A Population Oratorical Competition between upper secondary pupils aimed at getting students interested in population problems will be held in Johore from May to June. The competition will be launched on 20th May 1981 in Segamat by En. Nordin bin Nazir the Deputy Director of Education, Johore. 81 secondary schools will be sending 184 students to participate at this oratorical competition. The Districts of Kluang, Segamat, Batu Pahat, Muar and Johore Bahru will send students who will face an elimination round during the 1st stage of the competition. The competition is jointly organized by the State Education Department and the National Family Planning Board with a funding support of $3500 from the National Family Planning Board. The Director-General, National Family Planning Board Malaysia, Datin Dr. Hajjah Nor Laily Aziz is scheduled to officiate at the opening ceremony and to give away the prizes on 27th June 1981.
PIP: Many countries have a wealth of population data already available for utilization. In launching family planning population programs on a national scale every country must establish a long range of integrated programs of evaluation and data collection which will measure the past, current, and future trends in fertility, mortality, and migration patterns. These demographic features and poupulation profiles will assist in charting the strategies, objectives, targets, and survey components to be implemented for the successful launching of a country-wide program. In Malaysia the 10-year period population census, vital registration systems, sample houshold surveys, immigration, emigration, industrialization records, and KAP surveys serve as a source for obtaining population data and for charting population programs. Attention is directed to the census and to essential features of a census as well as to vital registration systems. The population census is a "total process of collecting, compiling and publishing demographic, economic and social data pertaining at a specific time or times to all persons in a country or delimited territory." A census is conducted on a national scale and enumeration is done individually. In Malaysia a De Jure and a De Facto Census are normally conducted. Enumeration is carried out by means of direct interviews or canvasser methods. Malaysia's last census was conducted between May and June 1980. The organization aspects of administering a nationwide census is a long process which may take a couple of years in the planning period. While the census provides a picture on the population at 1 point in time, the vital registration system monitors the continuous process of vital events and performs dual functions: to register vital events and obtain vital records which are legal documents; and to collect statistics about vital events. In Malaysia the registration of births and deaths and marriages is compulsory. Vital statistics may also be obtained from household surveys.
PIP: On August 15, 1978, the integrated parasite control/family planning program was launched by the National Family Planning Board in the Tanjong Malim Estate in Kuala Lumpur (the estate is a rubber oil palm plantation) to enhance the health status of the estate workers and their families. Personal hygiene, good toilet habits, and washing fruits and vegetables before eating were emphasized. Pre- and post-surveys of worm infestation of the estate population revealed that treatment with drugs dramatically reduced the rate of intestinal helminthiasis infection among the population. To sustain the prevention or total eradication of the disease, an ongoing educational program was initiated and included the following features: 1) increasing knowledge of the community as to how intestinal helminthiasis is transmitted, and ways of limiting transmission; 2) providing safe and sanitary toilet facilities for young children, and; 3) periodic deworming of susceptible population every 3 months. The estate members are also encouraged to plant vegetables in their backyard. The National Family Planning Board also helped the estate members organize different functional groups, such as Mothers' Group. This multifaceted approach to family planning appears to have an encouraging future, particularly in family development.