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This article examines the performance of non-heteronormative modes of gender in Malaysia’s longest-running Malay sitcom, Senario. My close textual reading centres on two episodes to identify the show’s linkages with broader Malay socio-cultural attitudes about gender fluidity. Three facets of Senario’s non-heteronormativity are foregrounded: (1) the religio-cultural belief that gender fluidity, sexual deviancy, and non-heteronormative identities are ‘conditions’ that can be ‘corrected’; (2) that this gender ‘correction’ is a recourse that privileges the masculine, and (3) that heteronormative binary roles are sustained even when imagining inversions of gender. By correlating these performances with wider religious and cultural beliefs/practices, and historical developments, it is observed that Senario’s gender performatives were heavily influenced by, and inflected with, real-world biases towards non-heteronormative communities. This work represents a meaningful step towards addressing the present lacuna of critical scholarship on Malay television representations of non-heteronormative gender identities.

Technology greatly supports people’s daily lives such as education, business, medical, and many other aspects. It can be noted that the higher education institutions’ students rely on technological support and university assistance for their studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Technological enablement is the primary determinant for entrepreneurial initiation that received attention from scholars. The focus areas include how governmental support, entrepreneurial intention, entrepreneurial education and technological enablement (mediator factor) can influence the entrepreneurial initiation. Empirical studies showed the direct and indirect impacts of the contributing factors in a particular area. However, is it the same effect of the factors for different countries? This study conducted a self-administered questionnaire to collect topic-related information from higher education institutions in Malaysia and the Philippines. A formative-reflective model, PLS-MGA, was used to analyse the direct and indirect impacts alongside the mediating factor, technological enablement. The results showed that entrepreneurial competencies, Entrepreneurial Education System, Entrepreneurial Education Mechanism, and Entrepreneurial Intention positively and significantly impact entrepreneurial success in both regions. However, the result also demonstrated that the impact of technological enablement on entrepreneurial success is more significant in Malaysia than in the Philippines. With such findings, policymakers and institutions in both countries can understand the insight and importance of technological enablement in stimulating entrepreneurship and its perceived success. Hence, they can implement supportive strategies and necessary policies to ensure technology adoption, success in shaping students’ entrepreneurial mindset and achieving the perceived outcome.

Nilai reka corak motif ukiran kayu yang dihasilkan oleh pandai kraf Bajau Sama di Kota Belud merupakan satu keunikan yang terdapat pada rumpun Bajau di negeri Sabah. Kajian ini membincangkan nilai reka corak yang terdapat pada ukkil motif ukiran kayu Bajau yang bersubjekkan burung atau hidupan di udara sebagai sumber inspirasi. Subjek burung diapresiasikan sebagai reka corak motif ukiran kayu pada senjata tradisional Bajau Sama. Contohnya burung Pimping, ayam (manuk) dan naga. Kajian ini dapat memahami nilai apresiasi panday kahuy Bajau terhadap reka corak ukkil motif bersubjekkan burung dan hubung-kaitnya dengan nilai budaya masyarakat Bajau Sama di Kota Belud. Kajian ini melibatkan proses pengumpulan data primer dan data sekunder. Proses pengumpulan data primer melibatkan temubual bersama adiguru panday kahuy Bajau dan pemerhatian secara langsung terhadap motif ukiran yang dihasilkan. Manakala, pengumpulan data sekunder adalah melalui jurnal dan buku ilmiah berkaitan dengan seni ukiran di alam Melayu. Penulis merujuk teori prinsip seni kraf tradisional Melayu dan kaedah Semantic Differential sebagai proses membuat analisa terhadap motif ukiran kayu. Pemerhatian ini diharap dapat memberi satu pemahaman umum memandangkan kurangnya dokumentasi terhadap makna interpretasi seni ukiran kayu Bajau Sama terutamanya subjek burung. The value of wood carving motifs design created by the Bajau Sama craftsmens in Kota Belud is one of the uniqueness inherited by the Bajau ethnic groups in Sabah. This study discusses the uniqueness of Bajau wood carving motifs design with a bird as its source of inspiration. The subject of birds is appreciated in the design of Bajau traditional weapons. Birds that are used include burung Pimping, roasters (manuk) and dragons (naga). This study interpretes the value of Bajau woodcarvers in the design of bird-based motifs and their relationship to the cultural value of the Bajau Sama community in Kota Belud. This study has applied the process of collecting primary and secondary data. The primary data involved interviews with Bajau woodcarvers and observation of the carved motifs. Meanwhile, secondary data were collected from rjournals and books related to the art of wood carving in Malay world. The authors apply the principles of traditional Malay art and craft and the Semantic Differential method in analyzing the wood carving motifs. This observation is expected to provide a general understanding in the effort to fill in the literature gap of documentation and interpretation of the Bajau Sama motifs design especially on the subject of bird.

The wood carving on the hilt and sheath (taguban) of parang (machete) created by the Bajau craftsmanship in Kota Belud is well-known for its uniqueness across Sabah. This study discusses the stylisation and value of appreciation from the philosophy of Bajau’s craftsmanship and the influence of the wood carving motif designs. The subject of birds is interpreted as a pattern in wood carving on either on the hilt, the tagubantaguban (sheath) or bladed weapon. Among the examples of bird’s subjects include hornbills, birds, manuk (rooster) and naga (dragons). This study aims to comprehend Bajau’s parang weapons, addressing the bird’s motif and its connection to mythical and cosmological values and why the study of the values expressed Bajau craftsmanship concerning the principles of Malay aesthetics as it expands the cultural reach of the Bajaus across the Malay Archipelago. This research is conducted through in-depth interviews with Bajau parang craftsmen as well as through participant observation at their workshop and exhibitions. Semantic Differential method is used in the research to understand what the larger community of Bajau craftsmen recognise to be the values inherent in their artform. The authors refer to Zakaria Ali’s six principles of Malay aesthetics to understand how the parang-wood carving traditions of the Bajau conform to these principles. It is within this early cosmopolitan history that the bird design motif can be understood as a motif that embodies both local

Sayaw barong is one of the traditional performances for the Bajau Sama ethnic in Kota Belud, Sabah. With parang barong itself as a primarily customised weapon, this symbolic performance represents the war dance in Bajau martial arts locally and used as an offensive and defensive technique (buah/jurus silat) that merges in different streams (aliran) of silat such as silat kuntau, silat sping/sprint, silat betawi, and silat Nusantara. Through participants’ observation and performance ethnography, this particular style and technique encompasses the identity of Bajau Sama martial art through artistic movement as a representation that is also performed during other traditions such as wedding ceremonies, traditional healing, or funeral as their own cultural value. By referring to The Fan Theory suggested by Schechner, it shows how this tradition links and connects to other elements in sacred space such as ritualization, shamanism, rites and ceremonies. This paper also discusses the use of parang barong as a material culture and how its appearance helps the efficacy of the performance. The concept of sacred-scapes, death-scapes and kinetic-scapes take shape as tangible and intangible in order to understand this particular custom and how it fits in the Bajau identity as their own art of defence traditions. It also shows the Bajau Sama belief system that creates space in ritual including initiations, customs and celebrations.

The uniqueness of the traditional Malay pattern of motifs has always received various responses from the audience either by appreciating, preserving, or documenting. This study is about the reference to some theories and methods used in evaluating a traditional pattern design created in the Malay world. The theories and methods used as references can help a study in evaluating and interpreting the pattern of the motif designs. However, there was a discussion on how a motif design was evaluated especially in the qualitative study. The researcher used general guided interviews with some of the craftsmen and selected academicians as the process of collecting primary data. Meanwhile, the process of collecting secondary data is through scientific writing such as magazines, books, and journals that examine the uniqueness of the traditional Malay motif design. This study can illustrate the researcher is referring to several theories as a method in analyzing motif design. However, the theories and methods should be based on suitable research whether using the qualitative or quantitative method. An analysis of the motif also depends on the scope of the research by the researchers whether to interpret, to make similarities and to compare, or to examine the cultural values found in a motive.

This article examines the articulations of Malaysian Malay female identities as performed on Senario, Malaysia’s longest produced sitcom. My close textual reading centres on the episode ‘Dalam Hati...