Peranan Rekabentuk Dalam Mengekalkan Keunikan Adat Dan Budaya Makan Masyarakat Melayu

Rekabentuk merupakan satu bidang seni yang dapat membantu dalam membuat penambahbaikan dan menghasilkan sesuatu produk mengikut keperluan masyarakat hari ini. Keunikan adat dan budaya masyarakat Melayu di Malaysia mempunyai elemen yang menarik sehingga menjadi satu identiti kepada masyarakat tersebut. Dalam kajian ini, rekabentuk dilihat sebagai satu medium yang penting dalam mengekalkan adat dan budaya masyarakat Melayu yang makan menggunakan tangan dan hal ini merupakan satu nilai budaya yang unik. Adat makan merupakan salah satu adat yang seringkali diasosiasikan dengan masyarakat Melayu, malah ianya turut menjadi salah satu identiti yang unik dan masih dipraktikkan hingga ke hari ini. Berdasarkan kajian, set pinggan mangkuk yang berada di pasaran hari ini tidak sesuai untuk digunakan bagi hidangan yang menggunakan tangan, di mana masyarakat Melayu terpaksa mengadaptasikan penggunaan set pinggan mangkuk yang terdapat di pasaran yang kebanyakannya direka mengikut rekabentuk dan citarasa Barat. Justeru itu, kajian ini telah meneroka dan menganalisa rekabentuk dan penggunaan set pinggan mangkuk yang bersesuaian dengan adat makan masyarakat Melayu bagi mengekalkan keunikan adat tempatan ini. Di atas kesedaran itu, satu set pinggan mangkuk yang sesuai dengan keunikan budaya makan masyarakat Melayu turut dicadangkan melalui proses rekabentu

Aurora: the pandemic within

Aurora Layar Group (Aurora) had been experiencing losses for three consecutive years since 2017. Among factors contributing to these losses were high depreciation due to high capital expenditure and recognition of impairment losses. However, Aurora managed to reduce its losses from RM252 billion in 2017 to RM79.5 billion in 2019. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic had hammered many industries worldwide including Aurora, in the travel, leisure and hospitality sector. The implication from the restrictions on business operations due to the Covid-19 pandemic on Aurora was evidenced by its reported losses of RM371.3 billion in the first six months to June 2020 during which most of its cruise operations suspended since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The reported losses were extremely higher compared to the first six months to June 2019 of RM28.3 billion. While many cruise companies globally fighting for survival, the Deputy CEO of Aurora, Miss Salina Hasan, tendered her resignation. In May 2020, the Chairman and CEO, Tan Sri Salmah Ali, had pledged 60 per cent of her shares in the company as collateral for loans. The decision was made a day after Aurora decided to suspend all payments to creditors

Gender Board Heterogeneity of PN17 Companies on Bursa Malaysia

Background - Bursa Malaysia classifies companies in financial distress that do not warrant continued listing on the Main Market as Practice Note 17 (PN17) companies. PN17 companies that do not comply with paragraph 8.04 and PN17 of the Main Market Listing Requirements can be suspended, de-listed or both. Prior studies found corporate governance weakness to be one of the main factors of financial distress. Different sectors are also found to have different corporate governance disclosure levels. Malaysian Code of Corporate Governance 2021 (MCCG 2021) prescribes board diversity which includes gender diversity. This study employs Blau index to measure the board gender heterogeneity of the PN17 companies across different sectors and suspension status. Purpose - The purpose of the study is to determine the board gender heterogeneity of PN17 companies. The study also aims to investigate whether there is a difference in board gender heterogeneity across the sectors. Finally, the study investigates the impact of sector and suspension status on board gender heterogeneity. Design/methodology/approach - The population consists of 21 companies classified under PN17 of the Main Market Listing Requirements as on 31 December 2021. One company is excluded as it has been liquidated and has not released its annual report for the year 2021. The remaining 20 companies are classified across seven sectors in Bursa Malaysia. The board gender heterogeneity is calculated using the Blau index based on the number of male and female directors disclosed in the annual reports for year 2021. Blau index sets the board gender heterogeneity to be most diverse at 50%. Findings/Expected Contributions - Most of the companies are from the energy sector (25%) and the industrial products and services sector (25%). This is followed by the consumer products and services (20%), property (10%), transportation and logistics (10%), technology (5%), and telecommunications and media (5%) sectors. Only 20% of the companies are suspended and the remaining 80% of the companies are still trading on the Main market under the monitoring of Bursa Malaysia. This study found that the mean score of board gender heterogeneity is 19.4% out of the maximum Blau Index gender heterogeneity of 50%. Majority (35%) of the 20 listed companies classified under PN17 have zero Blau index board gender heterogeneity in 2021. Only one company (5%) has maximum gender heterogeneity of 50%. A one-way between-groups analysis of variance revealed that the mean of board gender heterogeneity is different for the seven different sectors (p=0.1). A two-way between group analysis of variance also shows a significant difference in the effect of sector on board gender heterogeneity for suspended companies and non-suspended companies (p= 0.03). There is a statistically significant main effect for sectors (F(1,10)=4.98, p=0.03), with a medium effect size (partial eta squared = 0.69). Research limitations - The population of the study is limited to listed companies classified under PN17 as on 31 December 2021 only. Data of PN17 companies across a few years could provide different findings. The population of this study comprises of PN17 companies that are still trading and suspended. Future studies could focus on suspended companies only. Originality/value - This study addresses the board gender heterogeneity of PN17 companies. The board gender heterogeneity is calculated using Blau index which measures gender heterogeneity for the board as a group compared to using dummy variable to indicate the presence of a female director or by calculating percentage of female directors on the board

A Systematic Literature Review on Board Heterogeneity and the Performance of Malaysian Public Listed Companies

Board heterogeneity affects the board of directors’ strategic decisions and subsequently affects the performance of public listed companies. Prior studies found board heterogeneity to originate from different background characteristics of the board members that influence their values and cognitive bases. Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic literature review of prior studies on the relationship between board heterogeneity, with the performance of public listed companies. This paper also aims to suggest potential relevant research in the same field