TUESDAY, 07 AUGUST - Impaired water quality is a global issue. It is in fact a growing problem especially when there is proof of limited resources for drinking, domestic use as well as harming the ecosystems.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Teruaki Yoshida the Head of the Unit for Harmful Algal Bloom Studies (UHABS), Borneo Marine Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah; the data findings from the water samples collected over a plankton survey at Likas Bay show high dominance of a single phytoplankton species - Protoperidinium.

“Water impairment often affects marine biodiversity. Eutrophication of the water exerts pressure on phytoplankton populations allowing the intensive growth of certain harmful-toxin producing species or nuisance blooms that may create problems in the ecosystem and public health."

“When there is a single phytoplankton species dominating in an area, it may indicate deterioration in the water quality,” he revealed the findings during the presentation of the Plankton Survey for the Sustaining Kota Kinabalu’s Marine Heritage project - a joint marine conservation project between Universiti Malaysia Sabah and Sutera Harbour Resort, here on Friday.

Dr. Teruaki further stated that it is imperative for people not to increase the release of nutrients in the water.

“Excessive nutrient input into the sea is known to trigger phytoplankton blooms. The sources of nutrients are usually derived from coastal human activities and from agricultural and industrial wastes,” he said.

When asked the level of water quality in Likas Bay, Dr. Teruaki said more studies need to be done.

“To evaluate the present water condition in Likas Bay, it is essential to monitor the changes in environmental variables and indicator species over a certain period before any concrete judgement can be made,” he said.

He also said that the water quality will further deteriorate if there are no improvements of wastewater treatment systems.

“The responsibility by the government to improve our wastewater treatment system is important.

“The discharge of inadequately treated wastewater may cause adverse impacts such as water pollutions, spread of waterborne diseases, decrease in tourism potential; just to name a few,” he said. 

Likas Bay has become a popular recreational beach after a vast area of Tanjung Aru Beach has been temporarily closed for a planned development.

TUESDAY, 31 JULY 2018 - An Accounting Research Seminar was organised by Accounting Centre, Faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy (FPEP), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) with the objective to provide an avenue for UMS academic staff in the accounting field to present output from completed and on-going research.

In addition, the seminar also involved presenters and participants from a few local institutions of higher learning including Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF) and Inti College Sabah.

A total of 17 working papers presentation were made by academic staff from the FPEP UMS, Accounting Centre UMS, Faculty of Management and Entrepreneurship UCSF and Faculty of Economics and Business UNIMAS.

In addition to the paper presentations, seminar participants also took the opportunity to exchange ideas as well as to create network within the accounting research field.

A total of 35 participants including the postgraduate students from FPEP UMS participate the seminar.

TUESDAY, 31 JULY - Social media was abuzz in the first week of July (2018) with yet appalling news of a dead Whale Shark reportedly accidentally caught in a fisherman’s net.

The site of the incident was a coastal village in Mukah, in neighbouring Sarawak.

Unlike other large predatory sharks, the Whale Shark is a rather gentle but generally misunderstood large vertebrate.

Described by marine ecologists as charismatic, the reason this unique ocean wildlife swim to near the sea surface is simply to feed.

Their main food is called planktons – microscopic creatures which consist of primary producers and primary consumers.

Borneo indeed has a high biodiversity of sharks and rays, with over 100 species scientifically recorded from its waters, including fresh and brackish water habitats.

A biodiversity monitoring research program spanning 20 years, conducted by Universiti Malaysia Sabah researchers, found that at present, the sharks of Sabah’s waters is dominated by bamboo sharks and coral catsharks.

According to Dr. Mabel Manjaji Matsumoto, leader of the research project funded by Save Ours Seas Foundation, these demersal or bottom dwelling sharks appear to have replaced the larger predatory coastal inshore species.

Such shift in species dominance, especially from a larger to smaller species is what is termed by fisheries scientists as a process of “fishing down the food web”.

The process describes of large predatory (fish) species as having been depleted due to fishing pressure, where the fisheries are increasingly turning to the smaller and previously rejected species.

Large predatory sharks have an essential role in keeping the marine ecosystem healthy and productive.

They do this by selectively preying on the weaker creatures and thus keeping diseases at bay.

Removal and changes in number of apex species will affect the marine food web.

Sharks are readily distinguished from the teleost or bony fishes by either having their body entirely or partially covered by rough teeth-like scales.

The internal skeleton of sharks and rays is entirely formed of cartilage.

Sharks and rays also differ from teleost in the reproductive strategy, in which the former mature at a generally larger size, and produce fewer but more developed young.

In celebration of Shark Awareness Day 2018, we invite you to consider adopting actions that impact sharks in a positive way.

At Universiti Malaysia Sabah through the Endangered Marine Species Research Unit, researchers actively and continuously conduct research projects in an effort to conserve sharks.

This includes organising shark awareness programs, outreaching primarily to elementary school children in coastal rural regions of Sabah.

Theme: Pendidikan Awal Kanak-Kanak berasaskan Bahasa Ibunda

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart” – Nelson Mandela.

Bahasa Ibunda. The mother tongue. It is defined as a child’s first language, the language learned in the home with older family members (UNESCO, 2007, p. 6) and lies at the heart of the Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE). The vital information to take away from the lengthy phrase of Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) is best summarized by UNESCO itself: “Since SDG 4 is so foundational to the other Sustainable Development Goals, without mother tongue-based multilingual education the other 16 goals will remain unachievable”[1].

The announcement by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maszlee Malik, that he plans to focus on “increasing the number of students with multi-language skills” (NST, 22/05/2018[2]) could not have come at a more positive time. The Research Unit for Languages & Linguistics of Sabah (RULLS) at Universiti Malaysia Sabah is delighted to be on the same wavelength as the Minister of Education. The Research Unit for Languages & Linguistics of Sabah (RULLS) successfully held its second Brown Bag Seminar Series for Languages & Linguistics on 27 April 2018 with the theme Pendidikan Awal Kanak-Kanak berasaskan Bahasa Ibunda (Mother Tongue-based Early Childhood Education) at Bilik Mesyuarat Utama, Pusat Penataran Ilmu dan Bahasa, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Following the success of the previous Brown Bag seminar with two speakers, the third seminar featured three speakers who are each very experienced in early childhood education in the mother tongue. The three speakers, Mr. Joemin Maratin (SIL Malaysia), Mdm. P. Sylvia Poit (Kadazandusun Language Foundation), and Mdm. Rufina Koyou (PACOS Trust) took turn speaking to a packed audience of 116 people mainly from the public. The audience was welcomed by the Dean for the Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language, AP. Dr. Jualang Azlan Gansau.

Among those in attendance were Mdm. Rita Lasimbang, CEO of Kadazandusun Language Foundation; Dr. Mark Miller, Academic Director for SIL Sabah, Mdm. Evelyn Annol of IPGK Kent and lecturer in the Bachelor of Teaching (Hons) Kadazandusun Language for Primary Education and several graduates from the first batch of the IPGK Kent’s pioneering degree program; members of the Lotud Community Learning Centre; preschool teachers from Tadika Harmoni Penampang, Tadika Suriaku Limbanak, Tadika Sacred Heart Inobong; indigenous language advocates and university staff. PACOS Trust as well as the Lotud Community Learning Centre had both set up their exhibition booths which featured interesting publications and indigenous languages teaching materials.

The papers presented were ‘Kepentingan Program Pendidikan Awal Kanak-Kanak berasaskan Bahasa Ibunda (MTB-MLE) di dalam Meningkatkan Pencapaian Akademik Pelajar Minoriti di Sabah’ by Mr. Joemin Maratin, ‘Pengintegrasian Etnoseni ke dalam Penghasilan Bahan-Bahan Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran bagi Program Pendidikan Awal Kanak-Kanak Berbilang Bahasa berasaskan Bahasa Ibunda’ by Mdm. P. Sylvia Poit, and ‘Program CLC – Community Learning Centre – dalam Mempromosikan Bahasa Ibunda dan Pengetahuan Tradisi Orang Asal’ by Mdm. Rufina Koyou. The attendees and speakers then had an active session of Q&A that lasted for about 30 minutes after which was followed by presentation of certificates to the speakers. The closing speech was delivered by Dr. Jeannet Stephen, Head of the Research Unit for Languages and Linguistics of Sabah (RULLS).

As part of its core research areas, RULLS is committed to continue engaging with relevant agencies which promote the mother tongue-based multilingual education.  The Brown Bag Seminar Series features local and international speakers sharing and highlighting their research in the fields of languages and linguistics - two very rich sources of research data on Sabah's indigenous communities. Interested individuals or organizations may contact Dr. Jeannet Stephen (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Dr. Jane Wong (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for further details. js/bbssll-2-2018