Dire Need For Rail Specialists In Malaysia

By R.Vikneswaran

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 (Bernama) -- Even with major upcoming rail projects on the line, Malaysia has yet to meet the dire need for qualified manpower to take on the challenge.

According to rail recruitment specialist Rail Personnel, there is a shortage of skilled workers and white-collar personnel in the development of current rail projects, namely the High Speed Rail (HSR) linking Kuala Lumpur with Singapore and the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network.

Its director, Paul Spencer, said that for now, rail operators were merely "surviving" with the limited qualified human capital by importing trained professionals from overseas as a stopgap measure.

"However, (if this is not quickly remedied) they will face more serious problems in finding engineers and skilled workers for the upcoming MRT 2 and HSR projects.

"There are two main reasons for the shortage. The first is that there are no courses or training offered in railway studies at (Malaysian) higher institutions. Secondly, Malaysians who are actually trained and experienced (in rail technology) are working abroad because of the higher salary," he told Bernama at the Rail Business Asia (RBA) 2014 here, recently.

Rail Personnel recruits engineers and professionals of all disciplines of rail industry and was set up in Malaysia over a year ago.

A PROBLEM COSTLY TO IGNORE

According to Paul, the lack of skilled workers might also result in the late completion of rail projects.

"Besides that, the cost for such projects would increase because of the need to bring in foreign expertise and pay them a higher salary", the Australian said.

Meanwhile, the Land Public Transport Commission chairman, Tan Sri Syed Hamid Syed Jaafar Albar said the Malaysian rail industry had tremendous potential for growth.

The country is expected to spend up to RM160 billion on rail development projects by 2020.

"MRT and HSR are not the last of the rail development projects. There are plans for more development in the future such as LRT 3, MRT 2 and Trans-Asian railway", Syed Hamid said to reporters after officiating the conference at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

RAILWAY SIGNALLING

The establishment of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE) in Malaysia last year was a positive step towards meeting the needs of local industry players in the signalling and telecommunications fields.

Railway signaling is one of the units in the rail industry that plays a pivotal role in enhancing the safety of the passengers and avoiding mishaps.

It is also considered the central nerve system of any rail infrastructure as it drives the whole system. It is software and hardware based and interfaces everything with each other, including the operator and driver.

Given the many upcoming rail projects in Malaysia, having numerous local specialists in railway signaling is a need that cannot be ignored.

THE NEED FOR PROPER SIGNALLING

The IRSE (Malaysia) Secretary Aniket Mukhopadhyay said in Malaysia, the braking distance of its rail systems extended to as far as one kilometre.

Without a proper signaling system, a rail driver would not be able to judge when to brake simply by looking at the track conditions.

"Trains move as fast as 400kmph in Spain and Japan. At that speed, it is impossible for the driver to gauge when to brake, simply by looking onto the tracks.

"So it is the signalling system that tells the driver whether there is an oncoming train or blockades, derailment or whether the routes are set properly. It's a very complex system", he explained.

He said as the world moved on to the more modern forms of signalling, there would only be virtual signals, such as that used in the current Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems.

"Everything is virtual and usually there is enough sensors and signal detectors that is communicating to the network", he added.

Aniket said that rail was the only mode of transportation that required no steering.

"A driver would only need to accelerate and brake, and when he has to do so is communicated to the driver through the signalling system", he said.

On the IRSE, Aniket said its main objective was to develop such professionals of the industry and grade their competence.

The institution is established in the United Kingdom in 1912 but launched in Malaysia last year by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

"The IRSE is an international NGO that helps develops the knowledge and competence of our members in the science and practice of signalling and telecommunications engineering within the industry, as well as to maintain high standards of knowledge and competence within the profession", he said.

-- BERNAMA

Wearing National flag Stickers is a sign of Patriotism

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 Displaying Jalur Gemilang stickers on the face is one way of showing one's patriotism and love for the country according to Nur Izzati Ayuni, 14.

"I'm very happy and excited to participate in the Independence Day celebrations here, together with the people of this country," she told Bernama at the 57th Independence Day celebrations at Dataran Merdeka here today.

The Form Two student from SMK Desa Perdana, Kuala Lumpur, never missed an opportunity to participate in the National Day celebrations at Merdeka Square in recent years.

"I will come to the square every year with my parents to watch the national day celebrations. But this year my parents gave me permission to come with my friends," she said.

According to Nur Izzati, each sticker can be purchased for RM1 around Merdeka Square and can be stuck to parts of the body such as the face and hands.

'Malaysia: Here, Where Love Begins' is the theme for the country's 57th Independence Day celebration this year.

-- BERNAMA

NEED A VACATION? SPACE WILL SOON BE AFFORDABLE

     Sub-orbital flights can cost as cheap as RM15,000 in future which would help develop the space tourism industry, said Prof Dr Patrick Collins, a professor of economics at Azabu University, Japan.
    "Currently space flight costs range from US$100,000 to US$200,000 (RM327,170
to RM654,340), but by doing it on a larger scale, engineers believe it can be as
low as RM15,000 in 2020," said Collin in his talk titled 'From Microgravity to
Orbital Flight' at Planeterium Negara here today.
    A sub-orbital space flight is a spaceflight in which the spacecraft reaches
100 kilometres above the sea level. It could boost space tourism besides cutting
cost for microgravity research.
    Sub-orbital flights helps researchers to carry out microgravity research
without going to outer space, hence saving time and cost. 
    Collins also said that space tourism could be commercialised like air travel
and such efforts and research were being carrying out by few countries like the
United States of America (USA), Japan besides a few European nations.
    "In 2000, only 1 billion passengers flew on aircraft, but in 2010, 2.5
billion passengers used aircraft services. So in future, we can expect more
people to travel to space. USA, Japan and Europeans are working on the
possiblities," he said.
    Collins is also a collaborating researcher  with the Institute for Space and
Astronautical Science. He is also an adviser to a number of companies and his
research focus for the past 25 years has been on how to stimulate growth on
commercial space activities, mainly for tourism and energy supply.
    Meanwile, National Space
Agency (ANGKASA) Director General Dr Noordin Ahmad said it its effort to become
a developed nation by the year 2020, Malaysia was not
sidelined on the matter and expected the new technology to reduce costs.
    "We are expecting the concept of sub-orbital flight to be used in expediting
microgravity experiments with the least possible cost compared to using the
older method of sending microgravity experiments to the ISS (International Space
Station) which is very costly," Noordin told Bernama.
    Malaysia has been involved in microgravity research since sending its first
astronaut Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor into space in 2007. The research was
on five themes namely microbes in space, cells in space, protein in space, food
in space and students suggested experiments. 
    As a continuation, Malaysia continued research in collaboration with
Japan and Russia in the area of parabolic flight, protein crystallization and
space seeds from 2008 until end 2013.
    -- BERNAMA

THE UEFA'S ADDITIONAL ASSISTANT REFEREE SYSTEM IN MALAYSIAN FOOTBALL

     The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) will implement the additional assistant referee (AAR) system, beginning with the quarter-finals of the 2014 Malaysia Cup.
    FAM Referees Committee chairman Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz said the system
which was adopted from  UEFA, will be fully implemented in the Malaysian League
(M-League), early next year.
    "We will implement this system from the middle of this year in stages,
beginning with several friendly matches and use it fully from next year," 
he told reporters after opening a course on the system organised by FAM, here,
today.
    Through the implementation of the system, Astaman said there will be two
additional assistant referees, joining the fourth officials along with the
referee and two assistant referees.
    They would be positioned alongside each goal line to watch for incidents in
the penalty area and help the match referee in
taking decisions, he said. 
    UEFA is currently using the system in the European club competition after it
was firstly introduced at the 2012 European Football Championship (Euro 2012).
    "With the cost for each set of  'Radio Communication System' and 'Electronic
Flag' estimated at around RM15,000, we will need at least 15 sets to ensure full
implementation in the M-League (in 2015)," said 
Astaman.
    On another note, he said the committee had received six official
complaints about poor refereeing, out of 415 games in the M-League so far.
    "Of the six, two have basis for action to be taken against the referees.
    "Apart from this, action has been taken against seven referees and assistant
referees based on the reports fo match comissioners," he said.
    Some 30 local referees joined the two-day course which
will be conducted by six instructors namely Hugh Dallas, Werner Helsen (both
from UEFA referees committee) beside four local instructors -- Subkhidin Mohd
Salleh, Mohammad Radzali Yaacob, Nasaruddin Ishak and Ahmad Khalidi Supian.
    -- BERNAMA

KPDNKK TO BOOST ENFORCEMENT AGAINST SALE OF FAKE GOODS

The Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism (KPDNKK) Ministry is beefing up enforcement on the sale of fake jerseys and sports equipment in the light of the 2014 World Cup fever.
    Its enforcement director, Mohd Roslan Mahayudin told Bernama that KPDNKK
viewed the matter seriously as it was against the law and would result in loss
of revenue for the country.
    "Other than stealing copyrights, the sale of fake goods is a loss to the
nation as revenue cannot be collected," he said adding that during the 2010
World Cup in South Africa, 429 seizures were made nationwide involving goods
worth RM3.2 million.
    "The government probably lost between RM3 million to RM4 million in revenue
from the total worth of goods seized."
    In this regard, he said KPDNKK advised the public against buying fake
products as they were of low quality and deemed supporting an illegal activity.
    Mohd Roslan said KPDNKK would cooperate with owners or representatives of
trademark in curbing the sale of pirated goods.
    A Bernama survey in Petaling Street here found fake items such as jerseys,
caps and underwear with the Brazil 2014 World Cup logo being sold freely.
    Fake jerseys with the logo of the International Federation of Football
Association (FIFA) and the countries represented were also being sold for as low
as RM15 to RM25.
    Sport shoes from popular brands were also being sold cheap, between
RM50-RM100, he said.
    -- BERNAMA

NYPD WILLING TO SHARE INFORMATION TO COMBAT CORRUPTION

     The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is committed to help the law and enforcement agencies throughout the world to fight against corruption.
    The NYPD's former Chief of Internal Affairs Bureau, Charles Campisi said the
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) faces the same challenge as faced by
United States in combating corruption.
    "The New York City Police Department is dedicated to help and working
together with government law and enforcement agencies throughout the world, we
believe by sharing information and resources, we all can combat corruption the
best way," he told reporters here today.
    Earlier he, together with Peter Ainsworth, a veteran United States
prosecutor serving as Senior Deputy Chief for Litigation of the Public Integrity
Section, the US Department of Justice's Criminal Division and United States
Embassy Legal Advisor Kenneth C Kohl, conducted a workshop for about 30 MACC
senior officials at the Malaysian Anti Corruption Academy (MACA) here.
    During the workshop on 'Internal Affairs Investigation and Succesfull
Prosecution of Police Corruption', Campisi also shared some ideas on how the
NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau detected the drug abuse among the police officers
using hair as well as finger and toe nails apart from urine test. 
   He also shared how the NYPD engaged with the public to encourage them to
report corruption among the authorities.
    "In New York City, we try to use every resource available. We encourage the
public to be involved, we attend public meetings and explain the rules and
procedures, they understand what to be expected. 
    "We let them know the ways they can report corruption. We make it as easy as
possible for them to report corruption. We try to engage with citizens as
much as we can," he said.
     According to Kohl, the authorities also needed to be proactive besides
being reactive in fighting corruption.
    "Whether it's an Internal Affairs Bureau or officers professional
responsibility, the identity between the law and enforment agency needs to be
proactive, not just reactive to corruption," he said.
    Also present was MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed. -- BERNAMA

EXTREME GROUPS STEM FROM RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES AMONG MUSLIMS - ACADEMICIAN

By Mohd Razman Abdullah and R. Vikneswaran

Conflicts due to religious differences between Sunnah Wal-Jamaah and Syiah members in the Middle East are believed to have been influenced by the emergence of religious groups in the region, said an academician.
    Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) College of Law, Government and International
Studies dean Prof Madya Dr Martadar Mohamed said, on the other hand, Malaysians
were easily influenced by the militants' activities due to feelings of
unsatisfaction on the development in Syria and Iraq.
    He said this extreme belief culminated in these people indulging in counter
jihad whose struggles were in conflict with Islamic teachings.
    According to his study, he said the militant groups obtained donations from
sympathetic people, including from organisations and individuals within the
country.
    "They also received financial aids from non governmental organisations and
Islamic groups from countries in the Middle East," he told Bernama.
    He said, as such, Malaysian authorities needed to provide suitable mechanism
to curb the matter so that the conflicts that occurred in the Middle East would
not spread to the country.
    Dr Martadar was commenting on the five Malaysians who were currently wanted
by the police to assist in investigations pertaining to militant activities,
including a Universiti Malaya senior lecturer, Dr Mahmud Ahmad, 36.
    Meanwhile a security source said a militant member from Malaysia would
normally be trained in the southern Philippines for basis military training
before being sent to countries in the Middle East such as Syria and Iraq.
    He said they would receive trainings on shooting using various weapons,
warfare technique and militant groups' ideology.  
    Prior to this, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar had said
this year police had arrested 19 locals, who were believed to be involved in
militant groups that had ties with those in southern Philippines and Middle
East.      
    "In this (militant) movement, it is not easy to allege with real evidence
that can be accepted by the court," said Deputy Home Minister Datuk Dr Wan
Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told the Dewan Negara sitting last week.
    Efforts to combat militants had become more challenging to the police after
the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA).    
    This is because under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act
2012(Sosma), individuals can only be detained for 28 days and required to be
charged in court after that period.
    Crime analyst Datuk Akhbar Satar is of the view that the involvement of
Malaysian nationals in militant crimes were still under control but the
authorites must not take it lightly by increasing the monitoring and
intelligence level. 
    "Our intelligence experts must have indepth knowledge to identify the
militant members because this issue not only can tarnish the country's image but
also jeopardise national security," he said.
    He even urged the management of local universities to monitor the movement
of their staff under their purview following the involvement of university
lecturers in militant activities.
    "Vice-chancellors and faculty deans must recognise the lecturers who serve
in the universities. They have to know the thoughts and direction of every one
of their personnel," he said.
    Former Bukit Aman Crime Investigation Department director, Tan Sri Zaman
Khan Rahim Khan said the police needed to widen their intelligence contacts with
 other countries to fight militant crimes among locals.
    "Other countries can channel information as militant crimes among the locals
are influenced by those outside Malaysia to enable action, to contain these
militants, to be taken," he said. -- BERNAMA

USE OF DENGUE VACCINE EXPECTED TO START IN 2016 - S.SUBRAMANIAM

     The use of vaccine to prevent dengue in Malaysia is expected to start in 2016, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.
    He said even though the vaccine would be available soon, the ministry would
be reviewing the data obtained on the vaccine over a two-year period. 
    "The vaccine will only be available to the public from 2016 after we have
reviewed the data obtained," he told reporters after launching a 1Malaysia
Indian Community Health programme at SJK(T) Kuala Kubu Bharu here today.
    He said to date, the vaccine was found to only have a 56 per
cent success rate.
    "The vaccine is for four dengue steroetypes, namely DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and
DEN-4, but control on DEN-2 is unsatisfactory at only around 35 per cent. This
forced us to review the data analysis to ensure its efficacy," he said.
    On Friday, a private company announced that the much awaited vaccine for
dengue will be made available in several countries.
    Subramaniam said the vaccine would only be made available to the public if
its success rate was at 80 per cent and above.
    In this regard, the ministry does not want to place too much hopes on the
vaccine and instead to continue carrying out overall prevention programmes.
    He called the local authorities and the people to ensure cleanliness of the
surroundings especially at dengue hotspots. -- BERNAMA

LEMANG TO'KI A POPULAR CHOICE DURING AIDILFITRI

     Lemang, a delicacy made of glutinous rice and
coconut milk cooked in bamboo over a slow open fire, is a must-have during the
festive season, especially Aidilfitri.
    For individuals who frequently travel from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Baharu,
Kelantan, the name Lemang To'Ki Bentong would be familiar as the stall is about
45 minutes from the Gombak Toll Plaza.
    The proprietor of Lemang To'Ki, Mazlan Ramli, 49, when met at his stall,
said although there were many instant food products in the market, lemang made
the traditional way remained in demand because it tasted better and could be
kept for a longer time.
    "To' Ki lemang can be kept for three days and longer if it is keep in the
refrigerator," he told Bernama. 
    The strategic location of his stall, which is near the Bentong-Kuala
Lumpur and Bentong-Kota Baharu main route, is also a major factor that made his
lemang popular.
    Mazlan, who has been in the lemang business for nine years, also receives
orders from the Pahang royal family, as well as state government departments.
    He said he could sell between 60 and 200 sticks of lemang a day, especially
on weekends, retailing for RM8, RM10 and RM12 a stick depending on size.
    "The demand for lemang will increase by two or three folds during the
festive season, especially three days before Aidilfitri," he added.
    Besides lemang, the stall which operates daily, also offers food for lunch,
like ayam gole, and beverages, like cendol.
    The stall opens from 7am until midnight everydays, except on Mondays, but
during the fasting month, it only opens at 4.30pm. -- BERNAMA

Brides for sale: Vietnamese women trafficked to China

By Cat Barton (COPY PASTE from AFP)                    LAO CAI, Vietnam, June 25, 2014 (AFP) - When Kiab turned 16, her brother  promised to take her to a party in a tourist town in northern Vietnam. Instead,  he sold her to a Chinese family as a bride.        The ethnic Hmong teenager spent nearly a month in China until she was able  to escape her new husband, seek help from local police and return to Vietnam.        "My brother is no longer a human being in my eyes -- he sold his own sister  to China," Kiab, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, told AFP  at a shelter for trafficking victims in the Vietnamese border town Lao Cai.        Vulnerable women in countries close to China -- not only Vietnam but also  North Korea, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar -- are being forced into marriages in  the land of the one-child policy, experts say.        China suffers from one of the worst gender imbalances in the world as  families prefer male children.         As a result millions of men now cannot find Chinese brides -- a key driver  of trafficking, according to rights groups.        The Lao Cai shelter currently houses a dozen girls from various ethnic  minority groups. All say they were tricked by relatives, friends or boyfriends  and sold to Chinese men as brides.        "I had heard a lot about trafficking. But I couldn't imagine it would  happen to me," Kiab said.        As trafficking is run by illegal gangs and the communities involved are  poor and remote, official data is patchy and likely underestimates the scale of  the problem, experts say.        But rights workers across Southeast Asia say they are witnessing  "systematic" trafficking of women into China for forced marriages.        "This problem has largely been swept under the rug by the Chinese  authorities," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at New York-based Human  Rights Watch.                 Tricked and sold                      Vietnamese girls are sold for up to $5,000 as brides or to brothels, said  Michael Brosowski, founder and CEO of Blue Dragon Children's Foundation, which  has rescued 71 trafficked women from China since 2007.        "The girls are tricked by people posing as boyfriends, or offering jobs.  Those people do this very deliberately, and for nothing other than greed and a  lack of human empathy," he added.        It is likely that many of the girls end up working in brothels, but due to  the stigma of being a sex worker they will usually report they were forced into  marriage.        Communist neighbours Vietnam and China share a mountainous, remote border  stretching 1,350 kilometres, marked primarily by the Nam Thi river and rife  with smuggling of goods of all kinds: fruit, live poultry and women.         "It is mostly women who live in isolated and mountainous areas who are  being trafficked across the border, because there is no information for us,"  said 18-year-old Lang, from the Tay ethnic minority, who walked across the  frontier illegally and was sold to a Chinese family by a friend.        In northern Vietnam, trafficking has become so acute that communities say  they are living in fear.        "I worry so much about it, as do all the mothers in the villages, but it  has happened to a lot of girls already," said Phan Pa May, a community elder  from the Red Dao ethnic minority group.         "I have one daughter. She's already married, but I'm worried about my  granddaughter. We always ask where she is going, and tell her not to talk on  the phone or trust anyone."        Activists working to combat trafficking in Vietnam said police and  authorities take the problem "very seriously".        The shelter in Lao Cai opened in 2010 and has helped scores of female  victims.        "There is nothing at home for these girls, not even enough food to eat,"  said director Nguyen Tuong Long, referring to the dire poverty that is another  key driver.                 'Painful experience'                May Na, from the Hmong ethnic minority, was 13 when her uncle took her  across the border and forced her to marry a Chinese man.        "I could not accept it. They left me at home alone and I climbed over the  wall and ran away. I was wandering for more than a day, lost, sleeping in the  streets, crying," she said.        Eventually, Na ended up at a police station, but because she spoke neither  Chinese nor Vietnamese -- only her native Hmong -- it took police a month to  figure out what had happened and return her to Vietnam.        Now 16, Na -- the eldest of five children -- is learning Vietnamese at the  Lao Cai centre. Her uncle has been arrested, she said, but she has chosen not  to return to her own family.        "I was so sad when I was in China. It was a painful experience for me," she  said.        The government says it has launched education programmes in rural areas,  near the border, warning young girls not to trust outsiders.         Long, the centre director, says he believes the number of cases is falling.        In neighbouring Cambodia, there have been some prosecutions, but An Sam Ath  of rights group Licadho said the scourge is still happening, adding: "I am  worried the problem will spread."         Anti-trafficking groups in Vietnam say it is hard to warn girls of the  risks when it is often a family member or friend carrying out the deception.        Instead, they say there should be harsher penalties for traffickers --  including, for example, prosecutions at local level to raise awareness in  villages of potential punishments to deter people from trying.