USM Journal Management System (Univ. Sains Malaysia)
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Propaganda Sektor Perkhidmatan Awam di Persekutuan Tanah Melayu melalui Malayan Film Unit (MFU), 1957–1963
Get PDFThis research aimed to investigate the extent of the roles played by the Malayan Film Unit (MFU) as a propaganda platform for the civil service sector by the federal government from 1957 until 1963. The government had indeed been using MFU as a platform to promote the roles and to attract the support of the citizens towards the civil service sector in the Federation of Malaya. Various films had been produced based on the selected themes in the civil service sector. Moreover, the films had been played at the cinemas and mobile cinematic shows (locally called wayang pacak) in the whole of the Federation of Malaya along the specified period. This research was qualitative in nature and completely employed the historic research methodology. The materials and resources were obtained from the National Archives Malaysia, National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS), National Library of Malaysia, libraries at the local higher learning institutions nationwide, and others. The findings showed that MFU played it significant roles as a propaganda tool in the efforts by the federal government to promote the roles and to attract the support from the citizens towards the activities of civil services in the Federation of Malaya. In fact, MFU was seen as the earliest platform used by the government for the earlier-mentioned purpose, which was then further enhanced after the formation of Malaysia and establishment of Malaysian National Film Department in 1963
Role of Artificial Intelligence in Business Communication
Get PDFThe integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in business communication has revolutionized how organizations interact with customers and manage internal communications. However, this transformation is accompanied by significant ethical and practical challenges, including concerns about data privacy, biases in AI-generated content, and the potential erosion of authentic human interactions. This paper identifies key research gaps in the current understanding of AI\u27s impact on business communication, particularly in addressing the complexities of AI bias, the need for robust oversight mechanisms, and the ethical considerations in preserving human-centric communication. Future research is recommended to focus on developing advanced frameworks for bias detection and mitigation in AI systems, strategies to balance AI efficiency with the maintenance of personal connections, and the creation of genuine corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices that integrate AI ethics deeply into organizational processes. Additionally, exploring the broader implications of AI on the meaningfulness of work is crucial to ensure that AI advancements do not undermine the intrinsic value of human labour. Through addressing these research areas, businesses can better navigate the complexities of AI in communication and foster more ethical, effective, and human-centered organizational practices.
Utilizing Geographic Information Systems to Zone Landslide-Prone Areas for Urban Development in the Kandy Municipal Region, Sri Lanka
Get PDFThis investigation aims to delineate areas susceptible to landslides based on the current state of development in the Kandy Municipal Council Areas. Unplanned urbanization is taking place in many areas of Kandy city including landslide-vulnerable areas. Landslide vulnerability constraints the sustainable development of the city because city planning and management authorities do not have spatial information to guide the development. This inquiry employs the sophisticated Geographic Information System methodology, leveraging the formidable capabilities of Geospatial Information Technology. To accomplish this objective, various parameters including terrain, soil composition, drainage patterns, precipitation distribution, road infrastructure, and building locations have been meticulously analysed and integrated through a process of superimposition using weighted overlay techniques in GIS. Consequently, by overlaying the socio-economic development data with the identified zones of landslide susceptibility, a comprehensive depiction of areas prone to landslides, and the associated risks faced by roads and structures, has been developed. The findings of this study indicate that approximately 35% of the areas are classified as high-hazard zones, while approximately half fall under the medium-hazard category. The remaining areas are identified as low-hazard zones. The outcomes of this investigation are expected to provide invaluable support to urban planners and policymakers, facilitating informed decision-making in the domain of urban development
Application of Geographical Information Systems in Sustainability in the Malaysian Context: A Review
Get PDFThe depletion of natural resources to meet growing demands for food, fuel, and fibre due to population growth and urbanisation has led to significant environmental damage in Malaysia. Hence, greenhouse gases have increased atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) levels, contributing to global warming and climate change. From developing software to analysing data, GIS is influenced by political, economic, and social factors throughout its production process. This paper introduces a structured framework aimed at conducting an extensive literature review study on the application of the Geographic Information System (GIS) to sustainability in Malaysia. The framework delineates essential steps and factors for identifying pertinent literature, assessing prior research, amalgamating outcomes, and pinpointing research voids. Adhering to this framework enables researchers to methodically scrutinise and appraise existing literature, furnishing a thorough depiction of the present state of knowledge within the application of GIS to sustainability in Malaysia. This literature review highlights GIS as a critical tool for promoting sustainable management across various domains, including flood hazard management, urban planning, agriculture, forest monitoring, transportation, air quality management, and water resource management, by providing access to data, models, and mapping
Silat Warriors as Malay Cultural Heroes
Get PDFThe unprecedented success of the film Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan and ongoing discussions about the cultural significance of Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat suggest that Malay Silat warriors continue to be seen as heroic figures among many Malaysians. This article examines this idea by considering the phenomenon of warrior heroes, in general, and the Tuah/Jebat story, in particular. The perennial question of which of the Melakan warriors who fought to the death was right is discussed, concluding that the answer is much more ambiguous than traditionally presented. The whole notion of cultural heroes raises questions about the context in which they emerged, the values with which they have been identified and the aspects of their lives and actions that are selectively constructed. This is true for Hang Jebat, whose celebrity seems to stand in stark contrast to his reported behaviour, and Hang Tuah, for whom popular recreations of his adventures typically omit large and significant parts of his epic journeys. Stories of heroes, I suggest, serve multiple functions, and to an interesting and, to significant extent, these stories can hold somewhat tenuous ties to the heroes themselves
Pre-9/11 Islamophobia: A Contrapuntal Reading of Don DeLillo’s Falling Man
Get PDFDon DeLillo’s Falling Man reproduces the same Orientalist mantra of the Muslim terrorist. Although he is much celebrated for writing thrilling terrorism and assassination novels long before the 9/11 event, many critics situated his Falling Man within the 9/11 neo-Orientalist framework. This study argues that the 9/11 occurrence (while acknowledging its significance) is not the only trigger behind DeLillo’s representation of Muslims in his novel. As such, the study underscores DeLillo’s ideological inclinations by examining his records and the contextual circumstances that transpired before 9/11. By rereading Falling Man, this study situates the investigation within three parameters: the Iranian Revolution, the Rushdie affair and the Clash of Civilisations thesis, thus appropriating the novel within its Islamophobic implicature. Edward Said’s theory of contrapuntal reading, which urges a nonconventional reading of a canonical text, is employed as the theoretical underpinning of this study
Discovery of Web-Building Spiders in Gua Kelam, Perlis State Park, Malaysia
Get PDFA cave represents a subterranean ecosystem that harbours a myriad of unique, peculiar, and secluded flora and fauna. These biotas have evolved with a wide range of ecological adaptations that allow them to thrive in harsh environments with limited light. Gua Kelam 1 constitutes part of the Gua Kelam limestone caves system in the Nakawan Range of Perlis State Park, Malaysia. Previous observations indicated that it harbours a plethora of spider species; however, their existence is still elusive as speleobiological studies remain unexplored. Herein, we identified the cavernicolous spiders found in the dark zone areas of Gua Kelam 1 through a complementary approach based on morphology and DNA barcoding. From the morphological analysis, we described three web-building spiders of JTKK2 and JTKK3 groups down to the species-level to belong to Nephilengys malabarensis, and Orsinome vethi except for Pholcus sp. from JTKK4 individuals. The molecular analysis of the cytochrome oxidase-I (COI) genes of JTKK2 and JTKK3 individuals showed that they exhibited a high degree similarity with N. malabarensis (98.3%), and O. vethi (100.0%), respectively except for JTKK4 individuals with only 91.4% homology with P. kuhapimuk. Phylogenetic analysis also generated a congruent tree, in which the identified species are well nested within the family Araneidae, Tetragnathidae, and Pholcidae. By this integral approach, the three spiders were determined as N. malabarensis, O. vethi, and Pholcus sp. These spiders are originally epigean in their habitat but uniquely thrive in Gua Kelam 1
Alleviation of Cadmium Stress in Rice Seedlings Inoculated with Enterobacter tabaci 4M9 (CCB-MBL 5004)
Get PDFThe growth of crop plants is greatly affected by the increased toxicity of metals. Luckily, certain beneficial bacteria can potentially reduce the effects of metal stress and promote the growth of the host plants. Many species of bacteria were reported as heavy metal tolerant and plant growth promoting, with very little or no report available concerning Enterobacter tabaci as heavy metal tolerant plant growth promoting. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential of Cadmium (Cd) tolerant Enterobacter tabaci 4M9 (CCB-MBL 5004) to alleviate heavy metals stress and enhance the growth of rice seedlings grown under Cd stress conditions. Rice seedlings were grown in Yoshida medium supplemented with different concentrations of Cd and inoculated with 4M9. The results showed that the inoculum tested successfully reduced oxidative stress in the seedlings by reducing the electrolyte leakage (EL) and increasing catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in the inoculated seedlings compared to the control counterparts. The results also revealed a significant increase in plant growth, biomass, and chlorophyll content of inoculated rice seedlings compared to the control. In general, the Cd tolerant E. tabaci 4M9 confers heavy metal alleviation and thereby improves the growth and survival of rice seedlings under Cd stress conditions. Therefore, the findings stated the potential of 4M9 for alleviating heavy metal stress and promoting the development of inoculated rice seedlings if accidentally grown under Cd-contaminated conditions
High Carriage of tetA, sul1, sul2 and blaTEM Resistance Genes among the Multidrug-resistant Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) Strains from Malaysian Patients
Get PDFThe rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains pose a critical challenge in urinary tract infection (UTI) treatments. However, little work elucidated the resistance mechanisms of the MDR UPEC clinical strains in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance genes among the UPEC strains. Polymerase chain reactions were conducted to detect the presence of 6 antimicrobial resistance genes among 60 UPEC strains. Meanwhile, the antimicrobial resistance profiles against 9 antimicrobials were examined through the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. In this study, the MDR isolates accounted for 40.0% (24/60), with the highest prevalence of resistance towards ampicillin (43/60; 71.7%), followed by tetracycline (31/60; 51.7%), nalidixic acid (30/60; 50.0%), co-trimoxazole (20/60, 33.3%), ciprofloxacin (19/60, 31.7%), levofloxacin (16/60, 21.6%) and chloramphenicol (10/60, 16.7%). In contrast, low resistance rates were observed among minocycline (1/60; 1.7%) and imipenem (0/60; 0.0%). blaTEM was the most prevalent gene (36/60; 60.0%), followed by tetA (27/60; 45.0%), sul2 (25/60; 41.7%), sul1 (13/60; 21.7%) and tetB (8/60; 13.3%). Surprisingly, blaSHV was not detected among the UPEC isolates. The MDR, ampicillin and tetracycline-resistant isolates were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of tetA, sul1, sul2 and blaTEM. In contrast, tetB displayed no significant relationship with any of the antimicrobials tested. The patient’s age and gender were not the risk factors for the carriage of the resistance genes. Our findings identified the common resistance genes carried by the antimicrobial resistant UPEC isolates and provide valuable insights into developing the best antibiotic prescription regime to treat UTIs in our local scene.
Some Biological Aspects of Bloodworm: Chironomus pallidinubeculosus Tokunaga, 1964 (Diptera: Chironomidae)
Get PDFSome biological aspects of local bloodworms in Thailand were investigated. In this study, the larvae of one species of bloodworm, identified as Chironomus pallidinubeculosus Tokunaga 1936, were reared in plastic containers at 25°C and fed with fish feed solutions three days per week. The eggs sample were processed by histological and TEM techniques. Yield (g/m2), moisture, ash, crude protein, crude lipid, crude fibre and gross energy (KJ/g) were determined in reared larvae. The results showed that C. pallidinubeculosus larvae could survive and be bred in plastic containers, controlled laboratory conditions, and have four instars. The suitable physico-chemical parameters during rearing were low to moderate dissolved oxygen (1.18 mg/L–5.00 mg/L), electrical conductivity (462 ?S–714 ?S), and total dissolved solids (249 mg/L–378 mg/L). Moreover, adults had a high average number of eggs per one egg mass from 193.2 ± 49.99 to 331.86 ± 80.23 and an average hatchability of 90.69% to 94.49% during the 1st to 3rd generations, respectively. The life cycle of this study was approximately 19 to 23 days. Polylecithal and centrolecithal eggs were observed. After gelatinous mass removal, the egg was covered by non-regularly exochorionic jelly. The internal morphology of the egg is mainly composed of proteid yolk, lipids and dense granular. Larvae constituted 89.78% water; they had a high 15th day yield (g/m2), and the minimum area of larvae for mass culture was 1.2 cm2. The proximate composition analysis in reared larvae showed that crude protein, crude lipid crude fibre and gross energy were higher than its feed. The biology aspect study of the bloodworms found they were easy to culture; they should be considered a model organism for further ecology, nutrition and toxicology studies.