Urgent need for AI ethics education

The recent incident involving a student in Johor allegedly using artificial intelligence (AI) to create and sell lewd images of classmates is a deeply disturbing wake-up call for Malaysia's education system. While technology offers tremendous opportunities, this case highlights a serious gap, revealing that our youth are not being adequately educated on the ethical and responsible use of AI

Ensuring sustainable celebrations

The festivals of Chinese New Year, Thaipusam , and Hari Raya will be observed in the coming months. With future generations in mind, we must optimise the opportunity to enjoy celebrations while also taking care of the planet

Embrace a circular economy during celebrations

The festivals of Chinese New Year, Thaipusam and Hari Raya will be observed in the coming months. With the future generation in mind, we must optimise the opportunity to enjoy celebrations while also taking care of the planet. Let's not take for granted the various waste or carbon footprints we produce as well as the resources we consume. One way to do this is by embracing the principles of the circular economy. In layman's terms, a circular economy is a system that minimises waste and maximises resource use – it is all about making the most of what we already have

Colorectal cancer among youths a growing concern

Between 2012 and 2016, colorectal cancer (CRC) was identified as the second-most common cancer in Malaysia, accounting for 13.5% of all new cancer cases

Psychological distress among Malaysian University students: the protective roles of hope, optimism, resilience, and self-efficacy

Psychological distress is a growing concern among university students, yet the role of Psychological Capital (PsyCap) components in mitigating distress remains unclear. This study examines the protective roles of self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience on psychological distress among Malaysian university students. A total of 547 students aged 18 to 24years (M=21.23, SD = 1.82) participated in this cross-sectional correlational study. Using SmartPLS software, the regression analysis showed that self-efficacy and optimism were significant negative predictors of psychological distress, whereas pessimism and succumbing were significant positive predictors. However, hope and resilience did not exhibit significant predictive effects. These findings highlight the protective roles of self-efficacy and optimism in reducing distress, while acknowledging the detrimental impact of pessimism and succumbing. Outcomes of the study support Psychological Distress Theory and partially validate PsyCap, highlighting the distinct contributions of its components on psychological distress. Addressing these negative psychological constructs through targeted interventions such as self-efficacy enhancement workshops and cognitive-behavioural programs may help reduce pessimistic thoughts and psychological distress among university students

A pressing need for public air quality alerts

LETTERS: We need to be aware of an invisible threat regarding the recent gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights that left a trail of destruction. I'm referring to the possibility of a dangerous level of air pollution, particularly fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, released during the inferno. Many surrounding residents might be unaware of the risks because no formal warnings or air quality updates have been issued in the wake of this incident

Time To Introduce The Malaysia Carbon Market Policy

Carbon credits are one type of compensatory mechanism for offsetting the emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases. When a company buys a carbon credit, usually from the government, it gains permission to generate one ton of CO2 emissions. The first auction for Malaysian Carbon Credit was held by Bursa Carbon Exchange (BCX) recently. This is a monumental step toward admitting the first Malaysian nature-based carbon project onto the BCX. This is a testament to Malaysia’s ability to develop its own carbon projects that meet international standards. Another feather in the cap, BCX is the world’s first Shariah-compliant multi-environmental product exchange that facilitates the trading of carbon credits via standardised contracts

Burgers, Fast Foods, and Increased Associated Risk for Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-Sectional Study of Dietary Habits among Young Chinese Adults in Singapore/Malaysia

Background: We see increasing evidence that dietary and nutrients factors play a pivotal role in allergic diseases and recent global findings suggest that dietary habits influence the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). Frequent consumption of fast food diets is associated with AD development. Despite the rising prevalence of AD in Asia, efforts in investigating the role of dietary habits and AD in adults are still lacking. Methods: We evaluated the association between the dietary intake of 16 food types and AD manifestations using our Singapore/Malaysia Cross-sectional Genetics Epidemiology Study (SMCGES) population. Dietary habits profiles of 11,494 young Chinese adults (1,550 AD cases/2,978 non-atopic controls/6,386 atopic controls) were assessed by an investigator-administered questionnaire. AD cases were further evaluated for their chronicity (550 chronic) and severity (628 moderate-to-severe). Additionally, we derived a novel food index, Quality of Diet based on Glycaemic Index Score (QDGIS), to examine the association between dietary intake of glycaemic index (GI) and various AD phenotypes. Results: The majority of AD subjects are distributed in the good (37.1%) and moderate (36.2%) QDGIS classes. From the multivariable analyses for age and gender, a moderate QDGIS class was significantly associated with a lower odds of AD (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.844; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.719-0.991; p < 0.05) and moderate-to-severe AD (AOR: 0.839; 95% CI: 0.714-0.985; p < 0.05). A good QDGIS class was only significantly associated with a lower odds of chronic AD (AOR: 0.769; 95% CI: 0.606-0.976; p < 0.05). Among high GI foods, frequent consumption of burgers/fast food was strongly associated with an increased risk of chronic and moderate-to-severe AD. Among low GI foods, increased intake frequencies of fruits, vegetables, and pulses decreased the odds of AD. Finally, we identified significant associations between frequent seafood, margarine, butter, and pasta consumption with an increased odds of AD despite them having little GI values. Conclusion: While genetic components are well-established in their risks associated with increased AD prevalence, there is still a lack of a focus epidemiology study associating dietary influence with AD. Based on the first allergic epidemiology study conducted here in Singapore and Malaysia, it laid the groundwork to guide potential dietary interventions from changing personal dietary habits

Deal with denial: why accepting diagnosis is a big step towards development

“ALVIN – need your help. My friend and his wife are in denial about their six-year old daughter’s diagnosis of intellectual disability. They insist that she should still be placed in a mainstream school. I think that will not be good for her. What do I do to help them seek help?” I discussed this question recently with my clinical psychologist colleagues at a conference and they shared that parental acceptance of developmental disorder diagnoses is a common concern, especially when there is no outwardly sign (such as autism), compared to Down Syndrome, where the condition is physically obvious