanggungjawab. Antara usaha kecil yang boleh dilakukan oleh masyarakat adalah tidak membuang sampah dan mengotorkan kawasan disekitar pantai kerana pencemaran air juga memberi impak yang besar kepada hidupan marin.
KONSERVASI PENYU
KONSERVASI PENYU
Oleh: Anis Qistina & Amirah Hazuanie
Penyu ialah haiwan yang mempunyai cangkerang yang keras di bahagian belakang dengan kaki pendayung di hadapan.
Ini menjadikan penyu sebagai haiwan yang pantas berenang di lautan tetapi kekok untuk bergerak di daratan. Penyu belimbing ialah penyu yang terbesar. Berukuran antara 2-3 meter (6-9 kaki) lebar, mencapai berat hingga 700 kilogram.
Penyu boleh dijumpai di kesemua lautan kecuali wilayah berhampiran polar bumi. Penyu-penyu ini mendiami kawasan pantas benua yang mempunyai banyak tumbuhan marin sebagai makanan. Di Malaysia, Rantau Abang, Terengganu, merupakan salah satu dari empat tempat tempat pilihan penyu belimbing untuk bertelur.
Menurut Encik Ahmad Sabri Katiman, seorang pegawai penyeliaan Pusat Konservasi penyu dan kuda laut Port Dickson, beliau berkata:
"Antara ancaman yang dihadapi oleh penyu adalah perburuan daging dan telurnya secara haram"
Selain itu, serpihan-serpihan yang bersepah di laut menjadi ancaman paling besar terhadap penyu, terutamanya bekas-bekas plastik, dan pukat-pukat jaring ikan yang disalah sangka obor-obor atau makanannya oleh penyu. Serpihan yang dimakan ini akan tersangkut di perut dan akan menyebabkan kematian haiwan ini.
Oleh itu, Pusat Konservasi ini juga menyediakan satu aktiviti pemuliharaan anak-anak penyu yang baru sahaja menetas di mana mereka akan menjemput pelajar-pelajar sekolah untuk menyertai aktiviti tersebut bagi mempelajari proses pemuliharaan penyu.
Aktiviti ini selalunya diadakan pada musim penetasan telur penyu di mana mereka akan melihat bagaimana penjagaan penyu dilakukan oleh penyelia Pusat Konservasi tersebut.
Ini kerana kalau 200 telur menetas hanya sebilangan sahaja yang akan selamat berenang ke laut manakala yang tidak selamat selalunya di makan haiwan liar seperti burung, biawak dan yang lain lagi.
Disebabkan itu, pihak Pusat Konservasi mengadakan program seperti ini agar dapat menarik minat golongan muda untuk menyertai aktiviti bermanfaat di masa lapang mereka.
Encik Ahmad Sabri turut meluahkan harapan beliau agar golongan muda akan meneruskan kerja pemuliharaan ini diteruskan oleh mereka kerana bilangan penyu semakin lama semakin kurang. Jika tiada sebarang perubahan dilakukan, spesis ini akan pupus
Bukan itu sahaja, Jabatan Perikanan Malaysia turut melaksana, menyelia dan mengurus pelbagai program ialah penyu karah, penyu hijau, penyu belimbing dan penyu lipas. Penyu-penyu ini dilindungi oleh akta dan enakmen negeri sepenuhnya seperti Akta Perikanan 1985.
Pemuliharaan penyu amatlah penting bagi warga golongan muda yang akan datang sebagai rujukan dan panduan akan datang.
BANCIAN HUTAN PENYELESAIAN ISU PEMBALAKAN
BANCIAN HUTAN PENYELESAIAN ISU PEMBALAKAN
Oleh: Nur Amirah, Alliya Damanhuri, Husna dan Zulaikha
Secara amnya, Malaysia diliputi kira – kira 55 peratus hutan yang kaya dengan pelbagai jenis flora dan fauna dan Hutan Simpan Sungai Menyala merupakan salah satu hutan dara yang masih wujud di Semenanjung Malaysia. Struktur geografinya menunjukkan hutan ini merupakan Hutan Dipterokarp Tanah Pamah yang merupakan hutan jenis terluas dan terbesar di Asia Tenggara.
Hutan Simpan Dara Sungai Menyala mempunyai keluasan 1,305 hektar dan terletak pada ketinggian 20 meter hingga 40 meter dari aras laut dan di hutan ini diselia dan dipelihara dengan rapi dimana tiada sebarang bentuk aktiviti pembalakan dijalankan di sini.
JENIS KLASIFIKASI POKOK BALAK
Menurut Encik Nordin Mohd Nasir, Pegawai Hutan G22, terdapat pelbagai jenis pokok di Hutan Simpan Sungai Menyala dan tarikan utama adalah pokok hutan jenis Meranti seperti Meranti Merah, Mersawa dan Jelutung.
“Pokok Balak Jelutung merupakan sejenis kayu yang bergetah putih, dan getahnya manis. Manakala, pokok balak Mersawa adalah sejenis kayu damar yang mengeluarkan damar berfungsi untuk merawat penyakit.
“Setiap jenis Keruing mempunyai bau, berat dan warna yang tersendiri, dimana melalui warna kayu tersebut kita dapat membezakan jenis kayu tersebut.
Kayu jenis Keruing adalah merupakan kayu jenis kelas sederhana berat yang mempunyai warna kemerah – merahan. Manakala, Pokok Balak Jelutung merupakan kayu jenis ringan yang berwarna putih, dan Mersawa merupakan kayu jenis sederhana ringan yang berwana emas kekuningan.
SISTEM PENGURUSAN TERPILIH
Sebagaimana yang diketahui, nilai komersil yang terdapat pada pokok balak menjadikan pembalakan haram sebagai penyebab utama kemusnahan hutan dan aktiviti ini memberi kesan buruk kepada alam sekitar. Namun, isu pembalakan dapat dikawal dengan menggunapakai amalan sistem pe ngurusan hutan yang berkekalan.
Selective Management System (SMS) atau Sistem Pengurusan Memilih bertujuan untuk mengurus pengeluaran atau penuain balak di dalam hutan. Di bawah sistem SMS, pokok-pokok yang dipilih untuk tebangan adalah berdasarkan batas tebangan yang fleksibel yang mengambil kira jumlah stok dirian hutan yang sedia ada dalam setiap kawasan yang akan diusahasil.
Menurut Nordin Mohd Nasir, Sistem Perhutanan Terpilih atau bancian hutan digunakan di Hutan Simpan Sungai Menyala bagi menjaga sepenuhnya populasi pokok-pokok hutan. Melalui aktiviti ini, maklumat bilangan spesies dan saiz pokok, kualiti dan kuantiti sumber hutan serta cirinya yang pelbagai seperti spesies, dapat direkodkan.
“Sistem ini akan memastikan jumlah pokok bersaiz sederhana (30 – 40 cm) mencukupi dalam bancian dirian tinggal setelah pengusahasilan. Baki pokok yang disimpan akan menjamin hutan yang ditanam semula tersebut akan mempunyai stok yang mencukupi untuk tebangan seterusnya dalam satu tempoh 30 tahun atau 55 tahun yang ditetapkan.
“Setiap pokok tidak boleh ditebang dan perlu melalui proses bancian sebelum dapat dituai, dan sistem ini dapat membantu mengehadkan pokok yang akan ditebang, tambah beliau.”
AKTA PEMBALAKAN
Secara umum antara sebab punca pembalakan haram adalah permintaan melebihi penawaran dalam pasaran, kurang rondaan penguatkuasaan, harga kayu balak yang semakin tinggi di pasaran dan kesempatan mengamalkan rasuah oleh segelintir pegawai yang tidak bertanggungjawab.
Menurut En Zulkifli Zainal, Pembantu Awam di Hutan Simpan Sungai Menyala, bagi memastikan Hutan Simpan Dara Sungai Menyala dipelihara, Pihak Perhutanan melakukan rondaan sekurang – kurangnya empat kali sebulan bagi mengelakkan dari berlakunya pembalakan haram serta memastikan pokok-pokok hutan tersebut dijaga dengan baik.
Sekiranya berlaku perlanggaran, semua tuduhan akan dibuat mengikut Akta Perhutanan Negara 1984 (Pindaan 1993) dan prosedur pertuduhan ini dibuat menggunakan kod prosedur jenayah dan ada pesalah yang pernah dipenjarakan.
Akta Perhutanan Negara 1984 ini dipinda dan dikuatkuasakan pada 1993 di mana penalti yang dikenakan kepada pencerobohan hutan dinaikkan kepada RM500,000 dan penjara tidak melebihi 20 tahun dengan penjara mandatori tidak kurang dari 1 tahun.
Berikutan isu pembalakan yang tiada kesudahan, jumlah denda kepada kesalahan membalak secara haram telah dinaikkan dari RM10,000 kepada RM500,000 dan penjara mandatori tidak kurang daripada satu tahun tetapi tidak melebihi 20 tahun dikuatkuasakan sejak 1993.
Jerat - Sumber Makanan Orang Asli
Jerat - Sumber Makanan Orang Asli
Oleh; Naimmullah, Amnan, Ishakirin, Ridhwan
Ibu-bapa di Malaysia terutamanya di sekitar ibu kota sering menemui jalan buntu untuk mencari tempat percutian ataupun beriadah buat anak-anak setiap kali tibanya musim cuti persekolahan.
Kebanyakan tempat percutian di Malaysia seperti pulau dan taman tema kerap kali tidak berjaya memberi manfaat kepada anak-anak selain daripada hanya bersuka ria.
Namun kini, ibu bapa tidak lagi perlu risau dan khuatir apabila memikirkan tempat untuk membawa anak-anak bercuti sambil bersuka ria apabila Pusat Edu-Eco Tourism Sungai Menyala kini menawarkan peluang untuk golongan kanak-kanak mengisi masa cuti mereka di samping belajar menikmati keindahan alam.
Pusat Edu-Eco Tourism Sungai Menyala yang terletak di Teluk Kemang berhampiran dengan pusat peranginan terkenal, Port Dickson kini dibuka untuk orang ramai bermula seawal jam 8 pagi sehingga jam 6 petang setiap Isnin hingga Ahad, namun, jika ada permintaan untuk aktiviti malam, mereka akan melanjutkan waktu operasi.
Dengan keluasan lebih 1000 hektar, pusat pelancongan pendidikan yang dikendalikan oleh Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri Sembilan ini adalah merupakan hutan dipterokarp pamah yang masih terdapat di pesisiran Pantai Semenanjung Malaysia.
Untuk merasai sendiri pengalaman berada di sana, pada awal November lalu, kami telah berpeluang untuk ke Pusat Edu-Eco Tourism Sungai Menyala yang hanya terletak 30 kilometer dari Bandar Seremban dan hanya 12 kilometer daripada pusat peranginan Port Dickson. Pusat ini juga mempunyai pelbagai kemudahan seperti pusat penginapan, dewan makan dan terbuka, surau serta Galeri Orang Asli dan juga Galeri Perhutanan.
Antara yang menarik disini ialah sebuah galeri yang memaparkan tentang kehidupan orang asli di sekitar Negeri Sembilan.
Ramai yang tidak tahu, masyarakat orang asli merupakan komuniti kecil dinegara ini, dan secara rasminya dibahagikan kepada tiga kumpulan etnik iaitu, Negrito, Senoi dan Melayu-Proto.
Galeri yang diberi nama Galeri Penghuni Belantara ini, ada memaparkan gaya hidup dan budaya orang asli itu sendiri.
Namun, apa yang menarik perhatian kami ialah pameran replika jerat-jerat yang lazim digunakan oleh masyarakat orang asli untuk mendapatkan sumber makanan.
Jerat Ranjau
Jerat ini digunakan untuk memerangkap haiwan-haiwan liar seperti khinzir. Jerat ini menggunakan beberapa batang kayu yang diasah menjadi tajam dan diletakkan di batu atau kayu yang tersorok. Sebelum dipasang, kita perlu memastikan laluan haiwan tersebut dengan melihat denai yang telah ditinggalkan.
Jerat Tupai
Jerat yang digunakan untuk menjerat haiwan seperti tupai. Jerat ini tidak memerlukan bahan yang banyak, hanya memerlukan beberapa batang kayu, tali ataupun benang.
Jerat Lentik
Jerat untuk haiwan atas darat seperti burung wak-wak dan arnab. Jerat ini menggunakan daun sebagai umpan. Tali yang diikat bakal menjerut kaki haiwan yang termakan umpan.
Jerat Ayam Hutan
Jerat untuk mendapatkan ayam hutan sebagai makanan. Selalunya, jerat ini hanya digunakan untuk keluarga orang asli yang beragama Islam bagi mendapatkan sumber makanan yang halal.
Oleh: Fatin Abdul, Syafiqah Arof, Ruhaida Razali, Nabila Ahmad
Oleh: Fatin Abdul, Syafiqah Arof, Ruhaida Razali, Nabila Ahmad
PORT DICKSON - Malaysia tersenarai antara salah sebuah negara pengeluaran produk herba utama di Asia yang menempatkan lebih 12,000 spesies tumbuhan iaitu 2,000 spesies daripadanya mengandungi nilai perubatan.
Antara lokasi yang membangunkan tumbuhan herba di Malaysia termasuklah Pusat Edu-Ecotourism Sungai Menyala yang terletak di bawah tanggungjawab Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri Sembilan bagi membekalkan pengetahuan kepada pengunjung akan ilmu perubatan tradisional.
Spesies tumbuhan herba yang terdapat di pusat ini termasuklah Tongkat Ali, Belalai Gajah, Kacip Fatimah, Misai Kucing, Ganda Rusa, Mata Pelanduk, Tembaga Suasa, Pecah Beling, Mahkota Dewa dan lain-lain tumbuhan herba.
Walau bagaimanapun, tumbuhan Mahkota Dewa menjadi tarikan utama daripada spesies lain memandangkan cirinya yang unik serta memiliki khasiat tersembunyi.
Mahkota Dewa
Mahkota Dewa, atau dalam bahasa saintifiknya Phaleria Macrocarpa, dikenali sebagai salah satu tanaman yang berunsurkan perubatan di Indonesia.
Kini, tumbuhan ini telah menjalar hampir di seluruh dunia kerana keistimewaannya yang senang tumbuh dan dijaga telah menjadikan Mahkota Dewa antara tanaman popular untuk ditanam.
Penulis turut berkesempatan menemubual seorang pegawai pusat hutan simpan sungai menyala, Mohd Rasul Ismail, 42, yang bertanggungjawab dalam memelihara spesies herba yang terdapat di pusat ini.
Pegawai hutan, Mohd Rasul Ismail
Menurut beliau, spesies Mahkota Dewa ini memerlukan struktur tanah lembap dalam mempercepatkan proses tunas di samping memerlukan penyiraman air jika ditanam di kawasan yang terdedah panas.
"Biasanya ketinggian tumbuhan ini sekitar 1 hingga 2 meter bagi tempoh lima tahun ditanam dan dijaga dengan baik. Bagaimanapun, kadar pertumbuhan ini bergantung kepada jenis tanah dan penyelenggarannya.
‘’Akarnya yang tunjang sesuai ditanam di dalam pasu yang bersaiz besar dan dibuat cantasan sewajarnya untuk mengawal kadar berlaku pertumbuhannya. Akan tetapi, penanaman atas tanah adalah cara yang terbaik untuk menanam Mahkota Dewa,’’ tambah Rasul.
Ulas beliau lagi, tumbuhan ini juga memerlukan nutrisi yang cukup seperti penggunaan baja jenis 15-15-15 bagi daun yang cantik serta baja jenis Bacto-10 untuk akar dan batangnya.
Di samping itu, tumbuhan mahkota dewa memiliki khasiat tersembunyi antaranya mengubati kencing manis, mengurangkan kadar kolestrol serta melancarkan perjalanan darah.
Mahkota Dewa berwarna hijau kerana buahnya masih muda
Waspada Mahkota Dewa
Meskipun terdapat pelbagai manfaat Mahkota Dewa, ramai yang tidak mengetahui kesan sampingan buah ini jika tidak digunakan dengan betul.
Kesan tersebut seperti bijinya yang kecil dapat menyebabkan lidah menjadi kaku, hilang deria rasa, bengkak pada mulut, demam, sakit perut, mual dan pitam kerana biji tersebut merupakan bahagian yang paling beracun.
Selain itu, wanita hamil tidak sesuai mengamalkan buah Mahkota Dewa kerana akan membahayakan kondisi bayi sekali gus mengakibatkan keguguran.
Bagi wanita yang datang bulan, risiko anemia boleh terjadi seperti kurang penafasan, sakit kepala serta kekejangan kaki.
Sedar atau tidak, tumbuhan herba bukan sahaja digunakan dalam perubatan tetapi juga dalam masakan serta kosmetik di samping memberi sumbangan kepada negara melalui hasil dan produk yang dikeluarkan.
Oleh demikian, tanggungjawab menjaga herba ini bukanlah sepenuhnya terletak di bahu kerajaan mahupun institusi berkaitan, justeru masyarakat perlu bersama bekerjasama dalam memelihara khazanah bumi ini agar generasi akan datang dapat turut merasai nikmat warisan herba.
Susu Nabi
Pokok Salam
Serapat
Asam Belimbing
GO hARD OR GO HOME
GO hARD OR GO HOME
Footballers may be at risks for its inevitable side effects
Footballers may be at risks for its inevitable side effects
by: Adlan Farhan, Hasnina Hisham, Noor Hidayah, Nurul Aizleen
Football or more commonly referred to soccer in the United States is the most popular sports throughout the entire world. Football exists back many centuries ago, football is played by young children, college students and professionals.
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is the most popular and awaited football competition. It is held only once in four years and every country is looking forward to participate in FIFA World Cup. The defending champion is France, which won its second title in Russia during last year’s World Cup.
A game of football usually takes more than 90-minutes and players need to be in their best form throughout the entire game to win the match. It is an intense experience and could affect your whole body, from your brain to your feet.
Playing football requires high level of cardiovascular and muscular fitness. That is why maintaining well balanced stamina is crucial in a game of football. Mostly your legs will do the job, but football also uses many other muscles as well.
For example, you will also use your head, both physically and mentally. Meaning that having a strong mind-body connection is very important. When playing football or even any other sports, having body strength is important but having good mental health is another thing.
Every second on the pitch, players needed to make decisions in a very short time and this is when good mind comes into play. Having problems to synchronise with your mind and body will eventually lead to failures to perform during the game.
There are no denying that injuries are already a part of football. Almost every single game, there will be an injury. Sometimes, injuries also could occur off the pitch. Perhaps during training or friendlies. However, with proper and sufficient training can reduce your risk of getting an injury.
Cardiovascular Fitness
Every sport has its side effects and football is no exception. However, there are some good side effect of playing football and one of it is ability to improve your cardiovascular fitness level. Cardiovascular fitness is, the efficiency of your heart, lungs and vascular system to supply oxygen to your muscles and brain.
Running involves moving large muscle groups, like your legs, which causes your heart beat and respiration to increase. During a non-extra periodical game, the average player runs about seven miles throughout the whole 90 minutes. With a combination of long and short sprints along with minutes of jogging. Your body will be in tremendous cardiovascular shape if you are able to play for a full game.
Muscular Strength
Cardiovascular fitness alone is never enough, football demands a great deal of muscular strength. Player must be able to execute insane speed of sprints, guarding an opponent and shoot the ball 50 metres away from the goal. All of these requires high level of muscular strength.
As simple as shooting a ball also requires multiple of muscles. Consistency is they key in making sure a player has enough muscular strength to perform his best during a match. However, muscular imbalances, could actually lead players to multiple injuries ranging from head to feet. Though running and skill drills are an important part of practice, strength training is equally valuable.
Mental health
Just like any other sports, football is highly competitive game. Having a good mental health will definitely help players to lasts 90 minutes on the pitch. Pressure is what always bother players to be in their best from even though their body and muscle is at top of the game during that time.
Many football players are diagnosed with depression mainly due to the fact that they can not withstand the pressure that is being put on them. Pressure can come from different type of form. For example, players are under pressure when your club is winning and more so when the team is losing and over time this pressure can get too much. Just imagine a stadium filled with 80,000 fans are putting that pressure onto you.
It also could happen off the pitch and usually it happens to famous player because media will be piling the pressure on too. Players might also be put under pressure from others in the club, team mates, supporters, peer group, managers and coaches.
Injuries
Injuries, which are common in a football match, it will also impact your body. Bruises, pulls, tears and sprains occur most often in your legs, though they can happen anywhere. Football injuries are divided into traumatic and overuse injuries. Overuse can also lead to overtraining syndrome, when a player trains beyond the ability for the body to recover. Competing continuously for months and years leads to tendinitis, shin splints and joint problems.
During tournaments, where you may play more than one game per day, you run the risk of pulling muscles from overuse and fatigue. Your upper leg muscles, the hamstrings and quadriceps, are most commonly strained or pulled. Maintaining fitness, stretching and getting enough rest can help prevent injuries.
Football Player is Easily Injured
Soccer players are uniquely susceptible to muscle strains and ligament sprains due to the quick changes in direction, lateral movements, pivoting and the rapid accelerations and decelerations involved in the sport. The hamstrings, adductors (groin) and other muscles around the hip and thigh are particularly susceptible.
Contusions (bruises) are also common due to contact with other players and the pitch. The body does not get enough rest and not well-prepared. When the body does not get enough rest, muscle and soft tissues such as tendons and ligaments, tend to get overused injuries.
The wrong techniques when playing football
Sometimes, we've seen a fallen player crash suddenly after kicking the ball without any contact from the opponent. This type of players will often suffer injuries because of having a wrong kickoff technique, wrong landing technique and wrong bending technique.
The injuries they always experience are the tightness of the muscles in the joints, the hamstring pull in the quadriceps and the worst part, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
Long Term Effects of Playing Football
Football also has an impact on your head and brain. Because it requires quick changes of pace and technical agility movements, the connections between your brain and body strengthen. The game is also fluid, meaning there are few set patterns and plays your brain is constantly computing new strategies and courses of action.
Brain damage that is likely to occur with soccer heading. Source: Business Insider Malaysia
Your head is also used to move the ball, which can, unfortunately, lead to concussions. All concussions are serious and change a student-athlete’s behavior, thinking or physical functioning. Recognition and proper response to concussions when they first occur can help prevent further injury or even death. Soccer heading produces progressive brain damage and leads to heartbreaking dementia later in life.
A retired NFL player’s PET scan. The yellow and red blotches indicate tau deposition. Source: Business Insider Malaysia
The researchers studied 14 retired soccer players who died having been diagnosed with dementia, and 12 out of 14 of them had advanced dementia. Their neurological symptoms began in midlife, only 15-20 years following their retirement from play.
The researchers obtained permission to study the brains of six players. Under the microscope, all six brains showed evidence of the abnormal tau protein accumulation typical of Alzheimer’s dementia, and four of the six brains revealed the classic damage associated with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
According to a 2010 study published in "Brain Injury," most athletes do not know they have a concussion. They experience symptoms after a game but are often not diagnosed or treated. If the ball hits the wrong part of your head and you feel dizzy, talk to the athletic trainer immediately to rule out concussion.
KENALI PILIHAN MINUMAN ANDA
KENALI PILIHAN MINUMAN ANDA
MENGAPA MINUMAN ISOTONIK PILIHAN UTAMA ATLET?
MENGAPA MINUMAN ISOTONIK PILIHAN UTAMA ATLET?
oleh: Hani, Syahirah, Hafizah, Redzuan
Adakah anda bersukan? Pasti anda pernah mendengar minuman isotonik. Dalam rutin seharian bersukan, badan semestinya memerlukan tenaga. Namun, adakah anda pasti anda mengambil minuman yang betul? Seringkali kita keliru antara minuman isotonik dan minuman bertenaga.
Memandangkan setiap minuman mempunyai fungsi yang berbeza, maka adalah penting untuk mengetahui minuman yang sesuai untuk kegiatan mereka yang bersukan. Minuman isotonik yang mengandungi karbohidrat seperti gula dan vitamin berperanan untuk menggantikan air dan elektrolit yang hilang melalui peluhan. Manakala kandungan utama minuman bertenaga pula adalah kaffein yang membantu meningkatkan konsentrasi.
Terdapat pro dan kontra dalam minuman sukan termasuk juga lah yang membekalkan tenaga serta mencegah nyah-hidrat. Minuman isotonik adalah lebih baik dalam menggalakkan penghidratan berbanding lain-lain minuman kerana ianya mempunyai gula, garam dan vitamin yang dijangka menggantikan elektrolit yang hilang apabila seseorang melakukan senaman berlebihan. Antara contoh minuman isotonik adalah 100Plus, Excel, Aquarius, Isoplus, dan Gatorade.
Bagi sesiapa yang giat bersukan melebihi 60 minit dalam sesuatu tempoh, mereka disarankan untuk mengambil minuman isotonik ini manakala bagi mereka yang kurang bersukan dari 60 minit, mereka dinasihatkan agar tidak mengambil mahupun mengamalkan dalam rutin harian. Minuman isotonik sememangnya membekalkan karbohidrat, namun ia disarankan untuk mengambilnya di antara 6% hingga 7% dalam setiap hidangan bagi mengoptimumkan prestasi.
Menurut ketua jurulatih pasukan Belia UiTM FC, Mohd Fahmi, beliau menyifatkan bahawa minuman isotonik ini sememangnya memberi kebaikan terutamanya kepada atlet. Minuman ini bukan sahaja memberi tenaga, malah turut membantu untuk meningkatkan prestasi dan stamina kepada atlet
Walaubagaimanapun, beliau tidak menafikan bahawa mereka yang bersukan digalakkan untuk mengamalkan air putih. Hal ini kerana otak manusia sangat bergantung kepada air, oleh itu dengan kekalkan badan dalam keadaan hidrat boleh menyumbang kepada pemikiran dan daya berfikiran yang lebih baik.
Kajian menujukkan bahawa walaupun dehidrat yang sedikit (1-3%) boleh menjejaskan beberapa aspek pada otak – mood, perhatian, dan mudah rasa pening. Dalam kajian yang lain, mendapati bahawa badan yang kurang air boleh menyebabkan seseorang itu sukar untuk mengingati sesuatu, ditambah pula dengan rasa gelisah serta lemah dan letih. Oleh itu, bagi mereka yang bersukan, air putih sangatlah penting agar badan terus terhidrasi.
Bagi minuman bertenaga pula, ia merupakan sejenis minuman yang mengandungi ubat perangsang, yang paling biasa kafein. Minuman ini dipasarkan pada pelajar dan orang dewasa muda yang mempunyai jadual yang sibuk dan memerlukan rangsangan tambahan untuk terus berjalan. Minuman ini serupa dengan kopi atau teh atau mana-mana minuman berkafein yang lain seperti Redbull, Nescafe dan minuman tenaga Monster. Minuman ini dipasarkan sebagai memberi rangsangan mental atau fizikal.
Minuman ini boleh berkarbonasi atau tidak terkandung tetapi mempunyai jumlah kafein yang tinggi atau perangsang yang serupa dengan gula, pemanis, asid amino dan ekstrak herba. Minuman tenaga mempunyai gula tambahan dan kafein yang tidak diperlukan oleh badan dan menurut banyak pakar penggunaan berterusan minuman tenaga boleh menyebabkan obesiti dan penyakit lain yang berkaitan seperti kebimbangan, keresahan, insomnia dan pergolakan.
Menurut rata-rata pakar pemakanan di Malaysia, minuman bertenaga tidak sepatutnya digunakan untuk hidrasi kerana kandungan bahan aktifnya yang terlalu banyak memberi kesan terhadap tubuh dan ini sekaligus dapat memudaratkan tubuh badan.
Jadi, bagi atlet yang sering melakukan sukan atau aktiviti berat, mereka haruslah mengambil minuman isotonik untuk meningkatkan tenaga mereka dan mengurangkan rasa keletihan. Hal ini sekaligus dapat meningkatkan prestasi mereka untuk menjadi seorang atlet yang kuat. Kajian juga mendapati, minuman isotonik dapat menggantikan cecair yang hilang dengan cepat melalui perpeluhan serta membekalkan karbohidrat.
Selain itu, glukos merupakan sumber tenaga yang menjadi pilihan badan, maka adalah wajar untuk mengambil minuman isotonik di mana kandungan karbohidratnya terdiri daripada sukatan glukos antara enam hingga lapan peratus. Adalah sangat perlu bagi mereka yang mengamalkan gaya hidup sihat untuk memastikan badan mereka dalam keadaan terhidrat.
Untuk maklumat lanjut, sila layari link Youtube kami di https://youtu.be/AIBeNn02T94
Alia, kanak-kanak Sindrom Down di Taska Persatuan Sindrom Down Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
Aktiviti pembelajaran yang kreatif dapat menarik minat kanak-kanak ini untuk menumpukan perhatian.
“Patterning” dilakukan dibawah pengawasan Doktor dan ibu bapa.
salah satu tingkah laku pasif yang ditunjukkan oleh kanak-kanak Sindrom Down.
Tinjauan kumpulan kami ke Persatuan Sindrom Down Malaysia mendapati kemahiran vokasional turut disediakan bagi pesakit Sindrom Down yang telah berusia.
SYNDROM DOWN 2.pptxPhoto story: Cara mengurus tingkah laku individu Sindrom Down
Sedikit perkongsian tentang pengajaran dan pembelajaran di Persatuan Sindrom Down Malaysia.
Sindrom Down genetik atau penyakit?
Sindrom Down genetik atau penyakit?
oleh: Nazmimi, Muhassanah, Nisa, Murnaena
Apakah Sindrom Down?
Ramai pernah mendengar tentang Sindrom Down (SD) dan ramai juga masih cetek pengetahuan mengenainya. Yang pasti SD adalah bukan dikatakan sebagai “penyakit.” Sindrom Down ini tidak boleh diubati dan mudah dikenalpasti melalui wajah mereka yang hampir sama.
Sindrom Down ialah terjadi disebabkan genetik iaitu bilangan kromosom yang melebihi 21 yang terdapat pada kanak-kanak tersebut. Bagi seorang yang normal mereka sepatutnya mempunyai 2 salinan kromosom. Atas sebab itu jugalah mereka digelar sebagai Trisomi 21. Dengan erti kata lain, mereka mempunyai lebihan 1 kromosom.
Apa itu kromosom?
Kromosom adalah struktur yang terdapat nucleus sel-sel hidup yang mengandungi maklumat yang diwarisi daripada ibu bapa. Ia mengandungi kod genetic yang mengawal dan mengarah pembahagian, pertumbuhan dan fungsi sel.
Seorang individu normal mempunyai 46 kromosom dan setiap 23 di warisi daripada ibu manakala bakinya di warisi daripada bapa.
Bagaimana risiko untuk mendapat anak Sindrom Down?
Sebab utama yang membawa lebihan kromosom tidak dapat dikenalpasti tetapi kebanyakan kajian mendapati risiko tinggi untukk mendapatkan anak Sindrom Down adalah bagi wanita yang mengandung di usia yang lewat seperti 40 tahun keatas.
Ciri-ciri fizikal Sindrom Down
- Tubuh yang pendek.
- Kepala bersaiz kecil.
- Raut wajah yang rata dengan kedudukan mata sedikit ke atas.
- Lidah terjelir.
- Satu garis lurus di tapak tangan, tangan yang besar, jari tangan yang pendek dan jurang yang besar di antara ibu jari dengan jari kedua kaki.
- Pertumbuhan yang lambat.
- Kecacatan mental yang ringan atau sederhana.
Perkembangan kanak-kanak Sindrom Down
Perkembangan kanak-kanak Sindrom Down dari segi kognitif ialah, mereka mempunyai daya ingatan, perhatian dan kefahaman yang lemah serta tidak dapat bertindak dengan cepat. Perkembangan moto kasar dan moto halus adalah lambat iaitu dari segi percakapan.
Selain itu, mereka juga mempunyai masalah kurang pendengaran, pertuturan kurang jelas dan lambat bertutur serta penyakit jantung berlubang.
Oleh itu, "Patterning" akan dilakukan bertujuan menguatkan otot kanak-kanak Sindrom Down yang masih tidak boleh berjalan dan ianya dilakukan setiap pagi.
Bagi perkembangan emosi dan tingkah laku, kebiasaanya mereka berkelakuan tidak menentu iaitu agresif, pasif dan meminta perhatian yang lebih dari keluarga. Tekanan emosi mereka dapat dilihat dengan jelas.
Perasaan mereka adalah sama seperti orang normal tetapi tindakan mereka yang berbeza kerana mereka tidak tahu bagaimana untuk mengawal emosi dan eksperi mereka. Mereka juga mudah tidak sabar yang bertindak balas dengan perasaan takut atau marah. Walau bagaimanapun, mereka ini dikenali sebagai seorang yang sangat peramah dan pengasih, sifat peramah ini juga di salah anggap dan berprasangka buruk oleh segelintir masyarakat yang cetek ilmu tentang sifat kanak-kanak Sindrom Down.
Masalah sampingan
Masalah yang sering dihadapi kanak-kanak Sindrom Down adalah jantung berlubang yang paling kerap berlaku seperti Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) iaitu jantung berlubang di antara jantung kirin dan kanan atau Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) iaitu jantung berlubang di antara atria kiri dan kanan.
Masalah lain termasuk salur ateriosis yang berkekalan (Patent Ductus Ateruiosis/PDA). Bagi kanak-kanak ini juga mereka boleh mengalami masalah jantung berlubang jenis kebiruan (Cynotic Spell) dan susah bernafas.
Suasana membesarkan kanak-kanak Sindrom Down
Suasana persekitaran yang sesuai amat penting untuk membesarkan kanak-kanak istimewa ini. Antara suasana yang sesuai adalah:
- Suasana yang tenang dan mesra dari penjaga yang dapat merangsang penerimaan pembelajaran kanak-kanak ini dengan lebih cepat.
- Sediakan alat permainan yang bersesuaian untuk mengelakkan rasa bosan mereka.
- Suasana yang selamat dan penyayang. Ini membantu untuk meningkatkan imej diri positif.
- Suasana yang berdisiplin. Ini perlu bagi menyatakan had tingkah laku yang dibenarkan atau tidak dibenarkan bagi mengawal aktiviti mereka.
Bolehkah ianya sembuh?
Masalah kelebihan kromosom tersebut adalah kekal. Walau bagaimanapun, rawatan perubatan dan pembedahan boleh dilakukan untuk mengubati masalah dan komplikasi yang dialami oleh pesakit Sindrom Down agar kualiti hidup mereka bertambah baik.
Kerjasama daripada pihak fisioterapi dan pakar pertuturan juga memainkan peranan yang sangat penting dalam meningkatkan kebolehupayaan mereka untuk hidup sihat seperti individu yang lain.
Kesimpulannya, individu Sindrom Down memerlukan sokongan dan bantuan dari ahli keluarga dan masyarakat sekeliling. Mereka tidak perlu didiskriminasi tetapi perlu difahami. Kanak-kanak ini juga mempunyai emosi dan perasaan seperti manusia yang lain.
Ujian Doping dan Atlit
Ujian Doping dan Atlit
Oleh: Ammar, Alif, Izhhar, Taufiq
Ujian doping merupakan cara untuk menilai jenis dan kandungan dadah dalam badan seseorang. Ujian doping boleh diuji melalui sampel kecil yang diambil dari kuku, air liur, atau darah, air kencing, atau rambut.
Dalam sesetengah keadaan, atlit mungkin perlu menyediakan sampel air kencing di hadapan seorang jururawat untuk memastikan sampel itu benar-benar daripada diri sendiri.
Atlet elit sentiasa melalui ujian doping. Semasa ujian doping, seorang atlet memberikan sampel air kencing, darah, atau air liur. Ini diperhatikan oleh pegawai ujian di bawah kawalan yang ketat.
Setelah ujian dadah selesai, sampel dihantar ke makmal dan keputusan ujian akan dilaporkan. Jika seorang atlet tidak menguji positif untuk bahan terlarang maka tiada apa yang berlaku. Jika seorang atlet ujian positif maka dia akan diambil tindakan selanjutnya.
Tidak ada cara untuk menjangka ujian dadah. Kebanyakan ujian dadah adalah ujian secara menegejut. Ini bagus kerana atlit tidak akan mempunyai masa untuk membersihkan diri sebelum ujian.
Terdapat banyak jenis dadah untuk meningkatkan prestasi. Steroid mudah dikenali sebagai jenis ubat meningkatkan prestasi; Walau bagaimanapun, ia bukan satu-satunya jenis dadah.
Steroid anabolik adalah ubat sintetik yang meniru atau meningkatkan kesan testosteron, merawat sakit otot dan menangguh permulaan baligh.
Rangsangan pula adalah ubat yang bertindak ke atas sistem saraf. Atlet menyalahgunakan perangsang secara haram dan tidak mengikut preskripsi. Beberapa contoh termasuk amphetamine, kokain, dan bahkan nikotin.
Hormon ialah pertumbuhan manusia secara semulajadi berlaku di dalam badan. Walau bagaimanapun, versi sintetik menjadi sangat popular dalam kalangan atlit. Walau bagaimanapun, ia digunakan dalam sukan untuk sebab yang lain.
Pengendali beta pula mengurangkan kesan adrenalin dan kadar jantung yang perlahan, seterusnya menjadikan tubuh lebih kuat dan meningkatkan fokus.
Doping dalam sukan tidak beretika. Kebanyakan kerajaan telah menandatangani konvensyen PBB terhadap doping. Bagi sesetengah negara, pencapaian dalam sukan berkait rapat dengan kebanggaan negara, jadi atlit harus berkorban untuk negara.
Agensi Anti Doping Dunia (WADA) mengawal penggunaan bahan peningkatan prestasi melalui peraturan yang ditetapkan dalam kodnya kerana atlet boleh menang dengan cara yang tidak adil.
Untuk memastikan keputusan yang betul dan wajar untuk menggantung atlit daripada bertanding. Ujian dilakukan mestilah berkualiti dan mengikut prosedur yang betul.
Ada yang berpendapat bahawa pergantungan doping semasa terlalu ringan dan terlalu pendek. Oleh itu, adil untuk atlit yang mengambil dadah dikecualikan untuk masa yang lebih lama daripada tempoh biasa.
Jika WADA dan institusi tadbir urus Sukan Olimpik terus mengabaikan peraturan umum yang adil dan penting, dunia sukan tidak akan maju.
Klik pautan untuk melihat temubual bersama ADAMAS mengenai isu doping.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxupUuTxQZA
PS Doping.mp4Photo Story: Kaedah ujian Doping dan kesan kepada atlit
Kawasan Urban atau BandarSource: Google
Source: The Malaysian Times
Muhammad Syawal Azmi, penunggang basikal di kawasan urban
Cabaran Pengayuh Bandar
Oleh : Aida, Najwa, Anis, SyafiqaCabaran Pengayuh Bandar
Menurut Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, kawasan urban bermaksud kawasan bandar atau sebuah bandar. Manakala, menurut Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia, kawasan bandar merupakan kawasan yang diwartakan serta kawasan tepu bina yang bersempadan dengannya dan gabungan kedua-dua kawasan ini mempunyai penduduk 10 000 orang atau lebih semasa bancian.
Basikal adalah kenderaan beroda dua serta berpedal dan dapat ditunggang. Basikal ialah sejenis kenderaan yang menggunakan kuasa atau daya manusia sepenuhnya.
Berbasikal sudah tidak asing lagi di negara kita. Secara puratanya seramai 28 peratus rakyat Malaysia yang berbasikal.
Tidak dinafikan bahawa pihak berwajib terus komited dalam memastikan keselesaan buat penunggang basikal di Malaysia dengan menambahkan trek berbasikal. Namun begitu, mereka yang serius berbasikal pasti akan memikirkan aspek keselamatan laluan berkenaan.
Muhammad Syawal Azmi, antara penunggang basikal sekitar Kuala Lumpur berkata, “walaupun ada trek berbasikal, namun, trek itu kadang-kadang disalah gunakan oleh pengguna jalan raya yang lain seperti penunggang motosikal dan pejalan kaki”.
“Hal ini sekaligus akan membahayakan penunggang basikal yang melalui trek terbabit. Lagipun, tidak semua jalan di kawasan bandar mempunyai trek berbasikal”. Tambah beliau.
Ditanya mengenai cabaran ketika berbasikal di kawasan urban, beliau berkata “biasanya cabaran kepada penunggang basikal ialah struktur jalan yang kurang baik. Jalan yang berlubang boleh membahayakan penunggang basikal seperti kami.
Selain daripada sikap pengguna jalan raya yang lain terhadap penunggang basikal di atas jalan raya.
Syawal yang mula berjinak dengan aktiviti berbasikal sejak di sekolah menengah, menegaskan pengguna jalan raya di Malaysia seharusnya lebih terbuka dan bertolak ansur dengan pengayuh basikal terutamanya di jalan raya.
Pastinya kita tidak mahu kes yang pernah terjadi pada Febuari 2017, iaitu kemalangan yang melibatkan lapan orang remaja yang berbasikal yang dipandu oleh seorang wanita di Johor baharu berulang kembali.
Menurut Pegawai Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan, Hanis Ezzaty Rosaidi, demi keselamatan penunggang basikal, mereka seharusnya mengayuh ditepi jalan dan bukan ditengah jalan walaupun aliran trafik tidak sibuk kerana kita masih belum mempunyai garis panduan yang jelas berkaitan aktiviti berbasikal di Malaysia.
Walaupun aktiviti berbasikal di negara kita masih berada di tahap permulaan, namun, pihak berwajib sewajarnya melakukan penambahbaikkan infrastruktur serta fasiliti buat golongan ini. Hal secara tidak langsung, dapat menggalakkan rakyat Malaysia menggunakan basikal.
bomba: bukan sekadar memadam api
bomba: bukan sekadar memadam api
oleh: Ezzani, 'Asyiqin, Nurliyana, Haqim, Faliqah
Peranan Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia (JBPM) sebagai salah satu agensi pasukan penyelamat negara tidak terbatas kepada pemadaman api dan menangkap haiwan liar sahaja.
Dengan kewujudan Bahagian Penyiasatan Kebakaran, JPBM juga bertugas dalam mengenalpasti punca dan corak kebakaran.
Selaras itu, pasukan khas forensik JPBM harus mempunyai latar belakang sains serta bidang elektrikal dan mekanikal. Mereka juga akan melalui bengkel selama seminggu terlebih dahulu sebelum melapor diri dalam bahagian tersebut.
Bahagian Penyiasatan Kebakaran di JPBM Selangor mempunyai 36 kakitangan pegawai bomba dan dua pegawai dari Jabatan Kimia Malaysia.
Bukan berlandaskan naluri semata, forensik kebakaran melibatkan siasatan kebakaran yang dilakukan secara saintifik. Ia bagi menentukan punca, tempat bermula dan hal keadaan kebakaran serta pemeriksaan kejadian setelah api kebakaran berjaya dipadamkan.
“Apabila berada di tempat kejadian, biasanya kita tengok sahaja fire pattern kita dah dapat bayang tentang cerita di sebalik kebakaran” ujar Tuan Norizham Mohd Nudin, Penolong Pengarah Operasi JPBM Selangor.
Tugas penyiasat kebakaran
Menurut Penguasa Bomba, Halim Bin Zulkefli, setiap pegawai penyiasat kebakaran perlu mengetahui kaedah asas yang digunakan dalam penyiasatan kebakaran dengan menggunakan kaedah yang mengikut piawaian.
“Secara umumnya, pertama sekali, sampai sahaja di lokasi, kita akan cari fire pattern dan fire cause. Selepas beberapa tahun berpengalaman, kami memang terlatih untuk mempunyai naluri kalau kes tersebut adalah kemalangan ataupun jenayah. Selepas itu kita buat hipotesis dan lapor” terang Halim.
Pegawai harus bijak mengeluarkan hipotesis, membuat perancangan sebelum memulakan penyiasatan bagi meningkatkan keberkesanan dan peluang keseluruhan penyiasatan.
“Seterusnya, penyiasat kebakaran perlu memastikan segala bahan bukti diambil dan dilindungi bagi menjalankan analisis selanjutnya di makmal sains forensick” katanya lagi.
Kerjasama bomba dan polis dalam forensik kebakaran
Pada tanggal 28 Jan 2018 lepas, Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) dan JBPM menandatangani nota kerjasama siasatan kebakaran dalam satu majlis yang turut disaksikan Timbalan Perdana Menteri yang juga Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Kata Halim yang juga merupakan graduan UiTM itu, usaha kerjasama pihak bomba dan polis dalam forensik kebakaran membuahkan hasil yang cukup efektif. Isu bercanggah pendapat tidak wujud kerana tugas mereka adalah berbeza.
“Kita siasat dan lapor dulu. Apabila laporan dari forensik sudah siap, kita akan hantar ke PDRM. Selepas itu, mereka akan buat siasatan lanjutan.
Jadi tiada isu seperti bercanggah pendapat sebab kami hanya akan keluarkan statement dari analisis forensik manakala mereka pula lebih kepada mencari penjenayah atau beri follow-up kes tersebut” tambahnya.
Makmal sains forensik
Menurut Tuan Norizham, bukan semua cawangan JPBM mempunya makmal sains forensik. Antara 9 buah negeri yang mempunyai makmal sains forensik termasuk Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur, Terengganu, Johor, Pahang, Pulau Pinang, Sabah dan Sarawak.
Setiap makmal mempunyai 8 instrumen utama untuk menganalisis bahan polimer, bahan organik dan bahan bukan organik.
“Pegawai sains forensik diperlukan untuk kajian serta analisis. Untuk cawangan JPBM Selangor, kita ada 2 pegawai dari Kimia Malaysia dan ditempatkan secara tetap di makmal sains forensik JBPM.
“Seperti dijangkakan, skop mereka adalah menganalisis bahan bukti. Selepas melalui proses makmal, kita akan dapatkan kepastian serta laporan yang sah dari pegawai makmal dalam menentukan hipotesis punca kebakaran untuk digunakan di mahkamah pada bicara kes. Pelaporan dokumentasi dari pihak makmal sangat penting,” jelasnya.
Menurut Tuan Norizham, durasi analisis bergantung kepada tahap serius bukti tersebut. Dengan kecanggihan teknologi, terdapat kes yang hanya memakan masa sehari. Namun ada juga yang hingga seminggu.
Cycle Safety:
Cycle Safety:
Better Safe than Sorry
By: Lily Syahira, Farah Dalena, Aidil Razak, Arash DanielBetter Safe than Sorry
You feel the wind on your face, sweat dripping from your forehead, and the smell of rubber grazing against the tar road. It’s an amazing rush of adrenaline when you cycle isn’t it? Even if you just cycled as a hobby that shot of dopamine is addictive. But like all healthy “addictions”, it must be done in moderation and safely.
Ahmad Luqmaan has had 10 years of experience in the cycling field and one of the key ingredient to his long career is being safe. Regardless whether it was a competition, training, or just for fun, it is credited to safety precautions he has taken whenever he’s on that two wheel cruise.
“As a cyclist, the most important thing to do when preventing injury and death in a bicycle accident is to wear a helmet. Besides it being basic safety, it can prevent head injuries and other serious impact to our head.” He said.
Head injuries, ranging from fatal skull fractures and brain damages to minor concussion and cuts, are surprisingly very common injuries to cyclist. These injuries are typically found in American Football athletes but it is expected in a sport that intentionally butt heads with one another. Not one that is a zero contact sport.
Ahmad Luqmaan says, “The helmet used should fit tightly and have a well-fitting chin strap on the bottom and if there is a visible damage, such as crack whether in the outer of the helmet or inside the helmet, it need to be replaced immediately.”
Studies by University Putra Malaysia showed that a helmet can reduce risks of injuries by 72 per cent and the probability of death by 39 per cent. That is the extent of how clothing and gear is important to an athlete.
Those form-fitting spandex are like that because the chance of loose clothing getting caught in the bike’s chain is high. When you see athletes compete with gusto that even their bicycles rock side to side.
Other than that, in Malaysia the heat is major factor on why cyclist attire are thin compared to cold whether countries. Lightweight clothing allows the air to flow through the clothing material and does not hold heat. Light colours also reflect sunlight and stop clothing from taking in heat.
Ahmad Luqmaan adds on, “For the cool weather riding which is 50 to 65 degree temperature, I switch out the short sleeve jersey for a long sleeve non-insulated jersey. Even simple things like layering helps protect yourselves”.
All these play into factor to prevent injuries. Majority of said injuries cause cyclists to seek orthopaedic treatment to regain back mobility.
Just imagine, the tips of your fingers no longer receive the sensation of hot or cold and your muscle does not follow the demand of your brain. The frustration is indescribable and it is a physiotherapist’s duty to help the patient reduce their pain, by confirming the injured muscle.
Mullai Malar is physiotherapist working at Klinik Orthopedik Dinamikand she has had many experience in rehabilitating athletes with sports injuries. She first starts using low level exercises the only new ones with the patient to increase their progression to the fullest.
“Physiotherapy exercise has been scientifically proven to be one of the most effective ways that can solve or prevent pain and injury because the goals of therapy are to decrease the pain, increase function and teach the patient a maintenance program to prevent future problems,” she says.
In relation, physical therapy also includes such as heat application, ice packs and electrical stimulation. According Mullai Malar, it helps stimulates the nerves but it does not mean it applies to all patients. For example, ice pack may be used afterward to sooth the muscles and soft tissues but for stroke patients, it is not recommended.
As unique as a snowflake, so are the treatments but one thing that follows the rule of thumb is consistency in exercising. The time that is needed to take for recovery and fully recover is dependent on the patient itself. But, if the patient is disciplined and follows all the flow of therapy session and does the exercise at home, it is take only two months to recovery for a patient.
Mullai Malar says, “If a patient just come for a session only once a week and did not continued do the exercise at home, it did not reduce the pain. They might not have any progress at all and take a long time more to recovery”.
Recovery is a game both physically and mentally but most people do not mention that it includes emotionally. Some cyclists that sustain injuries from past tournaments, have the need to recover as fast as they can before the next tournament.
What these athletes seem to forget as we mentioned before, too much of a good thing is never good. So, too much rigorous exercise may result in recovery setbacks. Sadly, it may be because they cannot differentiate the burning feeling of good exercise and excruciating pain. Which is why it is crucial to be safe, than sorry.
keeping the wheels turning
keeping the wheels turning
Delving into the medical aspects of cycling
Delving into the medical aspects of cycling
BY : Ernee Adlina, Shary Jimie, Afiqah Rojali, Nadrah Azizan, Nuraina Nasir
People have been riding bicycles on a regular basis since the 1800s. Cycling has become popular for the purpose of commuting, recreation, exercise and sport. The best thing about cycling is that anyone can ride; even old or overweight people. It is a good exercise for the young and old as well as everyone in every shape.
Cycling is an incredible sociable sport and has many health benefits. It can help to protect you from serious illnesses such as stroke, heart attack, obesity and arthritis. So, for this type of sport, it is only natural that there are issues or problems that will rise to the occasion.
The most common problems that could happen would be the medical issues in cycling. Cycling has its share of common ailments and injuries. These types of issues can occur during, before or even after a track cycling.
Lower back pain, head injuries, pelvic problem, knee and leg problem as well as wrist and hand problem are the five common injuries in cycling. It is nearly impossible to cycle often without experiencing at least one of these common injuries.
According to cycling coach at University Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Mohd Faizal Mohd Rejab, there are three types of cycling injuries which comprise of injuries due to road accidents, due to lack of exercising and wrong pedalling techniques. Some of these injuries would cause harms especially to the victims' backbones.
“Knee pain is also one of the injuries occurs among the cyclists but it rarely happens among cyclists in our cycling club,” the 34-year-old coach added.
The most common injuries for beginners to professional cyclists involve the problem with their knee and leg. Pain from the knee can come from damage to the cartilage, which is a connective tissue found in joints between bones, often comes from trauma but can also be from repetitive movement.
Cyclists can get severe pain there where the tendons get inflamed, and this can spread around the knee. The rule of the road for many cyclists has come to be „if the knee hurt, gear down‟. More than half cyclists experiences time off the bike for a certain period of time due to these knee injuries.
Cyclists that cycle more than 160 km per week are more likely to get lower back pain. Slipped disc are the most common when it comes to back bone injuries. Because of this injury, the cyclist has to immediately stop cycling or have to rest for a certain period of time according to the doctors‟ and physiotherapists‟ advice.
Many cycling injuries can be prevented, as the vast majority of injuries are due to a fall from the bike. Other injuries are often due to incorrect bike set-up, improper training techniques and road accidents.
It is essential to do some stretching like warming up and cooling down – head to toe, mainly the lower limbs and spine are involved. Another important thing to prevent such injuries is to always practice. Athletes need to at least pedal 15 to 30 minutes every day.
To do the pedalling practice, it is unnecessary for the athletes to do legitimate cycling using the bicycle. They just need to head to the gym and use the stationary bicycle, which also known as exercise bike provided there. However, it is best if the athlete is able to spend time doing pedalling exercise outdoors to get used to the track and surrounding.
Cyclists have very unique and professional-looking gears on them. To see it in a medical view, there are all of these common injuries aspects that can occur. The only safety gear that we have when it comes to head injuries is the helmet.
Helmet can prevent head injuries until up to 50% and not wearing helmet can cause serious head injury and worst, fatality as Helmets.org states that 97% of cyclists die due to not wearing helmet.
Muhammad Shafiq Iz'aan Azman, who is a cyclist from University Teknologi MARA (UiTM), stated that he started cycling since his primary school days but only in 2017, his knee, head and elbow were damaged during a national tournament as he was hit by other cyclists.
“I quickly went to the hospitals to get treatment and after the injuries, I would make sure that I would always wear safety gears especially the helmet.
“It took me two to three weeks to completely heal however during the three weeks, I did not take time off the bike as the injuries would never deter my passion and the pain was not that severe,” the 19-year-old shared his experience in dealing with such injury.
Since then, he took precautions after once injured during cycling so that the risks of the injuries would be reduced. He also added that he would always make sure that his focus is completely on the road during cycling as it would be a huge help in preventing road accidents. However, it is inevitable if the accidents still happen due to other cyclist recklessness as they can only plan as man proposes, god disposes.
Apart from helmet, cycling gear include gloves, shoes and their very own unique clothing. Their unique clothing that is made up of lycra that is sweat-handling and can prevent heat from entering.
That is not all, this clothing can also protect cyclists‟ hip and leg. Hip injuries usually occur to beginners and choosing the wrong type of bicycle. Another fun fact is that the safety gears differ according to different bike type.
Not only that, it is important that the bicycle is trustworthy. Make sure the tyres are in good condition, brakes working and that the bicycle lights are available, so you can be seen at all times whether it is in hazy sunshine or dark morning. All in all, the condition of your bicycle should be in top shape.
The cycling gears are not the only precaution that can be taken. When there is bicycle race such as Le Tour de Langkawi and other big races, the organizer of the race should also be responsible for their track to prevent accidents happening during the event.
The organizer of a bicycle race should make sure that the track is perfect to be used. Other than that, they should also provide a marshal team to escort the cyclists while they were racing to avoid unwanted accidents between road users and cyclists to occur.
The important thing when there is a cycling event is the medical team that provides first aid and ambulance on standby at all time. A medical team can be from Persatuan Bulan Sabit Merah Malaysia, St. John‟s Ambulance and any other humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance at the venue of the race.
In helping cycling athletes heal from pain and injuries, sport physiotherapy is one of the nine branches in the physiotherapy field. Sport physiotherapy is a specialized branch which deals with injuries and issues related to sports people. They usually have sport–specific knowledge and experience of the latest evidence-based practice.
The services that they provide are by giving guidance in sport activities which includes techniques of warming up and cooling down, guidance in lifting technique and the most important one is treatment to these sport injuries.
Meanwhile, sports injury physiotherapist, Mullai Malar who has two years of working experience as physiotherapist stated that the injured cyclists need to consult with the orthopaedics first before physiotherapists can help them with the rehabilitation activities. The first thing to do after the doctors have diagnosed what kind of injuries that a particular patient is facing, only then the physiotherapists would assist him in managing his pain.
“There are steps in managing patients‟ pain and we would give the patient electrical simulation treatment and appropriate workout and training that is suitable according to his health condition,” the Universiti Selangor (UNISEL) graduate added.
She also revealed that each injury needs time in order to be completely healed and the time taken differs depending on types of injury that one is facing. Fear not, with appropriate measures and treatment, cyclists would be back on track within weeks or months. After all of those problems, do not fear of cycling. Besides all that, the benefits of cycling are abundant. Relax and buy yourself a bike at home with safety gears to lead a healthy lifestyle. So, just keep cycling.
dehidrasi: kepentingan air kepada tubuh badan manusia
dehidrasi: kepentingan air kepada tubuh badan manusia
Air merupakan antara elemen yang penting kepada atlet. Kegagalan untuk menggantikan dengan secukupnya cecair yang hilang dalam tubuh, mengundang bahaya kepada para atlet terutamanya kerana ia akan menyebabkan dehidrasi kepada atlet.
Dehidrasi bermaksud keadaan ketika tubuh kehilangan lebih banyak cairan daripada yang dperolehi, sehingga keseimbangan zat gula dan garam terganggu. Akibatnya tubuh tidak dapat berfungsi secara normal.
Menurut Dr. Nur Hafizah yang merupakan salah seorang fisioterapai, dehidrasi boleh menjejaskan prestasi, memandangkan jika atlet kehilangan dua peratus daripada kandungan air dalam tubuh, pencapaian mereka akan berkurangan sebanyak 20 peratus.
Jika mereka kehilangan 4 peratus, prestasi mereka akan menyusut sebanyak 30 peratus dan berisiko mengalami masalah kesihatan yang lain.
"Seseorang Atlet itu perlu peka terhadap tanda-tanda dehidrasi kerana setiap orang mempunyai tanda yang berbeza. Ada setengah atlet simptom dehidrasi dapat dilihat secara jelas manakala ada yang kadangkala tidak nampak,” katanya.
“Apabila berlaku dehidrasi ia boleh mengganggu fungsi badan terutama dalam proses thermo regulation (pengaturan haba) di mana ia membantu tubuh dalam mengeluarkan haba yang terhasil menerusi aktiviti fizikal,” tambahnya lagi.
“Sekiranya darah diedarkan dengan baik, haba akan dapat dikeluarkan dari badan menerusi kulit apabila darah akan membawa haba ke kulit dan seterusnya dibebaskan ke udara.”
Jelasnya, apabila berlaku dehidrasi, darah akan menjadi pekat dan susah untuk mengalir. Apabila berlaku kesukaran darah untuk diedarkan, penggunaan oksigen dan penghasilan tenaga akan terganggu.
Semasa bersenam, otot-otot yang bekerja mengeluarkan haba, yang dengan mudah boleh meningkat sehingga 20 kali ganda pada atlet-atlet terlatih, bergantung kepada suhu sekitarnya dan kuatnya pergerakan.
Para atlet juga harus minum secara berjadual, pada selang masa tertentu, dan mengambil cecair pada kadar yang mencukupi untuk menggantikan air yang hilang menerusi peluh.
“Selain itu, ia boleh mengganggu sistem saraf pusat, motivasi untuk melakukan aktiviti harian cepat berkurang, malah turut menjejaskan usaha seseorang atlet.
“Dalam keadaan dehidrasi, seseorang atlet akan melakukan sesuatu aktiviti dengan persepsi yang lebih sukar berbanding dalam keadaan hidrat di mana usahanya akan bertambah biarpun dengan intensiti latihan sama.”
Apa pula tanda yang menunjukkan seseorang itu mengalami dehidrasi? Menurut beliau, tanda utama dehidrasi yang paling mudah boleh dikesan adalah apabila seseorang individu berasa dahaga.
“Justeru, kita nasihatkan atlet untuk cuba elak daripada berasa dahaga. Minum ikut perancangan, bukan ikut rasa haus saja.
“Selain itu simptom dehidrasi boleh dikesan apabila berlaku keletihan melampau, loya dan paling teruk berlaku kekejangan, hipertermia atau strok haba dan ini yang ingin kita cuba elakkan.”
Khasiat Istimewa kacang soya
Khasiat Istimewa kacang soya
Membekalkan pelbagai khasiat dan sumber protein yang cukup sebagaimana protein yang didapati dalam sumber haiwan menjadikan kekacang ini lebih istimewa berbanding tumbuhan-tumbuhan lain.
Tumbuhan semulajadi kacang soya atau nama saintifiknya, Glycine Max, asalnya daripada negara-negara Asia Timur seperti China, Jepun, Korea dan Taiwan. Namun kini, pasaran kekacang ini semakin diperluas ke seantero dunia.
Variasi tumbuhan ini dalam menghasilkan kedua-dua produk makanan dan minuman, telah menjadikan Brazil, India serta Argentina antara pengeluar utama kacang soya di dunia.
Penghasilan kekacang yang bergerak seiring dengan kecanggihan teknologi masa kini telah menghasilkan kacang soya yang diubah suai genetiknya atau lebih dikenali sebagai Genetic-Modified Organisms (GMO).
Tumbuhan ini telah diubah suai daripada aspek kandungan DNA bertujuan untuk menambah baik kualiti produk akhir kekacang tersebut. Pelbagai jenis tumbuhan lain yang juga dihasilkan secara GMO sebagai contoh, jagung, tomato dan kentang.
Meski penghasilan tumbuhan-tumbuhan GMO ini meningkatkan jangka hayat dan kualitinya namun, ia akan mengakibatkan kesan jangka masa panjang seperti kanser.
Makanan terubah suai genetik juga berisiko dalam meningkatkan kadar toksik dalam badan serta memberi kesan alahan buat kanak-kanak.
Pengambilan yang terhad
Tidak dinafikan lagi bahawa kacang soya mempunyai khasiat dan nutrien yang baik buat pesakit jantung. Pengambilan sebanyak 25-gram sehari dapat membantu mengurangkan kolestrol jahat atau low-density lipoprotein (LDL) sekaligus meningkatkan kadar kolestrol baik, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) dalam darah.
Penolong Pengarah Kanan Bahagian Pemakanan, Liana Abdul Latiff berkata, pengambilan susu kacang soya adalah lebih baik kerana kadar nutriennya lebih tinggi berbanding minuman kacang soya.
Perbezaan diantara keduanya adalah, susu kacang soya dikisar secara tulen tanpa penambahan gula yang menjadikan ianya bebas laktosa dan bebas kolestrol.
Berbeza pula dengan minuman kacang soya yang dijual di gerai-gerai yang mempunyai kadar gula yang agak tinggi. Hal ini menjadikan pengambilannya agak terhad buat sesetengah individu yang menghidapi penyakit kronik seperti diabetes.
Beliau juga menyarankan ibu bapa untuk berjaga-jaga dalam pemberian susu yang diproses daripada kacang soya kepada kanak-kanak atau bayi berusia 1 tahun ke bawah.
“Kadar penambahan kalsium dalam susu kacang soya adalah lebih sesuai diambil oleh orang dewasa berbanding kanak-kanak atau bayi.
“Kacang soya belum lagi dapat diterima dan diproses dengan baik oleh kanak-kanak kerana reaksi ini hanya akan memberi kesan kepada sistem pencernaan mereka yang belum matang,” tambah Liana.
Kepelbagaian Kacang Soya
Kacang soya terkenal sebagai kekacang yang kaya dengan pelbagai khasiat. Pengambilan kacang soya dapat membekalkan mineral penting yang diperlukan dalam badan seperti zat besi, potasium, kalsium serta vitamin B dan K.
“Bukan itu sahaja, ianya juga mempunyai kesemua sembilan asid amino lengkap yang dapat membantu menguatkan otot dan menggalakkan pembakaran lemak,” kata Liana.
Tumbuhan spesies kekacang ini terkenal dengan kepelbagaiannya dalam menghasilkan produk makanan kegemaran rakyat Malaysia seperti kicap, tauhu dan tempeh.
Namun begitu, terdapat pelbagai lagi variasi produk makanan dipasaran dalam dan luar negara yang terhasil daripada kacang soya ini. Sebagai contoh di Jepun, kacang soya menjadi bahan utama dalam penghasilan perencah miso.
Penapaian kacang soya bersama-sama garam dan beras koji telah menghasilkan salah satu perencah tradisional yang tidak asing lagi di negara matahari terbit ini.
Miso digunakan dalam masakan-masakan popular sebagai contoh sup miso, yang sesuai diserasikan bersama mi udon mahupun mi ramen. Perencah miso ini juga boleh dijadikan bahan utama dalam pemerapan daging dan makanan laut.
Menjadi salah satu sumber makanan yang penting, kacang soya ini dipelbagaikan kegunaannya dalam menghasilkan minyak sayuran kacang soya.
Bukan itu sahaja, kekacang ini juga dijadikan sumber makanan haiwan penting bagi membekalkan protein yang cukup dalam bidang ternakan.
Kini, pengambilan kacang soya meningkat di serata dunia lantaran kepelbagaiannya dalam menghasilkan produk makanan dan minuman. Khasiatnya yang tinggi sekaligus menjadikan ia salah satu tumbuhan jenis kekacang sumber penting protein dan minyak.
TUALANG HONEY: A GIFT FROM NATURE AND THE ALARMING ISSUE OF FAKE HONEY OPPORTUNISTS
TUALANG HONEY: A GIFT FROM NATURE AND THE ALARMING ISSUE OF FAKE HONEY OPPORTUNISTS
By Nurhanis Zariman, Nurul Ufairah, Puteri Haideera, Hafiz Nor Hanif, Nurul Nazifah Nazif
The legendary quote from Albert Einstein is said to have stated, “If the bee disappeared from the surface of the Earth, man would have no more than four years left to live.” This best refers to the major role played by bees in conserving the ecosystem and thereby sustaining the life of ours.
According to the industrial crops statistics of Malaysia in 2017, this country has noted 7.7 tonnes of honey bee production that is actively produced in three states which are Johor, Melaka and Pahang. With the amount of honey produced in Malaysia, it is notable that bees perform a crucial function in indicating and maintaining a balanced ecosystem, as a natural pollinator, and consequently in supplying and securing food for humankind.
Honey is a sugary natural product produced by honeybees from nectar and exudation of the plants. Honeybees transform nectar of flowers into honey by regurgitation, evaporation and enzymatic alteration of saccharides present in nectar.
Looking back at the initiatives taken by the government of Malaysia in making sure that the produced honey could maintain its authenticity to all, it is saddening to see that there are still fake honey being sold in the market. In fact, today’s narrow perception of “honey is money” that has been held on to by many business opportunists out there has caused a severe image of Malaysia’s honey industry.
Tualang Honey: A gift as the healing secret
A typical Asian person would have a jar of honey lurking somewhere in the kitchen cupboards, whether it’s the pride of place, ready for our morning sugar hit or at the back gathering dust since being bought as a souvenir for several years, honey should also be put in the first aid kit cupboard.
Aside from the obvious breakfast potential of those spread liberally on toast, there is a famous magic healing from nature’s golden gift of Tualang Honey who is also known as the “World’s Largest Pharmacy”.
Tualang Honey from the Malaysian rainforest has been acknowledged in numerous studies on its potential health properties with its complex tasting honey that indulges the taste receptors gastronomically.
According to the Head of the School of Pharmacy at Monash University Malaysia, Professor Gan Siew Hua noted that research indicated that Tualang Honey contained the highest concentrations of phenolic and flavonoids which made them the best source of antioxidants.
Tualang Honey may have the potential as a natural cancer ‘killer’ due to multi-biological activities. Down to the microscopic level, it contains gallic, syringic, benzoic, trans-cinnamic, p-coumaric and caffeic acids constitute the phenolic acid while catechin, kaempferol, naringenin, luteolin, and apigenin constate as flavonoids components.
Studies have also shown that among the various types of Malaysian honey, Tualang honey has the richest phenolic acids and flavonoid compounds that have strong free radical-scavenging activities. The presence of some compounds that are specific in Tualang Honey is the stearic acids, 1-cyclopentene-1, 4-dione, dihydro-butyrolactone, and many more were proved to have its beneficial effects in a wide range of clinical conditions.
An article from Fox News stated that rare honey from the Malaysian rainforest shows benefits against inflammation, blood sugar disorders, infected wounds, and respiratory problems.
The antibacterial activities in both bacteriostatic and bactericidal were found to be effective against gram-positive as Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, as well as gram-negative bacteria, like Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and S. enterica Serovar Typhimurium.
A modest amount consumed daily also appears to help stabilize those blood sugar and the honey demonstrates blood pressure reducing the effects. Just like the depth of the rainforest and the scientifically critical anatomy of the giant bee, the mix of nectars collected from thousands of floral species were fighting to survive in the deep Malaysian rainforest.
To be described as sticky and delicious, Tualang honey is loved by many across cultures and continents. This wondrous golden substance has been favored for millennia and it is still a staple sweetener, found in many of our kitchens.
Not just nutritious, a spoonful of Tualang honey will generously award you with a unique premium taste representing the entire million years old rainforest of SouthEast Asia. Hence, the most common way that Malaysian people use this unique honey is as a daily health tonic when those Tualang Honey is extremely persistent promising robust health benefits, offering mankind an unedifying package of vigorous health possibilities.
Malaysian Made Honey: Combing Through The Myths
Honey is most beneficial when it is in the most raw and natural form. Thanks to our scientists who have done such phenomenal research and experiment on the benefits of our own local pure honey.
People are aware of the honey benefits but also got carried away from the facts about honey. There are several facts and myths about raw honey that have always been disbelieved by the consumer.
Some people believe that crystallized honey is a spoiled honey. Unbeknownst of them, crystallization is part of honey’s natural process of preserving itself. The main reason for this phenomenon is because of honey’s composition and due to the saturation of the natural sugar inside honey, the glucose may separate from the water and form crystals.
However, the honey is largely unchanged, and the taste remains the same. The time it takes to crystallize depends on a few weeks to months after buying. Conditions under which the honey is stored in high temperatures will slow the process while cooler will speed up the process.
Living modernly layered by lots of culture from the past, it is not wrong to be one of those people who believe that using metal spoons when consuming honey is dangerous. Since honey is an acidic food, scooping honey with a metal spoon is such a quick movement that corrosion of the metal is unlikely.
For some adequate reason, it may be true that the reaction happens between acidic substances in honey and metal could give a setback but most beekeepers know that using a metal spoon is actually just fine. However, it should be noted that leaving a metal spoon in a jar of honey overnight is not recommended
As sugar is a viscous substance made from honey, the stereotypes of only fake honey can attract ants and get spoiled right after is often listened ubiquitously. In fact, The moisture content or quality of pure honey is not more than 20%.
If ants try to eat the sticky pure honey, ants will be stuck. So, at first the ants will not be attracted by pure honey, but as honey tends to absorb moisture from the air making the outer layer of the pure honey to be diluted, then ants will be attracted to the pure honey eventually.
The alarming issue of Fake Honey in Malaysia
The subject of fake honey is gaining public attention in Malaysia. In fact, one of the most common questions was “is this a pure honey?”. Most of the consumers that consume honey are above 40 years old and since honey gives benefits toward the consumers, many of them take a spoonful of honey every morning to get the benefits.
However, in today’s modern age, some sellers have taken advantage of the convenience of making artificial honey by mixing sugars and chemicals to produce honey in the same colour and taste as honey.
Fake honey can be detected by just looking at the most important types which are the mixed and synthetic types. For mixed types, it is made from the small mixture of pure honey with a high percentage of sucrose syrup and synthetic types are made from high fructose syrups without involving a single drop of pure honey.
In 2017, there was an issue about fake honey which gave a big impact towards society, especially elderly people. The title of the article is “Penggemar bimbang, gesa ambil tindakan segera” written by Osman Lisut.
According to the article, it was stated that a 54-year-old senior who was diagnosed with diabetes in November 2016 since he started consuming honey for the last 6 years without realizing that his honey was fake honey.
He only realized that the honey he had taken was fake honey after the results from the Food Technology Research Laboratory (MARDI) laboratory test and because of his suspicions, he did the laboratory test on the authenticity of the honey and turned out the honey was fake.
The alarming matter has made the Ministry of Health (MOH) issued the importance of selling pure honey to the consumers and explained thoroughly regarding the act that can be charged towards the opportunities who sell fake honey in the market.
MOH plays an important role in reminding society to always be aware and concerned about things that could endanger health. Regarding the issue, it can be seen that MOH in Malaysia is very considerate and sensitive towards the society’s health. The act and regulation given was to help the public to understand very well that it is significant to not sell things that can endanger the health of the public.
The effects of consuming fake honey
Food is a basic necessity for everyone to satisfy their daily needs but for some people, food is one of their ways and their efforts in which they need to make sure that they will get a healthy life based on the nutrition stated in it.
However, there are problems between the sellers and the buyers in which the sellers will take advantage of buyers by producing some foods that have a lot of demands and claiming that it is original meanwhile they are adding sugars and faking it for the sake of money.
Thus, Berita Harian reported that about 80% honey sold in the market is either artificial or synthetic. The results of a laboratory on this artificial honey show that it is made from sugars, starch, seasoning, colouring and cornflour.
Therefore, artificial honey can cause harm to health especially for consumers that have diabetes. Other than that, it also can occur various types of disease and other complications as well like cancer and heart that come from the manufacturing method, hygiene level, heating and mixing of foreign materials.
In this case, the reason why it always keeps happening among the consumers is because they did not know how to differentiate between the original honey and artificial honey.
Lecturer in The Department of Pharmacology, The Center of Medical Science at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Dr Norul Badriah Hassan stated that those additional ingredients in the artificial honey makes the products merely the same as the original honey.
For example, the quantity of honey from bees is small, but it is mixed with substances such as sugar, and fruits to be grown before sellers claim it is genuine and sells for hundreds of ringgits.
Additionally, according to Principal Scientist at the Food Science and Technology Research Centre (MARDI), Dr Suri Roowi also mentioned that the level of sugars added and any other ingredients in artificial honey will cause those diabetes patients’ conditions even worse once they consume it. He also said the sugars will increase the number of blood sugar levels in their body.
The intake of honey as food and medicine has resulted in a high nutritional benefit and therapeutic promise, as discussed in various religious books a long time ago. As human beings, we must recognize and accept the saying of different religions. Individuals, especially business owners should never take the advantage and use the power they have.
SUNGAI TERCEMAR, MANUSIA BINASA
SUNGAI TERCEMAR, MANUSIA BINASA
OLEH UMAR RASYDAN, MUHAMMAD ADLI IKRAM, MUHAMMAD SYAHRIZAL, QISTINA FISHA, NUR DIANA SYUHADA
Pencemaran sungai Klang di Masjid Jamek, Kuala Lumpur
Sungai merupakan satu aspek alam semula jadi yang sangat penting, bukan sahaja untuk manusia, malah untuk binatang dan juga tumbuh-tumbuhan. Kepentingan sesebuah sungai sudah lama termaktub di dalam fakta dan sejarah terdahulu. Sejarawan menganggap bahawa sungai sebagai titik permulaan buat kebanyakan tamadun awal manusia. Sebagai contoh, Tamadun Mesopotamia bermula di pinggir sistem sungai “Tigris- Eurphrates”. Tamadun Cina, yang merupakan tamadun terawal di benua Asia juga bermula di pinggir sungai, iaitu sungai Yangtze. Adakah ia hanya kebetulan?
Menurut pakar, antara punca utama kebanyakan tamadun awal bermula di pinggir sungai adalah kerana faktor keperluan asas manusia iaitu sumber makanan dan minuman. Jika sebuah bandar dibina berhampiran kawasan sungai, maka penduduk bandar itu tidak perlu lagi risau untuk mendapatkan sumber air bersih bagi membolehkan mereka menjalankan aktiviti harian. Dari segi pemakanan pula, tanah sungai sangatlah subur dan sesuai untuk aktiviti penanaman padi dan pelbagai jenis sayur-sayuran. Selain itu, air sungai juga boleh digunakan oleh petani bagi membina sistem pengairan untuk tanaman sawah padi, sama seperti mana yang dilakukan oleh petani-petani Malaysia pada hari ini.
Jelaslah bahawa sungai sangat penting buat kehidupan manusia namun begitu, ironinya manusia pada hari ini adalah umpama air susu dibalas dengan tuba apabila hampir 99% sungai di dunia kini telah tercemar akibat daripada perbuatan manusia.
Contoh yang jelas boleh dilihat di negara kita adalah pencemaran Sungai Klang. Sungai Klang mengalir dari sempadan Pahang, melalui Klang dan Kuala Lumpur dan mengalir keluar ke Selat Melaka, sejauh 120km. Salah satu kepentingan Sungai Klang adalah ia menjadi sumber pengairan dan minuman buat penduduk di sekitar Lembah Klang melalui Empangan Batu dan Empangan Klang Gate. Tahukah anda pada tahun 2013, melalui satu kajian dijalankan oleh syarikat The Ocean Cleanup, sebuah organisasi alam sekitar dari Belanda, mendapati Sungai Klang antara sungai paling tercemar di seluruh dunia! Tambahan itu, organisasi ini telah mengkaji hampir 1000 sistem sungai di seluruh dunia dan Sungai Klang disenaraikan antara 50 sungai paling tercemar di dunia. Kajian ini juga mendapati punca utama pada pencemaran tersebut adalah kerana aktiviti manusia.
Aktiviti manusia seperti pembuangan sisa-sisa toksik dari kilang berdekatan dan pembuangan sampah adalah antara dua faktor utama pencemaran pada Sungai Klang yang jelas ketara. Uniknya mengenai Sungai Klang ini adalah, ia mengalir melalui bandar Klang dan Kuala Lumpur. Terdapat beberapa kawasan perumahan di bandar tersebut di mana Sungai Klang mengalir di laman belakang rumah mereka. Namun begitu, ini membolehkan beberapa individu yang tidak bertanggungjawab menggunakan Sungai Klang sebagai tong sampah peribadi. Sisa-sisa makanan, plastik, cawan serta pelbagai barangan sering dibuang ke dalam Sungai Klang oleh individu tersebut. Selain itu, Sungai Klang juga dimanfaatkan oleh pengurus kilang sebagai tempat pembuangan sisa-sisa toksik dari kilang mereka. Sebagai contoh, pada tahun 2013, aktiviti pembuangan sisa toksik telah dikesan di Sungai Klang namun begitu, pihak ataupun individu yang melakukan kesalahan tersebut gagal untuk dikenal pasti. Aktiviti berkenaan bukan sahaja berlaku di Sungai Klang bahkan seluruh sungai di dunia turut mengalami masalah yang sama.
Terdapat juga sungai yang tercemar di mana keadaannya lebih keruh berbanding Sungai Klang, sebagai contoh, Sungai Ganges di India. Sungai berkenaan bukan sekadar mengalami pencemaran sampah dan sisa toksik, malah Sungai Ganges sering digunakan oleh penganut agama Hindu bagi menjalankan aktiviti ritual agama mereka. Beberapa saintis terkemuka dunia telah mengeluarkan kenyataan, bahawa oleh kerana pencemaran selama beribu tahun, Sungai Ganges boleh diklasifikasikan sebagai "sungai toksik”.
Kesimpulannya, sungai di dunia ini masih mempunyai harapan untuk dibaik pulih. Ini adalah kerana, komuniti masyarakat di dunia sekarang semakin sedar tentang pencemaran alam sekitar dan kepentingan melindungi alam sekitar. Aktiviti pembersihan dan pemulihan oleh persatuan NGO dan beberapa individu semakin berkembang pesat serta berleluasa di kalangan mereka. Terdapat juga beberapa inisiatif daripada kerajaan sedunia untuk membaik pulih alam semula jadi di negara masing masing. Sebagai contoh, melihat pada konteks Sungai Klang, penggunaan kapal Interceptor dilancarkan bertujuan bagi membersihkan Sungai Klang. Kapal Interceptor merupakan alat binaan organisasi The Ocean Cleanup untuk mempercepatkan proses pembersihan sungai. Ia mampu mengumpul sebanyak 110,000 paun sampah dari Sungai Klang pada setiap hari. Namun begitu, adakah aktiviti seperti ini benar-benar mencukupi untuk membaik pulih pencemaran yang telah dilakukan beratus tahun lamanya oleh manusia? Tepuk dada, tanyalah selera. Peliharalah sungai kita demi kepentingan di masa hadapan
PANDEMIK VS EPIDERMIK : YANG MANAKAH SUKAR DIKAWAL?
PANDEMIK VS EPIDERMIK : YANG MANAKAH SUKAR DIKAWAL?
oleh: Fatin Amira, Siti Nur'Ain, Rizam Reski, Zawawi Dawam, Shafiqah Shamsor
Penularan epidemik dan pandemik sangat membimbangkan masyarakat apabila Pertubuhan
Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) memaklumkan bahawa Covid-19 tergolong dalam kelompok
pandemik.
Perkataan epidemik dan pandemik kelihatan seakan-akan sama, namun kedua-dua perkataan
ini sebenarnya membawa maksud yang berlainan.
Bukan itu sahaja, setiap perkataan itu melambangkan keadaan atau status sesuatu penyakit
yang sedang tular.
Menurut Doktor Pusat Kesihatan Universiti Malaya, Masitah Nazri, epidemik adalah istilah
yang sering digunakan secara meluas untuk menggambarkan penyebaran wabak penyakit
yang timbul di luar kawalan.
“Epidemik didefinisikan sebagai wabak penyakit yang menjangkiti sekumpulan penduduk di
suatu lokasi atau negara dalam jumlah kes yang tinggi.”
Selain wabak pandemik seperti Covid-19, serangan virus nipah pernah mengegarkan dunia
pada tahun 1998.
Doktor Mashitah berpendapat “Wabak epidemik yang melanda negara kita ialah serangan
virus nipah yang menyerang komuniti di daerah Kinta, Perak pada tahun 1998 dan begitu
juga wabak yang berlaku pada masa kini iaitu COVID-19.
“Wabak ini digelar epidemik di Wuhan, China, namun, apabila penyebaran wabak penyakit
ini menyerang sebahagian besar dari penduduk dunia. Ia digelar sebagai pandemik.” katanya
lagi.
Doktor Mashitah berpendapat pandemik dan epidermik mempunyai gejala yang hampir sama
dan bergantung kepada jenis penyakit itu sendiri.“Simptom atau gejala yang dialami bagi mereka yang dijangkiti wabak penyakit epidemik
atau pendemik adalah bergantung kepada jenis penyakit itu sendiri, kerana setiap penyebaran
penyakit wabak yang berlaku mempunyai gejala yang hampir sama.
“Sebagai contoh bagi wabak influenza, antara gejala yang berlaku adalah demam panas, letih
lesu, bersin serta sakit tekak dan keterukan gejala yang berlaku berbeza dengan selesema
walaupun terdapat persamaan gejala di antara kedua penyakit ini.”
Beliau turut menekankan golongan kanak-kanak, warga emas dan pesakit kronik sangat
mudah dijangkiti wabak pandemik dan epidermik.
“Golongan yang mudah dijangkiti adalah golongan yang mempunyai pertahanan badan yang
lemah seperti kanak-kanak, warga emas dan penghidap penyakit kronik seperti penyakit
darah tinggi, kencing manis dan juga mereka yang mengalami penyakit berkaitan paru-paru.
“Walaubagaimanapun, golongan yang lain juga masih berisiko untuk dijangkiti wabak
penyakit.” katanya.
Doktor Mashitah menyatakan wabak ini mampu diatasi dengan memberi kesedaran kepada
masyarakat agar masyarakat lebih peka.
“Wabak penyakit ini boleh diatasi dengan memberi maklumat kepada masyarakat umum
berkenaan gejala- gejala yang berkaitan dan langkah- langkah pencegahan serta kawalan
yang perlu diambil bagi mengelakkan penularan wabak penyakit menjadi semakin serius.”
Beliau menyatakan wabak pandemik adalah wabak yang paling sukar untuk dikawal
berbanding epidermik.
“Berdasarkan definisi pendemik itu sendiri, sudah pasti pandemik lebih sukar dikawal kerana
ia melibatkan penularan wabak penyakit kepada sebahagian besar penduduk di dunia.
Berhadapan dengan wabak ini bukanlah mudah bagi seorang doktor yang berpengalaman
seperti beliau. Mencari punca wabak daripada akar umbi dan vaksin adalah cabaran terbesar.
“Cabaran yang dihadapi oleh pihak perubatan adalah dalam mengenalpasti punca penyebaran
wabak. Selain dari itu, pihak perubatan juga menghadapi cabaran dalam usaha untuk
menghasilkan vaksin kerana penghasilan vaksin merupakan suatu usaha yang memakan
jangka masa yang agak lama dan melibatkan kos yang tinggi”
Kekurangan alat perubatan merupakan salah satu cabaran buat warga perubatan untuk
membantu memulihkan wabak ini daripada terus berleluasa.
“Dari segi memberikan rawatan kepada pesakit, pihak perubatan juga mengadapi cabaran
kemudahan alat perubatan yang terhad di fasiliti kesihatan dan juga bilangan anggota
kesihatan yang tidak mencukupi.”
POKOK PAYA BAKAU
POKOK PAYA BAKAU
'THE KIDNEY OF EARTH'
'THE KIDNEY OF EARTH'
OLEH: SARENA HALIM, KHAIRUL WARA, AQILAH PAHARUZI, DIYANA HATTA
Keindahan hutan paya bakau di Sungai Pulai
Sumber: FreeMalaysiaToday
Hidupan di bumi ini saling bergantung antara satu sama lain tidak kira manusia, binatang mahupun tumbuhan. Begitu juga dengan Hutan Paya Bakau yang sudah menjadi salah satu khazanah bumi yang sangat penting dan perlu dijaga.
Hutan paya bakau boleh dijumpai di sepanjang muara sungai besar yang tanahnya berselut dan di kawasan persisiran pantai yang terlindung. Ia merupakan ekosistem yang paling produktif dan unik serta berkebolehan untuk membesar dan beradaptasi di bawah keadaan air masin yang tinggi.
Bagi penanaman pokok bakau ini sebenarnya perlulah berdasarkan kawasan yang sesuai dan juga saiz serta umur pokok bakau tersebut.
Menurut Sultan Iskandar Marine Park (SIMP), ciri ciri kawasan yang sesuai untuk penanaman paya bakau adalah di kawasan hutan paya laut yang sentiasa mengalami air pasang surut dan keadaan tanah berlumpur.
Bagi Bakau Kurap (Rhizophora mucronata), tinggi minimal anak pokok yang boleh ditanam adalah 55 cm dengan jumlah daun 4-6 helai. Spesies ini merupakan hampir 50% dari jumlah hutan bakau di Daerah Temburong.
Bakau Minyak (Rhizophora apiculata) pula akan ditemui sekali sekala sahaja terutamanya di sepanjang pinggir kuala-kuala dan caruk-caruk sungai, yang mana saiz tinggi minimal yang boleh ditanam adalah 30 cm dengan jumlah daun 4 helai.
Ekosistem bakau adalah penting kerana sifatnya yang dinamis yang sentiasa berubah-ubah dari semasa ke semasa dan dari musim ke musim.
Ekosistem paya bakau ini terdiri daripada dua komponen iaitu komponen biotik dan abiotik. Terdapat tiga jenis pokok bakau yang utama dalam komponen biotik iaitu Rhizophora, Sonneratia & Bruguiera yang mendominasikan komponen biotik dalam ekosistem hutan bakau.
Manakala komponen abiotik pula merupakan komponen bukan hidupan meliputi air payau, udara, tanah seperti lumpur yang terhasil dari mendapan oleh ombak dan sungai serta bahan-bahan nutrien mahupun mineral yang telah direput. Zon hutan bakau dianggap sebagai ‘zon makanan’ bagi pelbagai spesies.
Hidupan ini mampu membuat makanannya sendiri melalui proses fotosintesis setelah mendapat tenaga dari matahari. Hidupan dua alam ini mendapat sumber makanan dari dedaun serta buah pokok bakau yang gugur dan jatuh ke tanah.
Menurut Dr Ahmad Ismail, keunikan sistem akar menjadi tempat pembiakan dan perlindungan daripada reptilia untuk spesies fauna seperti ketam, udang, ikan dan spesies moluska.
“Perkembangan habitat ikan dan krutasea menjadi sumber makanan kepada kera, burung-burung serta menjadi sumber madu kepada lebah, kelulut dan kelawar,” tambahnya ketika ditemu ramah oleh Utusan Malaysia.
Keunikan pokok bakau sehingga boleh digelar ‘the kidney of earth’ kerana kepentingannya kepada bumi untuk menapis pelbagai pencemaran toksik daripada air dan juga tanah serta mampu untuk mengitar semula nutrien.
Menurut Profesor Madya Dr. Rozainah Mohamad Zakaria, semakin luas kawasan pokok bakau, semakin banyak keupayaanya untuk menakung karbon yang mencemarkan alam sekitar untuk memulihkan tahap pencemaran udara serta memerangi perubahan iklim dan pemanasan iklim global.
Pokok bakau juga mampu untuk menyerap tenaga daripada tsunami dan penghadang demi melindungi kita daripada ancaman banjir, dan ribut. Hal ini kerana, pokok bakau mempunyai akar pokok yang kuat sehingga boleh berfungsi sebagai zon penampan semulajadi untuk mengurangkan dan mencegah hakisan pantai oleh ombak, angin dan arus.
Walaupun pokok bakau ini memberikan banyak kepentingan kepada kehidupan di bumi ini, tumbuhan ini tetap juga mengalami ancaman daripada pihak-pihak yang tidak bertanggungjawab.
Sehingga kini masih ada lagi segelintir masyarakat Malaysia yang menjadikan sungai dan laut sebagai tempat pembuangan sampah dan sisa minyak sehingga menjejaskan tumbuhan paya bakau ini.
Paya bakau telah terancam akibat pembuangan sampah dan sisa minyak yang tidak terkawal. Sisa sampah dan minyak yang dihanyutkan ke sungai dan laut ini akan tersekat pada akar paya bakau. Kawasan berlumpur di hutan bakau memerlukan 20 tahun atau lebih untuk pulih daripada kesan racun tumpahan minyak.
Di Kota Kinabalu Wetlands, kawasan tanah lembap berkepentingan antarabangsa (Ramsar) yang terletak di tengah bandar raya ini berdepan ancaman pencemaran sampah plastik yang hanyut daripada sungai dan laut.
Menurut Pegawai Sains dan Konservasi Persatuan Pemuliharaan Tanah Lembap Sabah (SWCS), Mohd Nurazmeel Mokhtar, berkata botol plastik adalah sampah paling banyak dihanyutkan ke kawasan paya bakau seluas 24 hektar itu iaitu mewakili 80 peratus daripada semua jenis sampah.
Di Bayan Lepas Pulau Pinang pula, berlakunya pencemaran sampah sarap di kawasan lapang berdekatan hutan paya bakau di Pekan Baru Batu Maung. Menurut Ketua Biro Aduan Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM), Ravinder Singh, kawasan lapang berkenaan dijadikan tempat pembuangan sampah dan bahan terbuang pihak tidak bertanggung jawab.
“Kawasan yang terletak kurang 0.5 kilometer dari Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Pulau Pinang (LTAPP) itu juga pernah terbakar dan turut membakar pokok bakau di pinggir hutan,” katanya kepada Sinar Harian.
Namun begitu, masalah pencemaran hanyalah sebahagian kecil daripada faktor kemusnahan hutan paya bakau. Tanah hutan paya bakau sering dianggap tanah gurun dan oleh hal yang demikian banyak tanah hutan paya bakau dibangunkan sebagai pusat pembiakan udang atau pusat agrikultur.
Mengikut kajian yang dilakukan oleh Dr. Abhijit Mithra, pembiakan udang menyumbang kepada 20 hingga 50 peratus kehilangan hutan paya bakau. Di dalam negara yang sedang membangun, kadar kehilangan hutan paya bakau mencecah sehingga 90 peratus.
Pembangunan pesisir juga merupakan salah satu penyebab kemerosotan hutan paya bakau. Pembinaan bagi tujuan pelancongan, jeti untuk pendaratan perikanan dan tujuan komersial menyebabkan kawasan hutan dilapangkan.
Menurut kajian oleh Institute of Oceanography and Maritime Studies (INOCEM), terdapat kemerosotan 2476.40 tanah hutan pokok paya bakau di Kuantan dari tahun 1994 dan disebabkan oleh pembangunan di pesisiran pantai.
World Wild Life for Nature (WWF) menyatakan bahawa kemusnahan terumbu di laut boleh menyebabkan hutan paya bakau tidak dilindungi daripada ombak dan arus yang kuat. Ia juga boleh memusnahkan nutrien asli di akar pokok tersebut yang melemahkan struktur pokok.
Aktiviti pembalakan juga antara ancaman besar dari manusia terhadap ekosistem hutan paya bakau. Ramai orang telah beralih ke produksi arang sebagai sumber pendapatan. Disebabkan kehilangan habitat ikan, kegiatan perikanan semakin berkurang. Ini akan meningkatkan produksi arang sebagai sumber pendapatan alternatif buat penduduk tempatan.
Populasi hutan paya bakau seharusnya dijaga dan di ambil peduli oleh ramai pihak. Jika hutan paya bakau ini tidak dipelihara dan dipulihara dengan baik, banyak kesan buruk yang boleh berlaku.
Ancaman terhadap hutan paya bakau perlulah dihentikan terutamanya kepada mereka yang taksub dengan pembangunan dunia sehingga sanggup menghancurkan kawasan semula jadi yang amat penting kepada kehidupan laut dan ekosistem demi keuntungan semata. Tanpa hutan paya bakau ini sudah tentu manusia tiada lagi pelindung daripada bencana alam seperti tsunami, banjir dan ribut. Sentiasa lah beringat supaya tidak menyesal di kemudian hari bak kata pepatah sesal dahulu pendapatan, sesal kemudian tidak berguna.
THE SITUATION OF ORANG ASLI DURING COVID 19 PANDEMIC CRISIS
By: Siti Hajar Husna, Sharifah Halimah, Nurfarisha Ilyana, Hikmashanty S. Larasati & Nurul SabrinaTHE SITUATION OF ORANG ASLI DURING COVID 19 PANDEMIC CRISIS
Coronavirus Pandemic Leaves Indigenous Peoples Vulnerable
Coronavirus Pandemic Leaves Indigenous Peoples Vulnerable
Orang Asli communities were probably the last to get notified about the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic that has been spread all over Malaysia.
Orang Asli or indigenous people scattered throughout Peninsular Malaysia, some at the edge of towns and others deep in the remote forests.
Because they live in remote areas, they are not exposed to current situations that affecting the country nor the world outside.
Moreover, the areas they live are far away from the epicentre of the pandemic that has been largely concentrated in urban areas around Malaysia, including its capital, Kuala Lumpur.
According to Free Malaysia Today’s article, Tijah Yak Chopil from the Semai tribe said that no cases has been reported in the rural area, she added, there are no education or health campaigns about the issue at villages.
“In fact, weddings are still being carried out here and there,” said Tijah.
They received the news about the development of the virus only through social media.
A member of Temuan group at Kampung Sungai Raya Seremban, Salmiah Anai said, her community only know about the information through word of mouth or from WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms.
However, there was no any campaign regarding to educate the communities about the pandemic and that is one of the reasons of why they were not aware of this issue.
“There is absolutely no awareness campaign here,” she said and many of them confused about the issue.
“They knew about the spread of a new disease, but at the time the number of people infected in Malaysia was low,” said Orang Asli expert, Alberto Gomes.
Living as Nomad during Pandemic
Living as Nomad during Pandemic
Harian Metro has stated, 300 of Orang Asli from Bateq tribe in Kampung Kuala Koh, Gua Musang have been moved to forest since the implementation of MCO started on March 18.
“We have moved to the forest for three times due to fear of Covid-19 outbreak,” said Kulim Tebu, 73, one of the members of Bateq tribe who moved to the forest.
He said, the situation was learned from the tragedy of measles infection that caused 15 deaths in June last year.
“It becomes a norm for us to move into the forest when any event involves infectious disease happened. We would stay for a short period of time in one place which only two to three weeks.
“After that, we moved elsewhere because living at home was considered unsafe and vulnerable to dangerous diseases like Covid-19,” he said.
Moreover, Som Ngai, 50, said she was still traumatized to live in her own house after losing three children during the outbreak of measles infection.
“Now, during this pandemic outbreak, the situation has been worried me and for that reason, I frequently move to the forest,” she said.
She added, they built tents and temporary huts along the river to facilitate in getting source of water for daily living.
Meanwhile, a coordinator of Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC), Colin Nicholas welcomed the decision by the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) to prohibit outsiders to from entering Peninsula’s villages to prevent the spread of the virus.
He also warned against exposing the communities to people from affected areas and cautioned that they have relatively low infection resistance.
However, when Aidilfitri has approached, most of the Orang Asli from Bateq community have return to their home, Kampung Kuala Koh and Kampung Aring 5 to receive aid and celebrate Aidilfitri after moved into the forest to keep themselves save from Covid-19.
They received food aid provided by the Jakoa, Kelantan Islamic Affairs and Malay Customs Council (MAIK) and NGOs.
The chief of Kampung Kuala Koh, Muhammad Pokok, 40, said they opened all access to the village for the outsiders able to come in due to get contributions of food.
Same goes to Kampung Aring 5, the chief of the village, Raina Anjang, 49, only allowed the staff of Jakoa and MAIK to access to the village for the precautionary step.
Sewing Face Masks to Support Family Incomes
Sewing Face Masks to Support Family Incomes
Some Orang Asli communities started a business to earn side income.
An Orang Asli woman from Perak, Januma Bah Long, 48, has been making face masks to support her family income since end of April.
Malay Mail stated, Januma has been sewing clothes for her family for daily wear which is before she started sewing face masks to sell it.
The idea was from Perak Women for Women (PWW) co-founder, Yip Siew Keen and member, Lee Su Win when they learned about Januma’s sewing machine, they made a suggestion to her that she could earn side income during MCO.
The 48-year-old woman has made at least 80 face masks daily since the venture began in late April.
She alternates the process by cutting the cloth for one day and the next day she sews them into face masks.
Januma said she would start sewing at noon and taking a break at 5pm.
“I will continue again at night before stopping at 10pm,” she added.
She noted that less than 15 minutes needed to sew one face mask.
PWW provides her with the material to make the face masks.
Yip said the face masks have been selling very well since they were put on sale at the PWW shop in Ipoh.
“I am just a normal housewife. Rather than just sit at home and do nothing, I now use my free time to earn some money to support the family income,” said Januma, when her husband works as a farmer assistant but he has to stop due to MCO.
Protect Tanah Adat to Avoid Future Pandemics
Protect Tanah Adat to Avoid Future Pandemics
To Orang Asli, Tanah adat is considered as their ancestral inheritance, special to each particular group, and it is recognized that the natural features of the land are active actors and allies in their social lives.
An article from New Straits Times reported, since the beginning of MCO, many Orang Asli communities living forest-fringe areas relocating to the jungle for self-isolation and food source using traditional method.
In addition, many make a living through small-scale farming activities and the trade in forest products, they were unable to travel to their customers.
Therefore, it is understandable that many have left the settlements to return deep into the forest and isolate themselves in their Tanah Adat for the pandemic.
The traditional belief of Orang Asli, with their rules and taboos, work to maintain the balance between human and the environment, control resource use and reduce human impact on the land.
However, Tanah Adat is at risk of deforestation activities, such as conversion to monoculture plantations, logging and mining.
The Orang Asli is the guardians of the rainforest which they help to maintain the balance of the ecosystem.
If this ecosystem invaded by irresponsible human, animals will become restless, come into contact with humans locally and internationally which allows the viruses to mutate, spread to various species and eventually to humans, creating new pandemics like we are living through now.
Scientific research has pointed the source of the zoonotic Covid-19 the transmission between bats, pangolins, from Southeast Asia and then humans on wildlife markets.
Therefore, the Tanah Adat should be protected in all costs for the long-term benefits to our national health and economic security.
Set Up Blockades as Loggers Return
Set Up Blockades as Loggers Return
Following the relaxation of the MCO, Orang Asli communities have blocked the entrances to their villages as loggers attempt to resume their activities.
According to an article from Free Malaysia Today, a spokesperson of the residents of Kampung Kelaik, Gua Musang, Amino Angah explained parts of the land had already cleared for roadmaking.
The blockades are made of wood and bamboo, but it might not hold.
“Our crops are considered ruin.
“We had rubber trees, durian and rambutan trees, and a sweet potato and banana farms,” Amino said.
The villagers filed a report to the police station which it stated, the Kelantan government had “pawned away” the village and the company concerned was not supposed to have dispatched bulldozers even though it might have legitimate permits.
Moreover, some loggers equipped with bulldozers arrived in Kampung Sungai Papan, Gerik, to prepare the road to their concession area.
The COAC coordinator, Colin Nicholas stated no logging activities had begun in the area because he believes the company was trying to “buy out” the villagers before they started all the activities.
However, the villagers of Kampung Sungai Papan have decided not to influence by the soft words made by the company and they also made a police report to save their land.
Musang King Plantations Threatened Orang Asli Land
Musang King Plantations Threatened Orang Asli Land
In this pandemic crisis, an old issue has risen back between Orang Asli and Musang king.
The demand for Musang King has been extremely high in Malaysia which caused the price of the king of fruits to skyrocket, more than RM100 per kilogram.
Durian plantations said they benefit the Orang Asli by offering jobs which surfaces the question: “Would the Orang Asli need these plantation jobs if their forests were not increasingly clear in the first place?”
According to Channel News Asia, a villager of Kampung Bukit Telaga, Pahang, Tam, recounted incidents of his tribe members argue with plantation workers to enter their village to seek more land.
He belongs to one of the nine Orang Asli families who live at the village which they are concerned about how plantations invade their land and surrounding forests from which they gather food from.
“It is not peaceful here anymore. We do not sleep well because we are scared the fruits and property we have will be stolen,” said Tam.
On the other hand, the plantation owners said Orang Asli can take advantage from employment opportunities and wealth.
Tam said one day the plantation owners will for us to move because they want to increase the profit which is only for them.
“We do not want to move. We lived here in the forest all our lives,” he said.
In fenced plantations, Kampung Bukit Telaga which in Raub sits 500 meters uphill from the row of durian trees.
Tam and his tribe live on a hillside clearing across from Hulu Sepam area which is a piece of forest land that has been cleared in recent years.
The Star has reported the piece of land is being cleared for a Musang King durian plantation.
Raub is known throughout the region as a durian hub specializing in the production of Musang King, a premium variety popular for its creamy texture and yellow fruit.
Without we acknowledge, massive deforestation is decimating wildlife and biodiversity in Malaysia.
For the Orang Asli who live in on ancestral land in the rainforest, the daily struggle to protect their rights, has been made even more challenging by the recent Covid-19 outbreak.
The issues of these communities have faced need to be spotlight of every news because they are the one who help us to maintain our biodiversity now increasingly threatened by human actions.
Protect all people in Malaysia to those in need, those who suffer, including Orang Asli.
That is what, “leave no one behind,” means.
Hutan-hutan Simpan di Malaysia
Hutan-hutan Simpan di Malaysia
By Siti Aishah,Ainul Najihah, Nor Sajidah & Nur Amiza Assyikin
By Siti Aishah,Ainul Najihah, Nor Sajidah & Nur Amiza Assyikin
Hutan simpan adalah satu khazanah negara yang sangat dipelihara oleh negara kita. Hal ini kerana ia adalah khazanah alam yang sangat penting dalam mengimbangi ekosistem bumi.Selain itu hutan simpan juga menjadi sumber ekonomi dalam bidang pelancongan terutama dari pelancong luar dek kerana keunikannya yang tersendiri. Di negara kita terdapat beberapa hutan simpan yang telah pun diwartakan sebagai khazanah warisan negara dan menjadi tumpuan dari pelancong asing mahupun tempatan.
Sumber: https://norsyaffila.weebly.com/pusat-pemuliharaan-orang-utan-sepilok.html
Sumber: https://norsyaffila.weebly.com/pusat-pemuliharaan-orang-utan-sepilok.html
Hutan Simpan Sepilok
Hutan Simpan Sepilok
Antara hutan simpan yang menarik di malaysia ialah Hutan Simpan Sepilok yang terletak dipantai timur sabah. Di hutan ini juga trletaknya Pusat Pemuliharaan Orang Utan Sepilok, Sabah. Kawasan hutan ini sluas 4294 hektar.Hutan Simpan Sepilok mempunyai 400 spesis pokok, 217 spesis burung dan 70 spesies mamalia. Sepilok telah dikhususkan untuk penyelidikan saintifik, latihan perhutanan, pemeliharaan serta pendidikan dan rekreasi awam.
Sumber: https://www.flipsnack.com/smiyr/hutan-simpan-kekal-ukm-booklet.html
Sumber: https://www.flipsnack.com/smiyr/hutan-simpan-kekal-ukm-booklet.html
Hutan Simpan Bangi
Hutan Simpan Bangi
Hutan simpan Bangi menjadi bahan kajian kepada graduan UKM. Selain itu, Hutan Simpan Bangi merupakan hutan tropika jenis diptrokarp yang kekal semula jadi di belakang Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Luas hutan ini kira-kira 100 hektar. Secara amnya hutan ini menjadi penampan kepada penyelidikan teknologi nuklear yang dijalankan oleh MINT. Terdapat pelbagai jenis flora dan fauna dan menjadi kajian kepada graduan. Antaranya ialah tongkat ali, gaharu, meranti, seraya dan jelutong.
Hutan Simpan Royal Belum
Hutan Simpan Royal Belum
Sumber: Orangperak.com
Sumber: Orangperak.com
Hutan Royal Belum merupakan daya tarikan utama buat pelancong yang menyukai suasana alam semula jadi. Hutan Simpan Royal Belum juga merupakan salah satu hutan simpan yang terdapat di Malaysia. Hutan simpan ini berlokasi di utara hujung perak. Luas kawasan hutan ini seluas 300,000 hektar.
Hutan Belum ini dibahagikan kepada bahagian atas dan bahagian bawah. Terdapat pelbagai jenis tumbuhan dan pokok-pokok kayu keras, tumbuhan herba. Bukan itu sahaja, spesies tumbuhan yang sukar ditemui seperti bunga Rafflesia. Hutan ini telah menjadi habitat kepada burung enggang terbanyak di dunia. Selain itu, hutan simpan ini juga terkenal dengan keunikannya yang sangat unik dan membuatkan ia berbeza berbanding hutan simpan yang lain.
Hutan Lipur Kuala Sepetang
Hutan Lipur Kuala Sepetang
Sumber: https://www.sobriyaacob.com/
Sumber: https://www.sobriyaacob.com/
Hutan Lipur Kuala Sepetang merupakan sebuah hutan paya bakau yang kaya dengan pelbagai haiwan dan tumbuhan. Hutan ini juga menjadi pusat tumpuan pelancong. Hutan Lipur Kuala Sepetang merupakan sebuah hutan paya bakau yang kaya dengan pelbagai haiwan dan tumbuhan.
Hutan Lipur Kuala Sepetang menawarkan perlindungan dan menjadikan kediaman pelbagai spesies pokok, burung, ikan, dan haiwan air yang lain yang uni di kawasan bakau. Pokok bakau seperti pokok Bakau Minyak, Bakau kurap banyak tumbuh di hutan ini. Ianya masih digunakan untuk menghasilkan arang dengan menggunakan cara tradisi.
Hutan Rekreasi Sungai Udang
Hutan Rekreasi Sungai Udang
Sumber: https://www.tempatmenarik.my/
Sumber: https://www.tempatmenarik.my/
Hutan Reakreasi Sungai Udang ssuai untuk melakukan aktiviti luar Hutan ini berkeluasan 335 hektar dan merupakan daripada sebahagian daripada rizab Hutan Simpan Sungai Udang. Tergolong dari jenis hutan diptrokarp pamah, hutan ini kaya dengan pelbagai jenis flora dan fauna. Selain itu, ianya sesuai untuk aktiviti-aktiviti rekreasi luar seperti bird watching, berkhemah dan merentas denai.
Antara kemudahan yang terdapat di hutan simpan ini ialah menyediakan pusat pendidikan mengenai sumber asli hutan seperti kawasan ‘arborentum’. Bukan itu sahaja, kemudahan lain seperti menyediakan tapak perkhemahan dan infrastruktur seperti padang permainan untuk hari keluarga juga turut disediakan.
Sebenarnya terdapat banyak lagi hutan simpan di Malaysia ini yang belum dirungkaikan dan itulah yang membuatkan Malaysia ini menarik buat kebanyakkan pelancongan. Hutan simpan juga merupakan satu tempat yang membuat kita merasa tenang dek kerana keindahan alamnya yang semula jadi itu.
INFOGRAFIK
INFOGRAFIK
https://infogram.com/copy-untitled-chart-1hdw2joxpwgp6l0
https://infogram.com/copy-untitled-chart-1hdw2joxpwgp6l0
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VIDEO
https://youtu.be/wAITFfj26pY
https://youtu.be/wAITFfj26pY
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