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This study was conducted to examine consumers' response, changes in their shopping behaviour and the effectiveness of the 'No Free Plastic Bag' campaign after almost a decade consumers were charged RM0.20 for using plastic bags. Data was collected from 122 respondents who answered an online questionnaire. The findings indicated that bringing your own shopping bag is not yet the culture in Malaysia despite that majority of consumers were aware of the campaign. Behavioural change is low as 62.3% of respondents routinely forget to bring their own shopping bags. More than half of the respondents (57.3%) are still willing to pay RM0.20 for a plastic bag. The findings of this research also revealed that consumers are too depending on retailers' green initiatives such as providing them with paper bags and boxes. Through this study, mass media plays a crucial role in disseminating information and creating environmental awareness among consumers. Many consumers voiced their support for a stricter regulation and to increase the current fee for each plastic bag purchased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Good governance is indicated as the remedy that results in political stability and a key basis towards sustainable growth and development that can facilitate the institution's effectiveness and efficiency. Malaysia has been seen to be practising good governance in the public institutions through the holistic reform agenda that requires the highest quality of ethics and conduct for every level that aims to strengthen transparency and increase accountability throughout administrative activities. Therefore, this paper seeks to uncover the status of good governance for sustainable development in public administration in Malaysia. In this paper, studies from literature reviews and reports from the Economic Planning Unit, Malaysia Plan, and Public Service Ethics are used as a research method to describe the status of good governance for sustainable development in Malaysia. This practice of good governance is noticeable in most of the plans and policies that already assist public institutions in enhancing their quality and performance for delivering services for the citizen. However, the criticisms towards the public sector services remain to be heard, and this process of enhancing the quality and performance is challenging. This is why the holistic reform plan is considered the dawn for Malaysia in routing towards good governance for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing employee mindfulness in an organisation setting necessitates the presence of transparency and selfawareness. Through the transparency and self-awareness, it has the potential to be nurtured and refined through the passage of time, and they have significant importance in successfully inspiring and driving employees towards the objectives of the organisation. Furthermore, it is important to note that leaders can modify their leadership approach based on different situations and the unique characteristics of individuals. The versatility can significantly improve effectiveness in managing diverse teams and promoting employee mindfulness. The objective of this systematic literature review is to gather and condense numerous prior research papers, offering a thorough summary of the existing data regarding the impact of leaders' transparency and self-awareness on promoting employees mindfulness. The systematic literature review approach is employed to offer a complete and unbiased overview of the current body of research pertaining to a certain subject matter. The process of identifying, analysing, and synthesising prior works is beneficial in addressing a particular research inquiry. The results indicate a noteworthy beneficial relationship between the level of leaders' transparency and self-awareness and the extent of employees' mindfulness. The prioritisation of fostering mindfulness practises among employees is crucial. The integration of mindfulness approaches has promise for augmenting a capacity to concentrate, participate in rational decision-making and proficiently cope with stress, so enhancing overall efficacy of employees within a professional context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Islamism is a subject that continues to receive scholars’ attention. However, by referring to previous studies, the subject of Islamism has been discussed loosely due to, first, the lack of a consensus on the concept of Islamism among scholars, and second, the question of the identity of Islamism not being thoroughly explored. Thus, this paper aims to fill these gaps by focusing the discussion on the concept, idea, and framework of Islamism identity. Based on previous studies on Islamism, this paper presents its perspective on Islamism by examining these three aspects. Conceptually, Islamism is a form of manifestation of human endeavor invented by conscious Muslims to ensure that Islam can fully play a role in all aspects of life. As an idea, Islamism comprises principles and programs that encompass ideological and practical aspects, respectively. The idea of Islamism has undergone development that subsequently affected the formation of criteria for the identification of Islamist entities (whether conservative or reformist) as well as post-Islamist and nonIslamist entities. This paper may contribute to the literature by presenting a new perspective on the concept and the framework of Islamism identity that can serve as a basis for discussion in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

History does not progress linearly, opening space to question discourses and power dynamics in the hierarchy between men and women simultaneously. Therefore, this paper adopts a gender approach with a specific focus on the Leadership Labyrinth coined by Eagly and Carli to dissect the challenges of women’s participation and leadership in the public sphere. The historical background is traced from the 2nd century to the 21st century, divided into phases based on significant events, with attention to leadership, participation, and influence of women. Here, a pertinent question arises: how do women, facing diverse challenges, not only become subjects of development but also choose diverse platforms and discourses to demonstrate that their parity is not singular? Women are found to exhibit their leadership abilities as early rulers, gradually constricted to supporters of movements and homemakers. Subsequently, women successfully lead organizations, advocating for equal treatment, and their voices are included in decision-making at decision making levels. By employing the approach and a research methodology aligned with the study’s objectives, this paper aims to demonstrate that often-overlooked dimensions and perceived obstacles to women’s progress can be supportive factors in enhancing their leadership positions in society. Women are seen strategizing through non-violent means and utilizing domestic spaces, in addition to public spaces. In essence, women strategically organize using capacities and spaces under their control to advocate for their rights and beliefs. The variations resulting from the applied approach showcase the richness of this historical domain in offering an alternative framework for examining women’s leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urbanization process in Malaysia since 1957 has significantly transformed the role of women in society. Urbanization phenomena have transformed the structure, dynamics, and traditional roles of women within the basic unit of the family. This paper examines how urbanization and social changes in the post-independence period have influenced the shift in women's roles - from traditional domestic functions to becoming key income-generators for their families. The analysis is grounded in Census data and Vital Statistics from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). A review of rapid urban growth from 1957 to 2025 indicates that urbanization has shaped a distinct pattern of increasing women's participation in the labor force and a rise in the proportion of women serving as Heads of Households. Concurrently, data shows a significant upward trend in women's enrollment in higher education (matriculation, colleges, and universities). Additionally, the data reveals a pattern of delayed marriage among working women (aged 27-29) and a tendency towards smaller nuclear family sizes. The profound changes observed between 1957 and 2025 demonstrate that the urbanization process has fundamentally reshaped the role of Malaysian women, transitioning them from traditional domestic roles to primary income-generators for their families. As women's economic roles have expanded, they require a supportive environment and appropriate policies to effectively fulfill their evolving responsibilities. This includes work-life balance initiatives, fair career opportunities, and more equitable distribution of household tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will discuss the findings of a study that has been conducted to explore the challenges of women with physical disabilities (OKU) in entrepreneurship. The scope of the exploration involves the start-up phase of the business which requires the informant to tell the experience of facing initial challenges in the business. The study was designed using a fully qualitative approach with data collection using the Focus Group Discussion method. The study location involves four Malaysian zones, namely the North, East, Central and South zones. A total of 34 physically disabled women who are traders were selected to be interviewed. The selection of informants was made purposefully by choosing the recipients of the Malaysian Social Welfare Department's launch grant. The thematic analysis carried out shows that there are three main challenges faced by informants during the phase of starting a business, namely: i- lack of access to information, ii- implications of physical disability and iii- dual role challenges. The results of the study give implications to stakeholders' efforts to improve the achievement of empowering women with physical disabilities in starting a business. In addition, this paper also discusses the scientific justification for the proposal for the construction of the Economic Empowerment Model (Entrepreneurship) for Physically Disabled Women as an output of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generally, it is known that the presence of popular novels in the local literary scene is not a new phenomenon. However, the enthusiasm for this genre still persists to this day and continues to dominate the local novel sales market. Nevertheless, popular novels have never been free from criticism due to their tendency to adhere to the same writing formula. Furthermore, they are often accused of placing women in improper positions. Nonetheless, Affifudin Omar succeeded in proving otherwise through his popular novel, Meniti Rindu (2013). The distinctiveness brought about by Affifudin Omar, particularly concerning issues, sets this work apart from other popular novels. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the materials used in producing popular novels within Meniti Rindu. It is conducted using textual analysis methods on the novel Meniti Rindu, guided by the framework for producing popular novels introduced by Deborah Hale (1999), consisting of seven materials: characters, conflict, a hook, plot, romance, dark moment, and a happy ending. The study found that Affifudin Omar critically and creatively succeeded in utilizing all seven materials in producing Meniti Rindu. Affifudin Omar departed from the conventions of writing popular novels without discarding its seven main materials. Instead, by addressing issues such as identity, apostasy, and more, he continually distinguishes Meniti Rindu as a significantly different popular novel within the market. This study is essential in showcasing the dynamics of authors’ efforts to uplift popular novels towards improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept in which corporations take into account the interest of the society in four areas of responsibility namely economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic. In the area of food manufacturing, corporate social responsibility plays a vital role by ensuring that food is healthy and in adherence to safety standards. The Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985 play an important role in enforcing corporate social responsibility amongst food manufacturers. Institutional framework in Malaysia such as, Ministry of Health, Food and Safety Quality Division and FOSIM were established to ensure that food-processing activities are according to the required hygiene and safety standards. It is discovered through National Consumer Complaint Centre reports that the enforcement in food safety needs improvement. The paper also examines the role of non-governmental agencies, namely, the Consumer Association of Penang and the National Consumer Complaints Centre, in channeling and documenting complaints from consumers to relevant enforcement agencies. This paper intends to analyse the duties of food manufacturers and to identify legislations that enforce CSR amongst food manufacturers. Adopting the content analysis method, this paper will examine the principle of CSR as contained in the Food Act 1983. This paper further discusses the roles of institutional frameworks namely, the Ministry of Health, Food Safety and Quality Division and FOSIM in enforcing corporate social responsibility amongst food manufacturers. This article aims to contribute namely to various stakeholders ie: the government in which CSR policies can be connected to food safety through our hard and soft laws and consumers will be more aware and educated in which they will support food companies that are implementing CSR in their food production. The paper also serves as a guide to food manufacturers as they will be more particular in their CSR efforts to garner more support towards their food products. With a good CSR policy and food safety efforts Malaysia will be able to increase its revenue in import and export of food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Akademika is the property of Akademika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Akademika is the property of Akademika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Royal Town is rich in its own heritage history. Royal Town destinations that apply aesthetic values and long history have offered tourism products to fans of Royal Town values or known as tourist heritage. Tourism in the Royal Town in Malaysia is seen to be under -promoted on social media and electronic media. In fact, the Royal Town are also less prominent from the aspect of definition and heritage value found in the town. The concept of the Royal Town is unique, inherited and highlights the Royal elements are poorly documented and not recorded causing the role of the Royal Town as one of the tourist attractions in Malaysia is also left behind. Therefore, differences in terms of tourist patterns also cannot be identified and highlighted as long as tourists visit selected heritage destinations. This paper aims to examine the comparison of royalscape based on the segments of student, youth and family tourists in terms of the variety of visits to Kuala Kangsar. Convenience sampling technique was used by distributing questionnaires to 500 respondents consisting of student tourists, youth and families using descriptive analysis and One -Way Anova inferential analysis. The results show that there is a comparison in the visits of the tourist segment who visit the Royal Town of Kuala Kangsar. The seven royalscape in this study were visited by all tourist segments, Next there were differences in the manner of visits by the three tourist segments. In conclusion, this paper shows a comparison of the variety of visits by tourists based on segments. This study has limited limitations to look at comparisons based on the domestic tourist segment only and does not emphasize the variety of international tourist visits. However, the findings of this study provide space for further study by looking at the variety of international tourists in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Malay-Islamic hikayat texts become one of the important mediums in conveying the teachings of Islam in the Malay world, especially in the 15th century. These narrative works become a channel for the propagation of Islamic teachings, including in the aspects of morality and family. The Malay-Islamic hikayat also the focussed on the formation of the image of the pious wife, in accordance with the position of the wife as an important component to produce a happy household and family. This paper discusses the image of the pious wife which is reflected in two works of Malay-Islamic hikayat, namely Hikayat Darmata'siah and Hikayat Perempuan Bernama Latifah. The analysis of the pious wife in this writing is reviewed from the perspective of the preaching method conceived by in the Pengkaedahan Melayu Theory by Hashim Awang. Accordingly, the discussion of this paper analyses the image of the pious wife as a preaching method especially for contemporary women. From the aspect of methodology, this study is employed qualitative approach which is divided into library method and content analysis. The study data involves two Malay-Islamic hikayat texts, namely Hikayat Darmata'siah which is contained in the Antologi Enam Hikayat edited by Mohd. Yusof Md. Nor (1989) and Hikayat Perempuan Bernama Latifah edited by Nik Afifah Nik Abdul Aziz (2017). The research found that both texts feature the value of the pious wife as outlined in Islam. Among the significant characteristics of a pious wife, are possessing a strong religious belief, obeying her husband's instructions, treating her husband like a king and being faithful to the end of her life. In conclusion, from the point of view of da'wah, the essence of these two hikayat texts in highlighting the image of the pious wife is still relevant and can be used as a guide for modern women today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muslim World has been upholding the Tawhidic concept of Ubudiyyah with a massive accumulation of knowledge over the entire period in which has spurred the rise of the great Islamic civilization. In presenting the concepts, Islamic sciences have been categorized the directions of its various aspects: theoretical as well as its practical application have been indicated.However, without meticulous and appropriate division of sources in Islamic sciences the combination of the theory and practical has failed to bring about the desired results. The Islamic sciences as presented currently do not commensurate with its magnitude, depth and brilliance as can be unveiled from the universe of Islamic Knowledge from a multitude of known sources in the Muslim World and elsewhere. The gigantic sources in Islamic sciences are books, film, journals, manuscripts and etc. need to be rearranged accordingly based on current requirement through re-paraphrasing the record or data collection. To upgrade the paper discussion, the research highlights a claim on the success invading of Easters' mind as a result of spreading Bible teachings wassparked mind;do the Islamic Sciences have no role in signified the moral value into Muslim's mind? How about the concept of Tawhid as a major revelation in producing a better human being? To answer the above questions, the paper focuses on revisiting sources in Islamic sciences using descriptive and analytic approachesto highlight the overshadowing of Islamic sciencesresulting in diminishing its real worth as the world's pioneer in the knowledge in science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voters outside of Kelantan tends to vote for PAS compared to other political parties, even though they live in the Klang Valley. Fundamentally, the people in Klang Valley in the majority do not support PAS as the people in Kelantan. Therefore, this paper aims to discuss the forms of political culture of voters outside of Kelantan which reside around Klang Valley. This research involved 403 Malay voters outside of Kelantan, aged 21 years old and above that reside at Klang Valley but still cast their vote at Kelantan. This research implemented the quantitative approach through the survey method which utilised the feedback forms. The respondents in this research were chosen through purposeful sampling method and snowball sampling method. The data for this research were analysed descriptively and through ANOVA test. The result of this research found that the political culture of voter outside of Kelantan is in the form of subjectivity. This subjective political culture refers to society accepting one sided output only without questioning what, why and how that matters happen. This shows that individual relationship with the political system is passive and behave obediently. This type of society does not questions much and accept the explanation from certain parties without investigating the authenticity of the information involved in the explanation. This type of society is usually hardcore supporters of a political party. The implication of this form of political culture cause the voters to become recklessly obedient, compliant and unable to make decisions rationally until they are considered to be in a captive state of mind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Strait of Malacca is one of the busiest maritime Sea Lanes of Communications (SLOCs) in the world because of its importance in transporting goods. However, like any other straits, Strait of Malacca also do not escape from maritime criminal attack. As a Littoral States to Strait of Malacca, Malaysia and Indonesia have taking initiatives to improve the security in that area. This paper will attempt to explain the priorities and challenges of Malaysia and Indonesia to cooperate in the Strait of Malacca between 2016-2020. It has three objectives: namely 1) to identify maritime security threats in Strait of Malacca; 2) to analyse the priorities and challenges of the Malaysia-Indonesia maritime cooperation in the Strait of Malacca; 3) to recommend the potential of a new maritime cooperation between Malaysia-Indonesia in the Strait of Malacca. This study was based on both primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected from structured interviews involving informants in various professional fields that are directly involved in maritime security in the Strait of Malacca. Secondary data was collected from literature reviews based on scientific publications, theses, journal articles, and online material, such as newspaper articles. The findings of this study will show the types of maritime cooperations between Malaysia and Indonesia and the measures that taken by the authority to encounter the illegal activities that taken place in the Strait of Malacca for the future actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional Straits Chinese courtyard shop house is the basic building typology of George Town Heritage City for hundreds of years. The shop house is harmonised in its architectural design identity formation. Many studies have shown that the identity formation of traditional Straits Chinese courtyard shop houses underwent a series of transformation throughout the passage of time. Therefore the interiors formation of shop houses buildings have become a threat by losing the authentic identity in George Town Heritage City. Thus, this paper aims to identify the identity formation of the traditional courtyard of shop houses interiors. A qualitative research approach was employed to obtain data from primary and secondary sources. The reason is to understand the design identity of the traditional courtyard architectural components. Thematic analysis was adopted, and five themes were used to present and discussed the results. This study found that the main multi-cultural (Malay, Chinese, and European) has influenced the identity formation of the traditional courtyard shop house interiors. The outcome is a combination of built cultural heritage. Findings also show that focusing on promoting the traditional courtyard identity formation ensures a strong appreciation of its existence. As part of the practical implications, this paper contributes to reawaken policymakers and other stakeholders. This will stir-up the drive for the sustainability of the traditional courtyard shop houses in George Town, Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread of artificial intelligence poses threats to academic activities. Higher education institutions are aware of academic dishonesty among students and lecturers but cannot offer promising solutions to this problem. This study examines the publication trends, leading authors and nations, international collaboration and research topics on academic dishonesty in higher education published between the year 2001 and 2023. It identifies the main countries contributing research on academic dishonesty. The study utilizes bibliometric analysis of 239 articles from the Scopus database using TITLE-ABS-KEY approach. Microsoft Excel is used in analyzing the frequency of published materials using tables and charts. Additionally, the VOSviewer software is used to create bibliometric networks and Harzing's Publish or Perish software is used to assess the citation metrics of the articles. The analysis shows that the number of publications on academic dishonesty is increasing, especially between the year 2020 and 2022. The articles were cited 4129 times, which corresponds to an average of 17.28 citations per article. The results show that the most common keywords discussed are academic dishonesty, higher education, cheating, students, and e-learning, which can be grouped into 5 clusters. The United States, Malaysia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Australia are among the countries that contribute to publications in this area. This study delves into publication trends on academic dishonesty, offering valuable insights into the current research landscape in higher education. By identifying key areas of focus and prominent research contributors, this analysis informs future research efforts aimed at mitigating this pervasive challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Akademika is the property of Akademika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Akademika is the property of Akademika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Akademika is the property of Akademika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Most studies on Usman Awang's poetry are focused on themes, while those that touch on his language are not systematic, thus creating a significant gap in the study of his poems. With its objective to fill this gap and engage further interest in Usman Awang's language usage, this paper highlights relevant issues such as identification of language style, manipulation of language used, and the effectiveness of such manipulations. The analytical framework used is Henry Guntur Tarigan's Language Style Model particularly the four language forms related to comparison namely simile, metaphor, personification and anticipation. The analysis found that all four forms are present in Usman Awang's poems. He uses old similes and creates new ones to introduce unfamiliar elements that are forceful and refreshing in order to generate new meanings for his poems. His use of metaphors allows everyday language to shed its regular meanings and absorb new ones, thereby extending its semantic reach. His use of personifications allows objects to create meanings, develop atmosphere and convey messages, as well as explore sensitive or forbidden issues. He uses anticipation's property of foreshadowing and preceding to depict present and future realities simultaneously, thereby widening his poems' reach and forcefully convey his messages. The analysis also found that Usman Awang avails himself of Malay traditional heritage to enrich his poems although the latter are modern. This article's systematic study is expected to fill the gap and engage interest in scholarly works on Usman Awang's poetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments in linguistic theory in the Minimalist Program have provided many solid basic frameworks for analyzing pronouns in the Mah Meri language, one of the Senoi group. The data analyzed in this paper is taken from fieldwork conducted at Kampung Bukit Bangkong, Selangor. The data was obtained by recording the conversations of respondents who spoke the Mah Meri language. Two research methods were used, the library method and the field method. The library method was used to collect information related to pronouns, and the field method was used to obtain data on the field area. The data collected was analyzed and analyzed using the Minimalist Program. The analysis process of such pronouns is divided into two parts, namely descriptive analysis and syntactic analysis. The descriptive analysis discusses the cases of pronouns of the language, while the syntactic analysis discusses the syntactic structure of Mah Meri pronouns based on descriptive analysis. The syntactic analysis uses a minimalist program framework to analyze the pronouns in the Mah Meri language. As a result of this analysis, a novel finding for an Austroasiatic language is that Mah Meri language pronouns can be divided into two parts, namely case-bearing and case-marked pronouns. Analysis of these pronouns displays differences in the words that follow and precede a noun. In addition, there are also similarities and differences in the classification between Mah Meri and Malay languages, although they are in different language groups and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The usage and values of cannabis, or cannabis for medicinal purposes, have been historically recognised since ancient times. Evidence from clinical research demonstrated the therapeutic advantages of cannabis in an extensively wide area of medicinal aspects. Resultantly, many nations have decided to legalise the medicinal use of cannabis. Despite the international recognition of medical cannabis, Malaysia maintains the status quo of cannabis prohibition as a highly addictive drug with no medicinal value. The Malaysian government argues that the harmful effects of medical cannabis legalisation outweigh the benefits. No review paper has discussed the current research patterns on the impact of medical cannabis legalisation, while thematic review studies on this issue are limited. Therefore, this article synthesised literature from 2017 to 2021 to identify research patterns and recent academic discussions on the impact of medical cannabis legalisation. A keyword search and screening process utilising Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases inclusion criteria yielded 718 peer-reviewed academic journal articles. Nonetheless, only 72 articles were selected for final evaluation following the exclusion and inclusion process. The thematic review of the 72 publications identified 19 preliminary codes on the impact of medical cannabis legalisation. The ATLAS.ti 9 software was utilised to conduct the theme analysis review of the selected articles. The quantitative results presented the research patterns of the impact of medical cannabis legalisation. Additionally, the qualitative analysis generated five main themes developed in the literature on the impact of medical cannabis legalisation, namely (1) impact on health, (2) impact on policy, (3) impact on society, (4) impact on health system, and (5) impact on criminal activities. The findings will benefit future studies on implementing medical cannabis law (MCL) in Malaysia. Unfortunately, this study is limited to Scopus and WoS databases, and the impact of recreational cannabis legalisation is not included. The findings may benefit future research on medical cannabis legalisation and the suitable regulatory framework of medical cannabis policy for Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

History records that intermarriage between Datu from the Sulu Island with Idahan women has occurred since the 17th century. The result of intermarriage between the two had given birth to heirs known as Kedatuan-Idahan. This paper discusses the history of Kedatuan and intermarriage in Sabah, which contributed to the strengthening of Islamic identity among the people of the east coast of Sabah. This study involves data collection using qualitative methods based on textual content analysis and in-depth interviews with selected key informants in several villages of the Idahan community in Lahad Datu. The study results show that the intermarriage between a Datu from the Sulu Island and an Idahan woman has produced an heir with a kinship relationship with the Sulu sultanate. This kinship relationship strengthens the dominance of the bird's nest economic activity, which is in high demand from Chinese traders. The findings of the study also show that carrying the title of Datu and Dayang at the base of the heir's name to the Kedatuan further strengthens the Islamic identity among the people of the east coast of Sabah. The study also found that the Kedatuan-Idahan intermarriage impacted the Idahan community's political position in the Darvel Bay area and contributed to the early settlement of the Muslim community on the east coast of Sabah. The role of Kedatuan also explains the importance of their position as Muslim religious leaders in the Lahad Datu district and their involvement in the Cobbold Commission until the formation of Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) presents opportunities for inclusive and resilient development pursuits. This article assessed SDG 3 landscape in the context of Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC). SDG 3 focus on healthy lives and inclusive well-being, it has 13 targets. Health settings in LMIC are donor influence, in which cardinal issues are often ignored, concentrating on donor's priorities, a situation befitting who paid the piper dictate the tune dictum. The paper explored SDG 3 related issues and implementation challenges that looms over the LMIC, by analysing the SDG 3 components' strength, opportunities, and threats focusing on Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). The study utilised desk literature survey approach, using defined key search terms to searched databases, applying diverse combinations covering diseases, research and policy themes, from which 235 papers were retrieved and checked for further review. The challenges confronting SDGs implementation in SSA are numerous; for example, 89% of the SSA are at risk of developing malaria; in 2014, 57.3 million children were stunted; progress was overshadowed by population growth and 40% lives in abject poverty, with 23% of undernutrition status. These gaps highlight poor governance, an implementation challenge that need to be address. SDG 3 implementation strength lies with policy makers and bureaucrats, while its weakness depicts logistical, accountability and coordination deficits that requires stakeholders' rapport through collaborations. Successful implementation of the SDG 3 calls for trans-disciplinary collaborations and coordination in the shape of Public Private Partnership (PPPs), for inform policies that transform theory into action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Akademika is the property of Akademika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Akademika is the property of Akademika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Akademika is the property of Akademika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Akademika is the property of Akademika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Akademika is the property of Akademika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Children are highly inquisitive. This will naturally lead them to explore and discover the world around them which is fundamental to the development of science learning. Early Science Learning is seen to have the potential to inculcate the development of children's social-emotional competence because as the children explore science together with their friends, they will also build social-emotional skills such as understanding the importance of rules, learning to wait for their turn, listening to instructions, cooperating with others, helping other people, identifying and understanding differences in one's feelings. This paper was written with the aim to explore how Early Science Learning can affect children's social-emotional competency in a positive manner. In particular, this paper examines the potential of activities and science process skills in promoting social and emotional competencies. Based on the systematic literature review that was done, the author lists and explains five elements of Early Science-Learning that influences preschool childrens' social and emotional competence. They are: i) active participation opportunities; ii) social interaction opportunities; iii) the role of teachers; iv) learning environment and v) meaningful experiences. These elements are found to have positive potential impact in enhancing the social and emotional competencies of preschool children and can be considered to be implemented in the public and private preschools in Malaysia. It is hoped that this systematic literature review paper will expand the perspective and understanding of the implementation of Social and Emotional Education across the early childhood education curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inception is a science-fiction action film directed by Christopher Nolan. The film is primarily concerned with dreams and reality. This film raises a question that hovers among the philosophers of mind i.e. are dreams conscious experiences that occur during sleep? The debates on the relationship between consciousness and dreams have been discussed for centuries. For example, in the history of Western philosophy, the prominent Greek philosopher Aristotle first discussed the topic in his work entitled On Dreams. However, from the context of Islamic philosophy, Fazlur Rahman emphasizes that al-Ghazali is the earliest Muslim thinker who uses dreams to prove the objective existence or ontological existence of things which regards to the end of human souls, also known as eschatology. Therefore, this paper seeks to analyse major themes of the Inception parallel to al-Ghazali's views on dreams. Using research design based on content analysis and data collection through document analysis, this paper presents four key themes in Inception that can be compared to al-Ghazali's thought which are reality of death, reality of illness, scepticism, and imagination. In general, this paper analyses the film and al-Ghazali's thought by dividing the discussion into two: ontology and epistemology. Theoretically, the findings of this paper contribute to the relevance of al-Ghazali's thought from the aspect of ontology and epistemology in comprehending a film that contains such philosophical elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internationalisation is considered one of the crucial factors reshaping higher education in the 21st century to cope with multiple challenges. It is also widely recognised that internationalisation in higher education needs to take into consideration both the national and institutional contexts. Hence, it is fundamental that a higher education institution should derive its own definition, strategy, and strategic plan. This is to ensure full integration of internationalisation in its vision, operation and strategic planning of in its priorities in all dimensions. Often, mobility programmes especially outbound mobility students are perceived as important because mobile students acquire international, intercultural and global knowledge and skills. However, only 2.3 percent of the enrolled students the higher education level worldwide can participate in outbound mobility programmes. This paper draws on the author's experience as a former vice president of a Thai public autonomous university in charge of internationalisation and a Thai native lecturer offering a course in "Thai Economy" in the Bachelor of Economics Programme. The paper argues that internationalisation of the classroom is crucial, and with carefully crafted course content, objectives, expected learning outcomes, activities and maximisation of the use of inbound mobility student, assessment and reflection can fill the gap in equipping non-mobile students with international, intercultural and global knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching and learning innovations in higher learning institutions have been radically changed over time to suit the once an agricultural nation to a more industrialised society. This change needs to be taken as the New Millennium Learners are influenced by advanced information and communication technologies. As we aim to achieve a shift towards more active learning through innovations, a variety of approaches are employed as we make use of digital and physical learning spaces. Blended learning that moves away from traditional classroom approaches with a more interactive learning is integrated in the teaching and learning process. The use of space beyond the conventional classroom setting enhances collaboration with peers and teachers from other countries. This paper intends to synthesise the innovative teaching and learning approaches in Universiti Malaya to accommodate the progressive change of the diverse academic community and industry requirements of our graduates. It aims to present an overview of the current academia learning innovations that have been taking place in the university that provide some form of engagement with technology. It also shows how instructors and students are supported by the various initiatives, approaches and collaborative efforts carried out by the university in keeping abreast with technological advancements. Finally several implications for teaching and learning in higher education are also discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia is committed to preserving heritage buildings into heritage museums for documentation and education. Heritage museums could promote tangible and intangible heritage through its interior appearances and exhibitions. The Jahar Palace of Kelantan is a heritage palace that remains intact, and its space functions are still recognised even after being converted into a museum. This palace promotes intangible heritage and plays the role of the Kelantan Royal Traditions and Customs Museum. Four essential components that need to be focused by heritage museums are preserving the building's history, preserving the authenticity of the historic building, preserving the initial space function, and preserving the exhibition contents of space. This paper aims to raise awareness of the value of tangible and intangible heritage in heritage museums. This paper is qualitative research adapting the case study method. Observation on-site, measured drawings, documents study and site tour, were some of the approaches that have been applied to obtain the data. The photographic mapping technique using the historic photograph, sketches, drawings, books, and journals were applied to investigate the origin of the building space. The data was analysed and presented in table form to differentiate the pattern of findings. The results indicated that the roles of heritage museums are required not only to display historical object but also to communicate the significance of the historic building. In other sense, the display of the building and its contents would indirectly act as an exhibit resource in promoting intangible and tangible heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper criticizes the thinking way in the development of the da'wa science which initially focuses on the religious texts. The development of the da'wa science with this method has implications for the birth of the theory that emphasizes deductive patterns. The flow of deductive thinking makes the Qur'an and sunnah more functions to subdue the ratio that should be critical to the social situation. The epistemology of science is considered to have several weaknesses, where religious texts and social reality are placed in dichotomous patterns of relationships. This situation makes the da'wa science unable to present as knowledge that is able to respond to contemporary problems. In the next period, the da'wa method changes and tends to choose how it works. Like social science, da'wa focuses more on the empirical reality study. As part of the Islamic science, da'wa faces problems when it is understood only as a study of social behavior. This paper offers a dialectical method of seeing the problems faced by the da'wa science. The critical reconstruction in building da'wa science by utilizing dialectical methods is carried out so that da'wa can consider religious texts and social reality as sources of knowledge. The application of this dialectical method provides a conclusion in the form of a shift in the da'wa paradigm, from the dichotomous into an integrative and humanist style of science. This dialectical reasoning positions the da'wa science as a scientific discipline in Islamic studies so that it is able to touch the social life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tasamuh is a concept introduced in Islam and was practiced during the time of Prophet Muhammad SAW. Its concept and practice was proved to be the realistic and practical concept in the multi religious society during his period. Even several centuries after the prophetic time, Tasamuh was also substantiated as good practice of Muslim society towards non-Muslims as to ensure social harmony with regard to sensitive religious issues. Changing of time created life to be more complicated and formed more pluralistic societies. The pluralities of religions and cultures require a fit solution to settle any conflicting issues arose. In this case, much discussion on the concept of tolerance took place compared to the concept of Tasamuh. This paper means to grasp the meaning of Tasamuh and tolerance from their roots either grounded for the sources or resulted from the history of the society. By using method of content analysis of the references that related to Tasamuh and tolerance, the paper explores the meaning of both words as well as the factors that formed the terminological meanings of Tasamuh and tolerance. The paper further presents the comparison and contrast of both concepts from several angles. As a result, this paper decides that Tasamuh or suggested as Islamic tolerance to be more comprehensive concept which can be practiced to deal with the differences in pluralistic society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Malaysian government has decided that vaccination provided since the early 1950s is free and intended to protect children. However, the responsibility to provide complete immunization for children is still an option given to parents or guardians and is not mandatory. Furthermore, the emergence of anti-vaccine movement was even more bold in spreading misconceptions about vaccination needs to society, especially parents. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the legal issues arising in the context of childhood vaccines and the existence of anti-vaccine movement in Malaysia. The key points to be addressed are the requirement of childhood vaccinations, the existence of anti-vaccine movement and the control over the dissemination of false information in Malaysia. The research design of pure legal research which is qualitative in nature has been applied. The data sources consist of primary sources which are statutory provisions and court cases as well as secondary sources such as textbooks and journals. The collected data were analyzed by applying the content analysis and the critical analysis methods. The research outcome indicates that specific research on the anti-vaccine movement and its precautionary measures in Malaysian legal context were lacking in the past. Therefore, the authors propose that a detailed study to be carried out by focusing on the solution for legal issues arising from the existence of anti-vaccine movement in Malaysian law perspective. The authors expect that the legal research conducted based on such recommendation will contribute new and significant knowledge, especially relating to legal measure to control the anti-vaccine movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasing numbers of women and being majority of the world's population compared to men, women were still found to be discriminated and oppressed due to many reasons. Feminists claims that religious texts were to be blamed for spreading misogynistic contents, and male's interpretations became one of the main sources of conflict with regards to the women's issues. One of the statements which can be found in the Hadith literature that had been debated among them is "women are deficient in intelligence and religion". This paper aims to discover the sources of this Prophet's statement from the authentic source, and to analyse its interpretation based on the opinions of past and contemporary Muslim scholars. It is also to highlight the criticism towards this hadith among the feminists who argue that those Hadiths were interpreted in favour of men's interest and were influenced by patriarchal culture. Application of qualitative methodology, analytical approach was used to critically analyse the argument around this hadith, while contextual approach was applied to understand its interpretative context. The finding shows that different methods can be applied in understanding the Hadiths with misogynistic content. This is because they could not be interpreted literally, but figuratively and contextually; in order to avoid any misunderstanding against Hadiths concerning women among the community, society and humanities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Program TunasNiaga is a program for the development of human capital by inculcating awareness about the importance of entrepreneurship in the national economyto secondary school students. This program does not only provide knowledge and entrepreneurial skills to students, but also help them to make career transition after completing the program and theirstudies. Thus, this paper aims to measure the knowledge and entrepreneurial skills of secondary school students who have participated in the Program Tunas Niaga. This study chose quantitative methods using instruments to measure the level of knowledge and entrepreneurial skills of students. In addition, an unstructured interview method is used to find out the problems faced by studentsand methods of solving the problems when they participated in the Program Tunas Niaga. A total of 379 students who participated in the Program Tunas Niaga in theState of Terengganu wereinvolved in this study. The study found that students agreed they have gained the knowledge and skills of entrepreneurship after joining Program Tunas Niaga. Results of the ANOVA post hoc Tukey test also found significant differences, with regards to the entrepreneurial knowledge, between students whose fathers are working in government and private sectors. In addition, the study also found that there are a few schools thatare not actively running the program and a few participants failed to attend the program because they were busy withother assignments. These problems would not nourish the potential and talents of students as they faced difficulties to participate in the activities of the Program Tunas Niaga. It is hoped that this study will be able to stimulate the organizers of the Tunas Niaga Program and its movers to play a more active role in conducting school entrepreneurial activities so that students can do work to produce economic value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Look East Policy (LEP) was implemented in 1982 with two main objectives. First, efforts to improve skills, competencies, knowledge, and apply positive values from Japan and Korea in work ethic. Second, it aims to improve productivity and quality. This paper discusses the impacts of the second wave of LEP, which is assumed to be mutually beneficial between Japan-Malaysia and the first wave, which weighs more on Malaysia. This study has collected primary data using intensive interview techniques and focus groups with a total number of informants of thirteen (13) people who have direct experience with the implementation of LEP. These qualitative data were analyzed using the construction of themes due to frequency and similarity of meaning on cultural and work ethic questions. Policy cycle theory is applied to evaluate the success of LEP's implementation in achieving its objectives. The results show that in addition to work ethic, cultural factors and practices of reasonable values of Japanese society and loyalty to the employer, are common practices that strengthen the quality of work. The study results prove that LEP is less successful in adapting the work culture fully into Malaysians. Nevertheless, LEP has succeeded in making structural changes with various systematic practices in the workplace, such as 5S practices, Quality Control (TQM), time recording systems, and name tags. Meanwhile the Second Wave of DPT shows cooperation efforts as well as 'spill over' Malaysia-Japan relations which has a positive impact on neighboring countries in the Southeast Asian region. This study is able to prove the implementation of LEP in Malaysia until now is still relevant because LEP not only brings benefits to Malaysia, but also Japan and other countries at the regional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concepts and functions of The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are different from those of other regional and international institutions, organizations, and bodies. This paper aims to analyze the concept of regionalism practiced by using the liberal institutionalism theory approach, which has successfully driven ASEAN to remain strong as an organization based on mutual relations in every aspect of politics, economy, culture, and society. This analyzes the connection between ASEAN regionalism and the liberal institutionalism theory approach, which has driven ASEAN through security cooperation until this day. ASEAN continues to operate as a regional organization that has grown from its regional cooperation through regionalism. This study discusses the various approaches on liberal institutionalism applied in interpreting ASEAN regionalism, especially in the context of economic, political, and social security cooperation. The link between globalization, the theory of liberal institutionalism, and the process of regionalism have been given significant attention, as many factors are interconnected between the subjects in the context of this study. Most of the data acquired for this study have been extracted from books, journal articles, reports by the ASEAN Secretariat, as well as library sources, in line with the need for suitable methodologies to conduct this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of the criminal justice system in Malaysia in setting up an intermediary home program for exprisoners is an initiative to be proud of. It is in line with the efforts of various developed countries in providing halfway houses for ex-prisoners. The main idea is to ensure the transition of ex-prisoners runs smoothly from life in jail to joining the community. This halfway house is so important especially for ex-prisoners who have no homes to live in after their released. One of the reasons is due to family rejections. The research methodology of this concept paper is qualitative in nature with reference of previous studies in the field of criminal justice. Information from literature reviews of developed countries is used in designing suitable programs for the existing halfway houses in Malaysia. This paper would further address the functional limit found in the previous studies' discussions. The absence of job replacement program, drug abuse program and family reinforcement program are among the functional limits of halfway houses in Malaysia. Such programs are vital in integrating the ex-prisoner's re-entry in the community. The suggestions promote a dynamic input for the policymakers to better equipped the existing halfway houses with such programs. The end results of this study are hoped to benefit the ex-prisoners prior re-entering the community once again and the government in building more valuable intermediary programs in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Akademika is the property of Akademika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Akademika is the property of Akademika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Akademika is the property of Akademika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Akademika is the property of Akademika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper is a study of ngalai ritual in Kota Belud, Sabah. The main objective of this discussion is to document the traditional performance which is present still among older generation the west coast Sabah Bajau. The paper was written based on field work carried out at Sembirai village, Kota Belud for a month. The interview was conducted among the healers related to the abstinences and the materials used during the ceremony. Therefore, this study explores the ngalai as a ritualistic performance for healing that revolves the relationship between behaviour and culture. This healing ritual is performed because it is believed that there are conflicts between human nature and the invisible world. These conflicts in turn raises the 'ire' of supernatural beings. As a result, humans are exposed to diseases that are incurable by modern medicine. The ngalai ritual is believed to be an alternative to such adverse circumstances. Ngalai seen as a treatment for physical and spiritual diseases suffered by the human body. The Kota Belud Bajaus also believe this to be a way to persuade the spirits around them to refrain from causing bringing catastrophe to individuals and the entire of society. Therefore, culture and belief system of the Bajau play an important role in the way they perceive their health, behavior and responses to the diseases and treatment. This ritual specifically demonstrates the use and the practice as part of the traditional medicine culture that is also practiced among other societies in Malaysia, such as the healing of ritual main puteri/teri in Kelantan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]