Effectiveness of a programme is measured through the achievement of Course Outcomes and Programme Outcomes (COPO). However, problems occur when number of courses and lecturers increased and yet the process of collecting and analysing all the data were done manually. Therefore, systematic and effective toolsare required to tackle these problems. Furthermore, all engineering programme offered under the faculty must implement the Outcome Based Education (OBE) system as a curriculum approach for the purpose of accreditation from Boards of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) through Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) for bachelor degree and Engineering Technician Accreditation Council (ETAC)for diploma. Therefore, an effective system called i-RAS (Revolution on Assessment for Student Monitoring System) has been developed to overcome the improper analysis of COPO. This system has been implemented for bachelor degree at Faculty of Civil Engineering UiTM Penang Branch. The advantages of this system are (i) paperless because all the data were uploaded in the faculty website, (ii) automatic data analysis and (iii) the storage system is safer than before. As a result, the Bachelor Degree of Civil Engineering (Infrastructure) has succesfully attained 5 (FIVE) years accreditation. Seeing this successful story, the Dean of Civil Engineering Faculty has standardized the implementation of this system throughout all campuses offering Diploma of Civil Engineering such as in Pasir Gudang Campus (Johor), Jengka Campus (Pahang), Permatang Pauh Campus (Penang) and Samarahan Campus (Sarawak).This system also has boost satisfaction among the lecturers up to 97%, time saving up to 78% and development system cost saving up to RM29,700 (100%). This system also helped the faculty to attain full accreditation for all the programs offered by this faculty.
Road accident is not stranger matter in Malaysia. Subsequently, often leads to a claim for personal injury by the persecuted party. In Malaysia, the method for calculating claims applies a multiplier-multiplicand approach. This approach is no longer relevant and unfair to the claimant as it excludes personal status in the quantum calculation of damages. Hence, this study uses the Ogden Table as introduced in the United Kingdom as benchmarking guidelines, by taking into account of all aspect of claimant's personal condition for the purpose of such calculation. This study is built upon a proposed framework of data modelling system known as Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) and the created process modelling known as data flow diagram (DFD). Doing so, the claimants will insert their input data, run it through the first process, and store the information in the claim injury part database. They can also edit and store to claim injury part database on their own. This will generate a report with the information in claim injury part database and can be viewed by claimant, court and lawyer as target users. It is hoped that it will facilitate the calculation of injury claim which would serve justice and accuracy of personal injury in road accidents
Despite significant advances in medicine, death remains a certainty for every living human being. End-of-life care decision-making is not made easier in a multi-cultural and multi-religious society like Malaysia. As such, planning for one's death by making Advance Decisions can be immensely valuable as it can help healthcare providers in Malaysia to understand better the preferences and wishes of their patients. However, compared to other countries, there is currently no specific legislation on any form of Advance Decisions in Malaysia despite many doctors voicing a need for them. Unlike the Mental Capacity Act 2005 in the UK, the Malaysian Mental Health Act 2001 does not cover all instances of incapacity and only applies to those who suffer from a mental disorder as defined in the Act. In the absence of legislation, one could look to ethical guidelines, especially from the Malaysian Medical Council, but find that this can sometimes be problematic. It is argued that a concerted effort involving all relevant parties is required to develop a pragmatic and viable Advance Decisions frameworkl in Malaysia.
Planning ability is important in everyday functioning, and a key measure to assess the preparation and execution of plans is the Tower of London (ToL) task. Previous studies indicate that older adults are often less accurate than the young on the ToL and that there may be cultural differences in performance on the task. However, potential interactions between age and culture have not previously been explored. In the current study we examined the effects of age on ToL performance in an Asian culture (Malaysia) and a Western culture (British) (n = 191). We also explored whether working memory, age, education, and socioeconomic status explained variance in ToL performance across these two cultures. Results indicated that age effects on ToL performance were greater in the Malaysian sample. Subsequent moderated mediation analysis revealed differences between the two cultures (British vs Malaysians), in that the age-related variance in ToL accuracy was accounted for by WM capacity at low and medium education levels only in the Malaysian sample. Demographic variables could not explain additional variance in ToL speed or accuracy. These results may reflect cultural differences in the familiarity and cognitive load of carrying out complex planning tasks.
We measured Vibrio spp. distribution and community profile in the tropical estuary of Port Klang and coastal water of Port Dickson, Malaysia. Vibrio spp. abundance ranged from 15 to 2395 colony forming units mL-1, and was driven by salinity and chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration. However, the effect of salinity was pronounced only when salinity was <20 ppt. A total of 27 Vibrio spp. were identified, and theVibrio spp. community at Port Dickson was more diverse (H' = 1.94 ± 0.21). However species composition between Port Dickson and Port Klang were similar. Two frequently occurring Vibrio spp. were V. owensii and V. rotiferianus, which exhibited relatively higher growth rates (ANCOVA: F > 4.338, P < 0.05). Co-culture experiments between fast- and slow-growing Vibrio spp. revealed that fast-growing Vibrio spp. (r-strategists) were overwhelmed by slower-growing Vibrio spp. (K-strategists) when nutrient conditions were set towards oligotrophy. In response to resource availability, the intrinsic growth strategy of each Vibrio spp. determined its occurrence and the development of Vibrio spp. community composition.
During a mosquito survey in Ulu Gombak, Selangor, Peninsular Malaysia, October 2-16, 2003, we observed a peculiar oviposition habit of Armigeres flavus. This strange behavior is described and illustrated with photographs; although it is well known, no detailed description has been made previously.
Purpose: To examine the relationship between sleeping quality and behavioural outcomes of UiTM Seremban 3 students.
Methods and sample: A quantitative approach using a modified questionnaire of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Score was employed to examine the sleeping quality and modified version of the Adolescent Behavioral Checklist was used to obtain the response on the behavioural of UiTM Seremban 3, students. 428 respondents from three (3) faculties in the Seremban campus
participated in this study.
Findings: The result shows that there is a significant relationship between sleeping quality and behavioural outcomes of the students (r=.118, p<0.05).
Discussion and Conclusion: This study revealed that there is no significant relationship between sleeping quality and positive behavioural outcomes. However, the result indicated that there is a weak relationship between sleep quality and negative behavioural outcomes. The behaviours of the respondents tend to become
more negative if they were having poor quality of sleep. The results also suggest that poor sleep quality is not only prevalent among college students but are also associated with negative behavioural outcomes. Therefore, sleeping quality should be considered in the management of students’ health and there is a need for an investigation for possible intervention on sleeping quality of the college students.
Keywords: sleeping quality, behavioural outcomes, college students
Study site: University Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Seremban 3, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
The main focus of this study is exploring the spatial distribution of polyaromatics hydrocarbon links between oil spills in the environment via Support Vector Machines based on Kernel-Radial Basis Function (RBF) approach for high precision classification of oil spill type from its sample fingerprinting in Peninsular Malaysia. The results show the highest concentrations of Σ Alkylated PAHs and Σ EPA PAHs in ΣTAH concentration in diesel from the oil samples PP3_liquid and GP6_Jetty achieving 100% classification output, corresponding to coherent decision boundary and projective subspace estimation. The high dimensional nature of this approach has led to the existence of a perfect separability of the oil type classification from four clustered oil type components; i.e diesel, bunker C, Mixture Oil (MO), lube oil and Waste Oil (WO) with the slack variables of ξ ≠ 0. Of the four clusters, only the SVs of two are correctly predicted, namely diesel and MO. The kernel-RBF approach provides efficient and reliable oil sample classification, enabling the oil classification to be optimally performed within a relatively short period of execution and a faster dataset classification where the slack variables ξ are non-zero.
Seagrasses provide a range of marine ecosystem services. These include coastal protection, biodiversity, provision of food for various organisms, breeding and nursery habitats for many marine species, and carbon storage. Increasing anthropogenic pressures have contributed to the decline of seagrass habitats. Transplantation is one of the solutions to increase seagrass coverage and resilience. What is often overlooked, however, is the ability of this tropical ecosystem to attract and support faunal assemblages that may impinge on the success of the transplantation. A pilot study on seagrass transplantation at Gaya Island (Kota Kinabalu, Sabah) was intended for observing its stability and species of fauna that develop association with this vegetation. The study covered the southwest and northeast monsoons. Mixed seagrass species were planted on approximately 50% of 30 m 2 transplantation areas. Monitoring of the planted seagrass was carried out in five phases (T1-T5) from September 2016 to April 2018. Weekly observations were made by SCUBA diving. Identification of associated fauna was done on the spot and was based on morphological characteristics. During the T1 (September to December 2016) the seagrass coverage was reduced to 41% due to strong waves generated by the northeast monsoon. However, the seagrass coverage increased ( 66 %) during the southwest monsoon (T2 - T4) in 2017. In early 2018 (T5), the seagrass coverage again reduced (about 18%) due to strong waves but recovered again at the end of the monitoring period (April 2018). A total of 30 species of fauna that were identified consisted of 9 resident and 21 non-resident species. Physical structure of transplanted seagrass created a microhabitat, and increased the food availability and abundance, which attracted many species of different trophic levels.
This study was conducted to identify the practices of Malay chefs in preparing traditional Malay dishes at hotels in the Klang Valley. In addition, this study aimed to identify the level of knowledge and practices of these chefs with regard to traditional cooking and to analyse how the knowledge could be passed on to the younger generation of Malay chefs. In reality, these practices and traditions which include the practices in food preparation, skills and cooking techniques to maintain the authenticity and sustainability of the traditional Malay cuisine are slowly being neglected, especially among those in the hotel industry. The younger generation of Malay chefs no longer seems to take pride in the traditional way of cooking. In addition, the use of processed food in Malay kitchens is very common today. In order to achieve the aims of the study, a qualitative research was conducted. Chefs at various hotels in the Klang Valley were interviewed to determine their current practices. The findings showed that the techniques of cooking traditional Malay foods have been tainted with modern culinary techniques due to a lack of exposure and knowledge in traditional Malay cuisine. In general, traditional cooking methods are viewed as outdated, obsolete and not in accordance to modernisation. By conforming to the style of cooking with modern equipment and technology, this has indirectly altered the prevailing practices of the traditional food preparation in hotels.
This paper describes the Malaysian car owners’ preference to purchase their car through car lease swap arrangement. Since owning a car nowadays is a necessity for most individuals, people will try to find the easiest and fastest way to own a car. Hence, the aim of this paper is to describe the issues of car lease swap businesses conducted in Malaysia, in particular to understand the reasons, business mechanism, and benefits of buying a car via this method. Due to limited empirical studies on car lease swap arrangement in Malaysia, the research adopted a qualitative approach, which utilises the snowball method to identify its participants. Interviews were conducted with relevant parties, who were directly involved in car lease swap business, which include the car lease dealers, the car owners and third parties (buyers). The findings indicate that the car lease dealers were the most to gain out of this business, meanwhile the car owners were worse off. Compared to the third parties, the car owners benefited from the convenient arrangement of the business. Nevertheless, due to its vague legality, it is possible to have negative implications on all parties involved. As such, future research should look at all parties involved in investigating the issues of this car lease swap business, such as relevant government agencies and all other stakeholders.
A 25-week feeding trial was conducted to assess the growth performance, organoleptic quality, and to estimate the viability of nourishing hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus x Epinephelus lanceolatus) with low-cost fish (LCF) and commercially compound feed (CCF). A group of 3600 juvenile fish (182g) were released in four sea cages and fed with either LCF or CCF in duplicate. At the end of the trial, the hybrid grouper provided LCF attained a significantly higher (P0.05). Although technicalities of fish fed with LCF suggest that LCF is more efficient than CCF, feeding LCF to high-value fish is an unsustainable practice as LCF is usually obtained through trawling – a destructive fishing method for the marine ecosystem. Therefore, feeding with CCF without the use of LCF as the source of protein for its fishmeal will contribute to sustainable aquaculture. In order to convince the local farmers in Sabah to adopt the practice of feeding CCF, future research should focus on completing the species-specific diet formulation to promote optimum growth, and find ways to reduce the CCF local selling price.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has forced many clinical disciplines to evolve to function safely and still provide the necessary care. Otorhinolaryngology (ORL) is a field that has been greatly affected by this highly transmissible viral pathogen. Aerosolizing procedures, proximity examination and other common procedures must be revamped to suit current time. The usual norm ORL procedures need also be altered to incorporate safeguards to protect both patient and healthcare workers. This recommendation for current practices aims to give a practical approach to modify current practices to maintain safety during the pandemic. These recommendations are the consensus amongst ORL practitioners in Hospital Sungai Buloh which is the designated COVID-19 centre for Malaysia’s central region and is currently being practised.
Pulau Tioman is a popular tourist island off the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia, known for its vast areas of intact vegetation. Six tick species have been recorded on the island but little is known about their local ecology or public health importance. To facilitate studies of the tick fauna of Pulau Tioman, a checklist of all species and host associations is presented with the first host records, from Pulau Tioman, of Amblyomma helvolum from the Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) and Amblyomma varanense from the keeled rat snake (Ptyas carinata). A pictorial key is also presented for all tick species known from the island.
We report the complete genome sequence of Bacillus sp. strain PR5, isolated from a river receiving hospital and urban wastewater in Malaysia, which demonstrated a high capability for degrading prazosin. This genome sequence of 4,525,264 bp exhibited 41.5% GC content, 4,402 coding sequences, and 32 RNAs.
Primary immunodeficiency disease (PID) or inborn error of immunity is a heterogeneous group of inherited diseases affecting the immune system resulting in increased susceptibility to infections, immune dysregulation, autoimmune manifestations, lymphoproliferation and malignancy. Cases of PIDs have been reported in Malaysia since 1977 and the numbers of reported cases steadily increased for the past 30 years with more trained clinical immunologist available, better immunodiagnostic facilities, wider immunoglobulin replacement therapy availability and improved techniques in haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for PIDs. In this article, we highlight some of the limitations and challenges in the diagnosis and therapy of PID, and more recent efforts to establish PID services in Malaysia.
In the past few decades, there has been a rapid growth in the concentration of nitrogenous compounds such as nitrate-nitrogen and ammonia-nitrogen in rivers, primarily due to increasing agricultural and industrial activities. These nitrogenous compounds are mainly responsible for eutrophication when present in river water, and for 'blue baby syndrome' when present in drinking water. High concentrations of these compounds in rivers may eventually lead to the closure of treatment plants. This study presents a training and a selection approach to develop an optimum artificial neural network model for predicting monthly average nitrate-N and monthly average ammonia-N. Several studies have predicted these compounds, but most of the proposed procedures do not involve testing various model architectures in order to achieve the optimum predicting model. Additionally, none of the models have been trained for hydrological conditions such as the case of Malaysia. This study presents models trained on the hydrological data from 1981 to 2017 for the Langat River in Selangor, Malaysia. The model architectures used for training are General Regression Neural Network (GRNN), Multilayer Neural Network and Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN). These models were trained for various combinations of internal parameters, input variables and model architectures. Post-training, the optimum performing model was selected based on the regression and error values and plot of predicted versus observed values. Optimum models provide promising results with a minimum overall regression value of 0.92.
Known for its durable timber quality, Neobalanocarpus heimii (King) Ashton is a highly sought after tree species endemic to the Malay Peninsula. Due to its scarcity and high value, the tree is classified under the IUCN Red List categories of Vulnerable. In this study, we assembled the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of N. heimii using data from high-throughput Illumina sequencing. The Chengal cp genome is 151,191 bp in size and includes two inverted repeat regions of 23,721 bp each, which is separated by a large single copy region of 83,801 bp and a small single copy region of 19,948 bp. A total of 130 genes were predicted, including 37 tRNA, 8 rRNA, and 85 protein-coding genes. Phylogenetic analysis placed N. heimii within the order Malvales.
Tapinoma indicum is a household pest that is widely distributed in Asian countries. It is known as nuisance pest that causes annoyance and disturbance by constructing nests and foraging in building for food and water. This article documents the draft genome dataset of T. indicum collected in Penang Island, Malaysia using the next-generation sequencing known as the Illumina platform. This article presents the pair-end 150 bp genome dataset and the quality of the sequencing result. This dataset provides the information for further understanding of T. indicum in the molecular aspect and the opportunity to develop a novel method for pest control and regulation. The dataset is available under Sequence Read Archive (SRA) databases with the accession number SRR10848807.