Public development sustainability values: a case study in Sepang Malaysia

The concept of sustainable development has been implemented in Malaysia for more than a decade. Nevertheless, the issues of unsustainability still persist, raising questions about whether or not the values held by local populations pertaining to development processes are compatible with sustainable development values. This study was conducted in Sepang, Selangor to explore the values of public in the development process by using qualitative approach. The data was gathered from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with the participants recruited through purposive sampling. Fourty participants have participated in this study. The transcript was analysed using thematic analysis to identify the theme values and the values categories. This study has identified four themes and twelve categories of public values in development. The themes were freedom, security, environment and development. The sustainability characteristics of every theme and category were explored by comparing them to existing established sustainable development values. It was evident that every theme and category of values displays sustainability characteristics despite public limited knowledge about sustainable development concepts. These findings therefore concluded that in principle, the unsustainability issues in this area did not result from the incompatibility of public development values with those of sustainable development. The implication of these findings is that the value systems of local people are already in harmony with the concept of sustainable development and could be effectively integrated into the local sustainable development framework

Stakeholders’ attitudes towards biobanks in Malaysia

The Malaysian Cabinet’s approval of MyCohort in 2005 was seen as the crucial step toward the country having its very first biobank to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Past studies have shown that public attitudes towards biobanking depend heavily upon several factors including public engagement with biobanks, trust in key actors, privacy and data security, perceived benefit, altruism and certain demographic variables. The objective of this paper is to assess and compare the attitude levels of the Malaysian stakeholders’ towards the application of biobanks across education levels and religion. A survey was carried out on 509 adult respondents in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia. Results of the study have substantiated that the Malaysian stakeholders’ attitudes towards biobank were classified as high. Despite their high levels of perceived benefit and religious acceptance, they also expressed moderately high levels of concern when it comes to issues of data and specimen protection; this suggests that the Malaysian stakeholders also tend to be critical upon expressing their views towards a complex system such as biobanks. One-way MANOVA initially has detected a significant difference of attitude towards biobanks across stakeholder groups, education level and religion. Series of univariate analysis following the MANOVA, as well as Post Hoc analysis, also confirm significant difference of attitude existing across stakeholders; however, no significant differences were detected across education level and religion. The research finding serves as a useful benchmark for scientists and government regulators to understand public attitudes to biobanks before they are set into use

Challenges of Warehouse Operations: A Case Study in Retail Supermarket

The research represents a case study on Bangladesh retail supermarket. The study demonstrates the intricacies of warehouse management practice. It elaborates the dynamics of retail supply chain and the spiral affects how warehouse can play a significant role. In addition to this, the study identifies external factors, market trends, and possible barriers which influence the overall performance of warehouse operation. The paper is based on secondary data that encompassed three major retail chains in Bangladesh. The paper also reveals opportunities to improve warehouse performances in terms of planning, design and operation. The authors demonstrate some recommendations for industry practitioners to achieve a higher level of productivity in warehouse managemen

Challenges of warehouse operations: A case study in retail supermarket

The research represents a case study on Bangladesh retail supermarket. The study demonstrates the intricacies of warehouse management practice.It elaborates the dynamics of retail supply chain and the spiral affects how warehouse can play a significant role.In addition to this, the study identifies external factors, market trends, and possible barriers which influence the overall performance of warehouse operation.The paper is based on secondary data that encompassed three major retail chains in Bangladesh.The paper also reveals opportunities to improve warehouse performances in terms of planning, design and operation. The authors demonstrate some recommendations for industry practitioners to achieve a higher level of productivity in warehouse managemen

Sikap pihak berkepentingan terhadap kecukupan peraturan dalam undang-undang biokeselamatan di Malaysia

Malaysia telah mengenal pasti bioteknologi sebagai salah satu daripada lima teknologi utama yang mampu menjadi pemacu transformasi Malaysia ke arah negara perindustrian menjelang 2020. Namun begitu, pembangunan yang pesat dalam bidang ini telah mendatangkan kebimbangan masyarakat, lebih-lebih lagi yang melibatkan isu biokeselamatan. Di Malaysia, Akta Biokeselamatan 2007 telah diluluskan pada 11 Julai 2007 dan dikuatkuasakan pada 1 Disember 2009 untuk mengawal selia bioteknologi moden dan hasilannya. Namun terdapat kritikan yang mengusulkan beberapa kekurangan peraturan dalam akta ini berkaitan aspek bioetika dan sosioekonomi. Justeru penilaian kecukupan peraturan yang sedia ada untuk memastikan keselamatan penggunaan bioteknologi dan hasilannya, perlu dilakukan. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menilai tahap kepercayaan terhadap pihak kerkeutamaan, keterlibatan pihak berkepentingan dalam aktiviti kawal selia, dan sikap terhadap kecukupan peraturan biokeselamatan di Malaysia. Sehubungan dengan itu, satu set soal selidik telah diedarkan kepada 451 orang responden yang terdiri daripada pelbagai pihak berkepentingan di Lembah Klang. Penganalisisan data dilakukan dengan menggunakan program SPSS versi 18.0. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa tahap keterlibatan pihak berkepentingan dalam aktiviti kawal selia adalah rendah dan tahap kepercayaan terhadap pihak berkeutamaan sebagai sederhana. Pihak berkepentingan menilai kecukupan struktur kawal selia, kecukupan penilaian dan pengurusan risiko, pengambilkiraan prinsip penting dalam Akta Biokeselamatan 2007, kecukupan denda, kecukupan hebahan umum dan sikap keseluruhan terhadap biokeselamatan sebagai sederhana

Bioteknologi moden: aplikasi, status, isu etika dan perspektif penyelidik dan industri terhadap prinsip etika utama

Perkembangan bioteknologi moden di Malaysia menimbulkan pelbagai kontroversi. Terkini, Lembaga Biokeselamatan Kebangsaan telah meluluskan 29 jenis produk kejuruteraan genetik (GE) ke dalam pasaran Malaysia. Antara isu-isu etika dalam bioteknologi moden dan produknya ialah kesan jangka masa panjang, kesan terhadap kesihatan dan alam sekitar, kesan sosio-ekonomi dan isu ‘bertindak seolah-olah Tuhan’ Malaysia seharusnya bergerak seiring dengan negara-negara barat untuk mewujudkan garis panduan etika bioteknologi moden. Garis panduan etika memerlukan prinsip panduan. Objektif artikel ini ialah untuk membincangkan aplikasi, status, isu-isu etika bioteknologi moden dan perspektif penyelidik dan industri di Malaysia terhadap prinsip etika sekular utama iaitu autonomi, kebajikan, tidak memudaratkan dan keadilan. Penyelidikan ini dijalankan secara perbincangan kumpulan fokus (FGD) menggunakan instrumen semi berstruktur. Perbincangan yang diadakan mengambil masa sekitar 3 jam dan telah dirakam. Rakaman perbincangan telah ditranskrip secara ‘verbatim’ sebelum dianalisis. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa semua panel amat bersetuju mengenai kepentingan dan kesesuaian keempat-empat prinsip etika untuk diguna pakai sebagai prinsip bagi garis panduan etika bioteknologi moden di Malaysia. Para panel telah mencadangkan penyusunan semula empat prinsip etika kepada tiga dan telah menambahbaik terma, menghasilkan prinsip autonomi dan kepentingan awam; kebajikan dan tidak memudaratkan; dan keadilan dan bukan diskriminasi. Panel juga telah menambahbaik huraian bagi definisi setiap prinsip yang ada

Hubungan nilai masyarakat & pembangunan: satu analisa

This review analyses the relevance of basic social values to the contemporary goals of national development. Shifting of development paradigm in Asia recognised the emerging concept of endogenous development with Japan as the prominent model. The relationship between values and development in general terms and specific dimensions of values as relevant to development were analysed from the perspectives of USA, Holland and different Asian countries including Malaysi

Hubungan nilai alam sekitar dan nilai peribadi: satu analisa

This review analyses the possible relationship between environmental values and personal values. This review propose that environmental values are the result of a person’s general set of personal values. Multinational studies shown that environmental value orientation namely egocentric, anthropocentric and ecocentric demonstrated link to the Schwartz theory of personal values. This review summarised the findings that support the hypothesised relationships. Finally, the review draws several conclusions regarding the environmental-personal value relationship in corporating a profound set of environmental value syste

Determinants of the willingness to participate in biobanking among Malaysian stakeholders in the Klang Valley

Abstract Background The demand in biobanking for the collection and maintenance of biological specimens and personal data from civilians to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases has increased notably. Despite the advancement, certain issues, specifically those related to privacy and data protection, have been critically discussed. The purposes of this study are to assess the willingness of stakeholders to participate in biobanking and to determine its predictors. Methods A survey of 469 respondents from various stakeholder groups in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia was carried out. Based on previous research, a multi-dimensional instrument measuring willingness to participate in biobanking, and its predictors, was constructed and validated. A single step Structural Equation Modelling was performed to analyse the measurements and structural model using the International Business Machines Corporation Software Package for Social Sciences, Analysis of Moment Structures (IBM SPSS Amos) version 20 with a maximum likelihood function. Results Malaysian stakeholders in the Klang Valley were found to be cautious of biobanks. Although they perceived the biobanks as moderately beneficial (mean score of 4.65) and were moderately willing to participate in biobanking (mean score of 4.10), they professed moderate concern about data and specimen protection issues (mean score of 4.33). Willingness to participate in biobanking was predominantly determined by four direct predictors: specific application-linked perceptions of their benefits (β = 0.35, p < 0.001), issues of data and specimen protection (β = − 0.31, p < 0.001) and religious acceptance (β = 0.15, p < 0.05) and trust in key players (β = 0.20, p < 0.001). The stakeholders’ willingness to participate in biobanking also involves the intricate relationships between the above-mentioned factors and other predictors, such as attitudes regarding technology, religiosity and engagement. Conclusions The findings of this study reaffirmed that stakeholders’ willingness to participate in biobanking is a complex phenomenon that should be viewed from a multidimensional perspective. Stakeholder willingness to participate in biobanking is warranted when direct predictors (benefits, issues of data and specimen protection, religious acceptance, and trust in key players) as well as indirect factors are well accounted for