HEALTH

Melioidosis Outbreak in Sarawak

Several cases of melioidosis were detected in Bakun area, Belaga District, Sarawak, Malaysia. According to the Sarawak Environment and Public Health Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, until August 3 this year, 35 cases of melioidosis were recorded so far. Most cases are reported in the districts of Kapit (15) and Belaga (12). Last year, 17 deaths from this disease were reported, compared with five deaths this year. However, none of victims this year are locals from Bakun.
In most of the cases, the predisposing factor was related to working condition, which involved contact with soil. Bakun is classified as an endemic area for melioidosis that first occurred in 2006 when three foreign workers at the Bakun HEP died from this disease. In 2007 and 2008, two foreigners working there have suffered from the disease but fortunately they survived.
Melioidosis outbreak that confined only to Bakun areas may be considered related to the water impoundment of the Bakun HEP dam and probably construction of another dam, the Murum HEP Dam. These projects involved extensive disturbance of the earth surface when vast land surface are stripped of soil and impounding water over large land surface mobilize the bacteria to the downstream areas coupled with some heavy downfalls. Increasing number (and severity) of cases ever since the Bakun HEP Project indicates some association with increased disturbance of the land surface by stripping of soil and water impoundment.
Local people believe that the melioidosis outbreak in Bakun was curse of the angry spirits in the area but Health Department confirmed that the fatalities were caused by melioidosis and leptospirosis. The locals believe the diseases were brought about by angry gods of the area and spirits of their ancestors. Rituals to appease the spirits of their ancestors had not been done and thus incurred their wrath.
Melioidosis is an infectious disease caused by a Gram-negative bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei, found in soil and water. It is a recognized disease in animals, including cats, goats, sheep, and horses. Cattle, water buffalo, and crocodiles are considered to be relatively resistant to melioidosis despite their constant exposure to mud. Melioidosis is endemic in parts of southeast Asia (including Thailand, Laos and southern China, Singapore, Malaysia, Burma and Vietnam), Taiwan and northern Australia. There is a clear association with increased rainfall: with the number (and severity) of cases increasing following increased precipitation.
Person-to-person transmission is exceedingly unusual; and patients with melioidosis should not be considered contagious and be quarantined. In endemic areas, people (rice-paddy farmers in particular) are warned to avoid contact with soil, mud and surface water where possible. Case clusters have been described following flooding and cyclones and probably relate to exposure. Other case clusters have related to contamination of drinking water supplies. Populations at risk include patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, chronic lung disease or patients with an immune deficiency of any kind. The effectiveness of measures to reduce exposure to the causative organism has not been established. A vaccine is not yet available. There has been interest in melioidosis because it has the potential to be developed as a biological weapon.
B. pseudomallei was thought to be a member of the Pseudomonas genus and was previously known as Pseudomonas pseudomallei. It is phylogenetically related closely to Burkholderia mallei which causes glanders, an infection primarily of horses, donkeys and mules. The name Melioidosis is derived from the Greek melis meaning "a distemper of asses" with the suffixes -oid meaning "similar to" and -osis meaning "a condition", that is, a condition similar to glanders. The disease exists in acute and chronic forms. Symptoms may include pain in chest, bones, or joints; cough; skin infections, lung nodules and pneumonia.
Burkholderia pseudomallei is normally found in soil and surface water; a history of contact with soil or surface water is therefore almost invariable in patients with melioidosis; that said, the majority of people who do have contact with infected soil suffer no ill effects. The single most important risk factor for developing severe melioidosis is diabetes mellitus. Other risk factors include thalassaemia, kidney disease, occupation (rice paddy farmers), and cystic fibrosis. The mode of infection is believed to be either through a break in the skin, or through the inhalation of aerosolized B. pseudomallei. Person-to-person spread has been described but is extremely unusual.
Chronic melioidosis is usually defined by a duration of symptoms greater than 2 months and occurs in approximately 10% of patients. The clinical presentation of chronic melioidosis is protean and includes such presentations as chronic skin infection, skin ulcers and lung nodules or chronic pneumonia, closely mimicking tuberculosis, sometimes being called "Vietnamese tuberculosis".Chronic melioidosis can mimic tuberculous pericarditis
A definitive diagnosis is made by culturing the organism from any clinical sample, because the organism is never part of the normal human flora. A complete screen (blood culture, sputum culture, urine culture, throat swab and culture of any aspirated pus) should be performed on all patients with suspected melioidosis (culture on blood agar as well as Ashdown's medium). A definitive diagnosis is made by growing B. pseudomallei from any site. A throat swab is not sensitive but is 100% specific if positive, and compares favourably with sputum culture. The sensitivity of urine culture is increased if a centrifuged specimen is cultured, and any bacterial growth should be reported (not just growth above 104 organisms/ml which is the usual cut off). Very occasionally, bone marrow culture may be positive in patients who have negative blood cultures for B. pseudomallei, but these are not usually recommended. A common error made by clinicians unfamiliar with melioidosis is to only send a specimen from the affected site (which is the usual procedure for most other infections) instead of sending a full screen.
The treatment of melioidosis is divided into two stages, an intravenous high intensity phase and an eradication phase to prevent recurrence.
In Intravenous intensive phase, intravenous ceftazidime is the current drug of choice for treatment of acute melioidosis. Meropenem, imipenem and cefoperazone-sulbactam (Sulperazone) are also active. Intravenous amoxicillin-clavulanate (co-amoxiclav) may be used if none of the above four drugs are available, but it produces inferior outcomes. Intravenous antibiotics are given for a minimum of 10 to 14 days, and are not usually stopped until the patient's temperature has returned to normal for more than 48 hours. Even with appropriate antibiotic therapy, fevers often persist for weeks or months, and patients may continue to develop new lesions even while on appropriate treatment. The median fever clearance time in melioidosis is 10 days: and failure of the fever to clear is not a reason to alter treatment. It is not uncommon for patients to require parenteral treatment continuously for a month or more.
Following the treatment of the acute disease, it is recommended that eradication (or maintenance) treatment with co-trimoxazole and doxycycline be used for 12 to 20 weeks to reduce the rate of recurrence. Chloramphenicol is no longer routinely recommended for this purpose. Co-amoxiclav is an alternative for those patients who are unable to take co-trimoxazole and doxycycline (e.g., pregnant women and children under the age of 12), but is not as effective. Single agent treatment with a fluoroquinolone (e.g., ciprofloxacin) or doxycycline for the oral maintenance phase is ineffective.



Manage your health wisely

Get your faith right:
One must hold to faith or belief that one is comfortable with.Maintain balance diet foods

Eat balance diet food: Carbohydrates, meats, fish, vegetables, diary products, sugar. Should take some supplements eg multivitamins, B-complex, A, C, E, proteins.

Must drink enough water at least 8 glasses per day. Be careful of what you eat in the restaurant or eateries.

Reduce intake of curry, chillies especially dry chillies, red meats, seafood such prawns, crabs, cuttlefish, shells that are known to have high cholestrol.

Eating 3 large prawns including the heads (brains) once a weak can be bad for your cholestrol level. I have tried it and it took me almost a year for my headache gone.

Lamb chop is just too good in raising our cholestrol level higher. We should reduce the intake of lamb chop; less steak, barbecue, less mutton curry!

Excercise
Jogging 10 - 20 minutes per dayReduce ability in heavy sports that can lead to injuries eg badminton, football

Retreat
Go on holidays with family to a resorts, another town, overseas.


Managing stress my way

Stress is caused by worry and overwork. I used the three steps in managing it and bring it under control. Managing stress can be achieved simply by sincerely and wholeheartedly love ourselves and neighbours with the feeling of God around us.

We experience stress due to worry and working beyond our brain's limit. For any normal human, worry is hard to handle and many time it is beyond our mind control. We worry over the dead ones, broken relationship, misunderstanding with bosses etc., and can be very stressful. Yet, if we have the right ingredients, we would be able to reduce their impact in our life.

Doing some work that engages our brain too much can be damned mentally tired if we are caught unprepared. Worry is good and agitates our mental; however, we may fail to know the limit once it's out of control. Stress caused by overwork can be handled easily by many people. Personally, I have personal way or suggestion of managing stress to share with everyone who happens to visit this site.

First step: We have to be good with ourselves with a total respect and love ourselves wholeheartedly. Being good means, we must take care of our food whereby a balance diet is no compromise. We must set time properly to have regular excercise, and enjoy with family and friends, colleagues. Our food we take must be low in cholestrol for healthy hearts and blood pressures. Food supplements is a must because we are not always sure of having all the vitamins and minerals into our body. Recommended doses of vitamin B complex is a must and consume some glucose or sugar depending on how much one does for the day. Loving ourselves is like giving an extra boost or energy for our body.

Second step: Having God in our life is a must no matter how good we control our mind through meditation without Him. We must accept God into our life sincerely and wholeheartedly. We must be sure of which God is best for our life. He who can comfort us internally in a good one. He must be a very reliable God where we just dump our trust undividedly. We must realize that our God must always be available and near us eventhough He seems not around when we need Him. My God is always besides me no matter how bad the problems I face. He help us in His own way, that's why, many time we find that God has hurt us. In fact, He isn't! Only God can take us out of the stress that are due to worry. We may worry at one time but we must never forget to nourish ourselves with spiritual food from heaven.

Third step: We must love everyone around us. Jesus most important commands: Love God and love thy neighbours undivided, fair and square. Any slightest hatred indicates that an evil is very near to us and that will ruin the rest of our day. Take life easy, be good with everyone around us, and be steadfast in God. A grudge with our neighbours can disharmonize our spiritual condition. So, we must take it to our neighbour sincerely as a sign of perfect heavenly love.


How do I get over my gout?

FIRST ATTACK
When I first got it, I thought that I have a dislocation on my right foot as I always run up and down the stairs in my office rushing to get the jobs done form my superiors. During the first few day, I took no control on my food intake. I ate lamb chops, bamboo shoots, red meats etc etc. The pain became worst day by day until I couldn't walk but I have to walk on my left foot alone. As I thought it's a dislocation, I took some muscle tonic pills and the pills did some reliefs but was only effective a while. My wife said, I could be attacked by a gout but I did not not believe that I could have it, not realizing that my father is a gout sufferer. At last I believe that I have it but still didn't know the best cure or medicine for it.

INTRODUCTION FOR CURE
One day my uncle went to my house and stayed many nights with us. That was the time I was attacked by gout pain. Like myself, my uncle is also also a gout sufferer. That night on the attack, he gave me pain killer tablets, specially for the gout like his. For me, it's worth trying. I took two tablets that night and in the next morning, my foot was numbed and painless. I was able to accompany him to climb the hill that we had planned to conquer earlier.

EXPERIMENTS
Sometimes I never control my food intakes, taking tasty red meat such barbecue mutton, beef, pork and sea food. The second attack was quite bad and I was away from home without bringing any pain-killers. I have to suffer the whole night and day until I came back and took pain-killer. Oh...my God, the pain was terrible. Once again, I took the same pain-killer and it was gone the next day. Of course I have to control my red meat intake. I drank beer and whisky but my gout seemed not affected by alcohols, so I think that it's safe to drink those drinks in my case. Except, I have to reduce the red-meat intake and do some exercises.

WHAT'S THE CURE?
You know what's the pain-killer I took? I took the ones that my uncle gave me by the brand name, RANBAXY DIFNAL-K which contains Diclofenac Potassium BP 50mg. Just take2 tablets and it's numb the next day! The stock finished and I have to buy at the local pharmacy and the brand is different. It's called a VOKAM F.C. Tab 50mg. Yes, it has the same effect as the Ranbaxy pill. After consuming the pills, I reduce my red meat intake and do some exercise. Now, my gout seldom comes with a little disciline on my food intake.In the past, I have stopped taking some supplements. I think my body has been deprived of good supplements and was getting weaker, being vulnerable to gout attack. On top of taking pain killer, I continue to take food supplements such multi-vitamins, B-complex, vitamin C. My body is getting stronger and my gout seldom attack altough I consume some red meat in hotel restaurants. Yeah...it's fine. You may try my way. It's worth trying.


Treating near half-body paralysis

I would like to share my experience dealing with a stroke victim. In 2003, my father had a stroke at my house. It happened at 5 o'clock in the evening. I was arriving from my office at half past five when I saw my mother massaging the left side of my father's body. My father said that his body was numb. I was damned worry and the worst came to my mind that he could be having a stroke in the same way as his late brother. My father invited my mother, my wife and myself to pray for him in the room upstair. I was aware that numbness could be due to dehydration or less water in the body. Before the prayer, I advised him to drink a few glasses (3 to 4 glasses) of warm water. After prayer, I sent him to the hospital. While rushing to the hospital, I also advised him to drink more warm water. Along the way, my father said he was getting less numb and better but I still had to sent him to the hospital. At the hospital, his blood pressure was 180. I was worry because he was supposed to go to Labuan the following day and I didn't want their flight cancelled. The doctor prescribed some medicines and had to wait for hours. After three hours that night, he was discharged from the emergency ward. His blood pressure was back to normal.

So, maybe if anyone ever came across such a similar case, it is advisable to give some warm water to a stroke victim immediately if he can still drink. This will probably dilute his blood and ease the blood flow in the body. A few glasses of water can help to save his life and prevent him from suffering a worst scenario of a stroke.


Treating hemorrhoids my way

Intro
I was diagnosed a first stage hemorrhoids. The sights of bright red blood covering the stool, toilet paper, or in the toilet bowl had worried me. When the sickness seemed stubborn even after visiting several doctors, I decided to cure it my own way by consuming good quality protein and of course by avoiding vinegar and chillies. I believe that protein can help a lot to cure hemorrhoids.

Details
The previous morning, I had blood in my bowel movement - bright red blood covering the stool, on toilet paper, or in the toilet bowl. The following morning, a phobia soon developed in me, feeling of reluctant to pass emotion and scary at the sight of the bloody stools. But I must face the reality and have the guts to release the shit before the anal pressure was unbearable. As soon as the first hard stool dropped from my anus, the red blood gushed out like a jet of water, splashing and smearing the toilet bowl. I stood by the bowl worried, wondering what had happened to my stomach and anus. My stools were soft and black. Could that be I have a stomach cancer or colon cancer? I was totally lost and very worry about it. I knew that one of my colleagues had died of colon cancer, of similar symptom I had. I told my wife and she advised me to see a woman doctor. I described to her what had happened during my bowel movement. She suspected that I could be having haemorrhoid and wanted to check me but I refused. I am too shy to let a woman examining my anus. I only asked her to give me the best medicine for haemorrhoid that she had in her clinic. She gave me some pills and a cream to be inserted into my anus. I finished all the medicine and cream, yet there was no improvement. The problem still persisted. Trying to get the sickness cured, I ate variety of fruits such papaya, banana, grape, etc and some herbal products obtained locally and overseas but seemed helpless. My wife, being distressed at my sickness, coerced me to see the male doctor for a full medical check-up of blood test including submitting my stool sample. The medical check-up confirmed that there was blood in my stool and the doctor suggested checking my anus which I agreed quite reluctantly. He confirmed that I had an early stage of hemorrhoids. The doctor did not give me any medicine.

My worry built up day by day and been trying to look everywhere for cure including surfing the internet looking for the best medical prescriptions or personal experience of the haemorrhoid victims. I never found any good advice. Then, I remembered about my colleague selling some kinds of organic food products and life enzymes. I purchased a set and immediately consumed them that day. The next morning, I discovered that there was no blood in or after my stool. I was so relieved; however, late in that morning, I consumed some noodles which I took together with some chillies soaked in vinegar. To my surprise, the bloody bowel movement appeared immediately. I continued to consume the organic products and the bloody stool disappeared for sometimes but when I consumed the food that contained vinegar and chillies, the bloody stools resurfaced. From then on, I never took any food that contained vinegar and chillies. However, I could still feel the presence of haemorrhoid.Somehow, I have some knowledge of the diets, I decided to change and try different ways of curing the sickness. I thought of improving my diets and started to search around in the health food centres. I also heard from my close friend that he got cured by consuming some health food sold through direct selling or multi-level marketing. In my mind, by consuming good health food in order to repair my damaged anus or rectum could be worth trying. The good health food that came to my mind was protein. Since I consumed a variety of vitamins and multivitamins in order to strengthen my immune system would not help, I looked for the best quality protein in the market and health food centres. I manage to find one called Heal Protein by the brand name. I bought a 450gm packets and consumed it for a week. I realized that bloody stools had gone. So I continued to consume the heal protein for three months and so on. Ever since then, I have not experienced such bloody bowel movement. So, I believe that by consuming some good quality protein can help a lot to cure the first or second stage haemorrhoids.

STOMACH UPSET: SMELLY DARK SOFT STOOLS

 Smelly black soft stools are a sign of stomach upset. Definitely something is wrong in there….that could be indication of cancerous diseases developing in the small or large intestines, etc. After some efforts, I managed to pass out normal emotion.

 Smelly black soft stools is quite disturbing and a worrying, nuisance thing. When I first experienced blood in my stools, toilet bowl was like smearing with red paint. I care less about what had happened to my stomach system but some blood jetted out the moment the last stool ejected out concerned me so much. When it was first spotted, I thought that it was not a serious matter, just a matter of some damages or injuries due to ingestion of some hard food fragments. As time went by, blood continued to jet out after the last stool and that continued to bother me for months. I went for medical check-up but never taken any serious action to cure it apart from asking a doctor to prescribe the best medicine that he has. Day after day, the stools were getting darker , as close to black and has weird smell….didn’t smell like a normal stool. What’s wrong, I thought. I was damned worry what’s the hack had happened to my stomach. And I became very worry when one of my older colleagues had passed away from colon cancer. I kept on thinking of how to cure it or else I would face the same fate as my colleague.

 I was quite particular about balance diets and food supplements. I used to take food supplement. I took expensive food supplements available in the market, but I never continued to take them for life. Instead, I took other brands that I bought at much cheaper price. Thinking that my stomach was lack of fiber, I took some good vegetables, making juices and drank it as an alternative to food supplements, expecting that they were able able to cleanse my intestines. But there was still no improvement. I was getting worrier each day.

 One day, I remembered about organic food sold through direct selling. I decided to give it a try. I bought some organic food that I believe could act like a fiber, and then I took enzyme product for stimulating some repairs. When I first consumed the organic, passing bowel was so easy and convenient. I could feel the cleaning effect. I got long stools but green in color due to the color of the organic. There was no blood after the first stool expulsed out. Well, I felt so good. I continued to eat organic and enzymes for months. However, in addition, I took good protein, for repairing some damages of the intestines or colon. Soon, the experience of blood and dark stools during the emotion were gone. I felt relief and getting healthier day after day.

 With such effort, I got over my problem of blood and dark stool, and at last I got normal stools. I felt cure and healthy. Nothing effort is more valuable than taking good care of one’s health by eating good quality food. Food is something we cannot compromise for other good things. We are what we eat and we are what we think too. So, give our body a good product. Live in harmony with nature too. We cannot be too stingy with our stomach. Saving all we earn for cure at old age while depriving good thing since young may not a good thing to do or plan. Early prevention is better than cure


Prayer

God listen lovingly when we pray to Him for recovery. We cannot blame Him for the sickness.


Healing the Witch Way

When one feel that God had neglected him, one will turn to the witch for instant recovery. The spirit in the witch is just glad that the sick had turned to it rather staying steadfast in God.


Stroke Risk

A research carried in the US found that people living in neighborhoods packed with fast-food restaurants are more likely to suffer strokes (The Borneo Post, Monday, February 23, 2009). They said residents of one Texas county who lived in neighborhoods with the highest number of fast food restaurants had a 13 per cent higher risk of experiencing a stroke than those in the neighborhoods with the fewest such restaurants. I believe the people would eat more of the stuff since it is readily available than cooking their own food which is troublesome to many of them.


Fasting

For the obesity, fasting is the best option to stay healthy. However, one must not overlook taking balance diets. Calorie intake must be restricted although it is not easyto do so. We must not fast foolishly. We must take nutritional supplements and monitor our diets to avoid deficiencies and maintain weigh. Calorie restriction shouldn't result in excessive thinness. It's not appropriate for children or adolescents, who are still growing, or people with serious illnesses.


SMOKING: A bad, bad, bad habit.

As I was having my super in a local eatery, I saw a young woman and her husband sitting next to my table. The woman was cuddling her baby boy, about a year old or less. Her husband was puffing a cigarette and his wife too. At the same time they were also having a boost with some heneiken beer.

Some wives just care less about their baby health, not concern about what they consume. Whatever goes into their bodies would be consumed by the babies who milk on them. Some narcotine and alcohol enter the mother's body and is shared with the baby boy. And bad still, the poor boy inhale the cigarette smoke from its' parents. What's a mess?

Smoking is such a bad bad bad habits. It does not benefit at all. Why have to pass a dull life by puffing a useless smoke?

Every stick of cigarette can shorten a life by a minute or so.

THE FATE OF ENGLISH

Stick with English Language, Ministry told.

The Borneo Post on February 7, 2009, interviewed many parents about the issues. Many of them still want the subjects Maths and Sciences to be taught in English.I agree that the ministry must stick with English as a medium in the teaching of these two subjects. The English of students have improved. The trend of passing in these subjects cannot be used as yardstick to measure the success of English because the syallabus in these subjects are getting demanding and perhaps we are undergoing the transition period. One day, the students of Sarawak will be at par in English as the students before the late 70s. Many people are still unable to write good English in their job. The management faces real problem looking for and identifying subordinates who are well-versed in the language. Those posts that involve foreign affairs are really tough for those who are handicapped in English. They cannot communicate well with the outside world. If the people are weak in English, how can they expect to understand or take advantage of the globalisation. How can they be able to surf the internet that is mostly in English?I believe that the ministry had made the correct decision to use English in these subjects while maintaining BM in the other subjects. As such, the ministry is able to produce students who are good both in English and Bahasa Malaysia.GO AHEAD WITH ENGLISH. NO TURNING BACK.


Give it a chance: Lam Thye

In the Borneo Post, Tuesday, March 10, 2009, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye felt that there is no need for scrapping the policy of teaching of Science and Mathematics in English. I am 100% agree with him that it should continue on for the good of Malaysia. It would be very good if the citizen can master both languages in facing globalisation. Those who are handicapped in English will have trouble facing and communicating with the whole world. If it is our teachers who are not proficient, then they should take extra English classes. How can we blame the student when the teachers are still struggling with the language. Yes, send them for more English course.


Maths, Sciences in BM or mother tongue: Don

In the Borneo Post, Tuesday, March 10, 2009, Dr Ting Chek Ming felt that it would be better if these subjects are taught in BM or mother tongues at the early stage.I don't agree with the ideas. This will create more havoc in the country. If the Malay or Chinese or Indian wants it to be in their language, the natives of Semenanjung Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak also want these subjects to be in their own languages. They also want a fair portion of such policy. Why should it benefit only a particular or major race. The minority also want their right to learn Maths and Science in their own language. In the end, we will have hundreds of schools that teach in different languages. It's not easy to manage!

To make it only in BM or chinese or indian, is unfair for the other races. Why not make it to use a language that none of if our mother tongue. Somehow, English is a fair choice. You know, many Penan, Kayan, Kelabit, Iban, Bidayuh are not good in BM. To force them using BM may be disadvantages but advantages to the Malays.To be fair, let stick to current policy.Mind your English

I think the current government policy on using English in Mathematics and Science subjects is timely and be maintained. A compulsory pass in English at SPM level is a must to ensure that students are serious in the subject. I think, we have enough subjects to make BM at same par as English. Perhaps, passing BM at SPM level can be made compulsory as well.Many parents love to send their children overseas. If their children are weak in English, they might as well forget about sending them overseas or risk wasting their hard-earn money. Under the current policy, students are catching up with English. In town schools, many young students are not shy communicating in English with their mates. They can also communicate in BM quite well. We must not give up on the current policy for the good of our children.I notice that our DPM has been quite fluent in English lately than when he was a MB before. No wonder he supports the policy as he sees the benefits of it while he's at the helm of his career. He is no longer shy in 'speaking' in public.The career is really bad when one cannot write a good English. It's not easy to express ideas with bad English.

I GO FOR MAINTAINING THE CURRENT POLICY ON ENGLISH!Keep it up!!!!!
CHEERS!


It’s BM from 2012: DPM

Reported in The Star 09 July 2009, the DPM announced that Maths and Sciences will be taught in Bahasa Malaysia in 2012. This idea supports a 1Malaysia policy but all young non-Malay students are struggling to understand Maths and Science in BM which is not their mother tongue. They are no better than they are using English; there is no difference for them using either English or BM; they are still handicapped in these languages because they are not their mother-tongue. Only the Malays benefit the most.

There were mixed reactions from the parents and the students. Main problems in falling grade pass in the examination results and measures to address it have been identified. One of the main issues for reversed decision is, majority of the Malaysian students could not understand English well in solving the problems/questions in the subjects. Since BM is not a stranger language to the Malaysians, it might as well be used totally in teaching these subjects. But they forget the fact that non-Malay still struggle with the language and is not widely spoken among the ethnics sepecially the Dayak, Dusun, Orang Asli etc. The move as a whole benefits the Malay students more but the other ethnics may still struggle with the BM in these subjects. So, the policy may not be friendly to the other races.For students who want to pursue further study overseas would be in troubles expressing their mathematical and scientific thinkings in English. So, students who wish to study in science stream better do it in Malaysia in BM.

Teaching in English is still in the transitional stage before good results are seen. We have to give it another ten years to see if we can be at par with Singapore. During this transition stage, many teachers, especially the West Malaysians, are transitional in English, no doubt they can speak English. In most cases, the students are found to be better than their teachers in English. Many teachers were from BM medium before so how much can we expect them expressing their teaching in English. Now, when thing is getting tough, we are just hangat-hangat tahi ayam implementing the policy and thinking that reversing the decision is a way out of trouble without realizing that the other races are the victims of not learning in their own mother tongues. In this manner, we will never reach the standard of English that our neighbours Singapore had achieved. In many cases, students write or speak better English than the teachers themselves. When this happens, there would be frustration among teachers in delivering the lessons in English. Writing scientific thoughts in English is not easy as telling fairytale in BM. I think, the non-Malays are still status quo in achieving the result that we want if they use BM. Many non-Malays will still struggle using the BM as a medium in Maths and Sciences likewise they use English. In fact, I think they are better off if English is used in these subjects.Many professionals who were taught in BM medium cannot express scientific thoughts in BM as well. So, what can we expect in expressing them in English if they are not good in English!

Reversing the decision is just like fighting for a 1Malay Policy. To be fair to every race in Malaysia, for a 1Malaysia Policy to materialize and fair to everybody, all subjects must be taught in English! Even the instruction in the BM papers must be in English. Going back to BM will simply benefits the Malays only.

NATURE STUDY

Smallest frog in Sarawak

This is the smallest frog I have ever seen, as small as a housefly and smaller than a Malaysian five-cent coin. I guess it is a baby toad. Baby toad does not grow from a tadpole. It can swallow a small ant but a food for the red ants or fire ants.