Legal issues in working from home amid covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia

Flexible work arrangements are common during the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of the movement restriction and the closure of the economic sector. Among the flexibility practices is the implementation of remote working, in particular, working from home (WFH) where employees are physically working outside and remote from their organisations. The mandated WFH has changed the working scenario without confirming whether employers and employees are prepared for this new norm. However, the WFH arrangement requires legal consideration as its arrangement needed a legal predicament. The concern over WFH must be addressed on the grounds of managerial rights and boundaries besides determining the rights of employees while working remotely. From the legal viewpoint, there is a question of whether the existing labour law in Malaysia is accommodating to the WFH practice. Hence, this paper aims to examine the employmentrelated matters concerning WFH practice in Malaysia on employment terms like wages and leaves, matters on safety and health, social security, and confidentiality and security of information. This study applied a doctrinal approach using authoritative legal texts in solving the legal problems that arise from WFH. The analysis of legal provisions and case studies were employed to present the benefits of the employment relationship and industrial relations in the changing employment landscape and work culture linked to WFH

Continuous Production of Carbon Nanotubes - A Review.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) up to now are the most researched materials of the 21st century with an international intention of growing industrial quantities due to their superior properties for use in many applications. Thus far large quantities of carbon nanotube scan be grown in a continuous manner by both arc as well as chemical vapour deposition methods. In this paper, an innovative approach of feeding gases, a carbon precursor (solid or gases) and a catalyst into the reaction zone is reviewed. This is followed by a study of the reaction process concerning how the method is initiated, the effect of growth environment and catalyst on CNTs as well as the discharging mechanism for the final carbon products. A study of the arc method consists of a novel way of growing CNTs in a liquid solution from an arc discharge generated by carbon rods, by growing CNTs in a plasma zone using carbon gases or solid carbon and a more direct method of using carbon tape as the anode for the synthesized source are also reported. In the case of the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) method, some use a horizontal reactor and some use a vertical reactor with all having different installed devices for use in continuous feeding and discharging of resources and products respectively. Additionally, problems regarding the CNT yield and some issues that have not been taken into consideration by others, are discussed. At the end of the review, an additional mechanism to integrate catalyst preparation and carbon nanotube purification into the current research synthesizing process for future study is proposed for a highly productive continuous CNT synthesis process

The influences of melt-compounding parameters on the tensile properties of low filler loading of untreated-MWCNTs polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites.

This study is to investigate the effects of addition self synthesised multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), to the final properties of polypropylene (PP) matrix nanocomposites. The influences of melt blending parameters were evaluated, where the interrelationship between the temperatures of compounding and roller rotor speed of sh earing blade parameter, to the tensile properties of fabricated composites were studied. MWCNT was synthesised in the laboratory scale; by using the floating catalyst chemical vapour deposition(FC-CVD) method. Pre-compounding work is begun with de-agglomeration of MWCNT which carried out by combining the ultrasonication and mechanical stirrer means simultaneously. Carbon nanotubes produced was first verified by using SEM and TEM imaging microscopy t echniques. It was later integrated with the thermoplastic PP matrix, via melt blending process through internally mixing approach. Very low weight percentage of chemically untreated MWCNT (0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 & 1.00 wt. %) was added into PP and later was compression moulded to the thin sheet of composites film. Composites were prepared by varying the compounding temperature into three processing temperature namely 165, 175 & 185°C and also into three shearing speed of roller rotor blade, 40, 60 & 80 rpm respectively. Later, it was mechanically tested via tensile testing following the ASTM D-638 standard method. The interrelationship between each parameter of compounding to the mechanical tensile properties was tested. It was shown that, the additional of very low loading of untreated-MWCNT filler content, does give moderate effects on reinforcement to the tensile properties of composite. Different compounding parameter gives significant difference to the pattern of plot which was comparable between each other

Pengaruh jaringan sosial ke atas migrasi pekerja Bugis - Indonesia ke Sabah

Kedatangan Bugis ke Sabah terutamanya di Bahagian Tawau pada abad ke-19 bukan sahaja menyumbangkan tenaga kerja, malahan telah mewujudkan pembentukan masyarakat awal Bugis di Sabah. Mereka kemudiannya berasimilasi dengan masyarakat tempatan dan telah menjadi warganegara selepas pembentukan Malaysia pada tahun 1963. Aliran kemasukan Bugis ke Sabah masih berterusan hingga kini dan ia sukar untuk dikawal. Kertas ini mengkaji fenomena penghijrahan pekerja Indonesia ke Sabah terutamanya yang berbangsa Bugis yang mendominasi beberapa daerah di Bahagian Tawau dan Sandakan. Sejumlah 896 pekerja Indonesia terlibat dalam menjawab soal selidik yang telah dijalankan melalui kaedah temu bual bersemuka, sementara 20 orang pekerja sah dan 20 orang pekerja tidak sah terlibat dalam sesi temu bual mendalam. Kajian ini memberi fokus kepada peranan jaringan sosial dalam membantu proses migrasi yang merangkumi tiga fasa iaitu fasa pra, semasa dan selepas migrasi. Kajian mendapati migran baru dibantu oleh jaringan sosial bagi mengurangi kos dan risiko penghijrahan untuk memastikan kejayaan migrasi. Berdasarkan teori Penarikan dan Penolakan, keputusan untuk berhijrah dan pemilihan destinasi penghijrahan dipengaruhi oleh faktor ekonomi di tempat asal dan destinasi seperti peluang pekerjaan dan gaji yang dapat dijelaskan oleh teori Ekonomi Neo Klasik. Namun apa yang lebih penting, kajian ini mendapati faktor penarik bukan ekonomi seperti adanya jaringan sosial, hubungan sejarah, elemen geografi, serta persamaan budaya, etnik, agama dan bahasa memberi pengaruh besar kepada keputusan berhijrah bagi migran baru. Kesimpulannya, jaringan sosial berasaskan ikatan kekeluargaan merentasi sempadan politik terus membantu aliran pengetahuan, sumber dan mengurangi risiko kegagalan migrasi. Strategi pengambilan pekerja berasaskan etnik yang dibantu oleh mandur memberi banyak manfaat dan mampu mengekalkan aliran migrasi bangsa Bugis ke Sabah hingga kini

Association of body weight status and socio-demographic factors with food habits among preschool children in Peninsular Malaysia

Introduction: Changes in children's food habits are largely attributed to changes in the family and social environment. This cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the association of socio-demographic factors with food habits among preschool children in Peninsular Malaysia. Methods: A total of 1,933 preschool children aged 4-6 years old participated in the study. Parents or guardians were interviewed on the socio-demographic characteristics and food habits of their children. Height and weight of the preschoolers were measured; BMI-for-age, weight-for-age and height-for-age were determined. Results: The mean monthly household income was RM3,610 with 59.6% of parents having attained secondary education. The prevalence of possible risk of overweight, being overweight and obesity were 3.9%, 7.9% and 8.1%, respectively while the prevalence of underweight and stunting was 8.0% and 8.4%. A majority of the preschoolers consumed breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, with the proportion of children skipping their main meals at about 15.0%. Parents' education level and household income were significantly associated with intakes of fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy products, as well as fast food. However, there was no significant association between children's body weight status and frequency of main meals intake, fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy products, and fast food intake. Conclusion: The preschoolers demonstrated moderately healthy food habits; nevertheless even at this young age, they were inclined towards fried foods, snacking and fast foods intake. Parents and guardians should play a more significant role in educating and promoting good nutrition and food habits among preschoolers

Evaluation of Kenaf Fibres Reinforced Starch Based Biocomposite Film through Water Absorption and Biodegradation Properties

The effect of kenaf short fibres (KF) on thermoplastic sago starch (TPSS) film was investigated for its water absorbency, biodegradability and structure morphology. The TPSS reinforced KF biocomposite film was prepared via casting method at varying TPSS/KF weight percentage of 100/0, 95/05, 90/10, 85/15 and 80/20, while the plasticiser was at a constant amount of 30%, relative to the weight of starch. The result of water absorbency tended to increase for both pure TPSS (100/0) and biocomposite film with prolonged testing days and that the incorporation of KF improves the water resistance of the biocomposite film. Moreover, biocomposite film at 15 wt% of KF content demonstrated the highest weight loss of 39% after 40 days of soil burial for biodegradability test. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysed the morphology of the film and revealed good wetting of matrix over the fibres that lead to better adhesion of fibres with the TPSS matrix

EnviRoof – A Green technology for sustainable stormwater management

Sustainable stormwater management is rapidly gaining acceptance in Malaysia. It is an alternative to the traditional approach which promotes on site collection and conveyance of stormwater from roof to infiltrate into the ground or collect for reuse. EnviRoof is a green roof system consist of five component layers which capable to reduce the peak runoff and improve the quality of stormwater. Two types of vegetation i.e. beach morning glory (Ipomea pes-caprae) and creeping oxeye (Wedelia Trilobata) was tested on the experimental model

Eco-friendly green roof from biodegradable substrate for stormwater quality improvement

Currently, there is a significant surge of interest in green roof technology for construction buildings due to its numerous environmental benefits, such as stormwater management, energy efficiency, and enhanced urban biodiversity. However, the issue of potential pollutant release from green roof substrates into runoff water, causing water pollution, needs to be addressed. To tackle this concern, a lab-scale green roof model was assessed, utilizing a biodegradable substrate made from banana peels and eggshell waste (organic fertilizer). Three models were tested: a conventional green roof (control), a green roof with chemical fertilizer, and a green roof with organic fertilizer. Various water quality parameters, including pH, total suspended solids (TSS), nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK), and chemical oxygen demand (COD), were evaluated. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of organic fertilizer in reducing TSS and COD levels, where the eco-friendly green roof with biodegradable substrate exhibited an impressive performance, achieving a higher COD removal percentage (78%) compared to the green roof with chemical fertilizer (50%). The utilization of organic fertilizer led to an enhancement in the quality of stormwater runoff, resulting in NPK removal percentages ranging from 17% to 25%. Additionally, the organic fertilizer fostered healthier vegetation growth, leading to a greater number of leaves compared to the chemical fertilizer. These findings highlight the potential of eco-friendly green roofs as a sustainable and effective tool for stormwater management, provided suitable substrate materials are employed

Effectiveness of the EMPOWER-PAR Intervention on Primary Care Providers’ Adherence to Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Pragmatic Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial

AIM: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the EMPOWER- participatory action research (PAR) intervention, a multifaceted strategy based on the chronic care model (CCM) on primary care providers (PCP)’ adherence to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) clinical practice guideline (CPG) in the Malaysian primary care setting. METHODS: This was a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial –PAR conducted in ten public primary care clinics in Malaysia. Five clinics were randomly selected to provide the EMPOWER-PAR intervention for 1 year and another five clinics continued with usual care. The outcome measure was the absolute change in the proportion of PCP’s adherence to T2DM CPG captured using the “Indicators of Care Pro forma,” based on the recommendation by the Malaysian CPG on the Management of T2DM. Data were collected from the patients’ medical records, at baseline and at 1-year follow-up; and were analyzed using mixed method model. RESULTS: A total of 888 patients were recruited at baseline; 471 were in the intervention and 417 were in the control group. There was no significant demographic difference between the two groups at baseline except for ethnicity. At 1-year, 455 (96.6%) and 406 (97.3%) patients in the intervention and control groups completed the study, respectively. There were significant improvements in the absolute change in the proportion of PCPs’ adherence to T2DM CPG in the intervention group compared to the control group at 1-year follow-up in several indicators of care. These included the recording of BMI (0.6% vs. −1.8%, p<0.001); performing foot examination (2.4% vs. 0.6%, p<0.001); performing funduscopy/fundus photography (1.5% vs. 0.3%, p<0.001); monitoring renal profile (0.9% vs. −0.6%, p=0.001); measuring urine protein (1.2% vs. 0.6%, p<0.001), and giving lifestyle modification and self-management advice (1.2% vs. −0.3%, p<0.001) in the intervention versus control groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: The EMPOWER-PAR intervention has been proven to be effective in improving the PCPs’ adherence to T2DM CPG in several indicators of care. Findings from this study provided objective evidence of the effectiveness of multifaceted intervention based on the CCM in the Malaysian public primary care setting. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered with: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01545401. Date of registration: 1st March 2012

Prevalence and distributions of severely elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) according to age, gender and clinic location among patients in the Malaysian primary care

BackgroundAdults with severely elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) may have familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) and are at high risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The prevalence of elevated LDL-c in primary care clinics in Malaysia is not known. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and distributions of severely elevated LDL-c among adult patients attending public primary care clinics in Malaysia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at 11 public primary care clinics in the central states of Malaysia, among adults ≥18 years old with LDL-c recorded in the electronic medical record. Sociodemographic and LDL-c data from 2018 to 2020 were extracted. Severely elevated LDL-c was defined as ≥4 mmol/L, which were further classified into: 4.0–4.9, 5.0–5.9, 6.0–6.9 and ≥ 7 mmol/L.ResultsOut of 139,702 patients, 44,374 (31.8 %) had severely elevated LDL-c of ≥4 mmol/L of which the majority were females (56.7 %). The mean (±SD) age of patients with severely elevated LDL-c was younger at 56.3 (±13.2) years compared to those with LDL-c of <4.0 mmol/L at 59.3 (±14.5) years. In terms of LDL-c levels, 30,751 (69.3 %), 10,412 (23.5 %), 2,499 (5.6 %) and 712 (1.6 %) were in the 4.0–4.9, 5.0–5.9, 6.0–6.9 and ≥ 7 mmol/L categories, respectively.ConclusionThe prevalence of severely elevated LDL-c of ≥4.0 mmol/L among adult patients in public primary care clinics was high. These patients need to be further investigated for secondary and inherited causes such as FH. Therapeutic lifestyle modification and pharmacological management are pivotal to prevent ASCVD in these patients