Healing Through Helping Services: Insights from Peer Recovery Workers in Malaysia’s Community-Based Drug Treatment Program

IntroductionWorldwide, people who use drugs (PWUD) are among the populations at highest risk for HIV infection. In China, PWUD are primarily sentenced to compulsory detainment centres, in which access to healthcare, including HIV treatment and prevention services, is limited or non-existent. In 2008, China's 2008 Anti-Drug Law encouraged the development and use of community-based drug dependence rehabilitation, yet there is limited evidence evaluating the efficacy and challenges of this model in China. In this study, we explore these challenges and describe how cooperation between law enforcement and health departments can meet the needs of PWUD.MethodsIn 2015, we conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with all four staff members and 16 clients of the Ping An Centre No. 1 for community-based drug treatment, three local police officers and three officials from the local Centre for Disease Control. Interviews explored obstacles in implementing community-based drug dependence treatment and efforts to resolve these difficulties. Transcripts were coded and analyzed with qualitative data analysis software (MAXQDA 11).ResultsWe identified three challenges to community-based drug treatment at the Ping An Centre No. 1: (1) suboptimal coordination among parties involved, (2) a divergence in attitudes towards PWUD and harm reduction between law enforcement and health officials and (3) conflicting performance targets for police and health officials that undermine the shared goal of treatment. We also identified the take-home methadone maintenance treatment model at the Ping An Centre No. 1 as an example of an early successful collaboration between the police, the health department and PWUD.ConclusionsTo overcome barriers to effective community-based drug treatment, we recommend aligning the goals of law enforcement and public health agencies towards health-based performance indicators. Furthermore, tensions between PWUD and police need to be addressed and trust between them fostered, using community-based treatment centres as mediators. The preliminary success of the take-home methadone maintenance treatment pilot can serve as an example of how collaboration with the police and other government agencies can meet the needs of PWUD and contribute to the success of community-based treatment.

The use of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) has been associated with increased sexual risk behaviors and HIV transmission, among other adverse health outcomes. However, ATS use among female sex workers (FSWs) in Malaysia has not yet been characterized. We examined the prevalence and correlates associated with ATS use among Malaysian FSW. Between February and December 2016, 492 FSWs, including cisgender (n = 299) and transgender (n = 193) women, were recruited using respondent-driven sampling in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A structured questionnaire was used to collect demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors, ATS and other substance use, behavioral health issues, involvement in criminal justice, and experience of physical and sexual trauma. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine factors associated with active ATS use, defined as ATS use in the last 30 days. Nearly one-third (32.3%) of participants reported active ATS use. In the multivariable model, ATS use was associated with drug use during sex work (aOR = 17.10; 8.32–35.15), having moderate to severe level of substance use disorder (aOR = 3.38; 1.48–7.70), and engaging in sex work with multiple clients per day (two clients: aOR = 3.39; 1.36–8.46; three clients: aOR = 5.06; 1.81–14.10). A high prevalence of ATS use was documented in our sample. The presence of moderate to severe substance use disorder, the use of drugs during sex work activity, and having multiple sex work clients per day were significantly associated with active ATS use. Given these findings, prevention and harm reduction strategies need to be tailored to address the increasing ATS use and the associated adverse health consequences among FSWs in Malaysia.

This article explores various factors resulting in temporary migrant workers' decisions to extend their stay in host countries by means of a case study of Bangladeshi factory workers in Malaysia. The employment mediation and passage fees paid to brokers and agents by Bangladeshi workers are very large compared with general living standards in Bangladesh. These large sums are increasing steadily as the number of persons desiring to work overseas increases. Malpractice by brokers and agents causes Bangladeshi workers to overestimate the amount of remittances they can send home, and hence they pay higher mediation and passage fees to brokers or agents. From a humanitarian point of view, the Government should strictly regulate the activities of agents and brokers and provide accurate information to those who plan to work in Malaysia. Statistical analysis suggests that the lower real remittances fall below the expected amounts, and the lower real wages are, compared with passage and mediation fees, the more will Bangladeshi workers wish to extend their stay. These facts imply that if future Bangladeshi migrant workers to Malaysia have the correct information about income levels and living expenses in Malaysia, and hence mediation and passage fees become cheaper, the likelihood of their intending to extend their stays will be much lower.

This qualitative study examined the challenges affecting the well‐being and coping strategies of Chin irregular migrant workers in Malaysia. Using non‐governmental organization referrals and snowball sampling, 25 participants were recruited for semi‐structured interviews and focus group discussions. The findings revealed that participants experienced mistreatment, discrimination, and financial exploitation from employers and co‐workers because of their irregular status, ethnic background, and language barriers. Fears of detention, deportation, restricted access to public healthcare, and discriminatory treatment affected their daily mental challenges and mental health. Religious devotion, alcohol consumption, and cohabitation were found to be coping strategies for addressing struggles, some of which are harmful coping mechanisms that lead to health problems. Therefore, collaboration between Myanmar and Malaysia is crucial for regularizing migrant status, providing accessible medical care without fear of repercussions, and enabling the use of formal channels for remittances to improve the health and well‐being of these individuals.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are considered to be a major occupational health problem contributing significantly to absenteeism, disability and loss of productivity. The majority of studies related to MSDs have been conducted in developed countries such as Australia, and it is proposed that contributing factors linked with MSD development might operate differently in developing countries like Malaysia, as a result of sociocultural differences. A key issue in the development of MSDs is the contribution of psychosocial factors; however, this is not reflected in current management practices which tend to focus predominately on physical factors. Malaysia and Australia have very different societal structures, which influence the way work is organised and the expectations of employees at their workplaces. Therefore, it is plausible that the contribution of workplace factors to MSD development might differ. This chapter will explore a range of issues in relation to the development of MSDs and use a population of office workers in Australia and Malaysia to explore different explanatory models. A survey tool was used to assess a range of workplace and personal factors, including: work–life balance, job satisfaction, physical hazards, coping strategies, and psychosocial hazards. Analysis was undertaken to assess relevant predictors for each population and then a comparison undertaken to identify key differences between the populations. The chapter will also discuss the results from a qualitative study of female Malaysian office workers who were asked about their coping strategies for persistent musculoskeletal pain. Despite similarities in the prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort in both the Australian and Malaysian populations, differences were identified in the relative contribution of factors. The findings from this study provide insights into future policy development of management of MSDs. Malaysia is at a formative stage in term of risk management for MSDs and as such a different focus is needed to adequately address relevant workplace factors.

However close in proximity, Malaysia and Indonesia have not always been the best of neighbours. Relations reached their nadir with Konfrontasi in the early 1960s, when Indonesia violently contested Malaya's merger with Singapore, Sabah, and Sarawak as a neo-imperialist, nefarious plot. But while Malaysia is less prone to pick fights with Indonesia than with long-since-ousted Singapore, tempers have flared before and since. The fact that overall, relations are amicable and symbiotic, though, puts less friendly moments in context. The two countries celebrated fifty years of diplomatic relations in 2006, and economic ties have never been closer. Between 2001 and 2005, bilateral trade doubled and Malaysian investments in Indonesia nearly quintupled, making Indonesia Malaysia's tenth largest trading partner and Malaysia, Indonesia's fourth largest investor. Moreover, around 1.2 million Indonesians work in Malaysia — more than in any other destination country. These workers represent a critical part of the labour force, comprising around seventy per cent of all foreign workers in Malaysia. Moreover, despite the occasional sabre-rattling (whether symbolic or substantive), the two states cooperate militarily, for instance through a joint border committee and framework for exchange of maritime security information, and with more joint exercises than with other ASEAN states. Indeed, the sheer depth and breadth of Malaysia-Indonesia ties — manifest not just in official statistics, but through a tangle of social, business, educational, and other connections — opens up a host of possible fault lines that have remained dormant. Any overblown grandstanding must thus be taken in stride. Overall, relations are good, yet the bilateral relationship is weakly-enough institutionalized that relatively small matters readily escalate into diplomatic crises. Moreover, the underlying flexibility and practicality of Malaysia and Indonesia's bilateral relationship has arguably discouraged greater recourse to multilateral institutions, despite the leading roles both play in ASEAN. Ruhanas Harun links phases in Indonesia-Malaysia relations with major changes in Indonesia's regime: the launch of the New Order after 1966 brought a renewed sprit of brotherhood and close affinity after Konfrontasi , including ever-closer economic and security cooperation, then the fall of Suharto in 1998 brought a new focus on joint problemsolving.

Using a sample of 407 families living in rural areas of North Central Iowa, this study examines religious transmission between same-sex and cross-sex parent-child groups. The analyses focus on the mechanisms through which adolescents' perceptions of parental acceptance moderate the transmission of religious beliefs and practices. Results show that both fathers and mothers played important roles in transmitting religious beliefs and practices to their sons and daughters. Mothers' influence was stronger than fathers' when the adolescents perceived the parent as accepting. This effect was especially strong for sons. During the past two decades, evidence has accumulated showing that religion is significant in adolescent development. The family is the primary agent of religious socialization (Hyde, 1990), and virtually all research has identified parents as the most important source of religious influence (Aldous, 1983; Ozorak, 1989). The research literature indicates that intergenerational transmission of religious beliefs and practices occurs through modeling of parents' behaviors and beliefs (Cornwall, 1988; Dudley & Dudley, 1986; Willits & Crider, 1989) and reinforcing supportive parent-child relationships (Hunsberger, 1983; Kirkpatrick & Shaver, 1990). RELIGIOUS TRANSMISSION Social learning theory holds that much of what a child learns is based on day-to-day observation of attitudes and behavior performed by significant others who serve as role models. In their research on imitation and modeling processes, Bandura and his associates (Bandura & Kupers, 1964; Bandura & McDonald, 1963; Bandura, Ross, & Ross, 1961) identified parental models central to the development of children's personalities. Regular association and interaction with parents repeatedly give children opportunities to observe and imitate their parents in many day-to-day activities. Such observational learning may lead children to share their parents' values, attitudes, and behaviors. Grusec and Kuczynski (1997) argued that parents are the most crucial influence on children's acquisition of values because of their unique position in the lives of their children. Childrearing puts parents in the strongest position to develop positive relationships with their children and to monitor and understand their children. Religiosity or religiousness refers to the importance of religion in a person's life. It has multiple dimensions, including beliefs and practices (Glock & Stark, 1965; Weigert & Thomas, 1969), which represent attitudes and behaviors in social learning theory. In his framework for intergenerational learning, Cornwall (1988) explained that religiosity is a behavior that a person learns from those around him or her. Because parents' religious beliefs and practices are learned in the home, continuity in religiousness is expected between parents and children. Research consistently has shown that parental religiosity is an important predictor of adolescent religious beliefs and practices. For example, parental church attendance is strongly associated with adolescent church attendance and religious beliefs (Cox, 1967; Suziedelis & Potvin, 1981), and parents' religious practices are positively related to all aspects of religiousness in early and middle adolescence (Ozorak, 1989). Parker and Gaier (1980) reported that parents' participation in religious activities accounted for more than 60% of the variance in the religious beliefs and practices of their high school children. In accordance with Turner's (1964) idea of parents' dominant role in transmitting religious values and attitudes, de Vaus (1983) found that parents played a more important role than peers in adolescent development of religious values and beliefs. In a study of agreement with religious values between fathers and mothers and youth, Dudley and Dudley (1986) found that youths' religious values resembled their parents' religious values. …

Objective Coping with musculoskeletal pain is associated with severe pain behavior. This study aims to determine the factors associated with coping among Filipino migrant workers in Malaysia with musculoskeletal pain. Methods Ninety Filipino migrant workers were purposively selected from a training school based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Participants were asked to answer the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) to identify body regions with musculoskeletal pain. Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ) - 24 was used to determine coping strategies and control over pain. Results Pain in shoulders (63.3%) and low back (55.6%) were common in the last 12 months. Participants use diversion (18.4 ± 9.8), cognitive coping (18.1 ± 10.1), and reinterpreting (13.7 ± 8.4) as their coping strategies, with a median control over pain of 3 (some control of pain). A statistically significant association is noted between cognitive coping, diversion, and reinterpreting coping strategies to control over pain (p value <0.05). Conclusions Participants who utilized diversion and cognitive coping strategies have better control over pain. Catastrophizing is significantly associated with complaints of pain on the elbow, wrist/hand, low back, and hips/ thigh in the past 12 months. Diversion is associated with pain on neck, shoulder, elbow, upper back, hips/thigh, and ankle/feet while catastrophizing is associated for pain in the elbow, wrist/hand, and low back that is present in the last 7 days. Education about positive coping such as cognitive coping, diversion, and reinterpreting as well as recognition about musculoskeletal disorders is recommended.

This systematic literature review explores the nature of current practice and the challenges of gig workers in using digital platforms in Malaysia. Seven peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2024 were analysed based on Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020). The reviewers identify key practices such as expansion, low entry barriers, flexibility, reliance on algorithm systems, and significant challenges, including algorithm control, workload, stress, and income instability. Despite the growing presence of gig workers in Malaysia, limited studies have holistically examined how these digital platforms have influenced gig workers' daily practices and experiences. This review presents the gap by synthesizing fragmented findings and provides a wide view of digital labour and practice. This study contributes to the literature by offering a contextual understanding of how digital platforms influence gig workers' natures, working patterns, and experiences, thus supporting future research and insight to improve digital platforms' functionality and user experiences.

This paper discusses the recruitment procedure and the gradual loss of autonomy of low-skilled migrant workers in international labour migration, by using the example of Vietnamese workers’ trajectories to Malaysia. It argues that debates on indentured labour and all other forms of bonded labour remain relevant today as new manifestations of the practice are now concealed behind extensive economic exchanges and inter-state economic cooperation. A detailed study of the process of Vietnamese labour migration shows how migratory trajectories that start from ‘voluntary’ indebtedness eventually lead to a status of subordinate and immobilised guest workers in Malaysia. The interrelations between debt and contracts play here a central role. Encouraged by the promising messages of local recruiters and the official support for migration, candidate workers readily consent to sign the triple contracts that will lead them to work in Malaysia. In the process, they gradually get entangled in a web of obligations towards their recruiter, their state (bank) and their employer, leading to severe restrictions in their autonomy over life and work in Malaysia.

This article describes the importance of mental health/clinical social workers in Malaysia. Convenience sampling was utilised and an in-depth, semi-structured interview methodology was employed. Four participants – two social workers, a psychiatrist and a community nurse – were involved. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Participants reported that mental health social workers are important in providing psychoeducation and conducting assessments. Specialised training in the field of mental health would benefit social workers and their health care counterparts.

In line with trends in other countries the Royal Thai Police acknowledges the need for more community-oriented approaches which are responsive to local contexts. However, the development of such approaches to policing needs also to engage with responses to illicit drug use locally, which would include a wider definition of harm reduction and accommodate the work of public health partners their initiatives, such as needle-exchange. The present study examines the role of law enforcement officers in community-based drug treatment in the Chiang Mai region of the Upper North, through use of in-depth, qualitative interviews with key stakeholders, which included senior police, judges, public health managers, NGO workers and local community leaders. Most interviewees expressed concern that not enough was being done to address drug use in local communities, and barriers to police adopting a harm reduction approach locally included government-directed arrest quotas and lack of experience in working co-operatively with public health partners. Effective police involvement required coordinated policy-change and officer training to develop understanding and ways of working to support community-based drug treatment.

The rapidly increasing popularity of K-dramas among Muslim students in Indonesia has raised concerns about their impact on their religious values, as intense exposure to the culture and lifestyle depicted in K-dramas may influence Muslim students' religious perceptions and practices. In this case, this study aims to examine whether there is a correlation between the intensity of watching K-dramas and changes in religious values and practice among Islamic Education students from the batch of 2019 at UIN Raden Intan Lampung. The research uses a quantitative survey method by collecting data through a Likert scale questionnaire. The data analysis used Pearson Product-moment correlation analysis and simple linear regression. The results indicate that a significance value of 0.011 &lt; 0.05 was obtained, leading to the rejection of H0 and acceptance of H1. This suggests a significant influence between the intensity of watching K-dramas and changes in student religious values and practice. Therefore, it is recommended that students be wiser in using their time and increase their religious activities. Moreover, educational institutions should also strengthen programs that support religious practices.

Malaysia is considered one of the primary destinations for migrants in Southeast Asia, particularly those from Indonesia. There are approximately 2.7 million Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia, with 1.6 million having followed official placement procedures. The presence of a large number of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia has led to legal complications concerning their employment relationships with employers, including issues related to work contracts, safety regulations, social security, and termination of employment. Additionally, there are socio-legal concerns regarding the social integration of migrant workers into their new environment, which may contribute to criminal activities such as extremism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, undocumented labor, theft, and domestic violence. The legal problems faced by migrant workers are influenced by two main factors: their level of legal understanding, both in terms of Indonesian law and Malaysian law, and their lack of familiarity with the cultural norms of the host country, leading to social tensions. Therefore, the main question addressed in this study is how the social environment influences migrant workers' attitudes and behaviors, particularly whether it contributes to criminal acts and legal repercussions. This socio-legal study of the social relationship of Indonesian Migrant Workers with their environment is empirical using a survey method involving Indonesian Migrant Workers and document review. All data and legal materials are processed and analyzed using statistical instruments of central-tendency analysis for quantitative data, and interactive models of qualitative data analysis for qualitative data, while the analysis of the substance uses analytical theory of legal-protection and legal-justice.

Do you know how to Cheong? Neutralization techniques adopted by new clients of sex workers