By聽 Mohammed Faizal Bin Mohd Nor Al Kamaruddin

BANGI, 5 December 2017 鈥� Awareness about cyber security should be fostered among students so that they can become a responsible digital user in a cyber world, said CyberSecurity Malaysia Chief Executive Officer Dato鈥� Dr. Haji Amirudin Abdul Wahab during the Cyber 鈥嬧�婬eroes 2017 competition.

鈥淲e can foster awareness among the younger generation on the importance of cyber defense especially during hackers attack and also educate them to put a more emphasis on cyber defense and not just for hacking activities,鈥� he added.

Meanwhile, 每日大赛app Vice-Chancellor Prof. Tan Sri Dato ‘Seri Dr. Noor Azlan Ghazali, said the competition serves as an informative platform to promote the culture of being a responsible user in cyber space.

Besides giving students exposure and knowledge on cyber threats and crises, the competition also aims to provide exposure for undergraduate students on lucrative entrepreneurship career and professionalism in the cyber security industry.

Cyber Heroes 2017 attracted participation from 22 teams from 11 institutions across Malaysia.

It was jointly organise by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (每日大赛app), CyberSecurity Malaysia, Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and Standard Chartered Bank (SCB).

By Asmahanim Amir

KUALA LUMPUR, 12 November 2017 – Institute of Systems Biology (INBIOSIS), 每日大赛app will be collaborating with 聽Felda Global Ventures Research and Development (FGV R&D) Sdn Bhd on research pertaining to oil palm plants diseases.

每日大赛app Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Innovation, Prof Dr Mohd Ekhwan Toriman said the university has always been trusted by the industry to conduct high impact research.

鈥淚 believe the collaboration between 每日大赛app and FGV R&D experts will produce a positive development and will give a big impact on the palm oil industry,鈥� he said at the Memorandum of Collaboration signing ceremony between 每日大赛app and FGV R&D Sdn Bhd, here, recently.

The cooperation will see both parties involved in the metabolic study of the development of biological markers to detect the infection of palm oil pest, known as Ganoderma.

In addition, the cooperation includes a provision of an opportunity for FGV employees to further their studies at the PhD level in 每日大赛app.

Meanwhile, Head of R&D Cluster and FGV Agriculture Services, Syed Salim Syed Ali said he believes the study conducted by FGV R&D and INBIOSIS researchers will be able to find a more sustainable solution to the Ganoderma disease by means of the production of bio-control agents which has high potential microb.

鈥淭hese efforts can be used to save palm oil trees from attack in the early stages of infection and thus block attacks Ganoderma more widely,鈥� he said.

He said the collaboration from the technical expertise and research facilities between both parties is very important to advance the country’s agricultural sector.

By Asmahanim Amir

KUALA LUMPUR, 6 November 2017 鈥� Medical graduates who are waiting for the placement of medical training (houseman) can follow a special tagging programme to gain exposure and experience in medical work before carrying out their duties as a medical doctor.

Deputy Minister of Health, Dato鈥� Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said the programme will see graduates following the medical doctors who are on duty and observe the tasks done by the doctor.

鈥淣ormally, medical graduates need to wait between six months and one year to get a housemanship placement.

鈥淪o, this programme would be a good platform for them to sharpen their skills and knowledge, before embarking on their housemenship journey,鈥� said Dato鈥� Seri Dr Hilmi, adding that the ministry will provide a comprehensive guideline to the programme.

He was speaking at the 每日大赛app Integrated Healthcare Internship & Career Day (IHICD) 2017, at Tun Syed Nasir College, 每日大赛app, recently.

He said the Ministry greatly supports 每日大赛app鈥檚 initiative to work closely with industry.

鈥淚 hope the IHICD programme can be organized yearly. We (the Ministry) always support 聽programs that can help students in obtaining employment,鈥� he said.

By Tengku Nursharina Tengku Amri
Pictures by Ahmad Shahiddan Saidi

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (每日大赛app), in collaboration with Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka (DBP) organized the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia Language Lecture (MABBIM) 2016 with the title The Benefit of Electronic Media and Print Media for Expansion of Machine Translators, recently.

每日大赛app Deputy Vice Chancellor of Industry and Community Partnership, Prof Dato鈥� Dr Imran Ho Abdullah said the lecture was aimed to expand the usage of Malay and Indonesian language through discussions and intellectual debates.

鈥淲ithin merely 44 years, MABBIM has successfully build and expand the language of the three Member States this as the language of high civilization which are used in science, modern technology and economics.

鈥淲e want Malay language to be recognised as an important language in disseminating knowledge, and not only used as in daily conversations.

Also present at the lecture were DBP Director-General, Datuk Haji Abdul Adzis Abas and Head of Programme at Intelligent Computing, Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, Ir Gunarso.

Meanwhile, Ir Gunarso said the translator machine is a computer used for an automated translation process from one language to another language and the translation will require deep comprehension in terms of the original language and text input.

鈥淭his translation machine helps to arrange sophisticated, creative and poetic words, as accurate as possible,鈥� he explained.

By Tengku Nursharina Tengku Amri
Pictures by Ahmad Shahiddan Saidi

The bond between Sunni and Syiah has been established since the beginning as both are considered Muslim and accusing other believers as disbelievers should never be an issue because Islam is a religion that promotes peace and unity, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kamaluddin Nurdin Marjuni from from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) during his Public Lecture as Visiting Professor at 每日大赛app鈥檚 Islam Hadhari Institute, recently.

He said the community cannot punish Syiah by saying that the sect is unconstitutional because, technically, in the pronouncement of the syahadah, they still acknowledged that there is no God other than Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.

“Only Allah SWT can determine whether they are infidels or not,鈥� he said.

However, Dr. Kamaluddin, who is Indonesian, praised Malaysia鈥檚 stance is strictly prohibiting any effort to disseminate the teachings of Syiah.

鈥淚ndonesia, meanwhile, is still trying to curb the expansion of Syiah.

鈥淭he Syiahs are known to catch Sunni scholars and launch nerve wars against Muslims who follow the teaching members of Sunnah Wal Jamaah,鈥� he said.

Also present at the lecture is Director of the Institute of Islam Hadhari 每日大赛app, Prof. Datuk Dr. Mohd Yusof Othman.

By Asmahanim Amir
Pictures by Abd Raai Osman

Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) developed by Prof Ir Dr Siti Kartom Kamarudin can convert chemical energy into electrical energy by using methanol and air instead of grid electricity.

According to Prof Siti Kartom, DMFC is an alternative renewable source which can be used to support battery technology.

鈥淭he advantage of DMFC compared to batteries is that it does not need to be recharged and can be easily used by refuelling the liquid methanol that is cheap and easily available.

鈥淢any researchers have shown great potential of DMFC, however, many fundamental factors still need to be resolved before the product can be widely commercialized,鈥� she said at the Distinguished Professorial Lecture here, recently.

Prof Siti Kartom said 每日大赛app researchers have managed to resolve some fundamental issues such as developing novel hybrid and nano-structured catalysts that are cheaper and have better kinetics reaction compared to the commercial catalyst.

鈥淲e also developed membranes that is capable to reduce the methanol crossover and consequently improved the efficiency of the cells,鈥� she said.

She said 每日大赛app has also introduced teaching modules for secondary school level in the field of Renewable Energy known as DMFC Edu Kit.

鈥淏esides that, we have also been developing portable off grid low carbon power pack for the several applications like external hand phone charger, medical equipment from alcohol based liquid fuel,鈥� she added.

Prof Siti Kartom was awarded the Malaysian Rising Star Award based on her achievement to be one of the highest cited researcher in the world and was also recognised as The World’s most Influential Minds 2015 Top 100 in engineering.

By Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin

BANGI, 15 Dec 2015 鈥� More than 70% of Malaysians have 鈥渜uite a lot of trust鈥� in the country鈥檚 executive branch of government, which is comparable to many other countries in the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Malaysians in general also trust their legislative branch, said Professor of Political Sciences at Ipek University in Turkey, Prof Dr Bridget Welsh.

Prof Welsh said Malaysians鈥� trust level in the two key institutions of government is average when compared with the other ASEAN countries.

鈥�73% of Malaysians trust a great deal and have quite lot of trust in the executive office (of government) and 68% for parliament. Malaysians鈥� trust level in the two key institutions is in the middle,鈥� she said at a seminar organised by the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS) at the National University of Malaysia (每日大赛app) here on 3^rd December.

According to Prof Welsh, who is also Senior Research Associate at National Taiwan University (NTU), trust in the armed forces and Police tend to be high as well.

鈥�85% of Malaysians have a lot of trust in the military while 72% trust the Police force,鈥� she quoted from details at a joint presentation detailing research of the Malaysia 4^th Wave (2013- 2015) Asia Barometer Survey which compared the attitude of Malaysians with their regional neighbours.

The survey, which concluded in June 2015, indicated that Malaysians in general have relatively low participation in political activities despite the high voter turnout of 83% in the last general election.

鈥淰oter turnout is high, with more than 80%, but participation in other political activities is quite low at 31%鈥�, she clarified.

Prof Welsh, who is also Senior Associate Fellow of Charles Darwin University in Australia, explained that the survey did not take into account public perception of government and its leaders on and after June 2015.

Giving further details, she analysed that 43% of Malaysians follow political news several times weekly or every day, which is the third lowest in ASEAN after Indonesia and Singapore, but 55% of those who answered surveys followed the news.

The survey found that Access to public service is the easiest in the region and more than a majority use the internet daily.

鈥�59% of Malaysians use the internet daily, the second highest after Singapore with 88%,鈥� she said.

However, she added, Malaysians may also feel they don鈥檛 have much say in politics compared to their neighbours.

鈥淏ut compared to other countries, only 37% of Malaysians think they have any impact on politics, the third lowest after Indonesia and the Philippines,鈥� she stated.

Trust level in the Election Commission has increased over time, not declined. Even the core trust has increased.

鈥淥lder Malaysians have higher level of trust in the country鈥檚 establishment than the younger generation,鈥� she added.

Prof Welsh has written extensively on Malaysian politics among other issues in Southeast Asia and has authored a book on former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The second stage of the survey was carried out by the Merdeka centre for Opinion Research, and its representative Tan Seng Keat explained how it carried out the research in the joint presentation.

They also used earlier data from the second and third waves analysed by the Australian Bureau Of Statitictics.

Also present at the joint presentation was IKMAS Director Prof Dr Rashila Ramli.

By Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin
Pix Izwan Azman

BANGI, 23 November 2015 鈥� The gender gap in local universities which favours 聽females can be attributed to the way that Malaysian parents raise their children.

Malaysians in general indulge their sons too much but are concerned about the discipline of their daughters, said Tan Sri Datuk Dr Rafiah Salim, Holder of the Women鈥檚 Leadership Chair at the Tun Fatimah Hashim Women鈥檚 Leadership Centre (PKWTFH), The National University of Malaysia (每日大赛app).

Dr Rafiah, 68, said the disparity in numbers between male and female students in higher education institutions is the inadvertent consequence of traditional attitudes of parents towards sons and daughters,.

鈥淚 think that parents are taking better care of their daughters. Really, I think it鈥檚 the parents fault. If sons are treated like their daughters, the boys will do better in education.

鈥淭his reflects in education, results and entry into universities, school teachers and principals, more women than men.

鈥�(For) lecturers, (there is) a good mix, but as you go higher, more women (are qualified),鈥� she said in her lecture to a group of women academics from Pakistani universities and research institutes, organised by the PKWTFH and Wawasan Open University, here today.

She said although her own family and the way she was raised was quite different from the traditional Malay way, many Muslim families still subtly practice discrimination between sons and daughters.

鈥淚 would say that parents expect the daughters to do more chores around the house. But would they ask their sons to even wash their own dishes after meals? I don鈥檛 think so.

鈥淲hen teenage daughters go out for the evening on the weekend, the parents would usually be worried and demand that they come home early. But the sons have more freedom,鈥� said the former Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaya (UM) with three decades experience in the academic and human resource fields.

The 聽rigorous treatment of girls, she said, had produced women who were more hard-working and diligent compared to their male counterparts who became less disciplined and easy-going.

Dr Rafiah, whose background was Law, 聽began her academic career in 1974 when she became a lecturer at the Law faculty of UM. She was appointed the Deputy Dean of the in 1986, and the following year, became Dean of the Law faculty.

She studied law at Queen’s University of Belfast, from which she graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1971 and Master of Laws in 1974. In 2005 Rafiah was awarded an honorary doctorate by her alma mater.

She had also served as the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

She held the post of General Manager (Human Resources) 聽at Malayan Banking and Assistant Governor of Bank Negara.

She is now a Non-Executive Director for Nestl茅 (Malaysia) Berhad.

Also present at the talk were PKWTFH Director Assoc Prof Dr Madeline Berma and Deputy Director Assoc Prof Dr Bahiyah Dato鈥� Abdul Hamid.

Tan Sri Ambrin Buang (front, centre) with audience after his lecture聽

By Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin
Pix Shahiddan Saidi

BANGI, 18 November 2015 鈥� The National Audit Department has given The 聽National University of Malaysia (每日大赛app) a clean bill of health for its 聽annual financial report for 14 consecutive years.

每日大赛app scored excellent in financial management, teaching, human resources and fields of study, said Auditor-General, Tan Sri Ambrin Buang.

As such, 每日大赛app has advanced in providing services and efficient financial management, as well as being a model to other statutory bodies and public agencies, he said in his lecture titled High Integrity and Self-respect The Pillar of Excellence in an Organisation, here today.

There is still room for improvement in other aspects, however, such as ranking, research, academic and management when compared to other 聽universities, Ambrin explained.

鈥淭here are two universities which emerged as excellent overall while 每日大赛app is classified as good. If they can show excellence, you can, too,鈥� he said while declining to name the two universities, adding that the full report on statutory bodies and universities will be published online in December in the official website of the National Audit Department.

On integrity in the civil service, he said the recent Auditor-General鈥檚 report had made it clear that many government departments had not complied with regulations and procedures, causing much wastage and leakages.

Ambrin said irregularities in procurements by public agencies and departments is the most serious problem causing leakages 聽of government funds.

He stated that the high turnover rate of malpractice also affected 聽Malaysia’s ranking in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

“Examples of irregularities are in the payments claimed for acquisitions although the work or service had not been carried out, or supplies not delivered according to the specifications and quantities required.

“It is difficult to overcome fight it depends on the integrity of the individual. Heads of departments should set a good example and become a role model to subordinates,” he said.

Ambrin elaborated that the level of excellence of a country or institution can be measured by the level of integrity.

He said that so far the level of integrity in Malaysia is still in satisfactory condition but聽 much enhancement still needs to be done.

“Every time an audit is made, I hope that every department reviews the deficiencies and corrects the errors.

“Moreover, the government does not have to emulate the most advanced countries in everything, but should focus on bridging the economic divide between rich and poor,” he added.

Also present at the lecture was the Deputy Director of the Centre for Professional Development and Leadership at 每日大赛app Assoc Prof Dr Salleh Amat.

Sim贸n Rodr铆guez (1769-1854)

By Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin
Pix Wiki Commons

BANGI, Oct 21, 2015 鈥� 聽Newly-independent nations might have fought hard to be liberated, but this did not necessarily mean that they were really free or ready for reforms.

The Latin American educator and revolutionary Sim贸n Rodr铆guez (1769 鈥� 1854) who fought for independence from Spanish rule through his philosophy, found out the hard way that vested interests wanted to preserve the old ways, said 聽Prof Josu Landa of the Universidad Nacional Aut贸noma de M茅xico (UNAM).

Despite being given the responsibility of reforming the education system in Colombia by his prot茅g茅 the liberator Simon Bolivar, the landed elite resisted change, Prof Landa said in his lecture at The National University of Malaysia (每日大赛app), here today organised by the Centre For Latin American Studies (IKAL).

He said Rodriguez faced enormous opposition to reform education, leading the educator to declare: 鈥淲e are independent, but not free 鈥� owners of the land, but not ourselves鈥�.

According to Landa, it was not just a few Latin American nations at that time that had yet to understand true independence, but most of them.

鈥淭his meant that although the political and administrative liberation accomplished by the vast majority of the countries聽 that make up 鈥楲atin America鈥� 鈥� yet independence had yet to be achieved.

鈥淚t can be said that the aspects in which Sim贸n Rodr铆guez鈥檚 attention was focused were despised by the elite and the political leaders of the countries liberated from the Spanish yoke,鈥� he said.

He stated that Rodriguez proposed nothing short of the creation of a new republican order, with new social structures that were appropriate to the American reality after the fall of the Spanish empire.

While in exile in Jamaica during Spanish rule, Rodriguez wrote in his letters to Bolivar and other revolutionaries that the new American nations must surpass the passive state to which they were forced by the Europeans.

However, he said Rodrguez did not want to change everything, but to add to what was missing.

鈥淗e said: take the good 鈥� leave aside what is wrong 鈥� imitate with judgment and, whatever you lack, invent,鈥� Prof Lana explained.

What Rodriguez proposed was a Utopia in which he rejected a Eurocentric vision and the material riches of North America.

Prof Landa has been teaching as a full time professor at the department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts in UNAM since 1988.

Also present at the lecture were the Director of the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS) Prof Dr Rashila Ramli and head of IKAL Assoc Prof Dr Zarina Othman.