The Bohemian City

Lab 1.52 Christmas lunch @ Bistro Papillion

Christmas lunch @ cambridge

Malaysia @ football

It's okay. Malaysia had some bad results in the AFF Suzuki Cup. Nevertheless, I am sure we're not going to stop trying nor give up easily. The most important thing is we need to keep up the good hard works and play with sincerity. Maybe it's not the time for our football to be on the spotlight again but we'll search for that moment. Maybe not in this 10 years or maybe I'm not even going to see Malaysia plays in the world cup (I hope not!) but I wish them all the best. I know we can do it! We just need time for that. Success will not come overnight. I will always behind them. Just ignore the critics coz they support EPL more than Malaysian team. Let them be. Let them be.

Ratu Sehari entry

I want to wish million of thanks to Ms. Shuhada (Ratu Sehari Magazine's writer) for her assistance and benevolence.

Aidiladha and farewell lunch in Cambridge

Angkasawan Malaysia

A role model for Malaysian? So far, I wonder + a little bit of disappointed..

Award winning poster by Zetty Norhana aka my lovely wife

Best Poster Award for Plant Genetics Category at the 6th National Congress on Genetics, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2005

Zetty won the best poster award for her Msc. project which was absolutely brilliant. Her project aims was to develop rapid detection (kit) for detecting the presence of fungal pathogen Ganoderma boninense. She has covered the preliminary part (which is very crucial) of this project during her Msc. study. As far as I know, many big labs through out the world including CABI tried to develop this technique but have not been successful yet. There were some researchers claimed that they have developed a standard protocol for this technique but when they were asked to test it in the field, a lot of excuses were given. It's hard but yet it is achievable. Well, hopefully they can develop this method because it is important for the oil palm industry which has been affected quite seriously with this pathogen.

Well done dear!!! Congratulations.

p/s: Zetty is now working on algae as a model organism to study vitamin biosynthesis in plants. More about her current works will be posted soon.

Smiley moon..shining stars!

How I wish I could take this picture :-(

Sekolah Kebangsaan Malaysia

1. Sejak kebelakangan ini, ramai orang yang bercakap secara jelas dan nyata mengenai hak kaum masing-masing. Mereka menuntut, menegaskan hak dan keadilan bagi masing-masing. Justeru, keadaaan ini sentiasa mewujudkan ketegangan pada garisan nipis yang boleh menjadi kasar pada bila-bila masa sahaja. Saban minggu, ada sahaja pihak yang cuba melakar garisan kasar dan memporak-perandakan ketenangan yang sekian lama dinikmati.
2. Secara halus, perkara ini dibangkitkan oleh pihak-pihak tertentu (terutamanya politikus) yang cuba untuk menonjolkan diri masing-masing sebagai seorang tokoh yang memperjuangkan bangsanya. Tiada modal yang lagi berbisa daripada menjadikan hak dan keadilan kaum sebagai batu loncatan untuk mara ke hadapan dalam bidang politik. Tanpa mengambil kira faktor kedamaian yang dikecapi selama ini, yang telah mendatangkan banyak manfaat, kontroversi dihalalkan bagi mengapai objektif dan matlamat tertentu. Seumpama menonton filem hindustan, politikus menaja keganasan tetapi berlagak hero di mata rakyat dengan membanterasnya.
3. Jadi, dimanakah letaknya peranan Sekolah Kebangsaan Malaysia? Mengapa wujud pelbagai sekolah yang berasaskan kaum, agama dan nenek moyang? Di mana silapnya untuk mewujudkan bangsa Malaysia?
4. Sekolah kebangsaan dan jenis kebangsaan telah diwujudkan sejak zaman British lagi. Sejajar dengan polisi amalan pecah dan belah, pendidikan yang diterapkan memberi keutamaan kepada bahasa inggeris dan bahasa melayu manakala sekolah-sekolah Cina dan India dibiarkan berkembang sendirian. Secara dasarnya, ini ialah bagi mengelakkan penyatupaduan antara kaum bagi mendapatkan kemerdekaan. Namun hasrat British tidak kesampaian apabila perlbagai kaum dan etnik di Malaysia bersatu padu bagi mencapai kemerdekaan.
5. Namun, sistem sekolah tersebut terus diamalkan. Kononnya, bagi memelihara warisan atau jati diri atau asal usul diri masing-masing. Kesilapan pertama Tunku Abdul Rahman dan rakan seangkatannya dalam Perikatan ialah tidak menghapuskan sistem ini. Mereka tidak memperjuangkan apa yang akan terjadi selepas mencapai Kemerdekaan. Mungkin kerana leka diatas kemenangan yang dikecapi maka sistem ini diabaikan.
6. Penyata Razak 1956 ada mencadangkan mengenai konsep sekolah satu sistem yang mengutamakan Bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa utama pelajaran dan setiap pelajar akan melanjutkan pelajaran ke sekolah kebangsaan pada peringkat menengah. Namun cadangannya tidak dipersetujui. Sayang sekali Penyata Rahman Talib pada 1961 tidak menyentuh secara tegas cadangan Penyata Razak.
7. Secara sarcastik, apa yang berlaku hari ini adalah kesan daripada percaturan politikus-politikus daripada dahulu sehinggalah sekarang. Generasi yang mewarnai kancah politik kaum sekarang adalah hasil ciptaan politik itu sendiri.
8. Selepas peristiwa berdarah 1969 dan apa yang disaksi dan didiskusi pada hari ini, maka wujudlah keperluan untuk Akta Pelajaran dikemas kini!! Semua murid-murid di Malaysia harus menghadiri sekolah kebangsaan. Keserasian dan integrasi antara kaum harus disemai dan dipupuk daripada bangku persekolahan. Mungkin ianya tidak dipersetujui oleh ramai pihak yang dihasilkan oleh sistem politikus yang terdahulu tetapi perlu ada seseorang yang berani dan yakin untuk melaksanakannya. Kesannya mungkin tidak dapat dilihat dalam masa terdekat kerana matlamatnya ialah masa hadapan.
9. Kesaksamaan mungkin dapat disemai di situ. Jurang antara kaum mungkin dapat dikecilkan. Kesangsian mungkin dapat dihapuskan. Lama kelamaan politik yang berlandaskan perkauman dan percakaran dapat dihapuskan namun identiti bangsa akan dapat dikekalkan dan mungkin sekali mencapai taraf baru sebagai bangsa maju. Kalau di tempat lain di merata dunia dapat melaksanakan sekolah kebangsaan maka Malaysia tidak? Mengapa gentar?

Oil palm clones disease

I used to report on a Drechslera infection to oil palm clones at early nursery stage. It's economically serious cause one clone seedling will cost you around RM 30. Just imagine that's this fungus has infected more than thousand of oil palm clones. Nevertheless, this is a very rare case. Normally, common diseases at the nursery stage would be Curvularia or Glomerella. So happen, I just started my job and that was my first assignment. So I took the challenge by using fungicides and I succeeded. I traced back the clones till to the lab and asked them to do some major sterilisation with air conditioner and protocols. Now, the application of the fungicides have been a Standard Operation Procedure for FASSB.

REPORT ON CLONE’S DISEASE INCIDENCE

Recommendation to control the disease incidence

Symptom of infection has been detected since arrival of the clones. Symptoms such as yellowish zone occurred on the healthy leaf. After several days, the yellowish zone started to become brown color. Then, the leaves dried and die completely. Investigation must be develop starting from the lab due to observation that clones have been infected by the time they reached to the nursery.

From the infected clones, one isolate of fungi has been isolated. The fungus has been identified as Drechslera but more identification process has to be made to confirm the identified fungus.

Clones with symptoms need to be separate from other healthy clones in order to prevent the fungus from infect the healthy clones. Two trial need to be set up regarding the fungicides treatment.

Trial 1
- Clones with symptoms will be placed in a separate place.
- Application of Kenlate and Dithane will be made.
- Application of the fungicides will be made once a week for each fungicide according to the rate suggested by the chemical company.
- Observation will be recorded at 3 days interval.

Trial 2
- Clones with symptoms will be places in a separate place.
- Application of Thiram will be made
- The application will be applied once a week for each fungicide according to the rate suggested by the chemical company.
- Observation will be recorded at 3 days interval.

The trial must be held under tight watering system to avoid any secondary infection.

Bristol

Well, I think Bristol is not so bad afterall. Sadly, we didn't have the time to go to the Suspension Bridge! I'm sure it'll be lovely though. Nevermind, it's just five minutes away (by train) from Bath (I was quite suprised!). Haha. Ok. Next trip will be soon enough.

Philosophy: Work hard weekdays, walk hard weekend.