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Daily Express
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Express
Practicality of big ceiling fans queried
Published on: Sunday, August 10, 2025 Published on: Sun, Aug 10, 2025 By: Kan Yaw Chong Text Size: One of the fans already being installed. Kota Kinabalu: Ten of these big ceiling fans are to be installed in Damai Phase 4 shoplots soon after a trial run of one already installed. 'I hope my observation and concern over such proposed decision by the Damai Phase 4 Management Services Committee will reconsider this choice,' said prominent architect Datuk Ho Jia Lit. Advertisement 'My reasons are as follows: Hot air and heat always naturally rise upwards in such enclosed roof spaces. Given possible 100 air conditioners and compressors from 1 to 2 horse power each pumping out extremely hot air nonstop during office hours into these spaces and trapped in this enclosure, the installation of 10 big ceiling fans will only blow all these hot air downwards towards all the customers sitting in all those coffee shops and restaurants below, ' Ho noted. 'We as architects, with our PAM Chapter Institute office located in this Damai Phase 4, we naturally feel it would be better to install exhaust fans centralised on top of all roofing ridges, to suck out all those accumulated hot air to discharge them above the roofing spaces,' Ho said. Subscribe or LOG IN to access this article. Support Independant Journalism Subscribe to Daily Express Malaysia Access to DE E-Paper Access to DE E-Paper Exclusive News Exclusive News Invites to special events Invites to special events Giveaways & Rewards 1-Year Most Popular (Income Tax Deductible) Explore Plans Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
03-08-2025
- Science
- Daily Express
Monitoring ocean acidification opposite Kota Kinabalu
Published on: Sunday, August 03, 2025 Published on: Sun, Aug 03, 2025 By: Kan Yaw Chong Text Size: Retrieved CAU plates from MERC, Gaya Island (July 2025) prepared for image-based taxonomic assessment and decalcification analysis. (Pictures and graphic courtesy of Prof Aileen and MERC) THE Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that acidifying seas is happening 'at an unprecedented rate', in its latest report. The number cited is 30pc increase since pre-industrial days! The coral reef ecosystems thus face increasing pressure from ocean acidification, warming seas, and localised anthropogenic impacts. But if anything takes a turn for the worse, Sabahans will be the first to know, thanks to a tracking station of our own just a stone's throw away in Gaya Island. This second in a two-parts series focusses on Coral Reef Ecosystem Function at Marine Ecosystem Research Centre (MERC), Gaya Island in a collaborative monitoring initiative by the Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (Cemac) , using Calcification Accretion Units and Environmental Sensors. Sabah is lucky the state is a spot of interest to study what the phenomenon is doing here, by a set of chance coincidences as previously reported, . In recognition of the urgent need for high-quality, site-specific monitoring, the Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (Cemacs), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), in close collaboration with the Marine Ecology Research Centre (Merc) at Gayana Marine Resort, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, initiated this long-term reef monitoring programme on an acidifying sea phenomenon that has attracted serious marine science concern. For example, in a statement, the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC), especially in its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) 2021-23, notes that the rate of ocean acidification is 'unprecedented at least in the last 26,000 years' Oceans have become 30pc more acidic Putting that in numbers, ocean acidity has increased by approximately 30pc since pre-industrial times. Specifically, the ocean's average pH has decreased from around 8.2 to 8.1 (as cited in last Sunday's DE Special Report). The ICCP also projects that under business-as-usual scenarios, ocean acidity could double or even triple by the end of the century, predicted to hit pH7.7. This increase in acidity is unequivocally due to the oceans' absorption of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere generated by human activities. Large numbers like 30pc increase in ocean acidity since pre-industrial days mean that ocean acidification is accelerating globally but is experienced most strongly in coastal areas where local processes tend to exacerbate the phenomenon. The only station in South China Sea to track issue, thanks to friends So Sabah is really very privileged and proud that the sole monitoring station on ocean acidification in the South China Sea is located at its prime coastal sea at Gaya Island right opposite its flourishing capital city, Kota Kinabalu. This joint effort among close friends combines the use of Calcification Accretion Units (CAUs) with an environmental data logging to assess reef ecosystem function, resilience, and early indicators of change. CAUs provide a standardized and cost-effective method for measuring net calcium carbonate accretion and the recruitment of sessile benthic organisms. Each unit is constructed from a pair of sanded PVC settlement tiles separated by a spacer, designed to simulate a range of natural reef microhabitats – exposed surfaces, shaded overhangs, and cryptic spaces. This allows for the recruitment of diverse calcifying and non-calcifying taxa and enables quantification of both community structure and functional accretion rates. Deployment of Calcification Accretion Units On Feb 2, 2023, 12 CAUs were deployed along the reef slope fronting Merc at depths ranging from seven to 14 metres. These depths were selected to reflect natural habitat gradients in coral reef zones and provide representative data for Sabah's reef environments. Two CAUs were successfully retrieved on July 17, 2025 for preliminary analysis, which is currently in progress at Cemacs. The retrieved samples are undergoing image-based taxonomic assessment and decalcification to separate calcified and non-calcified biomass – an essential step in calculating site-specific accretion rates and comparing them with regional benchmarks. Hourly records of temperature and light intensity To complement biological assessments, environmental parameters have been continuously monitored using an Onset MX2202 Hobo Pendant® MX Temperature/Light Data Logger placed at the CAU site. This instrument records hourly temperature and light intensity and is retrieved and replaced every one to two months for maintenance and data extraction. Between Nov 4, 2023 and May 6, 2025, the logger collected a total of 12,345 records. Water temperature ranged from a minimum of 20.55°C to a maximum of 32.56°C, with a mean of 29.12°C and a standard deviation of 2.07°C. These values indicate typical seasonal fluctuations in a tropical marine environment, with elevated temperatures observed during late inter-monsoon periods. The data distribution showed a slight positive skew, suggesting prolonged warm conditions with occasional brief cooling events, possibly linked to localised mixing or upwelling. What light intensity data reveals Light intensity data revealed a highly variable pattern, ranging from 0 lux during night time to a maximum of 15,610.88 lux under full daylight. The mean light intensity was 730.63 lux, with a large standard deviation of 1,627.16 lux. This broad range is reflective of the dynamic underwater light regime, shaped by diurnal cycles, turbidity, weather, and depth. The dataset displayed a strong right-skew, indicative of infrequent but intense sunlight exposure amidst longer durations of reduced light – conditions that directly influence photosynthetic organisms and, by extension, reef calcification rates. Critical context for interpreting biological trends Together, these environmental parameters provide critical context for interpreting biological trends observed in the CAUs. Extended exposure to elevated temperatures combined with fluctuating light availability may influence recruitment success, metabolic rates, and the overall composition of early benthic communities. As the CAU sample analysis progresses, integration of biological and environmental data will allow for a more comprehensive understanding of the conditions driving reef growth or decline at this site. This collaborative monitoring initiative by CEMACS and MERC underscores the importance of institutional partnerships in generating high-quality, long-term data for coral reef management. By combining expertise in marine ecology, field operations, and analytical techniques, the programme establishes a strong foundation for understanding the responses of Sabah's reefs to changing ocean conditions. The integration of biological and environmental monitoring ensures that the outcomes of this work will be relevant not only to local reef conservation strategies but also to broader regional and global efforts in climate adaptation and marine biodiversity assessment. Marine Ecology Research Centre Project Director and aquatic biologist, Alvin Wong, said: 'The Ocean Acidification Monitoring project is a milestone which started at our Giant Clam Propagation Project in late 2006 for restocking and from that it has led to something bigger.' 'Being the only monitoring station in South China Sea, the data collected over the last two years and the years to come would be important for policy makers and scientists globally.' Interestingly, over the last 20 years, the Marine Ecology Research Centre (MERC) has accumulated a stock of 120 mature giant clam broods which are located at the shallower sea bed near the Ocean Acidification Monitoring Station. 'Actually, the triple threats of 'Hotter, Sour and Breathless' oceans are all adverse to giant clams,' Alvin noted. In 2010, MERC was recognised by the Malaysia Guinness Book of Records for being the first to have successfully bred all seven species of giant clams found in Malaysian waters. Editor's note: The facts in the Special Report are contributed by Prof Dato' Dr Aileen Tan Shau Hwai, a prominent figure in marine science who is the Director of Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia. As recent as June 30 this year, she was awarded the Anton Bruun Medal – one of the most prestigious Unesco international recognitions for significant contribution to the world of marine science, The Medal is awarded every second year by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) at its Biannual Assembly but only when there is a candidate deemed worthy. IOC is a body within Unesco.
Daily Express
14-07-2025
- General
- Daily Express
Victims of ‘first impression bias' on social media
Published on: Monday, July 14, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jul 14, 2025 By: Kan Yaw Chong Text Size: A frog's motherly love? Kota Kinabalu: First impression bias easily cause people to err. So beware, no fun to be completely wrong, superficial, unfair, even fall dire victim of misjudgement because of disproportionate influence of superficial, grossly limited, incomplete first impression. Cognitive bias is certainly worth the wisdom of knowing it is real and costly, because if an error of judgement is extreme enough, it can work like a fatal flaw. This writer got thinking about this very common error in judgement after architect Datuk Ho Jia Lit sent him a very intriguing frog picture. An architect is not trained on frogs, neither is a journalist. So this writer's first impression agreed with what Ho wondered about, in his text forwarded as follows: Subscribe or LOG IN to access this article. Support Independant Journalism Subscribe to Daily Express Malaysia Access to DE E-Paper Access to DE E-Paper Exclusive News Exclusive News Invites to special events Invites to special events Giveaways & Rewards 1-Year Most Popular (Income Tax Deductible) Explore Plans Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
30-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Sabah Publishing House leads 2025 Kinabalu Press Awards
Published on: Monday, June 30, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jun 30, 2025 Text Size: KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Publishing House flagship publications; Daily Express, Overseas Chinese Daily News, and Harian Ekspress, continued to clinch multiple awards at the prestigious Kinabalu Press Awards 2025. The event at Magellan Sutera on Sunday evening reaffirmed the group's leading role in quality journalism across languages and platforms. Sherell Ann Jeffrey of Daily Express, continued her winning streak by bagging the top Feature Journalism Award (English) for the sixth consecutive year. Her series on "Dealing With Sexual Harassment" leaves a lasting mark in empowering Sabah's women. She also earned a Merit Prize in the Environmental Reporting category for highlighting conservation concerns over the Maliau Basin alongside senior writer Kan Yaw Chong. The duo also took home another merit for the Sikh temple's land dispute in Tanjung Aru that was built in 1924. Court correspondent Joan George Mool was also honoured with a merit in the News Reporting category for her piece on "Steps Taken After the Sulu Fiasco". Ricardo Unto secured a merit in Sports with his article on Sabah's e-sports potential. Special writer, Kan, emerged as business winner for his series on industrial tree planting. He is known as a consistent economic journalism contributor with a humanist style. Overseas Chinese Daily News' Bong Tze Pin earned two category wins in Business Reporting for his feature on SMJ Energy and another in Environmental Journalism on coral reef bleaching. He also received a merit in the Arts and Culture category, with a piece on traditional practice of sogit in conflict resolution. Reporter Gravin Wong Chian Kyun walked away with two merits. One was for a feature on early autism intervention and another in the Sports category for challenging stereotypes in fitness competitions. Harian Ekspres upheld its Bahasa Malaysia standard with Siti Kazalina Kamaludin winning the top prize in the Arts & Culture category for 'War Cry', a celebration of Sabah and Sarawak's traditional heritage. Noor Zafira Mohd Shafie delivered a strong showing with merits in both Business and Environmental Reporting, writing on blue economy strategies and sustainable waste transformation. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
08-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
A heart to keep fire of ‘Tenom Coffee' burning
Published on: Sunday, June 08, 2025 Published on: Sun, Jun 08, 2025 By: Kan Yaw Chong Text Size: Freshly-picked coffee cherries being sun dried in Padas Farm. TENOM Coffee is a household name in Sabah. It owes its reputation largely to the special aroma and smoky coffee flavour due to a guarded old tradition of wood-fire bean roasting practice. However, cultivation of coffee, mainly Robusta in this so-called 'Sabah's Coffee Capital' had reportedly declined from previous decades, counting no more than a few hundred hectares now. Advertisement But there is a willing heart to do the hard part to rejuvenate coffee planting. Tenom-born and patriot, Tham Yau Siong, brother of well-known adventure tourism veteran Yau Kong, has spent some years rallying a group of enterprising local land owners to get into the coffee planting act to keep the Tenom Coffee reputation going. Trend of surging global coffee culture is clear Actually, nobody can miss the trend of a rising global coffee drinking culture. Advertisement Look at the global size of the coffee industry. The global market size was USD245.2 billion in 2024, which is anticipated to reach USD381.52 by 2034, rising at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.32pc from 2025 to 2034. The escalating adoption of coffee drinking culture globally is leading this coffee market. The growth is fuelled by rising demand, driven by rising disposable incomes, change of lifestyles and a growing coffee culture worldwide, hopefully uninterrupted by conflicts and wars from geopolitical tensions. Given rising prices and a surging global coffee drinking culture and a willingness of Tenom coffee growers to take serious care of coffee plants, Tham argues coffee planting now makes economic sense. Nearer home to the north, coffee consumption in China, which vows a rejuvenation policy of 'Shared Future and Prosperity' for all, coffee consumption had reportedly surged 150pc over the last 10 years! The news is coffee imports had nearly tripled to 5.5 million bags (60kg) and expected to rise to rise to 5.6 million bag by 2025. Since China can produce only two million bags domestically because of limiting climatic factors, they must import the demand-exceeds-supply reality to satisfy this explosive growth in consumption. 'Prospective income & cost – the winner on the revenue side': Tenom patriots Tham sees not only opportunities opening for Tenom patriots to help keep the fire of Tenom coffee burning, but also cite numbers that pay for serious planters who accept doing hard things on the care side. Speaking from tried and tested field experience, Yau Siong said: 'If you take care of a coffee tree well, like diligent pruning, consistent fertilising, shading from excessive heat, one tree can produce 5kg dry beans per tree per year and at current price of RM24 per kg where we can plant 400 trees per acre at 10x10ft apart, means you get a revenue of RM48,000 per acre per year. If you plant just two acres, income is potentially RM96,000 per year, while the cost of production is about 50% of that so income is on the winning side, provided you are willing to do the hard part and take care of the trees seriously,' stressed Yau Siong, President of the 20-strong Tenom Coffee Entrepreneurs Association or Persatuan Pengusaha Kopi Tenom in Malay, formed in 2019. Plant essential nutrient-rich alluvial soil from ancient lake & high yield But a yield of 5kg per tree per year as asserted is extraordinarily productive. Yet it may not be surprising because geologically, it is believed Tenom was once flooded under a vast ancient lake, then over thousands and millions of years, the cutting action of water from the Padas River, maybe through a waterfall, broke a gap across the Crocker Range, drained the lake empty, carving out a deep gorge called the Tenom Gorge, leaving behind a huge area of nutrient-rich alluvial soil deposit that is rich in plant essential nutrients like potash, lime and phosphorous acid, making them highly fertile, typically well drained though lacking in nitrogen and organic matter, howbeit the nutrient content may differ with some areas rich in calcium, sodium, potassium, silicon and phosphorus. Since a coffee plant starts flowering in seven months, revenue generation is not a marathon wait either, Yau Siong noted. Optimistic that a serious 'just do it' effort can succeed, Yau Siong drove Daily Express to his 22-acre farm by the bank of a pristine Paal river, for an onsite showcase to prove Tenom can produce a lot more coffee beans locally and makes the money! 'Productive pruning prospers a caring coffee planter': Tham Here is a list of care a serious coffee planter would do to succeed. One, pruning. Diligent pruning coffee plants is essential for a number of reasons, including keeping plants healthy, improve yields, facilitate harvesting, control growth, ensure proper light and air circulation , control pests and diseases, Yau Siong cited. Firstly, prune to control height and shape. To prove what has already been done, he stood beside a coffee plant that is no taller than himself – about 3m, and said: 'This is the result of one important top pruning measure to keep my trees no taller than myself (6ft) for easy reach to harvest berries. 'Harvesting will become a nightmare if you let your tree grow wild – too tall and too big.' Cut the unproductive 'Secondly, cut unnecessary branches, such as sprouting young shoots that suck up a lot of nutrients but don't fruit. Prune to keep the larger stronger productive arms to ensure bigger and healthier berries.' Everything he said in the field trip is confirmed by an educational article on 'why pruning a coffee plant is essential'. All agree that dense, unpruned growth can block sunlight, photosynthesis and airflow, hindering the plant's ability to produce flowers and fruits, while removal of unnecessary branches ensures needed light and air to reach all parts of the tree, boosting all round health and productivity. Coffee trees age and need rejuvenation, somehow, pruning not only excites growth of new, more vigorous shoots which are more productive than ailing woody branches but also extends a tree's productive life for years, it is noted. Nip sickness & disease in the bud And, since pruning also removes dead, diseased and damaged branches, it helps the planter detect early signs of disease outbreaks, nip them in the bud to reduce production losses. 'Conventional planters don't feel the need to service the plant but now we want to keep our trees at certain height by pruning,' Yau Siong kept at it. The May 27-8 DE visit was a wholly instructive agro field trip on what it takes to improve yield and fruit quality, controlled pruning control to ensure proper light and nutrient distribution, and consistent fertilizing to improve both the quantity and quality of coffee beans produced that fits the bill of agrotourism. Climate change- beating an unexpected challenge From pruning, Yau Siong zeroed into climate change – a least expected problem in coffee planting but has become a real challenge to reckon with. But how? 'Look at the shade trees,' he said. 'Shading is necessary now because of climate change. 'In the past, planters dismissed the need for shading, they argued coffee trees could stand the sun but now we must accept that climate change is a fact. When it is hot, it gets very hot, when the sun is too hot, it withers leaves, injures the tree, disease comes, production affected.' To impress on this reality, he took me to an unshaded tree which had a lot of berries but they were small while the leaves had turned yellowish, withering and folding. 'So, I have to plant shade trees to filter at least 30pc to 40pc of the sunlight to create a conducive environment to help them. 'On the other hand, coffee is conducive integrated farming, we can plant fruit trees for shading but that's something to think about later,' he added. Robusta thrives in Tenom, not Arabica On coffee facts, Tenom is limited to Robusta coffee which thrives only in warmer temperatures and Tenom is warm at an average altitude of 577m (1,900ft), a tropical region where 22-30C (72-86F) is considered the optimal temperature range. Since Robusta does not tolerate temperature above 32C, it imposes a need to plant shade trees, that's the real cost of climate change for stubborn climate change deniers to think about. Robusta and Arabica are the two main types of coffee beans Though Arabica coffee is more preferred due to its smoother, sweeter and more nuanced flavour compared to Robusta, Arabica needs an optimal 18-21C (64-70F) for quality and yield, that is, it needs much cooler altitudes between 1,200-1,860m (4,300-6,000ft) which rules Tenom out for planting. But the point of this Special Report is a determined move is underway to fortify Tenom as a strong coffee bean production region. 'We already started on the production side and think downstream to add value by the possibility of eventually putting tourism into the picture. The idea is to make coffee production worth more for the coffee farmer. Tourists may do the trick Yau Siong cited two practical concepts that are 'very common' in Taiwan. One, Deep tourism. Two, Agro-tourism. Deep tourism refers to a mindset or approach to travel that emphasises meaningful, immersive (completely involved) and transformative experiences beyond its surface level, deep engagement with a destination, its culture and history, fostering a more profound understanding and appreciation. Agro tourism involves experiencing agricultural areas and farms. It encompasses elements like farm stays, U-pick operations, farm tours, workshops, farm-to-table dinner and festivals. These elements allow visitors to engage with farming practices, learn about local food production, immerse themselves in rural life, while providing farmers with additional income streams. A five-fold income boosting Taiwanese showcase Yau Siong believes value adding packages can help bring back coffee bean production in Tenom because of a potentially more lucrative industry. He cited a lime farm in Taiwan he knew. Before they started agro-tourism, the income was one million Taiwanese dollar from just lime production alone. After creating an agro tourism package, income rose to 4-5 million, with elements like educational courses for visitors, U-pick operation, or pruning when not fruiting, fertilization, spraying, yet they are not afraid of exposing trade secrets, in fact better, because when visitors see minimal use of chemicals, they help spread the good word-wow, environmentally friendly programme with minimal use of chemicals, the fruits must be good for consumption, sales improve. In this way, whether the lime farm is fruiting or not, it still has visitors and cash flows from agro-tourism,' Yau Sing argued. A clear agro-tourism vision to prosper The Taiwanese example inspires a vision for Tenom coffee. 'My point is we don't just talk about a product, but besides being an agro product, it is a tourism element, visitors come, they drink a cup of coffee produced at site, then see the process, from planting to to drinking, we bring them to the farm, see the planting, and come May or June, join the pruning, experience how to prune. Come October, pick coffee berries, see how we dry coffee berries, the dehusking process, roasting coffee, till drinking the coffee,' Yau Siong described his dream to Daily Express . So, keeping Tenom's reputation as 'Sabah's Coffee Capital' in the fuller sense of the word is on the way. The potential is not far-fetched on account of the rising global coffee culture, given a rising coffee drinking culture, such as an explosive growth in demand in China, which we have already highlighted.
