YOUR nervous system is the
control hub for your body,
comprising the brain, spinal
cord and nerves. It works by
sending messages through a
network of nerve cells from
different body parts to the brain
and back out to the body. These
messages regulate your
thoughts, memory, movement,
emotions and senses.
Damage to the network of
nerve cells can disrupt the flow
of signals throughout the body.
Untreated nerve damage may
result in uncomfortable
symptoms such as tingling,
numbness, pain, loss of
sensation and muscle weakness,
particularly in the hands and
feet.
The accumulation of
abnormal proteins in the brain
can trigger the degeneration of
nerve cells, culminating in
conditions such as Alzheimer’s
disease, a progressive form of
dementia. Over time,
Alzheimer’s manifests as a
gradual decline in memory and
cognitive functions, and
alterations in behaviour and
personality.
Attention-deficit/
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
arises when the development of
the central nervous system is
disturbed. Typically emerging in
childhood, it manifests as
persistent patterns of
inattention, hyperactivity, and
impulsivity that disrupt daily
functioning and development.
How to protect your
nervous system?
To safeguard your nervous
system, consider integrating key
neuroprotection nutrients into
your routine.
Phosphatidylserine (PS), a
phospholipid, shields brain cells
and has been shown to help
enhance memory and cognitive
function. It may also alleviate
symptoms such as inattention,
hyperactivity and impulsivity.
Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR), a
form of carnitine can cross the
blood-brain barrier, is believed
to help boost brain energy,
improve focus and support
cognitive function while also
enhancing nerve function.
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin),
the active form readily used by the
body, aids in repairing damaged
nerve cells, potentially reducing
sensations of tingling and numbness.
Moreover, it promotes the
regeneration and formation of
“Untreated
nerve damage
may result in
uncomfortable
symptoms such
as tingling,
numbness, pain,
loss of sensation
and muscle
weakness,
particularly in
the hands and
feet.”
myelin sheaths, essential for rapid
nerve-impulse transmission.
Incorporating these key nutrients
into your regimen, alongside a
balanced diet and regular exercise,
can fortify your nervous system,
Eating a balanced
diet and staying
active can
strengthen your
nervous system.
promoting optimal cognitive
function and overall well-being.
This informational article is
brought to you by VitaHealth.
For enquiries, call 1800 183 288.
“
Understanding the nervous system
YOUR nervous system is the control hub for your body, comprising the brain, spinal cord and nerves. It works by sending messages through a network of nerve cells from different body parts to the brain and back out to the body. These messages regulate your thoughts, memory, movement, emotions and senses.
Damage to the network of nerve cells can disrupt the flow of signals throughout the body. Untreated nerve damage may result in uncomfortable symptoms such as tingling, numbness, pain, loss of sensation and muscle weakness, particularly in the hands and feet.
The accumulation of abnormal proteins in the brain can trigger the degeneration of nerve cells, culminating in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive form of dementia. Over time, Alzheimer’s manifests as a gradual decline in memory and cognitive functions, and alterations in behaviour and personality.
Attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) arises when the development of the central nervous system is disturbed. Typically emerging in childhood, it manifests as persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that disrupt daily functioning and development.
How to protect your nervous system?
To safeguard your nervous system, consider integrating key neuroprotection nutrients into your routine.
Phosphatidylserine (PS), a phospholipid, shields brain cells and has been shown to help enhance memory and cognitive function. It may also alleviate symptoms such as inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
Acetyl-l-carnitine (ALCAR), a form of carnitine can cross the blood-brain barrier, is believed to help boost brain energy, improve focus and support cognitive function while also enhancing nerve function.
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin), the active form readily used by the body, aids in repairing damaged nerve cells, potentially reducing sensations of tingling and numbness. Moreover, it promotes the regeneration and formation of myelin sheaths, essential for rapid nerve-impulse transmission.
Incorporating these key nutrients into your regimen, alongside a balanced diet and regular exercise, can fortify your nervous system, promoting optimal cognitive function and overall well-being.
This informational article is brought to you by Vitahealth.
Economic boost: Trade groups foresee
Microsoft’s investment opening doors to more career opportunities for
the people besides supporting the nation’s digital transformation. —
File photo
GEORGE TOWN: Tech giant Microsoft’s RM10.5bil
investment to support Malaysia’s digital transformation will not only
help local businesses be more efficient but also lead to better wages
and higher skills for workers, say trade groups.
The investment,
which includes building cloud computing and artificial intelligence
(AI) infrastructure as well as creating AI development opportunities for
an additional 200,000 people, will definitely boost Penang’s
manufacturing sector, said Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers Penang
(FMM Penang) chairman Datuk Lee Teong Li.
“Microsoft’s
investment has the potential to drive socio-economic progress and
enhance Malaysia’s competitiveness in the global tech landscape.
“The
investments will definitely benefit our digital infrastructure, and the
skills will help Malaysian businesses, communities and developers apply
the latest technology to drive inclusive economic growth and innovation
across the country.
“AI adoption will spread across key industries and the public sector while ensuring AI governance and regulatory compliance.
“It
is also expected to create better-paying jobs for our people as we ride
the AI revolution to fast-track Malaysia’s digitally empowered growth
journey,” he said yesterday.
Lee said this will lead to more job
opportunities and stimulate economic growth by providing people with
valuable skills and employment.
“Additionally, it can attract other tech companies and foster
a thriving ecosystem to position Malaysia as a hub for innovation in
the region,” he added.
Although some manual jobs and clerical
work will be made obsolete by AI, these workers could be retrained for
other roles, he said.
On May 2, Microsoft announced that it will
invest US$2.2bil over the next four years in Malaysia to support the
country’s digital transformation.
The company said the
investment will include building cloud and AI infrastructure, training
200,000 people in using AI, and supporting the growth of Malaysia’s
software developer community.
This will be Microsoft’s single
largest investment in its 32-year history in Malaysia, and the firm will
work with the Malaysian government to establish a national AI Centre of
Excellence and enhance the nation’s cybersecurity capabilities.
Malaysia
Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA) president Datuk Seri Wong
Siew Hai pointed out that Microsoft’s investment in Malaysia is the
largest in South-East Asia.
“It follows Nvidia’s investment of
US$4.3bil in December last year to develop artificial intelligence (AI)
infrastructure in Malaysia.
“With Malaysia’s prominence in
semiconductor manufacturing and the emergence of generative AI as the
next big technology disruptor, AI and semiconductor manufacturing are
becoming increasingly intertwined, with AI playing a crucial role in
optimising manufacturing processes and enhancing chip design.
“This is in addition to Malaysia’s increasing role in AI chip manufacturing,” he said.
He
added that investors are eyeing Malaysia, especially after the
government announced that it is crafting the Semiconductor Strategic
Plan.
“Intense interest in Malaysia by many companies has resulted in announcements like the ones from Microsoft,” he said.
Schemes to ease future congestion causing traffic trouble in Penang
GEORGE TOWN: Traffic on Penang island is often monstrous, especially at peak hours, with narrow roads and many industrial areas.
With five major transportation projects taking off almost in tandem this year, the nightmare is going to get worse for Penangites – at least until the projects are completed.
The Bayan Lepas area – where most factories are, Air Itam – the most densely populated area on the island, and Jalan Utama – the main thoroughfare leading to the seaside areas of Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Bungah and Telok Bahang, are especially notorious for their jams.
However, these are also the places where the projects, meant to ease the island’s perennial traffic woes, are being built.
The RM851mil Air Itam to Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass project is almost 50% ready but is causing massive jams in the Bandar Baru Air Itam area.
The four other projects that are expected to clog up nearby roads are the land reclamation project of Silicon Island in Batu Maung, the RM1.5bil Penang International Airport expansion, the Federal Government-funded Mutiara Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) – all in the Bayan Baru-Bayan Lepas area – as well as the RM245mil Penang Hill cable car project at Jalan Kebun Bunga.
For the next few years, motorists will have to bear with not just worse jams but also the inconvenience, noise, dust and vibrations.
The jams in Air Itam are already a major headache which Penangites have never experienced before.
“It can take me about 30 minutes to pass the traffic light junction at peak hours, when it should take just five minutes,” said hotel manager M. Muniandy, who lives in Air Itam.
“Two lanes at the junction were taken away to build the elevated road and now cars are lined up for between 2km and 3km just waiting for the light to turn green.
“I’ve never had such a bad time driving before.”
Muniandy was referring to the junction at Lebuhraya Thean Teik and Jalan Angsana, the main thoroughfare of Bandar Baru Air Itam.
Once it is completed, the Air Itam bypass will allow residents to have an uninterrupted hillside route all the way to the expressway near the Penang Bridge without having to cut through the city.
This will reduce the current 40-minute drive between Bandar Baru Air Itam and the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway to less than 10 minutes.
For now however, residents are dealing with intense bottlenecks and long queues at junctions.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia president Meenakshi Raman said that the traffic impact assessments of these mega projects were each created in “silos”.
“They are done piecemeal, in a disjointed manner. It is a town-planning nightmare.
“We face unprecedented traffic congestion because of the shortsighted planning for long-term projects, some of which we continually assert are unnecessary,” she said.
Other stakeholders argue that while these mega projects are good for Penang in the long run, state authorities need to plan them out more carefully.
GUH Holdings Bhd’s Datuk Seri Kenneth H’ng said that besides intolerable jams, the severe shortage of public parking space is another daily headache.
“A new factory in Bayan Lepas is under construction right next to ours and because of that, the local authority has removed the roadside parking lots.
“Employees now suffer from a severe lack of public parking. They end up being forced to park illegally where they are regularly fined,” lamented the chief executive officer of the electronics, properties and utilities group.
To help his employees, H’ng’s firm provides special allowances for them to park at a nearby shopping complex early in the morning and a shuttle bus to take them to and from the factory.
“Because one factory is being built, the shopping complex’s parking facility is under strain, our company must bear extra cost and our employees also have to come out with money for ehailing rides to get back to their cars if they miss the shuttle.
“Poor planning causes far-reaching inconveniences to many.
“We need the authorities to plan construction work with all due diligence because the jams and parking problems erode the quality of life in Penang,” H’ng said.
The state government, meanwhile, has appealed for public cooperation and patience while these projects are carried out.
“The government cannot do it alone. We need the people’s full cooperation,” said state infrastructure and transport committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari.
One short-term solution the authorities are hoping will help is to station traffic policemen at critical junctions affected by these projects during peak hours.
Zairil said each of those projects has a detailed traffic management plan to reduce the impact of construction work on motorists.
“Every project will have a traffic management plan, but there will still be inconveniences. So we must all be patient and plan our commutes because the public infrastructure being constructed will eventually solve the traffic problems.
“Whenever there is major construction anywhere in the world, there will be short-term traffic consequences,” he said.
He said a new committee on road congestion and safety has been formed by the federal Cabinet and its first meeting will be held early next month with Penang traffic being on the agenda.It will be chaired by the secretary-general of the Transport Ministry, he added.
The construction of Penang’s first light rail transit (LRT) project will begin by the fourth quarter of this year, says Anthony Loke.
The Transport Minister added that the Penang LRT Mutiara Line project has been officially taken over by the Federal Government and is estimated to take six years, with completion slated for by 2030.
“We hope that within six months, the negotiations with SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd can be concluded.
“Following that, we expect physical works can start at least by the fourth quarter this year,” he told reporters at the ministry’s office on Friday (March 29).
The contracts for the LRT project have been divided into three main components – Silicon Island to Komtar contract (Segment 1), Komtar to Penang Sentral contract (Segment 2) and turn-key systems and rolling stocks contract.
Loke said SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd has been offered the Segment 1 contract based on the Single Sourcing Request for Proposal mechanism.
Meanwhile, the other two remaining contracts will be offered on an open tender basis.
“The offer (to SRS Consortium) was made based on the request by Penang state government which had appointed SRS as the Project Delivery Partner of the Penang Transportation Master Plan, which comprises the Penang LRT Mutiara Line, through an open tender in August 2015.
“SRS has also studied the technical early designs while acquiring approvals for the Environmental Impact Assessment, Social Impact Assessment and conditional Skim Kereta Api,” he said, adding that the costs were also borne out by SRS.
Loke added that the Cabinet has agreed to appoint MRT Corp as the developer and asset owner of the new train line.
He said that the rolling stock operations depot and transit-oriented development projects will be conducted by MRT Corp together with the state government.
“The new strategy aims to generate extra non-fare revenue to be reinvested for train maintenance in the future,” he added.
Stretching about 29km, Penang LRT Mutiara Line, will be equipped with 20 stations which include two interchange stations in Komtar and Penang Sentral.
The construction of Mutiara Line, Penang’s first light rail transit (LRT) project, will be according to schedule despite a minor amendment to the original plan.
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Corp chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim said everything would be carried out on time, adding that there is no need for the resubmission of the environmental impact assessment (EIA).
“The slight amendment to the track is meant to accommodate the line extended to Penang Sentral on the mainland from Penang island via an elevated track above the sea.
“Once we have updated the data on the LRT alignment, we will need to engage all the relevant agencies through workshops.
“The amended alignment, once finalised, will then be provided as an addendum meant for the necessary approval.
“All these will be done in the next three months. The main component of the alignment is still intact,” he said after giving Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin a briefing on the RM10bil project during the North Zone Madani Rakyat programme at the Sungai Nibong Pesta site in Penang.
It was earlier reported that the Penang government had planned to hold a workshop with stakeholders to finalise the Penang LRT Mutiara Line project following minor amendments to the original plan.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow was quoted as saying that the workshop was expected to be held within a week or two so that further work involving the transformative infrastructure project could be carried out.
In the latest report released by MRT Corp, the alignment will begin from Penang Sentral on Penang mainland to the proposed first station on Penang island – Macallum.
From Macallum, it will pass through Komtar, Jalan Gurdwara, Solok Sungai Pinang, Sungai Pinang, Jelutong Timur, all the way to Silicon Island.
Two proposed stations – Bandar Sri Pinang and Sky Cab – along Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, which were seen in the original plan, have since been taken out of the picture.
On March 29, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that the Federal Government officially took over the Penang LRT Mutiara Line project from the state government, with MRT Corporation appointed as the developer and asset owner.
The procurement of the project is divided into three main components, which are civil construction works for Segment 1 which is the alignment of Silicon Island to Komtar; works for civil construction for Segment 2 which is the line from Komtar to Penang Sentral and a “turnkey contract” for system and carriage (coach) works.
Also present at the briefing were Batu Uban assemblyman A. Kumaresan and Kebun Bunga assemblyman Lee Boon Heng.
Station names are provisional and subject to confirmation.
Moving Towards a Modern Penang
The proposed BL LRT line will cover a distance of 29.9 km, forming the main North-South rail backbone on the island. As the first LRT system in Penang, the BL LRT line will provide direct airport transit from Penang International Airport to major destinations on the island. The line will begin at Komtar and ends at the upcoming Penang South Reclamation (PSR) Smart City.
29.9km in length;
27 stations;
First LRT line in Penang;
Passes through high-demand areas like Komtar, Macallum, Jelutong, LCC Terminal and Bayan Lepas FIZ.
THROUGH BL LRT, WE CAN:
Travel efficiently without getting into traffic congestion
Travel safely and be more cost effective
Increase productivity and personal time. Less time on the road means more time for family, work and leisure
Move towards greener Earth. Light rail consumes less energy per passenger than cars and thus, less carbon footprint
