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Income distribution models can be useful for describing the economic properties of a population. In this study, three-part composite Pareto models are fitted to the income distribution in Malaysia for the years 2007, 2009, 2012, 2014, and 2016. The three-part composite Pareto models divide the population into three parts, each following a different distribution model. The lower part follows the inverse Pareto distribution, the upper part follows the Pareto distribution, and the middle part follows another unspecified distribution model. For application in income data, the use of Gaussian mixture distribution is proposed for the middle part, making the inverse Pareto–Gaussian mixture-Pareto distribution model semi-parametric. From the model, it is found that the levels of income inequality in the lower and upper income groups decrease over the period of study. Additionally, the proportion of data following the inverse Pareto distribution in the model is highly correlated with the official absolute poverty incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate factors that influence consumer purchase decision in Malaysian single-priced stores, which are also popularly known as RM2 stores. The study considered six factors that could affect purchase decision in RM2 stores, namely, corporate social responsibility (CSR), sales promotion, social media marketing, perceived value, store environment, and service quality. A quantitative research methodology was employed through a survey using questionnaires administered to 550 customers of the RM2 stores. The data gathered was then analysed through SPSS method to calculate the validity and reliability of the measurement items and to verify the impact of six independent variables on purchase decision. Based on the results, CSR, sales promotion, perceived value, and service quality had significant positive effects on purchase decision, while social media marketing and store environment proved to be insignificant. Among all the factors, perceived value had the strongest influence on purchase decision. The findings are important in assisting RM2 store retailers to understand the factors that affect consumer purchase decision which could help in improving sales. This study complements the current literature and addresses existing research gaps with regard to the linkages between factors that influence consumer purchase decision in Malaysian single-priced stores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the Weibull distribution with various numerical estimation methods is utilized for the assessment of wind energy potential in Mersing and Port Dickson, Malaysia, by considering different monsoon seasons, i.e., northeast and southwest monsoons. This assessment is conducted based on hourly wind speed data obtained from the Malaysian Meteorological Department and the Department of Environment, Malaysia. A total of 28 numerical estimation methods are presented, and their performances are first investigated through a Monte Carlo simulation. The results of the Monte Carlo simulation indicate that no particular method outperforms all other methods. In different settings, i.e., different sample sizes and shape parameters, certain methods are more efficient than others in estimating the Weibull parameters. Based on the simulation results, 24 out of 28 numerical estimation methods are utilized for wind energy potential assessment in Mersing and Port Dickson. The performance efficiency of all the considered methods is evaluated using an integrated approach comprising four goodness of fit criteria, the modified Kolmogorov − Smirnov, modified Anderson − Darling, modified Cramér–von Mises, and power density error. Using this integrated approach allow us to obtain a single-value goodness of fit measure known as the global score to determine the best method. Based on the best fitted Weibull model, the wind characteristics in both sites are investigated. The wind characteristics during northeast monsoon is found to be favorable for wind energy generation in Mersing with the northeast (0 − 40°) as the prominent wind direction. However, small-scale wind energy is the best option for wind energy development in Mersing. On the other hand, the Port Dickson site demonstrates poor wind characteristics, indicating that this area is not favorable for wind energy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arabic course at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Malaysia is an elective course offered to first degree students. The objective of this study is to evaluate the use of learning materials in the context of learning oral Arabic at UiTM. It is a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative study using questionnaires, interviews and classroom observations. For quantitative data, stratified random sampling technique was used involving 455 students and 48 course lecturers while for qualitative data, 13 interviews with students, 8 interviews with subject lecturers and 12 classroom observations were engaged. The study found that the textbooks were the only learning material that had been highly used compared to other materials, showing that learning was primarily based on the textbooks. This study suggests some improvements in the use of learning materials such as to use authentic materials through computer and Internet. The textbooks have to be used as a guide and not as a final objective of learning. The use of learning materials has to support students' interest, their needs and motivation. They also have to be given freedom to select materials according to their needs and interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]