Resurgence of regional coalitions in Sarawak and Sabah since the federal elections of 2018 and 2022

This article examines the resurgence of regional coalitions in Sarawak and Sabah following the 14th and 15th General Elections, respectively. It shows how federal-level government changes in Malaysia can result in the realignment of regional parties in Sarawak and Sabah, which had significantly shaped Malaysia’s political landscape as BN’s frontline states. The resurgence of the regional coalitions, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), demonstrates not only the fragmentation of national politics and the rise of regionalism but also the ease with which regional parties dominated by strongmen and aided by patronage can realign, enter and exit coalitions

Bibliometric Structure of Collective Identities: Progress of Publication on Collective Identity in the Scopus Database

The formation of collective identity, at its core, is the product of people navigating through social relations. Collective identity has become one of the most prominent sub theories in social identity theory. This study examines the progress of publication on collective identity and mapping the structure of its bibliometric information on journals published in the Scopus database. The online retrieval process was done on 28 July 2020 and obtained 689 documents. The data were analysed using a standard bibliometric approach using Microsoft Excel, VOSviewer, and Harzing’s Publish and Perish. The result shows an increased growth rate of literature in the year 1997. The growth particularly linked to the publication of “Who Is This “We”? Levels of Collective Identity and Self Representations” by M.B. Brewer and W. Gardner’ in 1996 and “The Construction of Collective Identity.”S.N. Eisenstadt, B. Giesen in 1995. This study reveals research on collective identity subject are predominantly related to constructive analysis, identity analysis, discourse analysis, and collective action analysis. There is increased attention in linking social media with collective identity research, while the social movement domain will continue to be an important domain within the corpus. This study offers an insight to researchers on current trends and the future trajectory of collective identity research

Commercialization of Sago through Estate Plantation Scheme in Sarawak: The Way Forward

Sago has been hailed as a next viable commodity in Sarawak, Malaysia, given its potential as a versatile crop. Realising its potential, Sarawak state government has started initiatives to stimulate sago plantation from subsistence farming to estate plantation. The move of introducing sago estate plantation is a bold one considering that Malaysia is the first country introducing such plantation design. This is a reflection on sago estate plantation in the state of Sarawak. It is observed that, in order to ensure success of the plantation scheme, factors such as rigorous land consolidation programme aiming to maximize sago production; introduction of a modern planting method that integrates well with the traditional planting method; rigorous scientific research in finding the best sago variety that produces high yield; effective communication between related agencies and smallholders; and concentrated involvement of all actors, governmental agencies, mills, and smallholders, have to be addressed accordingly. To conclude, it is hoped that this writing can be utilized as part of a contribution to accelerating commercialization of sago as a next viable commodity crop not only in Sarawak but in Southeast Asia as a whole

Challenges in Enhancing Sustainable Sago Palm Cultivation in the Mukah Division of Sarawak, Malaysia

Sago (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) has the potential to be an important commodity export for the state of Sarawak, Malaysia provided it can be cultivated sustainably by the sago farmers and in large sago estate plantation. Its ability to accumulate large amount of starch in its trunk lead its to be regarded as the "starch crop of the 21st century." The study's goal is to investigate the many challenges faced by sago farmers in Sarawak's Mukah Division in cultivating sustainable sago palms. It uses a sustainable agriculture framework to describe the issues and challenges in improving sago cultivation. This study employed in-depth interview with all stakeholders and observation as data collection. Results revealed that the pertinent issues and challenges for the sago farmers in sustainable agriculture includes integrating scientific methods with indigenous knowledge of sago cultivation, finding sago variety that produce high yield of sago starch, long maturity period of sago, the declining size of land to cultivate sago, competition from oil palm cultivation, and the absent of the sago board. Of a great concern is the reluctant of younger generation to enter the labour force in the sago industry

Youth participation in the sago industry: a Malaysian case study

Studies have shown that today’s youth are shunning away from agricultural activities leading to workforce shortages to sustain production. The present study includes a survey of 200 youths involved in the sago industry in Malaysia’s four major districts of Sarawak to understand their general perceptions of the sago industry and employment patterns in both sago and non-sago. Results showed that a proportion of the youth respondents were employed either full-time or part-time, with more than half working full-time in the private sector. Of great concern, about 25 per cent of them are not employed full-time. Nevertheless, approximately 70 or 35 per cent of the youth respondents admitted that they are engaged in part-time sago-related activities. Generally, rural youths have favourable attitudes toward the sago industry. The level of education is an essential factor influencing youths’ full-time employment in the sago industry. Whereas for parttime employment in the industry, age was a significant determinant

Youth participation in the Sago industry: A Malaysian case study

Studies have shown that today’s youth are shunning away from agricultural activities leading to workforce shortages to sustain production. The present study includes a survey of 200 youths involved in the sago industry in Malaysia’s four major districts of Sarawak to understand their general perceptions of the sago industry and employment patterns in both sago and non-sago. Results showed that a proportion of the youth respondents were employed either full-time or part-time, with more than half working full-time in the private sector. Of great concern, about 25 per cent of them are not employed full-time. Nevertheless, approximately 70 or 35 per cent of the youth respondents admitted that they are engaged in part-time sago-related activities. Generally, rural youths have favourable attitudes toward the sago industry. The level of education is an essential factor influencing youths’ full-time employment in the sago industry. Whereas for part- time employment in the industry, age was a significant determinant

The Melanau folklore: an analysis of moral values

Melanau folklore, abundant with intricate narratives and moral lessons, serves as an essential vehicle for cultural transmission. This paper seeks to scrutinize the representation of moral values within Melanau folklore, specifically looking through its oral narratives through qualitative literary research. Drawing on the thematic analysis of 24 short stories derived from Morris's monograph, this paper identified four principal themes of moral values: Personal Development and Growth, Social and Cultural Values, Interactions with the Supernatural, and Environmental Stewardship. These moral values, deeply embedded in Melanau's worldview, are paramount to the community's understanding and interaction with their environment. Intriguingly, our analysis suggests that the inherent moral values of the Melanau are often intertwined with concepts related to the spirit world, indicating the pivotal role of supernatural elements in shaping the community's ethical landscape. This study highlights the rich moral fabric of Melanau narratives, elucidating their cultural identity and the broader context of their relationship with the supernatural world

Commercialization of Sago through Estate Plantation Scheme in Sarawak: The Way Forward

Sago has been hailed as a next viable commodity in Sarawak, Malaysia, given its potential as a versatile crop. Realising its potential, Sarawak state government has started initiatives to stimulate sago plantation from subsistence farming to estate plantation. The move of introducing sago estate plantation is a bold one considering that Malaysia is the first country introducing such plantation design. This is a reflection on sago estate plantation in the state of Sarawak. It is observed that, in order to ensure success of the plantation scheme, factors such as rigorous land consolidation programme aiming to maximize sago production; introduction of a modern planting method that integrates well with the traditional planting method; rigorous scientific research in finding the best sago variety that produces high yield; effective communication between related agencies and smallholders; and concentrated involvement of all actors, governmental agencies, mills, and smallholders, have to be addressed accordingly. To conclude, it is hoped that this writing can be utilized as part of a contribution to accelerating commercialization of sago as a next viable commodity crop not only in Sarawak but in Southeast Asia as a whole