Sustainability

KOTA KINABALU: The construction of the in-campus teaching hospital, Hospital Universiti Malaysia Sabah (HUMS), has reached 30% and is set to be fully completed by the end of 2022. UMS vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Taufiq Yap Yun Hin, in attributing the delay to the Covid-19 pandemic, said he was confident that the completion target would be met. “With the movement restrictions, construction workers’ capacity was also reduced as we have to follow the SOP,” he said on the status of the project. Officially launched in 2018, the HUMS project covering 110,853 sq m was initially expected to be completed this year, but the timeline was changed to March 2022 before being revised again. The “smart hospital” will be self-sustainable financially and offer over 400 beds with all-inclusive medical facilities. “Once operational, besides being a teaching hospital and a smart facility which is digitally driven, it will also serve as a regional hospital. “It will upgrade the healthcare ... » Learn More about Hospital UMS set to finish by end 2022

Teratai state assemblyman Lai Wai Chong should not have made Covid-19-related matters in Selangor worse. All of Malaysia knows that the state has been leading the nation in new Covid-19 cases on a daily basis for the last few months. Now, a video of this pro-Pakatan Harapan independent taking a dive at a jungle waterfall has gone viral. They sounded extremely delighted and happy while taking the plunge despite the restrictive travel measures imposed by the government to curb the spread of Covid-19. This is clear proof of standard operating procedure (SOP) non-compliance, and it should not be taken lightly by the relevant authorities. They had entered the Ulu Jelai forest reserve without permission and the investigation is still ongoing. Whatever the outcome of the investigation and punishment to be meted out against him and his gang, this act of SOP non-compliance should be dealt with serious punitive action to serve as a bitter but good lesson for others. Lai and his friends ... » Learn More about SOP adherence vital to bring us back to normalcy

Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg Today is the first day of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, an event that has been riddled with controversy and difficulties in its lead-up, during this Covid-19 pandemic. One highly-discussed aspect of the Games has been the beds in the athletes' village, which are made of cardboard. After rumours went around that they were designed this way to be "anti-sex" beds, some athletes took it upon themselves to demonstrate the strength of the beds. Actually for environmental sustainability First, to set the record straight, the beds were not designed out of cardboard to discourage athletes from engaging in sexual activity with each other due to Covid-19. In fact, the recyclable cardboard beds have been part of the plan since 2019, as a way to make the Olympic Games more environmentally-friendly. The beds — which are meant to support up to 200kg loads — are also lightweight, which will allow ... » Learn More about Tokyo Olympics: Athletes demonstrate strength of cardboard beds rumoured to be ‘anti-sex’ beds

Japan is providing athletes competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics with recyclable cardboard beds. This is another environmentally-friendly measure the country has carried out to show its unwavering commitment to stick to using recycled products for the once-every-four-years meet that is bound to generate a lot of waste. The lightweight beds will enable athletes to easily rearrange the room layout as they like, the organisers said. For extremely tall athletes, 20cm extensions can be attached to the 210cm by 90cm bed frames, which are 40cm high. The cardboard beds can support up to 200kg -- keeping in mind that athletes do get bored and do interact with each other, especially when a congregation of the world's fittest people happens. This is despite the cardboard bed frame being light enough to be held and moved around with one hand. The bedding will be provided by Japanese bedding company Airweave. The mattresses have sections to support the ... » Learn More about Japan makes recyclable cardboard beds for 2020 Tokyo Olympics athletes to sleep on

Medals for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were unveiled on July 24, 2019, exactly a year before the once-every-four-years Games are set to start. The best part about the medals this time round? Unlike previous years, they will be made completely from metals extracted from used electronics donated by Japanese citizens. Collection began in 2017 In 2017, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee launched its "Everyone's Medal" campaign. It encouraged citizens to donate various electronic devices for the cause. Signature yellow donation boxes were placed in post offices and on street corners around the country. The initiative was helped along by Japanese phone operator NTT Docomo, which allowed the public to donate their used phones at 2,400 stores nation-wide. Japanese responded overwhelmingly In true Japanese fashion, the response was astounding, with more than 90 percent of Japan's local authorities participating. A total of 78,985 tonnes (78 million kg) of ... » Learn More about Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games medals made of donated recycled electronics

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has permanently revoked the license of three former nightlife establishments that pivoted to food and beverage (F&B) operations for breaching safe management measures (SMM). They must cease operations with immediate effect. In addition, 18 F&B outlets were ordered to close, while another four premises and 87 individuals were fined for SMM breaches. Revocation of food licenses for 3 ex-nightlife establishments According to a press release by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE), the three F&B outlets that had their licenses permanently revoked are The Charm, Icon II (also known as Club IICON) and Frederico's Paddles Too Pub & Cafeteria. All three were formerly operating as nightlife establishments before pivoting to F&B. Located at Fook Hai Building, The Charm was found to have failed in minimising physical interaction between customers, visitors and staff. It also allowed hostessing and ... » Learn More about Food licenses for 3 KTVs permanently revoked, 18 F&B premises ordered to close

Every decade ushers in a different interior design trend in Singapore. In the 1970s terrazzo flooring was all the rage. In the 1980s bold colours made a statement in many homes. And by the 1990s young couples began using country-style elements. If you’re wondering which interior design concepts we’ll continue to see in the coming years, read ahead for five styles that are here to stay. 1. Japandi design Japandi design weaves Scandinavian functionality with Japanese minimalist design philosophy to create an essence of art, nature, and simplicity. At first glance, Japanese and Scandinavian styles seem to be quite different from one another but when placed together, the result creates a symbiotic blend of clean lines, bright spaces, and natural elements to produce a calming aesthetic. The Japandi style places emphasis on simplicity and sustainability. If you’d like to adopt this design in your home, choose neutral colours like beige and terracotta. You’ll also want to source ... » Learn More about 5 interior design trends that are shaping homes in Singapore

Typhoon Fabian (In-fa) slowed down a bit before dawn on Thursday, July 22, moving at only 10 kilometers per hour from the previous 15 km/h. Fabian was last spotted 530 kilometers northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, heading west southwest, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). The typhoon continues to have maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h and gustiness of up to 185 km/h. It will not make landfall in the country, but strong winds extending up to 640 kilometers from its center are expected to affect extreme Northern Luzon. That is why Batanes and Babuyan Islands remain under Signal No. 1. PAGASA said there may be "very light to light damage to structures and vegetation due to moderate to strong winds." (READ: Why is it now called tropical cyclone 'wind' – and not 'warning' – signals? ) Fabian is still unlikely to directly bring heavy rain to the Philippines, but it continues to ... » Learn More about Typhoon Fabian slightly slows down; monsoon rain persists

Chinese cargo ships navigate the shallow waters of the Mekong River in Chiang Rai Province. – File Photo – CHIANG RAI – Researchers backed by multi-million-dollar grants from NASA are heading to Southeast Asia’s Mekong River region to find ways to improve dams so they are less harmful to people and the environment. Researchers from Michigan State University (MSU) will spend three years analysing sites in the lower Mekong River basin in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The project will be funded by two grants from the US space agency, Nasa, totalling $3 million, and the researchers hope their findings will improve dams around the world. “The most egregious affects of dam building are displacement and relocation,” said Daniel Kramer, a professor of fisheries and wildlife at MSU. “But the research that we’re doing is also suggesting that there are a lot of less obvious things that the effects of dams bring on local people and ecosystems,” Mr Kramer told Reuters . ... » Learn More about Researchers Funded by NASA Seek Ways to Improve Dams on Mekong River

– CHIANG RAI -Ethnic minorities on Mount Doi Tung in northern Thailand have seen their lives transformed after replacing illicit opium poppy fields with profitable coffee plantations. From the sky, Mount Doi Tung looks like a thick carpet of dark green forest. Huge trees sprawl across its misty hills, towering over coffee plantations and brilliantly colourful flowers. Thirty years ago, perhaps no one could have imagined such a stunning landscape on Doi Tung. Its old residents would have described it as bleak and barren – a hopeless place atop the Doi Nang Non mountain range inhabited by poor ethnic minorities and forgotten by the rest of Thailand. Generations of tribes-people with no citizenship or basic rights had struggled to survive from slash-and-burn agriculture. The result was decades of widespread deforestation that in turn deprived them of food resources. Grinding poverty and lack of career opportunities also drove countless minorities into illicit opium poppy ... » Learn More about Chiang Rai’s Ethnic Minorities Quit Opium Poppies for Coffee