Thesun 2009-05-25 Page06 Managers Losing Sleep Over Economy

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theSun

| MONDAY MAY 25 2009

news without borders

Bright ideas spark up at inventions expo by Tim Leonard [email protected]

KUALA LUMPUR: A multi-purpose trolley for schoolchildren, a sleeping

From left ... Tina Ting, Kiew and Tilden Ting with their Trolley One

“nest” for passengers at airports, and pavement tiles made from construction wastes were among inventions showcased at the recent Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition (ITEX) 2009 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. The eye-catching trolley, aptly named “Trolley One Nation”, was invented by three pupils of SJK Chong Hua in Sibu, Sarawak. Kiew Li Xuan, 12, Tilden Ting Chong Hong, 11, and Tina Ting Yieng Siew, 10, attracted many visitors to their exhibition booth with their interesting invention. The trolley, built with compartments to carry an umbrella, books and water bottle, can double as a chair or a mini-table, and provides a simple solu-

PETALING JAYA: The average manager is sleeping 19% less than the recommended eight hours a night, largely due to the current financial downturn, a recent survey conducted in five countries around the globe revealed. The survey, released by Royal Philips Electronics, revealed that 40% of the 2,513 respondents cited the state of the world economy as the reason for their lack of sleep. According to the survey, Americans are more likely than other nationalities to lose sleep due to stress at work with 30% citing it as the reason they wake up during the night. About 70% said their work suffered due to lack of sleep, and symptoms include less patience, followed by less enthusiasm and concentration. The average time it takes Americans to fall asleep – nearly 26 minutes – is more than any other country surveyed. The survey, conducted in March across the UK, Germany, the US, Japan and the Neth-

tion to a common problem faced by many schoolchildren – carrying heavy bags to school. It also has wheels to enable users to pull it up stairs easily and a rubber stopper at the bottom to prevent it from slipping down stairs. The pupils were accompanied by their teacher Hii Nie Jing. The sleeping nest, named the “Napnest” for passengers, was conceptualised by International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) final-year Arts and Design student Mohamad Fadhil Mustapah. Mohamad Fadhil, 24, said he came up with the idea after noticing many passengers had no choice but to sleep on airport floors and sofas while waiting for their flights.

“Napnest is a sleeping capsule built in a tree-like tower to save space,” he said. “This is a practical and convenient solution for passengers, and can be set up by airports worldwide at a very small cost,” said Mohamad, who is proposing that the idea be implemented at the KL International Airport. IIUM students, accompanied by the Head of Department (Industrial Design) Muhammad Husin, also displayed several inventions, such as the gyroscopic-based wheelchair for the disabled. EnviroBlock, an effort by Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), is essentially a pedestrian pavement block made from alternative tile-based ceramic waste aggregates and other construction

Managers losing sleep over economy erlands using an online poll, also found that American men lead the world in snoring, with 29% snoring every night. “People lose sleep either because they cannot sleep (insomnia) or because they are not setting aside enough time for sleep – both of which can happen because of work-related stress in the

current economic environment,” said Philips Home Healthcare Solutions chief medical officer Dr David White in a press statement on Thursday. “Sleep is not optional – it is critical to people’s health,” he said. He said people who do not get enough sleep face serious health problems such as diabetes, easy weight gain, high blood pressure and even heart attacks. “The consequences of not sleeping enough are well documented. We are facing a serious healthcare problem if we do not take sleep more seriously,” Dr White said. Inadequate sleep also has a financial dimension, as it affects work and costs com-

briefs

Mohamad Fadhil posing with his Napnest.

and demolition wastes. The exhibition, organised by the Malaysian Invention and Design Society (Minds), featured almost 600 inventions, ideas and products from Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Hongkong, South Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

panies around the globe millions, according to the survey. The survey also found that while 96% of managers recognise that inadequate sleep can seriously affect a person’s health, only 29% discuss their problematic sleep patterns and 27% seek professional help from physicians. The majority simply talk about their problems with family and friends. Respondents were also polled on awareness of a relatively common sleep disorder, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) – a condition characterised by the repeated cessation of breathing during sleep. It was found 60% were aware of OSA as a curable illness. Interestingly, despite the fact that snoring can be a key symptom of OSA, only 35% considered it a problem for them personally while 65% described snoring as a minor inconvenience that they did not feel has to be dealt with. This highlights a key problem faced by the medical profession because sleep apnea and other sleep disorders are often underdiagnosed as people do not recognise the symptoms or take sleep problems seriously to talk to their physicians. Research in recent years has shown a link between OSA, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Kelantan ruler in Singapore for heart treatment

MACHANG: The son of a local politician has been detained after police found 1,056 amphetamine pills and 120 Eremin 5 pills worth RM50,000 in his car. Machang acting police chief ASP Loo Lian Lay said the 27-year-old man was detained after he left a friend’s house at 1.30am yesterday. “Our men on routine patrol first detained him for acting suspiciously. A check on his car led to the discovery of 1,056 amphetamine pills and 120 Eremin 5 pills.” Loo said the drugs were brought in from a neighbouring country and meant for distribution to the local market. The case is being investigated under Section 39B, Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction. – Bernama

SINGAPORE: The Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Ismail Petra Ibni Almarhum Sultan Yahya Petra, arrived in the city-state yesterday for follow-up treatment for a heart ailment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, accompanied by his consort the Raja Perempuan of Kelantan. The sultan, who was flown in on a special aircraft from Pengkalan Chepa airport in Kelantan, arrived at the Changi Airport here at around noon. The sultan, who is reported to be in stable condition, had been receiving treatment at the Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital (HUSM) in Kubang Kerian since May 14. Hospital authorities decided to bring him to the island republic for further follow-up treatment. HUSM director Dr Zaidun Kamari reportedly said on Saturday that the sultan was in stable condition. He said the sultan was admitted to HUSM after he had complained of difficulty in breathing and after treatment it was found that he had a heart ailment. – Bernama

RM30m PPR rental arrears owed to City Hall

FTA talks with USA and three nations to begin in June

KUALA LUMPUR: A hefty sum of almost RM30 million in rent arrears from the Public Housing Project (PPR) in Kuala Lumpur is owed to City Hall (DBKL). DBKL director-general Datuk Salleh Yusup said this is the amount owed since the PPR was established in the 1970s. “Each unit is rented out for RM124 a month. The total maintenance cost per unit incurred by DBKL,however, is RM250. The rest is subsidised. “The total number of units in Kuala Lumpur is about 70,000, of which 50,000 to 60,000 are rented out and the rest sold,” Salleh told reporters after launching the Jelatek PPR Kehidupan Murni Programme 2009 yesterday.

KOTA BARU: Renegotiations on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Malaysia and three countries – the United States, Australia and New Zealand – will begin in the middle of June. International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamad said yesterday the ministry would hold separate meetings with the three countries to discuss the details to ensure the process to realise the FTA between the three countries and Malaysia was achieved. “I will look again at Malaysia’s position and stand regarding the FTA and will inform the cabinet on the matter for discussion,” he said. – Bernama

Politician’s son detained after drugs found in car