Malaysian Rubber Board Research Articles

Forecasting Malaysian Natural Rubber Prices: An Analysis of Trends and Factors Influencing Price Fluctuations

Recently, the natural rubber industry has grown to be one of Malaysia's most significant economic sectors. However, Standard Malaysia Rubber (SMR20) prices have frequently fluctuated. To predict the price situation in the future, it is crucial to construct a price prediction or forecasting model. As such, a study on forecasting Malaysian natural rubber prices over the next ten years needs to be done. The data gained for this study were from Malaysian Rubber Board covering 1995 to 2022. Univariate forecasting methods such as Holt's Winter, Double Exponential Smoothing, Naive with Trend and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) were used. The best method to forecast natural rubber prices was decided based on the lowest measurement error. From the analysis, ARIMA was chosen because it has the smallest measurement error to predict natural rubber prices over the next decade. As a result, Malaysia’s natural rubber prices showed an upward trend. Keywords: Natural rubber price, forecasting, autoregressive integrated moving average, measurement forecasting error

Forecasting Malaysia Bulk Latex Prices Using Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and Exponential Smoothing

Natural rubber is an important component of many developed countries' socioeconomic structures because it is frequently used to manufacture essential consumer goods such as tires and latex gloves. The natural rubber industry is heavily affected by the volatility and unpredictability of the natural bulk latex markets. Forecasting natural rubber prices is critical for rubber industry in procurement decisions and marketing strategies. This study aims to model monthly bulk latex prices in Malaysia using Autoregressive Integrated Moving Averages (ARIMA) and Exponential Smoothing. The models performance are measured using the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The Malaysian Rubber Board has 132 historical prices for the latex in Malaysia from January 2010 to December 2020. They are used for training and testing in determining the forecasting accuracy. Overall finding show that ARIMA (1,1,0) provides the most accurate prediction. With a MAPE of 8.59 percent and an RMSE of 69.78 sen per kilogram, this model is considered the best and highly accurate.

Investigation on Identification of RRIM Clone Series using Various NIR LED sensor

The evolution of various rubber tree clone has been introduced by Malaysian Rubber Board since 1928 and it is known as Rubber Research Institute Malaysia (RRIM) clone series. To support this, it is suggested research to investigate the behavior of the clone series with the development from a sensing device with several opted NIR wavelength ranges through the latex samples. An optical sensor prototype has been built consist of four types of NIR LED at selected wavelength and the photodiode works as receptor of the light emission. As transmitter, the NIR sensors are obtain from the local distributor in Malaysia which is RC component. Arduino Uno is use as the processor for processing the data and obtain the output trough LCD. There are five selected clone use which are RRIM 3001, RRIM 2008, RRIM 2007, RRIM 2014 and RRIM 2002. The output result which represented by the voltage and then will be analysed using statistical analysis approach for data analysis. The outcome reveal that the selected rubber tree clone series is able to determine based on the NIR properties.

Forecasting Natural Rubber Price in Malaysia by 2030

Natural rubber (NR) has recently become one of Malaysia's most important economic sectors. Despite, the price of Standard Malaysia Rubber 20 changes frequently. That is why it is important to develop a NR price forecasting model. Because there was a significant time lag between making output decisions and the actual output of the commodity in the market. The aim of this study is to determine the time series pattern for natural rubber price in Malaysia within 1995 until 2020 and to forecast the natural rubber price in Malaysia for 10 years ahead. The data used is from year 1995 until 2020 that were obtained from Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB). This study also used univariate forecasting like Naïve with Trend, Double Exponential Smoothing, Holt’s Winter and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA). Then, the measurement error is used to determine the best method to forecast the future data. The measurement error that used in this study are Mean Absolute Error, Mean Squared Error, Root Mean Square Error, Mean Absolute Percentage Error and The Theil Inequality Coefficient. Result: The natural rubber price in Malaysia showed a trend pattern. Then, ARIMA is used to determine the forecast of natural rubber price for next 10 years since it has the lowest measurement error. Conclusion: There are volatility in the price of natural rubber in Malaysia over the next 10 years.

Distributed Parallel Performance of Compression Molding Model for Some Characteristics Identification of Tire Tread Block

A control process based on the mathematical modeling of phase change simulations was used to address process limitations of tire tread manufacturing process. The objective of this model was to predict and monitor expected characteristic identifications respect to space and time. This paper proposes a high-performance control process for visualizing the temperature behavior of a compression molding process using pressure, density, elasticity, crack propagation, volume, space, and time during tire tread block manufacturing operations. The control process modeling of tire tread blocks at the liquid-solid interface enabled the use of large sparse computations for solving the real time molding process of a Rubber Compression Molding Machine (RCMM) LWB VRE 1000 type at the Malaysia Rubber Board Research Center (LGM). The modeling simulation emphasized parallel algorithms, domain decomposition, and parallel processing techniques on Distributed Parallel Computer Architecture (DPCS). This study identified alternative numerical methods and their parallelization by comparing numerical analysis and parallel performance indicators using tables, graphs, and multidimensional visualizations. The multidimensional visualization of characteristics using the high-performance control process model accurately illustrated the heating and cooling profile of the compression molding process.

Distributed Parallel Performance of Compression Molding Model for Some Characteristics Identification of Tire Tread Block.

A control process based on the mathematical modeling of phase change simulations was used to address process limitations of tire tread manufacturing process. The objective of this model was to predict and monitor expected characteristic identifications respect to space and time. This paper proposes a high-performance control process for visualizing the temperature behavior of a compression molding process using pressure, density, elasticity, crack propagation, volume, space, and time during tire tread block manufacturing operations. The control process modeling of tire tread blocks at the liquid-solid interface enabled the use of large sparse computations for solving the real time molding process of a Rubber Compression Molding Machine (RCMM) LWB VRE 1000 type at the Malaysia Rubber Board Research Center (LGM). The modeling simulation emphasized parallel algorithms, domain decomposition, and parallel processing techniques on Distributed Parallel Computer Architecture (DPCS). This study identified alternative numerical methods and their parallelization by comparing numerical analysis and parallel performance indicators using tables, graphs, and multidimensional visualizations. The multidimensional visualization of characteristics using the high-performance control process model accurately illustrated the heating and cooling profile of the compression molding process.

Evaluation of Specialty Natural Rubbers for Engine Mount Application

An engine mount secures the engine of a vehicle to its chassis. Successful application of elastomeric mounts as vehicle engine mounts has been observed over the years. Epoxidised Natural Rubber (ENR) and Deproteinised Natural Rubber (DPNR) are specialty rubbers with a potential for application in the development of engine mounts. In this study, a blend comprising natural rubber (NR) and polybutadiene rubber (BR) is used to produce the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) part. Epoxidised Natural Rubber (ENR25 and ENR50) and Deproteinised Natural Rubber (DPNR) developed by Malaysian Rubber Board were used and compared with NR by evaluating both physical and mechanical properties of the rubbers with different filler loadings. The physical properties of NR exhibited excellent results opposed to other rubbers. However, a blend of ENR25 and BR reflected good compression set at 100°C for 96 hours. The performance of an engine mount comprising a blend of ENR50 and BR is promising in reference to the excellent mechanical properties over that of other rubbers. Dynamic stiffness and damping characteristics of the engine mount play an important role to achieve vibration isolation with acceptable engine motion control in a vehicle’s engine mount system. It is perceived that engine mounts produced with a blend of ENR50 and BR can improve vibration effects in dynamic conditions.

Modeling and Forecasting of Volatility using ARMA-GARCH: Case Study on Malaysia Natural Rubber Prices

Malaysia is one of the largest producers of natural rubber in the world. Among the various types of natural rubber which contribute to the country’s agricultural sector is the Standard Malaysian Rubber Grade 20 (S.M.R 20). Since 2008, the rubber price has received attention of investors and Malaysia Rubber Board due to price fluctuation. The price of rubber is characterized by the existence of heavy tails and volatility clustering. These properties play a significant impact on parameter estimation and forecasting performance resulting from S.M.R 20 rubber price data. The approach used in modeling S.M.R 20 rubber price data, is Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (GARCH) model. The aims of this paper are to find the best ARMA-GARCH model by using different specifications structures and to forecast the daily price for 20 days ahead. There are 20 models produced from different specifications in ARMA(R,M) dan GARCH(p,q) models. In this study, 1953 daily price data of S.M.R 20 are taken into consideration. The validity comparison of diagnostic checking and forecasting performance are based on AIC, AICC, SBC, HQC, MSE, RMSE and MAPE. The results reveals that ARMA(1,0)-GARCH(1,2) model is the best volatility modeling in S.M.R 20 rubber price. Based on the implications of the results, the scope of the future research directions has been widen.

Field performance of asphalt pavement maintenance using Cup Lump Rubber Modified Asphalt (CMA)

It was typical in Malaysia that pavement failures at high stressed area were due to the bituminous layer aging subjected to extreme long loading times by the slow moving of heavy commercial vehicles. This scenario causes major structural deteriorations and permanent deformation of the bituminous road surfacing. In order to fix this problem, the used of Polymer Modified Asphalt (PMA) in asphalt mixture to form PMA mixtures was selected as an alternative method to increase the durability and lifespan of the pavement. PMA had been observed for a long time in improving the performance of asphalt pavement and increase the pavement lifespan. Although, it significantly improves the quality of the asphaltic layer and prolongs the life of the pavement, the construction cost was very high. Cup lump rubber was referred to the natural rubber in frozen form and it had been used as an additive in the conventional asphalt to produce cup lump modified binder (CMB). The mixture of cup lump modified binder with aggregates will produce the cup lump modified asphalt (CMA). Recently, Public Work Department of Malaysia and Malaysian Rubber Board recently had been conducted a field study at several locations to identify the benefits and CMA levels of performance as well as the constructability of the CMA pavement in actual field site. The monitoring and testing elements in this research were including mix design, construction methods and performances monitoring. The results have been showed that the performance of CMA was not shown significant improvement as compared to conventional asphalt section after six-month construction. From the result, it was noted that the longer observation period was needed to identify the actual field performance of cup lump asphalt pavement compared to the conventional asphalt pavement.

Genetic Diversity of the 1995 RRIM Hevea Germplasm Collection for Utilisation in the Rubber Breeding Programme

This paper highlights major findings on genetic diversity of the 1995 RRIM Hevea germplasm collected from Brazilian states of Amazonas and Para. Results of this investigation revealed the presence of significant variations among genotypes of Hevea brasiliensis originating from eight different locations. Higher phenotypic coefficient of variation compared to genotypic coefficient of variation was observed for all characters studied indicating environmental influence on the expression of characters mentioned above. Latex yield recorded the highest magnitude of heritability coupled with the highest genetic advance signifying that selection of this character has a good response. The highest genetic distance was observed between Manaus and Atalaia do Norte while the lowest was between Benjamin Constant and Atalaia do Norte. According to cluster analysis, the eight collection origins were clustered into three groups. The first four components in the principal component analysis accounted for around 99. 70% in total variation of all main characters. These materials will be used for selection, genetic improvement and incorporation in Malaysian Rubber Board’s rubber breeding programme for the development of superior latex timber clones.

Forecasting Natural Rubber Price In Malaysia Using Arima

This paper contains introduction, materials and methods, results and discussions, conclusions and references. Based on the title mentioned, high volatility of the price of natural rubber nowadays will give the significant risk to the producers, traders, consumers, and others parties involved in the production of natural rubber. To help them in making decisions, forecasting is needed to predict the price of natural rubber. The main objective of the research is to forecast the upcoming price of natural rubber by using the reliable statistical method. The data are gathered from Malaysia Rubber Board which the data are from January 2000 until December 2015. In this research, average monthly price of Standard Malaysia Rubber 20 (SMR20) will be forecast by using Box-Jenkins approach. Time series plot is used to determine the pattern of the data. The data have trend pattern which indicates the data is non-stationary data and the data need to be transformed. By using the Box-Jenkins method, the best fit model for the time series data is ARIMA (1, 1, 0) which this model satisfy all the criteria needed. Hence, ARIMA (1, 1, 0) is the best fitted model and the model will be used to forecast the average monthly price of Standard Malaysia Rubber 20 (SMR20) for twelve months ahead.

Cup lump modified asphalt mixture along jalan Kuala Lumpur-Kuantan, daerah Temerloh, Pahang

Issue of rubber additive in asphalt mixture has been discussed in asphalt industry Malaysia and its usage was suggested to be used in Pan Borneo Highway project. Using rubber additives can increase revenue rubber tappers in Malaysia. Hence, a study was conducted by the Public Works Department (PWD) and Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) to investigate the properties of Cup Lumps Modified Asphalt (CMA) based on PWD specifications and its performance. The study area selected was at FT02, Jalan Kuala Lumpur - Kuantan, Temerloh Pahang. In this study, 5 % Cup Lump Modified Binder (CMB) were used. Tests involved were Penetration Softening Point, Flash Point, Dynamic Shear, Marshall, Road Scanner (RS), Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD), Skid Resistance (Pendulum Test) and Dynamic Creep. The results indicate that CMB with bitumen 60/70 meet the specification. However, it will tend to rut when the temperature exceeds 70°C. For CMA mixture, it shows similar performance with conventional mixture. Meanwhile, at site, the performance for CMA pavement was better in surface condition (94 % good condition in roughness), structural condition (100 % good condition), skid resistance (SRV 63) and dynamic creep (32.01 MPa) compared to conventional pavement AC14. Thus, it can be suggested that the performance of CMA is better than conventional mixture AC14.

Potential Genotypes of the 1995 RRIM Hevea Germplasm Collection for Future Rubber Breeding and Selection Programme

Malaysia received a large share of the Hevea germplasm collection from the 1995 Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia (RRIM) expedition. About 50,000 wild genotypes of eight Hevea species originating from the state of Amazonas of Brazil are conserved ex-situ in Rantau Panjang Reserve Forest, Batu Arang, Selangor. As management of such massive numbers of individuals covering extensive areas is demanding, the wild genotypes planted in this germplasm are evaluated in a phased manner. A total of 5,789 wild genotypes of six Hevea species (Hevea brasiliensis, Hevea spruceana, Hevea guainensis, Hevea nitida, Hevea benthamiana and Hevea pauciflora) originating from different locations in the Amazonas, planted in Phase 1 area (58.88 ha) of this germplasm were assessed for their main characteristics specifically latex yield, clear bole volume, girth at opening, annual girth increment and virgin bark thickness. In general, the wild genotypes of the 1995 RRIM Hevea germplasm produced a considerably low amount of latex yield. Up to 80.84% of these materials were found to produce latex yield of less than 25.00 g/t/t. Nevertheless, Hevea brasiliensis demonstrated superiority compared with the other five Hevea species in this germplasm. Selection of potential genotypes in this germplasm was to gather good performance genotypes as well as to retain as much genetic variability possible. This process was performed using multiple characteristics selection index on latex yield, clear bole volume and girth at opening. The selection process resulted in a working collection consisting 616 potential genotypes of mainly Hevea brasiliensis. Assessment of major leaf diseases revealed that most of the selected genotypes were free from or only lightly affected by Oidium and Colletotrichum secondary leaf fall while all of them were completely free from Corynespora leaf disease and Fusicoccum leaf blight. These selected materials will be used for further evaluation, genetic improvement and incorporation in the Malaysian Rubber Board’s rubber breeding programme for the development of superior latex timber clones.

Membrane Separation as a Cleaner Processing Technology for Natural Raw Rubber Processing

Natural rubber (NR) processing had long been a process utilizing a lot of water, discharging effluent with high organic load, creating waste and malodour. In the wake of global consciousness about environment and the scarcity of water, the NR processing, raw as well as rubber product manufacturing need to be reengineered and made environmentally and economically viable. In view of this, Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) created a paradigm shift in raw rubber processing by investigating the use of membrane separation technology to overcome some of its pertinent problems. This paper outlines the use of membrane separation technology as an alternative method to promote cleaner processing and to extract useful biochemical as a value–added product. References were made to the current R&D projects as well as give an overview of the projects that could be undertaken in the near future so as to make NR industry to be environmentally friendly and economically viable and to achieve a zero discharge through the application of membrane separation technology.

Utilization of Waste from Natural Rubber Glove Manufacturing Line

Malaysia is the largest producer and exporter of examination and surgical gloves in the world and currently faced with mitigating large amounts of waste generated during the glove production process. This waste is mainly generated from glove dipping tanks and is referred as dipping tank coagulum (DTC). It is considered as scheduled waste which requires mandatory disposal by incineration, in compliance to the Scheduled Waste Regulations set by the Department of Environment. Work described in this study showed, DTC samples with a polymer content of >40%, both ash and calcium carbonate content of <10% and curatives <2% (Sulphur, antioxidants, accelerators and ZnO) when blended with virgin rubbers (SMR 10 and SMR 20) were found to be suitable for manufacturing value-added rubber products. DTC samples with polymer contents of <40% and lower in curativescould still be considered for recycling, by adding higher portions of virgin rubber for manufacturing products like shoe soles, carpet underlay and thermoplastic elastomer products. Glove manufactures should ideally set up on-site DTC processing facilities at their factory premises equipped with crepers as well as space to ‘air dry’ the creped DTC samples. Creped samples could be sent to the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) for chemical analyses. Factory owners could also present the analytical results from MRB to the recyclers to obtain a good premium for their processed DTC samples to be used as raw materials.

NEW PROCESS DEPROTENISED NATURAL RUBBER (PUREPRENAÔ): RAW RUBBER, PROCESSABILITY AND BASIC PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Malaysian Rubber Board has developed a new process deprotenised natural rubber (Pureprena™) by treating fresh natural latex with an industrial enzyme which hydrolyses all naturally-occuring proteins in the latex into water-soluble forms. Further research is carried out to determine the processability performance of Pureprena™ by Mooney viscometer, rubber process analyser and capillary rheometer. The Pureprena™ in bale form has low nitrogen, low ash and volatile matter contents as well as being lighter in color compared to commercial Standard Malaysian Rubber. The rheological results indicate that the Pureprena™ has a comparable rheological behavior with synthetic polyisoprene at low shear rate as determined by RPA and capillary rheometer curves. The measurement by viscometer confirms the rheological behavior at low shear rate. However, Pureprena™ has a faster mill breakdown rate compared to synthetic polyisoprene and SMR at 60 C. All rubbers were compounded using the soluble efficient vulcanisation system especially for manufacturing engineering rubber products. It was found that Pureprena™ vulcanisate has comparable tensile strength, modulus, resilience and volume swelling in water compared to synthetic polyisoprene vulcanisate.

8th IGRSM International Conference and Exhibition on Geospatial & Remote Sensing (IGRSM 2016)

This proceedings consists of the peer-reviewed papers from the 8th IGRSM International Conference and Exhibition on Geospatial & Remote Sensing & GIS (IGRSM 2016), which was organised by the Institution of Geospatial and Remote Sensing Malaysia (IGRSM) on 13-14 April 2016 at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The conference, with the theme Geospatial on the Go, aimed to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge, and the sharing of expertise and experience in geospatial sciences, in all aspects of its applications. It also aimed to build linkages between industry and local and international professionals in this field.The co-organisers of the conference were Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Science & Technology Research Institute for Defence (STRIDE), National Space Agency (ANGKASA), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Malaysian Rubber Board (LGM), Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM), National Hydraulic Research Institute of Malaysia (NAHRIM), Malaysian Centre for Geospatial Data Infrastructure (MaCGDI), Malaysian Civil Defence Department (JPAM), Department of Agriculture (DOA), Ornet Sdn. Bhd. and Smart Digital International Sdn. Bhd. The conference's silver sponsor was Antaragrafik Systems Sdn. Bhd.Some of the highlights of the conference included:• A pre-conference talk on Impact of Geographical Factors on Cross-Country Movement During Crisis Situations by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marian Rybansky, Department of Military Geography and Meteorology, University of Defence, Czech Republic• Officiation by YB Datuk Seri Panglima Madius Tangau, Minister of Science, Technology & Innovation• Keynote presentations by:– Hjh. Norizam Che Noh, Director, MaCGDI, Malaysia: Addressing Current Challenges and Formulating Future Strategies for the National Geospatial Community– Prof. Dr. Yukihiro Takahashi, Director, Space Mission Center, Hokkaido University, Japan: Next-Generation Remote Sensing With Micro-Satellite– Assoc. Prof. Dr. Reza Ehsani, Citrus Research & Education Center (CREC), University of Florida, US: The Rise of Small UAVs: Applications, Opportunities and Challenges• Oral and poster presentations from 88 speakers, from both Malaysia (55) and abroad (33), covering areas of technology trends, infrastructure and urban planning, land use / land cover mapping, disaster management, and environmental monitoring• 2016 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of IGRSM, which included the award of certificates of election to the first 74 members who are eligible to use the title Geospatialist (Gs), comprising of 3 Distinguished Fellows, 4 Fellows and 67 Professional Members• Special sessions on:– Hexagon Ignite by Hexagon Geospatial and Antaragrafik Systems Sdn. Bhd.– Industry Outreach, with presentations by Ground Data Solutions R&D Sdn. Bhd., Oracle Corporation, Alam Sekitar Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (ASMA), National Space Agency (ANGKASA), Hexagon Geospatial and Antaragrafik Systems Sdn. Bhd., Digital Globe, and Geospatial Media & Communications.Two awards were presented during the conference's closing ceremony:• Best Paper Award: Gs. Dr. Hamdan Omar, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM): Malaysia: Quantifying Rate of Deforestation and CO2 Emission in Peninsular Malaysia Using Palsar Imageries• Best Student Paper Award: Maher Aburas, University Putra Malaysia (UPM), Malaysia: Landscape Analysis of Urban Growth Patterns in Seremban, Malaysia Using Spatio-Temporal DataThe success of the IGRSM 2016 was due to commitments of authors, keynote speakers, session chairpersons, the organising and technical programme committees, student volunteers from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and many others of various roles. We would like to thank all exhibitors and contributors, namely Antaragrafik Systems Sdn. Bhd., Ground Data Solutions R&D Sdn. Bhd.; Bumitouch PLMC Sdn. Bhd.; E.J. Motiwalla; Geospatial Media and Communications Sdn. Bhd.; MaCGDI; Geoscience & Digital Earth Centre (INSTeG), UTM; Remote Sensing of Environment and Disaster Laboratory (RSED), University of Tokyo; Space Mission Center, Hokkaido University; and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Simulation Laboratory, STRIDE.Assoc. Prof. Gs. Dr. Abdul Rashid Mohamed ShariffChairman8th IGRSM International Conference on Geospatial & Remote Sensing (IGRSM 2016)PresidentInstitution of Geospatial and Remote Sensing Malaysia (IGRSM), 2014-2016

Geospatial application for the identification and monitoring of rubber smallholders in the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan

The Malaysian rubber industry, especially in the upstream sector, is much dependent on smallholders to produce latex or cup lumps. Identification and monitoring of rubber smallholders are essential tasks when it comes to the Malaysian rubber industry's sustainability. The authorised agencies who support the rubber smallholders can do better planning, arranging, and managing. This paper introduces a method of calculating the total number of smallholders as well as identifying the location of their planted rubber area. The scope of this study only focused on land owners as rubber smallholders in the selected study area of Negeri Sembilan. The land use map provided by the Department of Agriculture Malaysia gave information on distribution of rubber area in Malaysia, while the cadastral map from the Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia was specifically used for identifying land owners of each rubber parcel or rubber lot. Both data were analyzed and processed with ArcGIS software to extract the information, and the results were then compared to the Malaysian Rubber Board smallholders database.

Rubber Manufacturing in Malaysia: Resource-based Industrialization in Practice

Rubber Manufacturing in Malaysia:Resource-based Industrialization in Practice Colin Barlow G. C. Goldthorpe Singapore: NUS Press, 2015. xii + 166 pp. ISBN: 978-9971-69-836-2 This excellent book portrays the history and present scope of Malaysian rubber manufacturing. It analyses the broad historical and political background against which this now substantial sector developed. It also examines dualistic and other structural features of the sector, along with key policy issues as it grew to major status within Malaysian manufacturing. The book is the first comprehensive study dealing with rubber manufacturing in Malaysia, and a valuable contribution on this ground alone. The developments portrayed exemplify successful downstream development from a local raw material resource, with useful lessons for other agricultural producers at earlier stages of economic growth. The rubber manufacturing industry in Malaysia today has annual exports of over RM14 billion (US$3.5 billion), with substantial imports of natural rubber from Thailand in particular. By far the most valuable products of the industry are latex goods including gloves and condoms, with lower revenues from general rubber goods and tyres. Imports of natural rubber from surrounding countries are substantial, and likely to rise much further as Malaysian rubber manufacturing expands and domestic rubber production declines. Malaysia is accordingly set to become an increasingly significant processing hub for rubber from surrounding countries. Following a general introduction (Chapter 1), the book provides background information on world rubber, types of natural rubber products and technologies [End Page 165] of rubber manufacturing (Chapter 2). It then chronicles Malaysia’s progress from pre-colonial years to the mid-nineteenth century, when Britain gained control of the peninsula and promoted basically laissez-faire development for almost 100 years. The book scrutinizes the Malaysian government’s general economic and development policies from Independence in 1957 to the present time (Chapter 3). It examines the dualistic development of rubber manufacturing, and government policies to encourage its growth and expansion (Chapters 4 and 5). The book next reviews the broad scope of Malaysian rubber manufacturing in the 2000s, classifying the industry into eight production subsectors based on technologies and end-products (Chapter 6). It examines the mixes of international and Malaysian companies engaged in the eight subsectors, looking at detailed structures, export sales, backward and forward linkages, technology transfer, and sources of technical help (Chapters 7 and 8). It moves to explicitly considering structural dualism and technology transfers in rubber manufacturing as a whole (Chapter 9), finally addressing wider policy issues in industrialization with particular respect to rubber (Chapter 10). The book reflects the author’s 45 years of involvement in the Malaysian rubber industry, with key insights and a good practical grasp of evolving circumstances and the intricacies of constituent enterprises. It addresses the generally positive impacts of post-colonial government policies of active intervention, focusing on export-oriented industrialization, encouragement of foreign investment and support with research and training, all within an open economy. The same elements also underpin the theory of Michael Porter in his classic, The Competitive Advantage of Nations (1990), which the author uses as a guide. While some government policies, such as affirmative action components of the New Economic Policy and most constituents of Heavy Industry Promotion, barely helped rubber manufacturing, they did not appear to impact it adversely. The book also, interestingly, compares the characteristics of the 73 big foreign and joint venture enterprises and 267 small and largely Malaysian Chinese-owned local companies making up rubber manufacturing today. Here the former bring in much-needed capital, technology, and skills, also acting to some extent as role models for smaller local enterprises. The latter, in contrast, tend to source more local materials and services for their initiatives and, while also primarily geared to exports, better serve niches in local markets such as those for retreading materials. The small companies are also far more reliant on technologies and technical services provided by government through the Malaysian Rubber Board. There are, however, exceptions to this characterization; for instance, a Malaysian company producing gloves dominates that subsector and has massive foreign investment. The contrasting situations of individual rubber manufacturers are highlighted through the detailed information about big and small companies in Chapters 7 and 8...

EXTRACTION TRANSFORMATION LOAD (ETL) SOLUTION FOR DATA INTEGRATION: A CASE STUDY OF RUBBER IMPORT AND EXPORT INFORMATION

Data integration is important in consolidating all the data in the organization or outside the organization to provide a unified view of the organization's information. Extraction Transformation Load (ETL) solution is the back-end process of data integration which involves collecting data from various data sources, preparing and transforming the data according to business requirements and loading them into a Data Warehouse (DW). This paper explains the integration of the rubber import and export data between Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) and Royal Malaysian Customs Department (Customs) using the ETL solution. Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) and Microsoft SQL Server Agent Jobs have been used as the ETL tool and ETL scheduling.