Malaysian Government Agencies Research Articles

Repeated time-series cross-validation: A new method to improved COVID-19 forecast accuracy in Malaysia

Forecasting COVID-19 cases is challenging, and inaccurate forecast values will lead to poor decision-making by the authorities. Conversely, accurate forecasts aid Malaysian government authorities and agencies (National Security Council, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of International Trade and Industry) and financial institutions in formulating action plans, regulations, and legal acts to control COVID-19 spread in the country. Therefore, this study proposes Repeated Time-Series Cross-Validation, a new data-splitting strategy to identify the best forecasting model that is capable of producing the lowest error measures value and a high percentage of forecast accuracy for COVID-19 prediction in Malaysia. Some of the highlights of the proposed method are:•A total of 21 models, five data partitioning sets, and four error measures to improve the forecast accuracy of daily COVID-19 cases in Malaysia.•The best model selected produces the lowest error measure value for the Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), and Mean Absolute Scaled Error (MASE).•The average 8-day forecast accuracy is 90.2 %. The lowest and highest forecast accuracy was 83.7 % and 98.7 %.

Chatbots adoption intention in public sector in Malaysia from the perspective of TOE framework. The moderated and mediation model

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the motivating factors for Malaysian governmental agencies (MGAs) to embrace chatbot technology. Design/methodology/approach Based on the technology-organisation-environment (TOE) framework, using purposive and snowball sampling techniques, 262 online data from the MGA top management were gathered. Smart PLS4 was employed to test the hypotheses of the study. Findings The findings demonstrated positive relationships between technological readiness (TR), big data analytics (BDA), organisational readiness (OR), organisational learning capabilities (OLC) and governmental policies (GP) concerning chatbot adoption intention and also the relationship GP with OR. A mediating effect was also observed, which indicated the OLC role in positively mediating BDA, the OR role in positively mediating OLC and the OR role in positively mediating GP with OR and OLC as sequential mediators in the relationship between BDA and chatbot adoption intention. Furthermore, the presence of citizen demand (CD) strengthened the relationship between TR, OR and chatbot adoption intention. Research limitations/implications This study was limited to Malaysian federal government agencies who still not adopting Chatbots. Practical implications The findings offer valuable insight into factors affect the adoption of chatbots among Malaysian government agencies. Stakeholders, including department heads, can use these findings to strategically enhance counter service by promoting chatbot adoption. Originality/value The study demonstrated that the TOE framework was effective in identifying the factors contributing to the decision-making process for adopting chatbots across MGAs. Organisational readiness and organisation learning capability was found to sequentially mediate the relationship between big data analytic and intention to adopt chatbot. Citizen demand was found to have moderation effect on the relationship between organisational readiness and technological readiness towards the intention to adopt a chatbot.

Explaining the Adoption of Chatbots: The Experience of Malaysian Government Agencies

ABSTRACT This research aims to investigate the elements motivating Malaysian Government Agencies (MGA) to adopt chatbots. Using a snowball sampling technique, a sum of 262 valid questionnaires were gathered. Most of the direct effect toward intention to adopt were supported. The mediation analysis revealed a positive mediating role of OR in the relationship between BDA, OLC and GP with the intention to adopt chatbots. The Government Support moderated the relationship between OR and the intention to adopt a chatbots. The study highlighted how the TOE Framework can effectively pinpoint the factors that impact the intention to adopt chatbots within MGA.

Comparative Analysis of Government Website and Service Monitoring System Ratings among State Islamic Religious Councils (SIRCs) in Malaysia

This study explores the comparison of websites of various State Islamic Religious Councils (SIRCs) in Malaysia using the Government Website and Service Monitoring System known as SPLaSK ratings. SPLaSK, an initiative by the Malaysian government serves as a critical tool for monitoring and evaluating the performance of government websites and services. By focusing on the SIRCs, this study seeks to identify patterns, strengths, and areas for improvement in digital governance. Using qualitative content analysis and semi-structured interviews, the study analyzes SPLaSK ratings of SIRCs to understand how these councils utilize digital platforms to engage with the public, disseminate information, and provide services. Websites registered with SPLaSK are assessed based on six (6) dimensions, namely accessibility, ease of use, quality of content, privacy or security, responsiveness, and reliability. It has been disclosed that only 10 out of 14 SIRCs were registered with SPLaSK in 2023, with 40% achieving excellent ratings of above 80%. The overall scores of the websites also suggest that four (4) SIRCs have underperformed, receiving scores below 50, attributed to inefficient website management. The findings offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of SPLaSK in promoting transparency, efficiency, and user-friendliness in government digital services, thus contributing to the broader discourse on digital governance within government agencies in Malaysia

The moderating role of government support in chatbot adoption intentions among Malaysian government agencies

PurposeThis study aims to use a survey to examine the factors encouraging Malaysian government agencies (MGAs) to adopt chatbots, which are a new artificial intelligence technology.Design/methodology/approachThe minimum sample size was 98 according to the complexity model, and the respondents were top MGA management personnel. The questionnaire was emailed to all MGAs, and data were collected using snowball sampling in the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework. Out of 348 top management personnel contacted, 341 agreed to participate in the study.FindingsTechnology readiness (TR), organizational readiness (OR) and citizen demand were all positively related to chatbot use intention. Government support (GS) strengthened the relationship between OR, TR and chatbot adoption intentions. The findings demonstrated the ability of the TOE framework to ascertain the factors influencing MGA chatbot adoption.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was limited to Malaysian federal government agencies.Practical implicationsThe findings provide useful information for a better understanding of factors influencing the adoption of chatbots among Malaysian government agencies. Related parties, such as the head of department, could use these findings to plan further action to empower counter service by integrating chatbot adoption.Originality/valueThe study revealed the capability of the TOE framework to identify the factors influencing the decision to adopt chatbots among Malaysian government agencies. GS was found to have moderation effect on the relationship between OR and TR toward the intention to adopt a chatbot.

Examining Decision Support Systems (DSS) Verification Approaches of the Government Agencies in East Malaysia

This study examines the verification approaches used by government agencies in East Malaysia to ensure the reliability of Decision Support Systems (DSS) in their decision-making processes. Focus group interviews were conducted, revealing various verification methods employed. The study aims to contribute to understanding DSS verification techniques and the unique challenges government agencies face. Challenges identified include a need for more technical expertise. It recommends investing in staff training and adopting standardized verification frameworks to enhance DSS reliability. These findings are valuable for East Malaysian government agencies and other similar contexts, enabling informed decision-making through reliable DSS.

Impact of Information Technology Towards Organizational Performance

Since the beginning of the 21st century, numerous organizations have extensively implemented information technology into their operations. With regard to this, it captures the interest of researchers, practitioners, academicians, and policymakers to comprehend the role of organization dynamic capability in information technology and the role of digital leadership in enhancing organizational performance and enabling the information technology process. There was limited study on the impact of technology on the performance of government agencies. Therefore, this research focuses on government agencies in Malaysia. This study was conducted to seek the true role of information technology in organizational performance and the impact of information technology on organizational performance. Through an analysis of the 131 randomly selected workers, this paper investigates the impact of information technology on organizational performance. This study examines the effects of IT Operation, IT Knowledge, and IT Competence on the performance of an organization. In this research, SPSS was used for normality and reliability analysis, as well as descriptive organization multiple regression analysis. The result revealed that only IT Competence has a positive impact on organizational performance. The finding also revealed that the impact of information technology on the performance of an organization is minimal and contributes a minor impact.

Rohingya refugees and their right to work in Malaysia

This study examines Rohingya living in Malaysia. Myanmar’s discriminatory citizenship laws have stripped nearly all Rohingya of their citizenship, making them the largest stateless ethnic group in the world. Malaysia is one of the most popular destinations for the displaced Rohingya from Myanmar. As Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, the Rohingya are not entitled to any legal protection under the existing law in their host country. This study aims to identify the challenges faced by displaced Rohingya regarding their right to work, and the response from the Malaysian government. The methodology used for this research is a multi-site case study with the case study sites being Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Terengganu, and Pahang. After intensive fieldwork and meetings with different stakeholders, this research revealed that Malaysian people are sympathetic to the Rohingya and wish to assist them within their limited capacities. Overall, this study argues that there is no consistent government policy and a lack of coordination between the Malaysian government and international agencies working to improve the welfare of the Rohingya.

An Overview of Asset Management in Malaysian Government Agencies

Asset management is a "joined-up" organizational activity that entails many disciplines such as engineering, operations, management and maintenance. The Malaysian government is committed to improving asset management performance to ensure that assets are managed in a systematic, holistic, and sustainable manner. However, the Auditor-General Reports from 2014 to 2020 discovered that the majority of government entities are incapable of adequately managing their assets. The issues concerning their weak asset management performance have also been raised repeatedly by the Auditors-General, indicating the problem’s seriousness. Thus, this study seeks to investigate the current asset management and the factors affecting asset management performance in government agencies. A total of five officers from the government department responsible for making policy for management procedures and examining asset management performance in government agencies have been interviewed. Findings showed that government agencies' asset management practice and performance were generally satisfactory. The government's asset management policies and processes were adequate and updated. However, several government agencies still do not comply with asset management procedures resulting in their asset management performance being affected. Accounting practice, training policy, asset misappropriation and information systems were identified as significant contributors to levels of asset management performance.

Air Pollution, Cardiovascular and Respiratory Admissions in Klang Valley, Malaysia - Finding the Effects

This study aims to determine the association and risk of daily fluctuations of air pollution parameters in Klang Valley, Malaysia, with cardiovascular and respiratory admissions. The data on admissions and air pollution concentrations were obtained from various government agencies in Malaysia. The associations were estimated using a time series analysis of Poisson regression. The effects for every 10μ/m3 increase in pollutants were reported as Relative Risk (RR). SO2 showed the highest association with immediate effects at lag 0 for all cardiovascular admissions followed by NO2. Gaseous pollutants of SO2 and NO2 showed a higher risk among elderly more than 60 years old. Immediate effects were found in both genders, with higher risks observed in males. NO2 continues to be suggestively associated with all respiratory admissions. Children less than 9 years old presented a higher risk of NO2 at various lag times with the highest value at lag0, followed by PM10. Stratified analysis showed an incremental risk of respiratory admissions for males exposed to NO2 compared to females. We found noteworthy associations for overall and age-specific admissions of cardiovascular and respiratory with the pollutants. Compared to particulates pollutant, gaseous pollutants showed a higher risk in both admissions.

The Effect of Business Incubator Graduation Policy towards the Performance of Entrepreneurs in the Early Start-Up Companies in Malaysia with the Moderating Effect of Risk-taking Propensity

The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of business incubator graduation policy on the performance of entrepreneurs in the early start-up companies in Malaysia with the moderating role of risk-taking propensity. The target respondents were entrepreneurs who graduated from business incubator in Sabah, Sarawak, Johor, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Penang. A total of 121 valid questionnaires were used for analysis in this paper. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) within the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique. The results show that graduation policy has a significant positive effect on the performance of entrepreneurs in the early start-up companies. However, risk-taking propensity has no moderating role between graduation policy and the performance of entrepreneurs in the early start-up companies in Malaysia. The findings of the study's outputs may serve as guidelines for the Malaysian policy makers and government agencies as well as business incubators to have a better picture of entrepreneurs in business incubators in Malaysia. The results obtained can also be used by other researchers as guidelines for their future research in the same field of study. Discussion and limitation of the study is elaborated further.

Realising the Corporate Social Performance (CSP) of Takaful (Islamic Insurance) Operators through Drone-Assisted Disaster Victim Identification (DVI)

The study investigates the potential for takaful operators to collaborate with the government by using drones to identify victims in the event of a mass disaster. It is critical to emphasise that takaful operators are not part of the government agencies involved in the search and rescue (S&R) operations. Nevertheless, takaful operators are part of the critical chain in the risk management process because they are the parties that will issue compensation to victims if they are takaful participants (policyholders). Through semi-structured interviews, feedback on this issue was gathered from key informants who are experts in their fields. This study included 21 key informants: first responders to an emergency or disaster from Malaysian government agencies, forensic experts, takaful association, drone practitioners (including drone pilots, Vice President (VP) of drone consultation services, and the owner of a drone company), actuarial expert, Shariah experts, regulators (representatives from the central bank), takaful participants, and accounting expert. Findings indicate that the benefits of using drones to the takaful operators are undisputable. Yet, the associated costs of using the device are the main concerns to the industry players. The middle path is to have joint funds between the takaful industry and the government to pool the funds for the national disaster management agency to employ drones for DVI needs in the event of a disaster. Thus, the findings of this study will be useful to the government and takaful association when developing future policy and guidelines for the takaful industry. Furthermore, this research adds to the body of knowledge and provides a better understanding of the subject.

Factors Influencing Intent to Adopt Big Data Analytics in Malaysian Government Agencies

In Big Data Analytics (BDA), many government agencies directly raised their ICT expenditure in their effort to understand the attitude of the users towards new technologies. This research is intended to analyze factors affecting IT practitioners’ behavioral intentions in adopting (BDA) using a combination of multiple technology acceptance models. The synergistic three IS theory strengths: (1) Task Technology Fit (TTF), (2) Unified Technology Acceptance and Utilization Theory (UTAUT), and the (3) Initial Trust Model (ITM). The concept was validated in Malaysian government agencies, one of the highly dependent BDA promoters and initiators. 186 respondents in the Information Management departments of public agencies were recruited as part of the rigorous methodology to gather rich data. Partial least squares were analyzed by the structural models (PLS). The two key factors determine behavioral intention to adopt BDA in government agencies. Firstly, the assumption that the technology is going to produce great results raises the expectation of performance. Technological fit was the second determinant factor. Initial trust, on the other hand, was found to be adversely related to the BDA intention. Implicitly, the proposed model would be useful to IT officers in public agencies in making investment choices and designing non-adopter-friendly outreach strategies because they have more barriers to acceptance than adopters and lead adopters in the reward ladder. All public agencies will benefit from the findings of this study in gaining awareness of BDA application and fostering psychological empowerment of employees to adopt this revolutionary approach. The article outlines how dynamic TTF, UTAUT and ITM are for researchers to integrate in their emerging decision support framework for the study of new technology adoption.

Jointly acquired and heritage property in the context of FELDA's new model strategy

The Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) began its innovative concept when FELDA's New Model Strategy which went through the evolutionary process in its distinctive niche was first launched in 2020. The New Model Strategy has a significant impact on the efforts to determine FELDA's vision and direction in changing the mentality of the settlers and rejuvenating FELDA thus driving the aspect of the integrated use of modern technology, mechanisation, automation and intelligent agriculture. Besides, the implementation of the diversity of crops on farms such as pineapple, young ginger, black turmeric and herbs. FELDA is a Malaysian government agency that addresses the relocation of poor rural people to newly developed areas to improve their economic status. FELDA's original main focus was the opening of smallholder farms for contemporary crops. FELDA settlers' husband works hand-in-hand in sustaining FELDA's aspiration to increase daily household income. Typically, conflicts appear when the death or divorce of FELDA settlers occurs and their wives or heirs made property claims. FELDA land issues were discussed based on the types of land titles in the National Land Code 1965 and legal restrictions in Section 14(2) of the Group Land Act 1960.

CONTRACTORS SELECTION CRITERIA FRAMEWORK FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN KLANG VALLEY

Malaysia's construction industry is going from strength to strength, with a whole host of newly-announced projects promising to increase activity. Moreover, the construction industry is a very important part of Malaysian economy. The country already has a lot of projects ongoing and under the pipelines, with an ever-changing urban landscape offering plenty of opportunities. The evaluation of project success and the level of success criticality in the development of construction projects in Malaysia are according to the specific requirements and priorities of different project stakeholders and varies from project to project. However, the issues related to maintenance and project functionality are of main concerned to most Government Agencies in Malaysia at the project completion stage apart from client satisfaction on the good services and excellent product deliverables. In the contractor selection stage is commonly used procedure for identifying a pool of competitive, competent and capable contractors from which tenders may be sought. It can aid public and private owners in achieving success by ensuring that only qualified contractor is selected to execute the work. The findings results indicate that several of the criteria highlighted as the most influential criteria of contractor selection for construction project. Another important understanding from the research is that the developing the framework to show the most appropriate ways to select the best contractor for the project. The weightage of each criterion are effective for assessing the technical and commercial tender submission during the tender process. Analysis indicated the top 3 of most influential criteria for contractor selection for construction project in Klang Valley are participation in stakeholders bid process, good tender proposal and method of statement.

Assessment on Factors Affecting Asset Management Performance in Malaysian Government Agencies: A Concept Paper

Assessment on Factors Affecting Asset Management Performance in Malaysian Government Agencies: A Concept Paper

A survey on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and concern among Malaysians

BackgroundVaccination is an effective way to curtail the burden of COVID-19 in which success depends on a high acceptance of the vaccine. However, addressing concerns among vaccine-hesitant individuals is essential to avoid failure of the immunisation programme. This study sought to assess the concerns and acceptance rates regarding the COVID-19 vaccine among Malaysians.MethodsAn online questionnaire was distributed to 1411 respondents via a snowball sampling method among Malaysians aged 18 years and above.ResultsThe majority of the respondents were young adults (40.7%), female (62.8%), Malay (63.8%), Muslim (72.3%), married (52.9%), with tertiary education (86.8%) and without medical illness (85%). Social media (97.4%) was the primary source of information regarding COVID-19. The overall acceptance rate was high (83.3%), with the lowest rates among the elderly aged 60 years and above (63.4%) and pensioners (64.6%). Hesitance was caused by concerns regarding side effects (95.8%), safety (84.7%), lack of information (80.9%), effectiveness (63.6%) and religious (20.8%) and cultural factors related to the COVID-19 vaccine (6.8%). Respondents with diabetes mellitus (24.7%) and hypercholesterolemia (23%) were more hesitant to accept the COVID-19 vaccine, at 16.1 and 15.8%, respectively. Predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitance were age, religion, and current residence.ConclusionsThe results indicate a high rate of acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among Malaysians. Thus, the Malaysian government and other related agencies should increase their campaign and prepare to implement the COVID-19 mass immunisation programme among Malaysians. However, despite the high acceptance rate, it remains important to address concerns among hesitant individuals by building trust in vaccine safety and effectiveness through adequate information regarding the vaccine.

A Comparative Study on the Determinants of Non-Business and Business Students Entrepreneurship Intention

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that influence the entrepreneurship intention of undergraduate university students in Malaysia by making a comparative analysis among different groups of students. Employing a probability stratified disproportionated sampling, a total of 150 business and 150 non-business students completed the entrepreneurship intention questionnaire. The questionnaire has five parts extracting information about demographic profiles, regulative structure, normative structure, cognitive structure, and entrepreneurship intention. The respondents were asked to state their opinions on statements on a five-point Likert-type scale. The hypotheses were tested using Pearson correlation and multiple regression. Our finding first has discovered business students possess a high level of entrepreneurial intention, cognitive structure, and normativestructure as compare to non-business students. On other hand, non-business students have high level of regulative structure as compared to business students. Second, there are positive relationships between regulative, normative, and cognitive structure and entrepreneurship intention for both business and non-business students. Third, based on regression analysis, the normative structure has been discovered as the strongest predictor for both groups. This indicates that social pressures or supports will influence students’ intention to become an entrepreneur. Thus, the study finds interesting mixed results where there is a significant difference in entrepreneurship intention, regulative, normative, and cognitive structure between business and nonbusiness students, and all variables are significant to both groups where normative structure acts as a significant predictor forboth groups. Thus, regardless of students’ academic courses, anyone can become an entrepreneur. The study strongly suggests the need to incorporate an entrepreneurship support system by Malaysian universities, government, and related agencies.

The Application of TRIZ in The Development of Readiness Assessment Model for The Malaysian Industry4WRD Program

The global industrial revolution has become a major concern for most organizations in the effort to innovate and improve towards competitiveness and sustainability. This initiative has been considered as a disruptive change in manufacturing and also services. Many countries have taken proactive action to learn and adopt the concept of Industry 4.0 in order to be at the front edge of transformation. However, various countries and government agencies are trying to support the local industries with limited knowledge and resources, especially in developing countries such as Malaysia. This paper focuses on the challenges in developing the Industry 4.0 readiness assessment model by adopting innovative methodology called TRIZ. This model is useful in helping the Malaysian government agencies to guide and facilitate the transformation program of Industry 4.0 that has been given a new brand name which is Industry4WRD. The Malaysian industries are able to identify the gaps within the organization and the benchmark with the best practiced Industry 4.0 company by using the readiness assessment tools that have been developed from the research. TRIZ has been the core concept of the readiness assessment model and has also effectively shown result from a case study that is presented in this paper

Environmentally Friendly Business Practices among Low-Income Households in Rural Peninsular Malaysia

The purpose of the study is to predict the intention and behavior towards environmentally friendly businesses (EFB) among low-income families in rural Peninsular Malaysia within the framework of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Data were collected from 420 low-income household heads through structured interviews. The results reveal a significant impact of environmental concern (EC) and eco-literacy (EL) on the attitude towards the environment (ATE); normative belief (NB) and motivation (MO) on subjective norms (SUN); and skills and knowledge (SK) on perceived behavioral control (PBC). Additionally, there was a positive and statistically significant effect of ATE, SUN, and PBC on the intention towards environmentally friendly business (ITEFB) and the ITEFB on environmentally friendly business adoption behavior (EFBAB). This study provides empirical evidence with a proposed research model to address the environmental issues through improving the socioeconomic condition of low-earner families. The Malaysian government and relevant agencies should focus on improving EL, EC, MO towards EFB, and the SK regarding EFB among the low-income households.