Its the same kurap again

Fungal infection of the skin is called kurap in Malay.

The kurap can appear like white patches or ring forms on the skin. It does not look good. To some, it is an indicator of a person's poor hygiene.

The bad part is, it may be difficult to remove. Especially when the offending factor is still persistent - dampness. Damp areas are seldom dried. It may be difficult to reach, or a person is too lazy to get a dry towel and wipe off the excess water.

That is why the kurap are always persistent at skin creases - armpits, the back, the nape, the groin and the foot. These are far flung places - so much like the jungle of Borneo.

Here, another form of kurap thrives. The kurap that has robbed the hard earned money of people who worked honestly. This kurap steals money. It also widens the gap between the poor and the rich. The richer gets richer while the poor remains.

This form of kurap operates in a clandestine manner. It needs to. Just as kurap does - thrives quietly under the protective layer of the epidermis. It is there, but not obvious. Only when you begin to itch and it looks unsightly, you will begin to look for the remedy.

Some times, it is too late. The roots of the kurap has gone beyond the depth of the skin. Topical medication is unable to penetrate deeply to reach the deep end of the roots.

At least it is getting treated - like the news clipping here:

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has arrested 30 people in Johor and Sarawak for illegal logging activities and froze 30 bank accounts belonging to 10 companies worth RM18 million.- The Star 23/10/2014

That's a lot of money involved. Most people do not have RM 10 thousand in their bank accounts.

As for the kurap of the skin - the body is trying to rid it of. But this form of kurap reported in the paper, our own immune system is possibly committing an act of treason. They are turning autoimmune.

... they were also investigating several state Forestry officers for possible involvement in the illegal felling of trees which had put the forest reserve under threat of destruction.

The very people entrusted to take care of the forest were bribed by logging company managers. The amount ranged from a paltry RM300 to RM10000.

The same kurap probably cost our examination system dearly not too long ago. The rescheduling of the exam caused undue stress for many people, especially school children.

This disease seems controlled though. But, it could be just the tip of the iceberg phenomenon. There could be more integrity issues occurring subtly in our dealings, daily. The thing is, it is hard to obtain proofs. It is often concealed.

Whistle blowers can get harmed. And this is not helping at all.

Reading all these can be frustrating at times. People who work really hard and honestly are not paid accordingly. While those whose job is "sedentarily no-brainer" earns the big bucks.

Just how long should we keep quiet?

The many treatments of neonatal jaundice

All babies are bound to be yellow - or jaundiced. The treatment for these jaundiced babies depends on the cause. Most of the time, the cause is physiological - it comes within 2 days and goes off after about 2 weeks. Physiological jaundice is harmless.

The other 2 forms of harmless jaundice are breastfeeding jaundice and breast milk jaundice. These are diagnosed last if there are no other pathological cause that could be traced.

I would like to share some interesting perspective that locals have regarding jaundice - especially treatment. After talking to so many people who offered advice on how to reduce the "yellowness" in newborns, here are some interesting findings. Most of it needs some scientific explanation, which I was unable to do yet at the moment.

"Mother should avoid ginger"

from http://cancerbattlefield.com/functional-food/ginger/

This is the most common and prevailing. Almost all Chinese, Malay, Melanau and Iban individuals mentioned the same thing. However, there was no uniformity. Some individuals were surprised when ginger was blamed as one of the causes of jaundice. In the Chinese community, ginger is important to prevent the mother from being cold, which could cause premature soreness of the joints at old age. Taking ginger is believed to improve the "blood circulation" as a result of the dilated blood vessels. Among the Chinese, ginger is commonly added into a favourite post natal dish called "Kacang ma". Today, it is common for non Chinese Sarawakian to consume "kacang ma" as well. Wine, which is frequently added, is removed for those who do not consume it. As for the Malays and Melanaus, fried grated ginger or "serunding halia" is a favourite post natal dish.

"Grapes"

Amazingly, grapes, which is not a local fruit is believed to reduce the yellowness in newborns. From what I gather, grapes were belief to "absorb" the yellowness in the blood of the newborn. There was another version where grapes were believed to hasten the maturity of the liver, thus improve the serum bilirubin levels. Green grapes were noted to be more effective than the red ones.

"Glucose"

A granny in the clinic whom I met recommended "sugar water" or "air gula" to be given to the newborn. The mixture of water and sugar is guaranteed to bring down the yellowness in newborns. However, she did not offer any explanation of the possible physiology of the cure. 

"Plain water"

There was another section of the community who believed that plain water given to the newborn is the best treatment of jaundice. Their explanation is logical and simple. As the baby is dehydrated in the first few day of life - due to the adaptation process to breastfeeding - naturally the concentration of serum bilirubin is raised. To dilute the bilirubin, use water. 

"kurma" or dates

Dates: sidratul.com

There are some pregnant ladies who started consuming the dates in the belief that it could help with the maturity of the liver of the fetus. Mature liver in the newborn of the kurma eating mothers will prevent jaundice. In my opinion, this could be the result of the overzealous promotion of arabic dates as the prophet's sunnah, which could be mistakenly perceived as a form of cure. 

"Liver tonic"

Some clinics have started to promote a "liver tonic" given to newborns to "improve the health of the liver". Lay persons attending those clinics tend to accept it wholly without hesitation as it is given by a doctor. The scientific basis still elude me. If it was cheap and has the chance to improve the bilirubin levels from those newborns who do not take it, then it should be a standard treatment in hospitals nationwide - or worldwide.

"Bathing in coconut water"
Some locals believe that bathing the newborn in coconut water could reduce the "yellowness", Although there was no prescribed dosing or frequency the child should bath, it is recommended daily. The coconut water will absorb the "heaty" material from the newborn.

"Turmeric powder"
Turmeric is a part of the ginger family. This curcumin containing plant is known for its anti inflammatory and anti oxidant properties.  But, anti-bilirubinaemia? A few Malay elderly recommends rubbing some turmeric to the forehead of the newborn. Since it is yellow and belongs to the same yellow colouring of the newborn's skin, it will "attract" the yellowness and subsequently absorb it. Another version of applying turmeric to the newborn is by bathing the child in turmeric laced bath.

These are some really interesting beliefs in a multi racial society like Malaysia. Although most of it sounds absurd - at times too "magically" true, a proper study is needed. In fact, a few studies will be needed to prove or disprove the hypothesis. It is interesting to note that there are substantial beliefs that associate neonatal jaundice with the liver. There is also an idea that jaundice is caused by "something" in the blood -  that correctly points towards the high level of bilirubin.

It is interesting that exposing the baby to the early morning sun - the nature's equivalent to phototherapy - is regarded as a "hospital treatment" and not among the first few choices for treatment of neonatal jaundice. Exposing the newborn to the morning sun is currently not recommended due to the severe complications that it could have on the child when parents / caretakers lapse.

As for me, I would prefer the early morning sun exposure - with some modification to make it safer. At the same time, monitor the levels of bilirubin in the local clinic. God willing, all should be fine.

The leakage of integrity

The recent leakage of the Science and English UPSR exam paper created quite a stir in the country. 

“So what? It’s only a primary six exam. After all, pass or fail, student will move on to form one”, some would say. Well, it is not simple as that.

Even though it is only a primary 6 exam, a lot of efforts have been put in by students in preparing for the exam itself. The parents too have done their part – encouraging their children, helping them out in their studies and sending them to extra classes. The teachers too have done their part, I am sure.

As many Malaysian families would do, activities have been planned to fill up the vacuum after the exams. Holidays to somewhere must be one of the common things. Money have been spent to purchase tickets and book hotel rooms. Leaves have been applied by parents, everyone is excited and looking forward to the planned itineraries. 

And then, it happened. The news of leakage and the need to re-sit the papers must have hampered everybody. It was a shame.

It created difficulties for everyone. The mental torture the student have to endure, the rescheduling of planned activities and the burden of unnecessary work for the invigilators. 

It may look like a simple task but for the 12 year olds, but it is herculean. The size of mental torture for them is like having to sit for the final MBBS for medical students or the MRCP for physician candidate. 

Working parents, who have applied for leaves months back may not be able to reschedule their leave. They may have to apply for new leaves – and most of us do not have that kind of luxury. Even if parents have tonnes of leaves to burn, the approval is another hurdle to overcome.

It boils down to the big question, what is happening to the integrity of Malaysians? What had just happened befits the Malay proverb, “kerana nila setitik, rosak susu sebelanga” or “seekor kerbau membawa lumpur, semuanya terpalit”. The negative effects ripples through all involved in the preparing and conducting exam. Financially, it will incur cost. 

What was their motives of leaking the exam? Was it money? Was it a “face saving” mode that parents adopted to ensure that their children’s result would not embarrassed them?

For one thing, it creates a sense of disbelief and distrust with the whole conduct of the examination. Back to the Malay proverb earlier, now it not only seeds distrust with the Education Ministry but also to the other government agencies. How can we be sure if the staffs working in another agency is honest enough when those entrusted in the exam syndicate blew it?

Strengthening the work flow and filling up the gaps in the work flow is always a constant exercise. Human will always find a way to overcome the loopholes to their own benefit. 

The whole leakage thing may have been around in the education sector for many years. The use of easy communication such as WhatsApp may have detected it earlier. I remembered from my schooling days that teachers coming from the high performance schools or “selected schools” were the ones who will vet the questions that will be used in public examinations. Some of the teachers would use the questions they prepared as practice questions in their “selected schools”. They even exchanged questions among themselves for the benefit of their selected students. We thought that the students in selected schools were lucky. But, actually, it defeats the whole purpose of conducting an examination. So, all this while we thought that students who came from the elite schools were bright – the reasons they were selected to go to such schools. No wonder, the elite schools always get a 100% passing marks compared to other national schools – with a little help from their teachers. 

Nevertheless, there are teachers from these elite schools who are very determined and hardworking to ensure that their students succeed in exams. 

Not only it breeds distrust in the government functioning, we are basically telling the young people that it is ok to leak a secret a bit here and there – all for your own benefit. Such malpractice becomes a norm. When they become part of the working force, this disease will perpetuate. We are seeing the effects now – a spate of suspected bribery among custom officers, building structures that disintegrate as a result of cost cutting and many more.

The steps that TPM took was commendable. I hope it is just not for show only – that the government is taking some actions. For visibility purposes. And I hope it will not just stop here. It should be extended to the other government agencies as well. God save Malaysia.

What A Rat!

What a rat! Or rather, rats.

In the last few months, regrettably, out house was infested with rats. Or mouse. Rats or mouse, both are different to the animal biologist, but surely, both are disease carriers.

Just two months back, we saw a huge female keeping still on the gutter. Though we saw only the back side of it, it looks big and round - a lay man's tell tale that it could pregnant - and a female. A potential treat, we thought then. It was quickly forgotten, without any preventive actions taken.

And in the last week or so, the nights were not still anymore. Small little nimble feet begun scurrying on the plywood ceiling. Obviously, the litter had emerged into young, active and hungry mice. In a few occasions, spots check in the open kitchen revealed 3 to 4 mice running, single filed, on the counter top and the oven. Once, a little one rushed out suddenly from underneath the drying rack, charging towards me, making its way through tight corners and spots to escape. It created a scene, and my heart beats faster. I was nearly panic. 

This had to stop.

I bought a mouse trap at the local store. Thinking that multiple traps would yield higher chances to trap at least one, I even bought the glue trap. The guy at the store had a funny recommendation when it comes to the type of baits to use. He recommended sim cards based on the hypothesis that his phone sim cards had bite marks made by the little pest. Sim cards as baits worked in the traps that they set in the shop.

In Malaysia, cheese may not be enough. The good old pusuk (anchovies) and sesar (dried prawns) are the best bait. No domestic mice would be able withstand the lure of the pungent smell from this time tested bait.  Surely enough, just leaving the traps one night, the morning after was a pleasant surprise. 

4 rats/mice caught in just one night. 

They must be really hungry. The bait worked! We caught another 2 mice in the next preceding days. You might want to know how did I carry out the capital punishment for them? To be as human as possible, I just put them in a bag and leave them out in the morning sun. They will not last long and no vigorous cleaning is needed because of the bloody mess. I remembered amma used to pour hot water over them while still in the cage. I thought it was cruel. Just throwing them in the rubbish bin is risky - who knows if they still could escape with the help of their comrades out there. Nature - we never know.

Though this was quite a success, the female mouse or the litters' mom is still scot-free. As a mouse can deliver up to 10 litters per year, there is still a chance that this menace might return next year. The hunt continues...

Labour's day in Pasir Pandak, Kuching

Labour's day is always marked with a sense of thanksgiving within the working-class group. Thank God, it is a daybreak from having to rush to the office, zig zagging some clueless roadsters as we are already late to the office. Thank God for keeping myself from having to swear another motorist for being another person like me on the road. Thank God that I spend the day, entirely with my family.

A picnic to a beach would be good to spend quality and productive time with the family. A picnic?! I have not done that in a long, long time - especially in this town - now a city since 1988. It has been an unheard word. A word full of bliss memories attached. Typically, a picnic would mean going to Damai Beach, Damai Puri, Pasir Panjang in Lundu or may be to Ranchan Pool in Serian.

Nah, we aren't going to neither. We are heading for Pasir Pandak - a midway point between Kuching and Santubong.

Pasir Pandak used to be a hidden gem in Kuching. But that perspective soon changed upon reaching there. Lots of structural improvement were seen. There used to be nothing on the beach - just the plain but clean pristine beach. A few houses of the locales peeped among the coconut trees and native seaside bushes. Picnic in those days used to be a quiet affair.

As I can see, a commercial establishment stood in the middle of the enclave, on the rocky part of the beach, giving just adequate space for beach goers. It tried to look contemporary with its crescent shape. Otherwise, the structure is just a plain mortar sealed bricks without flavour.

Not too far away from it, a row of stalls - shoddy and gloomy - stood u unwelcoming in contrast of the beauty of the whole area. The back of the stalls was quite dirty and unkempt. Used packet drinks and coconut husk were littered at the back of the stalls. The sands there soggy and black with putrefied materials.

It was very unfortunate that the place has come to this. Youngsters and children were having fun nearby the dump site. What could easily be done was to put all rubbish into a bag for later disposal - not creating a dump site at your own peril! I reckon the Japanese have a better sense of responsibility towards the environment than us.

Just next to the crescent shaped storefront, terraced rooms were available for rent. It looked like a mini resort, with a pool in front of the rooms. The mini resort is off bound to non-guests.

The nice part of Pasir Pandak is its clean beach. It sits in an enclave, protecting itself form the harsh waves of the South China sea. The wave rolls in gently, which was just nice for children to hang out at the fringes of the waters. Although it may not be very blue, the bluish tinge against the yellow reflection from the base of the seabed may indicate that the beach is acceptably clean. The mangrove near the surrounding area may have filtered the mud before it silts in the area.

More people filled the beach approaching noon. Families, teenagers and friends just hung out, soaking the pleasures of the moment. Cars made their way right to the sandy fringes, parking in the shades provided by the trees.

The serenity of the place was disturbed temporarily. A pickup, tried to squeeze between cars to get the best spot under the tree. Two groups of families were just sitting nearby. Though the driver thinks that he may be careful, accidents can happen. A certain boundary should be erected to limit the movement of cars to the beach. Despite having improved facilities, it is a wonder how basic things like a parking space can be missed. A proper parking space prevents haphazard parking of vehicles - thus reducing the risks for any untoward accidents.

The trip was nice. We headed home just before noon. We stopped by a fish stall on our way to the junction meeting the main Kuching - Santubong road.