Thank you so much dear!

Thank you for this lovely present ayang! I love you so much! Goshhh....You know what's in my head, don't you dear!!?

Shopping in London, End violence against women in Chinatown and snow in Cambridge

THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF CUCURBIT VIRUSES ON PUMPKIN

THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF CUCURBIT VIRUSES ON PUMPKIN

Mohd Hefni Rusli and Zakaria Sidek., 2003

ABSTRACT


A study on the epidemiology of cucurbit viruses was conducted in STESEN MARDI, Jalan Kebun, Klang. Pumpkin (Cucubita maxima) hybrid squash cultivar Furasato was used in this study. The plants were maintained under normal practice for pumpkin cultivation (weeding, fertilizer applications, insecticide and fungicide spraying). The two cucurbit viruses studied were Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV).

Samples of pumpkin plants leaves were collected based on the appearance of mosaic symptom, three weeks after seeds germination. Sample of weeds from the surrounding area were also collected for identification as an alternate host for the viruses. Double Antibody Sandwich – Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (DAS – ELISA) was used to detect for the presence of viruses in all samples.

From the data that were collected the maximum plants infected by CMV was attained by the 9th week and the maximum plants infected by the ZYMV were at the 8th week. The disease progress for the CMV was lower than ZYMV. Presence of the two viruses was detected in the samples of weed collection. For the weeded plot areas the appearance of Aulocophora sp. was abundant. The numbers of samples with the mosaic symptoms increased week by week.

Professional Honours and Awards

The best is yet to come! I'm targetting the Nobel Prize...but at the moment I hope I can get my name in the gene bank account for designing the specific primers for Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. elaeidis by end of this year.

The Very Best Award and Gold Medalist at Malaysia Technology Expo 2008, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Trichogreen™ Increased Fruit Yield from Ganoderma – Infected Field and Initiated Early Flowering in Young Palms.

Silver medalist at Malaysia Technology Expo 2006, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. New advances of Trichogreen™: Increased yield and life span of Ganoderma-infected palms.

Bronze medalist at 33rd International Exhibition of Inventions, New Techniques and Product.Geneva, Switzerland, 2005. Trichogreen™: Biofungicide and Plant Growth Enhancer.

Silver medalist at Malaysian University R&D Exhibition, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2005. Tricho Green™: Biofungicide and Plant Growth Enhancer.

Presenter, “Awareness and Towards Chemicals Free Produce. The Case of Vegetables in Malaysia” at the International Students summit On Food, Agriculture and Environment in The New Century, Tokyo, Japan. 12-13 November 2003. (The first student from Malaysia attended the Students Summit)

My published paper

Journal published in Pertanika Journal, UPM (2005)


Faridah Abdullah, Mohd. Hefni Rusli and Noor Haida Sebran. Bacteria from an oil palm agricultural system and their interactions with Ganoderma boninense and Trichoderma harzianum. 2006. Pertanika J.Trop.Agric.Sci.28 (2): 95-102 (2005). Bacteria from an oil palm agricultural system and their interactions with Ganoderma boninense and Trichoderma harzianum


Abstract

The fungus Trichoderma harzianum (isolate FA 1132) has shown potential as a biological control agent of the oil palm pathogen Ganoderma boninense. It is currently being produced on a large scale as a Trichoderma-infused compost for field trials. This study isolated bacteria from such a compost as well as from oil palm rhizospheres. They were screened for antagonistic reactions towards G. boninense after which the selected strains were tested for compatibility with FA 1132. Four out of six species of bacteria showed fungistatic activity towards G. boninense, with Corynebacterium urealyticum giving the highest percentage inhibition at 86.6%. Except for C. urealyticum, all the other isolates were compatible with the fungus FA 1132. This study deduced that Chromobacterium violaceum and Burkholderia cepacia may have the capacity to act as respective individual inoculants to inhibit the growth of G. boninense or used in consortium with T. harzianum (FA 1132) for enhanced performance in a biological control formulation. This study also deduced that the efficacy of T. harzianum could be reduced if the population of C. urealyticum is high in the oil palm rhizhosphere.

Love..

My lovely wife,

Love you with all my heart and soul.

(3.30 am 20th November 2008)

For eternity,
-Your husband-

Hilarious Rafidah Aziz

Rafidah Aziz wants to make some reformations (!) and transformations (!) in Wanita UMNO within 3 months.

I think:

WOW!! She has been in Wanita UMNO since God knows when and yet she just needs 3 months to do the reformations and transformations. I wonder what she was doing before this. Maybe she was busy delegating APs to her son / daughter / in law / her ex-officers and now it’s time to do the UMNO job (Great!). I assume there are no skeletons to hide though.

According to the original plan, Rafidah wants to step down in March 2009 after the UMNO election which supposed to be in December 2008 but later was postponed to March 2009.

I think:

It doesn’t matter whether the election will be held in December 2008 or March 2009. She has been overdue for Wanita UMNO and has been a liability for UMNO since the AP matter. She should not compete for the Ketua Wanita UMNO at the first place. Wanita UMNO needs a new leadership whom can sail them through the next 13th General Election.

Wanita UMNO needs a real Wanita UMNO head post and not an acting Wanita UMNO head post

I think:

Yes, definitely! Wanita UMNO head post is a Wanita Barisan Nasional head post also. How will she act and run her post perfectly if she is just an acting head post? Sooner or later obviously there will be some questions arise about her judgments or actions. This is absolutely not a perfect idea. The transition should be restored in harmony and smoothly.


Otherwise, if Rafidah doesn’t want to step down, then democracy should take place. The Wanita head post should be open for competition. Let the grassroots decide whoever they want as a Wanita head post. Things should be like this way from the start and I don’t agree with the ideas of certain posts were not being contested. Let the grassroots decide whoever they want as a leader.


Nevertheless, I thank her commitments and dedications to Malaysia if any.

When the sun goes down..

I used to work hard during my time in FELDA. My office hours started from 7.30am to 5.00pm and mostly I just went back around 6.30pm and stayed up to do some office works (yes!). At least 2 weeks in a month I went for out station works; mostly for field studies, conferences, meetings etc. Nevertheless, I don’t feel tired at night and can still hang out with friends or went out for movies. I mean I don’t feel exhausted.


However, I just realized that during the night here I feel so tired and practically can’t do anything or don’t want to do anything. I just laze around with the internet running and heavy eyes. Seriously, I have never had this feeling where I just want to loosen up and sit quietly. Maybe it is because of the weather or maybe too much of fundamental thinking during the working hours or maybe it just because I have to walk 10 minutes to the bus stop, take the bus to Uni, walk again to the department, super thinking, do experiments, discussion, read journals, didn’t take lunch, eat epal and pisang only, walk to the bus stop again, wait in line for around 30 minutes to be on the bus, go home, cook dinner and sometimes do laundry. Maybe...

I miss my car, kuey teow BBN and kedai dobi serdang.

Weekend in Bath = Sightseeing + shopping + fireworks + raining

Joining a scientific society

I just want to share some informations here. As a scientist, it is important for us to join in a scientific society which is related to our field of studies. Basically, we can meet other scientist or present our research to others. It is a stage where networks can be made and communication can be developed especially to a young scientist like me.

That’s general information for joining a society though. Now, what I want to share here are about other benefits of joining a scientific society which maybe not everyone acknowledges of these elements. Perhaps, it may not be for every scientific society nevertheless you can check about it. Some of the elements are travel and conference funds. Yes!, some scientific society provides fund for their members. For examples, the society will provide financial assistance to members wishing to attend the society's conference inside or outside the country or make short studies abroad. Furthermore, they will also support you financially if you want to attend related conferences, meetings or workshop. Interesting isn’t it!? So better check if your society have these advantages..

Ex-GratiaSS

Couple of days ago, Minister Nazri Aziz said that the Government paid Ex-Gratia RM 5 million to the ex-judges which so called humiliated (sacked!) by the previous government. I am so flabbergasted to know that they have been given such amount! I mean what is the justification or any rationalization to give that money away just like that. Silly, that compensation was not coming with an apology from the government. Once again I am trying to understand the purpose of their intention. The government answered my question by telling this is for the sake of juridical reformation. By giving this ex-gratia, people will have more confidence to the juridical system. I said a’haaaa!? What is the relationship between those apple and pineapple? It may sound practically almost the same but it’s totally a different fruit. Talk to the hand!

Berita Sawit

http://www.bharian.com.my/Current_News/BH/Saturday/BeritaSawit/20081101092232/Article/index_html

MPOB sedia RM10 juta biasiswa pelajar
Oleh Suraya Harunsuraya@mpob.gov.my

BANGI: Sejumlah RM10 juta diperuntukkan bagi skim Biasiswa Yayasan Pendidikan MPOB (YPM) sebagai usaha MPOB melahirkan penyelidik pelapis yang berkepakaran dalam bidang sains dan teknologi untuk memenuhi keperluan industri sawit yang semakin berkembang. MPOB memerlukan penyelidik berkepakaran tinggi bagi melaksanakan penyelidikan dan kajian bagi tujuan meningkatkan lagi penemuan teknologi dan kegunaan baru minyak sawit selaras dengan permintaan pasaran global.

Ketua Pengarah MPOB, Dato' Dr Mohd Basri Wahid berkata demikian pada majlis penyampaian tiket penerbangan kepada Mohd Hefni Rusli pelajar tajaan biasiswa YPM yang melanjutkan pengajian Ijazah Doktor Falsafah (PhD) di University of Bath, United Kingdom selama tiga tahun mulai September lalu. "MPOB pada setiap tahun akan menawarkan biasiswa YPM kepada pelajar yang layak melanjutkan pelajaran dalam bidang berkaitan penyelidikan dan pembangunan yang berasaskan minyak sawit. "Mereka ini, selepas tamat pengajian akan pulang dan berkhidmat dengan MPOB di dalam bidang kepakaran yang diperoleh.

"Kita berharap dengan cara ini MPOB berupaya meningkatkan kepakaran dan melahirkan wargakerja bertaraf dunia bagi menjalankan penyelidikan dan berjaya mencapai taraf Nobel Laureate pada masa akan datang," katanya. Beliau menasihati pelajar supaya fokus kepada pengajian dan tidak mensia-siakan peluang yang diberikan oleh MPOB itu. Seorang lagi pelajar yang ditawarkan biasiswa sama untuk melanjutkan pengajian Ijazah Doktor Falsafah (PhD) ialah Cik Nazrinahamin Ahmad Nazir yang memulakan pengajian di dalam bidang Polimer di University of Akron, Ohio, Amerika Syarikat mulai Ogos lalu. Dato' Dr Mohd Basri juga menjelaskan dua pelajar PhD bagi sesi tahun terdahulu kini menjalani latihan praktikal. Pelajar itu, Kho Lip Khoon, di University of Oxford, London dan Fu Ju Yen di University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Beliau berkata, sepanjang skim biasiswa ini dimulakan pada 2003, dua pelajar berjaya menamatkan pengajian PhD pada 2007 dan mereka ditawarkan jawatan Pegawai Penyelidik MPOB di dalam bidang masing-masing. Skim ini terbuka kepada pelajar lepasan Ijazah Sarjana Muda IPTA/IPTS yang cemerlang di dalam bidang dikenalpasti untuk melanjutkan pengajian lepasan ijazah di universiti berprestij di UK dan Amerika Syarikat.

Mr. Obama

He says change can happen!

For me, I do hope Barack Obama has the capabilities to start a change. I believe he is more clever than Mr. Bush. This has been proven by him along the most costly and the most historical of US presidential election. He wants American to believe in him and as a result American people has given him the mandate to be the first African American President.

Mr. Obama needs to understand his role as a President of United States. He needs broader approaches and spectrum and wisely handling the problem caused by Mr. Bush. The first thing is to accommodate US through the economic turbulence which has taken its toll through out the whole world.

Then, he need to settle his policy and change the situation in the war zone of Iraq and Afghanistan and long term politic instability in Israel and Palestine. Furthermore, it is interesting also to see his foreign policy as he is considerably a newcomer in this arena. What about his action against terrorism ?!

We'll see....

Proud to be Malaysian

Just a bit..

Aku dilahirkan untuk berbakti pada negaraku. Keringatku yang membasahi bumi hanyalah untuk Malaysia yang tercinta. Warisan yang diperjuang oleh perwira kemerdekaan dahulu akan aku perjuangkan dan agungkan. Aku akan terus berusaha untuk tanah airku dan semoga Malaysia akan terus maju.

House hunting

Its started when we received the accommodation bill and I and my wife just can't believed it that the total payment almost GBP 3000 per term! What the hell man..I went thru it again and obviously the figure was still the same..We're stunted at a moment and immediately we opened up the college guidelines and found out that our accommodation would be charged GBP 80+ per week but there was a statement that for couple's accommodation would be a little bit expensive compared to others. Basically, we dont mind if like 100 pounds a week as we still have our budget around that amount. Nevertheless, it's ridiculous for them to charge GBP 170 per week and it was confirmed when we went to the accommodation office the next morning.

So, we have decided to move to a new place which is more cheap and worth it. Luckily, last weekend, we have found our new nest which will cost around GBP 1k (more expensive!)..No no..we have thought that I will only be around during the weekend so my wife has asked her friend to move in together and share the rental. The place is so lovely (picture not available yet) and it is a cozy place to stay (totally worth it). So, we are planning to move in the middle of November and hope everything will be okay.