Higher temperature, sea level due to global warming

Malaysia's average temperature has risen by 1.1 degree Celsius in the past 50 years, consistent with the warming of global temperature, the Dewan Negara was told today.

This resulted in changes in the rainfall patterns, causing more floods, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Unggah Embas said.

The latest finding also showed that the sea level was also on the increase, at the rate of 1.25mm a year, he added.

"Based on the climate modelling for the next 100 years, the temperature is expected to rise between 0.7 degree and 2.6 degrees Celsius," he said in reply to Dr Syed Husin Ali in the Dewan Negara.

Syed Husin wanted to know the effects of global warming to Malaysia.

Uggah said during the period rainfall was expected to fluctuate within the range of between minus 30 and 30 per cent.

He said global warming, which also affected the weather in the country, might also increase the occurrence of vector-borne diseases such as cholera, malaria and dengue.

More sex for healthy living

ONE of the best ways Brazilians can stave off chronic illness is to engage regularly in physical exercise, especially sex, Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao said on Monday.

'People need to be active. A weekend football game must not be the only physical activity for a Brazilian. Adults need to do exercise: walk, dance and have safe sex,' he said.

The minister gave the advice as he launched a campaign to prevent high blood pressure, which afflicts a quarter of Brazil's 190-million strong population.

After making his comments, Mr Temporao reinforced the sex message with journalists, according to the G1 news website. 'It's not a joke. It's serious. Having regular physical exercises also means sex, always with protection of course,' he said.

'Dancing, having sex, keeping weight under control, changing dietary habits, doing physical exercise' all help keep blood pressure down, he said.

He added that he believed there was a health 'time bomb' ticking in Brazil, which within 20 years could see a 'gigantic percentage' of the population suffering chronic illnesses, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.

Bad habits can age you 12 years

FOUR common bad habits combined - smoking, drinking too much, inactivity and poor diet - can age you by 12 years, sobering new research suggests.

The findings are from a study that tracked nearly 5,000 British adults for 20 years, and they highlight yet another reason to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Overall, 314 people studied had all four unhealthy behaviors.

Among them, 91 died during the study, or 29 per cent. Among the 387 healthiest people with none of the four habits, only 32 died, or about 8 per cent.

The risky behaviors were: smoking tobacco; downing more than three alcoholic drinks per day for men and more than two daily for women; getting less than two hours of physical activity per week; and eating fruits and vegetables fewer than three times daily.

These habits combined substantially increased the risk of death and made people who engaged in them seem 12 years older than people in the healthiest group, said lead researcher Elisabeth Kvaavik of the University of Oslo.

S'pore needs more educated immigrants to make country dynamic, says MM Lee

Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has reiterated the need for Singapore to attract more educated immigrants.

Speaking at the Indian New Year celebrations in Little India on Saturday, Mr Lee said Singaporeans must recognise that with a declining population, the country needs such people, including those who have studied or worked in the US and Europe.

With the economy in a buoyant mood after the government upgraded its growth forecast for the year, Mr Lee said Singapore needs to grow as an attractive hub for international trade, investment and talent to sustain long-term growth.

"We benefited from being open to immigrants from around the world, especially China, India and the region. Throughout history, Singapore has welcomed migrants. When I first took office, we had 62,000 babies every year from a population of 2 million. Today, Singapore citizens produce only 32,000 babies in a year when we should have 60,000 just to replace our population," said MM Lee.

Little India is a glowing example of how early immigrants have flourished and taken root in the country.

Mr Lee said the government understands the concerns of Singaporeans over new immigrants and foreign workers. So it has taken steps to moderate the inflow and widen the differentiation between citizens and non-citizens.

Having educated immigrants here, said Mr Lee, makes Singapore more competitive and dynamic.

"The majority of the new PRs and citizens are skilled workers and professionals in finance, IT and R&D. They bring new skills, global connections and a strong drive to create better lives for their families," said Mr Lee.

Mr Lee gave an example of how one immigrant is making a difference.

"Shyam Srinivasan came from Chennai at age 14, and went to Geylang Methodist Secondary School and Victoria Junior College. He took up citizenship and obtained a teaching scholarship from the Public Service Commission," said the Minister Mentor.

"Last year, he graduated top of his class in Physics at Oxford University. He is now doing his Masters in Applied Physics at Columbia University. He will come back and complete his NS. He will educate and inspire the next generation of Singaporeans," he said.

Their presence has also helped to shape the Singapore landscape.

Mr Lee cited how many Indian temples today have been refurbished to look "elegant" and "colourful".

"Our immigration policies have brought in better educated and wealthy Indians who have made that qualitative difference to our lives. Their support of these temples has resulted in this transformation, reflecting the transformation that is taking place throughout Singapore," said Mr Lee.

Mr Lee said the challenge is to integrate newcomers into Singapore society and an event like this Indian New Year Celebration is a good example of how integration can be done.

The event brings together different communities, not just among the different Indian ethnic groups, but also Singaporeans of all races. -

Taiwan to create 137,000 jobs

TAIWAN'S government aims to spend more than US$500 million (S$690 million) to create 137,000 jobs this year, in its latest move to ease the island's unemployment, an official said on Friday.

The Council of Labour Affairs, which is already spending NT$9.3 billion (S$414 million) to create jobs, has pledged the additional funds in a bid to keep the jobless rate below five percent, the official said.

The council will subsidise local governments to expand their staff in tourism promotion, labour safety and green industries, as well as the private sector to hire middle-aged workers, he said.

Taiwan's unemployment rate stood at 5.76 per cent in February while Premier Wu Den-yih has offered to resign if he fails to push it below five per cent by the end of this year.

It has been improving steadily from a record 6.13 per cent in August, as the island's export-dependent economy emerged from its worst post-war recession with a pick-up in global demand.

China's economy booms

CHINA on Thursday posted its fastest economic growth in almost three years, quashing any doubt about its robust recovery from the global crisis.

But its surprisingly strong 11.9 per cent expansion in the first quarter of this year has also stoked fears of overheating, while raising pressure on Beijing to remove the yuan's peg to the United States dollar.

China is the second Asian economy this week to report a stellar first-quarter rebound after Singapore, which grew 13.1 per cent, reflecting Asia's position in leading the world out of recession.

China's performance trumped the median forecast of 11.7 per cent in a Bloomberg survey, buoyed by a rebound in industrial production and an 18 per cent rise in retail sales.

This led National Bureau of Statistics spokesman Li Xiaochao to declare that the Chinese economy is 'off to a good start' this year.

'In 2009, China was among the first countries to recover. This year, the economy's momentum has increased,' Mr Li said at a press conference to announce the results on Thursday. 'Our 8per cent growth target this year is achieveable.'

Obamas earned US$5.5m

PRESIDENT Barack Obama and his wife have doubled their income since he took office, declaring a joint gross income of US$5.5 million (S$7.6 million) for the 2009 fiscal year, the White House said on Thursday.

Mr Obama earned an annual salary as president of US$374,460 since his inauguration in January 2009, according to his tax filings released on Thurs

In 2008, Mr Obama and his wife, Michelle, declared a joint gross income of US$2.65 million, most of which also came from royalties on his books Dreams Of My Father and The Audacity Of Hope. According to his 2009 documents, the Obamas paid US$1.79 million in federal taxes and US$163,303 in state taxes to Illinois where the couple owns a home in Chicago.

Mr Obama also received US$1.4 million last year when he won the Nobel Peace Prize, but he has donated his prize money among 10 charities, the White House said, and the sum is not part of the US$5.5 million declared income.

The couple also donated US$329,100 to 40 different charities in 2009, with the largest reported gifts being US$50,000 to CARE and the United Negro College Fund. In 2007, the Obamas said they had earned US$4.2 million. -

Pay your income tax through Pos Malaysia

Income tax can now be paid at any Pos Malaysia outlets and via online transaction at www.posonline.com.my starting tomorrow.
"This new service offering, in collaboration with the Inland Revenue Board, provides ease and convenience for customers to pay their income tax at any of our extensive network of 696 outlets all over the country or online at the click of the mouse," Pos Malaysia Bhd said in a statement today.

It said payment mode for transaction at Pos Malaysia outlets is cash only while transaction with PosOnline is done by debiting from the customer’s personal account from any of the following banks:
Hong Leong Bank, CIMB Bank, RHB Bank, Bank Rakyat, EON Bank, Affin Bank, Al-Rajhi Bank, Bank Islam and MEPS CASH.

"There will be no extra charges to customers for using our payment channels," Pos Malaysia said.

Coping with hypertension

Blood pressure is the force in the blood vessel that transports blood to every part of our body. Blood pressure is described by two numbers: the systolic and the diastolic.

The systolic pressure is the upper number and it measures the pressure in our blood vessel when the heart is pumping out blood. The diastolic is the lower number and it measures the pressure in our blood vessel when it is at its most relaxed stage which is in between heart beats.

So, if your doctor says your pressure is 120/60, it means your systolic pressure is 120mmHg (millimetre mercury) and diastolic 60mmHg. Both measurements are important as either one can pose serious health problems if high.

According to the latest British Hypertension Society (BHS) definition, hypertension is defined as systolic blood pressure equal or greater than 140mmHg, diastolic pressure equal or greater than 90mmHg, or both.

In many people with hypertension, both the systolic and diastolic pressure readings are high. However, in selected elderly people, they suffer only isolated systolic hypertension. In both condition, the risk and complications are the same.

Generally, people should start monitoring their blood pressure from the age of 20. Those with high or moderately high readings should monitor their pressure once every few weeks.

Causes of hypertension

In more than 90% of adults with hypertension, there is no identifiable cause. This type of hypertension is normally known as primary hypertension or essential hypertension.

Even though no cause is linked to this type of hypertension, studies have shown that certain factors can lead to its development. They include high salt intake, lack of exercise, being overweight, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, family history of hypertension and environmental stress.

In the remaining 5% to 10%, the hypertension can be related to underlying conditions such as kidney disease, heart problem, hormonal disease or selected medications.

This type of hypertension is known as secondary hypertension because a cause is identifiable. Some young people have this type of hypertension and treating the underlying cause may cure the condition.

Symptoms and complications

Hypertension is a silent killer. Most people with hypertension have no symptoms at all. High pressure is only discovered when complications such as stroke or heart attack set in. Some may complain of headache and giddiness. But these symptoms are not specific to hypertension.

In the long run, uncontrolled or unnoticed high blood pressure can lead to severe complications such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure, heart enlargement, kidney failure, bleeding in the retina of eye, damage to peripheral blood vessel, etc.

Most of these complications are preventable if high blood pressure is treated early.

Treatment

The BHS advocates medication if the systolic pressure is 160mmHg or higher, and the diastolic pressure is 100mmHg or higher, or both. For those with lower readings but above normal (that is, 140/90mmHg) but experience no complications, the society advises lifestyle changes and close monitoring of pressure.

There are many types of medication to treat hypertension and each has its own specific usage. Certain medications are more suitable for hypertensive patients with diabetes while some are suitable for young people. Your doctor will decide which one is the most suitable for you.

If one medication is not sufficient to control your pressure, your doctor may combine it with another type. Sometimes, doctors may use up to three or four different types of medication.

Prevention

»

Be compliant with medication – this is very important. One recent local clinical study has shown that Malaysians are not compliant with anti-hypertensive medication. If you have any doubts about the medication, talk to your doctor or get counselling.

»

Go to your doctor for follow-up treatment. Do not assume that a normal reading during one of the follow-up sessions warrants you to stop taking medication. Hypertension is a lifelong condition. Vigilant treatment and follow-ups can reduce risk of getting severe complications.

»

Exercise regularly (aerobic exercise) and maintain an ideal weight.

»

Reduce salt and saturated fat intake.

»

Stop smoking and reduce alcohol intake.

»

Consume at least five portions of fresh fruits and vegetables every day.

More fish, nuts, fruit - less risk of Alzheimer's

Certain food combinations, including fish, fruit, and nuts, are linked to a reduced risk of contracting the brain-wasting disease Alzheimer's, according to a recently released study.

The study published in the online edition of the journal Archives of Neurology, also found a link between decreased Alzheimer's risk and consumption of fewer high-fat dairy products, red meats, organ meats and butter.

Researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York, observed 2,148 adults aged 65 and older who did not have Alzheimer's.

Participants provided information about their diets and were assessed for the development of dementia at year-and-a-half intervals for an average of four years.

During the study, 253 of these test subjects developed the disease, the scientists said.

Among the foods associated with reduced Alzheimer's risk were salad dressing, nuts, fish, tomatoes, poultry, fruits, and dark, leafy green vegetables.

Reducing intake of high-fat dairy, red meat, organ meat and butter also were associated with a reduced Alzheimer's risk.

"Our findings provide support for further exploration of food combination, based dietary behavior for the prevention of this important public health problem," the researchers concluded.

They noted that past scientific literature regarding the impact of individual nutrients or food items on Alzheimer's has been inconsistent, partly because most people combine in their meals a complex array of nutrients and food items that are likely to be "synergistic."

'Five-a-day' fruit and veggies have only limited impact on cancer

Eating lots of fruit and vegetables has only a small effect on warding off cancer, a study published on Wednesday says, although its authors insist that tucking into the recommended "five-a-day" is still good for general health.

Doctors led by Paolo Boffetta at the Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, pored over eight years of data from a major European investigation into the relationship between cancer risk and food.

The investigation, which is continuing, covers nearly 470,000 volunteers recruited in 10 Western European countries.

Between 1992 and 2000, more than 30,000 of the participants were diagnosed with cancer.

Boffetta's team found that high consumption of fruit and vegetables gave only a modest protective effect against cancer.

An increase of 200 grammes (about seven ounces) a day resulted in a reduction of cancer risk in the order of some three per cent.

Vegetable consumption by itself also gave a small benefit, although this was restricted to women, while heavy drinkers who ate many fruit and veggies had a somewhat reduced risk, but only for cancers linked to alcohol and smoking.

"The bottom line here is that, yes, we did find a protective effect of fruit and vegetable intake against cancer, but it is a smaller connection than previously thought," Boffetta said in a press release issued by Mount Sinai.

"Any cancer protective effect of these foods is likely to be modest, at best. However, eating fruits and vegetables is beneficial for health in general and the results of this study do not justify changing current recommendations aiming at increasing intake of these foods."

The UN's World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a recommendation in 1990 suggesting that five servings of fruit and vegetables per day helped prevent cancer and other diseases.

"Worldwide, low intake of fruits and vegetables is estimated to cause about 19 per cent of gastrointestinal cancer, about 31 per cent of ischaemic heart disease and 11 per cent stroke," the WHO says on its website.

Ischaemic heart disease is caused by lack of blood supply to the cardiac muscles, typically as a result of artery disease, hypertension, smoking or high cholesterol levels.

PRIME MINISTER LAUNCHES NEW STREAMYX COOL UNI PACK

Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), in collaboration with the Government of Malaysia, today launched the Company’s latest broadband package for 1^st or 2^nd year tertiary students, called the Streamyx Cool UNI Pack. The package will offer students a combination of both a netbook and FREE broadband Internet access at just RM50 per month for 24 months.

The Streamyx Cool UNI Pack was officially launched by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Y.A.B. Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak in conjunction with the Launch of Digital Pekan 1Malaysia at Dewan Konvensyen Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah in Pekan, Pahang. Also present at the launch was Y.B. Dato’ Seri Utama Dr. Rais Yatim, the Information, Communications and Culture Minister and Y.A.B. Dato’ Sri Haji Adnan Yaakob, the Menteri Besar of Pahang as well as Datuk Dr. Halim Shafie, Chairman of TM and Dato’ Zamzamzairani Mohd. Isa, Group Chief Executive Officer, TM.

“We are enthusiastic about the introduction of this Streamyx Cool UNI Pack exclusively offered to university students which will be inclusive of a netbook with FREE broadband Internet access from only RM50 per month for 2 years. In addition, TM is also throwing in a FREE wireless modem, a FREE Streamyx Zone account and 50 songs download per month for 12 months from TM’s very own music portal, HyppTunes. That’s not all, as the students will also enjoy a 50% discount off the subscription rate on the 1^st month subscription fee and we are also waiving the RM75 activation and RM88 installation fees for the package. However, for those who prefer higher bandwidth, they can opt for higher speed packages starting from 512Kbps to 4Mbps with minimal incremental fee of RM15 per month. This package is specially targeted at university students who would like to own a PC equipped with broadband but are on a budget. This new and affordable broadband PC package is aimed at increasing the PC and broadband penetration rate in line with the national agenda of increasing the country’s broadband penetration rate to 50% of households by the end of 2010,” said Dato’ Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa.

“With already more than 1.5 million broadband subscribers in the country, TM is continuing its efforts to get as many Malaysians online through initiatives similar to this, which makes getting ‘connected’ easy and convenient. With this affordable PC bundle option, TM is stepping up its social investment strategy in championing the cause to support the government’s move towards achieving its goal for wider PC and broadband penetration that will plug Malaysia into the global knowledge grid and remain competitive with other countries. Apart from contributing towards increasing broadband adoption, the netbook package will also leverage on ICT as an enabler to support the government’s move to propel the country towards a knowledge-based society and enhance skilled human capital,” Dato’ Zamzamzairani elaborated.

In conjunction with the launch, 10 early adopters of the package comprising students from several public universities throughout the country received their netbooks from the Prime Minister at a presentation ceremony held during the launch.

To be eligible to subscribe for the Streamyx Cool UNI Pack, students must meet the following criteria:

• The students must be from households with a monthly income of RM3000 or less.
• Students must be enrolled as 1^st or 2^nd year students at any public or private higher educational institution in Malaysia.
• Students must be endorsed by the Student Affairs Unit of the respective university or college.

With only RM50 per month, eligible students who subscribe to the Streamyx Cool UNI Package will get:

• FREE Streamyx broadband Internet access at 384Kbps
• One (1) FREE wireless modem with a 12-month warranty period
• Waiver of activation fee (RM75) and Installation fee (RM88)
• 50% discount on the 1^st month subscription fee

One (1) FREE Streamyx Zone account

• 50 songs download per month for 12 months from TM’s music portal, Hypptunes (www.hypptunes.com.my).
• One (1) Streamyx email account (xx@streamyx.com)
• Dynamic Internet Protocol (IP)
• One (1) Hewlett Packard (HP) Netbook with 250 GB harddisk, 1 GB memory plus FREE delivery anywhere nationwide

To sign up for the Streamyx Cool UNI Pack, students would need to bring the following documents to any TM’s Streamyx sales counter or TMpoint outlet:

• A copy of their Malaysian identification card
• A copy of their student identification card
• Application form with endorsement from their respective university or college

Will civil service retirement age move to 60

Extending the current civil service retirement age of 58 to 60 is on the agenda today when the Public Service Department (PSD) meets public sector unions umbrella group Cuepacs.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Putrajaya is reviewing the matter thoroughly from the financial and social aspects including widening job opportunities in the civil service, which employs 1.2 million people or nearly 5 per cent of the population. Nearly 40 per cent of that figure are in the educational sector, who form the bulwark of support for the ruling Barisan Nasional federal government.

It will be the third such review of pensionable age in the last five years. The last change to 58 from 56 was in July 2008.

“The PSD and Cuepacs have begun talks for the proposal to raise mandatory retirement age from 58 to 60,” a source told The Malaysian Insider, adding the discussion began early this year.

“There are indications to raise the mandatory retirement age from the government’s side but there is no final confirmation. We hope to hear a positive development at today’s meeting,” added the source.

It is understood that Cuepacs favours the change, having once submitted a memorandum to raise the retirement age to 60 as seen in other countries or 62 in the case of Singapore.

The source said the government might agree to the idea to raise the retirement age as it can provide savings in doling out gratuity to those being pensioned off.

“I am confident the government will give a green light to the proposal raising the retirement age if seen from the angle of saving money,” he added.

The PSD recently announced that those who take optional retirement will not be given their full gratuity.

The PSD circular of Jan 25 said optional retirement will now be approved on the condition that applicants agree to be paid 20 per cent of their gratuity or RM10,000, whichever is higher, on retirement beginning Feb 1.

Cuepacs had said the 20 per cent of gratuity or RM10,000 was not enough for retirees to live on while waiting for their pension.

'Avoid fear of immigrants'

SINGAPOREANS' concern over immigration issues is understandable but they must avoid developing irrational fears toward new immigrants, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Hwee Hua said yesterday.

She said Singaporeans ought to prepare for, rather than resist, an increased willingness among people worldwide to travel and relocate.

That the people are concerned over the effect of immigration on employment or on the social fabric here should not be dismissed lightly, she said, because 'this shows that Singaporeans are concerned about how and where Singapore is heading'.

She was speaking at the first anniversary celebration of Crossroads, a weekly section of Singapore Press Holdings' Chinese language daily Lianhe Zaobao featuring new immigrants and citizens.

Immigration issues present the same challenges elsewhere, although to varying degrees, she noted, adding that this was to be expected as the world became more globalised.

Mrs Lim, who is also the Second Minister for Finance and Transport, pointed out that Singapore itself had grown out of a society of immigrants from different birth countries, who had contributed 'colour and vibrancy to our country'.

S'pore schools score wins

IF RESULTS of recent international competitions are anything to go by, then Singapore's education system seems to be doing all right with the holistic development of its students.

In the past month alone, Singapore schools won at least four international titles in debates, choir and dance.

Leading the way was Singapore Management University's (SMU) three-year-old Law School, which snagged the university's first international law moot title. Then, choirs from Catholic Junior College (CJC) and Anderson Secondary School, both not typically known as choir schools, clinched gold awards in international choral competitions, while Victoria Junior College's (VJC) dance ensemble similarly beat international rivals to win in Italy.

SMU's team, comprising third-year students Chang Zi Qian, Eng Cia Ai, Sheryl Lee and Michael Ng - all from its pioneer law batch - emerged the champion at the Monroe E. Price International Media Law Moot, organised by Oxford University, on March 27. A moot is a mock trial in which participants argue a case as if in court. The SMU team defeated more than 20 others from all over the world in seven rounds of simulated court debate.

This particular moot centred on media law issues, and this year's hypothetical problem involved a clash between the press and the state on the issue of press freedom, said Assistant Professor Tay Eu-Yen, a litigator with law firm Drew and Napier, who helped coach the team.

The SMU team beat the defending champions from the Cardozo School of Law in New York in the finals to clinch the title.

Women who take contraceptive pill live longer

A 39-year study of women taking the contraceptive pill found that they had a lower risk of dying from any cause compared with women who had never taken it, researchers said.

"Oral contraception was not associated with an increased long term risk of death in the large UK cohort, indeed a net benefit was apparent," said the study published in the British Medical Journal.

Over 46,000 women were observed during the Royal College of General Practitioners' Oral Contraception Study which was carried out by researchers at Aberdeen University in Scotland.

The researchers added that the results would reassure women who took the "first generation" of oral contraceptives.

However they said the findings "might not reflect the experience of women using oral contraceptives today" due to possible differences in the more modern versions of the drug.

2nd Monthly Test.

Tomorrow my daughters will sit for their 2nd monthly test.I hope they have fully prepared and are confident to face it.Best of luck.

Immigrants still welcome

Singapore has not rolled back the welcome mat for immigrants, but Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said the new arrivals must absorb Singaporean values and actively contribute to the community.

Speaking at a grassroots event in his Marine Parade constituency yesterday, he said a fine balance must be struck, to cater to the feelings and needs of Singaporeans without alienating interested immigrants.

'Our answer to this question as to whether we're rolling back the welcome mat must be a clear 'no'. But immigrants themselves must play a part,' he said.

'If they come in to Singapore, convey the impression they are a community apart, that they're here just to take from Singapore and not to give back, then they must expect that sooner or later, the pressure on them will be great. Singaporeans will say, 'Why take them in? They're not contributing'.'

He made the remarks after citing a Straits Times feature two Saturdays ago which referred to discontent at the pace of immigration and outlined recent policy changes that sharpen the distinction between permanent residents (PRs) and Singaporeans, in areas such as health care, housing and education.