Media freedom in Malaysia

This article discusses the contemporary issue of media freedom in Malaysia. First, it discusses the concept of freedom of the press and determines which theories, Libertarian, Social Responsibility, or Authoritarian, are suitable in the context of analysing the real situation of media freedom in Malaysia. Second, by using the list of media freedom criteria from the Department of Journalistic Studies, Missouri University, US, analysis has been done to measure the situation of media freedom in Malaysia. Third, the article tries to show the latest movements and lobbies internally and externally in supporting the media freedom in Malaysia. To conclude the current situation, the Malaysian government has restricted media freedom for the purpose of national security and political stability. However, this article clearly shows that media in Malaysia has been controlled by the government and media companies associated with government leaders for political survivability of ruling government party and leaders to hold the power.     

DigLA – A Digsby log analysis tool to identify forensic artifacts

Since the inception of Web 2.0, instant messaging, e-mailing, and social networking have emerged as cheap and efficient means of communication over the Web. As a result, a number of communication platforms like Digsby have been developed by various research groups to facilitate access to multiple e-mail, instant messaging, and social networking sites using a single credential. Although such platforms are advantageous for end-users, they present new challenges to digital forensic examiners because of their illegitimate use by anti-social elements. To identify digital artifacts from Digsby log data, an examiner is assumed to have knowledge of the whereabouts of Digsby traces before starting an investigation process. This paper proposes a design for a user-friendly GUI-based forensic tool, DigLA, which provides a unified platform for analyzing Digsby log data at different levels of granularity. DigLA is also equipped with password decryption methods for both machine-specific and portable installation versions of Digsby. By considering Windows registry and Digsby log files as dynamic sources of evidence, specifically when Digsby has been used to commit a cyber crime, this paper presents a systematic approach to analyzing Digsby log data. It also presents an approach to analyzing RAM and swap files to collect relevant traces, specifically the login credentials of Digsby and IM users. An expected insider attack from a server security perspective is also studied and discussed in this paper.     

Predicting the Use of Different Conflict Tactics Among Arab Siblings in Israel: A Study Based On Social Learning Theory

The article presents a study conducted among 832 Arab adolescents from Israel, in an attempt to predict their use of different tactics (i.e., reasoning, verbal abuse, and physical violence) to resolve conflicts with siblings from the perspective of social learning theory. Different forms of the CT Scales were utilized to elicit information on Arab adolescents' exposure to and experience with different conflict tactics in their families of origin, as well as on their use of such tactics with siblings. Results indicate that the more they witnessed reasoning in their families of origin, the greater the likelihood that they would use the same tactic to resolve conflicts with their siblings. At the same time, the more they witnessed or experienced verbal abuse and physical violence, the greater their use of verbal and physical violence against their siblings. A detailed discussion of different patterns of violence in Arab families as reported by the adolescents is presented, and several implications of the study are addressed.     

Assessing Carbon and Hydrogen Isotopic Fractionation of Diesel Fuel n-alkanes During Progressive Evaporation

Compound-specific isotope analysis offers potential for fingerprinting of diesel fuels, however, possible confounding effects of isotopic fractionation due to evaporation need to be assessed. This study measured the fractionation of the stable carbon and hydrogen isotopes in n-alkane compounds in neat diesel fuel during evaporation. Isotope ratios were measured using a continuous flow gas chromatograph/isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Diesel samples were progressively evaporated at 24 ± 2°C for 21 days. Increasing depletion of deuterium in nC₁₂–nC₁₇ alkanes in the remaining liquid with increasing carbon chain length was observed. Negligible carbon isotope fractionation was observed. Preferential vaporization was measured for the shorter chain n-alkanes and the trend decreased with increasing chain length. The decrease in δ²H values indicates the preferential vaporization of the isotopically heavier species consistent with available quantitative data for hydrocarbons. These results are most important in the application of stable isotope technology to forensic analysis of diesel.     

E-Government with Big Data Enabled through Smartphone for Public Services: Possibilities and Challenges

Big data shows great promise in public services to personalized e-government service delivery. Big data is a new generation of extracting value from a large volume of data sources with enabling high-velocity capture, analysis, and discovery for forecasting and better decision making. This article discusses the potential of big data application in e-government based on survey findings from smartphone habit as part of big data source. Data produced from smartphones usage is one of the main sources of big data. Online services can easily be accessed using smartphones, which support continuous engagement with citizens using e-government services. This study deployed quantitative survey findings from the smartphone habit of users in Brunei Darussalam. It presents an interpretative model that examines the important factors to consider big data in public services and discusses general challenges for integrating e-government services facing a big data era.     

Does access to domestic finance and international finance contribute to sustainable development goals? Implications for policymakers

Seventeen goals presented by the United Nation General Assembly provide an evidence‐based framework of planning and programming for sustainable development goals (SDGs) until 2030. There is a growing catalog of related reviews, recommendations, advice, and publications, whereas the professional community is undoubtedly emphasizing the need to adopt evidence‐based methodologies for the implementation of SDGs. In particular, emerging economies face a big challenge to implement SDGs practices efficiently. Some countries have focused on the business sector for this mission, whereas others invest in a variety of projects to gain SDGs. However, it is still not yet realized how small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) contribute to SDGs. This research examines the influence of SMEs' access to domestic and international finances on SDGs (community and environmental practices). Data were collected from 310 Pakistani SMEs through a structured questionnaire. The findings revealed from structural equation modeling indicate that access to both domestic and international finances significantly contributes to community practices. However, access to international finance significantly helps in community practices but does not substantially facilitate environmental practices. This research recommends policymakers and practitioners to encourage domestic and international financial institutions and capitalists to invest in industrial sectors, which in turn can configure SDGs. Further implications are discussed.     

Terrorism in India as a Determinant of Terrorism in Pakistan

Terrorism in Pakistan springs from many factors such as, poverty, corruption, inequality, sham democracy, and low-level literacy; however, the effect of terrorism in India over terrorism in Pakistan remains unnoticed. This study explores the role of terrorism in India as a determinant of terrorism in Pakistan. This fangled determinant of terrorism in Pakistan forms the premise of our work. The Johansen cointegration analysis technique confirms the long-run relationship among terrorism in India and Pakistan and unemployment in Pakistan. Error correction model (ECM) resulted 55% of convergence annually. Besides, ECM verifies both short and long-run causalities. The VECM Granger and Modified Wald (MWALD) causality tests reveal that terrorism in India and unemployment in Pakistan Granger causes terrorism in Pakistan, but no reverse causality exists. The study concludes that both terrorism in India and unemployment in Pakistan results in terrorism in Pakistan. Coping with terrorism, Pakistan and India must revisit their respective roles; and simultaneously, Pakistan should address the unemployment problem—which facilitates recruitment for the terrorist organizations.     

Chinese Proposal,Global Echoes

The development philosophy of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), one of President Xi Jinping's signature projects, has reverberated across the international community following its splendid achievements benefiting people across its participating countries. Over the past eight years, regions across China have opened wider to the world through the initiative, and win-win cooperation has been achieved between China and participating countries, Xi said at a symposium on the initiative on November 19.     

The Wadi al-Hawarith affair (Emek Hefer): disputed land and the struggle for ownership: 1929–33

The Wadi al-Hawarith (Emek Hefer) affair was considered to be one of the prominent land disputes between Jews and Arabs in Palestine during the British mandate period. The region in which the dispute broke out was found south of Hadera in Emek Hefer.

The purchase of lands of Wadi al-Hawarith, by Jewish bodies, had already started at the end of the nineteenth century and continued for four decades, and during this there were disputes between the Jews and Arabs, which were accompanied by legal hearings.

The Jewish National Fund tried to reach an arrangement by means of compensation for the Bedouin tenants who dwelled on the lands of the valley, in exchange for their willingness to leave the territory. From time to time, the Bedouins agreed to this, but they went back on their agreement.

Despite the effort to reach compensation arrangements with the Bedouins, the Palestinian political leadership was interested in inflaming the opposition of the Bedouins to leaving the land. This is what caused a long string of trials, which continued for many years.