Negara, undang-undang dan tenaga kerja: antara ideal dan realiti di Indonesia

Gunatenaga rentas sempadan bukan saja membawa banyak faedah ekonomi kepada negara penghantar, tetapi juga beberapa isu dan cabaran getir. Tenaga Kerja Indonesia (TKI) yang hendak ke luar negara sememangnya tertakluk kepada undang-undang tenaga kerja yang telah digubal oleh Pemerintah. Namun, TKI tersebut juga sering berhadapan dengan agensi tidak formal. Kedua-dua agensi ini mempunyai posisi dan pengaruh yang berbeza-beza. Artikel ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis bagaimana negara sebagai suatu struktur tertinggi cuba untuk mengatur dan mengawal proses kemasukan dan keberadaan TKI di negara penerima. Analisis ditumpukan kepada undang-undang tentang imigresen dan undang-undang tenaga kerja di Indonesia serta reaksi TKI terhadap perundangan dan proses penguatkuasaan. Kajian ini dilakukan dengan menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif. Informan terdiri daripada TKI yang sudah berstatus PATI (pendatang asing tanpa izin) di Malaysia. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahawa terdapat jurang antara hal yang ideal menurut undang-undang dengan realiti yang berlangsung di Indonesia. Bagi memudahkan proses kemasukan, agensi tidak formal menjadi pilihan yang popular dalam kalangan TKI kerana keluwesannya dalam aspek pengurusan

Issues in the implementation of Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia

The Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) programme was introduced in 2000 with the purpose of producing quality pre-university students in Malaysia who have equivalent qualifications with graduates from the matriculation center of EI-Azhar University in Egypt or Ma'ahad Bu'uth Islamiyyah AI-Azhar As-Syarif. In order to achieve this objective, the curriculum and text book used for the STAM programme are the same with the matriculation center in Egypt. This programme is conducted in selected religious secondary schools throughout Malaysia for Form Six students. Although it has been implemented for several years, there has never been any structured effort to really look into the issues faced by those directly involved with the programme, namely the schools, the teachers and students themselves. This study was conducted in five randomly chosen schools to identify the issues and challenges faced and explore the means and ways to improve the programme. A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews generated both quantitative and qualitative findings. The study showed that there are issues related to the shortage of text and reference books and expert teachers to conducts the programmes, the language as well as the syllabus for multiple courses. All respondents express concerns related to the amount of multiple subjects that the students are required to master with no allocation for streaming into specific categories such as Usuluddin or Syariah. The suggestions from all the respondents were tabulated in specific categories and summarized for relevant parties to take action

Negara, undang-undang dan tenaga kerja asing: antara ideal dan realiti di Malaysia

Tenaga kerja asing di Malaysia merupakan suatu dilema dalam konteks ekonomi dan sosial. Di satu sisi, pekerja asing diperlukan untuk membantu pertumbuhan ekonomi. Di sisi yang lain, pekerja asing dianggap menjadi pencetus masalah sosial tertentu. Oleh yang demikian, isu tenaga kerja asing perlu ditangani secara bijak. Kertas kerja ini berusaha untuk mengupas bagaimana negara sebagai suatu struktur tertinggi cuba untuk mengatur dan mengawal proses kemasukan dan keberadaan tenaga kerja asing di Malaysia. Kertas kerja ini bertujuan untuk membincangkan undang-undang tentang imigresen dan tenaga kerja asing di Malaysia. Perbincangan juga menyentuh tentang program-program yang dilaksanakan oleh pemerintah Malaysia untuk mengawal jumlah tenaga kerja asing. Terakhir, kupasan juga dibuat untuk mengetahui reaksi pekerja asing ke atas undang-undang dan program yang dilaksanakan oleh pemerintah Malaysia. Kertas kerja ini ditulis berdasarkan suatu kajian yang dilakukan dengan pendekatan kualitatif di Selangor dan Johor, Malaysia. Hasil kajian menunjukkan terdapat jurang antara apa yang ideal menurut undang-undang dengan realiti yang berlangsung di Malaysia

Molecular detection of leptospirosis and melioidosis co-infection: A case report

Leptospirosis and melioidosis are important tropical infections caused by Leptospira and Burkholdheria pseudomallei, respectively. As both infections share similar clinical manifestations yet require different managements, complementary laboratory tests are crucial for the diagnosis. We describe a case of Leptospira and B. pseudomallei co-infection in a diabetic 40-year-old woman with history of visit to a freshwater camping site in northern Malaysia. To our knowledge, this is the first case of such double-infection, simultaneously demonstrated by molecular approach. This case highlights the possibility of leptospirosis and melioidosis co-infections and their underlying challenges in the rapid and accurate detection of the etiologic microorganism. Keywords: Leptospirosis, Melioidosis, Co-infection, PCR, Febril

Review on Design for Medical Device

Medical devices are one of the uprising star in product development due to high demand among users. Developing safe, effective and usable design is indeed a challenging work which faced by designer nowadays. There are comparative methods in designing medical device to achieve desired outcome. Weather designing a “User-friendly”, “Safe to use” or “Eco-friendly” product requires an exclusive method. This review paper might illuminate some light to the designers and researchers who choose to integrate those aspect in their design work in healthcare sector. A review on current method used on user-friendly approach, ensuring safety, regulations on safety of medical device and suggested standards to ensure safety in less complicated way. Thus, there is no solid method or standard yet to establish on safety for medical device

Review of CO2 Reduction Technologies using Mineral Carbonation of Iron and Steel Making Slag in Malaysia

Climate change, greenhouse gas effect, and global warming is envisioning to turn more awful and more terrible by year. Since the leading cause of global warming is uncontrolled CO2 in atmosphere. The amount of unused steel slag is expected to increment later on, steel industries is one of the mechanical industries that contribute the CO2 emission. That because this businesses deliver carbon in light of powers reductant and substantial volume of steel. The changes of atmosphere these day is truly developing concern and that make steel creator are confronted with test of discovering methods for bringing down CO2 emission. Malaysia is working decidedly in the diminishment of CO2 gas. There are a few techniques in decreasing the amount of CO2 in the air as underlined by the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC), an organization under the United Country however CCS is an extremely encouraging innovation to moderate CO2 emission in air. Mineral carbonation is another technique to store carbon dioxide permanently, long term stability and vast capacity

Leptospiral culture without 5'-fluorouracil revealed improved Leptospira isolation from febrile patients in north-eastern Malaysia

Objectives: Isolation of Leptospira by culture represents a definitive growth and confirmation of the disease, yet it is hampered with its nature of slow growth. With slight modification of culture method, the study aims to isolate and characterize Leptospira spp. from patients with acute febrile illness. Methods: A total of 109 blood samples were collected from patients with acute febrile illness that presented at the Emergency Department of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia. Clinical samples were subjected to Leptospira IgM Rapid test, microscopic agglutination test (MAT), isolation by culture method, and direct real-time PCR test. For leptospiral isolation, the samples (whole blood and deposit from spun plasma) were cultured into modified Ellinghausen McCullough Johnson Harris (EMJH) media with and without 5’-fluorouracil (5-FU). In every culture positive sample, partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed for molecular identification of the isolates. Phylogenetic analysis was carried out to determine the genetic relatedness among the isolates. An inhibition of 5-FU study was performed on Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola with different concentrations to compare the growth detection of the tested Leptospira with or without 5-FU within 7 days of incubation. Results: Leptospirosis was diagnosed in 14.7% of patients with acute febrile illness. Two Leptospira spp. (n = 2/109, 1.85%) were successfully isolated from whole blood and deposit from spun plasma samples. B004 and B208 samples were positive at day 11 and day 7, respectively, in EMJH media without addition of 5-FU. Sample B004 was identified as Leptospira interrogans and B208 as Leptospira weilli. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that both of them were within pathogenic group and they were not related. The 5-FU inhibition study revealed that additional of 5-FU at final concentration of 200 µg/mL to EMJH media demonstrated an inhibitory effect on the growth of the tested strain Conclusion: Isolation of Leptospira spp. using EMJH media without addition of 5’-fluorouracil resulted in a better outcome. Two pathogenic Leptospira isolates were successfully cultivated from patients with acute febrile illness that were genetically not related

Review on Design for Medical Device

Medical devices are one of the uprising star in product development due to high demand among users. Developing safe, effective and usable design is indeed a challenging work which faced by designer nowadays. There are comparative methods in designing medical device to achieve desired outcome. Weather designing a “User-friendly”, “Safe to use” or “Eco-friendly” product requires an exclusive method. This review paper might illuminate some light to the designers and researchers who choose to integrate those aspect in their design work in healthcare sector. A review on current method used on user-friendly approach, ensuring safety, regulations on safety of medical device and suggested standards to ensure safety in less complicated way. Thus, there is no solid method or standard yet to establish on safety for medical device