Penangkapan ikan oleh nelayan Negeri Sembilan: Satu kajian empirikal

The objective of this research is to identify the important factors in influencing fishing activities in Negeri Sembilan, specifically in the district of Port Dickson. The study analysed the impact of socio-economics and the environment toward the inefficiency level of the fishing activities as well as to give suggestions to improve efficiency. The Stochastic Frontier and technical inefficiency models were developed to analyse all the data. The results from 156 fishermen show that costs of fishing per trip, number of labour, and type of boat are significant toward the total of landings. Moreover, the study found that the mean of technical efficiency of fishing activities is at 76.5%. Overall, it shows that the efficiency level of fishing activities is moderate and its competitiveness should be improved continuously at the same level with development of other economic activities in this area

Accumulation and Migration of Phosphate Applied as Rock Phosphate in an Oil Palm Plantation

An experiment was conducted to study the accumulation and migration of P applied as Christmas Island Rock Phosphate (15% P) to an oil palm crop grown on Kuala Brang soil series (Typic Paleudult). These oil palm trees were fertilized for 17 consecutive years at the rate of 0, 44 and 88 kg P/ha/year. Most of the P was found to accumulate mainly in the top 10 cm of the soil and were present in the order of Ca-P > Fe-P > Al-P. Olsen extractable P, total P, inorganic P fractions, soil CEC and pH were found to increase with increasing rates of P applied

Impacts of External Price Shocks on Malaysian Macro Economy-An Applied General Equilibrium Analysis

This paper examines the impacts of external price shocks in the Malaysian economy. There are three simulations are carried out with different degrees of external shocks using Malaysian Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) and Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) analysis. The model results indicate that the import price shocks, better known as external price shocks by 15% decreases the domestic production of building and construction sector by 25.87%, hotels, restaurants and entertainment sector by 12.04%, industry sector by 12.02%, agriculture sector by 11.01%, and electricity and gas sector by 9.55% from the baseline. On the import side, our simulation results illustrate that as a result of the import price shocks by 15%, imports decreases significantly in all sectors from base level. Among the scenarios, the largest negative impacts goes on industry sectors by 29.67% followed by building and construction sector by 22.42%, hotels, restaurants and entertainment sector by 19.45%, electricity and gas sector by 13.%, agriculture sector by 12.63% and other service sectors by 11.17%. However significant negative impact goes to the investment and fixed capital investment. It also causes the household income, household consumption and household savings down and increases the cost of livings in the economy results in downward social welfare.External Price Shocks, Applied General Equilibrium Analysis, Malaysian economy

A CGE Analysis of the Economic Impact of Output-Specific Carbon Tax on the Malaysian Economy

Environmental pollution is an emerging issue in many developing countries and its mitigation is increasingly being integrated into national development policies. One approach to mitigate the problem is by implement pollution control policies in the form of pollution tax or clean technology incentives. Empirical studies for developed countries reveal that imposition of an carbon tax would decrease CO2 emissions significantly and do not dramatically reduce economic growth. However, the same result may not apply for small-open developing countries such as Malaysia. The objective of this study is to quantify the impact of pollution tax on the Malaysian economy under the backdrop of trade liberalization. To examine the economic impact and effectiveness of carbon tax, a single-country, static Computable General Equilibrium model for Malaysia is constructed. The model is extended to incorporate output-specific carbon tax elements. Three simulations were carried out using a Malaysian 2000 Social Accounting Matrix. The first simulation examines the impact of halving the baseline tariff and export duty while the second solely focused on the impact of output-specific carbon tax. The third simulation combines both former scenarios. The model results indicate that the Malaysian economy is not sensitive to further liberalization. The reason could be attributed to the fact that Malaysian export duty is already low. Additionally, simulation results also indicate that while imposition of carbon tax reduces carbon emission, it also results in lower GDP and trade.Trade, Air Emission, Environmental General Equilibrium, Malaysian Economy

A COMPUTABLE GENERAL EQUILIBRIUM APPROACH TO TRADE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MODELLING IN THE MALAYSIAN ECONOMY

Environmental pollution is now a serious problem in many developing countries. One approach to mitigate the problem is to implement various pollution control policies. However, due to a lack of adequate quantitative models, the economic impacts and effectiveness of many pollution control policies are still unknown. Therefore, there is a greater need to know whether economic liberalization, trade, environment and social welfare can be joined in one direction under environmental taxation and policies. Empirical studies for developed countries reveal that imposition of a carbon tax would decrease CO2 emissions significantly and might not dramatically reduce economic growth. To our knowledge there has not been any research done to simulate the economic impact of emission control policies in Malaysia. Studying the potential economic impact of emission control policies is very important because inappropriate policies that reduce carbon emission may at the same time reduce highly economic growth. It is thus important to find the correct pollution tax that could be imposed such that environmental pollution is reduced at the same time does not dampen economic growth. The method developed for this study is applied computable general equilibrium model (MYCGE) for imposing environmental taxation policies in the Malaysian economy. Three simulations were carried out using a Malaysian Social Accounting Matrix. The first simulation is related to the trade based and the last two are carbon based simulations. The model results indicate that further trade liberalization is not sensitive in the Malaysian economy. Particularly, the reasons could be attributed to the fact that Malaysian export duty is already low and Malaysian trade policy already highly liberalized. The carbon tax policy illustrates that a 1.21 percent reduction of carbon emission (via carbon tax) reduces the nominal GDP by 0.82 percent and exports by 2.08 percent; a 2.34 percent reduction of carbon emission reduces the nominal GDP by 1.90 percent and exports by 3.97 percent and a 3.40 percent reduction of carbon emission reduces the nominal GDP by 3.17 percent and exports by 5.707 percent.Trade, Air Emission, Environmental General Equilibrium, Malaysian Economy

Macroeconomic effects of carbon dioxide emission reduction: a computable general equilibrium analysis for Malaysia

This study analyzes the macroeconomic effects of limiting carbon emissions using computable general equilibrium (CGE) model in the Malaysian economy. Doing so, we developed an environmental computable general equilibrium model and investigate carbon tax policy responses in the economy applying exogenously different degrees of carbon tax into the model. Three simulations were carried out using a Malaysian Social Accounting Matrix. The carbon tax policy illustrates that a 1.21% reduction of carbon emission reduces the nominal GDP by 0.82% and exports by 2.08%; a 2.34% reduction of carbon emission reduces the nominal GDP by 1.90% and exports by 3.97%and a 3.40% reduction of carbon emission reduces the nominal GDP by 3.17% and exports by 5.71%. Imposition of successively higher carbon tax results in increased government revenue from baseline by 26.67%, 53.07% and 79.28% respectively. However, fixed capital investment increased in scenario 1a (1st) by 0.43% but decreased in scenarios 1b (2nd) and 1c (3rd) by 0.26% and 1.79% respectively from the baseline. According to our findings policy-makes should consider initial (1st) carbon tax policy. This policy results in achieving reasonably good environmental impacts without losing the investment, fixed capital investment, investment share of nominal GDP and government revenue.Emission; Environmental General Equilibrium; Malaysian Economy

Impacts of the western hemisphere free trade area on the international trade of soybean oil, soybean meal and soybeans

A major multi-county free trade agreement currently under negotiation is the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). The agreement is proposed to be operational by January 2005 and will encompass 34 countries in the Western Hemisphere. Soybeans and soybean products are important export commodities in the Western Hemisphere. It is expected that tariffs and duties on these commodities will be intensely negotiated. The purpose of this paper is to analyze effects of the FTAA implementation on international trade of soybean oil, soybean meal and soybeans. Emphases of investigations are on how the implementation of FTAA is afected by Brazil's soybean output expansion and China's accession into the World Trade Organization. The method of analysis is via the spatial equilibrium model that includes all countries in the Western Hemisphere and several regions outside the hemisphere. Four alternative trade scenarios were simulated and their results were compared with those from the baseline model. All scenarios indicated that the U.S. and Brazil would be able to at least expand their exports of soybean oil or soybean meal

Collaborative mint map tool to facilitate requirement elicitation

Requirements elicitation is a crucial task in any software development process.It is notable as a major contributor to the project failure.To minimize and subsequently improve the process, folding Mind Map concept in the elicitation process and implementing it collaboratively is being proposed in this study. The aim of the study is to study the impact of the Mind Map and groupware in facilitating requirements elicitation.A prototype based on PowerMeeting is developed to illustrate the idea of mind map groupware called Collaborative Mind Map Tool (CMMT) which to be analyzed its impact towards requirement elicitation process

Penangkapan Ikan oleh Nelayan Negeri Sembilan: Satu Kajian Empirikal

Tujuan kajian ini ialah untuk mengkaji faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi aktiviti penangkapan ikan di Negeri Sembilan iaitu keseluruhan daerah Port Dickson. Kajian juga menilai impak sosio-ekonomi dan alam sekitar terhadap tahap ketakcekapan aktiviti penangkapan ikan dan seterusnya memberi cadangan bagi meningkatkan kecekapannya. Analisis dilakukan dengan membentuk model Stokastik Frontier tangkapan ikan nelayan dan model ketakcekapan teknikal. Keputusan kajian terhadap 156 nelayan menunjukkan kos penangkapan se trip, jumlah tenaga kerja dan jenis bot adalah signifikan di dalam mempengaruhi jumlah tangkapan ikan nelayan. Seterusnya kajian mendapati min indeks kecekapan teknikal nelayan adalah pada paras 76.5%. Ini menunjukkan secara keseluruhan bahawa tahap kecekapan dan daya saing kegiatan penangkapan ikan di negeri ini adalah sederhana dan perlu ditingkatkan selari dengan tahap pembangunan lain-lain aktiviti ekonomi di kawasan ini.

Development and Evaluation of Surface Modified Poly (lactic acid) Microsphere via Irradiation Techniques for Drug Delivery System

AbstractPoly (lactic acid) (PLA) has been used in medical field because it is biocompatible, biodegradable and has good mechanical properties. However, its surface characteristic which is hydrophobic and chemically inert is not suitable as a carrier in drug delivery system. Purpose of this study is to modify and improve PLA microspheres surface by grafting hydrophilic monomers onto its surface via irradiation techniques. Two sets of PLA microspheres with and without hydrophilic monomers were irradiated using high energy irradiations which are electron beam and Gamma (γ) rays respectively. Although dose used in irradiating samples were same for both electron beam and γ-rays, but the dose rate were different where electron beam has the higher dose rate. Free radicals will be formed when a matter is irradiated with ionising radiation and these radicals will interact with monomers and initiate grafting. Three hydrophilic monomers were used in this study i.e. Acrylic Acid (AA), Acrylamide and Maleic Anhydride (MAH). Surface modified PLA microspheres were characterised using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). PLA microspheres surface were successfully modified and grafted with selected monomers and confirmed by FTIR results. The degrees of grafting were found to be dependent on irradiation dose and dose rate of irradiation as well as monomer used in the grafting. SEM shows surface of PLA microsphere after surface modification is rougher compared to before surface modification