Taxidermy laid bare BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » thesundaypost - New 2 Borneo |
- Taxidermy laid bare
- Bypass surgery – living to tell the tale
- Pesticides — a double-edged sword
- Shell sets zero-accident target
- An update on what’s ‘new’ in the natural world
- The top seven wishes of Balingian folk
| Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:30 PM PDT by Antonia Chiam, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on March 16, 2014, Sunday THE leopard crouched on a tree branch, a helpless bird in its jaws. Two cubs were waiting, their small mouths opened in anticipation. Below them, an adult honey bear combed the undergrowth for food while a bear cub followed closely beside it. All of these animals were still and unmoving, their beady eyes staring fixedly into space. They looked as if they were frozen in time and, indeed, they were, forever entombed in a glass display. These are just one of the many displays of animal taxidermy in our renowned Sarawak Museum. Their skins and skulls have been well-preserved and shaped into what they originally looked like – preserved for generations. Not many visitors to any museum understood the complexity in the behind-the-scenes process that created life-like samples of animal species, some of which are still in existence while others long extinct. The Oxford Dictionary defined taxidermy as the art of preparing, stuffing and mounting the skins of animals with lifelike effect. The word itself comes from the Greek words of taxis (arrangement) and derma (skin). According to museum taxidermist Affindi Muheden, taxidermy plays an important role where museums are concerned. "It's important to preserve for the purpose of research and study. The animals must be displayed or mounted in a realistic manner so that they look real just like how they were if they were alive. This includes arranging for the right movement and pose. It wouldn't do if a squirrel is posed like a fox or if an eagle like a pigeon," the 46-year-old told thesundaypost in an exclusive interview. He said the museum usually gets stock of animals from the public or Sarawak Forestry and others. "We get mammals, reptiles, fish and birds. The public would usually bring in birds, squirrels, mice and other small mammals while Forestry would give us crocodiles that had died. Sometimes, it could be an endangered species that had died and we need to preserve it for record. However, we don't allow the deliberate killing or catching of animals listed in the Ordinance of Protected Species. "Once in a while, we even get requests from pet owners who want to preserve their pets but we don't encourage that as well because the chemicals used are expensive and should be restricted for scientific use only," he disclosed. Affindi has been a taxidermist with the museum for about 27 years. He is the third generation in his family to have worked the trade with the museum. "I have interest in taxidermy since I was young. What I know I learned from my father who was a taxidermist before me. "With the Internet, I'm able to upgrade my knowledge and skills in taxidermy and get some useful tips, especially through YouTube videos. However, bear in mind, the methods and materials they use overseas are usually more advanced than ours. Some of the materials are very expensive. "Here we only invest the expensive stuff on rare items, such as archaelogical bones. We don't display the originals, we made replicas from molds," he explained. He is occasionally assisted by two zoologists who had graduated from Unimas – Mona Octavia and Sitty Nurhamiza – who assisted him during a pre-arranged demonstration on taxidermy for thesundaypost. The taxidermist workshop is a curious ensemble of tools, chemicals, dead animals and stuffed animals. In the centre of the room is the main working counter and it was here that Affindi demonstrated the basic steps of taxidermy on a small specimen. He pointed out that it was very important the specimen was fresh when brought in. "We will leave it in the freezer for one to two days, then work on it soonest for best effect. "The first process is skinning, which is the main thing we will use in taxidermy. The skull and leg bones will also be used while we throw away the flesh and internal organs," he said before proceeding to work on a small monitor lizard, brought in dead couple of days before. Using a scalpel to remove the skin of the dead reptile from its flesh, the taxidermist and his assistants worked swiftly but carefully to ensure the specimen under their gloved hands was properly skinned for the purpose. Affindi said chemicals were applied to preserve the skin once removed. "The inside of the skin is applied with boric acid powder to dry and preserve it. For bigger specimens, aluminium sulphate is used. "After that, we will begin stuffing the specimen with sawdust or woodstraw and others, depending on the animal and size. For the purpose of our demonstration, we use sawdust and cotton wool to fill up the monitor lizard. "Once it's all filled up and shaped nicely, we sew it into place, keeping the original skull and leg bones. As I said earlier, taxidermy is about making life-like samples, so the animals must be mounted in a way that shows how they would have looked in their natural habitat. "After mounting, the specimen will then be left to dry for two weeks," he explained at length, while propping the monitor lizard's head up with a small piece of cut styrofoam. As the original eyes had been removed, Affindi looked through his collection of artificial eyes, mostly glass beads and buttons, for a suitable pair to fix onto the monitor lizard. Satisfied with his choice, he slowly pinned them in the original eye sockets. At a glance, the monitor lizard with its unseeing eyes looked real again. Affindi said animal taxidermy could last a long time if kept in air-tight casings. "If left exposed to the air, they don't last because insects will attack. Most of our taxidermied animals are inside casings. The oldest exhibits we have came from London more than 100 years ago. These old exhibits are maintained and repaired when necessary. "Maintenance and repair works are also part of the job of a taxidermist. There are days we don't have anything to work on while there are days we work on bigger animals such as a crocodile, taking up to one month to complete." Affindi believed taxidermy was not a job for just anybody. "There are not many experts in this field here, as there isn't any specialised course offered in local universities. "Taxidermists must be ready to get their hands dirty and stand the smells of animals and chemicals. Sometimes, specimens that come in are not fresh but you still have to work on them. The stench can linger for a long time after the job is done. "However, as long as the museum still exists, taxidermy is something we have to do and will still require people to do it in the future," he noted. A walk through the Sarawak Museum and its taxidermied displays of leopards, wild cats, orang utans, monkeys, civets, foxes, birds and others served as a reminder that if these animals were not preserved, chances are we would not know how they look upclose and personal beyond what we see in books and television. Animals we do not see in their life-like and life-sized forms could soon be forgotten or dismissed as mere myths. As a famous Victorian era author George Eliot once wrote: "Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them."   |
| Bypass surgery – living to tell the tale Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:28 PM PDT by Joseph Masilamany, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on March 16, 2014, Sunday AN insidious burp and it happened again. And again. It became a regular feature for days, then weeks and months. Though I was not severely distressed in any way, I had that strange feeling the burping was not altogether spewing from my gastro-abdominal system. Having "read too much into the medical text" while a reporter doing the health and medical beat and being no stranger to frequent press conferences at the National Heart Institute (IJN), I need not be a heart specialist to know the alarm bells were now ringing for me. Perhaps, the time has come to have my ticker checked and revisit jargons like angiogram, angioplasty, stent and stenting as well as coronary bypass surgery and heart transplant – all of which had rolled off the lips of cardiologists whom I have interviewed before. I faced interventional cardiologist Datuk (Dr) Rosli Mohd Ali whom I have met during press conferences. This time, it was Rosli who posed the questions and I fielded them. Rosli, IJN's head of cardiology, was as usual oozing with his trademark passion for people and their hearts. Feeling the pulse "Any chest pain, breathlessness?" Rosli asked, and I said "no." "Sweating, palpitations?" and I again said "no." "Nausea, pain in the left hand, radiating to the back and throat?" "No,"I replied. He then examined my chest with his stethoscope, listening to my chest sounds and like every good clinician, he seemed glad there was no immediate danger. He peered into the X-ray, took a cursory glance at the report and noted the words borderline enlarge-ment of the heart as stated by the radiologist. "Angiogram," Rosli declared, adding: "It will give us a clearer picture of your arteries." I nodded in agreement. He typed out a referral letter so I could consult a cardiologist at a government hospital and signed me off with a P Ramlee smile. Over at the hospital in Selangor, I realised, at long last, the time had come for me to know the cold truth. Being a long-term diabetic with four siblings having undergone bypass surgery, the false sense of confidence I tried to create for myself seemed all the more frail and fragile. Not me I mentally listed out the reasons why I could not be a candidate for cardiovascular disease. First, I did not experience the classic symptoms of an imminent cardiac event such as chest pain, breathlessness or nausea – all of which are usually experienced by heart patients. Secondly, as I have been on statins (drugs that regulate cholesterol levels) for more than eight years and my regular blood tests for triglycerides and cholesterol were favourable, I consoled myself I had had a headstart in stopping fatty plaques from percolating in my arteries. And just as I was about to add on the third plus-point, I heard my name being called. The cardiologist Propelled back to reality and donning a loose surgical garb, I was wheeled into the freezing large expanse of the hospital's cathlab. I laid flat on the table, beneath an enormous octopus-like contraption that had X-ray cameras and TV screens fitted to it. My right hand was firmly plastered in place to allow the cardiologist to insert the catheter. It was also here, I realised cardiologists come in different shapes and sizes, and if I may add, sentiments as well. The man who was about to push a catheter into the artery in my right hand, till it gets to my heart, and deploy a dye, was in no mood for pre-angiogram pleasantries. He was so upfront and business-like that in my silent thoughts, I decided to nickname him Dr Cold Stone. "You are going to feel a stick here," Dr Cold Stone said, at the same time, tapping my wrist to locate a vein. "Take a deep breath," he instructed, and then said nothing for a long time. I only knew he had already injected the anaesthetic, inserted the catheter and also deployed the dye when I felt a hot sensation in my body. He was certainly a fast worker and a silent one too. Then the TV screen came alive, and there it was – my pulsating heart labouring pathetically. As I viewed the matinee on the screen, with my heart going dub-a-dub, dub-a-dub, Dr Cold Stone spoke again. Of course, there was no post-angiogram pleasantries either. Just the plain truth, delivered in cold blunt monologue. "All three coronary arteries are blocked. They are 60-80 per cent blocked. If I have to perform angioplasty, I may have to place six stents. But we don't usually do that. The better option is open heart bypass surgery for you," Dr Cold Stone said. Before I could say anything, he delivered a second recital: "Even if you opt for open heart surgery, it may be a little tricky for the surgeon as your vessels are too small. I will refer you to IJN." I was amused Dr Cold Stone uttered all the minus-points without even giving me one little iota of hope. No, I am not complaining. Perhaps he forgot to say something nice. Perhaps he did it his way. Most of all, can I blame him if he had nothing nice to say? Then he peeled off his surgical gloves and dropped them into the bin and quietly left with the air of a fighter pilot reporting "mission accomplished." As he removed his gloves, I caught an image of Pontius Pilate washing his hands off me. My jitters climaxed to a crescendo and just as the words "oh my God" quivered on my lips, the orderly came to wheel me out. The surgeon I was back at IJN facing Rosli once again. He was sympathetic and lent some hope. He said: "At least now we know what is wrong and what we can do to get ahead of the problem." Rosli suggested I consult with IJN's Dr Paneer Selvam, a cardiothoracic surgeon and wrote out a reference for me. I had an immediate good first impression of Paneer Selvam. He looked confident. He had the kind of confidence that only a very self-assured man will have. He studied my medical notes, asked a few questions and said: "We can do the surgery on Oct 31, any questions?" "The cardiologist said my arteries are small and they might pose a problem. Will you have any problem during the surgery?" I asked. "Yes, your arteries are small but we can deal with them," he said in his typical confident poise. My next question: "Why are my arteries small?" "Congenital,"said Paneer Selvam, adding: "You were born with smaller arteries." Then he went on to explain the surgery. "Just like all surgeries, there will be risks and complications. But open heart bypass surgery is a major operation with added risks and complications. The anaesthetist will tell you more," he said, and left with a subtle "don't worry" smile on his face. The anaesthetist injected a dollop of medication which made me drowsy and then everything in the room was a whirl of blur. I must have gone under at this time. During the surgery, the surgeon and his assisting doctors removed a vein from my right leg. It was a lengthy piece of vein harvested from close to my ankle right up to my mid thigh. This vein was eventually divided into four pieces and grafted into my heart to create "the bypass sections" so that blood will flow through them instead of being clogged up at the diseased arteries which were blocked. The surgery took a little more than four hours. Recovery room I heard voices calling out my name. It belonged to the anaesthetist and her OT nurses attending to me in the recovery room. "Can you hear me, Joseph … the surgery's over, open your eyes." A bright ray of light stung my retina and I quickly shut my eyes back. "Oh, he's fine," I heard someone say. I felt my chest and right leg heavily bandaged. Though I was still falling in and out of consciousness, I did one thing I mentally willed myself to do immediately after the surgery. I flexed the fingers on both hands tightly and let them go, repeating the exercise over and over again. Then I flexed both my ankles up and down repeatedly. I was now "personally satisfied" I was in one piece and all my reflexes were working well. Critical care I was freezing. I was in IJN's intensive coronary care unit (ICCU). Here, at any one time, there are only four patients with each having a single nurse to exclusively care for him or her. I had written articles about this ICCU before. I was told it was world-class, and nothing but only the highest standard of nursing care will do at this unit. Seeing me shivering, the nurse adjusted my blanket so it covered my chest, hands and legs adequately. Patient monitoring machines beeped all around me. Although I was given more than excellent care here, I must admit this is the most difficult part of bypass surgery. About six tubes were projecting out of my body. And the most difficult one to bear was the endotracheal tube (ETT) in my throat. The ETT is placed in the throat to establish and maintain airway support. It was choking. It made my throat dry and sore and I was thirsty, craving for 100 Plus. I could not talk with the ETT in my throat and so I communicated with my nurse by writing. "I want water," I wrote. She wrote back: "No liquids yet, you might throw up and that is risky." Although she was an expert in coronary care nursing, she also had that humane aspect called TLC (tender loving care). I must have looked so pitiable to her that she left my bedside and returned with a bowl of crushed ice with some gauze in it. She dabbed the wet gauze on my lips and it felt good. After a while, she let me help myself to the wet gauze and I was glad she did. When she was not looking, I picked up a piece of the crushed ice and greedily sucked it. It felt a lot better. This "cat and mouse game" went on through the night and the good part of the following morning with fresh supplies of crushed ice. Blissfully by forenoon, the ETT was removed and I was told I will be transferred to the high dependency unit (HDU). Hallucinations Over at the HDU, Nurse Shazlinah was put in charge of me. Tubes and catheters were still sticking out of my body but I felt a lot comfortable as the ETT ordeal was over and I was already eating porridge and drinking 100 Plus. However, there was another problem confronting me. I could not sleep in the day time and at night as well. After Shazlinah gave me my medication at 9pm, she expected me to sleep. But she found me wide awake at 12 midnight. "Why are you not asleep," she asked. "I can't sleep" I said. "Did you sleep in the afternoon," she asked, and I replied "no." "Try to sleep," she coaxed and I tried. At 2am, she still saw me wide awake. "Still can't sleep," she asked and I nodded. "Are the surgical wounds hurting, do you want morphine" she asked again, and I said: "No, I am seeing things". "What are you seeing," she asked me. I told her: "I am seeing colourful procession of bottled medicine, pills, tablets and capsules. They come before my eyes, one after another, and when this procession is over, another one comes. The second one is a procession of many people in a colourful parade. I see Mardi Gras procession, Merdeka Day parade and people in a Hindu religious procession like Thaipusam." Amused, Shazlinah giggled but she knew I was not talking nonsense. "You are indeed seeing things. You are hallucinating," she told me, adding that hallucinations are common among certain patients who have undergone a long period of sedation under anaesthesia. Shazlinah then paged for the doctor-on-call. The doctor who came to attend to my hallucinatory symptoms studied the notes and, then escorted by Shazlinah, asked me a few questions at my bedside. "When do these hallucinations come on," he asked. "The moment I close my eyes, the show starts. It is like a movie in fast cuts, and it keeps on repeating like reruns," I replied. "Are you a compulsive movie person," he asked, and I said: "I hate watching movies or television. I only watch news and documentaries." "Do you usually consume alcohol before bed time," he asked, and I shook my head. "What about sleeping pills and other narcotics," he asked again, and I replied "no." He told me anaesthesia can cause patients to hallucinate. He also said he will prescribe a "mild sedation" through the intravenous line and assured me I will have a good night's sleep. Shazlinah injected the medication through the intravenous line in my carotid artery. After that I slept like a baby. The next day, when I was told by the morning nurse I will be transferred to the normal ward, I could not believe my ears. This time, I was not hearing things. Nor hallucinating. |
| Pesticides — a double-edged sword Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:25 PM PDT by Rintos Mail, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on March 16, 2014, Sunday THE billions of ringgit, raked in by cash crops to the country's coffer every year, can be attributed to the use of agricultural pesticides. Pesticides — insecticides, herbicides and fungicides — are a huge industry. In Malaysia, there are over 30 local and foreign companies developing, manufacturing and distributing pesticides — an over RM500 million market. (theantdaily.com 2013). As usual, most people want cheap and good products. Farmers also want to make a good living from their produce. It seems modern farming cannot do away with pesticides which admittedly have reduced food loss and helped farmers provide unblemished produce we have grown so used to. Nowadays, pesticides are said to have been applied excessively over large agricultural areas – in both rural and urban settings. It is estimated globally, between one and 41 million people suffer health effects from exposure every year (PAN International 2007). In Malaysia, some 490 pesticide poisoning cases were reported in 2006, 698 in 2007 and 841 in 2008 (National Poisoning Centre (pers comm, 2010). So, shouldn't we be concerned — and how do we account for them? It is believed pesticides are used extensively in Sarawak both by plantation workers as well as small-scale farmers. A joint field survey conducted by Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA) and Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP) in Suai District, Bintulu, a few years ago revealed that 77 per cent of the respondents were pesticide applicators. The respondents, according to the survey, mostly practised small-scale agriculture, producing for their own consumption as well as for the market as a source of livelihood. They grew vegetables, oil palm, fruits and rice. The survey found that most commonly used pesticides are paraquat dichloride, glypostate, d-phenothrin, cypermethrin, pallethrin and chlorpyrifos. SADIA secretary general Nicholas Mujah said the study was aimed at investigating the use and impact of pesticides. "The monitoring has taken place in the context of increasing use of pesticides and its impact on farmers and agriculture workers and the surrounding communities." Nicholas added that symptoms reported by the respondents, who had used pesticides or been exposed to them, included excessive sweating, dizziness, blurred vision, headache, narrowed pupils and excessive salivation. He said aside from pesticides, a range of issues was also voiced by some of the survey participants. "The respondents claimed oil palm companies, which also reared cows, had polluted streams, and plantation toxic wastes had killed fish in the streams. "They also raised concerns about the lack of drinking water supply as stream water was dangerous for drinking." Nicholas said the survey also noted pesticides were sold alongside other consumer products, including foods and pharmaceuticals. He added that in cases where pesticides were stored with other products, some of them were physically segregated from other products. The survey was done five years ago. What about now? Since more plantations and farms have been open up, the use of pesticides could be even more extensive. For Sarawak, there are no statistics to show the ill effects of pesticides to health and the environment but their use may represent an important source of diffuse chemical pollution that is difficult to monitor and control. The overuse of and over-reliance on pesticides might have also resulted in weeds and insects developing strong resistance to these chemicals. While there are no reports to indicate this is true, many herbicides and insecticides are no longer believed to be an option for effective control. As such, producing crops at a profit may be at risk — and the only way to get on top of the problem is likely to be through non-chemical means. The challenge is to reduce the risk from excessive pesticides exposure while maintaining and increasing the level of crop productivity. What are the alternatives? There is an extensive range of policy instruments used by many countries to address human and ecosystem health concerns and pesticide pollution of water and air. These include regulation; payments to encourage lower use and more accurate application; pesticide taxes to encourage greater useage efficiency by farmers and advice and information for farmers on "best practice." But this seems to be missing in Sarawak. Pesticide sales are also believed to have increased in the state since it's unlikely– in the local context – that crop production could have been boosted by other factors, including education and training. Nicholas believed the mono-culture development — mainly oil palm plantation — had boosted pesticide sales, saying without pesticides, crop production would have been affected. In Sarawak, there is actually very little data on pesticide use and its environmental impact, making it difficult to gauge how Sarawak is tracking against other countries, and how the state's flora and fauna are responding with continued exposure to these toxins. Nicholas said SADIA was concerned about the way pesticides were regulated in Sarawak and the implications on human health and the environment. He believed several dozen pesticides, especially insecticides, banned in Europe or the US of America, are also used commonly in Sarawak. Protecting crops against damage from weeds, insect pests and disease is an ongoing challenge. Integrated approaches, where chemical control is but one option — not the only option, and support for innovation from science, industry and farmers — will see us tackle these challenges. Nicholas said SADIA was not asking for zero use of pesticides but minimising its use as a step to protect the local people and the environment. "We need not be an expert in environment and health to speak about the danger of the overuse of pesticides to our crops and environment." He added SADIA had no qualms about the use of pesticides but it should be practised in a controlled manner. He urged the government to emphasise research and development (R&D) on pesticides management. "Perhaps, the government should carry out a study on the impact of pesticides on the livelihood of the people, especially those living downstream who depend on the river for drinking water." He said SADIA, being an unprofitable organisation, did not have the funding and expertise to obtain the scientific result on the water quality exposed to pesticides. "This is very technical and we need scientists or doctors to do it. SADIA is short of such expertise," he added. |
| Shell sets zero-accident target Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:20 PM PDT by Jonathan Chia, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on March 16, 2014, Sunday IN pursuing its goal of ensuring zero harm to people and zero significant incidents at the work place, Shell Malaysia has continuously striven to improve its systems and procedures by ensuring all know their roles and responsibilities as well as understand how to work safely. Through the Goal Zero formula, the internationally-renowned oil and gas company firmly believes it is possible to work without accidents. "We expect everyone working for us — both employees and contractors alike — to follow three golden rules — Comply, Intervene and Respect," said Shell Malaysia chairman Iain Lo at the Shell Malaysia Safety Award. According to him, this simply means to comply with the law, rules and procedures, to intervene in unsafe or non-compliant situations and to respect the communities we work in. "To make Goal Zero a reality, we make sure we have the right systems, equipment and culture in place," he added. However, Lo emphasised even with all the right systems, procedures and equipment, an organisation would still fall short of Goal Zero if it did not have a culture that makes safety the No. 1 priority. "Culture is the collective behaviours and assumptions of people in an organisation. That's why we work hard to encourage the right behaviours among leaders, staff and contractors." In recognition of their exemplary performance in Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), Lo presented awards to companies throughout Malaysia for stepping up safety leadership behaviours at the first-ever Shell Malaysia Safety Award. The inaugural ceremony, held at One World Hotel in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, was attended by representatives from 99 participating companies, government officials and senior officials from Shell. Awards were also presented to Shell Malaysia's contractors and partners for exemplary HSE performance and outstanding safety leadership conduct. Among the recipients were five Sarawakian companies which dominated the upstream and downstream categories. In the upstream category, two Miri-based contractors — Oceancare Corporation Sdn Bhd and Ajang Shipping Sdn Bhd — won gold and bronze respectively. Selangor-based SapuraAcergy Sdn Bhd won the silver. It was the only peninsular-based contractor that won the safety award. There was a tie for the bronze award – Kuching-based Trienekens (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd was the other recopient. Oceancare Corporation executive chairman Datuk Nelson Balang Rining said: "Our employees are our partners. Our partners are our asset. Our asset is our foundation that sustains us in growing the business as we move forward in good and bad times." SapuraAcergy deputy project director Syed Jamil Fadaak thanked Shell for guiding and coaching the company from 2009 to 2013. "We are grateful to our sponsors who have given us the direction. We are thankful to all managers, project engineers and workers who believe that producing quality results and focusing on HSE will bring great success in the project," he said. Ajang Shipping technical director Captain Mohd Tormoti said the company treated its employees and crews as family members. "Whenever I go to visit the ships, I will give them advice and cascade to them all the lessons learnt from incidents that happened in other companies and I then get feedback from them on how we could improve further." Trienekens Sarawak business development general manager Elvin Wee pointed out that the company's HSE management system was an integrated model that addressed the multiple synergies between occupational health, industrial hygiene, workplace safety, industrial safety, pollution prevention and protection, public safety and environmental protection in general. In the downstream category, two Bintulu-based contractors — Persafe Engineering Sdn Bhd and Amalgamated Plant Engineering Sdn Bhd — won gold and bronze respectively. Persafe Engineering managing director Peru Balan Ding thanked Shell for the award and extended his appreciation to his colleagues from the management to the workforce for their invaluable contributions. "Without them embracing safety culture, we could not be where we are now," he said. For Amalgamated Plant Engineering managing director Jun Ngau Wan, the award is a motivation to do more in safety culture as he believes safety is the flue that holds the business together and the success is created with the help of motivated employees. Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem and Lo gave away the awards. In his address, Riot said Shell had played a large role across the businesses in both upstream and downstreaming, adding that being a significant upstream operator with 19 production sharing contracts (PSCs) with Petronas, Shell is the largest producer of gas through the Sarawak PSCs and a leader in market share in retail across the country. "In providing employment opportunities and building up the local talent pool, Shell is also a key contributor to our national aspiration. I was told Shell has 6,500 employees in the country of whom, 88 per cent are Malaysians. "And there are also more than 400 Malaysians presently on assignment abroad, learning and developing so that they have even more to contribute when they return. I believe the local population can only gain from the expertise and skills training acquired from abroad. "This goes a long way towards helping to achieve our country's goal of having 33 per cent skilled workforce by 2015 and 50 per cent by the year 2020." He also applauded Shell Malaysia for taking the lead to promote and recognise the people and the companies that actually committed to and delivered outstanding safety performance. "It's encouraging to see a good partnership between Shell and its contractors and their commitment to safety. "Being in a precision industry, having a large workforce and many assets will substantially challenge Shell's safety performance. The high safety standards can only be achieved with strong strategies, well defined processes and clear goals to ensure work gets executed properly and safely," he said. Riot also pointed out that ensuring safety at the workplace was a never-ending task and one where complacency should be avoided. "Workers at all levels must be committed to making sure health and safety in the oil and gas industry is not only maintained but also continues to be improved." Earlier, Lo noted that the criteria for the awards were very stringent – with 20 submissions shortlisted and carefully evaluated by a panel of HSE managers across all the businesses in Shell Malaysia. To even make the shortlist, entrants had to demonstrate they had worked two consecutive years (2012 and 2013) without lost time incidence (LTI), he said. "We looked at the basics such as whether a safety organisation, policies and processes are in place — whether risk is effectively managed, how well are the safety performances being tracked, the lagging and leading indicators, and how strong the assurance process is. "And very importantly, we looked for evidence of strong safety leadership in the organisation, especially the roles played by senior management in driving safety culture and setting the tone at the top of their organisations." According to him, Shell Malaysia had 47 million exposure hours in 2013 with roughly 15,000 contractors working for the company on any given day. "So this is a journey that we can't take alone. Our contractors account for more than 80 per cent of our exposure man-hours. "More than 90 per cent of the people who were hurt in our operations were contractors and sub-contractors.We can only make progress on this journey if we have strong partnerships with our contractors," Lo emphasised. The Shell Malaysia Safety Awards is part of the Shell contractor, chief executive officer (CEO), health, safety, security and environment (HSE) forum. The annual CEO forum brings together leaders from Shell and their contractors with the aim to improve the HSE practices and performance. Shell continues to develop safety and environmental best practices via various programmes which include the Conscientious Driver programmes and In-Vehicle Monitoring System (IVMS) for trucks and Shell Traffic Games. Shell recently launched the nation's first private-public sector project for fisherman named the Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) project. An innovative programme funded by Shell Malaysia and delivered jointly with the Sabah state government through the Sabah Department of Fisheries, the project involves creating new fishing grounds by plaving 10 FADs, about 85 nautical moles off Kota Kinabalu; a safe distance away from the restricted Gumusut-Kakap deepwater project area. Shell has been operating in Malaysia since 1910 and has evolved with the country's growth and needs. |
| An update on what’s ‘new’ in the natural world Posted: 15 Mar 2014 12:08 PM PDT by Tom McLaughlin. Posted on March 16, 2014, Sunday New crab named after a Lord A NEW species of freshwater cave crab has been discovered in Gua Sireh in the Bidi cave complex near Bau. Named S cranbrooki, it is white to light yellow and lives in the dark zone of the cave. Peter Ng of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research Centre in Singapore made the discovery. The crab was named after Lord Cranbrook, a zoologist who has spent many years in Malaysia (http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg). Counting, counting… According to Dr Jerrold L Belant from Mississippi State Univeristy in the United States, several methods of counting the number of carnivore mammals in the rainforest were explored in a recent article. Interviewing locals was one consideration but the problem was how to separate accurate from inaccurate data. Camera trapping requires "careful study and design, well considered placement in the field and a complex knowledge of advanced statistical tools to analyse data obtained". Genetic studies, like collecting dung and analysing the DNA are very difficult under "tropical conditions and for secretive carnivores". Trapping has its problems because the type of trap, bait and location should be analysed before traps are set. Attaching a radio collar tells a lot about the range of the animal, but it has been used only rarely in Borneo (http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg). New wasp flies into history A new genus of parasitic wasp, Wallaceaphytis, named after the Santubong naturalist Alfred Wallace, was made known to science recently. The wasp was collected during a field study exercise by scientists from the Museum of Natural History, London and Universiti Malaysia Sabah in the Danum Valley and Maliau Conservation Districts in Sabah. The wasp is unusual because it is one of the largest parasitic wasps yet discovered, just under a millimetre. Parasitic wasps usually lay their eggs in the bodies or eggs of other insects. The juvenile then eats the host alive and emerges full-grown. The parasitic wasp is very beneficial to agriculture because it keeps the pest population down. Wallace, along with Charles Darwin, is best known for the theory of evolution based on natural selection and spent much time in Sarawak (www.tandfonline.com, www.nhm.ac.uk). New scarab A new species of scarab was found in Sabah recently by a Czech Republic team. They are differentiated from other scarab beetles because they are equipped with six costae on each elytron. A costae is the structure where the wing is attached while the elytron are protective coverings for the wings. They slide forward when flying and then slide back when the beetle is at rest. The costae are arranged horizontally along the back and these scarab beetles have an extra one (www.fld.czu.cz). Nymph in Kapit makes news Two new species of dragonflies flew into the news recently. They normally inhabit the upper canopy and briefly occupy freshwater streams to lay eggs. Leptogomphus risi was discovered along the Venus Trail in Singapore and an Leptogomphus williamsoni instar larva was reared in the lab after having been retrieved from a stream in Kapit. Both were announced in a single paper by Robin Wen Jiang of the National Biodiversity Centre, Singapore and Rory A Dow of the NCB Naturalis, Leiden respectively (http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg). Frogs, frogs, frogs The range of the Wrinkled Frog (Limnonectes rhacodus) has been extended thanks to the hard work of Indraneil Das and Pui Yong Min of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas). Specimens were collected along the Belian Trail at Kubah National Park and the Batu Panggar region below the summit of Gunung Penrissen. The discoveries extend the range of the frog 220km northwest of its last reported locality and to an elevation of 1,120 metres. This is the first time the amphibian has been reported in Sarawak. The authors speculate the species could probably be widespread throughout western Borneo. In other frog news, the Masked Swamp Frog (Limnonectes paramacrodon), which lacks vocal sacs, was observed calling in a Singaporean marsh. Kelvin Lim of the National University of Singapore described the sounds as "fairly loud, sharp, rubbery squeaks of five to eight notes in rapid succession". The calls are repeated at intervals of five to 10 seconds. To produce the sound the frog "thrusts its head forward with the hind part of the throat partially inflated, simultaneously vibrating the sides of the body". Another new species of frog was also discovered in Sabah. A team from Kytoto University, Japan headed by Dr Masafumi Matsui stated the frog closely resembles the Sarawakian species Leptolalax dringi found in Mulu, but differs in body size, calls and mDNA sequencing (www.checklist.org.br, http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg, www.mapress.com). Teeth show orangutan movement Nine isolated teeth from the orangutan have been discovered in Peninsular Malaysia. The teeth, dated to 500,000 years ago, show the ancient orangutan migrated successfully further south than previously thought. The sequence of orangutan migration seems to be related to the environment. Apparently, the area was heavily forested until 60,000 years ago when a dry corridor existed through the peninsula and into east Java. This caused extinction in what is now Peninsular Malaysia. After the last ice age, the forests regenerated but the Straits of Malacca prevented migration to the peninsula while other water barriers stopped the orangutan repopulating from Borneo Weaselling information out of weasels in Sabah Researchers from Oxford University led by Dr Joanna Ross studied the Malay Weasel (Mustela nudipes) and found they live a diurnal life cycle. They have also been discovered to inhabit oil palm estates and disturbed areas. The study took place in seven areas in Sabah. The weasel has avoided camera traps because the cameras are not located in areas conducive to hunting for this small carnivore, which makes images extremely rare. Because they are so elusive, not much is known about this critter (www.smallcarnivoreconservation.org). A new Asian aroid in Bau A new plant species Schismatoglottis evelyniae was discovered in Kampung Tringgus, Bau by Wong Sen Yeng from Unimas and his colleague Peter Boyce. There are 200 known species of Schismatoglottis, which are part of the Asian aroids also known as the Araceae (www.aroid.org). The Malaysian Nature Society |
| The top seven wishes of Balingian folk Posted: 08 Mar 2014 11:50 AM PST by Lian Cheng & Peter Sibon, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on March 9, 2014, Sunday The coastal state constituency of Balingian has been basking in the state's political limelight since its former incumbent Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud announced that he would step down as chief minister to assume the post of Yang Di-Pertua Negeri which entailed giving up his seat. After Taib officially vacated the Balingian seat on Feb 28 and by-election set on March 27, there has been a flurry of activities in the constituency with aspiring candidates and their supporters on both sides of the political divide highlighting what they would do for the people there to fulfill their wishes. In the midst of their promises and rhetoric the voices of the main stakeholders of the constituency were drowned as it seems everybody knew what they wanted without asking them. To give a voice to the people, thesundaypost spoke to them and listed their seven top wishes for their constituency for their new state assemblyman to fulfill for them. Although the constituency, especially the main town Mukah, has seen tremendous development under Taib, there are areas which are still lacking in basic facilities and issues that need urgent attention. From conversations with the people across the constituency thesundaypost listed the people's top seven concerns and wishes. 1. A secondary school in Balingian The people of Balingian and Kuala Balingian (about 32 km from Balingian town) have been waiting for a secondary school to be built in Balingian so that their children could continue to stay with them until they are at least 15 years old before sending them for higher secondary school education in Mukah. To send their children to Mukah which is 60 km away after Primary Six to attend secondary schools is big burden for the people. Their main worry is having to send their young children to live in school boarding houses away from them. Secondly, sending their children to Mukah means extra expenses of RM50 per week per child for parents. This increase is a financial burden for a family with more than one child going to secondary. The parents of the two areas are mostly from the low income group. So sending their children to Mukah for secondary school education is an unbearable burden for parents of Balingian and Kuala Balingian. 2. SK Kpg Tellian About a decade ago, the primary school at Kpg Tellian was deemed unfit to be occupied and the pupils were asked to temporarily move to at SK Mukah which is 3 km away while waiting for the school to be rebuilt. After almost 10 years of waiting with no sign that school was being rebuilt or at least repaired the people's patience is wearing thin. SK Kpg Tellian is situated at Kpg Tellian Tengah which is short walking distance for three Melanau villages of Kpg Tellian Tengah, Kpg Tellian Ulu, Kpg Tellian Laut. Having to study at SK Mukah means very young pupils have to walk or cycle to school at least three miles if their parents could not send them by motorcycles, cars or school vans which are mostly illegal. 3. Kpg Baru Bridge Kpg Baru Bridge, a small village bridge in Balingian linking Kpg Baru to Kpg Lintang has been faithfully serving the villagers for more than 30 years. It is used by Melanau villagers of Kpg Masjid, Kpg Pulat, Kpg Lintang, Kpg Baru and Kpg Suyong. However, because of its age and poor maintenance the bridge is in disrepair and most drivers refuse to use it fearing that it might collapse under the weight of their vehicles. A new bridge tops the wish list of the people there. 4. Airport The headquarters of Sarawak's corridor of Renewable Energy (Score) is located in Mukah town which is also the administrative headquarters of Mukah Division but air connectivity to such an important location in the state's development programme is deplorable. The town is still dependent on the old airport built in the 1950s during British Colonial rule. Its runway can only accommodate 18-seater planes. A site has been identified to build a bigger, more modern airport but the people are still waiting for that to happen although the project was supposed to have been completed a few years ago. 5. An additional petrol station in Mukah There are only two petrol stations in the Mukah town. One is situated at Jalan Pasar, next to the bustling fresh fish market while the other is at Jalan Mukah-Oya. Due to the fast development of the town and thus increasing number of vehicles, pumping gas means queuing up, especially for the petrol station in the town centre causing traffic jams especially in the morning. There has been a plan for this petrol station to be moved elsewhere, away from the busiest part of the town. It is the wish of Mukah residents to have an additional petrol station in the town, not only to ease the traffic along this road but also to meet the demand of the growing number of motorists. 6. Bringing development to Balingian town Balingian town seems to be bypassed by the development taking place in the area. This is reflected by the many new shophouses which remain empty after completion about 20 years ago. At present only three shoplots are operating while the rest have been turned into swiftlet farms which have proven to be a viable business. The gap in development between Mukah and Balingian is growing wider and even some government agencies are abandoning Balingian to centralise their administration in Mukah. The people in Balingian said their town had deteriorated over the years as more and more people move out in search of greener pastures elsewhere. They hope their town would benefit from the development programme of Score and that is the main challenge for their new state assemblyman to tackle. 7. Clean water supply Sui Ling (not her real name) has been washing her laundry in the tap water linked to the shophouse owned by her husband. Over the years, she realised that her white clothes have turned yellowish. This is a typical example of the ordeal of the lack of clean water experienced by the people of Balingian. The Iban residents living in the longhouses opposite Balingian River experienced an even more pathetic condition as their taps perpetually run dry as the only pipe laid across the river has not been repaired after it burst years ago. For daily use, they either depend on water from the well, or from the rain. In the worst case scenario they will use the murky Balingian River for consumption. The longhouse dwellers there also wished for a 24-hr electricity supply as they are now depending on generator sets for power. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » thesundaypost To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |