Level In Malaysia Research Articles

The Relationship Between Perceived Pressure, Perceived Opportunity, Perceived Rationalization and Fraud Tendency Among Employees: A Study from the People’s Trust in Malaysia

Abstract This study empirically investigates the relationship between perceived pressure, perceived opportunity, perceived rationalization, and fraud tendency in people’s trust at the individual level in Malaysia. The study adopted a case study that focuses on the Indigenous People’s Trust Fund (Majlis Amanah Rakyat, MARA), a trust body fully supported by Malaysia’s government. Recently, corporate fraud has gained much attention in Malaysia, which negatively affects foreign investors’ perception. In Malaysia, several empirical studies were done on fraud, but fraud study in people’s trust and organization linked to the government is scanty. This study applied a quantitative method of correlation and multiple regression. From 177 respondents, the study uncovered that fraud tendency is high in people’s trust. This study suggests that follow up analysis and fraud control policy needs to be done in Malaysia’s organization. The study also reveals that perceived opportunity is considered as a significant variable influencing employees to commit fraud. The study’s outcomes are in line with past studies on the actual and generalization of “Fraud Triangle Theory.” It has practical implications in governance, internal control, fraud control, and employee hiring process.

Forecasting Daytime Ground-Level Ozone Concentration in Urbanized Areas of Malaysia Using Predictive Models

Ground-level ozone (O3) is one of the most significant forms of air pollution around the world due to its ability to cause adverse effects on human health and environment. Understanding the variation and association of O3 level with its precursors and weather parameters is important for developing precise forecasting models that are needed for mitigation planning and early warning purposes. In this study, hourly air pollution data (O3, CO, NO2, PM10, NmHC, SO2) and weather parameters (relative humidity, temperature, UVB, wind speed and wind direction) covering a ten year period (2003–2012) in the selected urban areas in Malaysia were analyzed. The main aim of this research was to model O3 level in the band of greatest solar radiation with its precursors and meteorology parameters using the proposed predictive models. Six predictive models were developed which are Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Feed-Forward Neural Network (FFANN), Radial Basis Function (RBFANN), and the three modified models, namely Principal Component Regression (PCR), PCA-FFANN, and PCA-RBFANN. The performances of the models were evaluated using four performance measures, i.e., Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Index of Agreement (IA), and Coefficient of Determination (R2). Surface O3 level was best described using linear regression model (MLR) with the smallest calculated error (MAE = 6.06; RMSE = 7.77) and the highest value of IA and R2 (0.85 and 0.91 respectively). The non-linear models (FFANN and RBFANN) fitted the observed O3 level well, but were slightly less accurate compared to MLR. Nonetheless, all the unmodified models (MLR, ANN, and RBF) outperformed the modified-version models (PCR, PCA-FFANN, and PCA-RBFANN). Verification of the best model (MLR) was done using air pollutant data in 2018. The MLR model fitted the dataset of 2018 very well in predicting the daily O3 level in the specified selected areas with the range of R2 values of 0.85 to 0.95. These indicate that MLR can be used as one of the reliable methods to predict daytime O3 level in Malaysia. Thus, it can be used as a predictive tool by the authority to forecast high ozone concentration in providing early warning to the population.

Parental Involvement in Young Children’s Education in Malaysia: A Systematic Literature Review

This article reviews the literature on parental involvement and children’s education, focusing on the primary school level in Malaysia. This systematic literature review (henceforth SLR) includes searching, screening, appraising and synthesising of articles on parental involvement published in the last ten years (2012- 2021) from a number of electronic databases, namely SCOPUS, Taylor & Francis, ERIC, Google Scholar, MyCite, and ResearchGate. The findings of this review identify 24 relevant articles and reveal that most of the relevant research was conducted quantitatively with a focus on types and levels of parental involvement as well as particular applied parental involvement models. Besides that, the researchers utilise multiple conceptualisations of parental involvement including home-based and school-based. This study suggests that more qualitative research is needed to fully comprehend the many forms of parental involvement used by parents. It may also be beneficial for researchers to use the Malaysian Ministry of Education’s Parents/Caregivers Toolkit as a framework or instrument to investigate parental involvement to gain more relevant findings.

Embracing Internationalization in Gearing Malaysian Higher Education Towards Global Education

Abstract: Embracing internationalization is the reality in Malaysian tertiary education in this century. Various endeavors and research collaborations have been and are still carried out to achieve the government’s vision to position Malaysia as a tertiary education hub in the region. Using phenomenological approach, this study attempts to highlight challenges and strategies towards achieving internationalization of Malaysian higher education. Twelve lecturers from public and private universities were purposively sampled to discuss issues on internationalization of Malaysian tertiary education. Focus Group Discussions using semi structured interview protocol were undertaken. Data analysis and interpretation were carried out through thematic development. The findings revealed all participants are aware of the pedagogical approaches to be in practice to embrace the dynamics of global cultures convening in Malaysian lecture rooms. They highlighted the advantages of having international students from academic and social perspectives. Also included are ways how local students benefit with the presence of international students. These benefits emerged as participants discussed the consequences of Malaysian campus bereft of international students. In-class challenges and strategies to overcome them were deliberated. The findings also informed lecturers, administrators, and policy makers of relevant aspects to consider when dealing with international students at the tertiary level in Malaysia.
 
 Keywords: global education, internationalization, international students, tertiary education, phenomenology

Lightning safety awareness level in Malaysia.

Introduction: Malaysia is one of the countries with the highest lightning flash density globally. While sufficiency of lightning protection system is crucial to ensure human safety against lightning strikes, the public awareness towards lightning safety is also equally important in Malaysia. Hence, this study was conducted to understand the current lightning safety awareness level of the Malaysian population. Methods: An online questionnaire survey which consists of 22 scientific statements of lightning was first developed in Malay and English. The questionnaire allows the respondent to also check their own score upon completion of the questionnaire. It was then distributed to the public for data collection. The sample size comprised of both genders, all layers of society from various educational level and social background. Results: Overall, the awareness on lightning safety amongst Malaysian is at moderate level with an average score of slightly above 50%. Urbanites scored marginally better than their rural counterparts. One's education level does not dictate their awareness level of lightning safety. Discussion: In conclusion, the public in Malaysia needs to be better educated on lightning safety. Similar studies should be replicated in other countries experiencing similar levels of lightning activity to better understand the public's perception on lightning.

Lightning safety awareness level in Malaysia

Introduction: Malaysia is one of the countries with the highest lightning flash density globally. While sufficiency of lightning protection system is crucial to ensure human safety against lightning strikes, the public awareness towards lightning safety is also equally important in Malaysia. Hence, this study was conducted to understand the current lightning safety awareness level of the Malaysian population. Methods: An online questionnaire survey which consists of 22 scientific statements of lightning was first developed in Malay and English. The questionnaire allows the respondent to also check their own score upon completion of the questionnaire. It was then distributed to the public for data collection. The sample size comprised of both genders, all layers of society from various educational level and social background. Results: Overall, the awareness on lightning safety amongst Malaysian is at moderate level with an average score of slightly above 50%. Urbanites scored marginally better than their rural counterparts. One’s education level does not dictate their awareness level of lightning safety. Discussion: In conclusion, the public in Malaysia needs to be better educated on lightning safety. Similar studies should be replicated in other countries experiencing similar levels of lightning activity to better understand the public’s perception on lightning.

Customers Awareness and Purchase Behaviour towards Organic Food

Organic food may be a safer and healthier alternative to conventional food, particularly in COVID19 pandemic conditions where stay-at-home arrangements may encourage the willingness to plan, select, and prepare more nutritious foods in order to strengthen the immune system or maintain fitness. However, organic food consumption is relatively still low even in countries with a well-established organic food market. A similar pattern is happening in Malaysia, where there is an increase in organic farms throughout the years, yet the consumption level is very disappointing. Therefore, this study is conducted to explore customers awareness and purchase behaviour among Malaysian customers. A questionnaire survey is used to collect data from the members of consumer association. Data from 403 respondents are collected, analysed and discussed in the study. This study found out that most Malaysian food buyers are aware of organic food and buy organic food. Most food buyers understand organic food as natural food. The key reason for buying organic food is health-related. In comparison, the main reason for not buying organic food is the price itself. This study will contribute to the body of knowledge regarding Malaysian organic food consumers. The findings of this study can be utilised to understand the Malaysian organic food market better and, simultaneously, lead to the development of the organic food market and the organic food consumption level in Malaysia.

Lightning safety awareness level in Malaysia

Introduction: Malaysia is one of the countries with the highest lightning flash density globally. While sufficiency of lightning protection system is crucial to ensure human safety against lightning strikes, the public awareness towards lightning safety is also equally important in Malaysia. Hence, this study was conducted to understand the current lightning safety awareness level of the Malaysian population. Methods: An online questionnaire survey which consists of 22 scientific statements of lightning was first developed in Malay and English. The questionnaire allows the respondent to also check their own score upon completion of the questionnaire. It was then distributed to the public for data collection. The sample size comprised of both genders, all layers of society from various educational level and social background. Results: Overall, the awareness on lightning safety amongst Malaysian is at moderate level with an average score of slightly above 50%. Urbanites scored marginally better than their rural counterparts. One's education level does not dictate their awareness level of lightning safety. Discussion: In conclusion, the public in Malaysia needs to be better educated on lightning safety. Similar studies should be replicated in other countries experiencing similar levels of lightning activity to better understand the public's perception on lightning.

Innovating Culturally Responsive Pedagogy With the Craft Fun Kit (CFK)

This study presents findings on the implementation of a teaching learning tool to enhance culturally responsive learning to enhance awareness of and knowledge about Malaysian traditional crafts in Visual Art classes. Most research in the Malaysian context exploring culturally responsive pedagogical methods has investigated theoretical and general properties, but few have attempted to investigate innovating tools to improve teaching and learning in schools and higher education. New methods with interesting features to teach certain cultural elements will not only trigger learning but can also instil the targeted values in students especially those living in multi racial countries. Using the Design and Development Method for one such tool, this study presents an evaluation of the Craft Fun Kit utilised by an experienced Visual Arts Education teacher in his class to study the students’ responses to and acceptance of the tool both to enhance learning and multicultural awareness. The overall results found that the Craft Fun Kit is relevant and appropriate as a learning tool which can enable students to attain Visual Art education learning outcomes at the secondary school level in Malaysia.

Road to School Transformation 2025: A Systematic Literature Review on Teacher Autonomy in Malaysia

Teacher autonomy in Malaysia is gaining attention among policy makers, making it a key element in School Transformation Programs (SLP25). However, research on teacher autonomy in Malaysia is still scarce and have minimal interest among social science researchers compared to other countries. The purpose of this study was to collect and analyse previous studies on teacher autonomy in Malaysia. The objective of this study was to investigate the extent, issues, and challenges of teacher autonomy in Malaysia. There were three research questions in this review, (1) How was teacher autonomy level in Malaysia? (2) What type of teacher autonomy implemented in Malaysia? and (3) What are the issues and challenges faced by Malaysian teachers regarding teacher autonomy? To address the research questions, a systematic literature review was performed using four-phase in Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA). Findings show that despite excercising guided autonomy, teachers in Malaysia show an encouraging level of autonomy. Overall, the main challenges related to teacher autonomy are teachers’ attitudes and behaviours toward given autonomy.

Causal effects of immigration inflows on house prices in a traditionally non-destination country

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the causal impact of international immigration inflows on housing prices at the state level in Malaysia from 2007 to 2018.Design/methodology/approachHedonic regressions using both fixed effects and first difference approaches are used to estimate the impact of immigration inflows on house prices in Malaysia. This study deals with potential endogeneity of immigrants’ choices of destination states in Malaysia by using a shift-share instrument variable approach. Specifically, historical shares of immigrants in a state are used to predict current immigrant inflows to a particular state. The predicted value of immigration flows is then inserted into the house price regression models in place of the actual immigration flows.FindingsUsing annual data for 14 states from 2007 to 2018, this study documents the positive impact of immigration inflows on house prices in Malaysia. The authors find that a 1% increase in immigration inflows is associated with an increase of 10.2% (first difference) and 13.4% (fixed effects) in house prices. The economic impact is larger in magnitude than that found in developed countries. Contrary to existing studies that find immigration inflows to be associated with native flight, the authors find support for the attraction effects hypothesis, where immigration inflow is positive and significantly related to net native flows.Research limitations/implicationsThe effects of immigration inflows are economically significant, considering that the effects are 10 times larger than those documented in the USA. Policymakers in Malaysia ought to monitor house price trends in immigrant-popular states to ensure that natives are not priced out by new immigrants.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is perhaps the first study to focus on the relationship between immigration inflows and house prices in Malaysia. Focusing on Malaysia has at least two originality aspects. First, Malaysia is relatively not an immigrant-popular destination. Second, Malaysia has a multiracial and heterogenous society among its natives. The findings, obtained within these two settings, would therefore provide a wider scope of result generalization, and natural experiment grounds for causal implications of our results.

Assessing rice production efficiency of the granary and non-granary areas in Malaysia using data envelopment analysis approach

The performance of rice production efficiency between two homogenous regions (granaries and non-granaries) at the regional level in Malaysia is evaluated by applying the data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach. In general, the granary area receives much attention to achieve sustainable rice development compared to non-granaries. The period observed from 2009 to 2018 related to the comprehensive government transformation in strengthening paddy and rice value-chain after the 2007-2008 international food crisis. Under the new National Agrofood Policy (NAFP) 2011-2020, more agricultural assistance and development expenditure was allotted. The total of eighteen regions was classified into eight granaries and ten regions for non-granaries. The output-input oriented analysis under CRS and VRS specifications were performed. From CRS and VRS technical efficiency scores ratio, the scale efficiencies were calculated. The result shows that eight (44.44%) out of eighteen regions maintain high efficiency with scores greater than 0.9000 for both specifications. Meanwhile, under ‘pure’ technical efficiency (VRS), eleven (61.11%) out of eighteen regions maintain high efficiency with scores greater than 0.9000. For productivity status, twelve (66.67%) out of eighteen areas are optimum and increasing productivity approach and the remaining six (33.33%) are decreasing productivity. This empirical study also demonstrates substantial performance variations between output (rice production) and production factors (land, planting frequency, irrigation areas, total subsidies and incentives received). Overall, the Malaysia paddy and rice industry’s efficiency performance can be considered still inefficient but has the potential to maximize the production through rationalizing the inputs used and obtain production efficiency, especially the inefficient regions.

The Application of Solo Taxonomy in Writing Module Based on Self and Peer Assessment for Primary Level in Malaysia: A Pilot Study

Students need to know their current levels of thinking and how to progress to the next level by self-assess themselves. Otherwise, they would constantly demand teachers to spoon-feed them to achieve a specific level. This is due to the students’ failure to master the lower order thinking skills level that hinder them from making systematic and strategic progress in their learning. The aim of this study was to evaluate a feedback of writing module based on SOLO taxonomy which apply self and peer assessment in their construction of writing development. To test the reliability of the module, a pilot study for the implementation of the module was conducted with the help of the English Language teacher who teach the remedial class in the selected school. The purpose of this pilot study is for ensuring the suitability of the module in terms of time allocation, clarity of instruction, suitability distribution of sub modules and organized activities. A total of 30 Year 5 low achiever learners (LAL) in a primary school have been selected for the pilot study. A set of questionnaires with five constructs consisting of 20 items has been distributed and the means score showed significant accuracy. The item verification process based on the agreement of seven experts using the Content Validity Index (CVI) approach received experts (n=7) consensus reliability value (?) = 0.92. The results indicated that the LAL can adapt the self and peer assessment approach based on SOLO taxonomy in a short time and proves that the self- peer assessment process can be taught to the low achiever primary level if supported by opportunities to practice it regularly in an organized and supportive classroom environment.

Associations between Health Literacy and Sociodemographic Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study in Malaysia Utilising the HLS-M-Q18.

Health literacy is progressively seen as an indicator to describe a nation’s health status. To improve health literacy, countries need to address health inequalities by examining different social demographic factors across the population. This assessment is crucial to identify and evaluate the strengths and limitations of a country in addressing health issues. By addressing these health inequalities, a country would be better informed to take necessary steps to improve the nation’s health literacy. This study examines health literacy levels in Malaysia and analyses socio-demographic factors that are associated with health literacy. A cross-sectional survey was carried out using the HLS-M-Q18 instrument, which was validated for the Malaysian population. Multi-stage random sampling strategy was used in this study, utilising several sampling techniques including quota sampling, cluster sampling, and simple random sampling to allow random data collection. A total of 855 respondents were sampled. Our results showed that there were significant associations between health literacy and age, health status, and health problems. Our findings also suggest that lower health literacy levels were associated with the younger generation. This study’s findings have provided baseline data on Malaysians’ health literacy and provide evidence showing potential areas of intervention.

The Effect of Over-education and Overskilling on Economic Growth across States in Malaysia: An Empirical Evidence

This paper explores the incidence and the outcome of educational and skill mismatchoneconomic growth across state in Malaysia from2006 and 2012.The mismatch indicators were gauged using the Job Analysis (JA) and the mode method.Using micro cross-section data from Labour Force Survey (LFS) between 2006 and 2012, overqualification (underqualification)and overskilling (underskilling) were reported between13 (20) and 19 (34) percent.Results for Fixed Effect (FE) regression demonstrated overqualification and overskilling had a favourable impact on regional growth. By contrast, the growth was negatively associated with an increase in undereducation and underskilling incidence. The findings depict that the economic performance at the regional level in Malaysia is associated with an increase in overqualification and overskilling. The presence of such incidence, therefore, may not be a sign of inefficient public investment and resources allocated to education are in fact economically beneficial at a macro-level.

Dynamic and Structure Profiling of Kampar River, Slim River and Sungkai River: White Water Recreation Rivers in the State of Perak, Malaysia

In Malaysia, there are many rivers that are being the attraction for white water river activities. Perak, is a state on the west of Peninsular Malaysia has several rivers that are suitable for white water river activities and being among the favourite location for white water river activities enthusiasts. Among the well-known white water rivers in Perak state are Kampar River, Slim River, Sungkai River, Singgor River and Sungai Bernam River. The attraction of a white water river depends on several factors. One of the important factor is the classification of rapid difficulty level. To date, the classification of rapid difficulty level in Malaysia is based on the international standard scale and certified by The International Canoe Federation (ICF). Apart from that, other attraction factors such as river water quality, geographical location, logistics facilities, transportation access, facilities, operator reputations and promotions are among other attraction factors. This present study aims to identify the main attraction factors in the white water rivers in Perak State. Dynamic and structure profiling of the rivers was produced. The white water rivers selected in this study were Kampar River, Slim River and Sungkai River. From the study, Kampar River was identified to be the most preferred river for white water activities compared to Slim River and Sungkai River. Findings from the study was resourceful in the effort of constructing a complete profile of white water rivers structure located in the state of Perak besides promoting white water river activities as a structured recreational tourism activity in Perak.

Investigation of The Awareness Level in Malaysia’s Manufacturing Industries on the Implementation of Industry 4.0

In this study, the researchers aimed to investigate the awareness of the Malaysian manufacturing industries with regards to the implementation of the Industry 4.0 concept and also determine its levels. Different sectors of the Malaysian manufacturing sector like the Government Link Companies (GLCs), Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs), and other national or Multinational Corporations (MNCs) were included in this study. The researchers applied a survey-based research methodology and their sample size consisted of 91 Malaysian corporations. The participants in this study comprised of the managers and employees, as company representatives, and they were asked to complete the questionnaire and participate in the interview. The results of the survey showed that around 50.5% of respondents were aware and familiar with the Industry 4.0 regulations. Also, according to the survey results, the awareness regarding the Industry 4.0 regulations was mainly due to the foreign sectors including the multinational corporations like the electrical and electronic industries which contained several advanced assets and increased productivity. These results were very helpful for further research, especially for creating a future framework that could assimilate the ideas related to Industry 4.0 amongst the various other Malaysian industries belonging to the manufacturing sector.

Discovering Writing Difficulties of Malay ESL Primary School Level Students

Writing is perceived to be one of the most difficult skills for English language learners to master. Although studies on challenges faced by ESL students in writing are replete, most of them have focused on students at secondary and tertiary levels of education. Studies on learners at lower level have been scarce. Thus, this paper aims to fill the gap by examining the major problems faced by ESL primary school level students in writing in English. Survey and interview sessions were conducted to fit the purpose of the study. Data were collected from a class of 26 students from Year/Standard 6 of the primary school level in Malaysia and an interview session with the English teacher of that particular class. The findings indicate that the major difficulties charted are rooted in the students’ poor mastery in vocabulary, inability to spell words correctly and L1 interference. Thus, in order to enhance the students’ skills in writing in English, the teacher implemented some remedial measures during the teaching and learning sessions. The findings have essential pedagogical implications on understanding students’ struggle to write in English at the lower level of education.

Emerging Technologies To Detect Fraud in Audit Testing: A Perception of Malaysian Big Four Auditors

Fraud surveys performed over the past decade remained at worrying levels in Malaysia. The Malaysian 1MDB scandal has attracted worldwide attention which severely damaged the local auditing profession, worsening the credibility crisis in the sector. The rise of emerging technologies is seen to bridge the expectation gap in strengthening stakeholder confidence in auditors by easing fraud detection. Unfortunately, a past study in Malaysia on task-technology fit between auditor’s knowledge and perceived importance on technology revealed a gap. A report by the Malaysian Institute of Accountants in 2019 highlighted that the lagging factor of emerging technology adoption in Malaysia is due to auditors’ non-realization of its usefulness in fraud detection. Furthermore, to render emerging technology as a useful medium for data extraction and analysis higher levels of scepticism is required. Besides, focus is placed on data quality as the accuracy of testing is heavily reliant on the input. Hence, this study intends to find whether there is a relationship between the perception of Malaysian Big Four external auditors and fraud detection in the audit testing phase. An online questionnaire based on a 5-point Likert scale was distributed and received responses from 108 external auditors where data was coded and input into the SPSS for further analysis. The results show that Malaysian Big Four external auditor’s perception of emerging technology affects the use for fraud detection in audit testing. As this study could not be generalized, further research should consider looking from the time constraints viewpoint or to study auditors from a similar firm for a greater understanding of their perception since firms have different degree of emerging technology adoption.

Measurement on the Geomagnetic Induced Current (GIC) at low latitude region in Malaysia

This paper study the existent of geomagnetic induced current (GIC) in Malaysia. The location for GIC measurement is conducted at Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) substation 33KV transformer in Malaysia. The measurement is taken at the neutral cable of the 33KV transformer which is grounded to the earth. In order to verify the result of the GIC existence, the data from GIC measurement is observed with the data from the Solar Wind and Magnetic field of the earth. The measurement is taken using the HIOKI MR 8870-20 memory recorder, CT6846-05 current clamper, and CT9555 sensor unit. The study is conducted to identify the existence of the GIC in Malaysian Power Network transformer before conducting a further study on the harmful effect of the GIC level in Malaysia on the transformer performance. The data collected from the study to analyze and plotted using MATLAB software for further observation on the GIC level.