Author: InpressGlobal

Written by the Editorial Team

TWO good news for In Press Global!

On 8 November 2017, the In Press Global group was honoured to have Datuk Seri Dr. Salleh Said Keruak, Minister of Communication and Multimedia officiate the website, as the first official research website managed by post graduate students from the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies.

The In Press Global group accomplished a double achievement as the website has been endorsed by the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies on an earlier date. This led to a greater milestone whereby the event, “The Way Forward Towards Research Excellence” received permission to be held in the Parliament House of Kuala Lumpur.

According to the founder and advisor of In Press Global, Associate Professor Dr. Sara Chinnasamy, this event was conducted with the aim of grooming post-graduate students to excel in research culture.

This event also serves as a platform for academics and post graduate students alike to exchange innovative ideas pertaining social media, an objective in the International Communication’s (COM 733) course. Additionally, the public could benefit from reading articles published in the website as there are analyses of various current issues.

Besides the officiation of the website, the event witnessed a book launch authored by Associate Professor Dr. Sara Chinnasamy herself, entitled “New Media Political Engagement and Participation in Malaysia” published by the renowned academic publisher, Routledge.

From left 1st row: Anis Adrina, Nur Hawa Shafiqa, Rafidah, Farah Hanani, Siti Amirah, Samiyah Nur Hasyimah, Aliya Soraya, Nuremy, Amni, Shafiaina

From left 2nd row: Wan Anis Aqilah, Irfarina, Nazmi Suraya, Nurhanis, Ahmad Mubin Rasydan, Aris, Noor Zahra, Putera Muhammad, Norafiqah

2nd row centre: Professor Dr. Azizul Halim Yahya, Associate Professor Dr. Saraswathy Chinnasamy, Datuk Seri Dr. Salleh Said Keruak, Datuk Liang Teck Meng, Puvaniten Puvan, Professor Dr. Abdul Hadi Nawawi

Written by Balqis Ariffin

Image source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/645667/Brexit-EU-European-Union-Referendum-David-Cameron-Economic-Impact-UK-EU-exit-leave

Universally, the departure of Britain from the European Union (EU) or infamously known as Brexit has triggered controversial debate and conflict worldwide. This is because such exit will significantly affect the United Kingdom’s political, economic, social as well as relationship with other European nations. Besides that, it also has signified the division between the citizen pertaining to this matter as there is a difference in view and acceptance in the withdrawal.

A referendum which was held on 23rd of June last year has examined the notion of the United Kingdom withdrawing from the European Union, in which 51.9% out of 71.8% or about 30 million people participated in the poll have voted for Brexit whilst only slight differences in amount of 48.1% of public voted against it. Specifically, both Scotland and Northern Ireland constitute the highest percentage of remaining in the union, in the meantime, Wales and England recorded much higher of vote whereby the people agreed and consented of Brexit.

Initially, European Union was referred to as European Economic Community (ECC) in the year 1957, in which it only consisted of several nations only namely Belgium, Netherlands, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and France. Afterwards, United Kingdom managed to participate in the European Union after a failed attempt as it was rejected by former France President, President Charles de Gaulle.

Besides that, the tension between Britain and the union has existed in a long time during the administration of Margaret Thatcher, in which the United Kingdom was forced to paid higher amount of financial payment due to shortage in farming. Moreover, a similar referendum was conducted in 1975, in which the outcome of it is different than today as more than half of the turnover wished to remain in the European Union.

Later on, in 1993 the European Union was established through Maastricht Treaty, emphasized on the convergence of its member through economy and politic such as implementation of single currency which is known as euro, right of nationality and similar foreign policy.

However, there were several conflicts that occurred between the European Union nations and Britain, in which the United Kingdom has experience banned due to mad cow disease and the prolonged legal dispute of 27 years on chocolate has eventually enabled the United Kingdom to sell its chocolate in neighboring countries when the European Court of Justice meted out the verdict.

This is because some of the countries had criticized the recipe used as they claimed that it consists of excessive milk and also condemned the use of vegetable oil in it, hence they demand the product to be labeled as chocolate substitute, household milk chocolate and vegelate (Pruitt, 2017).

Most of all, the former Prime Minister, David Cameron has resigned due to the outcome of such vote as he has always been against the departure. Eventually, the vacant position was filled by former home secretary Theresa May, who managed to win without any contest from other parties quit (Hunt & Wheeler, 2017). Currently, a general election is being held in the United Kingdom.

Besides that, Theresa May has taken several measures to invoke the Article 50 in the European Union treaty as on March 29 this year such mandate was delivered to the Council of the European Union. This implies the official intention of withdrawal from the union, hence the formal date of departure is March 30 of 2019 (Pruitt, 2017).

Therefore, the significant issue that can be observed through the background of the United Kingdom and the European Union is the existence of several conflicts which occurred even before Britain participates in the union. Eventually, it is already a symptom of disagreement and discrepancy in managing the relation with other European nations.

FACTORS OF DEPARTURE FROM EUROPEAN UNION (EU)

Furthermore, the primary reasons that majority of people in Britain wanted to leave the European Union are due to financial compensation which cost about billions per year but the profit gained is slight compared than the reimburse of membership charges. Moreover, the union also imposed rules and regulations against Britain, hence the citizen wanted their nation to create and control the decision making of its own laws and regulations.

Apart from that, the issue of immigration is also the contributing factor in which through the withdrawal from the union, United Kingdom could significantly control and administer its border (Hunt & Wheeler, 2017). This is evident as there were high number of immigrants from the European Union that came to Britain which is about 250,000 last year alone and the total of the current union immigrant that reside is 3.2 million in 2015, which is much higher compared than other European Union members as the United Kingdom is amongst the three nations that accept people to work.

However, with the outcome of the referendum, it has eventually influenced the number of immigrants as such percent seems to be dropped by 51,000 people from European Union and non-European Union countries (O’Leary, 2017). This is evident as the previous study conducted by Matti and Zhou pertaining to the result of the referendum found that immigrant is the main factor that influences the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

In addition, issues relating to regulation, employment and economy only contribute to such issue moderately, hence it contradicted with majority of notion which think that economy is the primary concern of the Britain citizen. This proves to be at fault as the level of concern implies the lowest score since the great recession (Matti & Zhou, 2016).

Most of all, the regulation of free movement amongst the member of the European Union, in which visa is not required to reside in affiliate of the union. Basically, such implementation is perceived as a threat to the people as it is a mere indirect conception and establishment toward the so-called United States of European nations (Hunt & Wheeler, 2017).

Personally, it can be stated that such reasons for departure are comprehensible and understandable as it came from the notion and emotion of insecurity as well as allegiant and pride toward their own country. However, the primary question is that such dissimilarity in belief has subsequently led to segregation of its citizen, thus there is different of understating in context of nationalism in Britain amongst the people.

BREXIT AND POLITICAL ECONOMY

Most of all, the main highlight of such exit was that the poll that serves as an indicator of class division due to globalization and industrial deterioration, in which can be seen through two different standards of life according to the setting of industrial areas namely Wales and England.  Basically, the primary circumstance that triggers such revolt is the wage obtained in such region is relatively low.

Furthermore, such distinction of region is measurable through education, age, identity and especially social class of the turnout. Therefore, through the referendum conducted it can be seen that such outcome clearly signify the current political economy of United Kingdom.

Most of all, such separation was also due to the fall of industrial state in Britain, which somehow dated back during the Victorian era to the administration of Margaret Thatcher until the current economic situation of issues experience by local manufacturer due to China’s control and power, in which the employment rate was lessen. Moreover, the arrival of the immigrant in significant amount of number has eventually influenced the United Kingdom as well.

Apart from that, in the aspect of globalization it can also be observed that with high concentration of union implementation and strict regulations in Scandinavia, it has significantly influenced social protection and communal wage of the economy. Eventually, the immigrant is susceptible to unemployment and social segregation as well.

In addition, the issue of single market also plays a significant role in the Brexit’s political economy, as both London city and the financial industry will try to justify their access of the single market as well as injected it in the European Union (Pearce, 2016). Besides that, it is broadly known that the London or which is commonly referred to as the City in this context, favored soft Brexit in which can be understand that an affiliate of the single market needs to value the concept of free movement (Hunt & Wheeler, 2017).

Basically, it must also be known that dissimilar perspective was due to the fact that London is considered as the financial center of the world and also Brexit is a form of barrier for the local financial industry to attain its success. However, the concerns over the future of United Kingdom are also unpredictable and unforeseeable as it relies on several ongoing matters. Most of all, it can be observed that there is a significant acceptance of Brexit as different people or institution have dissimilar benefits or advantages through the European Union.

THE EFFECTS OF WITHDRAWAL FROM EUROPEAN UNION (EU)

Basically, certain people stated that the departure from the European Union will affect the Britain’s economy, in which higher cost is required in the area of purchasing and selling of goods with other foreign nations. Conversely, some claimed that it does not significantly influence as the remaining European Union’s member will not cut ties with Britain in term of trading and business.

Furthermore, it will also influence the United Kingdom’s economy which is perceived as the financial center of the world, this is because with the absent of single market and access of land to Ireland it will jeopardize the position of Britain. Apart from that, Britain’s citizen will be susceptible to lose the citizenship right and free emergency health care. Most of all, United Kingdom needs to engage in World Trade Organization rules for trading with its customs authorizations and charges (Hunt & Wheeler, 2017).

The initial effects that Britain suffered are enough to signify the challenges that this nation will experience with the absent of European Union, especially in the aspect of economy and politic instability.

Therefore, it can be obviously seen that it is difficult to foresee the impacts of such departure as prolonged duration is necessary to outline any effects on political, economy and culture of Britain. However, the burden should not lie solely on the United Kingdom as the European Union should also concern over the issues that led to such withdrawal and amend essential regulations to ensure common good is attainable and satisfaction between its members pertaining to law that is taken.

“Providing the Best and Wow Experience for Our Guests” is Teaffani Catering’s promise to patrons looking for excellent dining experience. Teaffani Catering has been in the industry since 2011 and began its humble beginnings as a home-based business. Developed from High Tea concept services with just 2 staff, it has now grown to employ 17 times more people than its initial beginning! This is thanks to people’s trust for the brand, passed down by word of mouth.

Teaffani Catering continuously aims to innovate their recipes and improve their services.  Now, they not only cater for High Tea, they can also cater for a whole day event in various settings, including schools, corporate events and even weddings. Recognizing their skills to WOW customers, they were awarded as the official food provider for Malaysia’s ‘Dinner in the Sky in 2017’. This concept invites customers to experience dining in-the-air, seated on a floating dining table stretching from a crane of 20 storey high, a truly gastronomical food adventure. This is their greatest achievement in delivering a unique and memorable dining experience.

In order to deliver a wonderful and WOW experience, Teaffani Catering ensures its suppliers are all HALAL certified and practices HALAL steps and requirements to meet the demands of all the its customers. As a Premium Caterer, their selection of food ranges from Asian to Western cuisine with a variety of selection from each menu.  “Roasted BBQ Sesame Chicken” is one of the recommended selection from their menu, deliciously marinated with BBQ sauce topped with a generous amount of sesame sauce. Oven roasted to perfection, this chicken meat is served tender, as soft as the cloud of heaven that melts in your mouth with a well blend of the chef’s special sauces.

Aside from catering main course menu, Teaffani Catering offers canapé service – bite sized food suitable for product launches. It is the preferred choice especially if you intend to let guests mingle around while Teaffani servers walk around with the serving platter.

In this menu, its most delicious mouthful is the deep-fried Treasure Bag, giving a whole new meaning to food – crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The way it is served will mesmerize guests as Teaffani Catering really puts the A to an awesome dish!

For those who are still looking for caterers to cater for your wedding, corporate dinner and even provide meals for your training programme, please do not hesitate to contact Teaffani Catering at their website www.teaffani.com  or email for further inquiries at info@teaffani.com

 

Written by Putera Muhammad

As technologies continue to be advanced, young adolescents are now having wider access to electronic interactive games on game consoles, handheld players, computers, the Internet, and cellular phones as compared to many years back. This trend is seen as a good start for them in order to catch up with the evolution of technologies in our world.

Music or sound is the oldest way of communication even before it is considered as an entertainment product. It plays an important role in the socialization of society. Popular music is present in almost everywhere, and currently, it is accessible through the radio, various recordings, the Internet, and new technologies, thus allowing adolescents to listen to it in diverse settings and situations.

Picture : www.image.freepik.com

Adolescents use music as a part of the process for identity development and their music choice provides them a place for group identity and integration into the youth culture. They use music to reflect their emotional state, particularly when they are feeling lonely or “down” and also as a stimulant, as a way to “boost” their energy level, or to create a more positive image of themselves.

Unfortunately, parents are often unaware of the lyrics in the song their children are listening to. It is because of the increasing use of downloaded music and also usage of headphones. In the popular music charts, many songs especially those which are form Western often contain lyrics that are explicit which includes drugs, sex, and violence as their reference in the songs over the years. If the adolescents keep searching into the web, they might find a song that is more explicit because they can have direct access the World Wide Web rather than the old times where the place to browsing is the computer in the living room.

It is true that they only use music only for entertainment, and there is a very little or no attention is paid to the lyrics, and if any attention is given, they do not comprehend it well and the understanding is limited and only related to the experiences lived by the listener but if they keep listening to those kind of lyrics constantly, the tendency to be affected without consent is very likely.

Hence, we should become familiar with the role of music in the lives of children and adolescents and identify music preferences of theirs as clues to emotional conflict or problems. The parents and communities should encourage themselves to become media literate and aware of the music industry’s parental advisory warning of explicit content to protect their children from offensive materials.

 

 

Written by Aliya Soraya Shafiee

Do you know that one of the fun way of teaching and motivating children is by music? Music, can be used as wat of educating children especially for children who have special needs. It can’t be argued that music actually helps children in learning life skills, also in children’s development. Children often experess their feelings and show their creativeness through music, while some of us may think that it is not a type of theraphy.

Rarely we know that when children are playing a good quality of music instruments during a theraphy session, it actually helps them especially for children who has difficulties in their sense of hearing, moving, responding and so forth. Each of these senses can provide them an experience to the music in their own way. Like they way they strum the ukulele, or even beat the drum, blowing the recorder or even hit the triangular. This may causes them to have cognitive stimulation, increasing motor movements, self-respond on the music beat whereby these are some of the goals in conducting this kind music theraphy for children.

Apart from that, participation will be even better when it comes to music thereaphy. By participating in this kind of therephy, a person who suffers cerebal palsy can stimulate their communication skills, how they express their emotions, and also, helping them to be more socialize, such as being brave to talk to people or even becomes confident in what they do. To add on, not many realized that actually children who suffer autism or Asperger is lack with their social skills which caused them to be afraid to participate in a social situations such as playing with friends or meeting new friends. Autism childrens tend to have interest in music as they can actually express themselves, also communicating non-verbaly with others.

Music is very helpful in condition where they are unable to express themselve verbally. It is a medium that actually explores the inner world of someone. Not only that, a person who suffer in developmental delays and learning diasbilities, such as autism or down syndrome will indeed give better response to music.

Additionally, motor skills and imagination of children can be increased by musical intrument. This happens especially in classroom. Children can create their own sound of music, according to their imagination. Probably, they can imagine that they have a band with their friends while playing instruments with their friends!

Meanwhile, in medical line, music also act as a tool in calming down children. In other words, it can be said that music tend to comfort children who has a traumatic experience, for example after they undergo a surgery. Indeed, it is a powerful tool that can grab the patient’s attention from pain suffering and make them more relax than before.

All in all, parents should have knowledge on using music as a theraphy for their children. It can help children in improving their cognitive skills, social skills, communication skills and so forth. This also applies to children who actually need a special care such as autism or down syndrome. A suitable type or genre of music, such as a soothing sound of music need to be recognized so that people would not simply play any unsuitable genre to be listened by children. It is fine to spend on music instrument for your children as it actually encourage their mental development!

 

Written by Noor Zahra Zamalik

When was the last time you like and comment your friends post in Facebook? ‘Hearted’ some pictures in Instagram? ‘Tweeted’ your comment in Twitter? Instant messaged via ‘Whatsapp’, ‘Snapchatted’ or ‘Wechat’? View a Youtube video? Indulged yourself with online games? or ‘Google-ing’ for ‘fact-checked’ of certain information? Was it a minute ago? an hour or sometimes today? Well, if you’re engaged with one of these terms, then you’re probably addicted in at least one of the social media platforms and will constantly use it over and over again.

It can’t be denied that social media has become an integral part of today’s world and we agreed that social media feed us with loads of information via internet as well as become very fabric upon the society. With technology evolving every minute, we will constantly changing information from each other all over the world as such social media provided us with access information as well as opinions that could expand our thinking and point of view.

Credit Image: Ashkan Rohani

However, some researchers agree that certain platforms may have positive impacts on mental health as the platforms help to enlarge the connections to exchange views whilst other researchers stated that the longer time a person spends on social media, the more he will suffer from mental health issues. Numerous studies had identified connections between social media and negative outcomes such as increased depression, loneliness, narcissism, and compulsive behavior. A study conducted, in 1995, a project namely The HomeNet has provided a computer and Internet for 93 households that previously have no Internet experience. The study found that the greater use of Internet by the community was associated with signs such as loneliness and depression on the initial year. In 2013, a study conducted based on Facebook usage among 1143 students has found that major depressive disorder, dysthymia, bipolar-mania, narcissism, antisocial-personality disorder, and compulsive behavior on the users.

Credit Image: Allison Abrams

There are few ways social media affects users’ mental health. The social media platforms can be addictive as a study found that when people stop using, they will undergo small but measurable psychological effects. People who are over-dependent on digital devices have the feeling of anxiety when they stop accessing social media. Social media also triggers more sadness and less well being as it linked to greater feelings of social isolation. A study conducts a research on eleven social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, Google, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Snapchat and Reddit and correlated this with ‘perceived  social isolation’. Besides, the social media users tend to compare their lives with others which is mentally unhealthy. One of the reasons why social media sites make people feel socially isolated is the comparison factor. The user normally falls into trap of comparing himself to others when he scrolls other people feeds and making a judgment about how he is measured up. A study reveals that when we make comparison to other posts, in ‘upward’ or ‘downward’ directions – that is, the feeling that we’re either worse or better than our friends. Somehow, social media can also leads to jealousy-and a vicious cycle such as seeing other people’s tropical vacations or perfectly behaved kids or someone’s achievement in workplace or university. A researcher stated that social media user triggers the feelings of jealousy, he further added that jealous can make his or her life look better, and post jealousy-inducing his or her own photo, in an endless circle of one upping and feeling jealous.

Credit Image: Anna-Belle La Force

However, the unhealthy part of cycle is we keep coming back to social media even we know it doesn’t make us feel good. It is just like a drug as people still scroll to Facebook even he or she feels worse after using it as compared to people who are engaging in other activities. Apart from that, even if a person has many friends on social media, it doesn’t mean he or she is more sociable. A study found out that there seems to be a cap on the number of friends a person’s brain can handle as it takes an actual social interaction to build up a friendship. In conclusion, it is obvious that social media platforms provide us with many benefits such as it keeps us connected across the world, help us track back the long lost friends,  provide us with adequate information  without needed to look for hard copy references and so forth. However, people must also remember that it has potential to disturb our mental health.

Thus, social media is here to stay and it is a life changer. But, the next time you access the social media platforms to watch, generate, comment, share and engage, keep remind yourself on how far it would impacting your mental health.

 

References

Homewood Health Sante. (2017, Jan 20). The Dangers of Social Media on Your Mental Health. Retrieved from Homewoodhealth: https://www2.viu.ca/humanresources/documents/DangersofSocialMediaonYourMentalHealthQ12017.pdf

Pharma & Health Care. (2017, June 30). 6 Ways Social Media Affects Our Mental Health. Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2017/06/30/a-run-down-of-social-medias-effects-on-our-mental-health/#2b3af0012e5a

Strickland, A. (2014). Exploring The Effects of Social Media Use on Mental Health of Young Adults. University of Central Florida Libraries, 4.

 

 

Written by Nur Maizatul Akhma Binti Ab Latif

 

The word gout comes from the Latin, gutta, which means droplets. According to ancient beliefs, this disease is caused by wounds that ‘drop’ into the joint, thus inflicting pain. This disease is suspected to occur due to the presence of toxins which attack the joints. While gout does not happen overnight, it does form slowly, drop by drop.

In medical terms, gout can be interpreted as a disease where excessive accumulation of uric acid is present in the body, either due to increased production, decreased disposal, or of purine rich foods. Gout is characterized by recurrent attacks of acute arthritis, sometimes accompanied by the formation of large sodium urate crystals called tophus, chronic joint deformity and injury to the kidneys.

Anatomy of Goat / Gout

The matrix consists of two types of macromolecules, namely proteoglycans and collagen.

1. Proteoglycans include 10% dry weight prone to joints and contain 70-80% water. This causes the patient to be resistant to pressure and feel elastic joints.
2. Collagen includes 50% dry weight prone to joints and is highly resistant to traction. The more the tip, the more the joints become thicker. This thickness of the joints make collagen resistant to tugs.

Meanwhile, gout disease can be classified into two, namely primary and secondary.

1. Primary goat / gout is caused by genetic and environmental factors, though 99% of the cause can be unknown (idiopathic). However, a combination of genetic and hormonal factors is suspected to be the cause of disruption to metabolism. As a result, the production of uric acid also increases. Primary gout can also be a result of reduced expenditure of uric acid from the body.
2. Secondary goat usually arises because of complications with other diseases (hypertension and artherosclerosis). The cause is partly due to increased production of uric acid, affected by high nutrient intake, such as eating foods with high purine levels. Purine is one of the basic organic compounds that is made up from nucleic acids, and is part amino acid, the protein-forming agent.

Symptoms and signs of gout / goat disease can be seen as follows:

1. Hyperuricemia
2. Arthritis gout / Gout acute, explosive, severe pain, swelling, red, palpable heat in the joints, and will be felt in the waking hours in the morning.
3. Formation of typical uric crystals in the joint fluid
4. There is tofi upon chemical examination
5. There has been more than one acute attack.
6. The presence of attacks in one joint, especially the joints of the big toe,

Criteria of gout disease can be distinguished in three forms, namely:

1. Increased serum uric acid levels;
2. Use of various drugs; and
3. Is ascertained by two methods, namely finding the crystals in the synovial fluid and finding the fusion of the veins in the sediment trophy

If infected with this disease, then one should be treated as follows:

1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
2. If the disease is about 1-2 joints, a solution of corticosteroid crystals can be injected directly into the joint.
3. Pain relief medication is added to control pain, and
4. Drugs such as probenesid or sulfinspirazon function to reduce uric acid levels in the blood.

Though gout disease can be unsuspecting, prevention is better than cure. In addition to setting a strict diet for ourselves, we can reduce the possibility of being affected by gout disease by practising the following:

1. Drink plenty of water
2. Avoid alcoholic beverages
3. Reduce foods that are rich in protein, and
4. If you are overweight, immediately reduce your weight to a balanced range according to your Body Mass Index (BMI)

Written by Shafiaina Izhar

Retrieved from https://www.techworm.net/2017/05/man-set-serve-1140-year-child-pornography.html

 

American Psychiatric Association has defined a pedophilia as a psychiatric disorder whereby it define an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. In the vein of age level, criteria for pedophilia extend the cut-off point for pre-pubescence to age 13.

 

Pedophilia also can be seen as a paraphilia that involves an intense and recurrent sexual urges towards and having a fantasies about prepubescent children which have either been acted upon or which cause the person with the attraction distress or interpersonal difficulty.

 

The consumption of child pornography is a more reliable indicator of pedophilia existence than molesting a child even though some non-pedophiles also view child pornography. The tendency towards pedophile exists increased since the increasing of child pornography consumption. Researchers Taylor and Quale also reported that pedophilic collectors of child pornography are often involved in anonymous internet communities dedicated to extending their collections.

 

So, is there any causes that lead them to be pedophile?

 

This situation occurs when the Internet and social media have allowed unencumbered access to these illegal images and videos of children. People can be traced as they are “flying under the radar” while accessing the Internet. This can be a cause that child pornography is acting as a catalyst, facilitating an interest in the sexual images of children and in Internet-facilitated sexual offending.

 

Some studies have been conducted regarding the increasing of pedophile issue. According to the Mayo Clinic in U.S.A., studies and case reports indicate that 30% to 80% of individuals who viewed child pornography and 76% of individuals who were arrested for Internet child pornography had molested a child. This study was conducted with U.S.A citizens. How about in Malaysia?

 

In June 2016, Malaysians were shocked to hear the news about one of Britain’s pedophiles Richard Huckle was, who posed as an English teacher, was faced a total of 91 charges for sexually assaulting 23 children in Kuala Lumpur and the offences were committed between 2006 and 2014 with investigators saying there could have been up to 200 child victims during nine years he spent around Kuala Lumpur’s suburbs.

 

The concern here is what are the precautions steps to reduce the consumption of child pornography? What are the efforts did by any enforcement to avoid this pedophile become more aggressive? We need to do something to reduce and probably to avoid the pedophilia and child molestation among Malaysian citizens.

Written by Anis Adrina Md Nor

The rapid development of technologies and Internet has made the world become borderless as everyone can have the access to the virtual world. This situation enables people to access countless information online and this has offered challenges to news industry as they are now have to compete with online news media in order to disseminate information.

As more people are now preferring online medium as the source to get information, news industry is now trying to establish their new form of news products from paper form to digital form in which they also publish news in online platform as to fulfil the demand for the content through online.  The digitization of media contents are now transforming the way media products are consumed and produced.

If we look at few years back in newspaper industry, the traditional form of newspaper is the one that is printed on the papers, portable and must be purchased from stores or subscribed to newspaper delivery in order to read about things that is happening in local and also international. Things that happen today can be read in the newspaper on the next day.

However, today, we are living in the era of Internet where news is also being digitalized. Nowadays, people can read news through online websites whether from mainstream media or alternative media. They don’t have to wait until tomorrow morning to get newspaper in order to update about certain issues. Many newspaper organisations have now decided to widen their presence in ‘online world’ so that they can reach wider audiences due to the broad influence of Internet.

One advantage of the Internet to news organisations is that it allows online newspapers to operate and it is easy to join as it does not require. On the other hand, Internet and presence of online news websites is also changes the way newspapers are distributed or circulated where it is now become available online and people does not have to buy the physical newspaper to get news.

In Malaysia, we can see that there are a lot of Malaysian newspapers which are also published as online news in their own websites. For instance, The Star online, The Sun Online, Utusan online, Berita Harian online, Metro online, Kosmo! online, Sinar Harian online and News Straits Times online and many more including alternative media  that are only operating online news through website such as Malaysia Kini and Malaysian Insider (recently has been banned by Malaysian government).  

Although the transformation of conventional media into digital media is seen as positive move which allows people to have instant updates about current issues and events that is happening around the world, it also has given challenges to newspaper circulation. Since the acceptance of Internet and introduction of online news platform, circulation of print newspaper in Malaysia has dropped.

If you look at Audit Bureau of Circulation Malaysia, you can see that circulation of print newspaper in Malaysia has been dropping for few years. For instances, the circulation results from period July to December for three years, 2014, 2015 and 2016 shows the decrease in daily circulation of both Malay and English newspaper.

One example of the decrease of newspaper is Berita Harian newspaper where in July to December 2014, it is reported that the circulation of the newspaper was 109, 088 copies, then 106, 754 copies in the same period for 2015 and it continues to drop to 91, 229 copies daily in 2016 during the same period.

Not only that, Kosmo! newspaper also experienced the same trend of decreasing circulation from 199, 795 in July to December 2014, to 187, 967 in the same period for 2015 and continues to drop to 163, 147 copies in 2016.  

English newspapers are also experiencing the dropping of newspaper circulation daily. A s an example, New Straits Times, during the period of July to December 2014, it recorded 68, 812 copies, then, 62, 113 copies during the same period in 2015 while 54, 490 copies during the same period in 2016.

Actually, there are many more dropping in other newspaper circulation which can be accessed in Audit Bureau of Circulation Malaysia website. From these decreasing trend in newspaper circulation, one of the factor that has been seen as contributing to it is the emergence of Internet and the existence of online platform for news. This may be because of online news portal has provided the easier platform for the readers that may not have the time to read the printed newspaper during the daytime or at certain location such as offices.

The transformation of news industry that has been brought by Internet may be good and also bad to the industry itself. However, whether it could ‘kill’ the conventional newspaper, it depends on how people consume the news itself.

For now, there are a lot of people that still prefer to read news from printed newspapers also they already update themselves with the current issues through online. This is one factor that could ensure the survival of print newspaper.

 

Written by Putera Muhammad

There are many languages around the world for thousands of centuries. People from different zones of the world have made interaction sometimes without sharing any common language with the advancement of technology and human interaction levels. How does the people communicated long ago, before the presents languages even existed? Believe it or not, music and communication are closely related since centuries ago.

In the early stages of human evolution, music was used mainly for communication rather than as entertainment like today. Drums, horns and bells are some example of the instrument used by the people from centuries ago to communicate with each other. Some researchers consider the early forms of human interaction and language is developed from their interaction through music, and it continues to accomplish many functions in different cultures today.

Credit : www.musicalbridges.com

Music is one way for the people to express themselves and interact with each other without language as well as a platform in which cultures can identify themselves and also connect with each other and find the same interest. The sights and sounds can give a powerful impressions on us. We can get a mental picture of the people of some culture when we hear their culture music and perhaps have some impression of their language, art and other details too.

After few centuries, music and its industry is now a part of the commercial world, musical stars are in limelight on today’s world, they have the power to change public opinion because music is frequently used as a way of expressing something without any action so it can relate to many people. Nowadays, if there are any disaster happen in the world, it is in high possibility that the people in the music industry will come up with their own song to raise money or awareness about the disaster.

Music and communication are linked together, remember the times we share a song link to a friend or loved one through the web to express our mood and the times when we remember old memories when we listen to certain music or sound. We are definitely using music as a medium of communication, and for millennials on social media, we can learn a lot about them from the genre of music they listen to in one of the categories on their profiles in called “Favourite Music”.

Looking at how it can be use by individuals to express themselves and connect people, that is why people who create music and has the power to change public opinion should be responsible in creating a good content in order to spread positivity to people. It can be said that maybe music is even more essential than language in terms of helping person from other cultures to connect and understand another.