Races In Malaysia Research Articles

EXAMINING THE INFLUENCE OF FINANCIAL COSTS, ERGONOMICS, AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT ON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' MENTAL HEALTH DURING THE COVID-19 MOVEMENT CONTROL ORDER

ABSTRACT This study explores the impact of built environment, ergonomics, and financial cost on students' mental health during COVID-19 in Malaysia. The central problem that motivates the study is the potential misidentification of critical factors in terms of functional dimensions of the learning environment financial sustainability. Focusing on students’ population residing in Malaysia during the COVID19 pandemic, the main research objective is to determine how the surrounding and comfort affect them. These students are between 20 to 25 years of age, comprises all races in Malaysia. The dependent variable is mental health, and the independent variables are financial cost, ergonomics and built environment. By analyzing questionnaire data and employing SEM-PLS, the study reveals that ergonomics and financial costs significantly affect Malaysian students' mental health. The unique aspect of this research lies in considering the functional dimensions of the learning environment and financial sustainability as factors influencing personal health. The findings have practical implications for educational institutions, emphasizing the importance of designing ergonomic virtual learning spaces and promoting sustainable practices to mitigate mental health risks among university students. Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, Sustainability, Student mental health, Built environment, Ergonomics

Two-Dimensional Geometric Morphometric Method on Frontal Sinus for Race Estimation: A Lateral Skull Radiograph Study

Introduction: Race estimation of unknown individual is essential in forensic investigation. The resiliency of frontal sinus makes it a potential tool for biological profiling, particularly in cases where fragmented skeleton persists. Geometric morphometrics is an efficient way to characterise shape. However, the use of frontal sinus to identify race of Malaysians is yet to be investigated. This research employed a two-dimensional (2D) geometric morphometric to examine the morphological differences of the frontal sinus among the major races in Malaysia. Methods: Lateral skull radiographs which comprising of 453 adult Malaysian (151 Malays, Chinese and Indian respectively) were used. The 2D landmarks of eight were placed on the digitalized radiographs and 2D geometric morphometric analysis was performed using MorphoJ software. Results: Procrustes ANOVA revealed a significantly different frontal sinus shape (p-value < 0.05) between races. Canonical variate analysis showed significantly different frontal sinus morphology (p-value < 0.05) between Malay and Indian as well as Chinese and Indian. Discriminant function analysis with cross-validation demonstrated a 57.4% accuracy rate. Conclusion: This population-specific study based on frontal sinus of Malaysians using the 2D geometric morphometric, though less reliable, sheds new light on the potential applicability of this method for race estimation purpose.

Analisis Faktor Kejelasan di Bekas Pekan Perlombongan Timah di Lembah Kinta, Perak untuk Pembentukan Strategi Pemuliharaan Bandar

The formation of Pekan Papan, one of the old tin mining towns in the Kinta Valley, Perak, is closely related with the development of economic activities that show the development of mixed culture between races in Malaysia. This scenario can be seen through the creation of buildings surrounded by the landscape of the mining area tin, planned urban structures and a wealth of architectural features that define its cultural value. On Currently, the condition of the building is neglected due to rapid urbanization and the inclusion of the city uncontrolled, which has threatened the old town despite its unique structure and character worn out This paper focuses on the conservation strategy of former tin mining towns in Malaysia which is one of the reasons why Malaysian cultural heritage entities are protected, which can be produced by studying the physical characteristics of its elements. By using qualitative research methods, this research explores, identify and evaluate tangible elements by revisiting definitions and concepts of physical attributes and cultural values from the perspective of urban conservation describes the identity of a place through the understanding of clarity factors. This study is important to understand the physical characteristics of former tin mining towns that are now abandoned, obsolete and may soon be destroyed. This study will enrich the historical documentation and conservation strategies by stimulating the relationship between the sense of place and the quality of related experiences with social and cultural activities as part of the unique characteristics of the old town that can be enjoyed by stakeholders and future generations.

Effects of General Election-14 on the Social Well-Being of the People of Malay Race in Malaysia

The 14th General Election (GE-14) which was held on May 9, 2018, had surprising results that changed the political climate of the country. The alliance Pakatan Harapan, which adopts the PKR logo and includes the Parti Warisan Sabah, beat the Parti Barisan Nasional (BN) and won 122 seats in parliament. The remaining 79 parliamentary seats were won by BN, and the 18 seats gained by PAS, which opted to run unopposed, were won by BN. After the 14th General Election, disagreements arose about the Sultan's authority, the specific rights of the Malays, Islam's status as the Federation of Malaysia's official religion, and the Malay language's status as its official language. This change is particularly noticeable among journalists of Malay ancestry who have reported the issue to the police more frequently than before following the 14th GE. The social well-being of the Malay community is seen as being threatened by this issue. This article investigates the social well-being of the Malay community in the wake of the 14th GE. It employed both document analysis and interviews to collect data for a qualitative investigation. The data prior to and following the 14th GE were examined using comparative analysis. The study’s findings show that following the 14th General Election, the harmony between the Malay community and other race groups has encountered disruptions. This disruption stems from the actions of non-Malay individuals who frequently challenged the privileged status of Malays and engaged in derogatory remarks about the Sultan and the Islamic faith. As a result, any governing party must align with the sentiments of the Malay community and refrain from disregarding their emotions and the delicate subjects that concern them. This stance is crucial to ensure the security and enduring well-being of the Malay community, who are the indigenous people of Malaysia.

Association of Predisposing Haplotype Snp-Markers of HBB Gene in Thalassaemia

Most of the beta thalassaemia cases are heterogeneous at the molecular level. The genetic variation arises due to the mutation of a single beta-globin gene (HBB) on chromosome 11p15.5. Eventhough, the basis and natural history of this disorder are still not well understood and the clinical presentation in certain patients was not always correlated well with the single gene diagnosis [1].
 
 The study aimed to evaluate the predisposing effect of HBB polymorphisms and their haplotypes in conferring beta-thalassaemia in Malaysia using a bioinformatics tool. Archived genotype data for five tagging SNPs of HBB gene assigned as c.9T/C, IVS2-16G/C, IVS2-74T/G, 3'UTR +314G/A and 3'UTR +316A/C across thalassaemia patient group (n=433) and normal control group (n=794) controls were retrieved from the year 2011 to 2016 at Institute for Medical Research (IMR). The genotype data were analysed for individual SNP-based association analysis and haplotype-based association analysis using SHEsis online software.
 
 The study in all races in Malaysia showed significant association in four SNPs of the HBB gene (c.9T/C, P-value = 0.014; IVS2-16G/C, P-value = 0.017; 3'UTR+314G/A, P value = 2.08x108; 3'UTR+316A/C, P-value = 0.021). However, IVS2-74T/G did not show significant association with a P-value of 0.763 (Table 1). We further revealed two susceptible haplotypes in all races (haplotype TGTAA, P-value = 1.68x10-7, OR = 2.382 [1.707~3.325]; haplotype CCTGC, P-value = 0.003, OR = 1.300 [1.089~1.551]). Meanwhile, one protective haplotype observed was haplotype TGTGA (P-value = 2.99x10-7, OR = 0.625 [0.522~0.749]) (Table 2).
 In conclusion, this study suggests the potential susceptible and protective haplotypes of the HBB gene in predisposing to beta-thalassaemia in Malaysia

THE IMPACT OF CONSUMER RACISM, ETHNOCENTRISM AND ANIMOSITY AMONG RACES IN MALAYSIA

Abstract: Racism, animosity and ethnocentrism have been a topic of interest and sensitive issues. The purpose of this study is to explore and provide a better understanding of the impact of consumer racism, consumer ethnocentrism and consumer animosity among races in Malaysia on product judgment and purchase intention. By using the quantitative method, a survey has been conducted via online survey. A total of 220 Malaysian respondents were received. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data and the hypotheses were tested using multiple regression analysis and pearson correlation analysis using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) software version 25. The findings showed consistency with previous research. All hypotheses were supported, thus indicating interesting findings. Findings indicate that consumer racism is significantly related to product judgment and purchase intention. Additionally, the findings also suggested that consumer ethnocentrism and consumer animosity significantly affect product judgment and purchase intention. The contribution of this study is it gives a deeper point of view of consumer racism, ethnocentrism and animosity in the context of Malaysian consumers in which marketers can prioritize the particular aspect in regard to meeting the consumers’ demand and need. However, further research also needs to be done in order to expand the study. As time moves forward, the findings might be relevant now but not in the future. Future research can conduct the study in a smaller population as well as correlate between demographics of consumers with the purchase intention.
 
 Keywords: Consumer racism; consumer ethnocentrism; consumer animosity; product judgement; purchase intention

Analysis of the distance between lingual frenal attachment and mandibular incisal edge position in establishing occlusal plane in three different races.

The orientation of the occlusal plane forms the basis for the arrangement of teeth conducive to satisfactory esthetics and function, making it one of the most important clinical procedures in prosthodontic rehabilitation. This study aimed to analyze and compare the vertical distance between the anterior attachment of lingual frenum (AALF) and the incisal edge of mandibular central incisors among three races in Malaysia. The sample consisted of 63 dentate subjects (21 Malays, 21 Chinese, and 21 Indians) who were chosen based on the inclusion criteria. Two models were made using irreversible hydrocolloid impressions, and an average of the value was obtained. Lingual frenum was recorded in function. Casts were fabricated with dental stone. AALF was marked and the vertical distance was measured using a caliper. In Malays, the mean and standard deviation of the vertical distance were 14.2 ± 0.9 mm, with a range of 12.3-16.0 mm; in Chinese were 14.4 ± 0.9 mm, with a range of 12.0-16.9 mm; and in Indians were 15.1 ± 1.0 mm, with a range of 13.0-17.2 mm. The difference among the three races regarding the distance between AALF and the incisal edge of mandibular central incisors was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Among the three races, Malays and Indians have the greatest mean difference. According to the results of the current study, the distance between AALF and the incisal edge of mandibular central incisors might be a proper criterion for the initial adjustment of occlusal rims. The values obtained from three different races were significantly different from one another, hence a different range of values was used to establish occlusal height for different races.

ISU DAN CABARAN GURU CINA DALAM PENGAJARAN BAHASA MELAYU DI SEKOLAH JENIS KEBANGSAAN CINA

This concept paper discusses the issues and challenges faced by Chinese teachers in teaching the Malay language at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC). In accordance with the functionality of the Malay language as the national language, the Malay language should not only be mastered by the Malays but for all races in Malaysia. Good command of the Malay language can foster the self-esteem of every citizen in this country. The Malay language is also a compulsory subject that should be studied by every student, including students at SJKC. Teaching the Malay Language by Chinese teachers in SJKC is not an easy job because Chinese students are not native speakers of the Malay language. It is much different from their native language, the Malay language is only used by Chinese students during lessons and they seldom use it in their daily life. Chinese students are lack interest in learning the Malay language because it seems that learning the Malay language is very difficult for them. Therefore, the Chinese students’ achievement in the Malay language is still not satisfactory. Thus, the main focus of this concept paper is to analyse the issues and challenges faced by Chinese teachers in teaching the Malay language. These challenges make it difficult for teachers in ensuring satisfactory achievement among pupils. Various methods should be taken to improve the quality of teaching the Malays language in SJKC and thus to produce Chinese students who are fluent in speaking the Malay language. Therefore, the Chinese teachers who teach the Malay language in SJKC have to bear this responsibility by taking various initiatives to enhance the achievement of Chinese students in Malay language learning. Through this concept paper, it is hoped to reveal the issue of teaching the Malay language by Chinese teachers in SJKC to various parties.

Risk Attitude towards Pandemic Threat - Covid 19 among Millennials in Malaysia

The study is conducted to investigate the extent of risk attitude towards pandemic threat among millennials in Malaysia its the relationship that involves variables partially adopted from protection motivation theory (PMT) such as perceived severity and response efficacy towards risk attitude among millennials during our current global pandemic covid 19. The purpose of this research is to investigate the risk attitude among millennials as part of the crucial element in the adaptive risk attitude or behavior towards Covid 19. It is important to see the pattern of various behavioural element among millennials as it is not only associated with their opportunities, capacities, aspirations, energy and creativity as current and future human capital for Malaysia but also how they adapt themselves in order to deals with uncertain pandemic risks that happen in current times to enable the survival instinct to be ready at all cost. This study applies analysis technique using SmartPLS 3.4 version involved 197 respondent among millennials of various race in Malaysia. This study partially adopted Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) as main underlying framework to further explained the variables involved.

THE FRAMEWORK OF INTEGRATED CIVIC EDUCATION FOR FOSTERING MULTICULTURAL TOLERANCE

This article aims to discuss the implementation of civic education as a means to foster multicultural tolerance in Malaysia. The prevailing racial disparity due to racial hate, racist remarks, and an unbecoming statement from political and community leaders indicate a serious breach of harmonious racial relationships among various races in Malaysia. Conflicts among diverse societies can lead to disintegration and social problems. The internalization of multicultural tolerance, especially among the younger generation is an effective effort to avoid conflicts within societies since multicultural tolerance is one of the key ingredients for harmonious co-existence. Due to these multicultural differences, education has been perceived as an instrument for promoting national unity and harmony among citizens. Therefore, civic education should be given priority to instil a sense of national love and to build a virtuous and responsible society. Based on the descriptive literature review method, this paper seeks to propose an integrated civic education framework inclusive of three elements; curriculum, teaching approach, and teacher’s competency to foster a multicultural tolerance among the young generation. This framework of integrated civic education is expected to help in solving the issues of multicultural tolerance and develop social cohesion among the young generation. Consequently, it can cultivate a sense of respect among members of our multiracial society and ultimately promote national peace and harmony.

An Analysis of Cultural Elements in Selected Festive Advertisements

Cultural knowledge and understanding are fundamental in a multiracial society like Malaysia. One of the ways to foster a good relationship between people of different cultural backgrounds can be achieved through the use of media. One of the means of such a message that could be disseminated to the public is through festive advertisements. Previous studies have shown that the portrayal of culture in ads is a pivotal element that should be considered by all advertisers in producing festive advertisements. This study aims to explore whether the content of festive advertisements in Malaysia portray and deliver messages that could potentially assist in fostering a good relationship between races in Malaysia. A quantitative content analysis was done on ten festive ads. These ads were selected based on pre-determined criteria – 1) ads have to be produced by a local company, 2) uploaded on YouTube, and 3) related to the festive season. For this research, a festive ad is defined as advertisements related to festivals celebrated by the Malaysian community. Research results revealed that the majority of the selected festive ads for this study portrayed positive values that could assist in fostering good relations among people of different cultural backgrounds. The element of togetherness has been used across different festive ads to intensify the need for cross-cultural understanding, especially during festive seasons. Keywords: Festive advertisements, content analysis, cultural elements, Malaysia.

An Analysis of Cultural Elements in Selected Festive Advertisements

Cultural knowledge and understanding are fundamental in a multiracial society like Malaysia. One of the ways to foster a good relationship between people of different cultural backgrounds can be achieved through the use of media. One of the means of such a message that could be disseminated to the public is through festive advertisements. Previous studies have shown that the portrayal of culture in ads is a pivotal element that should be considered by all advertisers in producing festive advertisements. This study aims to explore whether the content of festive advertisements in Malaysia portray and deliver messages that could potentially assist in fostering a good relationship between races in Malaysia. A quantitative content analysis was done on ten festive ads. These ads were selected based on pre-determined criteria – 1) ads have to be produced by a local company, 2) uploaded on YouTube, and 3) related to the festive season. For this research, a festive ad is defined as advertisements related to festivals celebrated by the Malaysian community. Research results revealed that the majority of the selected festive ads for this study portrayed positive values that could assist in fostering good relations among people of different cultural backgrounds. The element of togetherness has been used across different festive ads to intensify the need for cross-cultural understanding, especially during festive seasons. Keywords: Festive advertisements, content analysis, cultural elements, Malaysia.

The Optimum Age of Retirement Index: The Case of Malaysia

This paper proposes a list of crucial factors that can be considered as a template for universal retirement plan. Malaysia is used as the base of our modeling. Nine crucial factors that are identified to have direct or indirect effect on the retirement plan among the three largest races in Malaysia, namely the Malay, Indians and Chinese are examined. The main objective of this research is to propose a new approach to evaluate the optimum age retirement for Malaysians in general. Hence, this new index is entitled "The Optimum Age Retirement Index (OAR-Index)". Based on the findings, the study proposed that Malaysia would be well served to increase the retirement age of the country's workforce and proposes a number of recommendations and policies to complement the retirement-age extension.

THE EFFECT OF USING PROJECT-BASED INQUIRY LEARNING (PIL) STEM MODULE IN TOPIC SPACE AMONG YEAR ONE STUDENTS

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of integration STEM education by using STEM module designed based on four phases in the Project-based Inquiry Learning (PIL) method. The STEM module consists of five projects in the topic Space in the Year One DSKP of the review KSSR Mathematics in Malaysia. The effectiveness of using the STEM module is assessed on the understanding, interest and attitude towards STEM education. The study was conducted on 33 students in the experimental group and 26 students in the control group. The instruments used in this research are STEM module, pre-test and post-test and questionnaire on students' understanding on STEM, interest in STEM and attitude towards STEM education. The STEM module covered the various cultured races in Malaysia and consist five projects. The concept and description of STEM content in each project has been emphasized in the module. The findings show that the STEM module has a satisfactory validity with a percentage of agreement is 95% and a satisfactory reliability with a Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.701. Mathematics achievement score analysis for the experimental group showed a high significance (p &lt;0.01) in the post-test compared to the pre-test. The findings also showed that there is an increasing in understanding, interest and attitude in the experimental group. In conclusion, the STEM module designed based on the PIL method had satisfactory validity and reliability and can be a reference for teachers to carry out STEM in primary Mathematics.

The Level of Understanding, Appreciation and Practice among Malaysian Citizens from Education and Unity Perspective

This study aims to identify the level of understanding, appreciation and practice of identity among Malaysian citizens from education and unity perspective. Are Malaysians remained and still remain or begin to fade and fade understanding, appreciation and practice their Malay Language as an education and unity tools? Therefore, a survey was conducted on 1200 respondents of various races in Malaysia. The study respondents were randomly selected. The questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. The data were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that the overall level of understanding, appreciation and practice of Malay Language among Malaysians citizens from the perspective of education and unity still remains. In terms of race, the Malays show the level of understanding, appreciation and practice of Malay Language from the perspective of the eternal education and unity show. On the other hand, the Chinese, Indians, Sabah native, Sarawak native and other ethnic groups are still understanding. The implications of this study all the thought Malay Language is the best medium to foster racial in education and unity in Malaysia. All races still to understand, appreciate and practice Malay Language as a communication tool and instrument of unity among various races and ethnic in Malaysia.

Level of Attachment of Malaysian TESL Students Towards Their Cultural Identity

Although it is encouraged for students to explore other cultures and be equipped with world knowledge, the basis of patriotism and love for the country must be embedded to ensure the nation has a sense of pride and belonging. This paper attempts to provide a preliminary investigation for the components of the cultural identity from a Malaysian standpoint, the level of attachment of Malaysian Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) students to their cultural identity as well as factors affecting this relationship. Thus, quantitative method was adopted for this study to identify the level of attachment of Malaysian TESL students to their cultural identity. A questionnaire was distributed online to the participants from all three main races in Malaysia with TESL background and the data was analysed using SPSS. The findings of this study have shown that despite the extensive exposure to and involvement with the English language and culture, the level of attachment of Malaysian TESL students towards their cultural identity is high with regards to all three major components: national language, food and cultural spaces.

Non-Muslim consumers’ intention to purchase halal food products in Malaysia

PurposeThis study aims to identify the intention to purchase Halal food products amongst non-Muslim consumers in Malaysia, moderated by the acculturation effect.Design/methodology/approachA structured close-ended questionnaire was used to gather data through the random distribution of 397 non-Muslim consumers from the Alumni network of several private higher education institutions in Malaysia.FindingsThe collected data was analyzed through the structural equation modelling technique using partial least squares with SmartPLS 3.0. The result indicated that attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control were positively influenced by the purchase decision of Halal food products amongst non-Muslim consumers in Malaysia. Apart from that, the acculturation effect moderates the relationship between attitude and intention to purchase.Research limitations/implicationsThis finding will contribute to academics, Halal food makers and government in understanding the Halal food purchase intention amongst non-Muslim consumers in Malaysia.Practical implicationsThe outcome of this study can be used as an input for Halal entrepreneurship in terms of marketing and operation strategy. On the government aspect, this study also provides an implication on national public policy and strategic economic planning in developing overall national Halal policy.Social implicationsThe social harmonization amongst the multiple races in Malaysia is partially contributed through the acculturation effect. The acculturation effect has been reflected through the food choice decision amongst Malaysian, despite of different religious belief and home culture background.Originality/valueResearch in studying Halal food purchase intention amongst non-Muslim consumers are scarce. This research is able to reinforce the theory of planned behavior model in dealing with Halal food choice decisions, taking into consideration of acculturation effect.

Employment of baby sign language in interactive learning for Hearing-impaired people in Malaysia

&lt;span lang="EN-GB"&gt;Communication is very important for people including adults and babies to exchange their thoughts, views and information. They can express their thoughts verbally and non-verbally. Baby sign language is non-verbal type that consists of a set of standard and organised form of hand gestures motion to represent different word. This language allows the children who have hearing impairment problem to communicate with others. In addition, it can also be taught to normal babies to convey their need before they have the ability to speak. It is very challenging for adults to understand babies and children with hearing impaired problem. Thus, a real-time hand gesture recognition system has been developed for adult to interactively learn the baby sign language. Firstly, the face region was detected in order to use the skin colour model of the face to detect the hand. After that, the hand shape was determined by finding the palm centre and convex hull. Convexity defects which representing gaps between the fingers were used to determine the number of fingertips whereas the movement of the hand was detected based on motion analysis. By setting the background colour to blue and adding extra light in front of the laptop, the system successfully obtained an accuracy higher than 85% rate for sign “mom”, “eat” and “milk” when tested on Malay, Chinese and Indian races in Malaysia.&lt;/span&gt;

PREDICTING PRIVATE SAVING WITHIN MALAY COMMUNITY

Few reports have indicated that majority of Malaysians do not save enough for retirement and Malays are less likely to save money as compared to other races in Malaysia. A lot of attention has been given to the link between financial literacy and saving thus neglecting other factors that are closely related to individuals. According to Bandura’s (1977) theory, financial behaviour is closely related to personal factors such as individual characteristic, cognitive ability, self-efficacy, and religious faith. Therefore, this study aims to examine all the factors predicting private saving. Using 224 Malay respondents, logistic regression analysis was conducted. This study found that parents and religious faith significantly predicted the likelihood of private saving, but individual characteristic, cognitive ability, and self-efficacy did not significantly predict the likelihood of private saving. Thus, this study recommends using parents and religious officers to guide the Malay communities in their private saving.

A comparative study on digit ratio and hand patterns of three ethnic races of Malaysia

BackgroundTo distinguish the characteristic hand pattern of each of the three different ethnicities in Malaysia and to study the hand pattern correlation between race and gender.MethodIndividual lengths of the fingers were then measured and tabulated to serve as the basis for analyzing the 2D (second digit):4D (fourth digit) hand ratio. Based on this ration, the hand patterns were classified as A, B, and C types.ResultsHand pattern A (2D<4D) appears to be the most characteristic trait in Malays. The highest scoring hand pattern in Chinese is A as well with scores of 52% in their right hands and 60% in their left hands. In Indians, hand pattern C (2D>4D) shows dominance in their right hands with a score of 46% while hand pattern A dominates their left hands. Among the males, all three races show dominance in hand pattern A except in Chinese whereby the C hand pattern was dominant in their right hands (44%). Among the females, the most common trait in Malays and Chinese are the hand pattern A in both their hands. Indian females, however, showed dominance in hand pattern C in their right hands (60%), and hand pattern B (2D = 4D) dominated in their left hands (44%). Results of the statistical analysis revealed that there was a highly significant difference in the hand patterns of both the hands when compared to gender.ConclusionThe study suggests that ratio below or equal to 0.90 is suggestive of female sex for both hands, while a ratio of more than 0.91 is suggestive of male sex for both hands. The pattern A (2D<4D) is seen to be the most common trait among the three ethnicities of Malaysia with an exception seen in the right hands of Indians.