THE STAR, TUESDAY 23 JANUARY 2018
Changing the career path
PEOPLE pursue a master’s degree
for many reasons. A master’s
programme enables students to
enhance their knowledge and skills
in their respective roles at work,
increasing leadership,
management, communication and
analytical thinking skills in a
professional setting.
First City University College
offers carefully structured
master’s programmes that enable
students to stay abreast with new
developments and technology.
As it is common for people to
change careers during their
working life, there are
programmes designed for this
purpose. These programmes are
highly sought after, especially in
senior positions of a company.
First City UC offers the Master of
Business Administration with dual
awards in collaboration with its
long-standing university partner
from the United Kingdom, the
Anglia Ruskin University (ARU).
Well regarded for its quality
teaching and support, ARU is one
of the largest universities in
England with 39,400 students from
185 countries.
It is ranked in the top 40
universities in the United Kingdom
and is one of the top 350
institutions in the world based on
the Times Higher Education’s World
Courses tailored to suit the working adult
FOR working adults, especially
among corporate professionals,
having another degree or higher
academic qualification opens the
door to more managerial positions
as well as avenues into a different
industry.
However, the amount of
coursework, consultation, travel
and time required discourages
many people from furthering their
studies as it would disrupt their
already busy schedules that
include massive workloads as well
as family, social and community
commitments.
It is for this reason that Open
University Malaysia (OUM) takes
great pride in introducing
postgraduate programmes that
were created with working adults
in mind.
According to Prof Loo Sin Chun,
cluster chair of business and
management courses at OUM,
general programme delivery and
course requirements were
carefully designed to enable
students to attain another
academic qualification without
sacrificing their jobs.
“The programmes at OUM are
very flexible as one can study
anytime and anywhere without
foregoing work commitments,”
says Prof Loo.
This is largely due to the blended
learning methodology adopted by
OUM that includes face-to-face
consultation, an e-forum (through
the university’s myINSPIRE
platform) and a self-managed
learning module.
For designers
who wish to enhance
their knowledge and
skills, First City UC
offers the MA Design
Management, which
is the first and only
master’s degree of its
kind currently offered
in Malaysia.
University Rankings.
With this partnership, students
have the advantage of accessing
ARU’s Emerald Database and
extensive e-library.
According to the Journal of
Management Development by
Universiti Malaya, nearly 94% of
109 employers involved in a study
preferred individuals with
analytical ability, competent
leadership, managerial skills and
good work ethics.
For designers who wish to
enhance their knowledge and
skills, First City UC offers the MA
Design Management, which is the
The online platform enables
students to catch up on their
studies even when they miss
scheduled tutorials or are on work
assignments abroad. Prof Loo
shares, “Students can also sit for
their examinations while on work
assignment overseas. This is done
via special arrangements with the
Malaysian embassies in those
countries.”
In addition, students have the
option to reduce the number of
subjects in a semester or
temporarily put their studies on
hold should they need extra time
to attend to work and family
matters.
Prof Loo believes it is this
Faculty of Design’s deputy dean Dr Debbie Gan (middle) and Tandemic’s
co-founder and chief executive officer Kal Joffres (left) with MA Design
Management students.
first and only master’s degree of its
kind currently offered in Malaysia.
Graduates with the skills and
confidence to lead and manage
groups can show employers that
they have the potential to hold
higher management positions in
the creative and cultural industry.
Alongside tutorials, lectures and
seminars, students of the
The flexibility OUM
offers allows students
to pursue further
studies while
maintaining jobs.
combination of learning
components that makes OUM
business courses of Master of
Human Resource Management,
Master of Management, Master
of Management (fully online),
Master of Business Administration
(MBA), MBA (fully online), Doctor
of Philosophy (Business
Administration) and Doctor of
Business Administration desirable
among professionals.
Quality assurance
OUM is committed to
maintaining the relevance of each
of its postgraduate courses.
“When introducing new courses,
programme are involved in live
projects and case studies. They also
have the opportunity to learn and
collaborate with local art and
design creative organisations,
including Malaysia Design Archive
(MDA), Majlis Rekabentuk Malaysia
(MRM), RekaNegara and Tandemic.
Guest lecturers such as MRM’s
chairman Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad
Prof Loo Sin Chun.
there are due processes to follow,
which include the participation of
a Board of Studies consisting of
highly qualified academicians as
well as experts from the industry.
“Input from both academicians
and experts ensures the
programmes are market and
industry relevant,” says Prof Loo.
He adds that people can be
confident about the quality of
education at OUM as the university
is owned by 11 public universities
who continuously provide support
in the form of tutors and
supervisors for face-to-face
consultations and preparation of
examination questions.
Furthermore, the university
actively conducts reviews on its
courses based on feedback from
students, alumni or graduate
bodies, academics, industry
experts and employers while
staying true to the stringent quality
guidelines set by the Malaysian
Zainuddin, MDA’s founder Ezrena
Marwan and other professionals
from the design and creative
industry are invited as part of a
contemporary and practice-based
learning strategy.
This enables students to have
professional insights into particular
subjects, such as Social Design and
Design for Social Innovation classes
recently given by Kal Joffres, chief
executive officer and co-founder of
Tandemic.
These subjects equip graduates
with broad business knowledge
and various management skills to
prepare them to take on
managerial roles upon graduation.
Master’s programmes at First
City UC train students to be
innovative and apply theory in
practice, which are practical skills
in the ever-changing workforce.
Being different and ahead of others
will give them an edge and a
chance to enhance their career.
First City UC’s master’s
programmes are offered on a part-
time or full-time basis, giving
working adults the option to
continue their studies without
leaving their jobs.
n For more information,
call 03-7727 3200, e-mail
enquiry@firstcity.edu.my or visit
www.firstcity.edu.my
Qualifications Agency.
Besides selecting senior
academics with vast experiences in
education and the industry as
e-tutors, OUM also benchmarks its
courses and topics against those
taught at other universities.
Enriching experience
“Most of our students are
working adults with many years of
experience from diverse industry
backgrounds. The exchange of
ideas, views and opinions among
students happens very often and
this, I believe, enhances the quality
of our programmes.”
The sharing of knowledge
among these qualified individuals
is very important for both face-to-
face and online learning.
Prof Loo stresses that fully
online students do not lose out in
the studying experience due to the
emergence of technologies such as
Skype and conference calls.
He concludes that fully online
students graduate with the same
skill sets and qualities as their
counterparts who attend physical
classes and is confident that the
amount of interaction between
students throughout the course will
create a deeper understanding of
the problems that occur across
various industries as well as a
deeper appreciation for other
individuals in business and
management.
n For more information, visit
www.oum.edu.my
2 Postgraduate
IF I were to pursue another degree,
it would be a Master of Business
Administration (MBA). The reason?
It is a sought-after qualification
recognised all over the world.
Moreover, it would add to my
skill set which, although includes a
lot of technical knowledge and
management experience, would
benefit from some formal
education in areas such as finance,
marketing and business law.
It might seem strange to some
people, but I would also welcome
the opportunity to do a business-
focused project as part of my
dissertation.
Of course, you will almost
certainly have different
motivations for undertaking an
MBA.
You might want to add different
skills to your existing knowledge,
give yourself more opportunities in
the job market or increase your
salary.
However, what should you look
for when choosing an MBA to enrol
in? Investopedia says: “Not all MBA
degrees are created equal. The
number of colleges, universities
and business schools offering a
master’s degree in business
administration is increasing,
making the space quite crowded.
“Unless a student earns a degree
from a respectable programme, it
might not be as valuable as
expected, while going to a top-tier
business school greatly increases
the value of the degree.”
So, one consideration is the
quality of the institution offering
the MBA. One can easily look up
world university rankings such as
those published by Quacquarelli
Symonds (QS).
However, these only give an
Finding the right programme
overall view of universities.
General rankings say nothing
about the quality of a business
school or the degrees offered. In
fact, a high-ranking university may
not even offer an MBA.
To overcome this shortcoming,
QS offers rankings specifically for
universities that provide MBAs.
Table 1 lists five research
universities in Malaysia and five
UK branch campuses in the order
that they appear in the QS World
University Rankings. It also shows
the QS Global MBA Rankings of a
few institutions.
Additionally, the table includes
MBA rankings by The Economist.
A hyphen indicates that the
university is not listed in that
section.
A further quality measure is
accreditation by external bodies
with worldwide recognition.
The three most recognised
bodies are the EFMD Quality
Improvement System (EQUIS),
Association of MBAs (AMBA) and
Association to Advance Collegiate
Schools of Business (AACSB).
According to EQUIS, institutions
that are accredited by it must
THE STAR, TUESDAY 23 JANUARY 2018
standard. It is pleasing to see that
QS World QS Global The Economist’s two of the UK universities in
Institution University MBA MBA rankings Malaysia have achieved this.
Rankings Rankings Looking for a suitable MBA is a
University of Nottingham 84 141-150 84 complex task. You will be investing
a lot of time in your studies and it
University of Southampton 102 - -
may require a significant financial
Universiti Malaya 114 - - investment.
University of Newcastle 161 201 - Enrolling in an MBA programme
University of Reading 188 151-200 61 that is offered by a high-ranking
university and accredited by
Universiti Putra Malaysia 229 - - bodies such as EQUIS, AMBA and
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 230 - - AACSB is certainly a good basis for
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia 253 - - your search.
Getting an MBA from a quality
Universiti Sains Malaysia 264 - - university should enable you to get
Heriot-Watt University 312 - - a return on your investment as
your career develops.
Table 1.
n Prof Graham Kendall is the chief
demonstrate not only high general like to have the triple accreditation, executive officer, provost and pro-
quality in all dimensions of their also known as the triple crown, vice-chancellor of The University of
activities but also a high degree of only about 80 institutions around Nottingham Malaysia Campus.
internationalisation. the world have achieved this Twitter: @Graham_Kendall
AMBA states that it is “the
impartial authority on Institution EQUIS AMBA AACSB
postgraduate management
education and is committed to University of Nottingham Y Y -
raising its profile and quality University of Southampton - Y -
standards internationally for the Universiti Malaya - Y Y
benefit of business schools, University of Newcastle Y Y Y
students and alumni and University of Reading Y Y Y
employers”.
According to AACSB, “AACSB- Universiti Putra Malaysia - - Y
accredited business schools are Universiti Teknologi Malaysia - - -
committed to high-quality Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia - - -
curriculum, faculty, research, Heriot-Watt University - - -
innovation and engagement.” Universiti Sains Malaysia - - -
Table 2 shows which of the
universities are recognised by the Table 2. Note: AASCB offers two types of accreditation – business and
three bodies. accounting. The institutions listed in this table all have business
While many institutions would accreditation.
THE STAR, TUESDAY 23 JANUARY 2018 3
4 Postgraduate
Earn your PhD
anywhere, anytime
DR SUKUMARAN Gireesh Kumar, 38, from
Kerala, India, graduated with a PhD
(Business Administration) from Asia e
University (AeU) last year.
He is an internal auditor for the National
Accreditation Board for Hospitals and
Healthcare Providers and the National
Accreditation Board for Testing and
Calibration Laboratories certified by the
Quality Council of India.
He has more than 10 years of experience
in technical and managerial work
engagements in healthcare. Dr Sukumaran
shares his experience studying at AeU:
“After much survey, I selected AeU to do
my PhD. I was attracted to AeU because it is
a unique multinational university supported
by 34 Asia Cooperation Dialogue countries.
In addition, the PhD programmes are
internationally benchmarked, approved by
the Higher Education Ministry and
accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications
Agency.
“AeU’s e-learning mode offers the freedom
to study fully online. I used my free time to
do my research in my office, which was also
used as a classroom for my research. My
supervisors, having eminent knowledge in
research methodology, helped me a lot in
completing my dissertation.
“The resources and learning materials
from AeU’s digital library were very useful
as I could access them anywhere and
anytime. I also found the attitude of AeU’s
administrative staff commendable whenever
I communicated and interacted with them.
“The title of my PhD research is ‘Quality
Parameters In Health Care Organizations’.
The biggest challenge I faced at AeU was
following the strict rules and regulations of
the PhD programme Initially, I was fed up
with the rules, but when my work was
rejected from the viva voce committee, I
began to realise my weakness in statistical
analysis and at the same time discovered the
beauty of pedagogy.
“I counselled myself that getting a PhD
degree from an international university such
as AeU was not going to be an easy thing to
do, so I prepared myself to work harder to
fulfil my ambition.
Achieving
teaching excellence
THE Faculty of Business of Curtin University,
Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) recently held a
learning and teaching workshop titled
“Teaching Excellence: The Way Forward” for
its academic staff.
Conducted by dean of learning and
teaching Prof Tang Siew Fun, the two-hour
workshop addressed what constitutes
teaching excellence and methods to advance
teaching for learning excellence. The
importance of student-centred learning was
also discussed.
“To transform learning is to inspire
learning. Everyone needs to work together to
achieve teaching excellence,” says Prof Tang.
“The commitment to great teaching is
made by lecturers as individuals but the
culture that sustains that commitment is
THE STAR, TUESDAY 23 JANUARY 2018
Dr Sukumaran Gireesh Kumar.
“In my first viva voce (through Skype), I
mistakenly thought I was already an expert
on my health care subject but soon realised I
had to learn statistical analysis, copy writing,
research methodology and more. After I did
that and finally passed, I realised I could
stand on any stage to speak confidently to
present my PhD work.
“Pursuing my PhD was a milestone in my
career. Every year, I attended a minimum of
two to three national conferences and at
least one international conference to present
my papers. I won the best article award
from Madras University in 2016 for my
article about biomedical waste management
in corporate hospitals of Kerala. I have
published my articles in six journals,
including e-journals.
“It’s my privilege to recommend my family
and friends to pursue higher education at
AeU. Studying at AeU has improved my self-
confidence. That said, I could not have
succeeded in my PhD journey without the
unwavering support from my family.”
Register now or apply online for the
January 2018 intakes.
n For more information, call 1300 300 23,
e-mail enquiries@aeu.edu.my or visit
www.aeu.edu.my
Prof Tang
(right)
facilitated the
learning and
teaching
workshop
for Curtin
Malaysia’s
academic staff.
collective and institutional.”
Many of the participants found the
workshop informative and thought-
provoking and are keen to participate in the
second part of the workshop next month.
Foundation Studies lecturer Siti Kasmah
Mohd Kassim says the topics discussed in the
workshop were relevant to the academic
staff, spurring them to reflect on and
enhance their daily teaching practices.
According to her, the workshop was
delivered in a relaxed and friendly style,
which allowed participants to feel
comfortable and be open in their
discussions.
n For more information about Curtin
Malaysia, visit www.curtin.edu.my
THE STAR, TUESDAY 23 JANUARY 2018 5
6 Postgraduate
Reaping the rewards
I WAS managing my work well without an
MBA qualification but often found myself
lost in conversations when it came to certain
business matters.
One of my friends advised me to pursue
an MBA. I always aim to choose the best
when I want to do something and, at that
time, Strathclyde Business School offered
one of the highly ranked MBA programmes
in Malaysia.
I enrolled in Strathclyde’s MBA long after I
finished my undergraduate studies. Given
the choice, I would have done it earlier.
Nevertheless, I am proud that I completed
the programme with flying colours.
I struggled in the first term as it was very
different from what I imagined. My biggest
challenge was writing. However, my writing
skills saw improvement after finishing a few
assignments.
To identity my weaknesses and improve in
my writing, I read the marked papers of
classmates who excelled in their
assignments. I also read a lot of articles and
books regarding how to do this better.
I strongly advise those
who want to pursue an
MBA to not choose a
programme based on
price but its quality and
ranking.
Woo Hon Kien Benjamin
One of the best bits of the programme was
having the opportunity to get to know and
learn from people of diverse backgrounds
and industries.
The passion to do great, driven by my
course mates, really changed me. We keep in
touch till this day, having happy thoughts of
what we have been through together in
those few years.
I am currently the contracts manager of a
company in the oil and gas industry. My
responsibilities include taking on a senior
management role, overseeing a group of
people in steering the company’s direction.
The MBA has helped me to see things from
the perspectives of finance, operations,
project management, general management
and more. I think an MBA trains you to see
things in a more holistic way.
For me, the purpose of pursuing an MBA
was not to change my career path or
demand for a higher salary the instant I
graduated.
In the short term, it has provided me with
more knowledge, but I believe I will continue
to reap the benefits of the MBA throughout
my life, especially as my improved
performance at work will be rewarded
intrinsically and extrinsically.
I strongly advise those who want to
pursue an MBA to not choose a programme
based on price but its quality and ranking.
Consequently, make sure you are ready
and do the best you can. Of course,
support from your family and employer
is equally important. – By Woo Hon
Kien Benjamin (pic), MBA
graduate of Strathclyde Business
School
n For more information,
call 03-7660 8950
or visit www.cdc.edu.my
Striving for
learner satisfaction
AS a learner-centric university, Open
University Malaysia (OUM) is continuously
working towards improving its teaching and
learning processes and providing an
environment where learners are proactively
engaged in shaping their own experience.
What matters to the university is for
learners to benefit from their learning
experience through acquiring the knowledge
and skills needed to progress in their careers
and lives.
OUM offers programmes that are relevant
to market needs and continuously updated
to ensure they fit their purpose.
With the necessary infrastructure in place
coupled with quality programme delivery
and excellent support services, OUM is
always striving to contribute to meaningful
learner experience and satisfaction.
In a strategic move, the university is
considering various aspects to further
improve learner experience, particularly in
terms of staffing and the provision of
capable staff to handle academic counselling
and learner enquiries.
Departments such as the Centre of
Learner Affairs and Kuala Lumpur Learning
Centre (KLLC), which handle a lot of learner
enquiries, are expected to see some changes
in staffing.
Queries, complaints and issues affecting
learners will be handled by qualified staff
with degree qualifications who possess good
communication and problem-solving skills.
This means that a number of staff will be
redeployed to ensure these centres are
primed to provide the best service to
learners.
The KLLC, for instance, will also have
dedicated academics to handle academic
counselling and assist postgraduate learners
in matters pertaining to their study.
The university will also be hiring qualified
academics and researchers to beef up its
teaching and research particularly in the
fields of business, education and Islamic
studies.
Although there is a freeze on new hires
for administrative staff this year, we still
need to have good academics on board to
enhance our teaching and research
capabilities in order to attract quality
postgraduate learners.
In addition, the university is exploring
collaborative research with international
partners to enhance academic scholarship.
Research fosters professional excellence
and provides the opportunity for researchers
to make an impact on the organisation,
community and country.
These improvements are expected to
make a difference for years to come,
bringing about positive changes to the
THE STAR, TUESDAY 23 JANUARY 2018
PROF
DATUK DR
MANSOR
FADZIL
university and adding value to the
experience of learners.
New initiatives
When it comes to quality education, there
is no denying that having programmes that
contribute to learners’ professional skills is
important. Among the new initiatives this
year is the introduction of new language
courses such as Mandarin and Japanese.
Mandarin is being offered early this year
to those in the Klang Valley while Japanese
will be available during the May/September
intake. These courses will eventually be
offered to learners outside the Klang Valley
next year.
The courses are offered as electives to
those who wish to enhance their foreign
language proficiency.
The move is to equip learners and
graduates with language skills of the future.
For example, Mandarin is widely seen as the
language of choice in the global marketplace
due to the growing dominance of China as a
global economic player.
Meanwhile, Internet connectivity at OUM
learning centres nationwide will also be
upgraded to ensure uninterrupted access to
the university’s online learning platform.
This virtual learning environment
provides learners with learning experience
almost similar to a normal classroom where
they can interact with peers, tutors and
facilitators as well as have access to course
materials and the digital library.
When learners are satisfied with the
services and support given, it will have a
positive impact on the university.
An institution can claim that it has all the
quality systems in place but the proof of the
pudding is in the eating.
I am happy that all the programmes that
underwent the compliance audit by the
Malaysian Qualifications Agency have been
accredited.
The hard work and efforts invested into
the process have not been in vain and I
thank the staff and academics for their
dedication and commitment.
n Prof Datuk Dr Mansor Fadzil is the
president and vice-chancellor of OUM.
THE STAR, TUESDAY 23 JANUARY 2018
Equipped for
21st century
challenges
THE 21st century economic
dynamics have changed the
landscape of business at home
and abroad. Global organisations
and establishments at all levels
of management in the corporate
and industrial sectors seek cost-
effective ways to stay afloat in
the red ocean.
One vital question remains:
Are the current human capital or
talent resources able to adopt
and adapt to the megatrends of
disruptive changes?
The combined approaches of
Management & Science
University (MSU) to 21st century
learning and industry-driven
education have built strong
traditions that enhance current
and future pools of human
capital to address the challenges
of 21st century knowledge
economy.
Global companies in Malaysia,
the Asean Economic Community
and Asia-Pacific are constantly
on the lookout for innovative
approaches to talent
enhancement in sustaining
business leadership beyond the
national boundary.
The Master in Business
Administration (MBA) offered by
MSU’s Graduate School of
Management (GSM) is geared
towards providing only the most
critical skills in talent creation
for the business and
management marketplace.
The MSU MBA is favoured by
professionals and leaders for
generating business-centric skills
to meet human capital demands
for new business perspectives
around the globe.
Adopting global standards of
industry best practices, the MSU
MBA modules pioneer new
directions in building capacity
and enhancing key abilities for
all levels in management,
entrepreneurship, finance,
information and
communications technology,
governance and human
resources.
These modules also develop
Postgraduate 7
business innovation, strategic
thinking and decision-making
skills in students.
The MSU MBA seeks to bring
real-world practice into the
classroom for an immersive
360-degree experiential learning
that excites.
Advocating the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals,
the MSU MBA incorporates
practical dimensions in
developing top-tier management
skills encompassing
entrepreneurial leadership,
strategic management, Islamic
finance, project management,
and key business and
management knowledge for the
21st century market.
The MSU MBA’s combination
of affordable fees, world-class
teaching and leading industry
collaborations has created a
sustainable network of graduates
and managers who are prepared
to meet the demands of
contemporary business.
The MSU series of CEO Talks
and Entrepreneur Talks provides
MBA students with the
opportunity to be up close and
personal with global chief
executive officers to understand
cross-sectional approaches
across the business and
management spectrum.
Besides the MBA programme,
GSM offers PhD and master’s
programmes in management/
business, accounting/finance,
management, educational
management and leadership,
international business, fashion
business, international
hospitality and tourism
management, and Teaching
English as a Second Language
(TESL).
These programmes are offered
through weekend or weekday
classes in flexible timeframes
and for all management levels.
n For more information, call
03-2718 4302/4300/4301, e-mail
gsm@msu.edu.my or visit
www.msu.edu.my
8 Postgraduate
IN the north of peninsular
Malaysia, the body of an elephant
calf lies on the side of the remote
East-West Highway flanked by two
wildlife refuges, Royal Belum State
Park and Temengor Forest Reserve.
Stories like this are of increasing
concern to wildlife experts. As
economic development forges
ahead in peninsular Malaysia, so
do the dangers to the country’s
wildlife.
Roads such as the East-West
Highway can pose huge challenges
for landscape connectivity and the
movement of wildlife.
Research on how this road
affects elephant movements has
led to calls from a team of wildlife
conservationists at The University
of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
(UNMC) and other partner
institutions to avoid any further
expansion of this road.
They also want to see reduction
and enforcement of speed limits as
well as a limit to traffic volumes at
night. The research team spent five
years tracking 17 wild Asian
elephants (Elephas maximus) to
find out how their movements are
affected by the road.
The research, titled “Why did the
elephant cross the road? The
complex response of wild
elephants to a major road in
Peninsular Malaysia”, has been
published in the academic journal
Biological Conservation.
In an increasingly
human-dominated world, there are
few places left where large animals
can live without coming into
contact with people and the human
footprint.
Roads lead to the destruction
of vital habitats and are
particularly a threat to megafauna
– large animals that need very
large home ranges to fulfil their
Saving the
gentle giants
ecological needs.
Research student Jamie Wadey
and his team, led by Dr Ahimsa
Campos-Arceiz from the School of
Environmental and Geographical
Sciences at UNMC, tracked the
elephants using GPS-satellite
collars programmed to record their
location every two hours.
The modelling of elephant
movements showed two important
results – first, elephants cross the
road 80% less than would be
expected if the road was not there
and, second, they are attracted to
the roadsides because of the
amount of grasses and other early
succession plants growing there.
Spending time by the road
exposes elephants to dangers
such as speeding vehicles and
poaching. Two of the elephants in
the study were poached for ivory
and a third one survived a collision
Photo by: MEME
with a vehicle.
“Understanding when and
where elephants cross the road
can inform the design of mitigation
measures. There is strong and
consistent evidence that the
East-West Highway constitutes a
barrier to movement for
elephants,” says Wadey.
“We found that most crossings
took place at night. However,
contrary to how elephants in Africa
THE STAR, TUESDAY 23 JANUARY 2018
behave, Asian elephants seem
strangely attracted to the roadside
– possibly due to the more open
habitat as a result of heavy logging
and abundance of food along the
grass verges.”
Since the completion of this
study, the Malaysian Government
has constructed one wildlife
viaduct along the East-West
Highway.
The research team is
encouraging Malaysian authorities
to monitor the use of the viaduct to
understand its effectiveness in
providing landscape connectivity
for elephants and other wildlife.
The research team believes that
the viaduct alone is not sufficient
to promote connectivity in the
landscape and should therefore
be considered part of a suite of
mitigation tools that include
increased patrols and other
anti-poaching efforts, habitat
management to detract elephants
from using roadsides for foraging,
and public engagement to modify
driver behaviour on roads crossing
important wildlife habitats.
Dr Campos-Arceiz says, “We
have described the complex ways
in which a road affects the
movements of elephants in this
important landscape.
“Our results have direct policy
and management implications for
elephant conservation in
peninsular Malaysia and other
elephant range states.”
This study was part of the
Management and Ecology of
Malaysian Elephants (MEME) – a
joint research project involving the
Department of Wildlife and
National Parks Peninsular Malaysia
and UNMC.
n For more information, visit
www.nottingham.edu.my