Current issue in corporate waqf in Malaysia

Corporate waqf is still new for the contemporary Islamic studies in Malaysia. There are limited resources and guidance to explain about corporate waqf. The purposes of this study are to explore the issues, concept and development of corporate waqf. Current structure for corporate waqf also being explored as part of case studies. This paper provides several perspectives and suggestions to this issue. The methodology for this study is secondary data approach by using the data analysis from the related journal and paper. The subject for this study is Selangor Muamalat. This paper come out with the concept and development of the contemporary waqf focused on corporate waqf and there are five current issues identified in the contemporary waqf. Next, seven proposed action plans are suggested to cover the issues. Lastly, the structure of Selangor Muamalat is analyses by focusing on the management structure, financial and operational framework and the Shariah consideration towards Selangor Muamalat structure

Investigation of the physical properties of cholesteryl ester liquid crystal and the interaction with cells

Cholesteryl ester liquid crystals (CELC) were demonstrated with application in biosensing and microtissue regeneration. The affinity of the cells to this liquid crystal is unclear and required further investigation. This study focused on characterising the physical properties of CELC and interaction of human keratinocytes with CELC. The physical properties of CELC were characterised by a custom built contact angle measurement system and bubble pressure measurement apparatus. Other methods such as pendant drop were applied to determine the critical surface tension of the CELC. Then, the characterization of the CELC was continued by using Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Polarising Microscopy (POM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Nonetheless, the morphology of cells interaction with CELC after it reached confluency was studied using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and non-contact mode of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The results showed that the critical surface tension of the liquid crystal using contact angle was 37.5 mN/m and the surface tension measured using pendant drop method was found to be 23.6 mN/m. Both results indicate that the surface of the liquid crystal was moderately hydrophobic. From the DSC, CELC was found stable at room and incubator temperature. From XRD results, the compound of CELC interacts in cell culture media self-assembles into lyotropic layer. POM and FTIR analysis showed CELC after immersion in media displayed lyotropic smectic phases. The AFM and FESEM images indicated good adhesion of cells on the CELC. This research thus showed that the hydrophilic layers of lyotropic phase of cholesteryl ester liquid crystal were demonstrated with biophysical properties that support the adhesion of cells

Evaluation Of Park Facility Provisions By Residents Of Seri Manjung New Town, Perak Darul Ridzuan

This study was undertaken to evaluate the extent of existing residential park facilities provision in Seri Manjung New Town, Perak Darul Ridzuan in fulfilling users’ recreation needs. Basically, this study answered four objectives namely, to compare the provision of existing park facilities with the Planning Standard requirement, to describe current use pattern of residential parks in Seri Manjung New Town, and to estimate users’ recreation needs based on the Importance Performance Analysis of residential park facilities. The data was successfully collected through park observations and questionnaire survey. The response rate for questionnaire survey was good whereby all 420 questionnaires from sample respondents were successfully collected. Descriptive analysis and Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) were applied as the main instruments to evaluate park facility performance. The use pattern of residential parks in the study area was described based on nine items namely income, frequency of park visit, age group, gender, visiting time, guardian permission, night park visit, popular recreation activity, and responsibility towards park facility. The IPA assessed the park facilities performance in fulfilling users’ needs. The outcomes of this study generally showed that Manjung Municipal Council failed to meet the standard requirement in the provision of park facilities in the study area. Among the seven parks, only one park achieved 67% compliance rate, four (4) parks at 50% and two (2) parks managed to comply only 25% of the standard requirement. Findings on the IPA indicated that among the seven residential parks, three parks needed attention (high importance but low performance) while the rest were rated as good work (high importance and high performance)

The influence of cognitive satisfaction on the relationship between salesperson presentation skills and customer's intention to repurchase

The application of sales presentation skills by the sales force during their interaction with customers in the sales situation can have a significant effect on customer intention to repurchase in the Malaysian Computer retail business. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relations between important sales presentation skills and the relative roles played by cognition in the development of customer satisfaction which will lead to customer’s intention to repurchase in a computer retail setting in Malaysia. This will then lead to increased benefits for the organization in the form of customer loyalty. The cognitive evaluation of customer satisfaction was found to explain customer’s intention to repurchase in a retail setting in the Malaysian market. This finding holds importance to those retailers who have been able to generate high expectations in the eyes of their customers

Brand Loyalty and Relationship Marketing in Islamic Banking System

Islamic banks ability to withstand the global downturn has fuelled an expansion of Islamic finance around the world. Islamic banks have learned that customer loyalty and brand loyalty must be earned. Brand loyalty and relationship marketing among banking consumers particularly in the islamic banking system in Malaysia has captured great interest among the Malaysian public as a whole (i.e. relationship between employees and customers). Relationship marketing is not more than just getting the customers but it is also how to maintain the existing customers as much as possible. There are important dimensions that supported the strength of relationship marketing that can lead to brand loyalty. In relation, brand loyalty refers to the favorable attitude towards a brand in addition to purchasing it repeatedly by the customer. The customer tend to be loyal since there is relationship marketing between them and the organization. This study will show the influence of relationship marketing through Bank Islam employees in Malaysia on Brand Loyalty.The data for this study will be acquired from 3 Bank Islam business premises in Pulau Pinang, Kedah, and Perlis which represent the northern states of Peninsular Malaysia. Various data-analytic tools will be used to analyze the data such as test of differences, reliability analysis, factor analysis, and multiple regression analysis.The study tries to determine how relationship marketing which is measured through three dimensions, that is Customer trust on Bank Islam staff, Bank Islam Staff commitment during the service delivery, and the communication skills among Bank Islam Staff can have an influence on Brand Loyalty among Bank Islam customers. Key words: Islamic Banking System; Brand Loyalty; Relationship MarketingRésumé: La capacité des banques islamiques à résister au ralentissement mondial a alimenté une expansion de la finance islamique dans le monde. Les banques islamiques ont appris que la fidélité des clients et la fidélité à la marque doivent être obtenues. La fidélité à la marque et le marketing relationnel auprès des consommateurs, notamment dans le système bancaire islamique en Malaisie, ont captivé beaucoup d’attention du public malaisien en général (à savoir la relation entre les employés et les clients). Le marketing relationnel n'est pas seulement d'attirer les clients mais aussi de maintenir la clientèle existante autant que possible. Il y a des dimensions importantes qui ont soutenu la force du marketing relationnel qui peut mener à la fidélité des clients à la marque. La fidélité à la marque fait référence à une attitude favorable vis à vis d’une marque et des acquisitions de ses produits à plusieurs reprises. Les clients ont tendance à être fidèles car il y a un marketing relationnel entre eux et l'organisation. Cette étude montrera l'influence du marketing relationnel à travers les employés de la Banque islamique en Malaisie sur la fidélité des clients à la marque. Toutes les données utilisées dans cette étude sont procurées par 3 banques islamiques à Pulau Pinang, Kedah et Perlis, qui représentent les états du nord de la péninsule malaisienne. Divers outils d’analyse de données seront utilisés pour analyser les données tels que le test des différences, l'analyse de la fiabilité, l'analyse factorielle et des analyses de régression multiple. Cette recherche tente de déterminer comment le marketing relationnel, mesuré à travers trois dimensions, c'est-à-dire la confiance des clients sur le personnel des banques islamiques, l’engagement du personnel des banques islamiques au cours de la prestation et les compétences de communication entre le personnel des banques islamiques, peut avoir une influence sur la fidélité parmi les clients des banques islamiques.Mots-Clés: système des banques islamiques; fidélité à la marque; marketing relationne

Understanding The Mediating Effect Of Customer Satisfaction On The Relationship Of Salesperson Behavior Performance And Customer Loyalty [HF5415.335. M476 2008 f rb].

Tujuan penyelidikan ini dijalankan adalah untuk meneliti kaitan antara prestasi perlakuan jurujual dengan kesetiaan pelanggan serta kesan perantaraan daripada kepuasan pelanggan. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between salesperson behavior performance and customer loyalty, and the mediating effect of customer satisfaction

Analytical solution and numerical approaches of the generalized Levèque equation to predict the thermal boundary layer

In this paper, the assumptions implicit in Leveque's approximation are re-examined, and the variation of the temperature and the thickness of the boundary layer were illustrated using the developed solution. By defining a similarity variable the governing equations are reduced to a dimensionless equation with an analytic solution in the entrance region. This report gives justification for the similarity variable via scaling analysis, details the process of converting to a similarity form, and presents a similarity solution. The analytical solutions are then checked against numerical solution programming by FORTRAN code obtained via using Runge-Kutta fourth order (RK4) method. Finally, others important thermal results obtained from this analysis, such as; approximate Nusselt number in the thermal entrance region was discussed in detail

Credibility at stake: seeking the truth in Ian McEwan's Atonement

Ian McEwan is one of the modernist writers who utilises new and uncommon ways of narrating. We find him dealing with history, wars and social themes, all knitted together in a manoeuvring way. The unreliable narrator, a technique he employs, is an innovation first seen in the modern era in Wayne C. Booth's 'The Rhetoric of Fiction' in 1961. McEwan's employment of this technique is an issue needing further analysis. In 'Atonement', his character Briony, who is still a child, narrates parts of the novel but her narration is questioned, for she might not be truthful or honest. Her being unreliable adds much to the novel and affects the fates of her sister Cecelia and the latter's lover, Robbie. It is not only a matter of telling the story, it also interferes in the discourse of the action and propels the events in a different direction. As a result, it seems dubious to give the role of talking to a character (Briony) to narrate and cope with events, and so her telling is questioned to a certain extent because the events she narrates are deceitful on the one hand, while on the other, she is too young and hard to be trusted. The present paper attempts to read 'Atonement' from a new perspective and show what is meant by an unreliable narrator and how this technique is employed. How significant is the technique in terms of recounting the events in a piece of fiction? This paper illustrates the significance of the aforementioned technique, which adds new understanding to the reading of McEwan's 'Atonement'