Manikam Kalbu: Adat Dan Adab Melayu

Sastera remaja antara cabang yang perlu diberikan perhatian dalam mengetengahkan identiti Melayu sebagai landasan membentuk jati diri dan sahsiah yang berkualiti dalam diri seorang remaja. Masalah lambakan novel remaja yang mengangkat tema pornografi dan tidak menjaga ketertiban bahasa adalah permasalahan yang membimbangkan. Fenomena ini mentamsilkan keterbatasan pengarang dalam mengangkat persoalan yang relevan serta berunsurkan pendidikan khususnya untuk golongan remaja. Penelitian ini menjadikan novel Manikam Kalbu karya Faisal Tehrani sebagai teks kajian. Naskhah Manikam Kalbu telah diangkat sebagai pemenang tempat pertama dalam Sayembara Mengarang Novel sempena perayaan Jubli Emas Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP). Keunggulan novel ini turut terserlah apabila dipilih oleh panel penilai sebagai pemenang kategori novel remaja dalam Hadiah Sastera Perdana Malaysia (HSPM) sesi 2006/2007. Makalah ini bertujuan mengenal pasti elemen identiti Melayu yang diungkapkan dalam novel Manikam Kalbu. Pendekatan Sosiologi Sastera oleh Alan Swingewood dijadikan panduan dalam mendasari penelitian ini. Kaedah kualitatif diterapkan bagi mencapai objektif kajian, iaitu dengan menggunakan kaedah pengumpulan data dan kaedah analisis kandungan. Novel Manikam Kalbu menampilkan watak remaja yang ideal serta berupaya menjadi suri teladan kepada golongan pembaca khususnya remaja. Hasil kajian mendapati novel Manikam Kalbu menyerlahkan identiti Melayu seperti busana Melayu, adat Minang, adab memuliakan tetamu dan adat mengadap raja yang boleh mendekatkan golongan remaja pada usul bangsa dan memperkukuhkan jati diri mereka dalam era globalisasi ini

Addressing the human rights impacts of economic globalisation: An analysis from soft law and Islamic perspectives

The recent trend of economic globalisation has resulted in massive emergence of international business corporations such as the multinational corporations (MNCs).The inherent aim of their establishment which was based mainly on profit-making has, to a certain extent, put social and human rights interests of their stakeholders at stake.The adverse human rights violations committed by MNCs worldwide, despite responded with mounting protests and concerns by global communities, are not readily addressed. Among the rights mostly affected by business operations include civil and political as well as economic, social and cultural rights.Aiming to enhance human rights compliance by business entities and thus to address the human rights impacts of economic globalisation, this paper seeks to analyse the solution mechanism from the perspectives of soft law approach and Islamic principles.This paper uses the library-based research method by analysing relevant materials such as the UN documents, legal journals, court cases and judgments, academic textual materials as well as internet sources.This paper concludes that there is no divergence between the tenets of Islam and the adoption of corporate responsibility through soft law approaches.Both soft law and Islamic principles could formulate viable solutions to address the mounting events of corporate human rights violations that feature the current era of economic globalisation. This paper believes that a success in harmonising economic growth and protecting human rights principles will harness the great power of economic development to align with the great principle of human dignity

Thermal process of castor and plant based oil

Castor oil is an oil derived from castor seed from a plant Ricinus communis. The versatility of castor oil is highly attributed by 12-hydroxy-9-octadecenoic acid (ricinoleic acid) and its functional group. It is an oil that cannot be consumed by a human. However, castor oil actually can be used to produce many valuable products such as chemicals, paint, and cosmetics due to its unique characteristic which contains a high percentage of ricinoleic acid that helps in producing many valuable products. The utilization of vegetable oils is currently in the highlight of the chemical industry, as they are one of the most important renewable resources due to their universal availability, inherent biodegradability, low price, and eco-friendly. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to focus on the thermal cracking of castor oil with Zeolite ZSM-5 as the catalyst generates products consisting alcohol, methyl esters and fatty acids which are valuable raw materials for industries. The background, characteristics, composition, properties and industrial application of castor oil have also been discussed. The important properties and various applications of castor oil which can be obtained from toxic seeds have much greater potential than other available vegetable oils

Thermal Process of Castor and Plant Based Oil

Castor oil is an oil derived from castor seed from a plant Ricinus communis. The versatility of castor oil is highly attributed by 12-hydroxy-9-octadecenoic acid (ricinoleic acid) and its functional group. It is an oil that cannot be consumed by a human. However, castor oil actually can be used to produce many valuable products such as chemicals, paint, and cosmetics due to its unique characteristic which contains a high percentage of ricinoleic acid that helps in producing many valuable products. The utilization of vegetable oils is currently in the highlight of the chemical industry, as they are one of the most important renewable resources due to their universal availability, inherent biodegradability, low price, and eco-friendly. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to focus on the thermal cracking of castor oil with Zeolite ZSM-5 as the catalyst generates products consisting alcohol, methyl esters and fatty acids which are valuable raw materials for industries. The background, characteristics, composition, properties and industrial application of castor oil have also been discussed. The important properties and various applications of castor oil which can be obtained from toxic seeds have much greater potential than other available vegetable oils

The Third National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS III) 2006: nutritional status of adults aged 18 years and above

1Department of Nutrition Research, Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health, Kuala Lumpur; 2Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor; 3Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 50300 Kuala Lumpur; 4Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Institute for Medical Research,Kuala Lumpur; 5Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Clinical Research Centre, Ministry of Health, Kuala Lumpur; 6Department of Paediatrics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur; 7Department of Community Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, International Islamic University, Kuantan The Third National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS III) was conducted in 2006 to determine the nutritional status of a nationally representative sample of Malaysian adults aged 18 years and above. Body weight, height and waist circumference measurements were taken by trained health nurses according to a standard procedure (WHO, 1998). Body Mass Index (BMI) was determined among 33,055 eligible adults, while risk of abdominal obesity based on waist circumference (WC) was obtained from 32,900 individuals. In addition, peripheral muscle wasting was determined using calf circumference (CC) among 4,282 older individuals aged 60 years and above. The national prevalence of normal BMI (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2) was 48.4% (47.7–49.0)*. The prevalence of underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m2) was 8.5% (8.2–8.9), being higher in rural areas {9.8% (9.2–10.4)} than in urban areas {7.8% (7.4–8.3)}. Meanwhile, 29.1% (28.6–29.7) of the adults were overweight (BMI 25.0-29.9 kg/m2). Among the ethnic groups, Indians had the highest prevalence of overweight followed by Malays and Chinese. In addition, 14.0% (13.6–14.5) of the adults were obese (BMI >30.0 kg/m2). Women had higher obesity prevalence at 17.4% (16.7–18.0) than men at 10.0% (9.5–10.5). In terms of ethnic groups, Indians and Malays had higher obesity prevalence than other groups. By occupation category, housewives showed the highest prevalence of obesity at 20.3% (19.4–21.3). The prevalence of abdominal obesity (WC for women >88 cm and men >102 cm) was 17.4% (16.9-17.9), with women showing higher prevalence {26.0% (25.2-26.8)} than men {7.3% (6.7-7.6}. The prevalence of older persons with peripheral muscle wasting (calf circumference for women < 27.3 cm and men < 30.1 cm) was 19.9% (18.5–21.6), with a higher prevalence of men {23.7% (21.6-25.9)} than women {16.8% (15.1-18.5)} at risk of malnutrition according to this indicator. In comparison, the present national prevalence of underweight of 8.5% was three times lower than that (25.2%) reported in the NHMS II in 1996. In contrast, the prevalence of overweight hasof 14.0% in this study and 12.7% in the MANS were approximately three times the level of 4.4% found in 1996 (NHMS III). This alarming trend calls for serious re-examination of public health programmes for more effective reduction of obesity among Malaysian adults. increased from 16.6% in the NMHS II to 29.1% in the present study. The latter is comparable with the finding of 27.4% reported in another nationally representative sample involving over 5,000 adults namely, the Malaysian Adults Nutrition Survey (MANS) conducted in 2003. It is noted that obesity prevalence of 14.0% in this study and 12.7% in the MANS were approximately three times the level of 4.4% found in 1996 (NHMS III). This alarming trend calls for serious re-examination of public health programmes for more effective reduction of obesity among Malaysian adults

Reliability and Technical Error of Calf Circumference and Mid-half Arm Span Measurements for Nutritional Status Assessment of Elderly Persons in Malaysia

This study sought to examine the reliability of two measurements; Calf Circumference (CC) and Mid-half Arm Span (MHAS). A sample of 130 elderly persons aged 60 years and above seen consecutively in the Kuala Lumpur Hospital outpatient clinic during the period of December 2005 to January 2006, upon consent, were recruited to the study. There was a high degree of reliability for both inter- and intra-examiner (r close to 1). For inter-examiner, on average the CC measurements taken by the first examiner were 0.3 cm lower than that of the second examiner. The upper and lower limit of the differences were +0.4 to –0.9 cm respectively. Inter-examiner MHAS measurements on average by the first examiner were 0.2 cm lower than that of the second examiner. The limits were +1.7 to –2.1 cm. By comparison, the inter-examiner CC measurements were more reliable than the MHAS measurements. For intra-examiner, on average the CC measurements at Time 1 were consistent with Time 2 (mean difference=0) with limits of the difference at + 0.5 cm. MHAS measurements at Time 1 were on average 0.1 cm less than at Time 2 with limits at +1.7 and –1.8 cm. The technical error of measurement (TEM) and coefficient of variation of CC and MHAS for both interexaminer and intra-examiner measurements were within acceptable limits with the exception of MHAS TEM. This study suggests that CC and MHAS measured in elderly persons 60 years and above, using Seca Circumference Tape ® 206, Germany (0.05 cm) are reliable and can be used in a community survey

Reliability, technical error of measurements and validity of instruments for nutritional status assessment of children in the Third National Health and Morbidity Survey, Malaysia

The Third National Health & Morbidity Survey, Malaysia 2006 included nutritional status assessment of children. This study estimated the reliability, technical error of measurement (TEM) and validity of those instruments in 130 children below two from a paediatric clinic. Two nurses measured weight (WT) using Tanita digital weighing scale and Seca beam scale and length (LT) using Seca measuring mat and Stadiometer. Absolute mean difference (AMD) and intra-class correlation (ICC) for WT and LT indicated high inter and intra-examiner reliability. However, by Bland and Altman plot, LT were less reliable. Relative TEMs for WT were within acceptable limits whereas that of LT was slightly above the acceptable limits. The AMD and ICC showed that the test instruments were highly valid, but LT was less accurate. This study suggests that WT and LT in children below two using the test instruments were reliable and valid for a community survey. However, LT measurements require special attention

Different maturities and varieties of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) flesh as fat replacers in reduced-fat meatballs

Meatball is a popular meat product in Malaysia but it has high-fat content that could often bring health problems such as non-communicable diseases. This study aimed to produce replaced-fat meatballs using coconut flesh with three different varieties (i.e. MAWA, MYD, and Pandan) at two levels of maturities (young and matured). Meatballs with animal fat were used as control. All samples were analysed for the proximate composition, cooking yield, water holding capacity (WHC), texture and sensory properties. Two-way ANOVA was conducted to determine the interaction between the maturity and variety of the coconut for all parameters with post-hoc analysis to observe the significant difference (p<0.05). The maturity and variety of coconuts showed significant interactions (p<0.05) in affecting most of the meatball properties. Young coconuts were superior to mature coconut with better cooking yield (p<0.05), texture and sensory properties. Meatballs with young Pandan had the highest moisture content (p<0.05) (71.78%), low fat (3.56%) (p<0.05), and overall sensory acceptance. Meatballs with young MYD had low fat content (3.50%) (p<0.05), high WHC (52.11) (p<0.05), high redness (6.09) (p<0.05) with a high score of the colour (7.13) taste (7.17), texture (7.30) and overall acceptability (7.03) for the sensory properties. Since both young Pandan and young MYD managed to reduce the fat content in the meatballs as compared to the control sample and other treatments while maintaining the quality characteristics of the meatballs, both can be concluded to have potential as the fat replacers in the production of reduced-fat meatballs

Abdominal obesity in Malaysian adults: National Health and Morbidity Survey III (NHMS III, 2006)

Abdominal obesity (AO) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes mellitus in adults. There is a lack of data on the magnitude and socio-demographic profile of AO among Malaysian adults at the national level. In the Third National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS III) conducted in 2006, AO of adults aged 18 years and above was determined based on the waist circumference as part of the nutritional status assessment. This article reports the prevalence of AO in relation to socio-economic factors and demographic characteristics of adult subjects. Out of a total of 33,465 eligible individuals 18 years and above, waist circumference was measured in 32,900 (98.3%) individuals. The prevalence of AO was assessed using the cut-off points recommended by World Health Organization. The mean waist circumference in men and women was 84.0cm [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 83.8, 84.3] and 80.3cm (95% CI: 80.1, 80.6) respectively. The national prevalence of AO was 17.4% (95% CI: 16.9, 17.9). The identified risks of AO were women (OR: 4.2, 95% CI: 3.8, 4.6), aged 50-59 years (OR: 5.6, 95% CI: 4.0, 7.7), Indians (OR: 3.0, 95% CI: 2.4, 3.8), housewives (OR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.7), subjects with primary education (OR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.5) and ever married (OR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.2, 1.6). Being the largest population-based study on AO among Malaysians, these findings have important public health implications. There is an urgent need to revise public health policies and programmes aimed at prevention of abdominal obesity especially in the groups at risk

Reliability, technical error of measurements and validity of instruments for nutritional status assessment of adults in Malaysia

The Third National Health & Morbidity Survey, Malaysia 2006 included nutritional status assessment of children. This study was to assess inter-and intra-examiner reliability, the technical error of measurement (TEM) and the validity of instruments for measuring weight, length and waist circumference. A convenience sample of 130 adults working in a selected office setting who fit the inclusion and exclusion criteria participated in the study. Two public health nurses, trained to follow a standard protocol, obtained the measurements. Weight was measured using Tanita digital weighing scale, 318, Japan (0.1 kg) and Seca Beam Scale, Germany (0.01 kg) weighing machines. Height was measured using Seca Bodymeter 206 Germany (0.1cm) and Stadiometer, Germany (0.1cm). Waist circumference was measured using Seca circumference tape, 206, Germany (0.1 cm). By comparison the inter-examiner reliability in descending order would be weight, height and lastly waist circumference. The intra-examiner reliability in descending order would be weight and height followed by waist circumference. Height measurement on average using test instrument reported that it was recording 0.4 cm higher than the reference instrument with upper limit and lower limit at 2.5 and 1.6 cm respectively. The technical error of measurement and coefficient of variation of weight and height for both inter-examiner and intra-examiner measurements are all within acceptable limit (below 5%). The findings of this study supports that weight, height and waist circumference measured in adults 30 years and above using Tanita digital weighing scale, 318, Japan (0.1 kg), Seca Bodymeter 206 Germany (0.1cm) and Seca circumference tape, 206, Germany (0.1 cm) are reliable and valid to be used in a community survey. Limiting the number of examiners especially for waist circumference measurements would yield higher degree of reliability and validity