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The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission published a discussion paper on Regulating Unsolicited Commercial Messages in early August 2003. It was undertaken as a precursor to a law to control the problem of junk mails or spam on the Internet and other electronic media. In this article, I intend to explore the problem of regulating spam from an economic point of view, and to discuss the Commission''s findings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ionospheric scintillation is a common phenomenon in the equatorial, auroral, and polar areas, posing a threat to the Global Navigation Satellite System's (GNSS) operation. This ionospheric effect is thought to impact satellite signal propagation, hence, lowering positioning accuracy. Therefore, detecting ionospheric scintillation is critical in enhancing GNSS performance, particularly at low latitudes with severe amplitude scintillation. This paper investigates the effects of ionospheric scintillation on GPS signals at UNIMAS station, the East part of Malaysia. This study aims to identify the occurrence of ionospheric scintillation by calculating the index of scintillation strength during solar maximum 2014. The amplitude scintillation, which is measured in the S 4 index is obtained and classified accordingly from the data recorded at the UNIMAS station. The results have shown that strong scintillation (S 4 ≥ 0.5) occurred in the spring (April) and autumn (September and October) seasons, reaching 8 incidents. This paper also presents the diurnal, seasonal, and solar activity dependence of ionospheric scintillation. It is evident that the occurrence of amplitude scintillation is influenced by variations in solar activity, including solar flares and sunspots, as well as diurnal and seasonal changes. These findings provide valuable insights into the behaviour of the ionosphere and its impact on space-based communication and navigation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass gasification technology has gained significant attention as a potential solution for circular economies by converting organic waste into valuable energy and products (Waste-to-Power-to-X). This paper comprehensively evaluates biomass gasification technology from a techno-economic-policy perspective, providing valuable insights for circular economies. It examines technical aspects such as processes, feedstocks, and syngas production, assessing advancements that would improve efficiency and environmental performance by addressing key challenges like tar removal and gas cleaning. Economic feasibility is analysed through a techno-economic assessment, considering capital costs, operational expenses, revenue streams, and potential markets. Real-world examples and case studies offer insights into economic viability of these processes. The paper emphasizes the significance of supportive policy frameworks, discussing stimulus measures like feed-in tariffs, tax incentives, and regulatory reforms to promote biomass gasification adoption. By combining technological, economic, and policy perspectives, this paper provides a holistic reality check of biomass gasification technology, identifying opportunities, challenges, and pathways for leveraging as a sustainable and economically viable solution for waste management and energy production. The findings and insights presented in this paper can assist policymakers, investors, and stakeholders in making informed decisions regarding the implementation of biomass gasification projects in the future. [Display omitted] • These findings serve as valuable insights for exploring the market potential. • Waste materials are transformed into valuable resources. • Effectively managing by-products is crucial in unlocking their economic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Unification between two countries is not a purely economic phenomenon but a multidimensional phenomenon. We evaluate the prospects of unification between South Korea and North Korea from a multidimensional perspective encompassing the political, social, economic and technological dimensions. To do so, we use the Global Dimension of Regional Integration model developed by [Ruiz, M. A. (2004). The Global Dimension of Regional Integration Model (GDRI-Model), FEA 2004–7. Faculty of Economics and Administration (FEA) Working Papers. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: University of Malaya]. Our main finding is a wide and growing gap between the two Koreas in terms of political, social, economic and technological development as well as overall development. This suggests that inter-Korean unification is likely to be a costly and disruptive process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper examines the antecedents of cashless payment systems among businesses in Malaysia. The adoption of cashless payment systems by businesses has the potential to reduce the costs related to handling huge amounts of cash in the market and enhance transaction speed. Unfortunately, its current adoption in Malaysia is still small and very little is known about the factors. A seven-factor model based on the TOE framework was developed and tested. The partial least square (PLS) statistical approach was employed to analyze data collected from 200 business entities in Malaysia. The results reveal that compatibility and technology competence have higher significant relationships with the adoption of cashless payment systems. Management support, firm critical mass, competitive pressure, and information intensity are significantly related to the adoption of cashless payment systems, while firm size is not associated with it. The findings of this study provide significant practical implications for Malaysian stakeholders and technology vendors to recognize factors that affect a firm's adoption of cashless payment systems to support business transactions. By investigating the phenomenon through the TOE framework, this study presents an integrated model of cashless payment systems by businesses. Our findings also offer guidance for future application of the PLS method in cashless payment and related research. The paper provides a more holistic understanding of the factors influencing cashless payment systems among businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a viral infection that primarily affects children. The disease is characterized by fever, sores in the mouth, and a rash on the hands, feet, and buttocks. In this case study, we analyze the dynamics of HFMD in children under 15 years old in Malaysia using an age-structured modeling approach. First we prove backward bifurcation for a baseline model which is then extended to an age-structured model. We used data on the incidence of HFMD in Malaysia from 2021 to 2022 to calibrate the model parameters and simulate the disease dynamics. Sensitivity analysis is done by Latin hypercube sampling - partial rank correlation coefficient (LHS/PRCC) method. Simulation is done and the impact of imperfect vaccine and quarantine is explored. Our results show that the dynamics of the disease is mostly driven by children under 5 years old. The model also predicts that vaccination could significantly reduce the incidence of HFMD in Malaysia. Vaccination is most effective when targeted at young children, who are at the highest risk of disease as this will lead to drastic decrease in the incidence of HFMD in all age groups. Our simulations show that quarantining of infected children until they fully recover will reduce the transmission of HFMD, but this strategy needs to be sustained for a sufficient duration to have a significant impact. The result of this paper can inform the development of policies for controlling the spread of HFMD and other infectious diseases in Malaysia and other similar settings. • A novel age-structured mathematical model of HFMD. • Interactions between different age groups are investigated. • The model is calibrated with real-life data. • Sensitivity analysis is performed to illustrate the role of parameters with respect to disease control. • Prove backward bifurcation due to the incorporation of imperfect vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a survey assessing factors contributing to the public acceptance of hydrogen as a fuel for vehicles in Malaysia. For the survey, a set of questionnaires was prepared in Google Forms and distributed to respondents through social media (WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger, and Telegram). The survey was conducted during the movement order control in Malaysia due to the global pandemic, and the responses were collected from November to December 2021. One hundred seventy-six local respondents voluntarily participated in the survey. The responses were analysed using non-parametric statistical tests in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The highest number of respondents from the 18–25 age group is 101 (57.39 per cent), followed by 26–35 (26.7 per cent) and 36–45 (7.95 per cent). The statistical analysis of the survey shows that socio-demographics is a factor influencing public acceptance. The Spearman correlation test shows a positive correlation between Malaysia's environmental awareness and the potential to use a hydrogen-powered car; hence, there is a good chance of Malaysian acceptance of using hydrogen as fuel. Safety and public perception of hydrogen-powered cars also indicate a positive correlation, where the R- values for all questions are more than 0.5, indicating that safety is a factor that shapes public acceptance. Although the number of samples does not represent the population, it provides a reasonable basis to examine the influencing factors of public acceptance of hydrogen as a fuel for vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy plays a crucial role in human life as it is necessary for survival and enables us to perform daily activities. The passage of time has driven progress, with various tools, machines, and devices created to facilitate human affairs. Everything is very dependent on Energy. Unfortunately, the prevalent reliance on fossil fuels as the primary energy source has resulted in an environmental disparity attributed to greenhouse gas emissions. Besides, the depletion of fossil fuel reserves is a long-term concern for nations involved in fossil fuel production including Malaysia, which necessitates a delicate equilibrium between escalating energy demands and escalating pollution levels. This review paper aims to highlight the potential of renewable energy based on green hydrogen in Malaysia. The energy scenario in Malaysia has been reviewed by discussing energy demand, current population, energy policy synopsis, conventional energy sources, carbon emissions, and the direction of renewable energy in Malaysia. Besides, the conceptual framework for hydrogen as renewable energy was discussed covering the hydrogen economy, production technology, storage, and energy production using green hydrogen. Finally, potential applications for using hydrogen energy have been presented so that the future direction of using this alternative energy can be well planned in Malaysia. •An overview of hydrogen energy as Malaysian alternative energy is comprehensively discussed. •The hydrogen energy prospects are described in detail such as hydrogen economy, production, and consumption. •The progress of hydrogen energy implementation in Malaysia is studied towards embarking on this effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is the continuation from the previous paper which has been published. The focus of this paper is to analyse the tropospheric scintillation which consists of both fades and enhancements and the worst-month of scintillation fades and enhancements. This analysis is then compared against the six scintillation prediction models, namely Karasawa, ITU-R, Van de Kamp, Otung, Anthony-Mandeep and Nadirah-Rafiqul. The result shows that both measured scintillation fades and enhancements are 0.50 dB and 0.48 dB at 0.01% of time. Whereas the other six scintillation models have the following reading for the scintillation amplitude (both fades and enhancements) respectively: 0.44 dB and 0.36 dB (Karasawa), 0.42 dB (ITU-R only for fades but not enhancements), 0.23 dB for both (Van De Kamp), 0.70 dB and 0.68 dB (Anthony & Mandeep) and 0.38 dB and 0.33 dB (Nadirah & Rafiqul) at 0.01% of time. Otung has the highest scintillation fades and enhancements with values of 1.29 dB and 0.67 dB respectively. On the other hand, the measured worst-month of both scintillation fades and enhancements have the highest amplitude at 0.01% of time, which are 0.88 dB and 0.90 dB if compared to the annual cumulative distribution function (CDF), which yield 0.50 dB and 0.48 dB respectively. The month of February 2016 is declared to be the worst-month because it has the highest values for the scintillation fades and enhancements. Furthermore, the percentage fractional error and Root Mean Square (RMS) error are shown. Particularly at 0.01% of time, Van de Kamp has the highest fractional error for both scintillation fades and enhancements which are 100.8% and 100% respectively. Similarly, the same for RMS errors for both scintillation fades and enhancements with the values of 78.3% and 65.3% respectively. Whereas the other models have higher values for both percentage fractional error and RMS error except for Karasawa with the values of 11.6% and 17.2% for fades and enhancements respectively. Thus, this model is suitable to be used in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grassroots Innovations (GRIs) mostly represent incremental changes that are supported by local values and culture. In this respect, government efforts to promote and strengthen GRIs movements should take into consideration customised and targeted policy instruments that are different from the traditional innovation and development agendas. Based on this principle – and in the context of three Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines – this paper attempts to investigate the current public policy contexts and common instrumental mechanisms for public interventions supporting GRIs. The governing context alluding to policy support is elaborated to provide a taxonomy of GRIs policy measures germane to political-governance windows. The findings show that Malaysia has explicit policy support for GRIs, whereas innovators in Thailand and the Philippines indirectly benefit from broader inclusive development and innovation policies. There are three scenarios of instrumental mechanisms supporting GRIs – these show the differences in approaches adopted by national governments in terms of their perception of GRIs, modes of intervention and outcome expectations. This paper also highlights several policy concerns useful for future endeavours regarding public interventions on GRIs and rural development. • Enrich GRIs literature with evidence- and rural context-based insights useful for policymakers. • Governance and institutional arrangements for GRIs. • An elaborative mechanism supporting those who are stateless, informal or illegal migrants. • Criticisms in justifying intervention and salient concerns for policy supporting GRIs. • A taxonomy to GRIs policy measures germane to political-governing windows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role of experts in implementing Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) initiatives at the national level and explores the performative politics and power dynamics involved. Original research conducted in Malaysia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, where REDD+ efforts were underway, provides the empirical basis for the study. The findings reveal tensions between the official win-win narrative of REDD+ and the reflective perspectives of experts based on their empirical knowledge and unique positionalities. These tensions raise questions about the underlying norms and values associated with REDD+. However, the pursuit of professional development within the international development and conservation sector, reliant on donor funding, impedes constructive reflection. The alignment of experts with donor visions for career advancement contributes to this obstacle. Therefore, the paper argues for creating space for a more reflexive approach among scholars and practitioners to foster comprehensive reflection and a fundamental rethink of the future of REDD+. • Examination of REDD+ experts' discourses at the national level reveals another operational challenge for REDD+. • Empirical observations and past experiences of REDD+ experts raise doubts about the core norms and values of REDD+. • The lack of emphasis on this empirical knowledge in international policy processes hinders REDD+'s progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has issued a series of biodiesel-related policies to alleviate energy shortage anxiety and reduce carbon emissions. However, no other provinces or cities in China widely utilize biodiesel except Shanghai. This article firstly conducted a comprehensive estimation of the potential botanical biodiesel capacity in China. Then, we examined why biodiesel advancement in China was stagnated by comparing biodiesel-related policies in pioneer countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. We found the highest mix ratio will be ∼13 % if all potential botanical oils are added to petrochemical diesel and an addition of 3 % blending ratio can be achieved if waste cooking oils are effectively utilized. We concluded that despite the encouragement from policies, insufficient materials and lack of downstream consumptions may be the major reasons for the sluggish development of biodiesel in China. If microalgae biodiesel production technology is overcome in the future, China can compulsorily mix biodiesel on a large scale. This paper provided a comprehensive review of biodiesel-related policies in Malaysia, Indonesia and China, and figured out the key problems that hinder the promotion of biodiesel, helping to understand the dilemma and drive the potential development of biodiesel in China. • Potential biodiesel capacities were estimated among various provinces in China. • The highest biodiesel mix ratio will be ∼13 % if adding all potential botanical oils. • The southern China is more likely to prioritize blending biodiesel than the north. • Biodiesel-related policies in Malaysia, Indonesia and China were fully reviewed. • Inadequate materials and lacking downstream consumption hindered biodiesel growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia is one of the leading producers and exporters of oil palm, and the industry contributes significantly to the growth of the national economy. Nonetheless, the consequential oil palm biomass (OPB) with a potential yield of ∼97 million tonnes annually presents both challenges and opportunities, demanding innovative waste management solutions. This paper explores the feasibility of converting OPB into valuable commodities by employing concentrated solar-driven pyrolysis. A detailed overview of the biomass produced from oil palm plantations and mills is provided, along with a discussion of the industry stakeholders and associated biomass management challenges. The pyrolysis of OPB is explored, emphasizing benefits, potential barriers, and techniques. The focus then shifts to Malaysia's solar potential, which ranges from 1470 to 1900 kWh/m2 annually. The potentials of solar pyrolysis are explored, encompassing discussions on solar concentrator types, reactors, and the distribution of solar and OPB resources throughout Malaysia. The paper then recommends Tawau in Sabah, as an ideal location for OPB solar pyrolysis, due to its solar availability (up to 1873 kWh/m2), potential OPB resources from 19 mills and 241 plantations, and supportive infrastructure. The paper proposes solar-driven pyrolysis as a sustainable solution for Malaysia's OPB management, offers insights for policy initiatives and technological innovations in optimizing OPB and solar energy utilization. • Analyzes oil palm biomass potential for solar pyrolysis in Malaysia. • Explores solar resources in Malaysia for solar-driven pyrolysis. • Examines solar concentrators and reactors for pyrolysis. • Identifies potential city, as the optimal location for solar pyrolysis. • Discusses commercialization challenges of solar-driven pyrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhanced mobile broadband is an essential target in fifth-generation (5G) networks with higher demands among service consumers. It offers very high-speed Internet connections for several geographical areas: urban, suburban, and rural. Many mobile network operators (MNOs) continuously monitor the quality of service in terms of multiple services to guarantee high network performance. To the best of our knowledge, no extensive studies and analyses are conducted on mobile broadband (MBB) services that cover various implementation scenarios and several performance metrics. This study comprehensively analyzes the existing MBB performance in an urban area: Cyberjaya City, Malaysia. The measurement data were collected through drive tests from various MNOs supporting 3G and 4G technologies: Maxis, Celcom, Digi, U Mobile, and Unifi. Several performance metrics, such as signal quality, throughput (downlink and uplink), ping, and handover, were measured during the drive tests. The data measurements were conducted in two scenarios: outdoor and indoor environments. Measurement results of the outdoor drive test demonstrate that the maximum average throughput with downlink and uplink data rates is 14.3 and 7.1 Mbps, respectively, whereas the minimum average ping and loss are 36.5 ms and 0.14, respectively, for all MNOs. However, the in-building measurements achieve an acceptable overall average data rate of 2 Mbps. This paper provides several suggestions and recommendations for MBB providers to improve their performance networks and quality of experience to meet customers' satisfaction. Several limitations not considered in this study and can point to possible future work are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pilot study of solar/hybrid/storage system for vertical farming under tropical climate condition with a case study at Malaysia. • Energy utilization and management via optimized building geometry modeling integrated with energy yield estimation tool to evaluate the potential of integrating green energy into urban agriculture. • Comprehensive analysis and assessments including technological, economic and environmental aspects of the proposed work. • The proposed work is evaluated under different design configuration (grid connected, stand alone, hybrid, storage etc) considering various optimization and design requirements and real-life constraints. • Comparative studies with hypothetical model and verification with additional energy modeling tool. Human population is projected to reach 9.7 billion in 2050 and strike 11.2 billion by 2100. Residence shift from countryside to cities will occur and the human population resides in the cities is envisaged to rise from 55% to 68%. Vertical farming was proposed to address food insecurity caused by overcrowded population and farmland shortages. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of vertical farming in the Asia Pacific is forecasted to grow at 22.1% with a market size reaching USD 2,101.0 million by 2024. Malaysian government encourages the implementation of vertical farming as the production of major agricultural commodities has contracted by 3.4% from 2015 to 2017. However, high energy consumption is one of the shortcomings of a vertical farm as the estimated annual energy consumption for each square meter of growing area is 3500 kW h. Thus, this paper proposes an optimized building geometry modeling integrated with energy yield estimation tool to evaluate the potential of integrating green energy into urban agriculture. This research examines the load demand in the vertical farming systems and develops solar/hybrid/storage for vertical farming system with energy yield, performance ratio, economics and environmental assessments. Preliminary resources assessment by analyzing the solar radiation of the sites was carried out at stage 1. At stage 2, load consumption was calculated, and specifications of the system were justified. Stage 3 included the development of solar PV system for the vertical farms, the economic evaluation in the context of net present cost (NPC), levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and investigation of the environmental impact. Grid-connected and standalone solar PV systems were developed for comparative studies. The estimated daily energy consumption for vertical farms in Selangor and Kuching was 430.116 kW h and 1002.024 kW h. Energy generated by grid-connected solar PV systems supported 11.6% and 8.35% of the load consumption in Selangor and Sarawak. The performance ratios of grid-connected solar PV systems in both selected sites were 82.22% and 82.56%. The finding proved that proposed work has significantly reduced the dependency of the utility grid. Additionally, the LCOE with solar PV integration vertical farming system appeared to be lower than the LCOE of the grid and lower CO 2 emission. This paper serves as a reference guide to the vertical farming stakeholders, national policy-decision makers and non-profit organizations who planned for similar initiatives especially those within the tropical climate regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the outbreaks of SARS and Covid-19 in Taiwan and their implications for public health and policy. SARS, a novel coronavirus that emerged in China in 2003, caused severe respiratory illness and spread rapidly across Asia, including Taiwan. Covid-19, another novel coronavirus that originated in China in 2019, posed a similar threat to Taiwan due to the high volume of cross-border travel. However, Taiwan learned from its experience with SARS and implemented timely and effective measures to contain the virus and protect its population. The paper draws on evidence from various sources, such as reviews, correspondence, and diaries, to examine how Taiwan responded to both epidemics. It highlights the role of the government, the health care system, the media, and the public in preventing and controlling the spread of infection. It also compares the economic and social impacts of SARS and Covid-19 on Taiwan and other countries. The paper argues that Taiwan's success in managing both epidemics demonstrates its maturity and competence in epidemic prevention and preparedness. It also suggests that Taiwan's model can serve as a reference for other countries facing similar challenges. The paper concludes by acknowledging the ongoing threat of emerging infectious diseases and calling for global cooperation and vigilance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explains a new Adaptive Path Sensing Method (APSM) for indoor radio wave propagation prediction. Measurement campaigns, which cover indoor line-of-sight (LoS), non-line-of-sight (NLoS) and different room scenarios, are conducted at the new Wireless Communication Centre (WCC) block P15a) of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Johor, Malaysia. The proposed APSM is evaluated through a computerized modelling tool by comparing the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) with measurement data and the conventional Shooting-Bouncing Ray Tracing (SBRT) method. Simulations of the APSM and SBRT are performed with the same layout of the new WCC block P15a by using the exact building dimensions. The results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a better agreement with measured data, compared to the conventional SBRT outputs. The reduced computational time and resources required are also important milestones to ray tracing technology. The proposed APSM method can assist engineers and researchers to reduce the time required in modelling and optimizing reliable radio propagation in an indoor environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River, which supply 90% of the readily accessible water, are key elements of universal water source system. Terengganu River situated in Terengganu, Malaysia is a modern busy city known for tourism, fishing, and industry. Due to that, it has increased risk of water pollution exposure. Therefore, this paper proposes unsupervised ML include Autoencoder and Self-Organizing Map (SOM) for clustering water pollution area along the Terengganu River. Then, uses Silhouette analysis to assess the total of optimum clusters in a dataset. Next, applies Adjusted Rank Index (ARI) to discover the finest comparing within original data with Autoencoder and SOM. Lastly, applies Elbow method to double verify the most excellent clusters for each clustering algorithm. Lastly, lists of polluted area in each cluster are retrieved from 14 main sampling stations with 24 water quality parameters, including 405 water samples. Result shows different cluster with different water samples. Thus, offer different strategies to manage polluted area for Terengganu River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many industries operate or run 24 h and seven days a week with downtime only for maintenance and repair in manufacturing facilities. This continuous operating trend allows for a higher production volume since the industry has relentless pressures on cost containment to maintain profit margins. However, the practice poses high risks of occupational injuries or major accidents. Shift working hours could lead to various safety and health and significantly impact the workers' well-being. Based on this fact, this paper presents a correlation analysis of shift works with sleep patterns, fatigue, and work injuries in food manufacturing plants, specifically in Malaysia. A survey using a set of questionnaires was conducted on two food manufacturing industries in Selangor, Malaysia. The industry operates continuously with a pre-planned downtime due to market globalization, industrialization transformation, and the rising demand for food. The companies in the food manufacturing industry held frequent internal and external audits to ensure the food quality was not being compromised and adhered to the local acts and regulations. To ensure the company runs continuously, the companies practice slow rotation schedules of shift work systems, where workers change to a new shift every three months. The companies have three working shifts per day, namely the morning shift (7.00 am to 3.00 pm), the afternoon shift (3.00–11.00 pm) and the night shift (11.00 pm to 7.00 am). Based on the statistical analysis, many workers prefer the day shift over the afternoon and night shifts. Sleep patterns and fatigue are significantly correlated with work-related injuries. Due to shift work, the workers tend to have fewer sleep hours, resulting in poor sleep patterns, which could increase the possibility of work injuries. In conclusion, workers' physical, mental and social well-being in any industry should be promoted and maintained to the highest degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Safety Leadership influences both safety motivation and safety motivation. • Safety knowledge and motivation mediates safety leadership and safety behavior. • Effective safety leadership in hospitals indirectly leads to better safety behavior. • Safety leadership consist of caring, controlling, and coaching dimensions. • Self-efficacy theory sheds light on safety leadership and safety behavior. Introduction: This paper investigates the relationships among safety leadership, safety motivation, safety knowledge, and safety behavior in the setting of a tertiary hospital in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Method: Underpinned by the self-efficacy theory, we argue that high-quality safety leadership enhances nurses' safety knowledge and motivation and subsequently, improves their safety behavior (safety compliance and safety participation). A total of 332 questionnaire responses were gathered and analyzed using SmartPLS Version 3.2.9, revealing the direct effect of safety leadership on both safety knowledge and safety motivation. Results: Safety knowledge and safety motivation were found to directly and significantly predict nurses' safety behavior. Notably, safety knowledge and safety motivation were established as important mediators in the relationship between safety leadership and nurses' safety compliance and participation. Practical Applications: The findings of this study offer key guidance for safety researchers and hospital practitioners in identifying mechanisms to enhance safety behavior among nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies in Malaysia concerning Industry 4.0 focused mainly on cloud manufacturing, advanced robotics and intelligent manufacturing. Field studies conducted were focusing predominantly on the beverage and electrical equipment industry. Industry 4.0 is considered as a new industrial revolution. In contrast to the previous publications, the purpose of this conceptual paper is to provide a conceptual framework for further studies to be conducted in Malaysia identifying the relationship between Industry 4.0 key technologies and productivity. Wide field studies concerning Industry 4.0 and productivity of Malaysian manufacturing firms are still lacking. The paper describes briefly the key technologies of Industry 4.0 and ranks them according to the absolute frequency stated in the literature. The developed research questions concern the relationship between productivity and Industry 4.0 technologies. Productivity is a key element of competitiveness for manufacturing firms. Hence research about the relationship between Industry 4.0 technologies and productivity is essential for Malaysian manufacturing firms prior implementation of new manufacturing technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile broadband (MBB) services are rapidly growing, causing a massive increase in mobile data traffic growth. This surge in data traffic is due to several factors (such as the massive increase of subscribers, mobile applications, etc.) which have led to the need for more bandwidth. Mobile service providers are constantly improving their network efficiency by upgrading current networks and investing in newer mobile network generations. However, these improvements will not be enough to accommodate the future spectrum demands. This paper proposes a time series forecasting model to analyze future spectrum demands based on the spectrum efficiency growth of MBB networks. This model depends on two key input data: the average spectrum efficiency per site and the number of sites per technology. The model is used to predict the spectrum efficiency growth of three countries (Turkey, Malaysia, and Oman) from 2015 to 2025. The proposed model is compared with various traditional statistical models such as the Moving Average (MA), Auto-Regression (AR), Autoregressive–Moving-Average (ARMA), and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA). The forecasted results indicate that the average spectrum efficiency and growth will continue to rise multiple times by 2025 compared to 2015. The data from this prediction model can be used as input data to forecast the required spectrum needed in future for any specific country. This study further contributes to the network planning of future mobile networks for Fifth Generation (5G) and Sixth Generation (6G) technology. The proposed model obtains higher accuracy (by 90%) compared to other models. The proposed model is also applicable to any country, especially when new wireless communication technologies emerge in future. It is customizable and scalable since spectrum regulators can add additional metrics that positively contribute towards accurately estimating future spectrum efficiency growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green entrepreneurship (GE) has recently become one of the important factors in attaining competitive advantages and a firm's sustainability, while Human Capital (HC) is the facilitator of our growth, prosperity and progress. The meaning and role of this small word, green, is so significant that our lives and the future depend on it. However, the implications of GE for HC and Business Sustainability (BS) are still unclear. This empirical study investigates several aspects of GE, HC and BS: first, the relationship between GE on HC and BS in Malaysian Large Manufacturing Firm (LMF); and secondly the mediating role of HC on the relationship between GE and BS. A research model was developed to test these hypothesized relationships. The model was tested on data from 213 Malaysian LMFs, employing structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). GE has a significant effect on HC and BS. HC has a significant effect on the BS of LMFs in Malaysia, and fully mediates the relationship between GE and BS. The results provide useful insights for researchers and managers of manufacturing firms, and the paper outlines the practical and theoretical implications and potential future research. • This paper examines the role of green entrepreneurship and its contribution to Business Sustainability. • It seeks to explain the relationship between them under human capital conditions • GE has a significant effect on HC and BS. • HC has a significant effect on the BS and fully mediates the relationship between GE and BS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hybrid solar desalination system. • Active mode operation and passive mode operation. • Solar desalination systems efficiency and economic analysis. • Trend in distillate cost, and yield by hybrid solar desalination systems. • Innovation type, feedwater, weather variabilities, operation mode impact on distillate quantity. In this paper, a hybrid solar desalination system was fabricated and incorporated with a water heater powered by a photovoltaic (PV) system. It was experimentally evaluated at Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Malaysia. Daytime operating conditions without the use of a PV system were considered for the conventional operation, while the use of PV alone or combined with direct solar radiation was considered as the modified system. This study was carried out to determine the freshwater yield, weather variabilities impact on yield, economic analysis, and system efficiency of hybrid solar desalination systems. An encyclopaedic review of five years of different researchers from different countries was critically analysed and compared with this study to see their trends and relationship. Within the study period, solar still distillate cost ranges from 0.0051 to 0.8857$/L, and 0.006 to 0.789$/L for the modified and conventional systems respectively. Similarly, the distillate cost for this study is 0.0374$/L and 0.0892$/L for the conventional and modified systems respectively. Also, the distillate yield ranges from 0.93 to 24.3 L/m2.day with an average of 12.1 L/m2.day, for the modified system, and 0.55 to 6.63 L/m2.day with an average of 3.35 L/m2.day for the conventional systems. The hourly system efficiency is 30.07 %, and 8.29 % for the modified and conventional systems respectively. Solar still is economically reasonable with good efficiency as obtained from the result. The findings also suggested that researchers should target a distillate yield of at least 6 L/m2.day and a distillate cost of 0.2$/L or lower for innovation, for a good and economical system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Impacts of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami to Malaysia were diverse and significant. • Majority of Malaysia's at-risk coastline are still highly vulnerable. • Tourism, fishing and aquaculture industries were heavily affected. • Impacts of the tsunami towards local ecosystem need better understanding. • Research on tsunami have gained interest in Malaysia. Situated in the middle of the Sunda Plate and close to the Ring of Fire, Malaysia is surrounded by seismically active zones that pose risks of natural hazards, among which is tsunami. The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami caused by a magnitude 9.3 earthquake off Sumatran coastline was the first tsunami to have reached Malaysia in the country's own recorded history, though there are brief records of other tsunami reaching Malaysian coastline in the past. This paper reviewed relevant literature sources to highlight the intensity and diversity of damages caused by the tsunami towards Malaysia. These damages ranged from loss of lives, physical damage to structures and infrastructures, environmental changes, socioeconomic setbacks, and health issues among the victims. Subsequent measures taken by the Malaysian government and agencies in managing disaster risk in the country are also reviewed. These measures include the identification of tsunami hazard zones, development of tsunami emergency response plans, and the formation of the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA). In addition, the shift in disaster management approaches from being heavily top-down towards community-based was examined. Understanding of the wide spectrum of impacts caused by the tsunami disaster, the contributing factors as well as mitigation efforts reviewed in this paper can be particularly useful in making informed decisions regarding future risk reduction strategies in the context of a developing country like Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass is a promising resource in Malaysia for energy, fuels, and high value-added products. However, regards to biomass value chains, the numerous restrictions and challenges related to the economic and environmental features must be considered. The major concerns regarding the enlargement of biomass plantation is that it requires large amounts of land and environmental resources such as water and soil that arises the danger of creating severe damages to the ecosystem (e.g. deforestation, water pollution, soil depletion etc.). Regarded concerns can be diminished when all aspects associated with palm biomass conversion and utilization linked with environment, food, energy and water (EFEW) nexus to meet the standard requirement and to consider the potential impact on the nexus as a whole. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the detail interactions between all the components in the nexus once intended to look for the best solution to exploit the great potential of biomass. This paper offers an overview regarding the present potential biomass availability for energy production, technology readiness, feasibility study on the techno-economic analyses of the biomass utilization and the impact of this nexus on value chains. The agro-biomass resources potential and land suitability for different crops has been overviewed using satellite imageries and the outcomes of the nexus interactions should be incorporated in developmental policies on biomass. The paper finally discussed an insight of digitization of the agriculture industry as future strategy to modernize agriculture in Malaysia. Hence, this paper provides holistic overview of biomass competitiveness for sustainable bio-economy in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has focused on the design and sizing of standalone photovoltaic systems. Unfortunately, due to highly fluctuating levels of solar energy and the power supply generated not coinciding with energy demand, high capacity of generation and energy storage systems are required to provide a highly reliable supply. However, a highly reliable system tends to produce high excess energy which needs to be discarded as a dump load, which is proving to be a major concern. For this reason, this paper proposes to use the excess energy for hydrogen production, which will then be sold to local consumers. This paper presents a comparison of optimization design and economic analysis of a standalone photovoltaic with a battery system and a standalone photovoltaic with battery-hydrogen production system using an iterative technique. For the feasibility study of the standalone photovoltaic with a battery and with a hydrogen production system, the proposed minimum hydrogen-selling price is determined by breakeven analysis and is compared to the past references' hydrogen-selling prices and gasoline prices. • Optimization design, modeling, and economic analysis of SAPV without and with hydrogen production system were studied. • Iterative technique was used in optimization process. • Optimization results for SAPVBS and SAPVBHPS were compared. • Breakeven point analysis of the payback period and the return of investment were used to determine hydrogen-selling price. • Theminimum hydrogen-selling price was compared to the past published hydrogen-selling prices and Malaysia's gasoline prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid global economic development over the past two decades has been accompanied by rising energy demand and CO 2 emission rates. Understanding the driving forces of CO 2 emissions is necessary for future energy planning and policy formulation. This paper examines the driving factors behind the increase in CO 2 emissions in Malaysia with special focus on the manufacturing, electricity and transportation sectors. The paper extends the Kaya identity by incorporating energy mix, investment efficiency, capital-labor substitution, population-to-employment, urbanization rates, and per capita CO 2 , along with the standard variables including economic activity, economic structure, and energy intensity. The paper also evaluates if any macroeconomic instability (economic crisis) in the country has led to reduction in emission rates. The study utilizes the latest country data, covering the period 2002–2016. The result shows that, while economic activity is always associated with CO 2 emissions, more efficient energy use would help restrain the rise in emission rates without hampering economic growth regardless of economic structure. Emission reduction targets in Malaysia should be reinforced with an appropriate economic restructuring that restrains the economic structure effect. Due to the extensive energy use in the transportation and electricity generation, future emission control should focus more on these sectors. • The paper identifies the factors affecting CO 2 emissions, considering the economic, technical, and social aspects. • The study investigates whether the economic downturn induces further emission control. • Results indicate economic activities and urbanization process are the main driving factors. • Energy efficiency, renewable energy use, and capital-labor substitution should be strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the foundation of the Peninsular Malaysia's electricity market reform and development towards successful of Incentive Based Regulation (IBR) implementation, when revising also the Special Industry Tariff (SIT), Time of Use (TOU) and Enhanced Time of Use (ETOU) tariff. The Malaysian characteristics of Price Based Program (PBP) pointed out are compared with other countries across several continents. Since PBP benefits the energy providers in order to enhance power system efficiency, the effectiveness of consumer side strategies to gain benefit from PBP should be given attention too. In this study, investigation has been focused on one of the PBP which is ETOU tariff; with regard to the impact of this new tariff in communicating to selected real data energy profile for all commercial and industrial tariff types through congruent analysis. Without any effort towards load management as well as Demand Side Management (DSM) strategies implementation, the dedicative consumers' electricity bill has increased significantly to approximately 0.5%–12% during ETOU tariff shifting. In order to overcome this issue, a novel formulation by using simultaneous demand side management strategies such as valley filling, load clipping and load shifting for the ETOU tariff optimization is proposed. Meanwhile, the momentous simulation analysis results has demonstrated that major commercial and industrial consumers should find out for about 20%–50% of load management; by selecting PBP activities before they can switch to new tariff program. • This paper highlight the important issue regarding to the new reform of electricity market in Malaysia which related to the demand side and demand response program. The Malaysian characteristics of Price Based Program (PBP) was pointed out since PBP benefits the energy providers and consumers in Peninsular Malaysia. • This paper has highlighted some of the case study investigation that has been focused to one of the PBP which is ETOU tariff; with regard to the impact of this new tariff in communicating to selected real data energy profile for all commercial and industrial tariff types through congruent analysis and finding. • It is hope that this paper will benefit huge groups of person that related to energy and economic especially among engineers, researchers, and consumers around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the outcome of an investigation which was conducted soon after the 2015 Sabah earthquake in Malaysia. Buildings in the affected area were mainly constructed from reinforced concrete (RC) and wooden materials. Although the Mw 6.0 earthquake imposed significant damage to the majority of RC buildings, no significant structural damage was observed for the wooden structures. It was found that damage to the RC buildings was mainly because of non-ductile detailing of the structural components, strong-beam weak-column condition, captive-column and short-column effects, soft and weak stories mechanism, irregularity in plan and elevation, unconfined gable/infill walls, bad workmanship, and the low quality of construction materials. It was observed that many wooden structures had flaws in their design and construction as well. However, because of the high strength-to-weight ratio and the flexible properties of wooden materials which allow them to undergo several cycles of deformation without breaking, they survived the seismic actions. This paper identifies and discusses the main reasons for the damage observed in RC buildings and the construction flaws that were observed for wooden structures. Recommendations from seismic design codes in order to prevent the occurrence of such damage in the future are also highlighted. • A brief explanation about seismic activities in Sabah, Malaysia is presented. • Observed damage to RC buildings and seismic code requirements are discussed. • Damage to wooden buildings and observed construction flaws are discussed. • Suggestions for having safer structures in the future construction are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has spurred the development of innovative products, significantly impacting industries reliant on technology-oriented machinery and equipment, notably the construction sector. In response, the Ministry of Works, through CIDB Malaysia, has implemented the Construction Strategy Plan 4.0 (2021 – –2025), grounded in 4IR principles, to facilitate the construction industry's gradual adaptation to technological advancements. Despite its introduction in 2016 to enhance project delivery efficiency and effectiveness, the extent of adoption of advanced 4IR-related technologies and the industry players' awareness of the importance of the Construction 4.0 strategic plan remains largely unexplored. Therefore, this paper examines the awareness and adoption level of CR 4.0 technologies in the Malaysian construction industry through a structured questionnaire survey with all G1-G7 contractors that registered with CIDB Malaysia. Based on 912 valid questionnaire responses received from these contractor grades, it has been identified that the awareness and adoption of most of the contractors in Malaysia on construction 4.0 technologies are predominantly at a semi-automation level. Most of the contractors in Malaysia especially lower grade contractors (

• Sunbelt countries can develop reliable solar-dominant grids in the absence of wind. • Policymakers should be highly sceptical of low solar technical potential estimates. • Zero energy emissions Malaysia requires about 0.7 TW solar, 2 TWh pumped hydro. • Sarawak-Peninsular Malaysia interconnection reduces storage needs, but not costs. • Inclusion of about 0.4% hydrogen or synthetic methane reduces storage needs and cost. Three-quarters of the global population lives in the sunbelt region (±35o latitude) with excellent access to solar resources. Wind resources at the equator are very limited, while supply chain and permitting delays are slowing wind deployment at a global scale. This paper investigates the potential for solar photovoltaic-dominant 100% renewable grids to be developed in sunbelt countries through a case study of Malaysia. It was expected that the technical potential for solar photovoltaics and off-river pumped hydro would be far in excess of what is required to decarbonise Malaysia's electricity grids. A Geographic Information System analysis determined that Malaysia has the potential to deploy approximately 8.5 Terawatts of terrestrial photovoltaics and 25 Terawatts of marine floating solar on calm oceans. There are roughly 450 Terawatt-hours of energy storage available in the form of off-river (closed-loop) pumped hydro energy storage. A least-cost, 16-year hourly energy balance model was used to determine that an affluent, fully electrified, highly interconnected Malaysia could greatly reduce emissions through the deployment of 660 Gigawatts of photovoltaics and 2200 Gigawatt-hours of pumped hydro, supported by small amounts of hydrogen-based gas peaking. All-in costs for such a fully decarbonised energy system were modelled to be in the range of 95–103 USD per Megawatt-hour. A Sarawak-Peninsular Malaysia interconnected grid could produce a similar electricity cost to two separate grids while reducing the long-term energy storage needs by approximately 33%. Inclusion of about 3 Terawatt-hours (0.1% of average annual generation at 20 Megawatt-hours/capita/year demand) of hydrogen, synthetic methane, or legacy fossil fuels could further reduce long-term energy storage needs by about 30% by helping to ride through occasional prolonged cloudy periods. Policymakers in sunbelt countries should be highly sceptical of technical potential estimates that suggest limited area for solar photovoltaics. Sunbelt countries can comfortably proceed with the development of cheap, reliable solar-dominant grids primarily supported by pumped hydro energy storage and inter-regional transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • We looked into the potential applications of hydrate-based desalination (HBD) • HBD process treats produced water with a concentration 2.8 wt% • CO 2 as guest gas produced a water recovery of 45.55% • The desalination efficiency is strongly dependent on the ionic radii and strength of the ionic charge. This paper emphasizes sustainable development goal 6 and accepts that social progress and economic prosperity depend on the appropriate management of produced water. Produced water being the largest source of wastewater, several conventional desalination methods (thermal, membrane and freeze–thaw), are applied to obtain treated water. Nevertheless, the methods are highly energy intensive. Prospective utilization of hydrate-based desalination was proposed with a novel filter-based apparatus design to separate hydrate crystals from residual water and enhance the gas–liquid contact with all the unit operations (hydrate formation, and dissociation) occurring inside a single reactor. Experimentations were implemented to obtain the optimum conditions for CO 2 hydrate formation and compared with pure water. CO 2 hydrate formation kinetics revealed induction time, moles consumed, water-to-hydrate conversion, and water recovery were 57 mins, 1.28 mol, 27.72 %, and 50.65 % at optimum conditions of 500 ml, 3.0 MPa, 450 rpm, and 275.15 K for purification of produced water. A desalination efficiency of 62–80 % is achieved with each of the metal ions in the sequence K+>Na+>Mg2+>Ca2+, and anions SO 4 2- > Cl- without any pre and post-treatment. Also, demonstrated that the ionic charge and size have a significant impact on the ion rejection mechanism. The findings disclosed that with an upsurge in the temperature to 277.15 K the desalination efficiency enhanced nevertheless the volume of formed hydrate is less resulting in less driving force. The total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity results indicate that the treated water meets Malaysia's water quality standards for irrigation purposes. This showcases the execution of the hydrate-based desalination process, investigating salt rejection and yield with our custom reactor design. The proposed reactor design may be utilized for the effective separation of hydrate and effectively desalinating waters of higher salinities. Hydrate-based desalination integrated with membrane reactors could lead to a sustainable source of clean water by treating produced water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Importance of predicting Water Quality Index (WQI) for assessing water bodies' health and safety. • Development of hybrid model (CNN-CRNN-M5T) combining CNN, Clockwork RNN, and M5 Tree for WQI prediction. • Enhancement of M5T model's data analysis capability for intricate patterns in water quality parameters. • Utilization of GLM-ANOVA to determine significant input variables for WQI prediction. • CNN-CRNN-M5T model's superiority in reducing MAE and increasing efficiency for spatial and temporal WQI predictions in Malaysia. Predicting a water quality index (WQI) is important because it serves as an important metric for assessing the overall health and safety of water bodies. Our paper develops a new hybrid model for predicting the WQI. The study uses a combination of a convolutional neural network (CNN), clockwork recurrent neural network (Clockwork RNN), and M5 Tree (CNN-CRNN-M5T) to predict a WQI. The M5T model lacks advanced operators for extracting meaningful data from water quality parameters, so the new model enhances its ability to analyze intricate patterns. The general linear model analysis of variance (GLM-ANOVA) is an improved version of the ANOVA. Our study uses the GLM-ANOVA to determine significant inputs. As all input variables had p < 0.050, they were defined as significant variables. Results showed that NH-NL and PH had the highest and lowest impact, respectively. Our study used the CNN-CRNN-M5T, CNN-CRNN, CRNN-M5T, CNN-M5T, CRNN, CNN, and M5T models to predict the WQI of a large basin in Malaysia. The CNN-CRNN decreased testing mean absolute error (MAE) of the CRNN, CNN, and M5T models by 2.1 %, 12 %, and 15 %, respectively. The CNN-CRNN-M5T model increased Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient of the other models by 4–20 % and 2.1–19 %, respectively. The CNN-CRNN-M5T model was a reliable tool for spatial and temporal predictions of WQI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development has many dimensions, such as clean energy, green growth, and sustainable industry. Green finance has a key role in realizing these targets. The core focus of the existing paper is to demystify the influences of green finance, green energy on environmental dynamics in Malaysia covering the timeframe from 1990 to 2018. To this end, we employ the QARDL technique to peruse the effect of green finance, renewable energy, and economic growth on CO 2 emissions and ecological footprint separately. By doing so, we crosscheck the empirical outcomes and inspect the consistency of the analysis. Firstly, empirical results show that the ecological footprint model yields similar results to the CO 2 emissions model in terms of statistically significant quantile ranges and the magnitude of the coefficients. According to the overall results, GDP increases environmental degradation while green finance and renewable energy have a mitigating role. Finally, we confirm a significant EKC hypothesis for Malaysia. Based on these findings, we recommend Malaysian policymakers focus on energy efficiency, realize financial reforms and promote green energy through the financial system to achieve the 2050 net-zero emission target. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract While the nexus between music and tourism has been explored by scholars, little has been written in the tourism literature about the so-called "alternative" forms of music (metal, punk), their related "alternative subcultures", and their potential to propel forms of tourist mobility/consumption. This is particularly true within the context of Asian countries, including Malaysia, in which the underground punk scene is vibrant, yet relatively unexplored. Based on an ethnographic fieldwork conducted among a group of Malaysian punks, this paper explores punk mobilities and their related forms of tourist consumption. Overall, this work leads to three main conclusions. Firstly, physical mobility is crucial to strengthen a sense of communitas among the Malaysian punks. Secondly, punks often engage in forms of tourist consumption, although they prefer not to be labelled as "tourists". Thirdly, punk could become a tourist product as long as a balance between punk values and commercial exploitation is maintained. Highlights • Little is known about the "tourist ear" and tourists' embodied listening practices. • This paper explores Malaysian punk mobilities and their related forms of tourist consumption. • Punk could become a tourist product as long as a balance between punk values and commercial exploitation is maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industry 4.0 and control are critical for major construction organisations, and it has piqued the curiosity of academics all over the globe since the inception of mega project management and up until now. The purpose of this paper is to offer a complete review of this field's research. A bibliometric study of time management and control research published in the Scopus database was carried out in order to identify the most significant publications in the area, as well as the nations that contribute the most to these studies and the most frequently used key terms. For mapping and displaying bibliometric networks, the VOS Viewer was employed. The findings reveal an upward trend in the number of publications in this discipline. And that Australia, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia are the top contributors to mega project and industry 4.0 research. Furthermore, Marcher was the most mentioned author, with 61 citations. Also, the findings indicate a variety of levels of keywords, such as the first, which was linked to industry 4.0 in general, the second, which was relevant to the construction industry, and the third, which was related to project sustainability, and we discovered the rank of human male. These findings may aid academics in better understanding the issue of industry 4.0 in mega projects, as well as expand the area of study in related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A cross-country analysis identifying risk and protective factors on the COVID-19 deaths. • Ranking of 100 countries based on the proposed pandemic containment effectiveness (PCE) score. • Positive relationship between the PCE score and economic growth in major economies. • A counterfactual analysis discussing the tradeoff between the PCE scores and GDP growth. This paper studies whether containing COVID-19 pandemic by stringent strategies deteriorates or saves economic growth. Since there are country-specific factors that could affect both economic growth and deaths due to COVID-19, we first start with a cross-country analysis on identifying risk and protective factors on the COVID-19 deaths using large across-country variation. Using data on 100 countries from 3 January to 27 November 2020 and taking into account the possibility of underreporting, we find that for deaths per million population, GDP per capita, population density, and income inequality are the three most important risk factors; government effectiveness, temperature, and hospital beds are the three most important protective factors. Second, inspired by the stochastic frontier literature, we construct a measure of pandemic containment effectiveness (PCE) after controlling for country-specific factors and rank countries by their PCE scores for deaths. Finally, by linking the PCE score with GDP growth data in Quarters 2 and 3 of 2020, we find that PCE is positively associated with economic growth in major economies. Countries with average PCE scores, such as Malaysia, would gain more GDP growth by 3.47 percentage points if they could improve their PCE scores for deaths to South Korea's level in Q2 of 2020. Therefore, there is not a trade-off between lives and livelihood facing by governments. Instead, to save economy, it is important to contain the pandemic first. Our conclusion is also mainly valid for infections due to COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper analyses the barriers to the adoption of the triple-bottom line of sustainability of the construction sector within the developing country of Malaysia. Barriers pertaining to sustainable construction (SC) were identified through a thorough review of the literature on the process of SC, which were then contextually customized via a pilot study and presented in the form of a hypothesized model. Primary data was collected via administration of questionnaire surveys to 122 construction stakeholders in Malaysia. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was utilized to statistically validate the final model of the barriers to SC. This paper fills the gap in the knowledge by focusing on the quantified contribution of the most significant barriers to the adoption of SC principles throughout the process of SC in the context of Malaysia. Findings of this paper uncover the most significant factors constraining the SC in Malaysia related to government, cost, knowledge and information, workforce, and client and market. The findings revealed that clear and effective legislative process is crucial for the enforcement of the integration of SC materials and practices as well as economics incentives which will ultimately lead to effective implementation of SC initiatives; hence, sustainable economic growth and efficient resource (energy, water and material) utilization. It is hoped that the findings provide guidelines for the government authorities so that they invest their efforts and allocate resources in more efficient way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global depletion of fossil fuels, growing awareness on the effects of carbon emissions and greenhouse gases and, the need for renewable energy, has increased the attention towards biocoke research and active engagement with various research groups and industrial players. Biocoke production and utilisation is crucial as it contributes to the efficient management of agricultural residue and municipal solid waste. The technologies involved in the biocoke production and the viability of Malaysia's agricultural waste as a feedstock was described in this paper. In addition, the paper provided background information about the biocoke characteristics and the feedstocks that dictate quality. Comparisons of commercial coal coke and biocoke production technologies that may be applicable to Malaysia were also addressed. Moreover, the paper demonstrated the challenges towards Malaysia's biocoke commercialisation despite its viability from biomass feedstocks characteristics, availability, and evidence of calorific value estimations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomenon has become a regional issue for Greater Kuala Lumpur (GKL) as a number of studies reported an elevated air temperature in highly dense urban areas compared to the rural peripheries. An initial literature survey of UHI studies in GKL revealed an insufficiency and paucity of field measurements for more than one decade (since 1991) before gaining its momentum again after 2004. Despite a very limited number of studies in GKL, many studies used a vague set of site classification, operational definitions of Urban Heat Island Intensity (UHII) derived from such vague classification, uncontrolled and old set of data, limited coverage of weather station network and limited number of weather parameters in data collection. Therefore, this paper attempts to provide an overview of UHI studies in GKL by highlighting the major methodological shortcomings that hamper the reliability of previous measurements and by providing vital suggestions for an improved UHI quantification in future. The findings of most of the studies disclose an increasing trend in the UHII which is associated to the reduction in vegetation cover and land use changes. Eventually, this open up new opportunities for the upcoming studies to investigate the sensitivity of UHI to other unexplored factors in the local context. Besides focusing on the role of vegetation on urban temperature reduction, future studies need to focus more on examining the feasibility of other remediation technologies. This paper also suggests that rigorous attention should be given to a systematic site characterization, controlled and synchronous measurements, broader weather station network as well as incorporation of real-time data to elucidate the current UHII status. In addition, local studies could significantly benefit from the utilization of advanced modelling and simulation technologies as a basis for a more informed decision-making in line with the aspiration of GKL to achieve a world class sustainable metropolis by 2020 (GKL Initiative under the National Key Economic Area). Lastly, the incorporation of UHI phenomena in local policies is also essential to mitigate its deleterious impacts via more urban climate-friendly practices by various stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today’s interconnected world, disruptions arising from one party in a supply chain network could cause disruptions to other parties in the chain. Indeed, recent evidence suggests that supply chain disruptions had caused a wide-scale impact to the construction industry in various developing countries including the Malaysian construction industry, with increasing report on project performance deficiencies such as cost and time overruns of severe magnitudes. Although risk management is widely practiced in construction, the challenge now is to make systems and construction supply chains sufficiently resilient so that the project organisations can bounce back and thrive from catastrophes and disruptive events. Past studies of supply chain resilience however tend to overlook the underlying latent conditions that reside in the system that made an organisation vulnerable to such disruptions in the first place. The “pathogen” metaphor is used in this study to reflect these inherent hidden vulnerabilities that remain dormant in a system until a critical failure occurs. Although these pathogens are hidden and may not be causing any problem at the moment, they might trigger a later onset problem causing cascading impacts to the supply chain and its operations. While disruptions in construction are often difficult to foresee and is hard to eliminate entirely, these pathogens, however, can be identified and mitigated before a disruptive event occurs, which this paper aims to discuss. This paper therefore presents the identification of key pathogenic effects in the Malaysian construction industry through preliminary interviews with four experts in the field. Overall, the identification of the pathogens in the study will help the researcher to assess how vulnerable the project organisations are to making significant errors in a systematic way, thus providing the foundation to build appropriate strategies for their prevention and build the resilience of the construction supply chain to disruptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health Information Systems (HIS) helps in coordinating various activities within hospital through effective and efficient services. Malaysian Government began to introduce HIS in 1999 to cover both clinical and non-clinical information systems. Since then hospitals have been facing challenges to achieve the objectives of its introduction. Thus, it is important to understand determinants for successful implementation in order to ensure sustainable HIS. Various determinants render successful implementation, such as human factors, technology factors as well as organizational factors. However, understanding organizational factors becomes important, since the systems runs within the organization itself. The other two factors; human and technology factors have been discussed elsewhere by the authors. Any issues pertaining to the organization if identified earlier will prevent implementation failure. Hence, this paper aims to provide a review of barriers associated with organization factors hindering the sustainability of HIS, and propose strategies required to minimize the issues discussed. Based on our review, this paper highlighted four main challenges from an organization perspective; high adoption cost, top management support, adequate infrastructure and security and privacy issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarawak aspires to become a developed state in Malaysia by 2030. The Sarawak Digital Economy blueprint calls for the public sector to steer and facilitate a digital transformation to the industry, communities, and other stakeholders. Considering the infrastructures and technology that assent, it signifies the crucial need for the public sector to be equipped with the fitting skills and people strategies to effectively embark on this 2030 vision. Such skills condition needs to be addressed by relevant policy actors. Challenges to the condition pose in many layers (i.e., Litany, Systemic, Worldview, Metaphor). This paper seeks to explore the viewpoints of seven policy enablers on the barriers and pathways pertaining to the skills condition in the public sector for Sarawak 2030. Using Inayatullah's Causal Layered Analysis, the paper reveals the short-term vs long-term challenges and solutions to those conditions. Results suggest the urgent need for planning and a reconnection among public sector to improve the current skills condition. Findings are further discussed with a transformed future as a guiding description for Sarawak 2030. This paper contributes to understanding a condition within a context, towards conscious policymaking via futures study method. The study's scope and future directions are also discussed. • The current Sarawak skills condition in the public sector faces challenges that are interrelated with the public sector, private sector and industries, education and higher learning institutions, and communities in Sarawak. • The solutions to those barriers should start with diagnosing and including all groups by providing clarity to their functions in the Sarawak 2030 ecosystem. • Policy enablers envision the skills condition for Sarawak 2030 to reach beyond readiness and willingness of the public sector to reskill, upskill, retool, and include themselves with an appreciation for the journey. • This paper touches on opportunities vs outcomes in digital inequality, the delimitation of the State (of Sarawak) vs the centralised authority (of Malaysia), and the metaphorical shift from the survival of the fittest to the survival of the most malleable in enduring the 4IR era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulau Redang is a marine park island that serves as one of Malaysian tourism hot spots harbouring clear underwater scenery of coral reef ecosystem. Apart from providing ecological services to marine organisms, this ecosystem appeal has contributed significantly to tourism development in Pulau Redang. Nonetheless, despite being gazetted as a marine protected area (MPA), the coral reef ecosystem surrounding the island is being threatened by natural and anthropogenic disturbances leading to coral degradation most predominantly in areas close to tourism development. Hence, this paper aims to identify the status of coral health in Pulau Redang as an indicator in supporting management decision to adopt Marine Spatial Planning as a tool for the conservation of reefs in the island. The coral reef datasets were obtained from published articles and a report as well as in-situ data collection through Coral Video Transect at two different areas classified as "near to tourism development" and "far from human activities". Overall, based on published data and the present coral reef survey from 33 surveyed sites indicated that majority of the reefs can be classified as in 'fair' condition. However, reefs located in areas where there are intense human disturbances are found to be in 'poor' condition. It can be deduced that natural disturbances, such as the tropical storm in 2019, and anthropogenic activities from nearby tourism area are potentially threatening the coral reef. Therefore, an ecosystem-based and integrated management approach of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is recommended in order to conserve the environment, promote ecosystem recovery while maintaining the socio-economic development on the island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the climate change influence on landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) using a case study conducted on Penang Island in Malaysia, a region prone to landslides. This study was carried out due to limited research assessing the climate change effect on LSM, considering rainfall and temperature. The study employs climate factors, including temperature and rainfall, alongside 12 causative factors in a Support Vector Machine (SVM) model to develop LSM. The Statistical Downscaling Model (SDSM) is used to derive climate change projections under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). Data preparation and normalization are performed using ArcGIS 10.7. Based on the results, future annual rainfall and daily temperatures are expected to rise under both scenarios, with RCP8.5 exhibiting more significant climatic changes. The LSM zonation is impacted more significantly under RCP8.5 due to the severity of climate change. LSM under an observation period achieves the best results (area under the curve (AUC) = 85.75, average statistical index (SI) = 94.48%, kappa = 0.885), followed by LSM under RCP4.5 (AUC = 84.38, average SI = 93.54%, kappa = 0.865) and LSM under RCP8.5 (AUC = 84.13, average SI = 93.34%, kappa = 0.860), demonstrating their reliability and adequate performance. These LSMs can assist local authorities in designating critical areas for monitoring and implementing an early-warning system to respond more effectively to landslide risks caused by climate change. However, the study's limitation is considering only two climate scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). Future research should encompass a broader range of climate scenarios to develop the most reliable LSM, given the high uncertainty associated with climate change. • Climate change was projected using the SDSM model. • Climate change has more changes under RCP8.5. • Climate change, directly and indirectly, affect slope stability. • LHM was developed using the SVM model under the climate change effect. • Climate change has a significant impact on landslide distribution zoning in LHM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the escalating burden of diabetes in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is a pressing concern about the widening disparities in care and outcomes across socioeconomic groups. This paper estimates health poverty measures among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Malaysia. Using data from the National Diabetes Registry between 2009 and 2018, the study linked 932,855 people with T2DM aged 40–75 to death records. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the 5-year survival probabilities for each patient, stratified by age and sex, while controlling for comorbidities and area-based indicators of socio-economic status (SES), such as district-level asset-based indices and night-time luminosity. Measures of health poverty, based on the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) measures, were employed to capture excessive risk of premature mortality. Two poverty line thresholds were used, namely a 5% and 10% reduction in survival probability compared to age and sex-adjusted survival probability of the general population. Counterfactual simulations estimated the extent to which comorbidities contribute to health poverty. 43.5% of the sample experienced health poverty using the 5% threshold, and 8.9% were health poor using the 10% threshold. Comorbidities contribute 2.9% for males and 5.4% for females, at the 5% threshold. At the 10% threshold, they contribute 7.4% for males and 3.4% for females. If all patients lived in areas of highest night-light intensity, poverty would fall by 5.8% for males and 4.6% for females at the 5% threshold, and 4.1% for males and 0.8% for females at the 10% threshold. In Malaysia, there is a high incidence of health poverty among people with diabetes, and it is strongly associated with comorbidities and area-based measures of SES. Expanding the application of health poverty measurement, through a combination of clinical registries and open spatial data, can facilitate simulations for health poverty alleviation. • Novel health poverty measures applied to T2DM in Malaysia using early mortality risk. • Administrative dataset comprising 1M adults combined with death records and SES. • Male gender, older age and area deprivation drive health poverty. • Nighttime luminosity reveals regional patterns in health poverty. • Combining luminosity data and medical datasets enhances risk stratification in LMICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a maritime country, Malaysia relies on its diverse marine ecosystems, contributing to 23% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), amounting to USD 63 billion. Anthropogenic activities threaten these ecosystems, impacting both the environment and socio-economics. Environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a crucial role in protecting the marine environment. This paper examines the educational initiatives of the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), the oldest environmental NGO in Malaysia which promotes marine conservation. Through document analysis of the society's annual management report from June 2016 to May 2021, three educational strategies emerged: dissemination of knowledge, hands-on activities and application of knowledge. A guideline for implementing effective marine educational programs has been developed to enable other environmental NGOs to adopt these strategies and contribute to the conservation of marine ecosystems. • The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) demonstrates the role of NGOs in the conservation of marine ecosystem through education. employed three educational strategies: dissemination of knowledge, hands-on activities and application of knowledge • MNS employed three educational strategies: dissemination of knowledge, hands-on activities and application of knowledge. • A framework for effective implementation of marine conservation education programs was developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of rocks is one of key rock strength parameters. Generally speaking, UCS can be measured directly through uniaxial compression tests, which is often unfeasible, especially when intact rock samples are highly fragile. Alternatively, the UCS of rocks can be estimated indirectly from other easily available rock indices. Note that adequate measurement data is the prerequisite for the accurate estimation of UCS using indirect methods. This may be difficult to achieve due to the limitation of time and budget, especially for small- to medium-sized projects. In this case, it becomes a challenging issue on how to develop a robust and reliable model for UCS estimation using the sparse measurement data. A fully Bayesian Gaussian process regression (fB-GPR) approach with Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) is proposed in this paper to address this problem. A real-life example from Malaysia was used for illustration and validation of proposed method. Results showed that when the synthetic sample size in SMOTE reaches 30 (i.e., optimal synthetic sample size), the coefficient of determination (R 2) increases by about 18.92%, and the accuracy of feature selection reaches 98%, compared with the scenario with only sparse measurement data used for fB-GPR model development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]