2017 keep up with knowledge and maintain integrity.

Two years a go I asked all Malaysian live in harmony with nature. Anybody responded? This is not a ceremonial but a reality. All Malaysian must protect and conserve nature because not for conservation and environment BUT it is our heritage.

Congratulation!! UPM. for 6 years leading in UI-Greenmetric world university. One thing we need more detail data and display to members of UPM so that they know the criteria and support where they can. eg the utility. many are still not committed in saving energy and water. We need to have more hybrid power, solar energy and normal electricity, automatic switch and sensor. We need to have water saving system such as rain water harvesting systems. Probably we can have treated and recycle water where necessary. We can have chemical filtration system in our waste water from laboratory. Beside that we green the campus with specific plants and can benefit to campus community. By cycle on campus, stop using plastics and polystyrene and recycling activities are among the important one. As old green campus, wide range of disciplines in academic activities surely all can contribute for green campus from infrastructure to recreation, from planting trees to fruits harvesting festival and from shade and colours to healthy and clean environment. What we need are leaders and structure of command. AND don't forget to appreciate and reward the significant contributors. We always forgot the main contributors. In our culture usually only number ONE leaders are appreciated and rewarded. The contributors just standing clapping hands OR probably just smile, drink coffee and go home telling their children "I am proud of contributing to UPM Green Campus",

We can set rules and regulations for plastic bags. This is very tuft for implementation. plastic bags already become habit among Malaysian. We need more education at all levels. Why we cannot use plastic bags? it is easy and free!!!!

Teaching Strategies that Enhance Higher-Order Thinking (HOT). http://www.teachhub.com/teaching-strategies-enhance-higher-order-thinking

One of the main 21^st century components that teachers want their students to use are higher-order thinking skills. This is when students use complex ways to think about what they are learning.

Higher-order thinking takes thinking to a whole new level. Students using it are understanding higher levels rather than just memorizing math facts. They would have to understand the facts, infer them, and connect them to other concepts.

Here are 10 teaching strategies to enhance higher-order thinking skills in your students.

1. Teaching Strategies to Help Determine What Higher-Order Thinking is

Help students understand what higher-order thinking is. Explain to them what it is and why they need it. Help them understand their own strengths and challenges. You can do this by showing them how they can ask themselves good questions. That leads us to the next strategy.

2. Encourage Questioning

A classroom where students feel free to ask questions without any negative reactions from their peers or their teachers is a classroom where students feel free to be creative. Encourage students to ask questions, and if for some reason you can’t get to their question during class time, then show them how they can answer it themselves, or have them save the question until the following day.

3. Connect Concepts

Lead students through the process of how to connect one concept to another. By doing this you are teaching them to connect what they already know with what they are learning. This level of thinking will help students learn to make connections whenever it is possible, which will help them gain even more understanding. For example, let’s say that the concept they are learning is “Chinese New Year.” An even broader concept would be “Holidays,” and if you take it one step further it can be “Celebrations.” Each small concept can be connected to a bigger, broader concept.

4. Teach Students to Infer

Teach students to make inferences by giving them “Real-world” examples. You can start by giving students a picture of a people standing in line at a soup kitchen. Ask them to look at the picture and focus on the details. Then, ask them to make inferences based on what they see in the picture. Another way to teach young students about how to infer is to teach an easy concept like weather. Ask students to put on their raincoat and boots, then ask them to infer what they think the weather looks like outside.

5. Use Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers provide students with a nice way to frame their thoughts in an organized manner. By drawing diagrams or mind maps, students are able to better connect concepts and see their relationships. This will help students develop a habit of connecting concepts.

6. Teach Problem-Solving Strategies

Teach students to use a step-by-step method for solving problems. This way of higher order thinking will help them solve problems faster and easier. Encourage students to use alternative methods to solve problems as well as offer them different problem-solving methods.

7. Encourage Creative Thinking

Creative thinking is when students invent, imagine, and design what they are thinking. Using your creative senses help students process and understand information better. Research shows that when students utilize creative higher order thinking skills, it indeed increases their understanding. Encourage students to think “Outside of the box.”

8. Use Mind Movies

When concepts that are being learned are hard, encourage students to create a movie in their mind. Teach them to close their eyes and picture it like a movie playing. This way of higher order thinking will truly help them understand in a powerful, unique way.

9. Teach Students to Elaborate Their Answers

Higher-order thinking requires students to really understand a concept not repeat it or memorize it. Encourage students to elaborate their answers and talk about what they are learning. Ask parents to reinforce this at home, as well by asking the right questions that make students explain their answers in more detail, or to answer their child’s question with a more detailed response.

10. Teach QARs

Question-Answer-Relationships, or QARs, teach students to label the type of question that is being asked, then use that information to help them formulate an answer. Students must decipher if the answer can be found in a text or on the Internet, or if they must rely on their own prior knowledge to answer it. This strategy has been found to be effective for higher-order thinking because students become more aware of the relationship between the information in a text and their prior knowledge, which helps them decipher which strategy to use when they need to seek an answe

What make Finland leading in education? Simple. Respect teachers. social recognition, skills and highly innovated teachers. high qualified teachers, thinking society and Cultural values. Malaysia Can? We need to educate many levels. Ministry of education in Malaysia is very regimented organisation?

https://www.google.com/search?q=cultural+values+on+education+in+finland&espv=2&biw=684&bih=306&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiWo5fjn5nRAhXBKY8KHYUJC4kQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=xxYru7a0hNLfyM%3A

Lately we compare education systems with Finland. We have been following American and the British systems all the way. Then we looked east to Japan and Korea for high technology and attitude BUT we seldom look at what and how they are doing. The highly trained teachers in Finland are able to use their skills to foster a more holistic and individualized approach to teaching their students. High skill teachers will develop more trust and confident among the students. Do we have a regular training to our teachers on teaching and learning? We have seven days allocated for training BUT how far we are doing it at schools?

https://rampages.us/univ200burnley/culture-of-trust/

It is quiet difficult to answer journalist questions. Usually they have set their ideas and some times the title, words and ideas. There is big possibility we will repeat their words then we are trapped. With that we can be glamour in the news papers. In this case of polystyrene and water shortage to show that government discourage public using polystyrene BUT when no water, they cannot wash plates so they use polystyrene. Public education is very important and need to be done aggressively. All parties must support and involve.

Mingguan Malaysia 25 Disember 2016

Malaysia is a unique country in the world, a truly multi-religion, multi-culture, multi-lingual, multi-lifestyle, multi-origin, BUT Malaysian practice understanding, tolerant and respect. Everybody hope harmony life in Malaysia will continue fore ever

https://thecoverage.my/lifestyle/youth/15-ways-malaysians-celebrate-christmas/

too much fireworks can caused air pollution. Many did not realised that fireworks released toxic chemicals that can cause hazards to human health.

https://thecoverage.my/lifestyle/youth/15-ways-malaysians-celebrate-christmas/

MNS-Petronas Ecocare Centre is manage by MNS for environment education which focus on coastal and riverine habitat. The management of the centre is well monitored and adviced by EMC (Ecocare management Committee) which contain representative from Petronas and the management from MNS.

Exchange souvenir after EMC meeting at Petronas Kertih, Terengganu.

To encourage young scientists study nature, biodiversity and conservation, Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) launched Young Environmental Research Grant amounting RM100,000.00 for 2016. I hope next year more applicants and more competitive. this year the winners are from UPM, USM, UiTM, UM, UMT.

My new friends from India working with the Shipping company interested in bird watching and taking pictures in Kuala Selangor Nature Parks (KSNP) since last five years. Not many Malaysian can do this. Below is the student from Kyoto volunteering at KSNP guiding visitors on KSNP flora and fauna.

Continously challenge for the scientists and biologists especially when we are talking on natural products which have medicinal values and agricultural potential. More aggressive studies on biodiversity are needed. Politician and others must support and understand on the protection and conservation of national heritage, flora and fauna and their habitat.

Many are talking about attracting young into science BUT not many are thinking why young one are not interested in science. Teaching methods, salary, job opportunity, promotion, etc. We are talking on incentive for those who are interested in science BUT how about incentives to those who are already leading in science and actively promoting science to young generation and training teachers on the interesting methods of teaching science?

Youth Environmental Expo (YEE) need to be done again after two years. This activity is good to enhance awareness on environmental issues among youth.

When we are talking about Biodiversity, all departments must participate and must act together not fragmented actions. How. do we define committed government on biodiversity protection and conservation? any tools of measurement? If the rate of habitat lost and studies on biodiversity and expert that we have and actions that we are taken, how our commitment can be measured?

Essex University Where I studied for my PhD and knowing my girlfriend and my roommate now. Essex University has change a lot in infrastructure and academic

look at the education system in Finland similar to malaysia. May be the implementation and content and approach of teaching are different. we need to look at how they practice learning and teaching in Finland. May be we know the theory, no learning no teaching BUT we still practice teaching without learning. OR teaching just to justify our salary.??

teaching approach should be changed from industrial approach to the agriculture approach. This is because human is organic not mechanic

Creativity is something integrated not fragmented. To produce creative graduate we need to adjust our curriculum to be more integrated towards challenging the future. As I always say, students to day is for four years time to face the real world in their career. So during four year in the university, they are taught to prepare the four years life ahead of them.

http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/beyond-distance-research-alliance/events-1/festival/e-posters/e-posters-gallery-1/the-creative-graduate-creative-curriculum-and-creative-technologies-in-higher-education

HOW FAR THIS IS TRUE?? MAY BE NOT ALL IN MALAYSIA; Female professors earn less on average than their male counterparts because they focus on underappreciated “academic citizen” roles that do not lead to promotion or pay rises, a new study suggests. Male professors devote less time to mentoring duties, serving on university committees and other “academic citizen” roles, and instead concentrate on their own research – an activity more likely to win them external recognition and a pay rise.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/female-professors-pay-price-academic-citizenship

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/female-professors-pay-price-academic-citizenship

the academicians are in medium level of overall happiness which had served as the essential key components for upgrading the level of happiness. Therefore, the University top management should promote and increase subjective well-being among academicians to be competitive.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences

Volume 116, 21 February 2014, Pages 4209-4212

Personality and happiness among academicians in Malaysia (Rashid Aziz , Sharif Mustaffa, Narina A.Samah , Rosman Yusof) 

Turkey purge: ‘strong academic institutions cannot emerge in a climate of fear’: 1,577 deans were recently asked to resign immediately: Will university in Malaysia do this???

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/turkey-purge-strong-academic-institutions-cannot-emerge-climate-fear

The global higher education community “likes to deceive” itself that academic corruption such as the granting of unmerited qualifications and favourtism towards students or staff happens “somewhere else” and needs to face the issue head-on.

(https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/global-he-must-face-academic-corruption-head-webinar-told)

From BRICS to TACTICS: Where is Malaysia is moving? With economic growth, political stability, friendly people, multicultural-religion-race society, infrastructure, democratisation of education concept, hub for global education, internationalisation of the universities, world ranking higher education, etc..... Malaysia have to move forward. Forget appointing wrong person to lead. Politician must be strong. Not scaring any threat in politic. Be strong with quality and develop a professional politics. .

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/12/countries-global-higher-education-superstars-tactics-

We missed the seagrass bed in Merambong, Johore forever. If money is above everything we lost our integrity. We lost our Nature, We lost our heritage. We Malaysian need to learn form our mistakes and if we really want to conserve nature areas such as Merambong Seagrass bed must be protected and preserved. International cooperation in research like UPM-JSPS is a model for nature protection and conservation. Malaysia as top mega biodiversity in the world must be proactive in protection and conserving biodiversity.

If Malaysia need to develop fast and have good maintaining developed Malaysia, we need to have enough scientists and science based executives and professionals including famous science graduate in engineering and medicine. The authority must take this seriously and immediate actions. Time is running out close to 2020 and competing with our neighbours. Two important things to attract young into science and technology (STEM) are attractive learning & teaching and future career with good pay and recognition. With the current momentum, we have to face the challenge.

surprising my visitors increasing! Why? sharing opinion for S&T management, development and application?

Talking about S&T is not a ceremonial thing. It is a continuous task, following closely with the trend of interest among young and demand for the future in STI (Science, Technology and Innovation).

As I always say. Muslim cannot run away from conserving the nature and protect the environment as borh al Quran and Hadith taught all muslims on nature and environment.: For Muslims the Qur'an is the ultimate green-guide. Believed to be a sublime revelation with remarkable ideas, this divine scripture is scrupulously read by Muslims for spirituality. But it is not limited to only that. In the Islamic faith, faith in the environment is on par to good faith towards humanity and indeed God, since Muslims believe He created all. The Qur'an therefore, doesn't just link belief in One God (Tawheed) to being nice to plants and keeping a pet. The Qur'an glorifies nature and wildlife as an earthly heaven, a mirror to the lush forests of Paradise above.

http://www.theecomuslim.com/2013/03/10-environment-quran-verses.html

Ten beautiful quotes from Prophet Muhammad of Islam ﷺ (peace and blessings be upon him), on evergreen faith and ecological protection.

http://www.theecomuslim.com/2012/05/10-green-hadith-muhammad.html

Prophet Mohammed (SAW): A Pioneer of the Environment

Prophet Mohammed (SAW)'s holistic view of nature and his understanding of man's place within the natural world pioneered environmental awareness within the Muslim community. Sadly, the harmony that the Prophet (SAW) advocated between man and his environment has today all too often been lost. As we face the effects of pollution and over exploitation, desertification and water scarcity in some parts of the world and floods and violent storms elsewhere, it is perhaps time for the world community as a whole address the current environmental crisis seriously and wisely.  (http://www.islamicbulletin.org/newsletters/issue_23/environment.aspx)

Every year we celebrate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (puh) and give a special Maulidur Rasul Award. So far how many award recipients were follow through by the authorities and showcase a model so that others can follow. May be we can have Maulidur Rasul Award Recipients Village to show case their achievement and training centre for others.

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/12/12/islamic-calligraphy-expert-bags-maulidur-rasul-award/

It was many times the journalists asked my opinion on Pulau Jerejak. Before any development we need to do flora and fauna studies because this island is unique like a virgin island in term of flora and fauna.

Developed Malaysia: Transformasi Nasional (TN50); From now on, TN50 is our lucky charm. Let the old legacy pass. The future of Malaysia, we will recreate Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/10/182377/pm-najib-announces-tn50-new-30-year-vision-malaysia

even though I retired still contributing ideas through media. This time is one of popular talk show "Ruang Bicara" at Bernama News Chanel.

Tapirus indicus. Need an urgent studies on breeding or reproduction in general. In captivity or in the wild. Zoo Negara already showed success in breeding but is it good if we practice inbreeding? Need more proactive actions from the authorities.

This articles was in 2012. BUT since the BODEK issue is increasing lately, this article become viral aggressively. We need to change our people to be more professional. If the university's leaders cannot be professional enough in assessing their staff quality, what can we expect the whole products of professionals from the universities. It is a great challenge in the university since the merit are counted for promotion and leadership. University cannot compromise with integrity and quality of individual and knowledge.

Orang Asli, forest clearing and effect of logging activities to Taman Negara near Kuala Koh Kelantan have been discussed since 2013. Until now many NGOs and media are talking about the same issues. How far the authorities and general public concern with what had happened.

Just google "sungai panjang hornbills" you will see my pictures and my contribution in protecting and conserving hornbills in Sungai panjang sabak Bernam. Pressure on their habitat in sungai Kaarang and their ability to adapt and sharing habitat with human is some thing interesting and challenging in protecting and conserving this bird. My work since 2005 bring attention of local public and supporting the protection and conservation of hornbills. This Southern Pied Hornbills breeding in clay jar on the ground. Thank you for supporting this programme, I will continue in 2017.