Don’t Blame the Nasi Lemak!

I read a news report on Monday that the nasi lemak (left) that was served by the organizers of the Kongres Maruah Melayu (Malay Dignity Congress) held in Shah Alam in Selangor on Sunday was found to be the cause of the food poisoning that brought down 197 participants. 

Selangor Health Director Dr Khalid Ibrahim said this was based on analyses of food samples taken at the event. 

As is usually the case, the almost immediate signs of abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea suggest food poisoning. As is the case with the 197 varsity students:

I'm sure the actual number of sufferers could likely be more than what was reported in the media. I think the number of people with delayed symptoms to the food poisoning could double as compared to the the people who get sick soon after eating contaminated food. That’s because food poisoning may start as early as one hour – and as late as 10 days or longer! 

Of course, the exact symptoms and their severity will vary. That will depend on the kind of bacteria, virus, or parasite that’s infected you, how much is in your system, and how well your immune system is fighting it off.

So, it is distressing that the poor nasi lemak gets the blame – the people who didn’t give two hoots about hygiene remain incognito and unmasked. 

it has to be mentioned that researchers from Universiti Malaya, led by Assoc Prof Dr Siti Nursheena Mohd Zain (right) have prominently identified food handlers as a source of food-borne disease outbreaks in Malaysia (Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, October 2017). 

Food poisoning is fairly frequent in this country. You read about it repeatedly in the media – I definitely remember the shocking images of unhygienic practices in some popular restaurants – from kitchen workers washing dishes in the back alley of a Bangsar restaurant (pic below), to rat and other vermin infestation in some well-known eateries in Kuala Lumpur – had emerged, raising real concerns on public health.

And I’m not just saying this just so I have something to blog about. 

According to the Compendium of Environment Statistics, Malaysia, 2016, Department of Statistics, Malaysia, food poisoning recorded the highest incidence rate of 47.3 per 100,000 population. 

In 2017, a total of 401 cases were recorded while 469 cases were recorded in 2018. This means the number of food poisoning cases increased by almost 24 percent last year, compared with the year before (New Straits Times, July 13, 2019). 

Based on some numbers I have, this year could be worse – I’m looking at about 500 cases and more. 

Anyway, eat safe and be safe.

5G is the fifth generation cellular network technology. And it is arriving at the right time. 

It is noteworthy to mention that Asia Pacific is leading the world in terms of 5G deployment – and South Korea is the first country to commercialize the use of the technology – its subscriber numbers are reported to have crossed the 3 million mark in September. 

But China is aggressively gearing up to launch 5G and according to Beijing News (October 06, 2019), China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom have already signed up 9 million advance orders since last month in anticipation of their soon-to-be 5G rollout supposedly end October of this year. 

The official statistics of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economics and Information Technology state that the three state-owned China mobile network operators have completed more than 8,800 5G base stations in Beijing alone and not counting the other cities in China. 

China Mobile aims to double their current nationwide 5G base stations to 50,000 by end of this year, while China Telecom and China Unicom will jointly build and maintain 5G radio access networks nationwide with 40,000 sites across 40-50 cities by end of this year. 

With the spread of 5G networks, innovative applications in 5G environments are expected to roll out. E.g. On September 25, Daxing International Airport officially opened its doors. And Eastern Airlines, Beijing Unicom and Huawei jointly released a 5G-based smart travel integrated service system at DIA – under the system, the user does not need to present the ID card and the QR code as usual, and only needs face recognition to complete the travel process such as ticket purchase, check-in, check-in, security check, and boarding. 

We are now starting to see commercial 5G networks going live. Previous generations were focused on consumer and personal communications but now 5G will serve consumers and enterprises and take the Internet of Things (IoT) to the next level, where superior connectivity is a prerequisite. 

[Additional notes: The term Internet of Things generally refers to scenarios where network connectivity and computing capability extends to objects, sensors and everyday items not normally considered computers, allowing these devices to generate, exchange and consume data with minimal human intervention. There is, however, no single, universal definition. 

The IoT is an emerging topic of technical, social, and economic significance. Consumer products, durable goods, cars and trucks, industrial and utility components, sensors, and other everyday objects are being combined with Internet connectivity and powerful data analytic capabilities that promise to transform the way we work, live, and play.

Projections for the impact of IoT on the Internet and economy are impressive, with some anticipating as many as 100 billion connected IoT devices and a global economic impact of more than $11 trillion by 2025]. 

5G is open for business!