Malaysian Islamic Research Articles

Perception and prevalence of bullying in Malaysian higher education: A multifaceted analysis

The escalating incidence of bullying cases within Malaysian higher education institutions underscores a disconcerting trend that arises from the confluence of academic pressures, financial strains, relational intricacies, and identity conflicts among students. This unsettling phenomenon engenders not only physical harm and emotional distress but, alarmingly, fatalities as well. In response, the imperative to curtail this deleterious spread through preemptive measures has prompted institutions to engage in student surveys. This research endeavors to illuminate the panorama of bullying perceptions prevailing among students within selected Malaysian higher education institutions. Employing a comprehensive analytical framework encompassing descriptive statistics, crosstabulation, independent samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA, this study scrutinizes the multifaceted dynamics underpinning bullying trends. Employing a combination of convenience sampling and online survey techniques, a cohort of 561 participants was garnered from four distinct higher learning establishments: Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Universiti Sultan Azlan Shah (USAS), and University of Malaya (UM). The outcomes of this investigation delineate a landscape in which bullying remains a persistent concern within the selected higher education institutions. Of particular significance is the perceptual contrast exhibited by bullies as compared to their peers, with the former demonstrating higher levels of support for bullying behavior. Consequently, institutional administrations are impelled to undertake comprehensive initiatives to comprehensively catalog instances of bullying, spanning both psychological and physical manifestations. These findings underscore the gravity of the issue and underscore the urgency for institutions to adopt proactive strategies to mitigate bullying, thereby cultivating environments conducive to holistic student well-being and nurturing scholastic excellence.

Waqif Preference of Waqf-Based Qardhul Hassan Financing in Malaysia: An Analytic Hierarchy Process Perspective

Although Islamic banking products like tawarruq and bay al-inah personal financing products available in the Malaysian Islamic banking market, their ability to meet the need of those disadvantaged in the case of health crisis like COVID-19 or financial crisis are somehow marginal. There is a need for Islamic social finance products to meet this challenge and one of them is the offered qardhul hassan financing funded through crowdfunding on the basis of waqf. This is called waqf-based qardhul hassan financing. For this purpose, this study introduces QAFSCALE, referred to qardhul hassan financing scale to gauge waqif preference on the facility should it is made available in the market. A total of 324 waqif or donors were participated in this study to identify their preference in donating their money in the facility should it is introduced. This study used Attia’s (2010) maqasid al-Shariah theory to generate the QAFSCALE, beginning from the conceptualisations, dimensions and importantly the batter items that represent the QAFSCALE. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used. The results obtained indicate that humanity factor is ranked first in importance, followed by family factor, consumer factor and ummah factor. This study limitation is the sample size. A broader sample would have made the result better. Adding to that, the newly designed scale is first of its kind in the context of waqf-based qardhul hassan financing and more studies needed to prove its applicability and generalization, at least. The results obtained might be of interest to managers of Islamic banks and the like to understand their potential waqif preference in the context of waqf-based qardhul hassan financing. Four factors drawn from QAFSCALE were evaluated to identify important factors leading to the waqif contribution on waqf.

Applications of Waqf-Featured Fund in the Malaysian Islamic Fund Management Industry: A Comparative Study

Historical evidence demonstrates the enormous role waqf institutions have played in the development and advancement of Muslims throughout the Muslim history. With the proper structure and strategy, waqf contributes to numerous spheres of life, including mainstream economic development. Contemporary development of Islamic finance has enabled the waqf concept to be linked to various financial products, including Shariah-compliant investment instruments, such as, Islamic unit trust funds and Islamic wholesale funds. This paper aims to highlight the current applications of the Waqf-Featured Fund (WFF) in the Malaysia Islamic Fund Management Industry. This is in relation to the launch of a new WFF framework to facilitate the offering of Islamic funds with waqf characteristics. The study took both qualitative via in-depth semi-structured interviews with eleven (11) WFF stakeholders, as well as, analyzing of policy documents, journal articles, books, and online resources. The findings shed light on the current issues and challenges confronting waqf projects in Malaysia, as well as the current guidelines and essential requirements for the WFF, the current application of the WFF in the Malaysian Islamic Fund Management (IFM) industry, and a proposal for the future application model, which includes fund collection, investment structure, distribution process, and fund reporting.

The Impact of New Media Platforms Towards Social Shaping and Culture Interaction Among Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia Students

New media platforms have brought huge changes to people and affected almost everything that people do in their daily lives, including towards the aspect of communication and interaction. This can be connected to the impact of new media platforms towards social shaping and culture interaction. The objective of this research is to know if there is any relationship between new media platforms towards social shaping and culture interaction and how it impacted one another. The research will include the aspects of perception, assumption, and influence on the effects of new media platforms. The interconnection relates to the behavior and attitude of people on online platforms through social media. Quantitative study was carried out using random sampling of 111 students at the Faculty of Leadership and Management, USIM. Respondents were given a survey questionnaire form. The age range of the research is from 18 to 26 years and most of the respondents are from 21 to 24 years old. The relationship between new media platforms towards social shaping and culture interaction among respondents shows there is a significant correlation. This research contributes to the understanding of how new media platforms impacted towards social shaping and cultural interaction besides can serve as a reference for educators and instructional designers in understanding communication and interaction are key factors that influence how social media impacts social and intercultural adaptation.

The Impact of Visual Communication on Students’ Learning Experience Towards Memory Recognition and Enhancement

Visual communication is currently one of the most prevalent techniques of human contact. The difficulties facing contemporary education do not decrease its importance. As there is a correlation between good learning and the university environment, the emphasis has switched to better learning tools to guarantee that everyone receives good educations. In education, visual communication is commonly utilised. This is because the use of visual communication can help students retain information more efficiently. This study attempts to determine whether the visual communication elements affect students' performance. This study's primary objective is to determine the impact of visual communication elements on the learning process and memory enhancement. Shape, colour, and orientation of individual graphic elements are among the variables chosen and quantitative data was extracted and explicitly been analyse regarding effects on memory recognition during the learning process. The variable on memory enhancement of the student performance was adopted from the survey questionnaire. The research was conducted using a quantitative method, with a sample of 107 undergraduate students from 9 faculty at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM). Data was collected through a survey and been analysed using SPSS. The outcomes of the study show positive correlation and suggest that visual communication elements can assist students in their learning experiences related to memory recognition and memory enhancement. This research contributes to the understanding on enhancing student’s learning engagement and performance and can serve as a reference for educators and instructional designers in implementing visual communication elements in teaching and learning process.

Exploring accountability: memory, object, metaphor and common sense

Purpose This paper aims to narrate the descriptions of accountability by which a pioneering Malaysian Islamic bank has come to be known and has become a specific model in many countries. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on a four-year ethnographic work from 2002 to 2006, as accessed and analysed by the researcher. The philosophy underpinning this ethnography is from Geertz’s “Common sense as a cultural system” (1975) and The Interpretation of Cultures (1973). Findings This study finds the religious metaphors of “Halal and Haram is not Only on Food” and “Bank for All” are the anticipated conception that envisages the institution of Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB), especially the perspective of the Shariah Supervisory Council and the struggles of the assistant managers. Research limitations/implications The paper aligns with the concerns of McPhail et al. (2004) and calls for engagement in research projects on accounting and accountability related to theology but with an attempt to theorise the “engagement” within the components of human limitation and intelligence which require a narrative from the social and collective dimensions of the present and in the past. Practical implications By using various objects as symbol, metaphor and memory, such as “counter”, “branch”, “advertising” and “food”, the paper encourages readers to understand the objects as temporalities brought into being by a common sense consciousness and within a historical Malay context; one in which Malaysia is a Muslim society and a by-product of colonialism. This interpretation allows the issues raised by BIMB to represent an authentic Malaysian voice rather than to be read merely as an adjunct to western accounting history. Originality/value The paper explores the translations of concepts that the self probes and attempts to describe accountability, as well as how these translate into common sense.

The Determinants and Treatments of Shari?ah Non-Compliant Events in Malaysian Islamic Banks

The Determinants and Treatments of Shari?ah Non-Compliant Events in Malaysian Islamic Banks

Stakeholder engagement for value‐based banking: The case of Malaysian Islamic banks

This study explores the practices of stakeholder engagement (SE) in Malaysian Islamic banks. In 2017, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) introduced the Value‐Based Intermediation (VBI) framework, with the aim of promoting a more sustainable and responsible banking system in the country. Among others, the VBI framework requires Islamic banks to adopt a stakeholder‐driven approach to their business operations, which involves understanding and responding to the needs and expectations of their stakeholders. Within this context, we apply a content analysis of the annual and sustainability reports of all stand‐alone Islamic banks in Malaysia to document the changes in the banks' quality of SE after the introduction of the VBI. The content analysis is guided by a new index that we construct, termed as the Stakeholder Engagement Quality Index (SEQI), which covers four dimensions of SE process: the purpose, stakeholder mapping, scope and approach to the engagement. Our results indicate that the SE quality significantly increases overall and for the third (i.e., scope of SE) and fourth (i.e., SE approach) dimensions subsequent to the VBI. Additionally, in terms of bank types, we find that the SEQI score is higher for commercial Islamic banks than development Islamic banks in the post‐VBI period. Despite such improvements, our study alerts policymakers that there are areas that need further attention. Among others, these include integrating SE into the banks' internal managerial functions and encouraging active stakeholder participation in the design and implementation of the engagement itself.

Syariah Governance and Disclosure Islamic Corporate Social Responsibility: A Comparative Study of Indonesian and Malaysian Islamic Banking

The existence of the Sharia Supervisory Board in the Sharia banking GCG structure is a unique feature that distinguishes it from the GCG structure of conventional banks. The inconsistency of the results of previous research related to the relationship between GCG and CSR disclosure is the motivation of this study, in addition to the differences in the progress of Indonesian and Malaysian Islamic banks. The research population of Islamic banking is listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange and the Malaysia Stock Exchange. Research period on 2016 – 2019 before covid 19 pandemic. The research sample was determined based on purposive sampling, 12 Islamic banks in Indonesia and 14 Islamic banks in Malaysia was selected. The method of analysis is multi group using Partial Least Squares. The results of this study provide empirical evidence that the Sharia Supervisory Board, Board of Commissioners and Board of Directors have not succeeded in playing a role in increasing I-CSR disclosure except for the Independent Board of Commissioners and Independent Board of Directors. The results of the study also have not shown any differences in the influence of GCG on I-CSR in Indonesian and Malaysian Islamic banking.

Measuring the Potential Integration of Indonesian Sharia Capital Market with the OIC Member Countries

The Indonesian Composite Index (ICI) experienced a critical session, the data showed the ICI fell by 6.58% which was the biggest decline in the last 9 years. The prevailing notion was that this pressure stemmed from the prevalence of the Covid-19 concern and is anticipated to be alleviated once Covid-19 disseminates further. The purpose of this study is to determine the causality and long-term cointegration relationship between sharia stock in Indonesia and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries, as well as to determine the contribution of shares of OIC member countries, such as Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey, Bahrain, and Malaysia in the collapse of the Islamic capital market in Indonesia. The method used in this research is quantitative by using secondary data in the form of daily prices of the Sharia index sourced from the website www.investing.com. The population of the countries related to this research is 56 members of the OIC that are active until 2021. For data analysis, several tests were conducted, such as; Testing Time Series Data, Vector Autoregressive (VAR), Granger Causality Test, Johansen Model Cointegration Test, and Contagion Effect Test. The study found that; has not been able to prove the existence of cointegration between the Indonesian Islamic stock exchange and the stock exchanges of OIC member countries other than the Malaysian stock exchange. However, this study proves the interdependence between the Malaysian and Indonesian Islamic stock exchanges, but in the long term, the contribution of the Indonesian stock exchange is greater than the Malaysian Islamic stock index. In addition, another finding was that during the Covid-19 shock, the Malaysian stock position index showed more independence, whereas the decline that occurred at the beginning of the pandemic was caused without the JII or ISSI intervention index.

Analysis of Changes in the Implementation of Rebate in Malaysia Islamic Financing

The practice of giving rebates in Islamic financing is a benchmarking for Islamic banking in long-term sales compared to conventional loans. The implementation of the rebate is based on the concept of da' wa taajjal, where the bank as the financier gives a discount to their customer from the full amount when the customer makes an early settlement. There are issues up to the court level regarding the status of rebates as well as claims from customers about the actual rates that are eligible to be earned. this study was conducted on the application of rebates in the initial settlement of housing financing in 2010 which started with discretion until the latest change by Bank Negara Malaysia in (BNM) in 2019 which is stipulates rebates in the agreement clause. So, this article will study and analyze the changes in the implementation of rebates in Islamic financing from discretionary, unilateral and bilateral rebates status. It is a qualitative study with a literature review approach. While the data collection process is through document analysis, the data are analyzed using descriptive and comparative approaches. The expected outcome of this research is to discuss the assessment of the extent to which the implementation of rebates with the changes that have taken place guarantees welfare on the part of the customer. This paper offers the results of analysis in helping Islamic Financial Institutions (IKIs) and Islamic banking in an effort to strengthen management related to the provision of Islamic housing financing rebates and further dignify Islamic banking management to boost the image of Islamic finance and the teachings of Islam. As well as recommending the best Rebate application for Bank Negara Malaysia to produce a current Policy Document.

Analysis of The Need for Developing A Module on Writing Skills in Arabic Essays from The Perspective of Models and Teaching Methods of The Module

The purpose of this study was to explore the opinions of Arabic language instructors at the Public University of Malaysia (UAM) regarding the various aspects of teaching the module on essay writing skills. The collected data was used to support the development of the M-KMKBA module for Arabic language essay writing skills. This qualitative study involved 12 participants who were instructors of Arabic language from four different universities: Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), and Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA). Data was collected using a set of interview protocols and analyzed thematically. The interview transcripts were analyzed based on themes and categories to obtain the findings for the need’s analysis and the development of the M-KMKBA module. The general findings of the study revealed that all instructors agreed on the importance of using a variety of teaching methods and approaches for the module, including communicative, direct, interactive, eclectic, and translation methods.

Comparison Study Influence The Third-Party Fund On Profitability With Bank Size As The Moderating Variable In Indonesia And Malaysia

The objective of this research is to compare the correlation between third-party funds and profitability using bank size as a moderating variable of Islamic banking in Malaysia and Indonesia. The sample in this study used purposive sampling and obtained a sample of 10 Islamic banks in Malaysia, 10 Islamic banks Indonesia in 2016-2020. The data used is secondary data in the form of the annual reports or financial reports through the official website of each Islamic bank. To examine research data in the form of financial statements, this quantitative study used regression and moderate regression analysis. The results of the first analysis show that third-party funds from Indonesia and Malaysia Islamic banks show a significant effect on profitability (ROA), while the results of the second analysis show that third-party funds moderating the profitability of Indonesia and Malaysia Islamic banks.

THE LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE TOWARDS COVID-19 IMMUNISATION AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS IN PUBLIC MEDICAL SCHOOLS IN MALAYSIA

COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease that caused a worldwide pandemic in 2020. Medical students are public advocates for COVID-19 vaccination to achieve herd immunity. Our objective is to ascertain the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice toward COVID-19 immunisation among medical students in Malaysia. The online study included four public universities in Peninsular Malaysia: Universiti Putra Malaysia, International Islamic University Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. Data collected include sociodemographic characteristics, history of COVID-19 infection, knowledge, attitude and practice towards COVID-19 immunisation. Analytical statistics were analysed with IBM Statistical Package Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) v27.0 using Pearson chi-square or Fisher’s exact test (significant if p < 0.05). From the total of 427 respondents, 60.2% had good knowledge whereby clinical students 67.0% had a higher proportion of good knowledge as compared to preclinical students 53.5% (p = 0.004). Respondents in the age group of 21 to 24 years old (p < 0.001) and 25 to 29 years old (p = 0.016), and Indian ethnicity (p = 0.006) were more likely to have good knowledge. Respondents registered in Malaysia’s National COVID-19 vaccination program were considered as having a positive attitude (n = 264, 61.8%). A vaccination rate of 100% was observed. In conclusion, 60.2% of medical students had good knowledge, 61.8% had a positive attitude and 100% were vaccinated in these four public medical schools in Malaysia. Sociodemographic factors (age group and Indian ethnicity) have an association with only good knowledge but none with the level of attitude and practice towards COVID-19 immunisation.

The Role of Asset-Liability Management on Financial Stability in Malaysia

Financial stability in the Malaysian Islamic banking sector is a popular issue that should be given attention by all financial service practitioners, including bank management, regulators, and popolicymakersIn this regard, Islamic banking institutions are stable not only in terms of their ability to be resilient, but also in their financial stability when it concerns their smooth functioning as effective intermediaries. However, to achieve the goals for stability, the Islamic banking sector often faces a mismatch between assets and liabilities, which may contribute to financial instability. Based on the above-mentioned issues and problems, the objective of this study is to describe the asset and liability management practices in Malaysian Islamic banking institutions. To achieve these objectives, the study used methods of estimation on a panel data set (a combination of time series and cross-section) which contains 211 observations from 16 Islamic banks (full-fledged Islamic banks) in Malaysia from 1997 to 2016. The model estimation results showed that the profitability of Islamic banking is influenced by various factors such as asset quality, liquidity, financing, credit risk, deposit ratio, zakat, other liabilities, and capital adequacy. The study found that the asset quality ratio variable has a positive relationship with the profitability of Islamic banking, while the total asset ratio variable has a negative relationship. The liquidity ratio variable, on the other hand, has a positive relationship with the profitability of Islamic banking. The article concludes that these findings have implications for the management of assets and liabilities in Islamic banking, particularly in terms of maintaining high asset quality and liquidity while managing credit risk and capital adequacy.

Content Analysis of Women's Blood Teaching in the Secondary Curriculum according to the Perspective of Malaysian Islamic Education Teachers

Content Analysis of Women's Blood Teaching in the Secondary Curriculum according to the Perspective of Malaysian Islamic Education Teachers

Practical Teaching and Learning Methods in Malaysian Islamic Education

The need for the right method is important in the practical teaching and learning (T&L) of Islamic education to create a positive impact in students and produce an ideal T&L. The T&L method used must be compatible with the measurement of the students so that the objectives are planned to produce maximum impact. Therefore, this article explores the T&L method that is often used by Islamic education teachers (IET) in implementing effective Islamic Education practices. The research methodology of this writing uses a qualitative study with a case study design conducted in seven secondary schools. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to select study participants and informants, namely seven study participants and 21 informants.Data collection through three instruments, namely interviews as core data triangulated with observation data and document analysis as supporting data.Verbatim data from interviews, observations, and analysis documents were analyzed in Nvivo20 software, finally becoming a model of Islamic education practical T&L method (MK-PAPI) after being validated by experts. The findings show that there are 11 practical T&L methods that are often practiced by IET, namely demonstrations; repetition; discussion; problem solving; simultaneously; presentation; questionnaire; memorization; collaboration; explanation or lecture; and direct application.

SEMANTIC ANALYSIS OF ARABIC LOANWORDS IN MALAYSIAN POLITICAL DISCOURSE

Loanwords are words borrowed from one language and incorporated into another. They may originate from a wide range of languages and can be modified to adhere to the phonological and grammatical conventions of the receiving language. The Malay language consists of a vast number of words borrowed from various languages, including Arabic. Arabic loanwords have helped develop the Malay language by enriching and diversifying its vocabulary. While Arabic loanwords are used extensively within the Islamic religious context, they are also employed in other fields, including politics. In Malaysia, where Malay is the official language, the use of Arabic loanwords is common in the political sense. Some Arabic loanwords related to politics have become so integrated into Malay that the pronunciation no longer sounds foreign, while others maintain the sound characteristics of Arabic. This study analyzed the use of Arabic loanwords in the current Malaysian political discourse via mainstream media, specifically newspapers and political blogs, from 2022 to 2023. The Arabic loanwords were then comparatively analyzed in terms of their lexical meaning in the donor and receiving language, as well as their contextual meaning in Malaysian politics. The findings of this study suggest that the intermixing between Islam and politics in Malaysia may have fueled the pervasiveness and trendiness of the use of Arabic loanwords in lieu of equivalent native words and loanwords of English origin, and competing loanword equivalents which have been phonologically modified.

The extent of mandatory and voluntary Shariah compliance disclosure: evidence from Malaysian Islamic financial institutions

PurposeThis study aims to assess the extent of the mandatory and voluntary Shariah compliance disclosure in the Shariah Committee Report of Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) in Malaysia. The study highlights the accountability and transparency of the Shariah Committee members to provide full disclosure of relevant Shariah compliance information to the stakeholders.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts content analysis to quantify and code the number of sentences in the Shariah Committee Report disclosed in the 2016 annual report of 47 IFIs in Malaysia. The extent of Shariah compliance disclosure in the Shariah Committee Report is measured based on the Standard (S) and Guidance (G) items outlined in the Shariah Governance Framework (SGF) as well as the Financial Reporting for Islamic Banking Institutions and takaful operators guidelines issued by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) as the reference.FindingsThe findings indicate that majority of IFIs complied with the minimum mandatory disclosure requirement based on the Standard (S) items in the Shariah Committee Report as required by the SGF. Highest information on the purpose of Shariah Committee engagement and scope of work performed is disclosed to the stakeholders in almost all IFIs. Only two prominent full-fledged Islamic bank and Islamic banking business in development financial institutions have shown highest accountability to go beyond the minimum disclosure requirement. This includes disclosing higher voluntary information on Shariah governance processes in the Shariah Committee Report of these two IFIs.Research limitations/implicationsThis study adopts the SGF (Bank Negara Malaysia, 2010), Financial Reporting for Islamic Banking Institutions (Bank Negara Malaysia, 2016) and Financial Reporting for Takaful Operators (Bank Negara Malaysia, 2015) as the reference to develop the measurement of Shariah compliance disclosure in the Shariah Committee Report. These guidelines issued by BNM are still effective during the period of study, i.e. the year 2016.Practical implicationsThe findings contribute towards the relevance for BNM as the regulator to enhance the current disclosure requirement in the Shariah Committee Report as stated in the SGF especially in Islamic windows and takaful operators. The main argument of this paper is that the more information being disclosed in the Shariah Committee Report will lead to better Shariah assurances. The issuance of Shariah Governance Policy Document in 2019 is expected to enhance the credibility, accountability and transparency of the Shariah Committee members concerning their oversight responsibility towards Shariah matters in IFIs’ business operations.Originality/valueAfter five years since the issuance of the SGF in 2010, further study on the extent of mandatory and voluntary Shariah compliance disclosure is important to highlight the accountability and transparency on the implementation of the Shariah governance across various types of IFIs in Malaysia.

Islamic Social Finance Initiatives: An Insight into Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad’s Innovative BangKIT Microfinance Product

Purpose ― The aim of this study is to explore the initiative taken by Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB) in upholding Islamic social finance (ISF) through the innovative BangKIT Microfinance product. Design/Methodology/Approach ― This paper adopts the qualitative approach to review and synthesise the relevant literature on microfinance and Islamic microfinance and, moreover, analyses the BangKIT Microfinance product offered by BIMB. Findings ― The paper identifies the ISF initiative undertaken by BIMB as one of the primary objectives of Islamic banks with the noble aim to contribute to the society. This study makes some recommendations for further improvement of the product to unlock the full potential of ISF. It also proposes such a unique ṣadaqah-based product to other Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) and Islamic microfinance institutions (IsMFIs) to promote the provision of credits to individuals and businesses that lack access to fundamental financial products and services. Originality/Value ― This paper sheds light on the use of loans and ṣadaqah-based products as a microfinance initiative offered by an Islamic bank. Although there are several microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Malaysia, this product is amongst the pioneer contributions to the role of Islamic banks in ISF.