A study on factors that influence the collected indirect tax in Malaysia (service tax) / Tengku Ismail Tengku Ibrahim

This research was conducted to determine the factors influenced the collected Indirect tax in economy Malaysia. The main objective of this research is to study on the factors influenced the service tax collection in Malaysia regarding the government’s budget and spending. This research to indicate the relationship for each independent variable (Gross National Product, Unemployment and Inflation Rate) to ensure the positive relationship between them. This study was conducted based on the case study also known as secondary data collection and quantitative research method. Furthermore, the data collection has been calculated using SPSS software in order to show the relationship between all the variables for this research. Therefore, from this finding, we can say that service tax has related with the independent variables and shows the relationship between them. So, the two from three independent variables actually are part of the service tax collection because these are related with the research. Otherwise one independent variable is not related with the study and getting negative relationshi

Estimation of the pesticide exposure during spraying among applicators.

Pesticide exposure used in paddy farming was estimated using whole body dosimetry. The respondents were applicators from Sekinchan, Selangor who participated voluntarily in this study. They were given cotton coveralls to wear before spraying pesticide in the fields. After they had completed their task, the coveralls were collected from pesticide applicators immediately. The coveralls were cut into nine pieces representing parts of the body from shoulder to leg to assess the part of the applicator‘s body that will be exposed the most to pesticide during spraying. Each cutting pieces of the coveralls was extracted using acetone: hexane (1:1) solvent mixture followed by cleanup using C-18 Solid Phase Extraction. The solvent extracts were analyzed for chlorpyrifos using GCMS. The result indicated that different pieces of the coveralls have different concentrations of chlorpyrifos residues. The highest concentration of chlorpyrifos residues was found at the bottom left leg and bottom right leg of the body. Biomonitoring of pesticide exposure was also performed on the same applicators using their urine samples collected four times that is before and within two days after spraying. The result showed that 2,3,6 trichloro 2-pyridinol (TCP), a chlorpyrifos metabolite was detected in the urine samples

2D text visualization for the retrieval of Malay documents

Search engine applications like Google and Yahoo present their results in the form of onedimensional linear list that usually comprise three times of the screen size per page and several number of pages. The results are displayed in the list of inconsistent declining ranks without displaying its rank values. The one-dimensional linear list display of the results data will cause classification of the results data meaningless. New queries relating to the original query are available, but its relationship strength values are not provided An application that can display all the result data in a two-dimensional text visualization within one page and circular form is proposed. The relationship strength of the result data with the query can be evaluated by finding the distance between the location of the result data to the center of the circle. Classifications that are made in the form of text and color can easily apply to the application. Malay translated Al-Quran and Malay translated hadith are used as corpuses for the application. Three functions in the application display the relationship between words and words, between words and documents, and between documents and documents. Various combinations of formulas can be used to find the values of these relationships that will be used as the rank values in the application. This, two-dimensional text visualization (TDTV), application is evaluated using two mechanisms. First, by solving a task and then, follow by answering the usability questionnaire. The results from the task section show that the variety of related documents can be retrieved in a reasonable time frame. The results from the usability questionnaire show about 75 percent of the respondents agree that the two-dimensional text visualization (TDTV) application is better than applications that display its results in one-dimensional linear list

'The plural mania game' enhancing year 4 pupils knowledge in forming plural nouns

The title of the research is ‘The Plural Mania Game’: Enhancing Year 4 Pupils’ Knowledge in Forming Plural Nouns.The focus of the research was to enhance the knowledge of plural noun forms among Year 4 pupils by using The Plural Mania Game.This intervention helped by introducing the pupils with all regular forms of plural nouns.The intervention was focusing on the teaching and learning through game.The researcher innovated a ‘bingo’ game into a new game called ‘The Plural Mania Game’ to help the pupils of Year 4 improve their knowledge in forming plural nouns.There were 6 pupils involved with this intervention from Year 4 of Sekolah Kebangsaan A who got the lowest marks from the diagnostic test.The data for this study was collected by using the observation, the result of Pre-Test and Post-Test and interview sessions. Based on the findings of data, it was noted that the participants improved their knowledge in forming plural nouns.The result showed that by using The Plural Mania Game helped the pupils in enhancing their knowledge in forming plural nouns. The researcher would like to suggest for the intervention to be implemented in various language skills in the future

Pigeon fanciers lung: A study of the clinical, lung function and immunological responses among pigeon fanciers

Pigeon Fanciers Lung (PFL) is one of the commonest causes of Extrinsic Allergic Alveolitis (EAA) or Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (HP). It is induced by repeated inhalation of antigens from pigeons in a sensitised individual. Since the majority of fanciers do not develop the disease despite being exposed to similar amount of antigen exposure, the host's susceptibility factors including constitutional and environmental factors and the combination of these factors are prerequisite to the development of disease. Among these predisposing factors, it has been proposed that certain genetic susceptibility such as alleles of the major histocompatibility complex may increase an individual's susceptibility to develop the disease. Other environmental factors such as cigarette smoking and amount of antigen exposure may also play a role. PFL is characterised by inflammation of the lung parenchyma but it also involves small and large airways. Apart from respiratory symptoms, fanciers with PFL also develop systemic symptoms such as fever and myalgia that usually occurs 4-8 hours after antigen exposure and can last until 24 hours. The sequence of immunopathological events that contribute to the development of PFL is unresolved. Evidence supports the role of immune complexes with the exuberant antibody response and the delay in the onset of symptoms. T cell mediated response also plays a vital role with the appearance of granuloma. It is likely that these 2 processes occur simultaneously and complement each other as the immune response progresses. In view of the different clinical presentations and dynamic nature of the disease, the disease can be divided into 3 groups consisting of acute progressive, acute intermittent non progressive and chronic disease. Fanciers with an antibody response but without symptoms should be regarded as having subclinical disease as there is evidence of ongoing immune and inflammatory response and they are at risk of progressing to clinical disease. This thesis examines the immunological response and its correlation with the clinical status and other factors that may influence this response amongst pigeon fanciers. This study emphasises the complexity and the dynamic nature of this disease. The variation in each individual's immune responsiveness towards avian antigen and the various different immunological mechanisms involved in the disease process is highlighted. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.)

Spatial geochemical distribution and sources of heavy metals in the sediment of Langat River, western peninsular Malaysia.

The present study employed geochemical and multivariate analyses to assess the level of heavy metals (As, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in sediment along the lower reaches of the Langat River. The sediment samples were digested and analyzed for total metals by an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Selected physicochemical parameters such as pH, redox potential (Eh), electrical conductivity (EC), salinity, organic matter and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were also determined. The metal concentration from this study area was compared with interim sediment quality guidelines (ISQG). Most sediment samples did not exceed the ISQG. Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) revealed that certain sampling stations were classified as strongly polluted with respect to As and classified as moderately polluted for Pb. Based on the enrichment factor (EF) values, most sampling stations were categorized as ‘very severely enriched to extremely severely enriched for As and only 3% were moderately enriched. For Pb, pH, Eh, and CEC pose considerable influence on the composition of heavy metal in the sediment as confirmed by Pearson correlation. The hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) revealed that sediment in the study area could be divided into two major clusters. Cluster 1 was mainly affected by the agricultural and industrial activities while Cluster 2 was heavily affected by seawater. The forensic investigation via the use of geostatistical and geochemical approaches revealed two pollution sources: (i) man-made (agricultural and industrial activities), and (ii) natural processes (seawater intrusion and geological weathering). The quantification of heavy metal concentrations thus provides a better understanding of the potential ecological risks and contamination status of the sediment. The vulnerable areas identified in this study should be given the highest priority for mitigation measures in order to alleviate pollution from industries and agriculture areas. The incorporation of source apportionment method to further understand the dynamics of environmental processes is recommended for future studies to assist in identifying possible high pollution-risk areas

What motivates Muslims women to induce lactation?: An exploratory qualitative analysis

Induction of lactation occurs when breast milk is produced in a human (female), without going through the process of pregnancy and delivery. Induced lactation is a method of strengthening the bond between the adopted child and the adoptive mother.  The primary goal is to encourage bonding solely to develop an emotional connection and as a motivation for the mother to breastfeed her adopted child. This exploratory qualitative study examined the factors influencing women's decisions about induced lactation in Malaysia. Methods: This study used in-depth interviews with women who had induced lactation in five states based on five regions in Malaysia [Central Region (Selangor), Northern Region (Penang), Southern Region (Johor), East Coast Region (Kelantan), Malaysia Borneo (Sabah)]. The qualitative approach helped to establish a comprehensive insight into the women’s experiences throughout the journey of induced lactation. All interviews were consented, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim, followed by identification of emerging themes. Results: After interviewing 23 induced lactation women, data saturation was achieved. Data synthesized using thematic analysis revealed three themes describing the main factors in determining women's decisions on induced lactation: (1) mahram relationship, (2), and (3) the perceived superiority of breastfeeding.  This indicates that the mahram relationship, experiencing motherhood, and the perceived superiority of breastmilk motivated women to undergo induced lactation. Conclusions: Induced lactation is analogous to ordinary life, where favorable attitudes are followed by a strong drive to achieve. We hope that by identifying the various factors that motivate women to induce lactation, health care professionals and the community will be empowered to support breastfeeding in terms of facilitating motherhood, providing breastfeeding aid equipment, and assisting with daily necessities

The strength of Malayness through colonial mimicry in Affifudin Omar’s Tun Tuah

The research on Homi Bhabha’s theory of mimicry in postcolonial literature is no longer new. However, in Malay literature, the application of mimicry in order to analyse such fiction is still rare. This paper seeks to utilise the conceptual framework of Homi K. Bhabha’s colonial mimicry in order to explain the portrayal of the Malay characters in Tun Tuah and eventually analyse the characters’ strength in terms of their Malayness in critical situations or crises. The conceptual framework have been explicated into three major parts for the analysis of the novels in terms of; a) contesting colonisation, b) metonymy of presence, and c) resisting colonialist discourse. Excerpts from the novels will be extracted and presented for analysis under each part of the conceptual framework as mentioned above. A close reading of Tun Tuah will be applied as methodology to explore how the strong Malay characters could be divided into either those who mimic the people of the West, those who truly fit the Malay identity as being conservative Malays or those having both Western values while also holding onto the Malay identity. This study then explains the findings from the analysis on how the Malay characters thrive towards success in the novel Tun Tuah, in the three processes of colonial mimicry. It is found that the final process of colonial mimicry, resisting colonialist discourse displays how the Malay characters in Tun Tuah, particularly Tun Tuah himself, Tun Perak and Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah’s strategies for economical and life success consists of them challenging the colonialists’ way of life, while focusing on the Malay traditions and Islamic beliefs

Public relations vs. advertising

This study aims to examine and understand the effectiveness and credibility of advertising and public relations in the form of editorial coverage. This study involves three main groups, namely prominent practitioners in public relations and advertising as well as independent party who does not belong to either of these categories of practitioners. Guided by the Source Credibility Theory, this exploratory study emphasises on key measure of credibility in finding the overall effectiveness of public relations over advertising. Findings of this study provide ground for constructive argument on the co-relations, effectiveness, estrangement and togetherness of the much debated topic of public relations versus advertising. The main basis of the comparison is based on credibility, and the data focused on three central themes: contribution to brand knowledge and brand image, adequacy of public relations and advertising, and concerns of public relations and advertising practitioners. In short, both public relations and advertising can employ contextual strategy by working together to reach consumers in the most creative and tactical manner