General

With nearly three-quarters of Sierra Leone's population struggling to access electricity, one local student has designed a device that harnesses the power of vibrations to help communities. Dhanya Nair gives us the details.

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Today's highlights include a ruckus among MPs when the Speaker allowed Law Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan to explain the annulment of the Emergency Ordinances only on Monday, as well as pleas to support contract doctors who participated in yesterday's strike.

Note: In the broadcast of this segment, we attributed one clip from Kapar MP, Dato Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid, to Kuala Selangor MP, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. We subsequently addressed that in a follow-up after the segment.

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Hospitals, quarantine centres and COVID-19 Assessment Centres in the Klang Valley have been bearing the brunt of an unending increase in COVID-19 cases. With healthcare staff from other parts of the country being re-deployed to provide support, the pandemic has taken an enormous, sustained toll on frontliners all over the country for the past 17 months. What is the short- and long-term impact on their mental health, and how do we address burnout in the healthcare system? We find out from consultant anaesthesiologist Dr Mafeitzeral Mamat, who joins our regular guest consultant psychiatrist Assoc Prof Dr Amer Siddiq bin Amer Nordin.

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We’re all familiar with the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter. The books, films and world that author J.K. Rowling built became a global phenomenon. So in light of the 10th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, we explore how exactly this franchise shaped culture for an entire generation.

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On Friday, just days before contract medical officers were planning a strike over alleged unfair treatment of them, the government announced that it was offering a two to four year contract extension for these contract doctors as well as specialisation opportunities and benefits that are on par with what their colleagues with permanent positions are able to enjoy. Yesterday (26th July), we saw contract doctors from government hospitals nationwide walk out for a brief period in the morning to highlight their demands for job security and better career progression. So, what is a feasible solution to ensure that our junior contract doctors have a future in the field? If not enough is done to address this, how will this affect our healthcare system in the long-run? Here to help us answer those questions is independent health policies specialist, Dr Khor Swee Kheng.

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‘EMCO’ seems to be the word of the year, as local states and districts move in and out of the dreaded lockdown imposed by the government. As a reminder, the end of one EMCO in no way guarantees another won’t be imposed with immediate effect. Under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act, we could see entire states being put under these orders until the end of 2021.

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The Malaysia Competition Commission is monitoring food delivery platform companies following public complaints over the imposition of exorbitant commission fees and the price of food and beverages.

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No one’s waiting for the recess bell more than school canteen operators around the country. Some 30 percent of government school canteen operators have reportedly already called it quits, while many others are struggling to stay afloat due to loss of income.

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The Selangor Human Resource Development Centre (SHRDC) is an industry-driven training and talent development centre that’s focused on accelerating the job-readiness of local talent to support the growth of Industry 4.0. We speak to Executive Director Teh Sook Ling about their high impact talent development strategies, and Dr. Chua Wen-Shyan, the Head of SHRDC’s Smart Factory 4.0 program, that’s meant to put Malaysia on the map.

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Mono Premium Melon aims to grow the best Japanese melons in Malaysia using Japanese methods. With their IoT setup, the amount of nutrients or water a plant needs, amending the fertiliser composition and monitoring its temperature can all be done remotely. We speak with the co-founder of Mono about their radical methods, which include playing music for their melons.

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