Under­stand­ing blood test num­bers

 

Screening tests are an important indicator of not only current disease, but also your future risk of developing certain chronic diseases. — Filepic

Many of us might go for screen­ing tests, espe­cially when we hit middle age, but do we really know what the res­ults sig­nify?

TURNING 40 is often when many people begin paying closer attention to their health.

Energy levels, exercise recovery time and metabolism may start to change, and many Malaysians undergo their first comprehensive health screening.

However, interpreting a multi-page laboratory report can be confusing.

The first thing to understand is that a laboratory “normal range” does not always mean optimal health.

These ranges are based on population averages and are designed mainly to detect disease.

Preventive health focuses on identifying risks early and understanding the overall pattern of results.

HEART DISEASE RISK

One of the most important sections is the lipid profile, which measures LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol, HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol and triglycerides.

LDL cholesterol plays a major role in the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular (heart) disease.

The ideal LDL level depends on an individual’s overall risk profile.

People with diabetes, kidney disease, a strong family history of early heart disease, or existing cardiovascular disease often require lower LDL levels.

HDL cholesterol is best considered a risk marker rather than a treatment target, while triglycerides should ideally remain below 1.7 mmol/l.

Raised triglycerides combined with low HDL cholesterol may indicate insulin resistance and increased metabolic risk.

Beyond standard cholesterol testing, additional markers can provide further insight.

Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is an inherited cholesterol particle that independently increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and aortic valve disease.

Elevated Lp(a) is common, affecting approximately 20-30% of the population when defined as levels above 50mg/dl (about 125 nmol/l).

As Lp(a) is largely determined by genetics and remains stable throughout life, measuring it once in adulthood can help identify hidden cardiovascular risk.

Apolipoprotein B (Apob) reflects the number of cholesterol particles that can contribute to plaque formation and may provide additional risk information, especially in individuals with diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome or elevated triglycerides.

DIAGNOSING DIABETES

Another useful metabolic marker is HOMA-IR (Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance), which is calculated using fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels.

It may identify insulin resistance before blood sugar becomes abnormal, allowing earlier lifestyle intervention in selected individuals at higher metabolic risk.

Hba1c reflects average blood glucose over the previous two to three months, and is an important screening test for diabetes.

In Malaysia, diabetes affects almost one in five adults.

An Hba1c below 5.7% is considered normal, 5.7-6.4% suggests prediabetes, and 6.5% or above is consistent with diabetes when appropriately confirmed.

Identifying prediabetes provides an opportunity to reduce future risk through exercise, weight management and dietary changes.

LIVER AND BLOOD

Your liver enzymes, particularly ALT (alanine transaminase) and AST (aspartate aminotransferase), provide clues about liver health.

Mild abnormalities may be associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

These results should be interpreted alongside body weight, waist circumference, alcohol intake, medications and other risk factors.

The Full Blood Count (FBC) evaluates red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

Low haemoglobin may indicate anaemia, while abnormal white cell or platelet counts may require further evaluation depending on any other signs or symptoms the person may have.

OPTIMINSING HEALTH

The most important lesson from health screening is that individual numbers rarely tell the whole story.

Doctors look for patterns – a combination of raised blood pressure, increased waist circumference, abnormal cholesterol and rising blood sugar may indicate metabolic syndrome and increased future cardiovascular risk.

Your annual health screening should not be viewed as a passor-fail test.

It is a roadmap that helps identify risks early and guides better decisions.

The goal is not simply to be within the laboratory reference range, but to optimise your health so that you can remain active and well for years to come.

Dr Kishen Sivakumar is a general practitioner (GP). For more information, email starhealth@thestar.com.my. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only, and should not be considered as medical advice. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this article. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.

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Pulau Jerejak to be financial, lifestyle hub

 

Sim showing plans for the bridge linking Penang island to Pulau Jerejak as part of a development on the latter island with financial centre, resort and apartments. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

Project will see rm500million bridge link tp Penang island

A FINANCIAL centre, resort, serviced apartments and hotels are among development plans for Pulau Jerejak, which will be linked to Penang island by a RM500mil bridge.

Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin said the project on a 32ha site by developer Tropical Island Resort was intended as an ecosystem attracting investment players to support Penang’s technology and semiconductor industries.

Sim told reporters in Sungai Nibong that the proposed financial centre could complement nearby Bayan Lepas industrial area by bringing investors closer to engineers and young entrepreneurs.

“Penang needs venture capitalists, private equity funds, bankers and technology investors to set up offices in one location so that they can interact with technology companies and potentially channel funding into new ventures.

“We have about 20,000 integrated circuit design engineers.

“Many are now working for salaries because they do not have funders to help them start their own companies.

“Investors can set up offices anywhere, but we want them to be together,” he said, likening the concept to the clustering of financial and technology companies in Silicon Valley in the US.

Sim, who lived in Silicon Valley for six years, believed a similar ecosystem could help Penang’s technology sector grow.

“The industrial area will have a lot of engineers and young entrepreneurs.

“They must create that kind of symbiosis. They must be able to meet each other every day, talk to each other and exchange new ideas.”

Sim said the development would also be subject to restrictions on building height and density.

He said construction of the 1km elevated bridge, with two lanes in each direction as well as pedestrian and cycling lanes, would kick off with road widening works next month.

Works will involve widening Persiaran Bayan Indah near Queens Waterfront, and building a connecting road from the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway to the bridge.

“Construction will take three years, with completion expected by March 2029.”

The bridge will connect the area beside Jambatan Harapan near Queensbay Mall to Pulau Jerejak, providing direct road access to the island which currently relies on boat services.

Sim said he had urged the developer to make the bridge an iconic structure.

“They have accepted my ideas and will hire one local and two international architects to design it.”

He said the bridge would improve access to Pulau Jerejak, making the island a more attractive destination for tourists.

Sim said the state government had requested the developer restore several heritage sites on the island.

He stressed that as 85% of Pulau Jerejak was gazetted as forest reserve, those would remain untouched.

Pulau Jerejak, which encompasses about 360ha, has a long history as a quarantine and medical site and later as a detention centre.- By LO TERN CHERN

Overdue connection: An aerial view near Queensbay Mall in Bayan Lepas, looking out towards Pulau Jerejak across the water. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star

Bridge to Pulau Jerejak to be finished in 2029

The Star

https://www.thestar.com.my › nation › 2026/08/01 › br...

1 Aug 2026 — Located off Bayan Lepas, Pulau Jerejak is best known for its history as a quarantine station and leprosy settlement dating back to the 19th ...Read more

Tabung Haji:A story of mis­man­age­ment

 

For generations of Malaysian Muslims, Tabung Haji has been more than a financial institution. It is a trusted place to save for one of the most important journeys in their life – the pilgrimage to Mecca. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star

The Tabung Haji scan­dal serves as a les­son that the people’s trust should never be treated cal­lously.

NOT all Malaysians will understand the scale of the Tabung Haji scandal as it does not hit their pockets directly.

However, this disturbing scandal is a story of mismanagement and apparent abuses, a failure of fiduciary duties, poor investments, weak governance and more.

It would not be wrong to suggest that even many members of Parliament who read the report would not understand it fully.

The reality, unfortunately, is that the cost of the alleged financial mismanagement of Tabung Haji has to be borne by all Malaysians as a whole – not just Muslims.

The government reportedly executed a financial rescue package exceeding RM10bil for Tabung Haji to restore its financial standing following several controversial issues.

The findings from the recent Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) highlighted several malfeasances – intentional and unlawful acts of wrongdoing – from 2014 to 2017, prompting the ongoing anti-corruption investigations and plans to amend the Tabung Haji Act.

To put it simply, a government bail-out had to be carried out to address impaired assets – the drop in the value of a business asset below its recorded book value – and structural deficits.

A structural deficit is a budget shortfall when ongoing spending is higher than regular income.

If the rescue had not been done, Tabung Haji would likely have been forced to adopt a mass sell-off of fund assets, which would have had severe implications.

The key RCI findings exposed alleged severe governance failures, dubious hotel leases abroad, and misleading investment strategies under the previous management.

For generations of Malaysian Muslims, Tabung Haji has been more than a financial institution. It was a trusted place to save for one of the most important journeys in their life: the pilgrimage to Mecca.

This makes the controversies surrounding Tabung Haji more painful and a huge letdown.

The most disturbing part is that the money involved was the savings of ordinary Malaysian Muslims who put aside their hard-earned money, ringgit by ringgit, believing that their savings would be managed responsibly.

Tabung Haji was created on Sept 30, 1973, as the Malayan Muslim Pilgrims Savings Corpo-ration. Founded by the late economist Royal Prof Ungku Abdul Aziz, it was created with the noble purpose of helping Malaysian Muslims to save money for the haj.

It gave Muslims a safe and syariah-compliant way to save for the haj. It also helped make the pilgrimage possible for gene-rations who might otherwise have struggled to afford it.

But an institution built on trust can be badly damaged when those entrusted with managing it forget who the money belongs to.

The lessons from the Tabung Haji saga are therefore much bigger than just accounts and balance sheets.

They are about governance, accountability, and above all, they are about what happens when political influence, poor management, and questionable decisions are allowed to weaken an institution meant to serve the people.

The horror is not simply that money can be lost. Money can be recovered, institutions can be restructured, policies can be changed – but trust is much harder to rebuild.

Ordinary depositors who now read about questionable investments, inflated valuations, transactions involving connected parties, or decisions that appear to benefit others, must ask one simple question: Who was looking after our money?

That question deserves a straight answer. Not political statements meant to divert from the main issue. Not another spin on race and religion to get out of a tight spot.

Tabung Haji cannot be treated as a political cash cow or a convenient source of influence.

Its board and management must be chosen for competence, integrity, and independence. There must be proper checks and balances, professional investment decisions, and transparent reporting.

When will we ever learn that politicians – many of whom do not even have corporate and financial competence – have no business running a savings corporation involving billions of ringgit?

A look at the board of directors of the past management will reveal that some of its members were picked based merely on their political party standing.

There is also a wider lesson here for Malaysia.

We have too often allowed institutions to become vulnerable because we assume that those in charge will always do the right thing.

That is not good enough and certainly not true. Good governance requires building systems that prevent abuse, detect wrongdoing early, and ensure that no one is too powerful to be questioned.

Tabung Haji’s experience should therefore be remembered not merely as another financial scandal or political controversy. It should be remembered as a warning.

When an institution holds the life savings of ordinary people, there can be no room for complacency, cronyism, or political interference.

The depositors of Tabung Haji deserve nothing less than the highest standards of stewardship.

The money of Malaysian Muslim depositors was entrusted to Tabung Haji. So was their trust, and that trust should never again be treated so callously.

Let’s not forget that the money of other Malaysians, regardless of race and faith, had to be used to bail out Tabung Haji.

We have politicians who claim that the word “sakau”, which means to steal, to rob, to pilfer or to embezzle, was never used in the RCI report. Of course not.

Sakau is Malay slang or street language for stealing or embezzling, but in another connotation, is also used for drug craving and addiction.

Certainly, we do not expect the esteemed members of the RCI to use that word in their report.

Ahead of National Day, the actions of the culprits can best be described as a most traitorous act to the country and Malaysians.

Wong Chun Wai

Wong Chun Wai began his career as a journalist in Penang and served Star Media Group for nearly four decades in various capacities and roles. He was group editorial and corporate affairs adviser to the group, after having served as group managing director/chief executive officer. "On The Beat" debuted on Feb 23, 1997. Chun Wai has penned the column weekly without a break, except for occasional press holidays when the paper was not published. In May 2011, a compilation of selected articles of On The Beat was published as a book and launched in conjunction with his 50th birthday. Chun Wai also comments on current issues in The Star. He is now chairman of national news agency Bernama

RCI revealsTabung Haji billions lost through illegal creative accounting

 

Google’s Malaysian play

 

KUALA LUMPUR: A single job created directly inside Google’s upcoming US$2bil (RM9.4bil) data centre (DC) in Selangor will generate nine additional jobs across the local economy.

That powerful one-to-nine employment multiplier lies at the heart of the tech giant’s first Malaysian facility and cloud region in Elmina Business Park.

The facility, Google’s second in South-East Asia after Singapore, aims to debunk the widespread industry myth that hyperscale DCs are empty, low-employment “ghost boxes” once construction wraps up.

Beyond the thousands of short-term construction roles, Google aims to hire hundreds of high-value, permanent engineers, technicians, and specialists directly inside the facility, said Ken Siah, principal for global infrastructure market development at Google Asia Pacific, in an exclusive interview with StarBiz.

Google’s DCs, he explained, drive extensive local contracts, from server rack supply chains and specialised engineering consultancies to on-site dining services and green energy projects.

Siah also sought to dispel the misconception that operational DCs require minimal human oversight, noting that managing Google’s proprietary “all-product area” hyperscale infrastructure requires round-the-clock, highly specialised technical talent.

These jobs go beyond information technology maintenance, Siah said, and include DC technicians comprising highly skilled engineers managing server operations, hardware deployments, software coding and live troubleshooting; network engineers responsible for connectivity, ensuring global ultra-low latency and network reliability for millions of users; mechanical and electrical engineers as operational leads maintaining continuous 24/7 power distribution, backup systems and complex thermal cooling loops; and environmental and compliance leads specialising in water management, energy strategy, community affairs and safety compliance.

“It’s not just about the hardware. Engineering inside a hyperscale facility is an entire organisation, so these are jobs that are created specifically because of the contracts that the Google DC is driving,” he said.

Ken Siah, Principal, Global Infrastructure, Asia Pacific, Google. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star 

 Enggineering inside a hhperscale facilities is an entire organisation, so thre are jobs that are created  spicifically because of the constracts that the Google DC is driving.

As Google sources hardware components and maintenance services locally wherever possible, Malaysia’s mature semiconductor and electronics manufacturing ecosystem stands to capture significant commercial value, he pointed out.

While Malaysia’s unemployment rate remained low at 2.9% for the first five months of 2026, high-skilled workers accounted for the largest share of those affected during this period, making up more than half of retrenchments from 2021 to 2025.

“There is a very educated and talented workforce here. We’ve really had no issue finding and hiring local talent,” Siah said.

To ensure local talent fills these high- value positions, he said Google is investing across three human capital tracks: on-the-job upskilling, comprising mandatory operational and safety training for all employees and contractors; tertiary skilling programmes comprising industry-aligned courses in artificial intelligence (AI) and DC operations; and early science, technology, engineering and mathematics partnerships, providing foundational training through initiatives such as Arus Academy KL focused on future skills development.

Rapid DC expansion has also sparked public debate over energy grid stability and municipal water consumption.

Siah outlined Google’s self-funded operational model built on 20 years of global infrastructure development.

For example, rather than driving up electricity costs for local households, Google finances its own infrastructure expansion.

“Think of a power grid like a toll highway with fixed maintenance costs,” Siah explained.

“If very few cars drive on it, the toll per car is high. But when a major logistics fleet commits to using that highway, the overall cost burden per user drops.

“If there is insufficient power in an area, or if we are going to be taking power away from a community, we will either find ways to develop more power, or we will not go there,” Siah said.

In other words, Google would not pass any infrastructure costs on to local ratepayers.

He added that Google is one of the few hyperscalers that publicly reports its operational power usage effectiveness (PUE) on a quarterly basis across all its campuses. PUE is the primary industry metric used to measure the energy efficiency of a DC.

While the global industry average hovers around 1.52 to 1.56, Google’s global fleet operates at 1.08 to 1.09. Even in hot, humid tropical climates like Singapore, Google maintains a PUE of 1.13.

“So, it’s precisely because we have efficient design, good chips and good operational culture that allows us to achieve this, and we are very confident we can do the same in Malaysia,” he said.

As of early 2026, DCs in Malaysia consume an actual average of 28.68 million litres of water per day, according to the National Water Services Commission.

Estimates project total nationwide water consumption by tech hubs to surge past 37 billion litres annually, climbing steeply through 2030.

The question is how Google assesses the risk of water scarcity at a particular location.

“If a community faces water scarcity, we simply will not use water cooling methods. We will rely on other methods, whether that is air cooling or newer chips with more advanced liquid-cooling methods,” Siah said.

DCs use water and liquid-cooling systems to manage intense heat loads from high-density servers and AI workloads. Traditional facility-level systems use chilled-water loops and evaporative cooling towers, while modern rack-level designs deploy direct-to-chip or immersion cooling to boost thermal-transfer efficiency

Where water is used, closed-loop systems continually recycle it. On top of that, Google has committed to a global goal of replenishing 120% of the freshwater its DCs consume.

In an industry where tech multinationals routinely demand tax holidays before entering a market, Google’s approach in Malaysia breaks from the norm: the company says it is not seeking local tax breaks.

“We believe in being a good corporate citizen,” said Siah. “We pay all relevant taxes, which go straight to the Malaysian government to support public services.”

By AIDA AHMAD