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

Think health, think pharmacist

As the roles of pharmacists continue to expand, there is an urgent need for strategic workforce planning to ensure we have enough professionals to meet Malaysia’s growing health care demands. As we mark World Pharmacists Day on September 25, the 2025 theme “Think Health, Think Pharmacist” offers a timely opportunity to reflect on the remarkable evolution of the pharmacy profession in Malaysia

Pharmacists are health carers too

As we approach World Pharmacist Day on September 25, the 2025 theme, “Think Health, Think Pharmacist,” offers a timely opportunity to reflect on the remarkable evolution of the pharmacy profession in Malaysia. We take pride in the fact that the current Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, YB Puan Alice Lau, is a pharmacist by training. Furthermore, Malaysia’s top research universities – UM, UKM, and USM now have pharmacists serving as Deputy Vice-Chancellors. Their appointments are a powerful testament to the leadership capabilities nurtured within the pharmacy profession

Moving beyond read-only ESG reports

While Malaysian companies are increasingly transparent about their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance, we are facing a critical, yet hidden, barrier to progress. The vast majority of this vital information is being published in formats designed for human eyes only— tatic, unstructured PDF documents. In an era where global capital markets are powered by Artificial Intelligence, this practice creates a state of “data chaos,” leaving Malaysian firms speaking an analogue language in a digital world

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

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

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

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