An investment appraisal of international maritime assets for Malaysian Islamic financial institutions - the case for equity finance

The purpose of this research is to investigate the overall investment performance of international maritime assets in order to facilitate Islamic equity finance and investment involving Malaysian Islamic finance institutions, retail and also institutional investors. Shipping is a strong growth industry with about 84% of global trade carried by the international shipping industry. The problem is that Malaysian Islamic financial institutions have essentially no exposure and thus understanding of international shipping. However, shipping is a highly capital intensive industry and currently 75% of ship lending has been conducted by European banks and financed on a conventional basis. This research involves an investment analysis of a full population of historical data over a period of 20 years to evaluate maritime performance by adopting IRR, net yield and standard deviation measures of risk and return. We also develop a correlation matrix for maritime assets and compare returns to other real and financial investments. Our findings reveal that whilst earnings are volatile in comparison to capital market financial products, unlevered, tax-free returns on maritime assets are very attractive. The significance is that Islamic equity finance, rather than debt at the time-value-of-money should enable the development of international shipping in Malaysia

Modeling the performance of bulk-carriers for Islamic equity investors

This paper investigates the performance of bulk-carriers as a primary shipping segment for Islamic equity investors. Shipping is a strong growth industry with 84% of global trade carried by the shipping industry, although 75% of ship lending is debt-based. Moreover, many Islamic investors have minimal exposure to ship-finance and investment. We adopt an investment analysis of a full population of historical data over 20 years, to evaluate performance involving a maritime return on investment, IRR, net yield and standard deviation measures of risk and return. Our findings reveal that whilst earnings are volatile in comparison to capital market expectations, unlevered, tax-free returns on bulk-carrier investments out-perform other assets. By communicating risk and reward more effectively, Islamic equity investors, will realize the benefit of equity finance on the basis of profit sharing, is more efficient at allocating investible resources than debt finance at interest, thereby increasing investment and economic growth

A conceptual framework for Islamic institutional and retail investment in maritime assets

The purpose of this research is to provide a conceptual framework for Islamic institutional and retail investment in maritime assets. Our objectives are to provide an introduction to seaborne trade and analyze trends in institutional interest in alternative assets and international shipping as well as highlight Islamic and conventional equity structures for institutional and retail investors. Our findings reveal that an Islamic private equity framework involving an unlevered, tax-free investment in maritime assets provides a real alternative to conventional lending and even successful tax-efficient conventional equity structures, since they are not entirely without issues given the significant presence of debt financing from maritime banks. There is a demand for alternative sources of finance, such that Islamic equity finance, rather than conventional lending or structured debt can develop international shipping involving Islamic institutional and retail investment in maritime assets

Non-business e-commerce in Malaysia: An investigation of key adoption

Problem statement: Non-business EC is a relatively new research niche in the general e-commerce stream. Application of e-commerce by profit oriented organization already become bread and butter but still limited applied in non-business sectors such as academic institutions (as in the present study), non-profit organizations, religious organizations and government agencies. Nowadays e-commerce becomes crucially essential in reducing their expenses and improving their operations.Therefore, application of this new innovation should enhance to no non-business sectors to be livelier.Understanding the key factors of facilitating and adopting the e-commerce in non-business are still need to enrich in particularly within Malaysian context. A field survey was conducted to determine key factors that facilitate the adoption of non-business EC in Malaysian Universities. Approach: One main focus of IT implementation research has been to determine why people accept or reject new technology. The current research will explore why Non-business institutions will accept or reject e- commerce. Since e-commerce adoption decision is a strategic one, a comprehensive list of potential facilitators and non-facilitators for the strategic use of information technology was derived from past research. Thus factors used as the basis for collecting data from 65 schools, centers and units from 5 public universities in Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur. These data were factor-analyzed to determine the key underlying dimensions of facilitators. On the basis of the resulting 5 dimensions namely, relative advantage, network orientation, information efficiency, innovativeness and competitiveness, regression analysis was done to determine the impact of the 5 dimensions on adoption. Results: They suggest that relative advantage, network orientation and information efficiency are the most important facilitators to the used of e-commerce in non-business sectors. Inhibitors were not estimated eventually, as there were no non-users among the respondents. Conclusion: The results implies the non-business sectors should look into advantages, network orientation and information efficiency as a strategic based for implementing e-commerce in more effective manner to achieve their goals

Pengajaran-Pembelajaran Kimia Di Sekolah Menengah: Ke Manakah Arah Tujunya ?

Sejak mencapai kemerdekaan, kurikulum kimia (sains) di sekolah menengah negara kita telah mengalami pelbagai perubahan. Mekipun melalui transformasi ini pendidikan kimia menjadi semakin kompleks dan sukar, tetapi apa yang penting ianya menjadi semakin menarik. Penekanan proses pengajaran-pembelajaran sains masa kini adalah terhadap belajar melalui pengalaman, dengan penerapan kemahiran saintifik, kemahiran berfikir serta penyelesaian masalah, melalui pendekatan pembelajaran berfikrah. Persoalannya: Sejauh manakah guru-guru kimia di sekolah melaksanakan proses pengajaran-pembelajaran selaras dengan Falsafah Pendidikan Kebangsaan dan Falsafah Pendidikan Kimia, demi melahirkan generasi yang celik dan kompeten dalam kimia ? Dalam usaha untuk mencari jawapan terhadap persoalan penting ini, satu set soal selidik telah diedarkan kepada 47 orang guru kimia di beberapa daerah Negeri Johor Darul Takzim. Hasil kajian menunjukkan guru menerapkan beberapa aspek kemahiran proses sains - memerhati, mengukur, berkomunikasi, mengelas, membuat kesimpulan dan mentafsir data / maklumat - dengan baik dalam proses pengajaran-pembelajaran kimia. Manakala, aspek membuat inferens dan mengawal pemboleh ubah hanya dilaksanakan guru pada tahap yang sederhana sahaja. Guru juga memberi peluang pelajar mentafsir data / maklumat yang yang diperolehi dalam sesuatu eksperimen atau aktiviti penyelidikan yang dilakukan. Walau bagaimanapun, tahap perlaksanaan dalam aspek membuat ramalan serta membuat hipotesis adalah sangat lemah. Meskipun responden menguji pengetahuan sedia ada pelajar, tetapi mereka tidak menggunakan analogi yang sesuai untuk memvisualizekan konsep kimia yang abstrak serta tidak mengaitkannya dengan kehidupan seharian. Hasil kajian juga menunjukkan responden kurang memberi peluang pelajar mengembangkan pemikiran kritis dan kreatif mereka. Di samping itu, responden tidak memberi peluang pelajar terlibat secara aktif dalam proses pengajaran-pembelajaran: Segala-galanya sebagaimana yang termaktub dalam buku teks. Prosedur sesuatu aktiviti eksperimen yang terdapat dalam buku teks diikuti responden secara langsung, tanpa melibatkan aktiviti penyelesaian masalah. Responden cenderung membincangkan teori terlebih dahulu sebelum membenarkan pelajar melakukan eksperimen dengan mengikuti “resepi� di dalam makmal, sebagaimana dalam pendekatan tradisi. Takrifan sesuatu konsep diberikan kepada pelajar sebagaimana yang terdapat dalam buku teks, tanpa memberi penekanan terhadap kata kunci atau dengan membincangkannya mengikut kefahaman guru

Trust Enhancement in Zakat Institutions using Blockchain Technology: A Qualitative Approach

There is an indication that zakat institutions are inefficient and lack transparency in terms of distributing and managing their funds. This leads to a lack of trust between Muzakee and zakat institutions; hence, they prefer to pay zakat to Mustahiq directly. This means that zakat institutions may be collecting far less in zakat funds than the maximum amount that is potentially available. Meanwhile, the invention of blockchain technology has disrupted the financial sector as it offers transparency in transactions, meaning intermediaries are no longer needed. The use of blockchain in zakat management is important for improving transparency in the distribution of zakat. The objective of this paper is to explore the determinant factors that influence trust in zakat institutions using blockchain technology as a mediating effect. The results of the literature review revealed that these factors are reputation, satisfaction with zakat distribution, service quality and disclosure practice. This study expects that trust in zakat institutions can be enhanced through the use of blockchain technology

(E)-Methyl 2-(3-cinnamoyl­thio­ureido)acetate

In the title compound, C13H14N2O3S, the methyl 2-(3-formyl­thio­ureido)acetate fragment and the phenyl ring adopt an E configuration. The mol­ecule exhibits an intra­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bond, which completes a six-membered ring. The crystal packing is stabilized by inter­molecular N—H⋯S contacts, generating a two-dimensional hydrogen-bonding network

Methyl 3-(3-benzoyl­thio­ureido)propano­ate

In the title compound, C12H14N2O3S, the propyl acetate group and the benzoyl group adopt a cis–trans conformation, respectively, with respect to the thiono S atom across the C—N bonds. The phenyl ring is twisted relative to the the thio­urea mean plane, forming a dihedral angle of 24.16 (9)°. An intra­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bond occurs. The crystal packing is stabilized by inter­molecular N—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a chain along the a axis

An attempt to Stimulate lipids for Biodiesel Production from locally Isolated Microalgae in Iraq

Two locally isolated microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris Bejerinck and Nitzschia palea (Kützing) W. Smith) were used in the current study to test their ability to production biodiesel through stimulated in different nitrogen concentration treatments (0, 2, 4, 8 gl ), and effect of nitrogen concentration on the quantity of primary product (carbohydrate, protein ), also the quantity and quality of lipid. The results revealed that starvation of nitrogen led to high lipid yielding, in C. vulgaris and N. palea the lipid content increased from 6.6% to 40% and 40% to 60% of dry weight (DW) respectively.Also in C. vulgaris, the highest carbohydrate was 23% of DW from zero nitrate medium and the highest protein was 50% of DW in the treatment 8gl. While in N. palea the highest carbohydrate was 25% of DW in the treatment 4gl, and the highest protein was 15% of DW in 8gl treatment

Estimation the Radioactive Pollution by Uranium in the Soil of Al-Kut City/ Iraq

The aim of the present work, was measuring of uranium concentrations in 25 soil samples from five locations of Al-Kut city. The samples taken from different depths ranged from soil surface to 60cm step 15 cm, for this measurement of uranium concentrations .The most widely used technique SSNTDs was chosen to be the measurement technique. Results showed that the higher concentrations were in Hai Al- Kafaat which recorded 1.49 ± 0.054 ppm . The uranium content in soil samples were less than permissible limit of UNSCEAR(11.7ppm)