Taphonomic study was fi rst time conducted in Kuala Lumpur, capital city of Malaysia. In this research model, male Oryctolagus cunicullus weighed 1.8-2.6 kg each were killed by Dolethal intravenously at the ear region. In Phase 1 study, eight subjects were wrapped in a sack and cemented within a container to be compared with the other four controls at each location labelled A (ground) and B (manmade freshwater pond). Phase 2 involved duplicating set of 15 cemented samples comparable to 1 control made up to total of 32 subjects which were all put into a compact polytank containing freshwater to simulate a case study. Taphonomic changes were observed and scored using TBS system incorporating of fresh stage, early decomposition stage, advanced decomposition stage and skeletonisation stage. The ambient temperature of surroundings with 28.81C�4.21�C and 29.21�C�4.57�C (mean�S.D.) while relative humidity of air with 74.49 %�14.61% and 79.15%�16.32% (mean�S.D.) were recorded for Phase 1 and Phase 2 study respectively. Time taken for ground control exposed and wrapped carcasses to reach fi rst sign of skeletonised stage were four days and fi ve days respectively. Whilst freshwater controls reached initial skeletonised stage within one week for exposed carcass and two weeks for wrapped carcass. Within the control and cemented sample carcasses, TBS scores increased from initial stages of decomposition and become plateau after advanced decomposition. The cementing factor have superseded the wrapping factor due to its stronger physical barrier effect to slow down the decomposition more than half compared to controls based on Multiple way ANOVA test. Phase 2 study has demonstrated more accurately on the decomposition rate of the cemented samples. It showed that wrapping and cementing factors have delayed the decomposition process of the rabbit carcasses about 4 times to reach the initial stage of skeletonisation compared to the control carcasses. There was absence of insect activity within the cemented samples, hence the microorganism activity would be the only contributor to the decaying process within the cemented samples at slower rate comparing to the exposed or wrapped controls.

Background: Motorcycle fatalities constitute the majority of road traffic deaths in Malaysia. The aims of this study were to describe the pattern of fatal injuries among Klang Valley fatal motorcyclists and to describe the factors associated with fatal (vs non-fatal) injuries. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was performed on data from a case series of injured (fatal and nonfatal) motorcyclists recruited from Klang Valley between 14th March 2010 and 13th March 2011. Fatal cases in the cases series were identified from the Police files. Non-fatal cases were recruited from five major hospitals in the study region. Information used in the analyses were obtained from Police crash reports, hospital medical records, and Coroner's records of the participant sample. Results: Of the 177 fatal cases, 142 (80.2%) were categorised as instantaneous death while 35 (19.8%) cases were categorised as experiencing delayed death. Thirty two percent of the cases had a Maximum Abbreviated Injury Score (MAIS) of 5 with head injury being the most common cause of death. Significant predictors of fatal (vs non-fatal) injury included ethnic groups, monthly income, alcohol and drug use and road type. Alcohol and drug use was shown to be the strongest predictor with adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 14.77 (95% CI 3.32e65.65). Conclusion: Factors related to the motorcyclists, road user behaviour and the road environment as well as pre-hospitalisation emergency care must be addressed efficiently in low and middle income countries to reduce the number and severity of motorcycle-related injuries.

Muslims usually decline when asked to consent to a clinical post-mortem examination for a deceased family member. The low number of clinical post-mortem examination will result in Muslims in particular, and Malaysians in general, being deprived of the benefits of a clinical post-mortem examination. This article is a review looking into why Muslims are reluctant to consent to clinical post-mortem for their relatives, the Islamic rulings in Malaysia with regards to post-mortem examination, and the benefits of conducting a clinical post-mortem examination. The emerging field of exclusive post-mortem imaging (PMI) or non-invasive autopsy will be discussed. A brief analysis will be conducted to assess whether exclusive PMI facilities can be developed in Malaysia. We believe exclusive PMI will be acceptable to Muslims and Malaysians and will result in a higher number of clinical post-mortem examination in the country. The setting up of exclusive PMI facilities is also feasible with regards to funding, logistics and personnel and should be recommended for the benefit of the Ummah. Keywords: Conventional autopsy, clinical post-mortem examination, post-mortem imaging.

Abstract : Background The ears have increasingly been recognized as one of the supportive tools in forensics, based on the identifcation of landmark variations of ear biometrics in living persons. However, no studies on the reliability of such comparisons have been done on the deceased. Methods : The study aimed to investigate the correlation between ear biometrics and the age, sex, and stature of the deceased. The study was conducted on 181 deceased persons, aged between 18 and 70 years old on cases received by the Forensic Unit of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre. Documentation of age, sex, race, and height was recorded, and photographs of bilateral ears were taken. Measurements of twelve ear biometrics based on the Iannarelli method and ear length and ear width were taken from the photographs. Results Results showed that there was a signifcant diference between males and females in six ear biometrics. There was also a signifcant correlation between ear biometrics, that is, ear length and ear width with the age and height of an individual. Conclusions In brief, there exists a signifcant diference between males and females in ear biometrics with good correlations between ear biometrics and the height and age of an individual. Hence, the ear can be used for personal identifcation in the forensic feld.

Team-based learning (TBL) is relatively new in medical education and has yet to be implemented in Malaysia. The main purpose of TBL is to change the classroom experience from acquiring to applying knowledge in a team. The aim of this study is to identify the student’s perception of TBL and the impact on the student’s learning in Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM). The TBL pedagogy was imparted into the teaching of Haematology module among the 3rd year medical students of USIM. Part of the face-to-face teaching sessions (25%) was changed to online learning packages while the tutorial and practical sessions were transformed into readiness assurance tests (RATs) and application exercises. The TBL implementation and the students’ performance were observed closely and at the end of the module, a feedback form was distributed to the students (n = 79). Data was analysed using SPSS version 19.0. We found that TBL encouraged students to work more seriously and effectively in teams (93.59%). They are comfortable working in teams and satisfied with the team members’ participation (98.72%). They agreed that TBL enhanced their understanding, evidenced by improvement in the tutorial marks (98.72%). TBL also improves their communication skill and self-confidence (84.42%). In general, they preferred the TBL compared to the traditional method (89.61%). Many are not comfortable with online learning and would appreciate more face-toface lecture sessions (52.56%). However, they commented that adequate facilities are required for an effective TBL (94.87%). In conclusion, students’ perception and outcome assessment showed promising results and should be considered for implementation. Keywords: Medical education, TBL, Pedagogy, Outcome, Assessment

The effectiveness of the autopsy as an educational tool in forensic medicine courses has been widely acknowledged, and medical students were expected to attend regularly. Nevertheless, the use of autopsies for teaching has dramatically declined in recent years and worldwide despite their high-value benefits. This study aims to understand the importance and relevance of attending autopsies during forensic teaching sessions and identify any challenges that may impede attendance. A self-administered online questionnaire that assesses the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to autopsies attendance was distributed to fourth-year medical students at the National Defence University of Malaysia and Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. A total of 99 respondents were involved in this study. Our findings indicate that most respondents (over 85%) demonstrated good knowledge of forensic medicine. Pearson's statistical test revealed a significant correlation between the knowledge and students' attitudes toward autopsy. This study demonstrates the need to strategically integrate autopsy attendance into medical curricula to encourage constructive attitudes and practices among medical students. Students gain the most benefits from frequently attending autopsies. Passionate educators can conduct preparatory sessions to set expectations and address concerns, encourage students to process their experiences, and reinforce learning outcomes in the mortuary setting. Mandatory autopsy teaching should be integrated into the curriculum to ensure medical students have the necessary skills and knowledge to become competent doctors.