Recapitalization Effectiveness and Performance of Banks in Malaysia

Recapitalization through capital injection is one of the strategies for banks to strengthen their banking system from the possibility of bank failures. Banks cannot deny that capital is one of the most important components to run their business. In spite of that, few studies have been conducted to assess the effectiveness of such strategy on Asian banks. This paper investigates the effectiveness of capital injection in the Malaysian banking sector which was adversely hit by the financial crisis. Panel data from 1997 to 2014 was used. The financial data is obtained from annual reports published in Bank Scope and The World Bank database. The data were processed using Panel Least Square and Random effect model. The empirical analysis reveals that, GDP, CAR, previous year capital injection and loan write-off (LWO) explain 89.6 percent of the variance in capital injection effectiveness. CAR and LWO/TA are significant at 5 percent confidence level. The evidence from the results shows that recapitalization is vital for long term survival of the banking sector. The study recommends that in order to improve the profitability of banking sector, the banks should write off bad loans and ensure they have adequate capital either through capital injection, or growth to withstand financial risks

The Influence of Service Quality and Food Quality Towards Customer Fulfillment and Revisit Intention

The intensely competitive environment existing in the restaurant sector makes it vital for firms to achieve customer satisfaction in order to survive in the long term. Obtaining customer satisfaction means that they become an effective and efficient communication resource, at no cost to the firm. Prominent among the factors that determine the levels of customer satisfaction in the food and beverage contexts are service quality and product quality. Nowadays, Chinese cuisine is becoming more attractive and accepted worldwide. Due to large population of Chinese Muslims in Malaysia, restaurants catered or owned by Chinese Muslims are now increasing and cater to all races in Malaysia. Therefore, the objective of the study is to identify the relationship between service quality and product quality towards customer satisfaction and examine revisit intentions of 9 Chinese Muslim restaurants in Shah Alam, Malaysia. The questionnaire was tested for reliability before being used. Correlation and regression analysis were employed to investigate the relationship between the service and product (food), customer satisfaction and revisit intentions to these restaurants. The findings of this study indicate that service quality and food quality have a significant relationship on customer satisfaction and thus have a significant relationship towards revisit intention. In conclusion, it was found that all customers were satisfied with these restaurants and willing to recommend Chinese Muslim restaurants to their relatives and friends and they were also willing to revisit this type of restaurant in the future

Scienceploration 2023

The Scienceploration Camp is an initiative of the Centre for Pre-University Studies, UNIMAS (PPPU), which aims to increase the interest in science among secondary school students. It is also an effort taken by PPPU towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 4 in providing equal quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. On top of that, this camp supports Sarawak’s Digital Economy Strategy in nurturing an integrated ecosystem to foster inclusive digital society, by building the right foundations to grow our local digital economy

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior in financial inclusion participation model – evidence from an emerging economy

AbstractRecently, researchers have deployed the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to examine factors influencing financial inclusion participation behaviour. However, more must be made to expand the theory by integrating sectoral and contextual variables. Hence, this study extends TPB by intergrating additional financial inclusion participation behavior determinants in Nigeria, an emerging economy. The study employed a quantitative research methodology with a positivist research design. The target population included 23 million adults aged 15 years and above in Northwest Nigeria. From this population, a sample of 500 adults was selected using a stratified simple random sampling technique. Data from the sample was collected through survey questionnaires and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed that all the original TPB variables, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and behavioural Intention, strongly influenced financial inclusion participation. It was also found that of the three new variables included, awareness and government support significantly influenced financial inclusion participation behaviour. In contrast, access to banking and digital channels was found to be insignificant. These findings imply that for better financial inclusion and participation, the government should play a proactive role in ensuring essential awareness about new banking products and services, especially those that align with the dominant religious beliefs of the Northwestern region, such as Shariah-compliant banking products and services. Additionally, policy support should be extended to enhance access to banking and digital channels for Nigeria’s underserved communities

Abstracts of the International Halal Science Conference 2023

This book presents the extended abstracts of the selected contributions to the International Halal Science Conference, held on 22-23 August 2023 by the International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), IIUM, Malaysia in collaboration with Halalan Thayyiban Research Centre, University Islam Sultan Sharif (UNISSA), Brunei Darussalam. With the increasing global interest in halal products and services, this conference is timely. Conference Title:  International Halal Science ConferenceConference Acronym: IHASC23Conference Theme: Halal Industry Sustainability Through ScienceConference Date: 22-23 August 2023Conference Venue: International Islamic University (IIUM), MalaysiaConference Organizer: International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), International Islamic University (IIUM), Malaysi