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Research Paper Writing (RPW) plays a key role in completing all research work. Poor writing could lead to the postponement of publications. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a program of (RPW) to improve RPW ability for EFL/ESL writers, especially for undergraduate students in Higher Education (HE) institutions, which has caught less attention of curriculum developers so far. Therefore, this study aims to determine the core components of (RPW) program perceived as essential for EFL/ESL undergraduate students using Process Genre Approach (PGA) to develop a program of RPW. The Delphi Technique (DT) was used to validate those components through the interviews of experts including two boards of ten experienced and qualified lecturers of TESOL and curriculum studies in Can Tho University (CTU) in Vietnam and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). The results revealed that the core components of RPW program for EFL/ESL undergraduate students were determined and confirmed. This paper is therefore believed to make a great contribution to practical applications for RPW program developers, lecturers, undergraduate and postgraduate students in EFL/ESL contexts.

This study investigated the writing parameters of a research paper by multiple authors who formed a research team in a public university in Malaysia. Drafts of the research paper were produced through the research activities and writings of the participant researchers. By observations, interviews, and textual analysis of drafts, we studied the three main parameters that each written text naturally contains: who wrote the text, what the text was, and to whom the text was written. Participants in the present study comprised a team of researchers from different disciplines. They conducted a project in science, wrote, and published their findings in an on-line journal. The findings indicate that the authentic task of writing a multi-authored research paper by a team of experienced researchers is beyond and more complicated than fulfilling a basic task of writing in the context of a class by a novice student. The experiences through which the participant researchers of this study produced the drafts of the article are greatly valuable for the academics who are planning to publish their findings in the form of an article. This study has implications for teaching of writing academic texts, particularly writing of research papers.

Much attention is now given on producing quality graduates. Therefore, outcome-based education (OBE) in teaching and learning is now being implemented in Malaysia at all levels of education especially at higher education institutions. For implementing OBE, the design of curriculum and courses should be based on specified outcomes. Thus, the challenge for the assessment is that it should be capable of measuring whether intended outcomes have been achieved or not. Likely, by assisting lecturer in preparing examination paper that aligns with the specified outcomes is something that can help to ensure the implementation of OBE. Hence, this paper describes the development of a tool for generating question examination paper based on learning outcomes, called Learning Outcome-based Question Examination paper Tool (LoQET). LoQET is proposed for assisting lecturer in Universiti Putra Malaysia for preparing examination paper based on programme outcomes and learning outcomes set in the teaching plan and assessment entries.

Social media platforms such as Twitter is constantly transforming the usage of lexical items among global Internet users, including in Malaysia. Interestingly, despite adopting British English in the national education system, American English is gaining prominence among Malaysians due to the widespread dissemination of American English through the media. American English has been classified as a hyper-central language, serving as the hub for global English in Mair's theory of The World System of Englishes. Despite of the magnitude of American English as a global language, there is a dearth of research on how American English is affecting other varieties of English, especially Malaysian English. There is a need to examine the role of American English in leading global language variation and change. Thus, this conceptual paper proposes how the influence of American English on Malaysian English, in terms of lexical items can be investigated on Twitter. This paper demonstrates how two emerging American lexical items lit and on fleek can be investigated in terms of its trend of frequency and patterns of usage in Malaysian Twitter through a number of tools and methods. Results from such a study may be able to reveal the extent to which Malaysian English is influenced by American English in terms of lexical units on Twitter, shedding light on the global transformation of the English language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's world, there are lots of methods in language teaching in general and teaching writing in particular. Using two different tools in writing essays and conducting a study to compare the effectiveness of these two tools namely blog and pen-and-paper was the basis of this study. This study used a quantitative true experimental design aimed at comparing the students' writing performance scores by using pen-and-paper essay writing and blogging among Iranian graduate students of University Putra Malaysia (UPM). The result of this study showed that the tools by themselves could not effect on the quality of writing essays and improvement in the students' writing performance. However, using technology and in this study, Internet can motivate the EFL learners to write more eagerly since they may like innovation in learning in contrast with traditional old methods of learning writing and practicing it. Yet it does not necessarily improve their writing performance only because of using computer and Internet. The Iranian graduate students of UPM found blog more interesting and motivating tool for writing, but it was not as easy using as pen-and-paper for them with which everyone is familiar. This research could find answers to the research questions posed at the beginning of the study and investigated the hypotheses presented then.

Purpose: Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is common among populations globally, and in Asia and Malaysia. The purpose of this Position Paper is to propose recommendations for both clinicians and non-clinicians to promote vitamin D sufficiency in Malaysian adults. Formation of a national multisector, multidisciplinary alliance is also proposed to progress initiatives relating to safe sun exposure, adequate vitamin D intake through food fortification, and vitamin D supplementation for high-risk groups. Methods: Literature reviews were undertaken to inform summaries of the following: vitamin D status globally and in Asian and Malaysian populations, vitamin D status among individuals with common medical conditions, and current recommendations to achieve vitamin D sufficiency through sun exposure, food intake and supplementation. Recommendations were based on the findings of the literature reviews, recent European guidance on vitamin D supplementation, the 2018 road map for action on vitamin D in low- and middle-income countries, and research recommendations proposed by the Malaysian Ministry of Health in 2017. Results: Recommendations on assessment of vitamin D in the adult Malaysian population include using serum or plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration as a biomarker, widespread participation by Malaysian laboratories in the Vitamin D Standardization Program, adoption of the US Endocrine Society definitions of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency, and development of a comprehensive nationwide vitamin D status study. Specific high-risk groups are identified for vitamin D assessment and recommendations relating to loading doses and ongoing management are also made. Conclusion: This Position Paper provides individual clinicians and national stakeholder organisations with clear recommendations to achieve vitamin D sufficiency in the adult population of Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents theoretical, technical and practical aspects of using electronic administration (eadministration). Differences between The safe transition from paper to paperless administration. Several selected and existing technical solutions are presented and analysed. Significant aspects of Case study: The Malaysian experience, This paper describes how closely e-administration is related to the proper functioning of modern governments. E-administration mechanisms, the structure and functions of selected systems are described. This study brings its contribution to the understanding of the methods of e-administration, Malaysia is one of those who has early adopted this step, and get the Malaysian more happy and comfortable, but the transition was not as easy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is a well-known environmental pollutant from the industrial sector due to its unpleasant odour and high toxicity. It can post health threat at a low threshold exposure limit, with concentration as low as 0.01-1.5 ppm. In the pulp and paper mills, a significant amount of total reduced sulphur (TRS) is generated during the pulping and bleaching process. The TRS contains various pollutants such hydrogen sulphide (H2S), methyl mercaptan and dimethyl. For recycled paper mills, since the collected papers did not undergo the pulping and bleaching processes, the pollutant produced is mainly H2S. Due to its high toxicity and low threshold limit, early H2S detection and understanding its air dispersion pattern are important to reduce the potential health risk imposed by H2S to the local workers and residence of the surrounding areas. However, the commonly used odour unit might not be sufficient to represent the specific concentration of H2S. There has also been limited studies on the H2S dispersion modelling in Malaysia. Thus, in this study, a H2S dispersion modelling was performed at a recycled paper mill in Malaysia, with H2S concentration (µg/m3) as the odour indicator, to understand the changes in H2S concentration at different distances from source and identify potential health risk. Firstly, air samples were collected and analysed to identify the emission hotspots. The American Meteorological Society/Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Model (AERMOD) was then used to determine the dispersion pattern of H2S and its concentration across the surrounding air. Wind data for 2 y was recorded and input for the modelling. Both the gas sampling study and dispersion modelling showed that the concentration of H2S was below the threshold limit at a distance of 50 m from the emission source, which was the effluent sludge holding tank. It is unlikely that the H2S emission from the recycled paper mill would lead to odour or health complaints to the surroundings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The writing process has traditionally been seen "as a lonely journey" to typify the lack of support that students experience for writing outside the classroom. This paper examines an attempt of The Writing Portal (TWP), a supplementary online writing platform, to support students' writing needs throughout the five stages of the writing process, viz., planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Social constructivist principles underpin TWP, which was designed to engender collaboration amongst its student participants. Not only does TWP provide links to evaluated Internet resources and a writing portfolio, but it also features collaboration tools such as the Group Forum, chat, a writing portfolio, a private messaging system, and a comment function for pages or articles created. Thus, it is very much akin to a "one-stop centre" for academic writing within a flexible and supportive environment. In this qualitative case study, 16 third-year TESL pre-service teachers at a Malaysian Teacher Education Institute embarked on a 12-week writing course using TWP. Qualitative data in the form of students' online discourses, task reflections, log files, and digital artefacts were captured to explore how TWP's affordances supported students' writing needs. In addition, Soller's collaborative learning conversation skills (CLCS) taxonomy was used as an analytical framework to investigate the collaborative learning engendered in the online environment. The findings indicate that TWP served its purpose by addressing students' writing needs at all stages of the writing process as they accomplished multiple writing tasks. Additionally, evidence of collaborative learning is evident in three functions of TWP: the Group Forum, chat, and the comments for pages/articles. However, there are differences between the frequencies of the specific skills used for each function. To conclude, TWP appears to be a successful tool at supporting students at all stages of the writing process.

Numerous prior studies claimed that social enterprises had a beneficial effect (social impact) on addressing society's social problems. However, there is little evidence to support that statement. How well is this enterprise able to give an impact on solving social problems? Does it have any indicators that can prove the validity of its social impact? Therefore, this study aims to explore the literature review on social enterprise and their social impact, as well as to identify a few measurements to assess the social impact. Hence, the writing of this article was conducted based on reviewing the published literature including articles and journals which are relevant to the topic that can be accessed through online databases. Scopus, Science Direct and Google Scholar have been used for searching the articles needed. The search terms include "social enterprise" OR "social business" OR "social entrepreneurship" AND "Social impact" OR "measuring impact" OR "social impact measurement". This conceptual paper was motivated to get a deeper understanding of the social impact measurement employed by social enterprises. From the discussion, we have clearly defined the definition of social impact from different perspectives, including the importance of measuring the social impact among social enterprises has also been discussed briefly. Reviewed articles revealed that there is a wide range of methods for measuring social impact but in this article, we are focusing on three approaches only there are: balanced scorecard (BSC), social return on investment (SROI), and cost-benefit analysis (CBA) in this paper. This study summarises that measuring the social impact is becoming an essential determination for social enterprises as the key indicators of their performance to the communities or to the potential investors or funders. The study also suggests recommending further study of the social impact measurements that need to be discussed in depth and detail. This study's hope can attract more academicians to stimulate more research on this topic, specifically in measuring methods from Malaysia's perspective. The implication of this study forms a clear understanding of the social impact and a few of the measurements that can be used in measuring the impact of social enterprise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, bio-bibliometric analysis has been carried out among prominent figures in different fields. However, no such analysis was done for researchers from the Institute for Medical Research (IMR), Ministry of Health, Malaysia. This paper seeks to fill the void by examining Dr. Lim Boo Liat, who began his career as a temporary lab technician at IMR and went on to become a prominent zoologist in Malaysia. The search for his publication was carried out through an online search using the Google Scholar, Scopus Web of Science, and ResearchGate databases, in addition to the investigation of the second document in the Institute for Medical Research and Wildlife and National Parks Department of Peninsular Malaysia (PERHILITAN) library. The study found that in his 70 years of research experience, he had published more than 350 publications as scientific papers, books, proceedings, and technical reports. However, this study is limited to only 312 research articles written in English and published in scientific journals. These scientific articles consist of three domains: medical ecology, parasitology, and zoology. He published his papers in 69 journals in developed and developing countries. More than half (n=160, 51.3%) of the papers was published in the local journals, while the remaining was published in international journals. He was the first and last author of more than 80% of the papers published. He mainly published his articles in the Malayan Nature Journal (n=46, 15%) and South-East Asia Tropical Medicine and Public Health (n=44, 14%). Most of his papers had fewer than 3 authors. The coefficient of collaboration of the papers was less than 0.5, indicating his expertise in writing papers. Based on the findings, this study shows that the late Dr. Lim Boo Liat had published scientific papers continuously throughout his life and contributed immensely to the body of knowledge, particularly in medical entomology and zoology in tropical countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of mobile devices to the worldwide market has marvelous possible to disturb the way Health care is providing. In this paper, we will overview the work done in the five years from 2014 to 2018 in the field of mHealth in Research perspective. For that purpose, we choose the Scopus database to review the past research published on mHealth in Malaysia. For that purpose, the quantitative review has been observed in bibliometric analysis and a Qualitative review is done through systematic review in the order through PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis). After the selection of 58 papers, the process based on the different steps. In the first step, the corresponding to Microsoft excels to a descriptive analysis of the published literature on mobile Healthcare in the field of online Healthcare like the distribution of the year, distribution of subjects and distribution of the author. Quantitative studies are 15 in number collected from the past literature, the researcher used the quantitative method for measuring the results Quantitative research collects data that will be processed to understand the indicators, overall trends, and requirements of the market. The qualitative studies collected from past research were 27 in numbers, collected studies were processed on the excel sheet to find out the areas discussed in the past. Traditional Health Care of Malaysia is top of the list in the world, but the mHealth still needs to improve in the region. Past studies in the mHealth are discussing physical health and wearable devices in details with connectivity to smartphones but serious diseases are cover in very some studies. Like diabetes and HIV apps and patient are not highlighted in the collected data. Patient record management and coordination with families are also part of some research studies and that is very important for recovery in some cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essential requirement for colorimetric paper-sensor is to allow the target analytes (heavy metal ions) to access the chromophore while maintaining strong chromophore immobilization on the porous substrate surface. This work evaluates the selection of sensitive chromophores (dithizone, 1-(2-pyridylazo) 2-naphthol and 4-(2-pyridylazo)-resorcinol) and their immobilization strategies on paper sensors. Dithizone (DTz) are capable of producing a significant color transition at unadjusted pH, observed by UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy and visible recognition. After immobilizing DTz on a paper substrate (cellulose acetate/chitosan substrate), the DTz-paper sensor showed a distinctive color change from blue-green to peach-pink upon reaction with Pb2+ ions, and the color intensity was proportional to the metal concentration. Quantitative analysis using RGB (R:Red; G:Green; B:Blue) plots showed that increasing DTz concentration on the CA/CS paper sensor increases the difference in total color intensity (∆IT) and the difference in red code intensity (∆IR). This is due to the formation of more DTz-Pb2+ complexes on the CA/CS paper substrate. The CA/CS paper strips immobilized with 100 ppm DTz showed practical potential for rapid detection of heavy metal ions. The DTz-CA/CS paper sensor showed significant color change when detecting spiked heavy metals ions (0.1 ppm Pb2+, 2.0 ppm Zn2+, and 0.2 ppm Cu2+) in river water samples that prepared at the maximum permissible limit for industrial effluent in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is a relatively new industrial crop which has been identified as an alternative source of fiber in the papermaking industry in Malaysia. In this study, experimental unbleached kenaf kraft paper samples were used as a substrate to produce water-resistant paper by employing a special coating. In the preparation of the coating formulation, commercially precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) was used as the filler, in addition to 0 to 0.32 w/w g of hydrophobic stearic acid (SA). Polymer latex (PL) was added at 0.4 to 0.16 w/w g into the coating compound to control the surface roughness of the samples. The paper morphology was examined by employing a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Hydrophobic kenaf kraft paper prepared in this study had water contact angle (θ) greater than 90°. Hydrophobic paper made with formulation PL4c resulted in the highest value contact angle of 147°. The process of surface coating by dipping increased the water contact angle and this treated paper achieved a high hydrophobic level. For mechanical properties, the coated kenaf paper showed decreasing tensile strength as the addition of stearic acid increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The residual performance of two pyrethroid-neonicotinoid mixture formulations: Temprid SC (10.5% beta-cyfluthrin and 21% imidacloprid) and Tandem (3.5% lambda-cyhalothrin and 11.6% thiamethoxam) on two substrates (glass and filter paper) against eight pyrethroid-resistant strains (BM-MY, BP-MY, CH-MY, GL-MY, KL-MY, SAJ-MY, TT-MY, and QLD-AU) of the tropical bed bug, Cimex hemipterus (F.) (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) collected from Malaysia, and Australia were evaluated. The aging effect of treatment residues on glass was also investigated. A susceptible C. lectularius L. strain (Monheim) was used for comparison. Temprid SC showed varying levels of performance against all C. hemipterus strains: TT-MY (PR50 = 6.5-fold, high performance), BM-MY, GL-MY, SAJ-MY, and QLD-AU (12.8–21.6-fold, moderate performance), BP-MY, and KL-MY (48.2–49-fold, poor performance), CH-MY (128.2-fold, very poor performance). On the other hand, Tandem displayed high performance against all C. hemipterus strains (1.8–8.3-fold). Tandem caused faster mortality than Temprid SC for all strains. Temprid SC and Tandem residues killed C. hemipterus significantly faster on glass than filter paper. Compared with fresh residues, the efficacy of Temprid SC residues significantly declined after one week of aging, while the effectiveness of Tandem residues declined after two weeks of aging. Further investigations using the topical assay method with a diagnostic dose of imidacloprid found two strains (CH-MY and GL-MY) resistant to imidacloprid. The six other strains (BM-MY, BP-MY, KL-MY, SAJ-MY, TT-MY, and QLD-AU) were susceptible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic writing is one of the genres of writing which considered complex as it requires high language skills and the appropriate methodology in its production. One of the skills required is paraphrasing skills. However, paraphrasing is not an easy task especially if it involving a third language. Students may make various forms of errors in paraphrasing which need full attention, understanding, and techniques. Therefore, this study aims to identify the forms of mistakes and the weaknesses of students in making Arabic paraphrases, then, proposing method to address it. This study is a qualitative study and using samples taken from students' final coursework in the subject of Arabic for Academic (BAA4022). The corpus of the study involved 50 samples randomly selected among the students of the semester I session 2020/2021, Faculty of Major Language Studies (FPBU) and Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences (FPSK), Islamic Science University of Malaysia (USIM). This sample was analysed using the content analysis method. The finding shows that the main errors of students in paraphrasing are comes from the semantic aspect due to weakness in understanding the original reference text. In addition, the errors from grammatical aspects, especially in the use of al-idhofah, the use of dhamir and fi'il are consequences of the weakness in mastery of syntax and Arabic morphology. Both of these forms of weaknesses affect the quality of paraphrases made especially in the aspect of semantic completeness. Thus, this study is hoped to provide enlightenment and helps teachers and students in strengthening the quality of writing academic papers in Arabic Language through the use of accurate and correct Arabic paraphrasing techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to indicate the current state of studies on Islamic finance and management through a bibliometric analysis of the only social science citation index (SSCI)-indexed journal in this field. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses a bibliometric analysis, collecting data from the 319 papers published in the International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management (IMEFM) from 2008 to 2019. Moreover, VOSviewer software has been used to illustrate the citation analysis (including most cited papers, most cited authors and authors' affiliated institutions and countries) and the keyword map. Findings: The number of papers published in each issue of the IMEFM is found to have significantly increased owing to its unique situation being the only SSCI-indexed journal in this domain. The share of the empirical researches in total papers published annually has steadily risen, reaching 95% in 2019. In terms of case countries, although Malaysia is the most examined country in the papers, other countries such as Indonesia and Turkey are found to have been used as a case country by researchers recently. Islamic banking-related papers are the most prevalent studies, as expected, with mainly their performance being examined. Meanwhile, the number of papers about Islamic social financial institutions has notably grown in recent years. Finally, technology-based initiatives such as crowdfunding and cryptocurrencies are noted to have not yet been the subject of any paper. Originality/value: The main contribution of this study is its analysis of the only SSCI-indexed journal on Islamic finance and management using bibliometrics. Also, all the papers published in the journal have been reviewed in terms of methodology, case country/country groups and topics/subtopics to lead the way for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noise is an unpleasant and unwanted sound for every human and animal. Noise can also interfere with one's communication and concentration. Nowadays, many sound absorber panels have been produced to overcome arising noise issues. A sound absorber panel works to absorb sound either in low or high frequencies. Usually, in Malaysia, synthetic materials are used for producing sound absorber panels. Glass fibre and minerals are the most common examples of synthetic materials used to produce sound absorber panels. In particular, glass fibre has a good result in sound absorption. However, it also brings negative effects to humans' health, such as skin inflammation, redness, cough, breathlessness, and others. Therefore, for this study, natural materials from recycling have been used to produce sound absorber panels, which are egg trays, papers, and plastics. The panels were tested with the impedance tube test to obtain the sound absorption coefficient (SAC) and the noise reduction coefficient (NRC). The values of sound absorption of plastics and papers are good at the frequency of 2,000 Hz (i.e., 0.75 and 0.74, respectively). However, the value of SAC for papers increased to 0.86, compared to the value of SAC for plastics that decreased to 0.67. Furthermore, the value of NRC for papers is better than plastics. Next, the reverberation room test was also performed on the panels to obtain the echo time value (RT) in the current unit. The comparison of echo time for this test is between the values for a room with and without panels. The results from the test showed that the value of echo time for the room with the panels is better than the room without panels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims on an exploration of recent applications of drones in the Malaysian context. More specifically, to investigate the drone's application status and application areas. To search the academic literature and identify the included documents, we have followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. We conducted an overview study of the total number of 54 documents (out of 202) published since 2018, which were extracted from the Scopus database. The results of the bibliometric analysis of the included documents showed that drones in Malaysia are applied in different disciplines, including agriculture, mapping, forestry, river monitoring, transportation, construction, coastal management, flood management, and other applications. Among these, agriculture and mapping are the main application areas. MDPI published the most journal articles, and IGRSM conferences published the highest number of conference papers. Furthermore, scholars from the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia have the highest contribution among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiesel can be produced from vegetable oils, animal fats, frying oils, and from microorganism-synthesized oils. These sources render biodiesel an easily biodegradable fuel. The aim of this work was to perform an advanced bibliometric analysis of primary studies relating to biodiesel production worldwide by identifying the key countries and regions that have shown a strong engagement in this area, and by understanding the dynamics of their collaboration and research outputs. Additionally, an assessment of the main primary feedstocks employed in this research was carried out, along with an analysis of the current and future trends that are expected to define new paths and methodologies to be used in the manufacture of biodegradable and renewable fuels. A total of 4586 academic outputs were selected, including peer-reviewed research articles, conference papers, and literature reviews related to biodiesel production, in the time period spanning from 2010 to 2021. Articles that focused on feedstocks for the production of biodiesel were also included, with a search that returned 330 papers. Lastly, 60 articles relating to biodiesel production via sewage were specifically included to allow for an analysis of this source as a promising feedstock in the future of the biofuel market. Via the geocoding and the document analyses performed, we concluded that China, Malaysia, and India are the largest writers of articles in this area, revealing a great interest in biofuels in Asia. Additionally, it was noted that environmental concerns have caused authors to conduct research on feedstocks that can address the sustainability challenges in the production of biodiesel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) impacts language education, learning and evaluation in the European nations as well as in different nations around the world. The recently presented CEFR-aligned educational plan through the Malaysian English Language Roadmap (2013-2025) could set up a fundamental and reliable arrangement of learning guidance and evaluation in Malaysia. As the CEFR has been broadly embraced by numerous nations before its selection in Malaysia, there is a need to look at the issues faced by different nations to guarantee a superior arrangement of the CEFR in the Malaysian educational program. This paper aims to examine the executions of the CEFR in a few nations to satisfy their respective education policies in order to compare with the development and execution of the CEFR in Malaysian schools and universities. In this investigation, a review of 25 research papers published in journals from the year 2010 to 2019 related to the CEFR transformation and execution issues for English language from different nations all around the world, including Malaysia, was conducted. Utilising Google Scholar, these papers were selected with important keywords such as "CEFR" and the name of the chosen country. In view of the current writing, a few differences just as qualities and constraints of the CEFR-aligned executions were underscored, which propose required data to rethink the execution of the CEFR in the Malaysian education curriculum in order to accomplish the significant goal of refining English instructing, learning and assessment. The paper ends with proposals on the need to normalise academic practice to improve the CEFR-aligned educational program change endeavours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to analyze the questions of the Arabic language examinations of Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) for three years from 2013 to 2015 in the light of Bloom's Taxonomy levels. In this study, the researchers relied on the analytical descriptive approach. The number of exam questions for grammar and morphology in Malaysia's STAM certificate was 222. The study found that the questions on the level of understanding came first in the exam questions for grammar and morphology, with 93 questions or 42% of the total. While the level of remembering came in second place with 62 recurrences or 28%, followed by the questions on the level of analysis, with a frequency of 34 questions or 16%. The level of application came last, with 33 recurrences or 14% of the total. The two levels of evaluation and creativity were not showing any frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine angiosperms could inevitably offer considerable potential resources for their fiber, yet little research has been conducted, especially in Malaysia. Fiber characteristics of five species of seagrass - Enhalus acoroides, Cymodocea serrulata, Thalassia hemprichii, Halophila ovalis, and Halophila spinulosa - were evaluated. Fiber dimensions were studied to determine slenderness ratio, flexibility coefficient, Runkel's ratio, and Luce's shape factor species selection. The seagrass species have the potential in papermaking production as they possessed slenderness ratio >33 (98.12 to 154.08) and high Luce's shape factor (0.77 to 0.83); however the species exhibited low flexibility coefficient <50 (30.07 to 35.18) and >1 Runkel's ratio (1.11 to 1.60), which indicate rigid fiber. The five seagrass species have high cellulose >34% (40.30 to 77.18%) and low lignin content <15% (5.02 to 11.20%), which are similar to those encountered in non-wood plant species. Handmade paper sheet of Enhalus acoroides using pulp subjected to mechanical blending exhibited the highest tensile strength (4.16 kN/m) compared to hand-beaten pulp (3.46 kN/m). The highest breaking length (3.43 km) was achieved by a paper sheet of Thalassia hemprichii using hand-beaten pulp. Based on their physical and chemical composition properties, seagrass have potential as sources of fibrous material for handmade papermaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how internationalisation of higher education institutions is reflected through their mission and vision statements by comparatively analysing the mission and vision statements of selected universities in Malaysia and the Philippines. To carry out the study, twenty (20) mission and vision statements of public and private universities in Malaysia and the Philippines were collected and analysed, underlined by the importance of textual agency in policy orientations. The framework used in analysing the mission and vision statements includes the analysis of textual practice and discourse practice. The micro-level analysis of the discourse focused on the textual practice, such as vocabulary, grammar, and text structure. Moreover, the genre and style of text were also analysed. The findings of the study reveal that the mission and vision statements of universities in Malaysia and the Philippines align with respective country policies, and have something in common as far as the concept of internationalisation in higher education is concerned. It is also evident that universities in both countries emphasise the importance of producing global and competent graduates, and obtaining international recognition and world-class education.

Highly cited papers serve as a proxy for excellence. In this paper, we identify Malaysia's highly-cited papers and explore the characteristics of these papers. The research question posed is "What characterizes Malaysian highly cited papers?" This study adopts the definition by Thomson Reuters Essential Science Indicator, i.e. the highly cited papers are papers that received enough citations to be placed in the top 1 percent of the academic field of each 22 subject areas based on a highly cited threshold for the field and publication year. As a small scientific nation, Malaysia has a rather limited number of papers being highly cited, and we observed nine characteristics of highly cited papers based on 708 datasets obtained from the Web of Science. Malaysian highly cited papers are largely represented by articles, but reviews have higher impact. Typically, these papers have a low self-cited index and they are published in the First Quartile of the science discipline publications. The papers are mainly the outcome of national funded research; involve multiple co-authorship and international collaboration; affiliated to Malaysian research universities and Malaysian authors often play a dominant role as first or reprint authors. Partnership with scientists from Iran, Australia and UK may increase markedly the possibility of a Malaysian paper becoming highly cited. This investigation has shown that these are the characteristics of Malaysian highly cited papers, but to what extent can these be used as indicators need further investigation and discussions among the scientific community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the different types of writing errors performed by 16 international postgraduate students undertaking an intensive English course at a public university in Malaysia. It was mandatory for international postgraduate students who obtained less than IELTS Band 6 to undertake an Intensive English Course (IEC) offered by the University, prior to entering their respective faculties' academic programs. The students were required to write a 3-5 page term paper assignment on a topic related to their field of study. Mixed methodology approach was employed to examine and analyze corpus of students' term papers. The errors in the term papers were identified and classified accordingly. The results of the study revealed that four most common English language errors committed by the participants were sentence structure, articles, punctuation and capitalization. This study also shed light on the manner in which students assumed the rules of English to that of their native language. Such insight is useful for both instructors and students because it provides significant information on the building blocks experienced by English language learners in academic writing.

Copyright of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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 research paper is written to provide a hypothetical study on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model by Venkatesh et al. (2003); framework on Microsoft OneDrive usage acceptance in one of the established professional college in Malaysia. Questionnaires were distributed to 130 staff and lecturers at one of the branches with 107 returned, an 82.3% return rate. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 has been used to analyse the data collected. Five variables involved in this study which are Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Social Norm, Facilitating Conditions and Usage Acceptance. The study recommends future studies should include a bigger scale of the sample that consists of all the professional college branches and add more variables such as trust and security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid growth in urban construction in Malaysia, road breakage has challenged traditional manual inspection methods. In order to quickly and accurately detect the extent of road breakage, it is crucial to apply automated road crack detection techniques. Researchers have long studied image-based road crack detection techniques, especially the deep learning methods that have emerged in recent years, leading to breakthrough developments in the field. However, many issues remain in road crack detection methods using deep learning techniques. The field lacks state-of-the-art systematic reviews that can scientifically and effectively analyze existing works, document research trends, summarize outstanding research results, and identify remaining shortcomings. To conduct a systematic review of the relevant literature, a bibliometric analysis and a critical analysis of the papers published in the field were performed. VOSviewer and CiteSpace text mining tools were used to analyze and visualize the bibliometric analysis of some parameters derived from the articles. The history and current status of research in the field by authors from all over the world are elucidated and future trends are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negara-Bangsa Proses dan Perbahasan (Malay for Nation-State: Process and Debate) by Abdul Rahman Embong, is a book that brings together nine essays on nation-state discussions written from 1995 to 2000. Five essays developed into Chapters 2, 4, 7, 8 and 9 were essays published in the Pemikir journal published by the Utusan Melayu Group while Chapters 5 and 6 were conference papers presented by Abdul Rahman in a seminar. All these essays have been updated and improved for the purpose of publishing this book. Additionally, Chapters 1 and 3 are new chapters written specifically for this book, which also debate on and discuss nation-states. Through this work, Abdul Rahman offers a continual, inclusive and semi-controversial perspective on important issues of Malaysia and its nation in particular and the world in general. The book also aims to promote deep discussion of the world of thought with the nation-state of Malaysia and the Malaysian nation as the main focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensor-based agriculture monitoring systems have limited outcomes on the detection or counting of vegetables from agriculture fields due to the utilization of either conventional color transformations or machine learning-based methods. To overcome these limitations, this research is aimed at proposing an IoT-based smart agriculture monitoring system with multiple algorithms such as detection, quantification, ripeness checking, and detection of infected vegetables. This paper presents smart agriculture monitoring systems for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The CHT has been applied to detect and quantify vegetables from the agriculture field. Using color thresholding and color segmentation techniques, defected vegetables have also been detected. A machine learning method-convolutional neural network (CNN) has been used for the development and implementation of all algorithms. A comparison between traditional methods and CNN has been simulated in MATLAB to find out the optimal method for its implementation in this agricultural monitoring system. Compared to the traditional methods, the CNN is the optimal method in this research work which performed better over the previously developed algorithms with an accuracy of more than 90%. As an example (case study), a tomato field in Chittagong, Bangladesh, was chosen where a camera-mounted mobile robot captured images from the agriculture field for which the proposed IoT-based smart monitoring system was developed. This system will benefit farmers through the digitally monitored output at an agriculture field in Bangladesh as well as in Malaysia. Since this proposed smart IoT-based system is still driven by bulky, costly, and limited powered sensors, in a future work, for the required power of sensors, this research work is aimed at the design and development of an energy harvester (hybrid) (HEH) based on ultralow power electronics circuits to generate the required power of sensors. Implementation of multiple algorithms using CNN, circular Hough transformation (CHT), color thresholding, and color segmentation methods for the detection, quantification, ripeness checking, and detection of infected crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysian cultivated kenaf has been identified as a suitable raw material for linerboard production. This study examines the soda-antraquinone (soda-AQ) pulp of kenaf fibers versus old corrugated container (OCC) and unbleached softwood kraft pulps as the main sources for linerboard production. The results showed significant differences among the pulp properties. The unbleached kraft pulp with very high freeness required high beating to reach an optimized freeness and produced paper with the highest strength properties, except for tear resistance. The OCC gave paper with the lowest strength properties. In the case of kenaf fractions, bast pulp with high freeness needed less beating than softwood and produced paper with high tear resistance. Core fiber, which had the lowest freeness and highest drainage time, led to paper with high strength but very low tear resistance. Kenaf whole stem pulp showed intermediate properties between core and bast and close to those of unbleached softwood pulp, but with very lower beating requirement. Finally, kenaf whole stem, due to its strength properties, moderate separation cost, and simple pulping process, was judged to be more suitable for commercialization for linerboard production in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Purpose: Green sukuk (GS) is an emerging financial tool that has gained momentum in recent years owing to increased attention being given to Islamic finance, socially responsible investing (SRI) and sustainability agendas. Yet, GS studies are fragmented, dispersed and lack comprehensive reviews. As a response to this gap in academia, this paper aims to synthesize the knowledge on GS into thematic clusters, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the subject and offering guidelines for future research. Design/methodology/approach: This study implemented a systematic literature review approach to analyse studies on GS that were published prior to and including June 2023. The PRISMA 2020 protocol was used in the sample selection process. A total of 62 peer-reviewed journal articles from six databases were identified and categorized into various themes. Findings: The results suggest that previous research has predominantly focused on the areas of GS advantages, drivers, market development and potential sectors, along with challenges and recommendations to improve the market. However, it was found that some other aspects, including GS pricing, performance and purchasing intention, require further research attention. The analysis also indicated that the use of theories in the GS context was limited, with only five theories employed in just four out of the 62 articles examined. Moreover, this paper's findings revealed that the studies employing quantitative and empirical analysis methods were limited to four articles. Geographically, most of the studies were conducted in Indonesia and Malaysia, while other countries with high-potential markets (e.g. GCC) had limited GS practices and studies. Practical implications: The results of this study have several practical implications. For investors, a review of GS will provide greater insight into the understanding of the GS market, helping them make better investment decisions. For policymakers, this paper empowers them with the knowledge to make informed decisions regarding GS markets by highlighting key recommendations identified in the literature. Finally, the proposed guidelines can be used in future research. Originality/value: While Green Bonds have received significant attention, there is a dearth of research on GS and those that exist are fragmented. A systematic literature review is necessary to identify knowledge gaps for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every year, World Bank Group (WBG) is conducting assessment for 190 countries and produces a ranking report based on Doing Business performance – an initiative to measure benchmark efficiency on business regulation and their enforcement by a sample study (e.g. for Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur City Hall - DBKL). One of the ranking categories is based on Dealing with Construction Permits (DCP) which made us proud as announce Malaysia ranks for 2019 is #3 (based on 2018 assessment). This achievement was based on continues efforts and studies from the last bottom of #137 (since, 2007), #113 (2012) and continues with positive results (straight improvement) respectively till this year. Maintaining the top three ranks is not an easy task; however, is not impossible either. Lots of study in innovations, suggestions and implementation should be carried out to maintain and improve Malaysian DCP ranks. As per DCP of this year assessment, Work Bank has suggested all countries with 5 new suggestions (new additional marking schema). One of them is to engage Geographic Information System (GIS) for land use, cadastre, water, electricity and sewage related datasets. This paper propose an initial study (concept paper) towards engaging GIS in DCP activity as a response (first action) suggested by World Bank Group; crucial in maintaining DCP rank for 2020 as well as to provide better business regulations and enforcements for DBKL or other local authority. Later, an impact study will be conducted, utilizing new integrated GIS system publishing service (GeoMap) and the output of the study will indicate whether Malaysia Productive Corporation (MPC) should engage or ignore the 5th suggestion by World Bank Group, or to enhance with other initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2007, the Malaysia government initiated twinned primary teacher education arrangements with five Southern Hemisphere higher education institutions (HEIs). Participating students completed their teacher education in both Malaysia and a partner HEI. In this paper, we consider the preliminary findings of a comparative study tracking the beginning teacher journeys of 13 Malaysia based twinning programme graduates and six New Zealand based teachers. The study involved two aspects: (1) a comparative discourse analysis of key Malaysia and New Zealand education policy documents; and (2) thematic and discourse analysis of participants' reflections on their early teaching experiences. Our focus is on beginning teachers as "policy workers": policy subjects whose work is shaped and constrained by policy discourses and imperatives, and policy actors who mediate, translate and resist these. We compare the two policy contexts and consider how policy discourses appeared and were contested in teachers' initial online questionnaire responses.

Plastics are used for various applications, including in the food and beverage industry, for the manufacturing of plastic utensils and straws. The higher utilization of plastic straws has indirectly resulted in the significant disposal of plastic waste, which has become a serious environmental issue. Alternatively, bio-plastic and paper straws have been introduced to reduce plastic waste. However, limited studies are available on the environmental assessment of drinking straws. Life cycle assessment (LCA) studies for bio-plastic and paper straws have not been comprehensively performed previously. Therefore, the impact of both bio-plastic and paper straws on the environment are quantified and compared in this study. Parameters, such as the global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP) and eutrophication potential (EP), were evaluated. The input–output data of the bio-plastic and paper straws processes from a gate-to-grave analysis were obtained from the literature and generated using the SuperPro Designer V9 process simulator. The results show that bio-plastic straws, which are also known as polylactic acid (PLA) straws, had reduced environmental impacts compared to paper straws. The outcomes of this work provide an insight into the application of bio-plastic and paper straws in effectively reducing the impact on the environment and in promoting sustainability, especially from the perspective of Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue presents a set of four selected papers from 8th International Forum on Industrial Bioprocessing (IBA-IFIBiop) 2019. The forum itself was held in Miri Sarawak, Malaysia from 1st to 5th May 2019. This symposium was co-organised by Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) Malaysia, Curtin University Malaysia and International Association of Bioprocessing-An International Forum on Industrial Bioprocessing (IBA-IFIBiop). Since the theme of 8th IBA-IFIBiop 2019 is "Bridging Sustainability and Industrial Revolution through Green Bioprocessing", its papers are related to the latest advances and global development in the areas of bioenergy/biofuels, food technology and engineering, industrial biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, and upstream & downstream bioprocesses. This special issue collects four best papers presented at 8th IBA-IFIBiop 2019 focusing on food technology and engineering. Each paper in this special issue had undergone peer reviews to ensure its quality. We believe that this issue will serve as an essential literature leading to scientific and engineering progress in food engineering. We express our gratitude to the authors, reviewers and editors of this journal who make the publications of these papers possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A political movement is a group and association movement to fight for something by campaigning, urging and participating in elections to gain the power to achieve what is being fought for. Political movements include groups based on leaders, associations and political parties that have leadership lines, organizations, goals of struggle and activities towards achieving the aim they strive for. Therefore, the objective of writing this article is to analyze the evolution and dynamics of geopolitical and sociopolitical of the political movement in Malaysia since before independence till present. The writing of this article uses a qualitative information interpretation approach from secondary sources, namely journal articles, academic books and conference papers based on the evolutionary theme of the political movement in Malaysia which is then analyzed based on geopolitical and sociopolitical impacts. Findings show that the geopolitics or power of the political movement is based on the state of political rulers at certain time while the socio-political of political movements show that the people's participation in political movements at certain time is based on current issues, developments of information communication technology, leadership and current socioeconomic conditions. Thus, the evolution and geopolitical and sociopolitical dynamics of the political movement in this country is very interesting to study and can be used as a guidance by all parties to create a peaceful and stable political situation of the country as well as a strategy to gain the support of voters and all parties in achieving their respective political struggles based on the provisions set by law and the Federal Constitution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to investigate errors in citation practices of postgraduate student teachers. This research examines the various types of citations according to bibliographic forms in relation to course options, language use and underlying reasons for the student teachers' citation behaviors. The study involved 154 postgraduate student teachers from a Teacher Education Institution in East Malaysia. The citations used in a process based term paper submitted as part of their final course evaluation submitted to the Education Department were analyzed. Findings revealed that only 62.24% of the total population included a reference list in their assignment, and this was despite being provided with explicit instructions regarding the need to attach a reference page. From the total of 489 citations analyzed, 77.5 % were from text books. Materials from seminar papers and theses made up less than 3% of the total sources used. It was found that 3 most frequently cited authors accounted for a third of the total citations, and the authors were writers of the pedagogy text books used by the course lecturers. More than 83% of the sources employed were from local publications written in the Malay Language. The numbers of missing and inconsistent citations in the participants' term papers were exceptionally high. Only 12.67% of the total citations were found to be correct. The trainees placed the blame on (a) lack of emphasis by course lecturers; and (b) ignorance of citation format leading to such errors. The findings suggest a need for deliberate and concerted efforts from course lecturers or teacher trainers to inculcate student teachers to accustom themselves to a variety of reference sources and instill a culture of avoiding citation errors. Exclusion of reference list in academic writing should not be tolerated as it has implications for the level of professionalism among trainees and their lecturers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to explore and identify the characteristics of an effective teacher who teaches English as a second language to 10 year old students from different ethnics, various social economic background and multi-level language ability, at a private primary school in Malaysia. The study focused on classroom management using a case study methodology where data was collected using both interviews and classroom observations. The findings concur with previous literature reviews on effective teacher models whilst providing in-depth details on what transpires during classroom activities, thus clarifying further the meaning of effective classroom management. The implications of this study suggest the need to include six new classroom management behaviours of an effective teacher. Further research is warranted to help policy makers and school administrators in identifying the significance of these behaviours for the selection and training of future teachers.

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]

Copyright of Journal of Linguistic & Literary Studies is the property of International Islamic University Malaysia, Department of Arabic Language & Literature 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.)

With the current development of science and technology, big data technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and mobile Internet in Malaysia, it is time for smart campuses to be established and Higher Education Institution (HEI) should not have left behind. The smart campus is the upgraded version of a digital university, providing a better academic environment to the lecturers and students. A smart campus enhances education, research, design, and delivering the appropriate higher learning modules to pursue the latest developments in ICT technology that can drive future educational growth and innovation. In short, the smart university is to construct a safe and secure, stable, environmentally-friendly, and energy-saving campus. However, so far, there is no standard smart campus concept to follows. This research paper evaluates the student's perceptions on the smart campus from the various application. A total of 912 students from local HEI have participated as valid observations for data analysis. The results show the students have selected 11 applications as high impact based on the Relative Importance Index for smart campus implementation. Future work could focus on the feedback from the staff and lecturers' points of view to propose a solid conceptual smart campus framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]