It is undeniable that plastic waste contributes to the earth’s ecological devastation and issues in human health. In 2017, industrial ecologist, Roland Geyer, led a study on the ‘Production, use and fate of all plastics ever made’ and estimated that there are more than 8.3 billion metric tons (Mt) of plastics that have been produced since the 1950s.
Malaysia is embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) with a focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI), as seen at the recent Beyond Paradigm Summit 2019 in Kuala Lumpur. Organised by Serba Dinamik Holdings, the summit showcased advanced Industry 4.0 technologies and the world's first social humanoid robot, Sophia.Sophia is an artificially intelligent robot who was named the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Innovation Champion in 2017.
The manager of a sausage factory near Moscow, Arslan Gizatullin says his halal business has been feeling the pinch – not so much from Russia's sluggish economy but competitors vying for a piece of a growing Islamic market.Ever more producers are catering for the domestic Muslim community, which accounts for around 15 percent of Russia's population and is set to expand, and in some cases are also setting their sights on export. "In the last few years in general, halal&#
Parents in Thailand are split as to whether corporal punishment for their children is the right way to go. A recent survey of 999 Thai parents by YouGov found that two in five believe that physical punishment should be illegal, while another two in five believe that physical punishment is normal.
A hijab-wearing, diminutive Malaysian wrestler known as "Phoenix" cuts an unusual figure in the ring, a female Muslim fighter taking on hulking opponents in a male-dominated world.Dressed in flame-patterned trousers, a black and orange hijab and top, Nor Diana uses sophisticated moves to throw and pin down her larger rivals in front of hundreds of cheering spectators. Standing just 155 centimetres (five-foot, one inch) tall and weighing 43 kilograms (six stone, 10 pounds),
Malaysia's parliament Tuesday backed lowering the voting age from 21 to 18, a change that would add millions of people to the electoral roll and was pushed by the country's reformist government.The Southeast Asian nation is one of a handful of countries around the world that limits voting to those aged over 21, and the change still has to be debated and passed in the country's senate before it can become law.The overhaul was championed by the government of Prime Minister Mahath
More than 350 people, comprised of 200 fishermen from the states of Penang and Perak, and representatives from various organisations, marched to Malaysia’s Parliament in Kuala Lumpur, last week, to protest against the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project and the sand mining project in Perak.The PSR project involves the materialisation of three artificial islands with a total land area of 4,500 acres which will be sold to fund an RM49 billion (US$11.9 billion) megaproject, the Penang Transpo
Five years ago on Wednesday, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was blasted out of the sky over war-torn eastern Ukraine with the loss of all 298 people on board.The shooting down of the Boeing 777 travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur has prompted sanctions against Russia, a series of international investigations and criminal charges.Here are five questions about the July 17, 2014 disaster:What happened?About three hours after take-off from Schiphol airport, MH17 disappeared off the radar scr
The United States (US) Department of Justice's mushrooming investigation into the scandal-ridden Malaysian state fund 1MDB has extended to Deutsche Bank, two people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.The big German bank, which announced deep job cuts earlier this week and is embroiled in other high-profile government probes, says it is cooperating with the investigation and maintains that it is a victim in the scandal.The Justice Department is looking into whether Deutsche Bank br
More than 60 people were found stranded near a boat in Myanmar's Rakhine state, an official said Monday, as a trafficking route for persecuted Rohingya Muslims appears open for business despite a crackdown.Each year thousands of Rohingya and stateless Bangladeshis try to reach Malaysia or Indonesia by sea.But boatloads commonly wash up on the shores of Myanmar or Thailand, especially in the treacherous conditions brought by the monsoon season.63 "Muslims" were found early Sunda
Businesses are increasingly turning to Peer-2-Peer (P2P) financing to cater to their financing needs, with last week’s tie-up between Malaysia’s Funding Societies and regional e-commerce giant Lazada a perfect example of the current revolution taking place. P2P financing platforms such as Funding Societies connect credit-worthy local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with individuals and institutional investors through a digital marketplace, significantly increasing access
Malaysia’s plan to become the first ASEAN country to decriminalise the use and possession of small quantities of drugs for personal use must go hand-in-hand with public awareness programs and on the ground work by non-governmental organisations (NGOs).While the Malaysian public may think drugs will now be sold openly if this landmark decision is implemented, this is simply not true.
