Eggs aren’t just filled with cholesterol. They have other important vitamins like vitamin A, which is good for the eyes, the immune system and the skin.
COOKED, fried, poached: All tasty ways to cook yourself an egg for breakfast. And yet, eggs don’t have the best reputation when it comes to health.
They’re often considered something of a cholesterol bomb, to be eaten in moderation.But experts say that’s only partially true. One egg does contain a fair amount of cholesterol – some 400mg on average.
However, not all of that stays in the body. Two-thirds of cholesterol in the bloodstream is actually produced by the body.
Still, nutritionists recommend keeping an eye on how many eggs you eat.
The suggested intake is up to three eggs per week. That includes eggs found in other foods such as bread, cake, pasta, sauces or mayonnaise.
Anyone who has high cholesterol levels or cardiovascular disorders should preferably stick to eating a maximum of three eggs a week.
Healthy and fit individuals can get away with eating one to two eggs per day assuming that they do plenty of exercises and balance it with lots of fruit and vegetables.Eggs aren’t just filled with cholesterol. They have other important vitamins like vitamin A, which is good for the eyes, the immune system and the skin.
Added to that is the protein-heavy egg white depended on by many athletes.
Eggs also contain lecithin, which is good for the nervous system. That’s what makes them a good bet for the elderly.
Not to mention that egg-based dishes can be easier to chew than other protein-rich foods.
Whether young or old, the question of whether eggs are healthy for you also depends on how they are prepared.
A fried egg cooked in fat and served with bacon will, of course, drive up cholesterol levels in your blood.
One more piece of advice: Make sure eggs are cooked through.
That allows you to kill off salmonella or other possible diseases. If you want to use eggs raw, make sure they’re fresh.— dpa
Functional foods do more than just provide energy and nutrients; they also promote optimal health and help reduce the risk of lifestyle-related chronic diseases.
EVERYONE needs to eat – some more than others.
There are so many food choices that picking something healthy may not always be on our mind.
“Let’s say you don’t have a nutritional background – it can be daunting to navigate what’s good and what’s not good.
“With this pandemic, I have noticed from friends, family and colleagues that the majority of us have become more health conscious.
“Covid-19 has put a different perspective on our health and we’re definitely putting more thought into what we eat.
“Functional foods and ingredients are becoming popular,” says Goh Peen Ern, dietitian and Beneo Asia Pacific’s manager of nutrition communication.
Functional foods are ingredients that offer health benefits that extend beyond their nutritional value (i.e. calories and nutrients).
The simplest examples include whole foods such as nuts, seeds, grains, fruits and vegetables. Foods that have been fortified, enriched or enhanced with nutrients, phytochemicals or botanicals, as well as dietary supplements, also fall within the realm of functional foods.
The concept was believed to have originated in Japan in the 1980s when Japanese government agencies started approving foods with proven benefits in an effort to better the health of its general population.
Advances in technology have helped to identify which ingredients would enhance the nutritional value of foods.
Nutritional ingredients are generally perceived as safe, and this assumption of safety has often been used for branding purposes.
Because consumers are aware of nutritional benefits and consider food safety important, food and beverage producers are positioning their products to reflect the health advantages that their ingredients offer.
Carbs: Good or bad?
While functional ingredients can help promote better health, there are still certain factors about us that are not modifiable, e.g. genetics, family history and age.
Goh says: “The good news is that nutrition is one of the most powerful tools that can modify and improve our health.
“In Asian cultures, food is also used as medicine.”
Healthier eating for all
Many think Carbohydrate as bad, but we should not forget that they are essential for brain functions such as thinking. memory and learning, among others.
She gives carbohydrates as an example: “Carbohydrates have been getting a lot of bad rap and people think it is the source of all ailments, but remember that the human body and brain’s main source of energy is from carbohydrates that have been broken down into glucose.
“All health bodies promote eating carbohydrates, which should comprise around 50% of our caloric intake.”
Just like fats, the quality of carbohydrates differs and not all are created the same.
With the number of diabetics in the country and region, choosing the right type of carbohydrate is important in achieving long-term metabolic health.
Fast-release carbohydrates, or high glycaemic index (GI) foods, release glucose into the bloodstream rapidly, causing a spike in blood sugar levels.
These include breads, cereals, sugars, fruits and some starchy vegetables.
A constant high blood glucose level will cause damage to organs such as the eyes, heart and kidneys.
However, fast-release carbohydrates are extremely beneficial when eaten after exercising, as the rapid rise in blood sugar is critical for restoring glycogen – i.e. the sugars stored for energy – in the muscles and liver.
Slow-release, or low GI, carbohydrates foods provide a slower and more sustained release of energy.
These include most vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts, beans, peas and legumes.
If you choose foods with slow-release carbohydrates for your meals throughout the day, you’ll have energy for an extended period of time.
Asian body type
Sugar is not necessarily the culprit leading to diabetes.
“About 60% of diabetics live in Asia.
“We have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes compared to Caucasians due to our genetic makeup.
“Asians appear to have a distinct ‘thin-outside-fat-inside’ (TOFI) characteristic phenotype.
“We wear small or medium size clothes, but inside we are ‘fatty’.
“If we do a body scan, our belly fat is much higher compared to Caucasians with the same body mass index (BMI),” says Goh.
Even if our BMI is lower than our Caucasian counterparts, we actually have a higher risk of developing diabetes.
She adds: “Abdominal fat is the worst kind to have as high levels of it is associated with increased inflammation – if the fat is on your arms, it is fine.
“So, Asian waistlines are actually bigger.
“We can’t change that, but we can change our diets by eating slow-release carbohydrates to reduce the risk of getting diabetes.
“Instead of going on a rollercoaster ride, let the blood sugar climb up the hill gently.”
Goh used to work as a dietitian in a hospital, but realised she was only helping the sick.
So, to prevent a larger group of people from getting sick and filling up hospital beds, she moved on to the food industry.
“The food industry is like an ecosystem consisting of companies that manufacture the end product and companies that produce the ingredients.
“If you look at the finished product sold in supermarkets and read the ingredient list that says sugar, it doesn’t mean the manufacturer has its own sugar plantation.
“They may be sourcing it from elsewhere and adding it to the product,” she explains.
Sugar substitute
Extracted from the sugar beet plant, isomaltulose ia a low GI ingredient composed of glucose and fructose, which can be used as sugar substitute
A good slow-release alternative sweetener is isomaltulose, which is extracted from the sugar beet plant that is grown in the Palatinate region in Germany.
Goh says: “This is a functional ingredient that is a fully-digestible, slow-release carbohydrate, which comes in powder form and has been used to replace the sugar in food and beverage products.”
Isomaltulose is fully, yet slowly, digested and absorbed, resulting in a lower blood glucose rise and less insulin release in the body when consumed.
“Unlike high-intensity sweeteners such as saccharine, isomaltulose has half the sweetness of table sugar.
“If I’m using a lot of brain work or playing sports, I need carbohydrates, and drinks containing isomaltulose are an excellent choice.
“Food manufacturers can use this as an ingredient in their products,” she says.
This low GI ingredient is already the number one sugar substitute in hard-boiled candies worldwide.
It can also be used as a bulk sweetener in confectionery, baked goods, cereals, dairy products, sports nutrition products and special nutrition products and so on.
Goh cites the example of canned herbal tea – people want it to be both tasty and healthy, meaning that they don’t want sugar in it.
However, when the manufacturer takes out the sugar, the tea will become unpalatable.
“The manufacturer has to put back something to get a better-tasting tea, so they can put in isomaltulose, which tastes really nice and is not as sweet.
“Many people also don’t check the sugar content and think if the product is not so sweet, it is healthier!” says Goh.
Another functional ingredient with plenty of benefits is chicory root fibre (a prebiotic), which comes from the chicory plant.
Prebiotics are non-digestible dietary fibres that promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the intestine.
Unlike probiotics, prebiotics are non-living organisms and aid the intestinal bacteria to flourish.
Chicory root fibre is derived from the chicory plant, which belongs to the dandelion family (and looks like radish), and is primarily composed of inulin.
Inulin is extracted from chicory root through a gentle hot water diffusion process, similar to the process used to extract sugar from beets.
The first step consists of obtaining a liquid concentrate from the chicory root.
This juice will then be refined into fibre in liquid or powder form.
Goh explains: “Back then, companies making cereal and nut bars used sugar syrup to bind the bar together, but now, some manufacturers have started using the liquid version to bind the ingredients so that the product is healthier.
“The chicory root fibre has plenty of healthy benefits and has been linked to improved blood sugar control and digestive health as it selectively increases the good gut microbiome.
“With isomaltoluse, it is slowly broken down by the body, but chicory root fibre is considered a prebiotic, so it is not broken down in the body and doesn’t affect blood sugar.”
In food packaging, some manufacturers will list the item as “having prebiotics” or a “sustained energy product”.
“What you can do is look at the ingredient list to see if it contains any functional ingredients.
“Food companies will usually use generic names, e.g. oligofructose, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), plant sterols, isomaltulose, beta glucan, etc.
“These functional ingredients are not just for diabetics, but for everyone to keep themselves healthy.
“And no, these ingredients are not sold to individuals, but to food manufacturing companies,” she says.
Prioritise food intake
To lead a healthy life, Goh ranks nutrition as top of the priority list, followed by exercise, adequate sleep and controlling stress.
She points out: “If you do the first three things right, then the fourth is not a problem.”
When it comes to the affordability factor, Goh says not all foods with functional ingredients are expensive.
“Maintaining good health is not expensive.
“If you cannot afford these foods, go for home brands, cook your meals with lots of onion and garlic, choose lean meats for protein, and eat your fruit and veggies, but make sure they are rainbow-coloured.”
There are those who think eating healthy once in a while is good enough.
“Health eating is a daily thing!” Goh emphasises.
“It’s not only reserved for special occasions.
“You should be eating healthy 80% of the time and the 20% remaining, you can indulge in junk food, fast food, chocolates, etc – why not?
“In the end, it boils down to habit.
“If you’re eating healthy, it’s very hard to undo.
“If your habit is not so healthy, put your mind to it and consciously eat healthy again and again – you can change your habits.
“Just do one thing consistently until it becomes a habit two or three months later, then work on another thing,” she advises.
More importantly, you have to eat to feel good.
She says: “You can try it yourself, eat junk food one day and healthy food the next, and observe the difference.
Benefits of salt substitutes
Dietary salt substitutes can help lower the risk of heart attacks, stroke and death in those with high blood pressure.
DIETARY salt substitutes lower the risk of heart attack, stroke and death from all causes and cardiovascular (heart) disease, finds a pooled data analysis of the available evidence.
Published online in the journal Heart, the beneficial effects of these substitutes are likely to apply to people all around the world, say the researchers.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, and high blood pressure is a major risk for an early death.
A diet high in sodium and low in potassium is known to drive up blood pressure.
Around 1.28 billion people around the world have high blood pressure, although more than half of these are undiagnosed, say the researchers.
Salt substitutes, in which a proportion of sodium chloride (Nacl) is replaced with potassium chloride (KCL), are known to help lower blood pressure.
A recently published large study from China, called the Salt Substitute and Stroke Study (SSASS), found that salt substitutes cut the risk of heart attacks, stroke, and early death.
But it was unclear whether these benefits would apply to other parts of the world.
In a bid to shed light on this, the researchers trawled research databases looking for randomised clinical trials published up to the end of August 2021, which reported on the effects of a salt substitute on blood pressure, cardiovascular health and early death.
Blood pressure, which is measured in mmhg, is made up of two numbers: systolic, which is the higher number that indicates the force at which the heart pumps blood around the body, and diastolic, which is the lower number that indicates arterial pressure when the heart is filling with blood.
They pooled the results of 21 relevant international clinical trials involving nearly 30,000 people, carried out in Europe, the Western-pacific region, the Americas and South-east Asia.
The study periods lasted from one month to five years.
The proportion of sodium chloride in the salt substitutes varied from 33% to 75%; the proportion of potassium ranged from 25% to 65%.
The pooled data analysis showed that salt substitutes lowered blood pressure in all the participants.
The overall reduction in systolic blood pressure was 4.61mmhg and the overall reduction in diastolic blood pressure was 1.61mmhg.
Reductions in blood pressure seemed to be consistent, irrespective of geography, age, sex, history of high blood pressure, weight (body mass index or BMI), baseline blood pressure, and baseline levels of urinary sodium and potassium.
And each 10% lower proportion of sodium chloride in the salt substitute was associated with a 1.53mmhg greater fall in systolic blood pressure and a 0.95mmhg greater fall in diastolic blood pressure.
There was no evidence that higher dietary potassium was associated with any health harms.
A pooled data analysis of the results of five of these trials involving more than 24,000 participants showed that salt substitutes lowered the risks of early death from any cause by 11%, from cardiovascular disease by 13%, and the risks of heart attack or stroke by 11%.
The researchers acknowledge certain limitations to their findings, including that the studies in the pooled data analysis varied in design and that there were relatively few data for people who didn’t have high blood pressure.
But they nevertheless highlight that their findings echo those of the SSASS – the largest ever trial of a potassium-enriched salt substitute to date.
“Since blood pressure lowering is the mechanism by which salt substitutes confer their cardiovascular protection, the observed consistent blood pressure reductions make a strong case for generalisability of the cardiovascular protective effect observed in the SSASS, both outside of China and beyond,” they write.
“These findings are unlikely to reflect the play of chance and support the adoption of salt substitutes in clinical practice and public health policy as a strategy to reduce dietary sodium intake, increase dietary potassium intake, lower blood pressure and prevent major cardiovascular events,” they conclude.
DEPRESSED wages, and a rising cost of living – these are the biggest tribulations facing the man on the street these days.
Needless to say, the lower income group is the one most affected but things have come to a stage where the Middle 40 (M40) group, especially those with families, is being dragged down and feeling the pinch too.
The biggest problem is that food –an unavoidable spending – is what takes up the bulk of the families’ budgets.
Chicken – a source of protein that cuts across all walks of life, creed and faith – tops the list of food. And keeping chicken prices down has become impossible.
Malaysia recorded a 2.8% year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in the consumer price index, which measures inflation. Food inflation rose by 5.2%, which means food prices are rising faster than anything else.
And experts warned that the food bills will keep going up.
With food insecurity on one side, rising cost on the other, the question is: what can be done to survive this double-edged sword?
True, much of the work of controlling the surging inflation is in the hands of the government and market forces but what can be done at the individual level?
Some may suggest side gigs and part-time jobs to grow wealth but the more immediate and feasible measures will be a relook at personal spending and lifestyle changes, including dietary habits.
Cutting back on non-essential items, budgeting, doing cooking more at home and making diet changes may help.
Bank Islam chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid suggests a rethink on personal expenditure.
“The other is to look for additional income via part-time jobs. The third is to save and invest so the money will grow and hopefully, outperform the inflation,” he said.Sunway University Economics Prof Dr Yeah Kim Leng said that on the consumers part, they could explore cheaper substitutes, cut back on discretionary spending or reduce consumption.
They could also look for alternative sources of nutrients.
Singletons living with friends or housemates could pool groceries and cook meals together.
When it comes to takeouts, cutting down on using food delivery apps may help, as delivery charges make meals costlier. It’s cheaper to go out and buy them directly from the outlets.
Aside from that, buying groceries at a wholesale market instead of wet markets or grocery stories may also be a cheaper alternative.
Deputy dean of Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Assoc Prof Dr Barakatun Nisak Mohd Yusof noted that nutritious food will cost slightly more and a good meal must comprise food from all groups of the food pyramid
Citing a study, she said the food group that is likely to be affected is protein, as animal based protein such as meat and fish are the ones getting expensive.
She fears people may turn to starch which is relatively cheaper. There is also a fear that more people may turn to fast food or cheap but unhealthy alternatives like instant noodles.
Dr Barakatun said plant based protein such as dhall, beans, tauhu, tofu and tempeh are good alternatives.
“These are good sources of protein and are not only cheaper, but also contain fibre,” she said.
She said habitual meat eaters not accustomed to plant-based diets could incorporate such food slowly into their diet.
“It is not like you have to eat them daily. You can have them on alternate days or as part of a weekly meal plan,” she said.
As for vegetables, she also suggested consumption of “ulam”, a fairly affordable dish that could be easily grown in homes.
She said vegetables such as carrot, lady’s finger, cabbage and long beans could be bought in bulk as they can last longer.
While processed frozen food like sausages should be avoided, frozen chicken meat and fish can be consumed.
She also suggested freshwater fish such as catfish or keli, which remain affordable.
“We can also focus on local fruits,” she said.
She also suggested meal planning, such as pre-planing the simple dishes that can be cooked throughout the week. Groceries for the week can then be bought based on the plan.
Another interesting tip which Dr Barakatun shared was to segregate and pack ingredients according to the menu planned.
She felt meal prepping could then be turned into a fun family activity with kids.
These lifestyle changes will definitely not be easy but they could help stretch the ringgit and leave some extra cash in the wallet in these tough times.
The Meteorological Department’s weather forecasts are more vital than ever as Malaysia struggles to cope with severe weather events caused by climate change.
Taman Sri Muda in Seksyen 25, Shah Alam, was flooded on Saturday afternoon due to non-stop rain from Friday night.
CLIMATE change is really hitting home this rainy season in Malaysia.
A higher average temperature from a warmer climate means more water is being evaporated from land and sea, which leads to more extreme precipitation. In other words, the warmer it gets in Malaysia, the more rain we’ll get – just as we’re currently experiencing.
But how much more rain are we actually getting?
According to the Malaysian Meteorological
Department – better known as Metmalaysia now – average yearly temperatures between 1981 and 2020 have trended higher at a rate of 0.02ºc every year, which translates to 0.2ºc every decade.
Metmalaysia director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah says a rise in 1ºc could translate into a corresponding 7% increase in rainfall. This is according to the Sixth Assessment Report of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (released in August this year) and Malaysia’s Third National Communication to the panel.
“There has been an increase in the trend of average yearly temperatures although it’s not very drastic. But it can still have an impact on the weather in our country,” he says.
An increase in rainfall, says Muhammad Helmi, can be linked to more extreme thunderstorms which can lead to more frequent flash floods and landslides as well as water and land spouts, and hail.
He points to the 2006/2007 and 2014 massive floods in Johor and Kelantan respectively as examples of incidents of such extreme rainfalls.
Based on Metmalaysia’s observations, Muhammad Helmi says the highest average yearly temperature recorded in the country was in 2016 at 27.84ºc, which was 0.87ºc above normal.
This is followed by 1998, 2019 and 2020, he says. In fact, based on records between 1951 and last year as provided by Met-malaysia, nine of the 10 hottest years in the country have occurred in the past 20 years since 2000, except for 1998 (see graphics with Metmalaysia stats).
“The maximum highest temperature ever recorded in Malaysia was 40.1ºc in Chuping, Perlis, on April 9, 1998,” says Muhammad Helmi.
That year saw one of the most powerful El Ninos in recorded history, during which scientists say air temperature hiked up by 1.5ºc compared with the 0.25ºc usually associated with that global weather phenomenon.
“The rise in temperature can also cause heat waves and haze to become more extreme,” adds Muhammad Helmi.
Malaysians, he says, must realise that natural disasters from the effects of climate change are now unavoidable.
“But with knowledge, planning and early preparation, we can minimise the impact on mortality and property damage.
“Thus, members of the public must be prepared to face any possibility of natural disasters and always get the latest weather update by Metmalaysia in their areas.”
From paper charts to satellite images
With floods and hurricanes increasing, getting the latest weather updates out has become vital – lifesaving, even, when it gives uniformed personnel time to deploy in areas facing disaster. Metmalaysia has had to move with the times over the years to achieve this.
When Muhammad Helmi first joined the country’s Meteorological Department back in the 1980s, predicting the weather was about looking at the charts. Back then, the country didn’t have its own weather forecast models and needed to rely on those produced by other countries to try and predict whether it would be rain or shine the next day.
Muhammad Helmi remembers having to study details of the charts splayed out on tables or pinned up on boards.
“At that time, we had to plot the daily weather by hand,” reminisces the 57-year-old, who was posted to the then Subang International Airport, one of the more important places among his first few postings.
Thankfully, modern technology means predicting the daily weather doesn’t have to be that painstakingly arduous now.
Malaysia now has its own weather forecast models and live satellite images can be displayed on gigantic electronic boards, while staff members work with computer screens and sophisticated seismographs.
When The Star visited Metmalaysia at its headquarters on Jalan Sultan, Petaling Jaya, recently, the images from Japan’s Himawari and China’s Feng Yun satellites were tracking a red dot – a sign of possible inclement weather – across different shades of the blues of the Indian Ocean.
First set up in 1958 as the Malaya Meteorological Service Office at the Simpang Airport in Kuala Lumpur – also known as the Sungai Besi Airbase – the office has undergone various changes as its role expanded.
Originally parked under the Transport Ministry as the Meteorological Service Malaysia in 1965 following Singapore’s departure from the federation, it was shifted to the Science, Technology and Environment Ministry in 1984.
Today, the department’s forecast office sits in an unassuming white building on a site that it has occupied since 1968, from where it keeps an eye out for everything from earthquakes and tsunamis to rain and wind, and even the ultraviolet index and heatwaves during the dry season.
Currently, Metmalaysia has a network of 247 automatic weather stations and 183 manual observation stations to detect data like rainfall, temperature, wind direction and speed, and atmospheric pressure. There are also additional stations to monitor acid deposition, the intensity of surface ultraviolet rays and background particulate matter, surface ozone, and aerosol concentrations.
Despite the advent of technology, though, work hasn’t necessarily become easier for the department, on which much of the country’s agricultural, plantation, aviation and even tourism sectors depend.
Winds of change
During our interview, Muhammad Helmi admits that with climate change, the department’s role has become more onerous and the forecasting work more challenging.
Typically, it’s harder to forecast the weather for a country with a tropical climate like Malaysia than, say, temperate countries like Japan and those in Europe which have four seasons. But it is even more challenging when climate change is wreaking havoc with established weather and wind patterns, much like what is happening with our monsoons.
“We can see a drastic change to our weather, like stronger thunderstorms and more occurrences of phenomena such as water spouts, land spouts and even hail, which used to be rare in the past.
“There’s also been an increase in the number of extreme weather events – an increase in both intensity and frequency,” says Muhammad Helmi.
“This has given rise to new challenges for Metmalaysia because knowledge of such events is currently quite limited.
“The main challenge for us is to determine when and where such high impact or extreme weather events will occur,” he explains.
He adds that the department is still studying the indicators or signs that may lead them to better forecast when and where such extreme weather events are likely to take place.
“An example of such an indicator would be wind patterns. We all know that between August and September this year, the southwest monsoon was weak, a situation known as a monsoon break.
“When a monsoon break happens, the wind blows from various directions and is rather weak, causing many thunderstorms to occur.
“The south-west monsoon was supposed to be a drier period for us. Instead, it was the opposite and we had many thunderstorms that even resulted in flash floods, including what happened in Yan recently,” he explains.
In mid-august, six people died in a landslide and over 1,000 more were affected by severe flash floods following heavy downpours in the district in Kedah.
The rains were so heavy that a water column came gushing down the side of Gunung Jerai while images and video clips of muddied roads, inundated cars, fallen trees and drenched residents went viral on social media.
Too darn hot
While scientists and forecasters agree that global warming is causing the evaporation of more moisture from land and sea, which translates into heavier rainfall, they are still scrambling to better predict extreme weather events.
To better spot indicators that can lead up to these extreme events in the future, Metmalaysia has embarked on a series of measures, including upgrading 60 existing manual observation stations to automatic as well as building new ones, and incorporating extra training for its staff.
Eight new radar stations are slated for completion next year – at Kuala Gula in Perak; Rompin, Temerloh and Cameron Highlands in Pahang; Marang in Terengganu; Kuala Krai in Kelantan; Sibu in Sarawak; and Tawau in Sabah.
“Hopefully, with these new radar stations we will be able to monitor and observe the weather for almost the entirety of Malaysia,” says Muhammad Helmi.
More importantly, the department is in the midst of developing a system capable of forecasting weather a few months in advance or giving projections even up to the year 2100.
This, says Muhammad Helmi, will allow national disaster agencies and water resources management to better plan and take early action in case of floods or droughts.
“The projection of up to 2100 based on the scaled down models of CMIP6 and shared socioeconomic pathways will enable better and more accurate simulations of how our country’s climate will look like in the future,” he says.
Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, or CIMP, which is now in phase six, is a framework which allows climate scientists around the world to collaborate and improve their knowledge on climate change. Coupled models are computer-based models of the Earth’s climate in which the atmosphere, oceans, land or ice are “coupled” together to interact in simulations.
Asked if Metmalaysia will consider recruiting the help of climate scientists to better understand and predict extreme events, Muhammad Helmi says it’s still best to ensure capacity building for its own staff.
“Upon acceptance into the service, our staff members have to undergo a year of training before being posted to a meteorological office for another year or even a few years.
“They will have to work at this meteorological office for at least a year so that they will know what the weather in that particular area is like during the different monsoons.
“They know the weather and climate of this country better because they have been in the field for so long,” he says, adding that the department has recently had one of its officers recognised as a subject matter expert under the civil service scheme.
“We have four more officers on the same career pathway,” he adds.
Moving on up
There are also plans to relocate Metmalaysia’s headquarters away from the narrow, busy street it now shares with the Road Transport Department and the Chemistry Department in PJ to a site in Labu near the KL International Airport by 2024 or 2025.
But even that comes with its own set of problems unique to the department, which operates 24/7 for 365 days every year.
The particular nature of forecasting, stresses Muhammad Helmi, means that Metmalaysia can’t afford to shut down its operations in the country for even one minute.
“Earthquakes and weather changes happen all the time. Much of the department’s operations must already be set up at the new location for, say, a month before we can actually move to the new site.
“We are currently holding workshops to determine our needs at the new building,” he says.
Meanwhile, rain or shine, or hail and hurricanes for that matter, Malaysians must keep up with Metmalaysia’s daily forecasts now that unpredictable weather is the norm.
- The Star Malaysia21 Dec 2021by SIM LEOI LEOI lifestyle@thestar.com.my
Forecasting the weather amid climate change
— Photos: IZZRAFIQ alias/the star
muhammad Helmi explaining a satellite image at metmalaysia headquarters.
The maximum highest temperature ever recorded in Malaysia was 40.1ºc in Chuping, Perlis, on April 9, 1998,” says Muhammad Helmi
That year saw one of the most powerful El Ninos in recorded history, during which scientists say air temperature hiked up by 1.5ºc compared with the 0.25ºc usually associated with that global weather phenomenon.
“The rise in temperature can also cause heat waves and haze to become more extreme,” adds Muhammad Helmi.
Malaysians, he says, must realise that natural disasters from the effects of climate change are now unavoidable.
“But with knowledge, planning and early preparation, we can minimise the impact on mortality and property damage.
“Thus, members of the public must be prepared to face any possibility of natural disasters and always get the latest weather update by Metmalaysia in their areas.”
From paper charts to satellite images
With floods and hurricanes increasing, getting the latest weather updates out has become vital – lifesaving, even, when it gives uniformed personnel time to deploy in areas facing disaster. Metmalaysia has had to move with the times over the years to achieve this.
When Muhammad Helmi first joined the country’s Meteorological Department back in the 1980s, predicting the weather was about looking at the charts. Back then, the country didn’t have its own weather forecast models and needed to rely on those produced by other countries to try and predict whether it would be rain or shine the next day.
Muhammad Helmi remembers having to study details of the charts splayed out on tables or pinned up on boards.
“At that time, we had to plot the daily weather by hand,” reminisces the 57-year-old, who was posted to the then Subang International Airport, one of the more important places among his first few postings.
Thankfully, modern technology means predicting the daily weather doesn’t have to be that painstakingly arduous now.
Malaysia now has its own weather forecast models and live satellite images can be displayed on gigantic electronic boards, while staff members work with computer screens and sophisticated seismographs.
When The Star visited Metmalaysia at its headquarters on Jalan Sultan, Petaling Jaya, recently, the images from Japan’s Himawari and China’s Feng Yun satellites were tracking a red dot – a sign of possible inclement weather – across different shades of the blues of the Indian Ocean.
First set up in 1958 as the Malaya Meteorological Service Office at the Simpang Airport in Kuala Lumpur – also known as the Sungai Besi Airbase – the office has undergone various changes as its role expanded.
Originally parked under the Transport Ministry as the Meteorological Service Malaysia in 1965 following Singapore’s departure from the federation, it was shifted to the Science, Technology and Environment Ministry in 1984.
Today, the department’s forecast office sits in an unassuming white building on a site that it has occupied since 1968, from where it keeps an eye out for everything from earthquakes and tsunamis to rain and wind, and even the ultraviolet index and heatwaves during the dry season.
Currently, Metmalaysia has a network of 247 automatic weather stations and 183 manual observation stations to detect data like rainfall, temperature, wind direction and speed, and atmospheric pressure. There are also additional stations to monitor acid deposition, the intensity of surface ultraviolet rays and background particulate matter, surface ozone, and aerosol concentrations.
Despite the advent of technology, though, work hasn’t necessarily become easier for the department, on which much of the country’s agricultural, plantation, aviation and even tourism sectors depend.
Winds of change
During our interview, Muhammad Helmi admits that with climate change, the department’s role has become more onerous and the forecasting work more challenging.
Typically, it’s harder to forecast the weather for a country with a tropical climate like Malaysia than, say, temperate countries like Japan and those in Europe which have four seasons. But it is even more challenging when climate change is wreaking havoc with established weather and wind patterns, much like what is happening with our monsoons.
“We can see a drastic change to our weather, like stronger thunderstorms and more occurrences of phenomena such as water spouts, land spouts and even hail, which used to be rare in the past.
“There’s also been an increase in the number of extreme weather events – an increase in both intensity and frequency,” says Muhammad Helmi.
“This has given rise to new challenges for Metmalaysia because knowledge of such events is currently quite limited.
“The main challenge for us is to determine when and where such high impact or extreme weather events will occur,” he explains.
He adds that the department is still studying the indicators or signs that may lead them to better forecast when and where such extreme weather events are likely to take place.
“An example of such an indicator would be wind patterns. We all know that between August and September this year, the southwest monsoon was weak, a situation known as a monsoon break.
“When a monsoon break happens, the wind blows from various directions and is rather weak, causing many thunderstorms to occur.
“The south-west monsoon was supposed to be a drier period for us. Instead, it was the opposite and we had many thunderstorms that even resulted in flash floods, including what happened in Yan recently,” he explains.
In mid-august, six people died in a landslide and over 1,000 more were affected by severe flash floods following heavy downpours in the district in Kedah.
The rains were so heavy that a water column came gushing down the side of Gunung Jerai while images and video clips of muddied roads, inundated cars, fallen trees and drenched residents went viral on social media.
Too darn hot
While scientists and forecasters agree that global warming is causing the evaporation of more moisture from land and sea, which translates into heavier rainfall, they are still scrambling to better predict extreme weather events.
To better spot indicators that can lead up to these extreme events in the future, Metmalaysia has embarked on a series of measures, including upgrading 60 existing manual observation stations to automatic as well as building new See page 3
How extreme weather may lead to food shortages
IN a world with an increasing human population, climate change may have a serious impact on our ability to grow enough food.
— Bloomberg
abundance at a fresh fruit stall in a London wholesale market – but how long will it last as the climate crisis continues wreaking havoc on global weather and threatening food production?
Research from as far back as 2007 found that around 30% of year-to-year fluctuations in tonnes of crops grown per hectare were due to changes in the climate. It is remarkable that under these circumstances the global agricultural system has managed to remain fairly robust, and that major food shortages have been rare.
On the other hand, food prices in recent decades have become increasingly volatile. While there are many influences on food prices – including crop yield, weather variations, international trade, speculation in food commodity markets, and land management practices – mostly open trading systems have allowed food shortages in some places to be offset by surpluses and increased production elsewhere.
However, now that the world seems to be moving toward more trade barriers at a time when climate change is intensifying, these stabilising effects may start to fail. Prices could
Without fertiliser, us farm yields would have fallen drastically as soil quality has been decreasing. However, poorer parts of the world do not have the resources to compensate for barren land with fertilisers in the same way. —AFP rise sharply, putting pressure on poor countries and on the budgets of poor people in rich countries.
While crop growth per hectare has increased considerably over the last 50 years, recently the rate of this growth has slowed compared with previous decades. Recent research suggests that up to 30% of the expected increase in growth of European crops has been cancelled out by adverse weather.
But it is worrying that the most pronounced changes tend to be in countries such as those in sub-saharan Africa, including South Africa, that are at high risk of climate impacts on food availability and affordability.
This is particularly clear in the case of barley, maize, millet, pulses, rice and wheat. It seems that the countries most at risk of food shortages are also worst affected by rising temperatures. This seems to bear out the finding from the world’s premier climate science advisers, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), that the higher average global temperatures and more extreme weather events associated with climate change will reduce the reliability of food production. The latest IPCC report, released in August, also supports this conclusion.
Another change noted by the IPCC is how rising heat and rainfall associated with climate change is increasingly degrading land, making soil less productive. This is due to the loss of soil nutrients and organic matter and has negative effects on crop yields.
In addition, accelerating rises in sea levels will compound these negative impacts by increasing saltwater intrusions and permanently flooding crop land.
Recent modelling of soil loss in wheat and maize fields shows large variations between tropical climate regions and regions with a large proportion of flat and dry land, with losses ranging from less than 1 tonne per hectare in central Asia to 100 tonnes per hectare in South-east Asia.
The strong impact of climate and topography on simulated water erosion is clearly shown in the five largest wheat and maize producing countries: in Brazil, China and India, where a large proportion of cropland is in tropical areas, water erosion is relatively high, while in Russia and the United States annual median values are much lower.
However, historically poor management of lands in Europe and the United States has been largely remedied through the increased use of chemical fertilisers and irrigation, which have been able to offset a massive amount of soil degradation.
For example, one study has shown that, without fertiliser, US yields of corn over the past 100 years would have fallen from around seven to a little over one tonne per hectare due to soil quality decreasing. However, fertiliser has enabled yields to be broadly maintained, although at an annual cost to farmers of over Us$0.5bil (Rm2.1bil).
These results have worrying implications for poorer parts of the world where soil quality is decreasing, but which do not have the resources to compensate for this with fertilisers. And the results become more worrying still if this is exacerbated by climate change.
Many aspects of land management for food production have changed in recent decades, including growing different crops, or the same crops in different places, in response to increased temperatures. The overall result of these changes has been greatly increased food yields in many parts of the world, and land managers may be expected to adapt their strategies for changes in the climate.
But if climate change results in simultaneous failure of major crops such as wheat, maize and soybeans in two or more major breadbasket regions (the areas of the world that produce most food), then the risks of price rises making food too expensive in poorer parts of the world could become acute. – The Conversation
- By PAUL EKINS Paul Ekins is professor of Resources and Environmental Policy at University College London. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
