SHAH ALAM: Development of groundwater resources for water supply must be high on the national agenda, says Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr A. Xavier Jayakumar.Speaking at the National Groundwater conference 2019 here, Xavier cited a study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency in 1982 which showed that Malaysia has groundwater reserves of five trillion cubic metres; of which 2.0 trillion cubic metres are in Peninsular Malaysia, 1.1 trillion cubic metres in Sabah and 1.9 trillion cubic metres in Sarawak.However, he said that due to the abundance of surface water in river systems, groundwater for irrigation use had not been much exploited except in North Kelantan and some parts of Sabah and Sarawak.

“It is estimated that groundwater constitutes less than 3% of the water supply in Malaysia, with the remainder sourced from surfaced water,“ he said.He compared local groundwater utilisation to that of other countries - Denmark has 100% utilisation, Austria 97%, Thailand 80%, China 78%, USA 50%.“Why is this the case for Malaysia? Groundwater resources in Malaysia face many serious problems that relate back to the absence of an adaptive and comprehensive management regime, research and development, manpower, human resources issues, resource data collection, public awareness and stakeholder participation,“said Xavier.He said that it may be necessary to revisit the National Water Resources Policy and the national need to meet future potable and irrigation water demands.“Any new water policy must take into consideration the use of groundwater and its integration into the water supply system,“ he said.

When someone sets out to improve their health, they usually take a familiar path: starting a healthy diet, adopting a new workout regimen, getting better sleep, drinking more water. Each of these behaviors is important, of course, but they all focus on physical health—and a growing body of research suggests that social health is just as, if not more, important to overall well-being.One recent study published in the journal PLOS ONE, for example, found that the strength of a person’s social circle—as measured by inbound and outbound cell phone activity—was a better predictor of self-reported stress, happiness and well-being levels than fitness tracker data on physical activity, heart rate and sleep. That finding suggests that the “quantified self” portrayed by endless amounts of health data doesn’t tell the whole story, says study co-author Nitesh Chawla, a professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Notre Dame.

“There’s also a qualified self, which is who I am, what are my activities, my social network, and all of these aspects that are not reflected in any of these measurements,” Chawla says. “My lifestyle, my enjoyment, my social network—all of those are strong determinants of my well-being.”Chawla’s theory is supported by plenty of prior research. Studies have shown that social support—whether it comes from friends, family members or a spouse—is strongly associated with better mental and physical health. A robust social life, these studies suggest, can lower stress levels; improve mood; encourage positive health behaviors and discourage damaging ones; boost cardiovascular health; improve illness recovery rates; and aid virtually everything in between. Research has even shown that a social component can boost the effects of already-healthy behaviors such as exercise.

PUTRAJAYA: Kerajaan sedang merangka Indeks Kos Sara Hidup sebagai pelengkap kepada Indeks Harga Pengguna (IHP), kata Menteri Kewangan, Lim Guan Eng.Beliau berkata, indeks baharu itu akan menentukan minimum kos sara hidup yang diperlukan bagi seorang individu."Ia (Indeks Kos Sara Hidup) juga akan membantu kerajaan membuat dasar yang lebih tepat dalam menangani kos sara hidup yang dihadapi rakyat," katanya pada Konsultasi Belanjawan 2020 di sini hari ini.Hadir sama, Timbalan Menteri Kewangan, Datuk Ir Amiruddin Hamzah dan Ketua Setiausaha Perbendaharaan, Datuk Ahmad Badri Mohd Zahir.Guan Eng berkata, kerajaan juga menangani kos sara hidup dengan mengekang tingkah laku monopoli."Kerajaan aktif dalam menguruskan tekanan kos sara hidup yang dihadapi rakyat.

"Kadar inflasi bagi Mac, April dan Mei 2019 adalah rendah dan stabil 0.2 peratus, sekali gus membuktikan kejayaan kerajaan dalam memeriksa tekanan harga," katanya.Selain itu, Guan Eng berkata, kerajaan juga sedang menilai dan merangka pelan baharu bagi 500,000 golongan muda Malaysia mendapatkan pekerjaan menerusi pelbagai program.Beliau berkata, ia inisiatif penting sejak kadar pengangguran belia meningkat kepada 10.9 peratus pada 2018 berbanding 9.9 peratus pada 2011."Kadar itu lebih tinggi berbanding kadar pengangguran kebangsaan 3.4 peratus," katanya.Majlis Konsultasi dengan tema Kemakmuran Bersama: Menjana Pertumbuhan Inklusif yang Mampan ke Arah Ekonomi Berpendapatan Tinggi itu adalah platform interaksi antara kerajaan dan sektor awam, swasta serta pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) untuk memberi pandangan dan maklum balas terhadap cabaran semasa serta langkah bagi menanganinya.

THE Malaysian electricity industry has seen only a small increase in price over the past few years and that too has been limited to the industrial or commercial sector.The electricity price is based on a number of key factors such as usage or consumption (effects of climate change), demand and cost-to-serve. Yet the cost of electricity in Malaysia is still among the lowest in the world.By analysing the recent price changes in the Malaysian electricity sector and the price determining mechanism, then comparing the revenue in contrast to the per unit price on an international average, there would be a far clearer under­standing of the larger energy tariff landscape globally.The intent behind the implementation of incentive-based regulation (IBR) that has been practised globally is to incentivise power utility companies to improve efficiency, create stability in the electricity supply industry, increase transparency and offer competitively-priced tariffs.

Since 2014, Malaysia has put IBR mechanism in place as part of enhancing the electricity supply industry, making way for a more structured, transparent and informed way of tariff setting.This also takes into cognisance the huge requirement for capital expenditure (capex) and operational expenditure (opex) by the utilities for upgradation and modernisation in order to maintain the reliability and quality of electricity supply, even with growing demand.Let us approach each of these objectives one by one.

Reasonable tariff

Before embarking on meeting the objective of transparency and competitively priced tariffs, let us understand – so how do we set the price of electricity?The main objective of the IBR is to deliver efficient and reliable electricity supply at an efficient cost and reasonable tariff for its people.Tariff revision is carried out periodically and consistently by the Energy Commission, which has been mandated to do by the Government. In fact, the IBR also determines the revenue allowable for TNB for providing electricity.There are two components to the price for customers – a base tariff (the fixed amount) which is set at the beginning of each three-year regulatory period and has not increased since 2014, and the ICPT (Imbalance Cost Pass Through) which is a variable cost.

PUTRAJAYA: The government today proposed to rope in cooperatives to help in the implementation of the 100 basic goods programme aimed at alleviating the rising cost of living.Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the programme was expected to reduce the prices of goods and the role of the middleman while encouraging the production of essential goods.“The cooperatives, with a membership of 6.1 million as of June 30 last year, plus their 2,500 outlets, can play a role in wholesale, retail and agricultural development programmes.“Wholesale and retail will involve the consolidation and development of cooperative products, while agriculture will involve farming, fisheries, vegetables and fruits, as well as agricultural input,” she said at a press conference after chairing the National Action Council on Cost of Living (NACCOL) meeting here today.

Also present were Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, his deputy Chong Chieng Jen, and Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad.Saifuddin later explained that the cooperatives would first scrutinise consumers’ buying patterns and come up with a list of frequently bought essential goods.These goods would later be sold at lower prices, he said.However, Saifuddin said the programme differed from that of KR1M outlets or 1Malaysia grocery stores, where the previous government had appointed Mydin as the prime mover and opened 180 premises with an allocation of RM300 million.

About WTO
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) came into force on 1 January 1995 and is based in Geneva. More than 150 nations are members. The WTO’s top decision making body is the Ministerial Conference, which is normally held every two years. The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business.
At the request of Consumers International, the WTO facilitated a session with consumers groups to allow the participants to discuss consumers' priorities as they relate to global trade and hear an update about the work that is being done at the WTO. It will be the first session organized solely for consumer organizations under our 'Trade Dialogues' series.
 
INVOLVEMENT OF MALAYSIA CONSUMER GROUP IN THE TRADE DIALOGUE
From Malaysia Consumer Group, represented by Ms Shabana Naseer
The meeting was held on 6-5-2019 at WTO office, Geneva, Switzerland. Upon arriving at the office, the delegates were required to register and collect their ID before they can enter the highly secured building. The delegates were ushered by WTO staff to the meeting room (Room B) for the morning session.

ACCORDING to the 2015 National Health Morbidity Survey, 29% of the Malaysian population as a whole suffered from depression and anxiety disorder, and mental illness is expected to be the second biggest health issue affecting Malaysians after heart disease by 2020.The prevalence of mental health issues varies by state, with Kuala Lumpur recording 40% while Perak has the lowest incidence at 17%. Simply put, two out of five individuals in Kuala Lumpur would have some form of mental health concerns.My husband, Jack, and myself are those two individuals. He was diagnosed with depression in December 2017 and myself with anxiety in October 2018. We hope to share our journey to mental health recovery to encourage others and raise awareness on mental health.Mental health is just like physical health; there are times when we are sick and require treatment. However, mental health is still largely misunderstood; for example, mental illness is often associated with personal weakness and the patient is expected to snap out of it with sheer willpower.

And unlike physical conditions such as a headache or cold, mental illness is not easily recognised because the person may not even realise he or she is suffering from it. The enigma, coupled with the stigma surrounding mental illness, prevents many people from seeking treatment.According to the World Health Organisation, people who have gone through adverse life events (unemployment, bereavement or psychological trauma, for example) are more likely to develop depression, and that there are interrelationships between depression and physical health. For example, cardiovascular disease can lead to depression and vice versa.For Jack, it started off rather unassumingly on Dec 16, 2017 when he woke up in the middle of the night with a ringing sound in the right ear (a medical condition called tinnitus) and couldn’t sleep thereafter. Our logical mind blamed it on the coffee he had in the afternoon and we thought that there was nothing to be alarmed of.However, the persistent ringing sound and sleepless nights slowly triggered a sense of panic and led him on a doctor shopping spree. In the span of two weeks, Jack had visited the ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor, optometrist, general practitioners, traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and acupuncturist, went for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and purchased various over-the-counter supplements.

He constantly had a feeling that there was something wrong with him, ranging from blurry vision to gastrointestinal issues and shortness of breath to abnormal heartbeat. While it appears that his health had taken a dive, other than his hearing loss at a certain frequency (which could have caused the tinnitus), none of the medical tests indicated any abnormalities. Ruling out all possible physical illnesses, Jack was diagnosed with major depressive disorder.

PUTRAJAYA: Kementerian Kesihatan mengesahkan wabak yang berlaku dalam komuniti Orang Asli suku Batek di Kuala Koh, Gua Musang, termasuk membabitkan kematian disebabkan demam campak.Ia berdasarkan keputusan ujian makmal yang mengesahkan 37 daripada 112 kes membabitkan komuniti Orang Asli itu disebabkan wabak berkenaan, termasuk tiga kematian disahkan setakat ini.Menteri Kesihatan, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, keputusan ujian makmal yang lain seperti tuberkulosis (tibi), melioidosis, leptospirosis dan corona virus adalah negatif.“Faktor penyumbang kepada penularan jangkitan demam campak dalam komuniti Orang Asli Kampung Kuala Koh ini adalah liputan imunisasi yang rendah iaitu hanya 61.5 peratus bagi suntikan dos pertama vaksin (Mump, Measles dan Rubela) serta 30 peratus bagi suntikan dos kedua.“Pasukan kesihatan sukar memberi perkhidmatan kesihatan menyeluruh kerana cara hidup suku kaum ini kerap berpindah randah. Kekurangan zat makanan juga menyumbang kepada risiko jangkitan dan kejadian komplikasi,” katanya kepada media di sini, hari ini.

Dr Dzulkefly berkata, jangkitan virus demam campak amat mudah merebak dengan satu kes boleh menularkan jangkitan kepada 12 hingga 18 individu lain.Katanya, jangkitan menular melalui titisan cecair pernafasan di udara dan sentuhan langsung dengan cecair pernafasan daripada orang dijangkiti, tetapi demam campak boleh dicegah dengan imunisasi.“Gejala penyakit demam campak adalah demam dengan batuk, selsema atau mata merah (konjunktivitis), diikuti ruam selepas beberapa hari.“Komplikasi jangkitan demam campak berlaku terutama kepada bayi, kanak-kanak dan individu yang mengalami kekurangan zat makanan serta tahap imuniti yang rendah.“Komplikasi demam campak termasuk pneumonia, cirit-birit, keradangan otak, otitis media dan kematian. Kadar kematian kes demam campak lazimnya kurang satu peratus, namun boleh setinggi tiga hingga enam peratus jika mengalami kekurangan zat makanan,” katanya.Berikutan itu, beliau mengarahkan tindakan pencegahan dan kawalan wabak termasuk carian kes secara aktif di perkampungan Orang Asli terbabit serta perkampungan sekitar berdasarkan pergerakan mereka sebelum ini.

OF late, a great deal of attention has been placed on the issue of malnutrition in Malaysia. How­ever, there has been very little discussion on its impact on mental health.Considering that approximately one in three Malaysian adults suffer from a mental illness, the far-reaching implications of malnutrition on mental health needs to be examined closely.Growing research literature indicates that nutrition has both direct and indirect effects on mental health, well-being and mood.A 2017 study found the consumption of a Mediterranean-style diet for over three months was associated with improved mental health outcomes in the form of lower levels of depression and anxiety, improved ability to cope with stress and better quality of life. This diet involves a high intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, grains, fish and unsaturated fat, and low consumption of processed foods such as snacks.

Greater diversity of vegetable intake was associated with higher positive emotions and reduced depression, anxiety and negative emotions, while diversity of fruit intake was additionally correlated with better mental health, happiness, relationships and overall quality of life. Reduced intake of processed snacks was associated with improved mental health, coping skills and quality of life.The effects of nutrition on children and adolescent mental health are especially significant. Most studies conclude that a poor diet (be it low consumption of nutritional foods or high consumption of refined carbohydrates) is linked to worsening cognition (for example, difficulty concentrating), increased risk of mental disorders and poor emotional regulation, which have long-lasting consequences in adulthood.

When one considers the extensive effects of nutrition on mental health, recent report findings on the situation of nutrition in Malay­sia are particularly alarming.The 2018 Global Nutrition Report states that Malaysia faces the triple burden of malnutrition: overweight, anaemia and childhood stunting. These conditions are being seen in both B40 and M40 population groups.This suggests serious barriers or obstacles in accessing good nutrition among the general public, an unacceptable situation for an upper-middle income country like Malaysia.A Khazanah Research Institute report last year showed that rising food prices resulted in lower-income households (those earning below RM5,000) spending more on food at home but affording and consuming less of it.

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