TOURIST ARRIVALS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN SARAWAK

This study empirically investigates the comovements and the causality relationship between tourist arrivals and economic growth in Sarawak during the period of 1972 to 2004. The empirical evidence clearly shows that the long run causality running from tourist arrivals to economic growth in the estimation period. As one of the income generator for Sarawak, the findings are consistent with economic theory and proffer important policy conclusions.

Regional economic integration :the emerging market crisis and stock market linkages

This study empirically investigates the relationship between the ASEAN-5 stock markets. With the adoption of the monthly price series of Composite Indexes spanning since 1987:1 to 2006:12, the results show that the 1997 Asian financial crisis did significantly affected the integration process of the ASEAN-5 stock markets. One cointegrating vector was found for the pre-crisis period. However, neither the full sample nor the post-crisis period indicates that the ASEAN-5 stock markets are integrated. In addition, there was a short-run causal relationship between the markets whereby Philippines seems to market lead the rest of the ASEAN-5 stock markets except for the Singapore’s market. On the other hand, Malaysia is somehow the market follower within this region. Overall, a beneficial international investment portfolio diversification within the context of the ASEAN-5 equity markets does actually exist

Volatility Co-movement of ASEAN-5 Equity Markets

Purpose – Economic cross-linkages and the increased co-movement of asset prices across international markets are important outcomes as the result of globalization. Hereby, the nature of international stock markets and the extent to which the 1997-1998 East Asian turmoil had affected the market relationship of five countries of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN-5) remain as probing questions. Design/methodology/approach – We resort to the standard time series econometrics analysis. These include the unit root, cointegration and the Granger causality tests. Hereby, further empirical analyzes is conducted upon two sub-periods of interest: (1) pre-crisis period from 1987:1 to 1997:7 and (2) post-crisis period from 1997:8 to 2007:12. This is to allow for possible transitional motion leading to and departing from the crisis. Findings – Using an array of econometrics analysis upon the stock price volatility series, we found partial market integration for the pre-crisis; whereas in the post-crisis, complete integration prevails. Hence, the financial meltdown in 1997 is said to be a contagion led crisis as markets integrate well off after the crisis than prior to it. Nonetheless, long run portfolio asset diversification benefits across the ASEAN-5 basin are reduced as markets are integrated in both the pre- and post-crisis. Originality/value – The paper is of value by showing to uncover the issue of interdependence of stock market integration focusing on the ASEAN-5 economies. The formation of the ASEAN Investment Area (AIA- 1998) parallel with the establishment of a developed ASEAN Index-Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) regional index is viable to foster deeper regional market convergence.ASEAN-5, Portfolio Diversification, Volatility co-movement

Cross-Market Causal Linkages of ASEAN-5

This study seeks to understand the nature of international stock markets and the extent to which the ASEAN-5 markets causally relate with each other before and after the 1997-98 turmoil. The data series of the Composite Index (CI) in logarithm form and the volatility series of GARCH were adopted for this study. The econometric approach of Toda and Yamamoto (1995) disclosed separate findings for both the series. Generally, markets deemed to be more causally related in the post-crisis period, than prior to it. Conclusively, lesser opportunities for international portfolio diversification were made available within the regional scope as markets possess long-run predictability measures

Tourist Arrivals And Economic Growth In Sarawak

This study empirically investigates the comovements and the causality relationship between tourist arrivals and economic growth in Sarawak during the period of 1972 to 2004. The empirical evidence clearly shows that the long run causality running from tourist arrivals to economic growth in the estimation period. As one of the income generator for Sarawak, the findings are consistent with economic theory and proffer important policy conclusions

TOURIST ARRIVALS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN SARAWAK

This study empirically investigates the comovements and the causality relationship between tourist arrivals and economic growth in Sarawak during the period of 1972 to 2004. The empirical evidence clearly shows that the long run causality running from tourist arrivals to economic growth in the estimation period. As one of the income generator for Sarawak, the findings are consistent with economic theory and proffer important policy conclusions

Current Account And Financial Account: Push Or Finance?

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the causality pattern between current account (CA) with the components in financial account (FA) for the four crisis-affected Asian countries of Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines and Thailand. The sample periods are divided into two non-overlapping sub-periods namely; pre-crisis (1987Q1 – 1996Q4) and post-crisis (1997Q1 –2006Q4). Empirical results clearly suggest that CA Granger causes FA in these countries for the two sampling periods. Observations imply that causality patterns differ for each of the FA components with CA

Causality between White Pepper and Black Pepper: Evidence from Six Markets in Sarawak

The study of various spatial price relationships is indeed crucial and has been greatly sought after. Likewise, this study is rather a debatable topic these days especially towards the pricing activity and competitiveness within the pepper industry. Evidence from six markets within Sarawak had found that a long run relationship between the pepper markets does actually exist. And using the MWALD test though, findings revealed that the white pepper prices do Granger cause the black pepper prices in all divisions. However, there is no indication of causality that runs from the black pepper towards the white pepper. In other words, white pepper does affect the black pepper, but not the other way around. Due to the integration within the pepper industry, thus, excess profit making opportunity will not be made beneficial as the pepper markets are efficient

Volatility Co-movement of ASEAN-5 Equity Markets

Purpose – Economic cross-linkages and the increased co-movement of asset prices across international markets are important outcomes as the result of globalization. Hereby, the nature of international stock markets and the extent to which the 1997-1998 East Asian turmoil had affected the market relationship of five countries of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN-5) remain as probing questions. Design/methodology/approach – We resort to the standard time series econometrics analysis. These include the unit root, cointegration and the Granger causality tests. Hereby, further empirical analyzes is conducted upon two sub-periods of interest: (1) pre-crisis period from 1987:1 to 1997:7 and (2) post-crisis period from 1997:8 to 2007:12. This is to allow for possible transitional motion leading to and departing from the crisis. Findings – Using an array of econometrics analysis upon the stock price volatility series, we found partial market integration for the pre-crisis; whereas in the post-crisis, complete integration prevails. Hence, the financial meltdown in 1997 is said to be a contagion led crisis as markets integrate well off after the crisis than prior to it. Nonetheless, long run portfolio asset diversification benefits across the ASEAN-5 basin are reduced as markets are integrated in both the pre- and post-crisis. Originality/value – The paper is of value by showing to uncover the issue of interdependence of stock market integration focusing on the ASEAN-5 economies. The formation of the ASEAN Investment Area (AIA- 1998) parallel with the establishment of a developed ASEAN Index-Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) regional index is viable to foster deeper regional market convergence

Children’s and adolescents’ rising animal-source food intakes in 1990–2018 were impacted by age, region, parental education and urbanicity

Animal-source foods (ASF) provide nutrition for children and adolescents’ physical and cognitive development. Here, we use data from the Global Dietary Database and Bayesian hierarchical models to quantify global, regional and national ASF intakes between 1990 and 2018 by age group across 185 countries, representing 93% of the world’s child population. Mean ASF intake was 1.9 servings per day, representing 16% of children consuming at least three daily servings. Intake was similar between boys and girls, but higher among urban children with educated parents. Consumption varied by age from 0.6 at <1 year to 2.5 servings per day at 15–19 years. Between 1990 and 2018, mean ASF intake increased by 0.5 servings per week, with increases in all regions except sub-Saharan Africa. In 2018, total ASF consumption was highest in Russia, Brazil, Mexico and Turkey, and lowest in Uganda, India, Kenya and Bangladesh. These findings can inform policy to address malnutrition through targeted ASF consumption programmes.publishedVersio