Inequality, education and growth in Malaysia

This thesis explores some of the associations between income inequality, education and economic growth. In addition, the thesis also explores the effects of democracy and regime duration on growth. The analysis is conducted at three levels: for Malaysia as a nation using time series data, for a panel of Malaysian states and for a panel of Southeast Asian countries. The main empirical tools applied are metaregression analysis and panel data econometrics. Specifically, the thesis explores the following associations: (i) the effect of education on inequality; (ii) the effect of economic development and economic growth on inequality; (iii) the effect of education on growth; (iv) the effect of inequality on growth; (v) the effect of democracy on growth; and (vi) the effect of regime duration on growth

On Locally S-prime and Locally S-Primary Submodules

 Throughout this article, we present locally prime, locally primary and locally S-semiprime submodules, as generalizations of prime, primary and semiprime submodules respectively. We investigate some properties and characterizations of these modules. For a multiplication module, the concepts of locally primary and locally primary are equivalent. Finally, we give the following result, if  is multiplication module, then  is locally primary submodule, if there exists a locally primary ideal of  such that  and . We provided that, every locally semiprime submodule of multiplication module is the intersection of some locally prime submodule

Pengajian tinggi era globalisasi: Falsafah, integriti dan aspirasi

Sektor pendidikan memang mempunyai kaitan langsung dengan pembangunan ekonomi sesebuah negara khususnya dalam membangunkan modal manusia yang akan menjadi aset utama pembangunan. Modal manusia sering dirujuk sebagai sumber produktiviti dan pertumbuhan output sesebuah negara dan dengan itu permintaan terhadap pendidikan tinggi berkembang pesat dan mengalami perubahan mendadak. Secara tradisinya, malah dalam Islam dan pemikiran Konfusianism pun, pendidikan tinggi adalah tugas kerajaan sebagai memenuhi tanggungjawab pengembangan ilmu dan pemangkin ekonomi negara dengan penyediaan tenaga kerja mahir. Bagaimanapun, keperluan mendesak terhadap pendidikan tinggi menyebabkan kerajaan tidak mampu memenuhi permintaan tersebut atas berbagai alasan seperti kos yang tinggi dan kekurangan tenaga pengajar yang berkelayakan. Sementara itu, sektor pendidikan telah dimasukkan sebagai salah satu sektor perkhidmatan dalam General Agreement on Trade and Services (GATS) dalam Wold Trade Organisation (WTO). Ia memberi implikasi bahawa sektor pendidikan terdedah kepada persaingan yang sengit sehingga melangkaui sempadan negara. Perkembangan-perkembangan tersebut sekaligus mengubah tradisi pendidikan tinggi apabila kerajaan bukan lagi penyedia tunggal perkhidmatan tersebut, malahan terpaksa bersaing atau menyerahkan kepada sektor swasta dalam dan luar negara. Akhirnya pendidikan telah menjadi barang dagangan yang menguntungkan. Tanpa menafikan kepentingan pendidikan terutamanya dari sudut ekonomi, kertas kerja ini ingin mengingatkan bahawa sekiranya perubahan-perubahan dalam sektor tersebut tidak ditangani dengan teliti, pemesongan akan berlaku. Halatuju universiti khususnya dalam mempertahankan integriti sebagai pusat kecemerlangan ilmu dan medan mencari kebenaran mungkin bertukar. Laporan UNESCO (2003) yang bertajuk Higher Education in Globalized Society mencadangkan agar diwujudkan satu garis panduan kepada IPT dalam menangani perubahan-perubahan ini. Sebagai respon kepada laporan tesebut, kertas kerja ini menegaskan kepentingan peranan nilai dan etika untuk memastikan universiti berada pada landasan yang betul. Tujuan ini akan terhasil dengan mengimbas kembali tradisi keilmuan Islam yang pada suatu ketika dulu pernah mencapai kemuncak dalam ketamadunan dunia

Dust Effect on The Performance of Optical Wireless Communication System

في هذه الورقة تم تصميم منظومة اتصالات بصرية لاسلكية من خلال استخدام برنامج ( اوبتيسستم), ودراسة تأثير الغبار الجوي على ادائها , وكذلك تم دراسة تأثير تركيز الغبار الجوي على الرؤية الجوية من خلال اخذ قيم مختلفة لتركيز الغبار    (9 , 20 ,40 ,60 ,80 ,100 ,120 )غرام \شهر \م2 . ايضا" تم دراسة تأثير الرؤية الجوية  على توهين الغبار الجوي , حيث تم حساب توهين الغبار الجوي لهذه التراكيز ولطوليين موجيين( 1550,784) نانو متر . ودراسة تأثير قدرة الليزر المرسلة على مدى الارسال حيث تم اخذ خمس قيم لقدرة الليزر المرسلة (10 ,20 ,30 ,40 ,50 ) ملي واط وحساب اقصى مدى ارسال لكل قيمة من قيم قدرة الليزر المرسلة وايضا" لطوليين موجيين هما (1550 ,784 ) نانو متر.In this paper wireless optical communication system (FSO) is designed through the use of software (Optisystem) . The paper also study  the effect of atmospheric dust on the performance of communication system (FSO), the effect of dust concentration on the visibility by taking a different concentrations of dust (9, 20, 40, 60, 80 100, 120) gm / month / m2 . The effect of the visibility on the attenuation of dust concentration on each of these concentrations , and calculate attenuation of dust for the  wavelengths  (784 nm, 1550 nm). The Paper also deals with effect of the transmitted laser  power on the transmitter range (propagation distance) where five different values of transmitted laser power (10mw, 20mw, 30mw, 40mw, 50mw) are taken  and the study calculates the maximum transmitter range of  each value of the transmitted power under the influence of attenuation atmospheric dust concentrations for each concentration of dust used and also for the two wavelengths (1550nm, 784nm)

Digital verification and authentication system for test certificates (DVASTC-COVID-19)

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. The Covid-19 pandemic is a social and an economic crisis just as much as it is a health crisis – its repercussions, severe and far-reaching, are being felt across the world. The COVID-19 negative certificate or test results now becomes very important document for a lot of activities such as air travelling. A lot of cases had been published in the world about fake and change COVID-19 certificates/test results, especially in the airports. The certificates should be provided to permit travelling and immigration. Several approaches may be used to falsify the COVID-19 documents. For example, documents may be copied using copying machines, remade using word processing software or scanned, digitally modified and finally printed

Do minimum wages reduce employment? A case study of Sarawak's service sector

This paper examines the impact of minimum wages using a survey data of services sector in Sarawak. Dependent t-test and regression analysis were conducted to determine the impact of minimum wages on employment. Although minimum wages increased salary, but the impact on employment is very small. Most of the findings do not support minimum wages reduce employment, in contrast with competitive labour market prediction

UPSKILLING AND RESKILLING STUDY FOR BETTER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AMONG YOUTH

The study was commissioned to investigate the skills gaps brought about by the IR4.0 among TVET educated youth nationwide, in order to devise the appropriate interventions in terms of policies and action plans. The study was conducted for a period of six months commencing 1 October 2020 until 31 March 2021 in collaboration with the Institute for Youth Research Malaysia (IYRES) and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak with members form the University Teknologi Mara (UiTM), University Putra Malaysia (UPM), University Technology Malaysia (UTM) and University Malaysia Kelantan (UMK). The study adopted a mixed method approach using both quantitative and qualitative approaches in addition to desk research. It commissioned a series of focus group discussions among key stakeholders consisting of all the eight ministries that oversee their respective TVET providers operations. In addition, these sessions were also conducted with other related government agencies such as the Institute of Labour Market Information & Analysis, Social Security Organisation, Human Resources Development Fund, Department of Skills Development, Malaysian Qualification Agencies, and Industry Lead Body. To gain perspectives from the industry, a series of focus group discussions were also held with employers in all the six zones namely Central, Northern, Southern, Eastern, Sabah and Sarawak in which a total of sixty people had participated, comprising of senior managers who are in charge of training and recruitment in their respective companies. The sessions were jointly organised with the Social Security Organisation whose representatives were also present during the sessions to deliver a special talk on MyFutureJobs and Hiring Incentives. A separate session was also conducted with the Majlis Belia Malaysia consisting of twenty-six leaders from youth organisations throughout Malaysia to seek their input and feedback for the study. An online nationwide youth survey was also conducted in which a total of 982 respondents participated comprising of those aged between 15 to 40 years. The results revealed a high rate of employment among youth, with 60.4 percent of the 982 respondents surveyed currently employed. The remaining 39.6 percent are either not in the labour force or still searching for jobs. Despite this, employment distributions show regional variations, with a higher share of employment in Central, Northern, and Southern zones while a higher incidence of unemployment in the East Coast, Sabah, and Sarawak. This trend is found to be aligned with the trend in the 2019 labour force survey. Job hierarchy distributions were identified as a source of concern. While most of the TVET-trained youth worked in semi-skilled occupations, only a small number were occupying high skill jobs. Furthermore, female employment in high-skilled jobs was lower than male youth. For example, only three out of every ten high-skill jobs were held by females. In addition, males were more likely to work in non-service industries like manufacturing and construction, while females were more likely to work in service industries like retail, hospitality, and education. The study shows that there is a lack of adequate skill matching and training needs among youth. Youth, regardless of their demographics, have been confirmed to be lacking in preparation for challenging duties and potential employment. While youth experienced a high pace of technological changes and new technologies in their jobs or workplaces, TVET youth received little on-the-job training, putting them at risk of lacking necessary skills. In the low-skilled category, skill matching is higher than in the high-skilled category. Although both male and female youth had a high percentage of skill matches, female youth were more likely to have low skill matches due to the skill needed for the employment and the skill they already had. According to the TVET survey, the majority of TVET graduates reported that their jobs required both technical and soft skills. The majority of youth agreed that their basic skills should be strengthened in all dimensions (technical, numeracy, literacy, computer, and English). In order to be ready for IR4.0 work environments, the majority of respondents (70 percent - 85 percent) stated that they needed to develop their core competency skills. Similarly, participants in the focus groups said that while TVET graduates had adequate technical skills, they lacked communication, complex problem-solving, and creative thinking skills, all of which are needed in a challenging workplace. The issues regarding qualification matching were also reported. More than half of those polled stated that their qualifications did not match the requirements of their jobs. In the overqualification group, the mismatch was greater at 45.5%. As a result, less than half (46.2%) of the respondents stated that jobs matched their qualifications. While gender did not affect mismatch, youth with Diploma and higher were more likely to experience overqualification. Overqualification is common in low and semi-skilled job categories. It appears that more young people in Sabah are working for wages that were lower than their qualifications (overqualified); youth in the Eastern region, on the other hand, were more likely to be employed in jobs that required higher qualifications than their own (underqualified). In terms of field of study, slightly more than half of the respondents (56.5%) reported that their TVET specializations were very relevant and just slightly above a quarter stated it was moderately relevant. These awee mostly witnessed in those holding high-skills jobs. A small proportion of the respondents stated that their specialisation was irrelevant to their jobs particularly those in the overqualified group. Youth who were working in the non-services sectors tended to have a greater relevancy of their specialisation to their jobs. The study also found that industries such as manufacturing as well as oil & gas tended to have a higher proportion of employees having TVET education compared to employers in the services and plantation sectors. Another major finding of the study is the wage differential issues that occurs particularly in terms of gender in which female youth reported a much lower income than male youth. In addition, those with matched qualification to their job reported higher income than those working in jobs that did not match their qualifications. The study has put forward key recommendations that encompass the whole spectrum of TVET implementation in Malaysia. These include jobs creation and career development, upskilling and reskilling needs, rebranding of TVET focusing on quality and future potentials, establishment of integrated TVET labour market information through data warehouse as well wages enhancement initiatives

Chitosan/lignosulfonate nanospheres as "green" biocide for controlling the microbiologically influenced corrosion of carbon steel

In this work, uniform cross-linked chitosan/lignosulfonate (CS/LS) nanospheres with an average diameter of 150-200 nm have been successfully used as a novel, environmentally friendly biocide for the inhibition of mixed sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) culture, thereby controlling microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) on carbon steel. It was found that 500 μg·mL-1 of the CS/LS nanospheres can be used efficiently for the inhibition of SRB-induced corrosion up to a maximum of 85% indicated by a two fold increase of charge transfer resistance (Rct) on the carbon steel coupons. The hydrophilic surface of CS/LS can readily bind to the negatively charged bacterial surfaces and thereby leads to the inactivation or damage of bacterial cells. In addition, the film formation ability of chitosan on the coupon surface may have formed a protective layer to prevent the biofilm formation by hindering the initial bacterial attachment, thus leading to the reduction of corrosion.Funding: This research was funded by Qatar National Research Fund QNRF, Qatar Foundation through the NPRP grant # NPRP8-286-2-118. The publication of this article was funded by the Qatar National Library

Kajian keberkesanan kesatuan sekerja di Malaysia

Kajian ini telah mengenalpasti aspek keberkesanan kesatuan sekerja, dan persepsi anggota kesatuan pekerja mengenai pelaksanaan Perjanjian Perkongsian Trans-Pasifik (TPPA). Di samping itu, kajian itu juga telah membincangkan penanda aras untuk menentukan keadaan semasa kesatuan perdagangan di Malaysia berbanding dengan sepuluh negara lain di rantau Asia Pasifik, Eropah dan Amerika Syarikat. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa kepadatan kesatuan sekerja di Malaysia agak rendah berbanding dengan negara-negara lain terutamanya berbanding dengan negara maju. Trend umum secara global menunjukkan penurunan pergerakan. Dalam konteks Malaysia, tiada hubungan yang jelas antara faktor ekonomi dan kepadatan kesatuan sekerja ditemui dalam kajian ini, yang mengesahkan penemuan kajian terdahulu di mana faktor-faktor ekonomi semata-mata bukan pengaruh utama ketumpatan kesatuan sekerja. Sebaliknya, kajian ini mendapati bahawa kadar kepadatan kesatuan sekerja di Malaysia juga dipengaruhi oleh struktur ekonomi, perundangan dan dasar kerajaan