Malaysian Government Research Articles

THE IMPACT OF THE MOVEMENT CONTROL ORDER (MCO) ON TYPE OF COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES IN MUAR TOWN, JOHOR

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed human nature. The Malaysian government declared the Movement Control Order as a measure to control the spread of COVID- 19 with various restrictions. The Movement Control Order has affected daily routines as well as commercial activities. Therefore, the study will focus on the impact of movement control orders during the COVID-19 pandemic on the operations, supply of materials and products, as well as finances of commercial activities at a district level. The town of Muar, Johor, has been identified as the commercial area for this study. The data collection was accomplished by a questionnaire survey and by using convenience sampling with 100 respondents answering the questionnaire. A crosstable analysis and a Pearson’s chi-squared test analysis were used to examine the Movement Control Order‘s implications on commercial activities’ operations, supply of materials and products, and finances. The findings indicated that the Movement Control Order had a substantial impact on commercial activities. The study concluded that cash flow for survival needs critical attention due to this unprecedented outbreak, which led to the economic downturn. It is recommended that the government offer training courses on digital marketing and e-commerce to boost commercial activities as part of a new business strategy and financial management plan, particularly for new businesses at the district level.

BIM-Based Building Performance Analysis for a Green Resort in Malaysia

Building Information Modelling or BIM has proved its competency in making build construction process effective and efficient. Due to the emergence of more energy efficient approaches and popularity of green certification in building construction, BIM also became a valuable tool to evaluate the building energy performance and sustainability level. Various building typologies using green approaches started to emerge due to the Malaysia Government's sustainability and green policy according to the 2009 National Green Technology Policy (NGTP). Although this development includes green hotels and resorts but there is still lack of quantitative analysis for existing tourism facilities in Malaysia, specifically for green resorts. Thus, this paper describes through literature studies the current BIM development and issues in Malaysia, the green resort certification, and its challenges, as well as the general energy consumption of a hospitality building in Malaysia. By using the BIM-based simulation, this paper is an attempt to investigate the building performance analysis in terms of energy and cost in relation to hospitality industry building design specifically a green resort in Malaysian context. Design alternatives for the existing selected green resort facade were also proposed to further demonstrate the usefulness of BIM simulation to choose the best design option that is energy-cost effective. The conclusion explained the research limitations of the project and indicates the results can be perceived faster by using the simulation as it demonstrated that even the smallest changes can give a positive effect energy-wise and cost-wise which proved that it is beneficial to construct a green resort in the long run.

A Qualitative Study to Explore the Determinants of Risky Sexual Behaviors and Pregnancy among Female Adolescents in Sabah, Malaysia.

This investigation was performed in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah state, where the highest number of pregnancies is recorded. The purpose of this study was to determine variables associated with hazardous sexual activity and adolescent pregnancy in Sabah, Malaysia. The findings indicate that familial variables, peer interactions, self-esteem, psychiatric concerns, economic considerations, and sex knowledge all play a significant role in hazardous sexual conduct and adolescent pregnancy in Sabah, Malaysia. Information obtained from this study will help the Malaysian government and other officials to design and establish proper interventions that will help alleviate the challenge of high prevalence of teenage pregnancy. It is suggested that sex education be included in the high school curriculum, along with physical and health education in Sabah, Malaysia.

A Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) investigation of the L2 learning model of motivational development among Tahfiz students

This study explores the motivation of learning English among students in selected Tahfiz government and state schools in Malaysia. Questionnaires adapted from Dornyei (2004), with an additional construct, were administered to 1,017 students aged 13 to 17. Exploratory Factor Analyses (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with Robust Maximum Likelihood estimation technique (MLR) were used. From the SEM analysis, a new model of motivation in learning English among Tahfiz students is proposed. The study discovered that attitudes towards community, promotion, prevention, parental encouragement, interest, Islamic values, ideal L2 self, ought-to L2 self, and attitudes towards learning English all play central roles in the proposed model. A comparison motivation model between the Tahfiz government and state schools was also provided. The results suggest that Tahfiz English language teachers and other relevant parties should be aware of their students’ motivation in learning English, and try to create a more conducive learning environment in the classroom. This can equip the students with sufficient language skills to be well-rounded Islamic preachers.

Diseases among Orang Asli community in Malaysia: a systematic review

Orang Asli, the indigenous people of Peninsular Malaysia, is a minority population and placed behind in terms of socioeconomy, education and health. The Malaysian government has supported Orang Asli since the second Malaysia Plan in the 1970s, resulting in changes in their living standard, access to health, education and occupation. Hence, this review aims to assess the recent prevalence of diseases among Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) review protocol guided this systematic review. The research question was formulated based on Population, Interest, Comparison and Outcome (PICO). The selected databases include Web of Science, Scopus, Ovid and EBSCOhost. The process of identification, screening and inclusion identified 33 articles. The mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT) was then used to rank the quality of the articles. Selangor is the most frequent state involved in this review (12 studies), followed by Perak (10 studies), Pahang (10 studies) and Kedah (one study). We categorised into four categories of diseases, namely neglected tropical disease (n = 20), non-communicable disease (n = 6), nutritional status (n = 5), and hepatic disease (n = 2). The prevalence of diseases among Orang Asli is higher than in the general population, especially for soil-transmitted helminth (STH) and malnutrition. There is increasing research on non-communicable diseases due to an increasing trend in the socioeconomic status and lifestyle of the Orang Asli. Government agencies and private organisations must work together to empower Orang Asli with a healthy lifestyle, improve their socioeconomic status, and enhance food security, all of which will improve Orang Asli's health and reduce the prevalence of diseases.

A Review on the Intention to Revisit the Tourism Destination by using TPB Model

Tourism is one of Malaysia's most important industries, contributing 12.8% of the country's gross domestic product, or RM197.9 billion. The change from a pandemic to an endemic phase offers hope for the expansion of the tourism industry. It is widely accepted that consumer intent to return to a destination is a key driver of tourism sector growth and sustainability. This study aims to determine the applicability of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in revisit intention. This research determines whether any methodical literature evaluations on revisit intention using the Theory Planned Behavior have been done. The review of the literature will draw on 17 publications and journals that discuss revisiting intention studies. The journal and articles have been nominated from various databases between the year 2015 – 2022. The main objective is to identify the trends (year) and the theme used in revisit intention with the use of the Theory of Planned Behavior. The findings of the research have important implications for the future direction of research on revisit intention utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model. These implications have been drawn from the findings of the study. This study can also be of use to most industry participants that desire to examine and change their business plan and reduce the amount of investment they had budgeted. To survive in the tourism industry, they can also aim to explore new markets and businesses. In addition, this report assessed the effects of various policy measures. Since it's such a crucial part of the country's economy, the Malaysian government has had to take extreme efforts to protect and boost the fishing industry.

Usaha dan Pendekatan Pematuhan Syariah dalam Organisasi Angkatan Tentera Malaysia oleh Kor Agama Angkatan Tentera (KAGAT)

The Inculcation of Islamic Values Policy is a policy introduced by the Government of Malaysia in 1985 by the Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir Mohamad. This policy is a continuation of the efforts of the Malaysian government that have been accomplished such as the establishment of various organizations based on Islamic values. In line with that, the Malaysian Armed Forces organization is also working towards the application of values in Islam in the organization to erode the influence of the British military tradition which is contrary to the Malay and Islamic traditions. The establishment of the Religious Corps of the Malaysian Armed Forces in 1985 was one of the efforts toward Syariah compliance in the Malaysian Armed Forces. The objective of this study is to explore KAGAT’s efforts to meet shariah compliance requirements in ATM organizations. In addition, the objective of this study is to examine the approaches implemented to implement Shariah compliance in ATMs. This qualitative study uses library research methods and document review as data collection methods. While the thematic analysis method is used to analyze the data. The research findings show that Shariah compliance efforts have been implemented effectively using appropriate approaches. Shariah compliance has increased and brought a positive impact to the success of KAGAT in the implementation of dakwah more comprehensively and continuously to build a competent Malaysian Armed Forces with a strong combat force and a strong spirit. This study fills the gaps in the literature regarding aspects of Shariah compliance and methods used in the Malaysian Armed Forces because such studies are still so barely explored by past researchers.

Direction of Food Defence in Post COVID-19 Era for Malaysia’s Halal Ecosystem

The pandemic of COVID-19 has stricken the world economy significantly since its first outbreak. This also affected the Malaysian economy where many businesses have halted their operation due to the outbreak as well as movement restriction order (MCO) issued by the government. Nevertheless, the condition in Malaysia is seemingly improved since the vaccination programme set by the government has reached a 78.9% vaccination rate of the total population by the first quarter of the year 2022. Currently, the Malaysian government has now in the transition from the pandemic phase to endemic phase and relaxed the imposition of restrictions that were previously enforced. This allows business operation to regain their grip in the post COVID-19 era. Despite the fragility of the supply chain particularly within the halal ecosystem, a vital aspect that is almost neglected is the encroaching food crime incidents, and the food defence approach which encompasses the protection of food supply chain against intentional contamination is still on high alert. The incidence of meat cartel in late 2020 has warned that food crime is not seizing nor hindered its operation. Therefore, a robust approach needs to be addressed to defend the food supply chain, and more importantly the halal ecosystem. Therefore, this study is carried out to examine the future direction of food defence in the post COVID-19 era in Malaysia. This study utilizes library research to collect the data by using online databases such as Google Scholar, Emerald, Science Direct and SCOPUS. This study also presents strategies for reinforcing the integrity of the food supply chain against the threat of intentional contamination from the perspective of the halal ecosystem.

The Role of Law Enforcement, Incentives and Opportunity on Effectiveness of Corruption Control: Malaysian Evidence

Corruption is a major concern all over the world. More research should be done to identify factors that may contribute to the effectiveness of corruption control. The purpose of this study is to look into the impact of law enforcement, incentives, and opportunities on the success of the anti-corruption programme in Malaysian government institutions. Questionnaires were provided to law enforcement agencies Department A, B, C and D. Based on the Fraud Triangle, a regression model was utilised to assess the relationship between law enforcement, motive, and opportunity, as well as the effectiveness of corruption control. The findings revealed that law enforcement and incentives have a major impact on the effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts. The findings could be used by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission as guideline in the fight against corruption. Future research may be done longitudinally and cross-country. Second, in addition to surveys, other techniques of data collecting should include interviewing and observation. Third, a more comprehensive and larger sample size may be used.

Effectiveness of an integrated-Weight Management Programme (i-WMP) in Reducing Body Weight among Noncommunicable Disease Patients in Malaysian Government Primary Care Clinics: A Randomised Controlled Tria

Introduction: Obesity is a global issue called as “globesity”. Overweight and obesity may lead to many noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Primary care is the first centre to monitor and follow-up the progress of NCD patients. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an integrated-Weight Management Programme (i-WMP) to reduce body weight among NCD patients from two Government primary care clinics from Hulu Langat District. Methods: This study was single-blinded randomised controlled trial by design. There were 244 eligible patients were randomised into intervention (n = 122) or wait-list control group (n = 122). The i-WMP was developed based on the behaviour change wheel through the operationalization of behaviour change techniques. The duration of this intervention programme was four weeks. Data collected at week 0, week 4, and week 12. The software IBM SPSS was used to analyse the data. Generalized linear mixed model analysis with intention-to-treat principle was applied. Results: The retention rate was 74.2%. Findings showed that the i-WMP was significantly effective in reducing not only body weight as primary outcome but also secondary outcomes such as waist-to-height ratio, waist circumference, body mass index, and total sitting time. It also improved effectively other secondary outcomes such as participants’ knowledge, attitude, and practice towards dietary and towards physical activity. However, no significant changes were reported for body fat percentage and total physical activity metabolic equivalent of task-minutes/week. Conclusion: Implications surrounding the implementation of i-WMP in the primary care clinics are recommended.

The Lesser of Two Evils: Application of Maslahah-Mafsadah Criteria in Islamic Ethical-Legal Assessment of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes in Malaysia.

The release of over 6,000 genetically modified mosquitoes (GMM) into uninhabited Malaysian forests in 2010 was a frantic step on the part of the Malaysian government to combat the spread of dengue fever. The field trial was designed to control and reduce the dengue vector by producing offspring that die in the early developmental stage, thus decreasing the local Aedes aegypti population below the dengue transmission threshold. However, the GMM trials were discontinued in Malaysia despite being technologically feasible. The lack of systematic studies in terms of cost-benefit analysis, questionable research efficacy and safety-related concerns might have contributed to the termination of the field trial. Hence, this research aims to evaluate the feasibility of GMM release in Malaysia by using a holistic approach based on an Islamic ethical-legal assessment under the maslahah-mafsadah (benefit-risk) concept. Three main strategies based on the maslahah-mafsadah concept approach have been applied: 1) an evidence-based approach, 2) an impact-based approach and, 3) a priority approach. The analysis concluded that GMM could be categorised as zanniyyah (probable). GMM is a promising alternative for dengue control, but many issues must be addressed before its widespread adoption.

A Preliminary Study to Explore the Informed Consent Approach and the Ethical Challenges in the Malaysian Biobanking for Research

Since 2005, Malaysia has established several biobanks to keep in line with the advancement of biomedical research and development of biobanks in other countries such as the UK and the USA. Despite the establishment of several biobanks in Malaysia, little is known about the informed consent approach in biobanking research and its ethical challenges. This study aims to identify the approach in obtaining informed consent in the Malaysian biobanking for research and explore its ethical challenges. Using non-probability purposive sampling, an in-depth interview with the key informants was conducted in Klang Valley. Based on the interviews, broad consent is the main approach used in obtaining informed consent in biobanking for research in Malaysia and five major ethical challenges were identified. These challenges include the informants’ opinion on the current informed consent approach, understanding participants’ rights, the role of the research ethics committee, biobanking governance in Malaysia, and informants’ knowledge and awareness. In summary, there is a lack of understanding among those involved in biobanking on the ethical, legal, and social aspects of biobanking for research in Malaysia.

Residents’ trust in local government councils in an emerging nation: effect of political efficacy, good governance and performance

PurposeThis study aims to explore residents’ trust in local government councils and to examine the effect of political efficacy and good governance on that trust and on the performance of local government councils in an emerging nation.Design/methodology/approachData were analysed using qualitative and quantitative research designs. Firstly, a thematic analysis was performed to explore residents’ trust in local government councils and compare it with the data gathered in the literature review. Thereafter, a partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach was used to investigate the hypothesised linkages.FindingsThe thematic analysis of the face-to-face semi-structured interviews discovered four themes (trust, performance, political efficacy and good governance). Additional analysis of these themes via the PLS-SEM approach revealed good governance to be the most influential factor in promoting residents’ trust in local government councils. Political efficacy was the second most influential factor. Residents expect local government councils’ officers to demonstrate a strong commitment to the rule of law and comply with all relevant laws and regulations.Practical implicationsLocal government councils should openly accept residents’ requests and suggestions, be more flexible in policy delivery and be responsive to policy demands given the relatively small constituencies and greater policy latitudes. Multiple avenues should be available for interaction between residents and local government councils in the mission to achieve sustainable urban growth.Originality/valueThis study is unique in that it advances existing research that is lacking in the context of the Malaysian local government council. The result alerts are crucial in that they alert local government councils to the need for high levels of governance and accountability in terms of resident support to gain more trust and confidence.

State Governments: Constructing Fortifications Against Fraudulent Activities

Vision, mission and objective statements are essential for the government departments to declare their fortifications for protecting public assets and upholding the highest possible ethical standards. Vision, mission and objective statements are defined and documented by state government departments in Malaysia to deter, among other things, official wrongdoing and dishonesty. The objective of this study is to investigate the efforts made by state government agencies to stop employee fraud and misconduct. The phrase integrity and its synonyms in the vision, mission and objective statements are recognized and examined after studying all of the state governments' official websites in Malaysia. The fact that the term "integrity" even exists can serve as a sign of how committed state government agencies are to upholding a responsible and reputable organization. The descriptive statistical analysis technique was utilized in the study to examine Malaysian state government departments' attention to preventing fraudulent actions from occurring. A keyword search method was employed. An examination of the official websites of state-affiliated organizations with the goal of determining if local governments promote integrity in their major identity statements. Results from the study indicate most state governments in Malaysia are not committed to the fight against fraud because integrity is not emphasized in their vision, mission and objective statements. Future research may take into consideration each term and phrase that has an identical meaning to that of the integrity. To date, studies on the importance of these statements are quite limited. Therefore, this study can be a preliminary study to provide important information in instilling integrity in state government employees by emphasizing it in the vision, mission and objective statements.

Framework: Local Nighttime Ozone Management and Prevention (LNOMP)

Due to the absence of sunlight and lack ozone production during nighttime, ground-level ozone was labelled as a critical period for ozone depletion. This study proposed a local ozone management and implementation based on the major cause of ozone deflection in chemical reactions during nighttime. Three highlighted locations (Klang, Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya) categorized as the highest NO and NO2 production was focused on this study (urban and sub-urban area) from 2006 to 2016. The descriptive statistics (O3 and NO) with population density were analysed as an observation for proposed a new implementation system for reducing O3 during nighttime and preventing it from contributing the next day concentration. The interaction between O3 and NO concentration was explained based on diurnal analysis. The crucial time for nighttime O3 deflection was between 7 PM until 12 AM. Therefore, the local nighttime ozone management was pulled out as the nighttime O3 reduction was understandable. The framework was consisting a management policy by the federal government, state government and local authority, with a plan for nighttime implementation by local government in Malaysia.

‘My Sejahtera’ Application as COVID-19 Control Mechanism from Islamic Thought Perspective: Malaysia Experience

The word ‘sejahtera’ or in English known as well-being or prosperity is widely used in Nusantara as a fundamental concept of human existence which is usually applied to various dimensions of life: physical, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, economic, political, governance, educational, social, cultural and religious. Furthermore, the Malay concept of ‘sejahtera’ has received wide attention from our community during this pandemic COVID-19 to ensure communities health. It is an important concept that deals with the issue of quality of life, society and civilisation as well. Given its importance, nurturing, and sustaining of a humane, peaceful, balanced and prosperous civilisation in this period of heightened global crises, in which most of mankind are currently starving for ‘sejahtera’ and struggling against an unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, the Malay concept of ‘sejahtera’ will be reviewed from an Islamic thought perspective to build an alternative paradigm of holistic and sustainable development from the worldview of Tawḥīd. The study found that the Malaysian government’s MySejahtera programme, which uses a digital platform to serve as a one-stop shop, can help in a way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in line with national law in achieving Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah.

Strategies and Supports to Malaysian SMEs (MSMEs) Facing Covid 19: Road to Sustainability

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are pivotal to the well-being of the Malaysian economy and society given that they provide jobs to 66% of the workforce and they contribute 40% to the GDP (FMT, 2022). Thus, it’s important for the SMEs to ensure their sustainability despite the Covid 19 crisis which has hit the world for almost 3 years. Since the pandemic began, more than 150,000 SMEs in Malaysia have shut down, leaving 1.2 million people jobless. The pandemic are affecting both larger and smaller firms but the effect to the SMEs are especially severe. The lack of business sustainability has increased their susceptibility to uncertainty, which could have been avoided if they had made it a priority to adopt their own set of sustainability goals in their operations and management practices. Besides proper sustainability strategies, SMEs also relied on the financial assistance provided by the government to ensure their survival. The Malaysian government are responsive and committed to help the SMEs in mitigating the impact of the pandemic. The government has allocated RM196 billion to assist the SMEs through various economic packages since March 2020 (The New Straits Times, 1 March 2022). Thus, the objective of this study is to determine the sources of financial assistance received by the Malaysian SMEs and the reliance on government support received to ensure their survival. It also reveals the sustainability strategies adopted by these SMEs. The study may assist in identifying the causes of the business not to perform during the crisis and to suggest some recommendations that should be taken into consideration in order to sustain their business.

The Impact of The European Union’s Environmental Policy towards Competitiveness in Malaysia’s Palm Oil Industry

Palm oil can’t be isolated from the environment and sustainability issues. The consumption of edible palm oil has decreased in recent years due to increased environmental problems. Unfortunately, palm oil has also been portrayed negatively by some groups who claim that palm oil production would cause higher global GHG emissions than conventional fossil fuels due to the conversion of forests and peatlands. The European Union has aimed to increase its use of renewable energy from biofuels, with one of the potential feedstock being palm oil. However, European countries appear to have the most stringent requirement on certified palm oil despite such pros. The growing environmental and sustainability concerns of oil palm farming may adversely affect palm oil’s import demand and hence the Malaysian economy. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the effect of environmental policy on Malaysia’s competitiveness in palm oil products. The relative trade advantage (RTA) index is used to measure the competitiveness index, and the dynamic generalized method of moment (DGMM) is employed in the study. The data used for this study spans from 2009 to 2016. The results indicate that environmental regulations in the EU positively impact palm oil industry competitiveness, which is technically consistent with the Porter Hypothesis, which argues that more stringent environmental regulations can trigger innovation that may offset the costs of complying among the producers. The progress of palm oil downstream is crucial to improving the overall competitiveness of the palm oil industry and the national economy. As per the findings of this study, the Malaysian government should implement appropriate environmental intervention models to meet international standards. Environmental protection, in general, necessitates significant capital expenditure and long-term investment decisions to fund innovation, which may offset the costs of regulatory compliance and eventually improve trade competitiveness, particularly in the downstream industry.

Mewujudkan Pemerataan Pendidikan: Studi Kasus Community Learning Center (CLC) di Perbatasan Indonesia-Malaysia

The complexity of border studies is a reflection of the socio-political realities that exist in border areas. Most of the time border areas are synonymous with conflict and militarization. But at the same time, cooperation between various international actors in the border area is also taking place. One example is the collaboration between three actors (Government of Indonesia, Government of Malaysia, and Palm Oil Plantation Company) in the Indonesia-Malaysia border area in North Kalimantan Province-Sabah State to establish and run a Community Learning Center (CLC) program as an effort to overcome limitations of access to education for children of Indonesian migrant workers in palm oil plantations in Sabah. The existence of a Community Learning Center (CLC) is a form of alignment of interests between actors in the case of fulfilling the right to education for the children of Indonesian migrant workers in the State of Sabah. CLC as a form of cross-border cooperation is possible when the interests of the Government of Indonesia, the Government of Malaysia and palm oil plantation companies in the State of Sabah are aligned. The Indonesian government's interest is to provide education access for Indonesian citizens (WNI) residing in the State of Sabah, Malaysia. The interest of the Malaysian government is to maintain sovereignty within the regulatory authorities within its territory, in this case concerning population administration, While palm oil companies' interest is to maintain its business sustainability by abiding to the rules of both countries.

Impacts of Climate Change on Tourism in Malaysia: Assessing the Community Perspectives

Climate change is a critical issue today which significantly affected the ecosystem of the community. The government of Malaysia has constructed and implemented numerous policy and plan in order to curb the climate change but it is sad to see that this country is still at the moderate phase of overcoming the issue. Climate change consequences on tourism are crucial because it increases the danger of species extinction, decreases freshwater, increases wildfire accidents, heat waves, and illnesses, all of which cause visitors to avoid certain places. Being aware of climate change consequently help the communities to prepare for its effects. As a result, the community is also becoming more educated and able to develop proactive and reactive measures to combat climate change and reducing their social vulnerability. Hence, this study surveyed the impacts of climate change on tourism in Malaysia by assessing the perspectives of the community. The researcher had distributed questionnaire survey to 400 respondents representing the communities in various destinations in Malaysia which are directly and indirectly affected by climate change. The findings indicated that three domains derived and were named as socio-economic impacts, physical impacts and environmental impacts. This study significantly provides the tourism stakeholders in Malaysia to understand in-depth the perceptions of the community towards the impacts of climate change on tourism and taking further actions to overcome the issues.