KOTA KINABALU: The Confucius Institute @ Universiti Malaysia Sabah (CI@UMS) and the United Sabah Chinese Communities Association of Kota Kinabalu (USCCAKK) will jointly organise the Land Below the Wind Talk-20 on this Sunday (Sept 25), to start at 9pm.

The organisers have invited Dr Tan Beng Huat to deliver his talk entitled “Maritime Silk Road Culture: Sabah Narratives in the Context of the 10-year-old Belt and Road Initiative”.

Dr Tan graduated from University of South Australia (UniSA) with the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). He founded the Sabah Maritime Silk Road Society in 2015, and served as the president of the society until 2019.

It was not only the first overseas Maritime Silk Road organisation in Malaysia to adhere to the “Belt and Road” vision, but also the only one from the positioning of the South China Sea culture at that time.

As a prelude to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the “Belt and Road Initiative”, Dr Tan as the founder of the Malaysia Sea Silk Association and Sabah Sea Silk Association will talk on Sabah’s post-pandemic reconstruction and recovery from the perspective of a researcher and promoter of cultural and creative industries.

Besides, he will touch on how to revive the rich cultural and historical resources of the South China Sea so that Sabah can find its own revitalisation and win-win position for the next wave of “Belt and Road Initiative”.

This Land Below the Wind Talk is opened to the public free of charge. The language of this talk is Chinese and English.

All are welcome to participate by scanning the QR code.

KOTA KINABALU: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Social Security Organisation (Socso) on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to pave the way for various collaborations in the field of rehabilitation medicine.

Its Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Student and Alumni Affairs, Associate Prof Dr Raman Noordin, said the MoU spearheaded the strategic collaboration between the university and Socso in teaching and research under medical rehabilitation for those insured under Socso.

Raman, who is carrying out the duties of the UMS Vice-Chancellor, said this collaboration will also provide benefits and interest not only to the two institutions but also to those insured, who are Sabahans themselves.

“Through this MoU, UMS will work directly with the Socso Tun Abdul Razak Rehabilitation Centre which practices rehabilitation principles that integrate medical and vocational rehabilitation treatment to restore maximum ability.

“This will enable them (those insured) to return to work or society,” he said when speaking at the MoU signing ceremony at the UMS campus, here.

The MoU was signed by Raman and Socso Chief Executive Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Azman said the collaboration will give new light to Socso contributors who experience accidents or illnesses, especially in Sabah, through a comprehensive and dynamic rehabilitation and disability management programme.

He said the effort was carried out through rehabilitation treatment and the Return To Work (RTW) programme where participants who are disabled due to accidents will be assisted until they are able to become independent, then return to work and generate income for themselves and their families.

“Since the RTW programme was introduced in 2007 a total of 49,851 RTW participants have been successfully assisted to return to work. We are confident that this collaboration with UMS will be able to help more contributors to become independent and return to productivity,” he added.

He said Socso also intends to develop a MYFutureJobs Satellite Centre at the UMS campus for UMS undergraduates and graduates to benefit from the agency’s various employment services such as career counselling, job search and matching as well as individual support for job placement, including preparations for interview.

KUALA LUMPUR: The genomics and biopharmaceutical specialist has inked a letter of intent (LOI) with the Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Rinani Genotec to collaborate on research and development in genetics, and regenerative and alternative medicines.

MGRC, which owns a high-throughput sequencing lab, advanced microarray facility, and new state-of-the-art cell processing lab, as well as Genotec, which specializes in biomedical treatments using stem cells, will assist in strengthening the teaching and research activities of the undergraduate programme at UMS’ Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, under the LOI.

This cooperation will enable the exchange of research resources and ideas to enhance the quality of research at UMS, as well as create opportunities for students from the Faculty of Science and Natural Resources to serve their internship period at MGRC or Genotec.

“We are happy to assist UMS undergraduates in pursuing their R&D goals so that they have a better understanding of their field of study. This is also in support of the National Biotechnology Policy 2.0 launched recently focusing on agriculture and food security, healthcare and wellbeing, as well as industrial and the circular economy,” Malaysian Genomics Chairman, Datuk Seri Dr. Chen Chaw Mins (photo) said.

“UMS is actively engaging in research as well as teaching activities and the involvement of industry is crucial in ensuring the relevance of such activities conducted at the University,” said Dean of the Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, UMS, Professor Dr. Jualang Azlan Gansau.

The signing of the LOI followed UMS’ visit to MGRC’s Biosafety Level 2 cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice)-certified laboratory, which is used for the production of cell therapies, including CAR T-cell therapies for various cancers.

KOTA KINABALU: Letusan gunung berapi lumpur yang berlaku di Taman Hidupan Liar Tabin, Lahad Datu, Ahad lalu, bukan petanda bencana seperti letusan gunung berapi boleh berlaku di Sabah.

Salah faham mengenai 'gunung berapi' itu dijelaskan dua Felo Penyelidik Geologi Pusat Kajian Bencana Alam (NDRC), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Dr Hardianshah Saleh dan Prof Dr Baba Musta, bagi menjawab pelbagai pertanyaan awam berhubung fenomena itu.

Menerusi satu kenyataan hari ini, penyelidik geologi UMS itu berkata, letusan gunung berapi lumpur atau volkano lumpur adalah fenomena yang biasa berlaku di Sabah dan kewujudannya boleh ditemui di beberapa kawasan di negeri ini.

"Namun, apa yang lebih penting adalah fenomena volkano lumpur bukanlah suatu petanda bencana seperti letusan gunung berapi boleh berlaku pada masa terdekat," katanya.

Berdasarkan peta lokasi volkano lumpur yang dikongsikan NDRC, selain di Tabin, Lahad Datu, kewujudan gunung berapi lumpur juga ditemui di beberapa tempat di Sandakan dan Kunak di pantai timur, manakala di daerah Kuala Penyu bagi kawasan pantai barat.

Secara geologinya, kedua-dua penyelidik itu menerangkan, volkano lumpur bukanlah fenomena yang sama dengan volkano atau letusan gunung berapi.

"Walaupun istilah 'volkano' secara terjemahannya adalah letusan gunung berapi, volkano lumpur ini jauh sekali daripada memuntahkan bahan cairan lava seperti letusan gunung berapi yang umum ketahui.

"Volkano lumpur hanya 'meminjam' istilah volkano untuk menjelaskan mekanisme bahan lumpur yang dipaksa keluar daripada bawah tanah untuk ke permukaan," katanya.

Mereka menjelaskan, fenomena itu terjadi disebabkan tekanan beban atas (overburden pressure) terhadap lapisan kaya dengan bahan lumpur, yang terbentuk jauh di bawah permukaan tanah.

Tekanan itu, katanya, memaksa bahan lumpur dalam bentuk cecair bersama gas metana keluar ke permukaan bumi menerusi sesar, retakan atau zon lemah pada batuan.

Bagi kawasan Lahad Datu, mereka berkata, zon sesar atau lemah terdiri daripada batuan hancur atau istilah geologinya dikenali sebagai 'melange'.

"Fenomena ini juga sering kali dirujuk sebagai diapir lumpur (Mud diapir) yang mempunyai mekanisme sama, namun tidak memuntahkan lumpur sehingga ke permukaan," katanya.

Sementara itu, Pengarah NDRC UMS, Prof Madya Dr Carolyn Melissa Payus, berkata penerangan yang lebih jelas dan saintifik mengenai fenomena itu penting, terutama daripada pusat penyelidikan seperti NDRC bagi mengelak kebimbangan pihak awam.

Katanya, NDRC, UMS, giat melaksanakan aktiviti memberi penjelasan dan pendidikan kepada umum, termasuk selepas bencana gempa bumi yang melanda Sabah pada 2015.

"NDRC bukan setakat sebagai pusat rujukan untuk orang awam, tetapi juga sebagai 'focal point' untuk penyelidikan yang berkait dengan Sains Alam Sekitar dan Bencana serta Pengurusannya, terutamanya di Sabah," katanya.

Klip video berdurasi kira-kira 10 saat yang memaparkan letusan gunung berapi lumpur di Tabin, Lahad Datu, tular di laman sosial beberapa hari lalu, sedikit sebanyak menimbulkan kegusaran kepada masyarakat umum.

Ramai warga maya yang beranggapan fenomena itu berkait secara langsung dengan letusan gunung berapi, yang mungkin boleh berlaku pada bila-bila masa, selain mengaitkannya dengan kejadian gempa bumi kuat yang berlaku di luar negara.