The highest traffic volume to one of the world’s leading social networking sites, friendster.com, comes from Malaysia. Friendster.com is also the second most visited site in Malaysia next to yahoo.com. Out of the 13.5 million Internet users in Malaysia, 3.1 million are registered on Friendster. The site, the 17th largest in the world, was founded in California in 2002.With 44 million members worldwide, the site allows users to set up their personal profiles, which can either be accessed by anyone or by a select group of friends.
Users can make new friends, find old ones or locate activity partners and dates through the site.Users can email each other over Friendster, which also allows them to share photos, post bulletins, videos, and blog. Friendster Inc marketing and public relations director Jeff Roberto said according to Alexa.com, a website that provides information on web traffic, Friendster’s traffic breakout is: 22.4 per cent Malaysia; 21.8 per cent Philippines, 20 per cent Singapore; 12.7 per cent Indonesia; and six per cent United States."It is ranked the number one site in the Philippines, and number two in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia."The majority of users, about 55 per cent, are women. This pattern is the same all over the world. I think it’s probably because women are more social than men."The Asia user base is mostly 16 to 30-year-olds," he told the New Straits Times.Roberto said Asia currently accounts for over 70 per cent of total daily traffic to Friendster. It represents some 150 million daily page views and over four billion monthly page views.Asked why Friendster is bigger in Asia than in the West, Roberto said users in this part of the world are younger and tend to keep their pages open for viewing."Their profiles are open so there is more activity. We are also the first to enter this region."
source:http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/Frontpage/20070612073117/Article/index_html
Showing posts with label Malaysia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Malaysia. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Agriculture in Malaysia
It has been a long way for Malaysia to be self sufficiency in agriculture. Although Malaysia has produced a lot of rubber, oil palm and cocoa but many had still in the pipe-line need to be export orientated. We still import a lot of foods and food-related products even these produces could be produced in the country.For example we still import a lot of corn,rice,sugar, wheat related products,fruits etc. There are ample of land that need to be cultivated and used profitably. I see there are possibilities of how Malaysia could become a giant food exporter in the world. There are a few things that need to be considered thoroughly.
1. Through research and development of the upbringing the products from farm to consumers. There should an aggressive drive by the relate parties in planting let such say promising fruits clones, good infrastructure like cold rooms, cold storage,roads,etc. Research should not be done in bits-and-pieces, meaning they should tackled from and at all angles brainstormed by a special committee left and right in more concerted way. Spend more time on planning rather that quick-result implementations.
2. Marketing of agricultural goods. I could tell you that from my experiences that the government did not bother much about the welfare of the farmers.This is because agricultural goods are sold at below par price from the market simply the quality is not good- no cold rooms, marketing outlet- although there is a marketing body to handle market- they still could not cope the problems which are fundamental e.g not enough staffs, facilities, etc. They just are just gov. officers; they be improve if the organization is privatise and run in a corporate way.
3.Transfer of technology. This things has been going on years and years.I can tell you that the experienced and progressived farmers are far better knowledge. There is only one program in the TV per week repeated twice.No popular agriculture magazines (except Chinese) to be read by all although there is one or two last time.
4.Commitment by the people- politicians especially. They should help every people who likes or interested in agriculture.Talking is not enough. I see now many 'big brothers' that benefit from the government but what about poor pak cik and mak cik in the kampungs left abandon without notice. This is true the government did not find alternative for them. Agriculture projects should be balance with urbanization because if this thing is not been considered properly there would be a big gap between the rich and poor .
5.Ethnic commitment. Malaysia is made of 3 main races. Malay,Chinese and Indians.What I observe it that produces made by the Malays are below price than their Chinese counterparts particularly the Chinese had their marketing outlet at the hypermarkets and big markets.Being true Malaysians this should be.For after 50 years of independent this should NOT be. Back to basics. Come on.
6. Ruler's Project. There are many rulers in Malaysia. What I see that they are very 'far' from the people.Unlike Thailand, the King had his own agricultural projects and I have have been to some of the projects .These projects are to solve hardcore problems such as turning drug traffics areas and drug-producing crops to fruit growing and tourism destinations.We should learn and follow what is good. Do more for the people.
7. Land banks and policy. The government should keep tracts of all land used and not used at every levels from state, districts, villages for agriculture. Land allocated for agriculture not should not be easily converted into housing or industrial lands without replacing new lands. Somebody should trace which land is not been used and the database is updated monthly. The policy is that every inch of land should utilized without being left idle. The land owners should given a notice if his /her land is not been cultivated for agriculture and summons should be sent if they don't work on it otherwise they should let other people to do for them.
Zainudin@2007
1. Through research and development of the upbringing the products from farm to consumers. There should an aggressive drive by the relate parties in planting let such say promising fruits clones, good infrastructure like cold rooms, cold storage,roads,etc. Research should not be done in bits-and-pieces, meaning they should tackled from and at all angles brainstormed by a special committee left and right in more concerted way. Spend more time on planning rather that quick-result implementations.
2. Marketing of agricultural goods. I could tell you that from my experiences that the government did not bother much about the welfare of the farmers.This is because agricultural goods are sold at below par price from the market simply the quality is not good- no cold rooms, marketing outlet- although there is a marketing body to handle market- they still could not cope the problems which are fundamental e.g not enough staffs, facilities, etc. They just are just gov. officers; they be improve if the organization is privatise and run in a corporate way.
3.Transfer of technology. This things has been going on years and years.I can tell you that the experienced and progressived farmers are far better knowledge. There is only one program in the TV per week repeated twice.No popular agriculture magazines (except Chinese) to be read by all although there is one or two last time.
4.Commitment by the people- politicians especially. They should help every people who likes or interested in agriculture.Talking is not enough. I see now many 'big brothers' that benefit from the government but what about poor pak cik and mak cik in the kampungs left abandon without notice. This is true the government did not find alternative for them. Agriculture projects should be balance with urbanization because if this thing is not been considered properly there would be a big gap between the rich and poor .
5.Ethnic commitment. Malaysia is made of 3 main races. Malay,Chinese and Indians.What I observe it that produces made by the Malays are below price than their Chinese counterparts particularly the Chinese had their marketing outlet at the hypermarkets and big markets.Being true Malaysians this should be.For after 50 years of independent this should NOT be. Back to basics. Come on.
6. Ruler's Project. There are many rulers in Malaysia. What I see that they are very 'far' from the people.Unlike Thailand, the King had his own agricultural projects and I have have been to some of the projects .These projects are to solve hardcore problems such as turning drug traffics areas and drug-producing crops to fruit growing and tourism destinations.We should learn and follow what is good. Do more for the people.
7. Land banks and policy. The government should keep tracts of all land used and not used at every levels from state, districts, villages for agriculture. Land allocated for agriculture not should not be easily converted into housing or industrial lands without replacing new lands. Somebody should trace which land is not been used and the database is updated monthly. The policy is that every inch of land should utilized without being left idle. The land owners should given a notice if his /her land is not been cultivated for agriculture and summons should be sent if they don't work on it otherwise they should let other people to do for them.
Zainudin@2007
Monday, January 08, 2007
No takers for Mardi's end-products
CHEWY fruit strips, herbs with health properties and superior animal feed. These are only some of the products which the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) has developed, but not many people know about them.
The reason? Many of these products remain in the laboratory instead of reaching end users as they do not get commercialised and patented.
Mardi’s mission is "to develop and promote leading-edge technologies for the advancement of food and agriculture industries" but what good is research if there are no takers for the end-products?
The institute’s director-general Dr Abdul Shukor Abdul Rahman said Mardi’s three main outputs were products, processes and information.
However, these have to be innovated or they would be worthless to the end-user.
"The value chain of bringing in any findings from the laboratory to the table starts with research, development and commercialisation," he said.
Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, Mardi will receive continuous funding from the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry for its research and development.
In 2006 alone, RM125 million was allocated for 85 projects. Mardi also gets funding from the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, totalling some RM45 million last year.
With more than 95 products and technologies ready to be commercialised and another 71 which have the potential for commercialisation, it would seem that it is indeed money well spent.
However, very few of the products developed by Mardi have been patented and commercialised.
One example is the transgenic papaya — Mardi’s solution for the devastating papaya virus problem (Papaya ringspot virus) which has plagued papaya plantations around the world.
Unfortunately, the transgenic papaya is still confined to the greenhouse and is not allowed to be grown outside as it is awaiting biosafety clearance.
So, just how much of Mardi’s technology has actually been patented?
Abdul Shukor admitted that gaining property rights was important but the patenting process took a long time — five to six years.
Furthermore, he said, patenting a product was not under Mardi’s jurisdiction but it had to go through Sirim which was the patent agent.
"Also, it is very costly to get a product patented overseas but the government has already taken that into consideration."
Over the past 10 years, Mardi has put in 14 applications to have its products or technology patented.
Out of these, one has been granted and one has been rejected while the others are still pending.
Abdul Shukor said Mardi would apply for more patents in the future, not just in Malaysia, but in other countries where he felt that their products could be "duplicated or copied".
Products which have yet to be patented are being value-added to ensure they are competitive enough for the international market.
Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers vice-president Datuk Paul Low said one of the reasons behind the lack of takers for Mardi’s inventions was that most local agriculture-based manufacturers were very small companies.
"To my knowledge, there are not that many agriculture-based players in Malaysia with enough funding to commercialise Mardi’s inventions, except for the government," he said.
Low said big, multinational companies like Nestle had their own research division and did not need to rely on Mardi.
"Research must be done in collaboration with the industry. The end-products must have the potential for commercialisation. If not, nobody would want to take it."
Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) senior patent examiner Kamal Kormin said it takes a long time to grant patents because patent examiners had to do a worldwide check to see if anybody else had patented the product or technology.
Source :NST (7th January 2007)
The reason? Many of these products remain in the laboratory instead of reaching end users as they do not get commercialised and patented.
Mardi’s mission is "to develop and promote leading-edge technologies for the advancement of food and agriculture industries" but what good is research if there are no takers for the end-products?
The institute’s director-general Dr Abdul Shukor Abdul Rahman said Mardi’s three main outputs were products, processes and information.However, these have to be innovated or they would be worthless to the end-user.
"The value chain of bringing in any findings from the laboratory to the table starts with research, development and commercialisation," he said.
Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, Mardi will receive continuous funding from the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry for its research and development.
In 2006 alone, RM125 million was allocated for 85 projects. Mardi also gets funding from the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, totalling some RM45 million last year.
With more than 95 products and technologies ready to be commercialised and another 71 which have the potential for commercialisation, it would seem that it is indeed money well spent.
However, very few of the products developed by Mardi have been patented and commercialised.
One example is the transgenic papaya — Mardi’s solution for the devastating papaya virus problem (Papaya ringspot virus) which has plagued papaya plantations around the world.
Unfortunately, the transgenic papaya is still confined to the greenhouse and is not allowed to be grown outside as it is awaiting biosafety clearance.
So, just how much of Mardi’s technology has actually been patented?
Abdul Shukor admitted that gaining property rights was important but the patenting process took a long time — five to six years.
Furthermore, he said, patenting a product was not under Mardi’s jurisdiction but it had to go through Sirim which was the patent agent.
"Also, it is very costly to get a product patented overseas but the government has already taken that into consideration."
Over the past 10 years, Mardi has put in 14 applications to have its products or technology patented.
Out of these, one has been granted and one has been rejected while the others are still pending.
Abdul Shukor said Mardi would apply for more patents in the future, not just in Malaysia, but in other countries where he felt that their products could be "duplicated or copied".
Products which have yet to be patented are being value-added to ensure they are competitive enough for the international market.
Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers vice-president Datuk Paul Low said one of the reasons behind the lack of takers for Mardi’s inventions was that most local agriculture-based manufacturers were very small companies.
"To my knowledge, there are not that many agriculture-based players in Malaysia with enough funding to commercialise Mardi’s inventions, except for the government," he said.
Low said big, multinational companies like Nestle had their own research division and did not need to rely on Mardi.
"Research must be done in collaboration with the industry. The end-products must have the potential for commercialisation. If not, nobody would want to take it."
Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) senior patent examiner Kamal Kormin said it takes a long time to grant patents because patent examiners had to do a worldwide check to see if anybody else had patented the product or technology.
Source :NST (7th January 2007)
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