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Police will take subtle approach in enforcing movement control order (Updated)

KUALA LUMPUR: The authorities will take a soft approach in enforcing the restriction of movement nationwide to allow Malaysians to adapt to the changes in their daily routine.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador said today that while there are provisions under the Penal Code which empower police to act on those who defy orders and isolation rules, police would take a subtle approach in the early stages of the exercise.

He said in the two-week restriction of movement, police hope the people will play their role in strictly observing the law by self-imposing isolation without the need of police enforcement.

“This is not a curfew. It is just a move to control movement. If the laws are not being adhered to then we will first advise, then warn and finally action will be taken. We hope everyone will cooperate or else the whole purpose of this exercise will be defeated,” he said at a press conference at Bukit Aman, after attending a high-powered meeting in Putrajaya with the National Security Council, military and other agencies.

Abdul Hamid said those who plan interstate travel are required to notify the nearest police station of the purpose of their journey.

He said the traveller will need to have a valid and urgent purpose of making such a trip before police consider issuing an approval letter.

“This is to limit movement of people and to contain the spread of the virus. Please be responsible and not selfish. If there is no urgent need to travel then stay indoors. We seek your understanding in these difficult times. Do not make unnecessary travel or take family holidays.”

Abdul Hamid said random checks will be conducted by police on motorists travelling from state to state to ascertain if they had obtained the necessary travel permit from police.

Abdul Hamid said interstate travel would only be allowed for :

– the demise of a close family member

– the ill-health of a family member

– medical treatment for one’s self or family member

He said those who wish to seek approval for the travel for other reasons may discuss the matter with the officer-in-charge of station (OCS).

Those who fail to produce the travel document during police checks can face action under laws of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 and Penal Code where the penalty is imprisonment up to two years or a fine or both.

He added that traffic police counters for settling traffic summonses will be closed during the two-week period until March 31.

He said those who intend to pay their fines urgently to renew their driving licence or road tax due to being blacklisted can do so online.

Abdul Hamid said if they are unable to pay fines online, they can seek the assistance of the district police chief or his deputy in their respective areas.

On another matter, Abdul Hamid said the police force is yet to have any positive cases of Covid-19.

However, he said seven senior police officers, 34 junior officers, two civilian staff and 11 of their family members have been placed in self-quarantine after being suspected of exposure to the virus.

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/police-will-take-subtle-approach-in-enforcing-movement-control-order-updated-FC2141052

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March 17, 2020
Could we forgive a machine? Study explores forgiveness in the context of robotics and AI

As more robots make their way into society, it is important to consider the ethical and moral implications of having them complete tasks that can have a significant impact on people’s lives. If robots and machines are to become widely used in situations where they could seriously affect human lives, for instance by driving cars or giving elderly people the medication they need on a daily basis, developers should first consider the associated implications.

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March 12, 2020
The unmet need for social context in family planning

New evidence on the relationship between sexual health and social context finds a strong association between gender equality, education and family planning

Twenty-five years ago, two global events – the International Conference on Population and Development and the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing – formally recognized that women’s health and reproductive choices cannot be separated from the social context of their lives.

Now, researchers have created a dataset which brings together national surveys from 74 countries, representing 3 million women. For the first time, it allows them to describe trends in demand/use of modern contraceptives alongside social and economic indicators.

The data is published in The Lancet Global Health and is authored by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the World Health Organization.

It shows that, over time, women are more likely to have their demand for modern contraception met in countries where gender equality and their educational opportunities improve.

Gender equality and education increases access to modern contraception

Trends in sexual activity and demand for use and use of modern contraceptive methods in 74 countries: a retrospective analysis of nationally representative surveys finds that met need for modern contraception is strongly correlated with positive shifts in social structures.
For every 0.1-point increase in a country’s gender development index, it found a 6.7% rise in women who were sexually active and did not want to conceive. Of those women, an additional 13.5% used modern methods to prevent a pregnancy.

Expectations of every girl’s right to education also made a difference. Each extra year in schooling is linked to an increase of 2.3% in demand, and a 4.7% increase in use of modern contraceptive methods.

“This study shows how every woman must negotiate her reproductive autonomy within the social framework in which she lives, responding to barriers and opportunities as they emerge,” says Dr Lale Say, one of the authors of the study and Unit Head at WHO and HRP.

“Gender equality is both a precondition and a driving force for securing women’s reproductive health and rights – as well as the sustainable development targets, which are our best chance for delivering health and well-being for all.”

Global trends reveal new challenges in family planning

Overall, the data reinforce global trends: more time spent sexually-active and single, postponement of parenthood, and the near-universal desire for smaller families.

The study also highlights where action is needed at country-level to avoid family planning services falling behind demand.

Out of the 74 countries analyzed, 42 showed an increase in demand for contraception. Only 37 countries show an increase in use of a modern method to prevent pregnancy.

Although unmet need for contraception declined in 34 countries, it increased in 14 countries. Significantly more progress is needed, and faster, to ensure each girl and woman is able to access the sexual and reproductive health services she needs.

Barriers and solutions to reproductive health and rights

Gender equality can affect contraceptive use in many ways. From the personal and political degree to which women are free to choose their sexual activity, to accessing family planning services it can also shape any power imbalances within personal relationships. This study supports recent efforts by WHO to adopt a broader, integrated concept of sexual and reproductive health – and to translate it into a framework for policy and practice.

The authors argue that family planning targets in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will not be met without a profound shift: from focus on ‘access to contraception’, to broader aspects of sexual health and social context.

Since reproductive health and women’s empowerment are intertwined, trends in contraceptive use can also reveal progress towards another global target: progress towards gender equality.

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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/10-03-2020-the-unmet-need-for-social-context-in-family-planning

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March 11, 2020
Improving the vision of self-driving vehicles

There may be a better way for autonomous vehicles to learn how to drive themselves: by watching humans. With the help of an improved sight-correcting system, self-driving cars could learn just by observing human operators complete the same task.

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March 6, 2020
Self-driving car trajectory tracking gets closer to human-driver ideal

Have you taken an Uber ride and disagreed with the “fastest” route that the GPS app suggested because you—or the driver—know a “better” way?

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March 6, 2020
Ex-Google self-driving car project picks up new investors

Google’s former autonomous vehicle project is becoming a more autonomous business by bringing it in its first investors besides its corporate parent.

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March 3, 2020
Airlines take no chances with our safety—neither should artificial intelligence

You’d thinking flying in a plane would be more dangerous than driving a car. In reality it’s much safer, partly because the aviation industry is heavily regulated.

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March 2, 2020
International Day of Women and Girls in Science

The theme of the 5th International Day of Women and Girls in Science, was on driving Investment in Equality in Science, Technology and Innovation in the Digitalization Era for Inclusive Green Growth with special focus on Agriculture, Technology and Digital Economy. The commemoration brought together stakeholders from high-level government officials, representatives of international organizations, foundations, private sector, civil society as well as women in science experts from around the world to explore how women in all fields of sciences can accelerate socio-economic sustainable development.

Discussion focused on the interlinkages between gender inequality -specifically in science- digital and technological revolution, and agricultural sector for Sustainable Development. WUN Executive Director Dr Nata Menabde participated in the assembly and highlighted the key role of women and girls in science for health and emphasized on the obstacles women and girls encounter in various levels of health sector – from access to health services, to engagement in health workforce and research. She explained the systematic challenges where women are facing higher health costs than men due to their greater use of health care, as well as the need to extend coverage of health care that deals with the content of benefit packages, to ensure they include a greater range of services for girls and women of all ages. Dr Menabde also shared some conclusions from WHO’s work on nutrition, stressing that gender inequality means girls get less food, are more likely to get sick, and are less likely to be able to attend school, receive an education (including on science) and get a job. However, they are more likely to marry and get pregnant too young, be poorly nourished and have under-nourished babies. In conclusion, she mentioned that healthy women and girls are the cornerstone of healthy societies and proper nutrition is essential to empowering women and girls. Nutrition, through its effect on health and cognitive development, is also vital for academic performance and productivity to ensure healthy economies and socioeconomic development.

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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/11-02-2020-international-day-of-women-and-girls-in-science

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February 27, 2020
Ministers to agree new global road safety agenda to 2030

Government ministers and senior officials from over 100 countries will meet in Stockholm, Sweden from 19-20 February to discuss new steps to halve road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030, in line with global targets agreed in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“The fact that an estimated 1.35 million lives are lost every year due to road traffic collisions is an outrage. It is an unacceptable price to pay for mobility,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General at the World Health Organization (WHO).

Road traffic injuries are now the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5 to 29 years, according to WHO’s most recent Global status report on road safety.

More than half of all road traffic deaths occur among pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. The risk of a road traffic death remains three times higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries. Moreover, as many as 50 million people experience non-fatal road injuries, which impose human suffering and major economic losses.

“Most road traffic deaths and injuries can be prevented, using tried and tested strategies,” added Dr Tedros. “This conference is an opportunity for the world to embrace a new agenda to radically reduce the number of lives lost on our roads and re-think how we can provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all.”

Progress in road safety

Many countries have already made progress through effective road safety management and focusing on better legislation and enforcement around key risks such as speeding; drinking and driving, and failing to use seatbelts. They have also improved infrastructure through measures such as safer sidewalks and dedicated lanes for cyclists; implemented vehicle standards such as those that mandate advanced braking and electronic stability control; and enhanced post-crash care.

Improvements have occurred when a number of sectors have been involved – including transport, health, urban planning and law enforcement, among others. Success has also depended mainly on strong leadership and political will at the highest level of government and in close collaboration with civil society and the private sector.

The Stockholm Declaration

Hosted by the Government of Sweden in collaboration with WHO, the 3^rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety offers delegates an opportunity to share successes and lessons learned, chart future strategic directions for global road safety, and define ways to fast-track progress around proven strategies to save lives.

The Stockholm Declaration will be presented as the final outcome document of the Ministerial Conference calling for strong political will and international cooperation as well as partnerships across many sectors of society. The Declaration will lay out key recommendations for accelerated action to drive progress towards halving global road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.

Beyond preventing human suffering and major economic losses, addressing road traffic deaths and injuries has positive impact across all aspects of society and development ─ including those linked to environment, climate change, education, employment, energy, poverty, human rights and equality ─ as outlined in the SDG targets.

Note to editors:

Road safety is reflected in the SDGs agreed in 2015, with two dedicated targets: (a) 3.6 aimed at preventing road traffic deaths and injuries and (b) 11.2 providing access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all.

Achieving these targets would lead to increases in walking, cycling and using public transport, in other words, those modes of transport which impact most favorably on noncommunicable diseases like heart and lung diseases, cancer and diabetes. It would also contribute to reducing environmental risks, such as air and noise pollution, and steering sustainable urbanization, with less congestion and universal access to safe, inclusive and green public spaces.

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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/07-02-2020-ministers-to-agree-new-global-road-safety-agenda-to-2030

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February 27, 2020
E-cigarette vapor does not cause oxidative stress in viable lung epithelial cells

E-cigarette vapour is much less harmful to lung cells than cigarette smoke. Lab tests show that, unlike tobacco smoke, which causes oxidative stress and cell death, e-cigarette vapour does not. Oxidative stress and cell death are driving factors in the development of many smoking-related diseases such as COPD and lung cancer.

Vapour from e-cigarettes has been found to contain significantly lower levels of the toxicants found in cigarette smoke (Chemical Research in Toxicology DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.6b00188), but suitable lab tests and clinical studies are necessary to understand whether this translates into reductions in biological responses and disease.

Researchers at British American Tobacco have developed a standardized way of measuring and comparing the potential of conventional cigarette smoke and e-cigarette vapour to cause oxidative stress in an in vitro model of lung epithelium.

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February 27, 2020