Background: Some argue that Malaysia’s extremely low organ donation rate is attributed to religion, specifically Islam. Testing this argument, this study asked Malaysian Muslims their views regarding various issues on organ donation and examined whether their decisions to donate organs are framed by religious beliefs. Materials and Methods: This study investigated the perspectives of Malaysian Muslims between October and December 2013 in Kuala Lumpur. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 900 people, with 829 responses collected (92% response rate). Respondents’ verbal consent was taken before proceeding with the survey. Results: The survey found that more than half of respondents felt that organ donation is permitted in Islam and that it is a communal responsibility. However, the same proportions were unsure on the issues of rewards for organs or on whether Islam permits the procuring of organs from brain dead patients. Conclusions: Malaysian Muslims are not against organ donation; however, encouraging organ donation requires the state to address public concerns on Islam’s views on this sensitive issue through effective policy tools to help address these gaps in Malaysian Muslims’ understanding of organ donation. The organ donation rate could improve by using Islamic scholars as ambassadors for an organ donation drive to convey the message of Malaysia’s urgent need for organ donation.
Tissue and Organ Procurement

Introduction: S. haemolyticus is known to be commensals residing on human skin. However, their ability to develop as pathogens among the healthy community has becoming increasingly vital. Methods: In this study, a total of 49 non-duplicated samples of S. haemolyticus was isolated from the skin of healthy adults and confirmed via sodA gene sequencing method. Cefoxitin (30μg) disc diffusion test was performed to determine methicillin resistance among the S. haemolyticus isolates. The isolates were then subjected to mecA amplification and Staphylococcus Cassette Chromosome (SCCmec) typing of I, II, III, IV and V. Results: Interestingly, 59.2% of the S. haemolyticus commensal isolates were found to be methicillin-resistant (MRSH) while the remaining 40.8% was methicillin-sensitive (MSSH). Amplification of mecA gene showed that 43 isolates (87.8%) were positive while only six isolates were negative for the gene. A majority of the positive mecA isolates (90.7%) were discovered to harbour SCCmec Type II while the remaining 44.2% were Type V followed by 23.3% of Type I and 18.6% of Type IV. Only one of the isolates was found to be SCCmec Type III while another isolate, T187 was non-typeable. Conclusion: The data indicates the acquisition of SCCmec typing circulated among the commensal strains which could be a potential route of pathogenicity among the isolates.