Malaysian Experience Research Articles

Advanced project management approaches for implementation into the public administration system of Kazakhstan

The article discusses the main approaches to program and project management that are used in the UK, Russia and Malaysia. This review was conducted to identify best practices for Kazakhstan. The purpose of this article was a brief overview of the approaches to managing programs and projects in a number of developed countries of the world to determine the most optimal of them in the system of public administration in Kazakhstan. The review was conducted from the point of view of organizational interaction between structural units in the implementation of programs and projects, ensuring transparency of ongoing processes, and ways of involving stakeholders in the project. Also, a brief review of the project management standards in the countries under consideration was carried out. When writing the article, a general scientific research method was used, namely, the comparative-comparative method of the considered approaches to project management in a number of developed economies of the world. The legislative base in terms of the new concept of public administration development is analyzed. As a result of the research, the author identified the experience of Malaysia. The effective approach to the management of national reforms and projects, developed by the PEMANDU Institute, most fully reflects the principles laid down in the new vision of the state development of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The author has given a specific recommendation regarding amendments to legal acts.

The Wealthy World's Open-Economy from FDI Inflow Is a Real Thing: Malaysia's Experience

Fiscal policy is one of the popular instruments used by government to provide balance to growth in the national economy and market. In Malaysia’s context, fiscal policy is implemented using such as the annual budgets, Malaysia Plans, and multiple stimulus packages aimed at boosting Malaysia’s economy especially during the recent lock down which has threatened to cause an economic crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, one of the Malaysian Government’s biggest spending using fiscal policy is its development expenditure, and tax is one of the largest contributions used to support this development expenditure. In order to attract investors to Malaysia, critical features such as benefits, facilities, and social welfare have been designed by decision-makers in each formulated policy. Initiatives such as inter-governmental forums, trade agreements and discussions are platforms that can be used to share and respond to economic problems. However, the existence of competition and foreign policy have become major challenges to the country’s efforts to attract investors. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between Malaysia’s federal government development expenditure with foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow, as well as the country’s openness towards investment. The two dimensions of asymmetric FDI inflow were analysed to see how they react to government expenditure from 1970 until 2019 using the Linear and Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag method. Findings from the Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model (NARDL) model indicated that FDI has a positively significant effect on fiscal accumulation for development expenditure. In conclusion, increases in government expenditure increase FDI inflow into Malaysia in both the short- and long-run. Hence, government development expenditure behaviour represents accelerating economic growth in the Malaysian context, and it is proven to have a significant impact towards economic growth in the long-run. This study contributes to empirical literature on the relationship between federal government development expenditure and FDI inflow, particularly the effect of openness to investment into a developing country towards economic growth in the long- run.

The role of Iraqi trade policies in stimulating productive sectors to grow for the period (2003-2019) (an analytical study in light of the Malaysian experience)

This paper deals with analyzing the influencing role of trade policies in growth and development of productive economic sectors and their contribution to GDP and its reflection on the level of manpower employment. Studies have proven the success of the Malaysian experience in stimulating the productive economic sectors to grow and their contribution to the gross domestic product with an increase in the growth of local markets and access to international markets for national products. This study sheds the light on the ineffectiveness of Iraqi trade policies after 2003 in stimulating the productive economic sectors (agricultural and industrial) on economic growth, as most of the increase in Iraqi GDP growth throughout the study period was due to the increase in the oil sector’s contribution because of higher oil prices and increased production. Other sectors had no role in these increases, which made the Iraqi economy dependent on the outside world and importer of external economic crises. The recommendations included drawing up an economic plan under which productive sectors would be stimulated to grow and increase their contribution to the Iraqi GDP, reduce dependence on oil to finance public expenditures, reform the tax system, and call for partnership with the private sector and create appropriate conditions for it and attract foreign direct investment for the development of the Iraqi economy. The necessity for the government to adopt trade policies that are suitable to the reality of the Iraqi economy and the imbalances that exist in the economic sectors, and to exploit the trade deficit with some countries to develop an agreement to improve trade exchange with them leads to develop some national industries

New Face of Contemporary Sufism in Southeast Asia: Experience of Indonesia and Malaysia

The current global spiritual revival has been reflected in the revival of Sufism, to the extent that Sufism now has a different appearance from its earlier conventional manifestations. Global developments have driven Sufism to put its appearance relevant to the demands of global living. Focusing on the experiences of Indonesia and Malaysia, this paper attempts to examine the developments of Sufism. These countries seem to represent contemporary trends of Sufism in Southeast Asia. The new face of contemporary Sufism called “urban Sufism” is found in Indonesia. The practices of urban Sufism, which is influenced by the political realm, can be observed within Majelis Dzikir Nurussalam (MDN) established by the former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. In Malaysia, the new appearance of Sufism was initiated by Dar al-Arqam, which later changed its name as Ikhwan Global (IG). This group actively encourages its members to be economically self-reliant by undertaking a range of business activities and at the same time promotes a Sufi lifestyle as the focus of its activities. This research found that contemporary Sufism is no longer oriented exclusively toward the pursuit of spiritual achievements, but it also becomes an instrument of political and economic interests.

Knowledge quality and non‐financial performance—A Malaysian experience

AbstractThis paper proposes a framework that investigates the impact of knowledge quality on innovation in Malaysian manufacturing firms. It explores the effect of innovation on non‐financial performance (learning and growth; internal processes) of Malaysian manufacturing companies. Three hundred eighty‐eight questionnaires were collected from middle and top engineers, managers, and technicians and were used to conduct the analyses. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used for testing the developed hypotheses. The result of analyses confirmed the impact of determinants (absorptive capacity, functional diversity, and knowledge network) on knowledge quality. This study also confirmed that knowledge quality has a significant impact on innovation, while innovation has a significant effect on non‐financial performance. This paper also revealed that knowledge quality determinants have a significant influence on the non‐financial performance of manufacturing firms in Malaysia. The present study examined the relationship between these factors (related to internal and external knowledge), knowledge quality, innovation, and non‐financial performance (internal process and learning and growth) in the manufacturing companies of Malaysia.

Ecologies of green finance: Green sukuk and development of green Islamic finance in Malaysia

In this paper, we analyse the recent development of green sukuk (often referred to as an Islamic green bond) since its issuance in Malaysia in 2017, and critically evaluate whether it addresses some of the existing contradictions of green finance. Using a financial ecologies approach, we examine Malaysia's configuration of green sukuk as drawing from the existing international green bond regime, partnership with the World Bank, and Malaysia's own experience and expertise in Islamic finance, with the objective of building Kuala Lumpur's competitiveness as a global Islamic financial centre. Through documents analysis and interviews with key market actors in Kuala Lumpur and other financial centres, our findings point to the emergent international adoption of green sukuk. While this achieves Malaysia's state-building objectives, specifically through expanding Malaysia's sukuk market and advancing its status as a frontier of Islamic financial innovations, the potential for improving the current green bond regime has been more doubtful. A key limitation is the incorporation of existing Green Bond Principles, which enables not only green sukuk's international acceptance but also renders it susceptible to greenwashing. By examining the intersection of different ecologies of green and Islamic finance, we reveal the contradictions and limitations of green sukuk in contributing to Malaysian state-building and climate action.

Elder Financial Abuse Experience: A Qualitative Study from the Perspective of Older Persons in Malaysia

The underreporting incidents of financial exploitation of older persons committed by family members in Malaysia is a genuine concern. This study explores older adults’ experience of financial abuse by family members, the dynamics of their relationship, and how older people respond to this experience in Malaysia. The study was conducted using a phenomenology study design via in-depth interviews of eight older adults who were purposively sampled using snowball sampling. NVivo 12 analysis software was used to perform the thematic analysis. Seven main themes were identified: cultural expectation and tolerance of abuse, negative well-being, family comes first, helplessness, coping strategies, positive reappraisal, and self-reflection. The themes demonstrate the interactions among the components of experiences of older adults coping with financial abuse by family members and how they chose to respond. The results reveal the inadequacy of protections available to older adults in Malaysia in the reporting process, laws, and policy. These results suggest for authorities to consider dilemmas faced by older victims of financial abuse, especially with regard to underreporting. A clearer understanding of social realities will help improve social and legal protection frameworks for victims of financial abuse involving family members in Malaysia.

Analyzing Attitude of Halal Food Purchasing Among Muslim Millennial: A Malaysian Experience

Analyzing Attitude of Halal Food Purchasing Among Muslim Millennial: A Malaysian Experience

Understanding the Behaviour of Wind Direction in Malaysia during Monsoon Seasons using Replicated Functional Relationship in von Mises Distribution

In studies of potential wind energy, knowing statistical distribution of wind direction provides useful information in making predictions and gives a better understanding of the behavior of the wind direction. Malaysia experiences two monsoon seasons per year, namely Southwest Monsoon and Northeast Monsoon and in this paper, our interest is to investigate whether the direction of wind data in monsoon seasons can be modelled using replicated LFRM with von Mises distribution. The beauty of this model is that it considers the error terms in both x and y variables. This study considers the bivariate relationship of directional wind data where errors are present in both. Here, we propose a replicated functional relationship model, with the von Mises distribution to describe the relationship of the wind direction data. In the parameter estimation, maximum likelihood method is considered with pseudo-replicated group of the replicated form of the functional relationship. The novelty of this approach is that assumption on the ratio of concentration parameters is no longer deemed necessary. Also, we derive the covariance matrix of the parameters based on Fisher Information. From the Monte Carlo simulation study, small bias measures were obtained, suggesting the viability of the model. Based on the simulation study, it can be concluded that the wind direction of the two monsoons in Malaysia can be modelled using replicated linear functional relationship model.

PEMBUDAYAAN KONOTASI “BAHASA JIWA BANGSA”: REFLEKSI IDENTITI KEBANGSAAN KE ARAH SINERGI SOLIDARITI DAN HARMONISASI RAKYAT MALAYSIA

This paper discusses the culture connotation of “Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa” (Language is the Soul of the Nation) as a reflection inseminating element that symbolises the solidarity of the national language of the Malay language in order to achieve synergies harmonisation Malaysians. The arguments were highlighted with the aim of exploring the experience of Malaysia as a country famous for its unique racial mix but had to face various challenges in order to uphold the mother tongue. Secondary data content analysis methods utilise the results of the journals’ conclusions, reports, books, interviews, online news, and other printed materials. Underlying the background of the inaugural study, the selection of significant issues discussed and justified included arguments such as (i) Attitude, awareness, commitment, and responsibility of the community towards a consensus on national language empowerment, (ii) Social media phenomenon, and the influence of mass media in sustainability national language, (iii) The negligence preservation of the artworks production and national literature and (iv) The vital role of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) (Institute of Language and Literature) in promoting the cultivation of the connotation of “Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa”. The goal of the dispute through discussion emphasised the relevance of the drafting of the National Language Act 1963/67 which proves the state’s commitment to maintaining the continuity of the status of the Malay language through enforcement of legislation. The future direction of such a study should focus on the essence of further debate to support the mother tongue as one of the greatest treasures and heritage for Malaysians.

‘Serene Classroom’ Minimizes Noise for More Conducive Learning

Noise pollution can be categorized as a danger in silence. In school, noise pollution inhibits the focus of learning, impairs learning and cognitive development, for example, students' skills to think and understand both oral and written comprehension may be hampered by noise. Many schools in Malaysia experience excessive noise pollution as their locations are very near busy roads. This will be one factor that hinders the implementation of the education system in producing holistic students in order to prepare for the 4IR era. Knowing the importance of this problem, a group of researchers from UTM GREENPrompt, School of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia together with industry partners have built a special class called 'Serene Classroom' through a community project to overcome this problem. A classroom on the second floor of Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampong Pasir, Johor Bahru that has traffic noise exposure from the Skudai-Johor Bahru highway was selected for this purpose. The community project is in collaboration with the Johor State Education Department, Ministry of Education Malaysia and industrial partners, such as Vibrant Echo Company, Sanjung Sempurna Sdn. Bhd. and DZAZ Collection. The implementation of the project, the lessons learned from the project and challenges for the implementation are discussed. Technically, Serene classrooms significantly reduce the level of noise pollution for more conducive learning and have received better perceptions from students and teachers. Therefore, hopefully more ‘Serene Classroom’ community projects can be implemented in schools, especially in urban areas affected by high noise levels as a way to reduce the renovation costs on schools.

Ophthalmic features of craniosynostosis: A Malaysian experience.

This study aims to collect local Malaysian data regarding the ophthalmic features and complications in craniosynostosis patients who attended the Combined Craniofacial Clinic (CFC) in University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). Retrospective study of medical notes of craniosynostosis patients who attended the CFC in UMMC from 2014 to December 2020. Out of 37 patients, 29 had syndromic craniosynostosis, and 8 had non-syndromic craniosynostosis. Visual impairment was present in 32.1% of patients. Causes for visual impairment were as follows - amblyopia (25.0%), exposure keratopathy (3.6%), and optic atrophy (3.6%). Hypermetropia and myopia were each seen in 20.6% of patients. Astigmatism was seen in 47.1% of patients, and 29.1% had anisometropia. Proptosis was present in 78.6% and lagophthalmos in 53.3% of patients. Strabismus in primary position occurred in 51.7% of patients. Thirty-one percent of the patients had exposure keratopathy. Optic disc atrophy was seen in 13.7% of patients, and 8.3% had optic disc swelling. Optic disc swelling was resolved in all patients who underwent craniofacial surgery. Our experience in Malaysia was consistent with previously reported data on ophthalmic features of craniosynostosis patients. Additionally, we found that non-syndromic craniosynostosis patients are also at risk of ocular complications just as much as syndromic patients. Appropriate treatment of amblyogenic risk factors, ocular complications, and timely detection of papilledema, and prompt surgical intervention are crucial in preserving long-term visual function in these patients.

The Impact of COVID-19 Crisis upon the Effectiveness of E-learning in Higher Education Institution

The infestation of the world pandemic has significantly changed the landscape of teaching and learning experience in Malaysia. Particularly for the institution under study, E-learning, previously used as the support medium to face-to-face classroom teaching, has become the primary medium of teaching and learning amid Covid-19. E-learning platform has replaced the face-to-face classes. Even though it is only a temporary approach, less is known in terms of its effectiveness. The present paper intends to examine the factors contributing to E-learning's effectiveness in a Higher Education Institution in Malaysia amid the COVID-19 crisis. The Technology Acceptance Model underpinned the conceptual framework. This study investigated the relationship between the independent variables (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and self-motivation) and E-learning effectiveness. The data were collected through an online self-administrated questionnaire using Google form and received a total of 354 respondents. The data were analyzed using SPSS and Smart PLS. The findings revealed that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and self-motivation positively influenced E-learning's effectiveness. This paper concluded that regardless of whether as the support medium or the primary medium in the teaching and learning process, the determinant to E-Learning effectiveness is still perceived the same. This study also supports the TAM proposition while incorporate self-motivation in measuring learning effectiveness.

The role of Iraqi trade policies in stimulating productive sectors to grow for the period (2003-2019) (an analytical study in light of the Malaysian experience)

The research deals with analyzing the influencing role of trade policies in the growth and development of productive economic sectors and their contribution to GDP and its reflection on workforce employment. Studies have proven the success of the Malaysian experience in stimulating the productive economic sectors to grow and their contribution to the gross domestic product with an increase in the growth of local markets and access to international markets for national products. The research also deals with the ineffectiveness of Iraqi trade policies after 2003 in stimulating the productive economic sectors (agricultural and industrial) on economic growth, as most of the increase in Iraqi GDP growth throughout the study period was due to the increase in the oil sector’s contribution because of higher oil prices and increased production. Other sectors had no role in these increases, making the Iraqi economy dependent on the outside world and importer of external economic crises. The recommendations included drawing up an economic plan under which productive sectors would be stimulated to grow and increase their contribution to the Iraqi GDP, reduce dependence on oil to finance public expenditures, reform the tax system, and call for partnership with the private sector and create appropriate conditions for it and attract foreign direct investment for the development of the Iraqi economy. Moreover, the necessity for the government to adopt trade policies that are suitable to the reality of the Iraqi economy and the imbalances that exist in the economic sectors, and to exploit the trade deficit with some countries to develop an agreement to improve trade exchange with them, which lead to developing some national industries

نظام الحوكمة في ماليزيا، ومدى فاعليتها في البنوك الإسلامية ونوافذها بالجزائر

This study aimed mainly at identifying the principles of governance in Islamic banks and measuring the extent to which these principles are applied in Islamic banks in Algeria, because what distinguishes Islamic banking is the existence of a Sharia supervisory board that looks at the activities and contracts that result from it. Islamic law as a reference for it in all items. Some countries, on top of them Malaysia, have established the Sharia advisory board at the level of the Central Bank of Malaysia, which is the authority empowered to verify the implementation of the provisions of Islamic law and its obligation in the work of Islamic banks Which represents the Sharia governance of Islamic banks. This research studies the extent to which the political administration provides the necessary infrastructure for the development of the emerging Islamic financial industry in Algeria in all fields, legal, sharia and Financial. Is it possible to establish a Sharia governance system with its controls and standards in the management of Islamic banks in Algeria, and to establish a central law for advisory and Sharia councils? And to what extent is the governance system considered and the extent of its effectiveness considered in Islamic banks, taking advantage of the Malaysian experience? Especially since Algerian Islamic banks do not have the confidence of civil society due to the absence of legitimate governance foundations in them.

Mapping timely access to emergency and essential surgical services: The Malaysian experience.

Surgical conditions form a significant proportion of the global burden of disease. Since the 2015 World Health Assembly resolution A68.15, there is recognition that the provision of essential surgical care is an integral part of universal access to health care. The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery proposed its first surgical indicator to measure a population's access to the Bellwether procedures (laparotomy, caesarean section and treatment of open fracture) within two hours. Bellwether access is a proxy for emergency and essential surgical care. This project aims to map essential surgical access to the Bellwether procedures in Malaysia. The location and capability of hospitals to perform the Bellwether procedures was obtained from the Ministry of Health (MoH) and MoH hospital specific websites. The Malaysian population data were retrieved from the national department of statistics. Times for patients to travel to hospital were calculated by combining manual contouring and geospatial mapping. There were 49 Bellwether-capable MoH hospitals serving a national population of 32.5 million. Overall 94% of Malaysia's population have access to the Bellwethers within two hours. This coverage is universal in West (Peninsular) Malaysia, but there is only 73% coverage in East Malaysia, with 1.8 million residents of Sabah and Sarawak not having timely access. Malaysia's Bellwether capacity compares well with other countries in World Health Organisation's Western Pacific region. There is good access to essential and emergency surgical services in Malaysia. The incomplete access for 1.8 million people in East Malaysia will inform national surgical planning.

Case series of retained rectal foreign body. A Malaysian experience.

Retained rectal foreign body, with its associated social stigma, is a medical condition that is infrequently reported in Malaysia. We report the surgical management of five cases of retained foreign objects in the rectum seen over a one-year period. There were three young and two elderly male patients. One of the elderly patients presented with altered bowel habits and an abdominal mass that mimicked a symptomatic colonic tumor. All patients had an abdominal radiograph which clinched the diagnosis of a retained foreign rectal body. Successfully retrieved objects included two bottles, one bidet device, and two sex toys. Open surgery for retrieval of the impacted rectal foreign body was required in one patient. All underwent successful retrievals without any adverse postoperative complications. In our case series, retained rectal foreign bodies were observed only in the male gender. The age presentation was bimodal, with age groups in the twenties and sixties. The treatment options used for the retrieval of these impacted foreign bodies included transanal extraction or explorative laparotomy. Proximal migration and delayed presentation are possible indications for the latter approach.

Rajah Rasiah Comment on COVID-19: Malaysia Experience and Key Lessons

May 15 2021 Rajah Rasiah Comment on COVID-19: Malaysia Experience and Key Lessons Author and Article Information Online Issn: 1536-0083 Print Issn: 1535-3516 © 2021 by the Asian Economic Panel and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology2021American Society of Health Economists and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Asian Economic Papers (2021) 20 (2): 95–97. https://doi.org/10.1162/asep_a_00809 Cite Icon Cite Permissions Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Search Site Citation Rajah Rasiah Comment on COVID-19: Malaysia Experience and Key Lessons. Asian Economic Papers 2021; 20 (2): 95–97. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/asep_a_00809 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll JournalsAsian Economic Papers Search Advanced Search Rajah Rasiah, Asia-Europe Institute, Universiti Malaya: This paper by Muhammed Abdul Khalid provides a reasonable account of how the COVID-19 pandemic unraveled in Malaysia, how it has affected the economy, and what types of policy interventions were taken. Khalid has largely provided a detailed account of the health and economic consequences and how interventions have impacted the country on both fronts. However, I think some parts of the account could have benefited from a more careful scrutiny of the data, and that the presentation should have told us more about the link between the health impact and the economic impact. Importantly, apart from recommending a higher fiscal deficit to provide additional social assistance, including much needed assistance for low-wage workers and small businesses, the paper could have done more with concrete suggestions on how the handling of the economy could be improved. In the interest of the space and time... You do not currently have access to this content.

COVID-19: Malaysia Experience and Key Lessons*

Abstract Malaysia has been relatively successful in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, with the number of deaths and infections lower than neighboring countries and many developed economies. This paper will share Malaysia's experience in fighting the pandemic, particularly the key success factors in managing the health impact during the period of January to August 2020. The speedy preparation and planning by the Health Ministry even before the country registered its first case was instrumental in ensuring that the country was ready to face the pandemic. Lessons learned from previous experience with epidemics such as Nipah, SARS, MERS, and H1N1 were also key to the speedy responses. Effective communication helped to ensure the public's support of measures imposed by the government to reduce the spread of the virus. However, while the country managed the health crisis relatively well, the handling of the economy is rather poor, with the economic impact being much worse than what was experienced during the 1997–98 Asian financial crisis, and the 2008–09 global financial crisis. This paper will end with suggestions of several policy interventions to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19, particularly for vulnerable groups.

Miao Zhang Comment on COVID-19: Malaysia Experience and Key Lessons

Miao Zhang Comment on COVID-19: Malaysia Experience and Key Lessons