What Works and Why? Lessons from Public Management Reform in Malaysia

This article examines the Malaysian experience with public management reform to verify arguments about various reform models. Drawing on empirical data, it investigates reforms that have worked and those that have had limited impacts on public service improvements. It identifies critical success factors that determine reform outcomes and concludes that for reforms to succeed a combined top–down and bottom–up approach is crucial. It argues that while diagnostic and problem-oriented reforms have a better chance of being successful, the value of best-practice reforms should not be discounted. The cumulative impact of such reforms can be significant, as the Malaysian case demonstrates.     

Short run and long run effects of the world crude oil prices on the Malaysian natural rubber and palm oil export prices

With regard to the increasing in world crude oil prices, it is time to examine more carefully the claim that the increase in world crude oil prices tends to increase commodity prices. Hence, we examine the major commodity prices in Malaysia namely palm oil prices and natural rubber prices. We will analyse the relationship of both commodities＇ prices with world crude oil prices using the autoregressive distribution lag （ARDL） approach. Besides the analysis of bound testing approaches to see the level of relationships, short run and long run effects also are carried out in order to investigate which period has been significantly effected by the increase of world crude oil prices. The result reveals that long run relationship between world crude oil prices and both commodities prices exists.     

Factors that affect training effectiveness at semiconductor wafer fabrication industry in Malaysia

One of the key issues for Malaysian companies is about developing and retaining its resources. This is the fact that rapid changes in the organizations need to develop a more focused and coherent approach to develop and manage people （Kirkpatrick, 1979）. The fast-changing business environment and increasingly intense competitive environment require the ability on the part of human resource （HR） professionals to adapt to more challenging environment. Specifically, the human resource management practice of organizations needs to develop the appropriate role behavior and yet develop the necessary amount of flexibility to respond to change （Schuler, 1989; Hiltrop, Despres ＆ Sparrow, 1995）. The senior management must consider the importance of providing training to the people by understanding and believing that training is one of the important factors in organizational effectiveness. For technological based industry such as in wafer fabrication, the technical training for technical staff is very crucial. Hence, the HR manager must really outline the required training programs that focus to the outcomes as well as measure the effectiveness of the training. Factors that contribute to the training effectiveness must be put into serious consideration so that the amount invested into training is benefited. As such, the objectives of this paper are to review and reveal the factors that affect the training effectiveness. The scope of this research covers the Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication Companies in Malaysia.     

Nocturnal Oviposition Behavior of Necrophagous Dipterans in Kelantan,Malaysia*

Abstract: The likelihood of dipteran maggots colonizing a corpse due to nocturnal oviposition can be used to challenge the postmortem interval (PMI) estimated assuming diurnal oviposition. Earlier experiments tested nocturnal oviposition behavior by exposing fresh baits once during a single night. In this pilot study, oviposition behavior was studied using beef baits, which, simulating the decay of the body seen in case situations, decomposed inside cages designed to open and close at scheduled intervals during consecutive night or twilight periods. Freshly hatched maggots from diurnally oviposited eggs emerged in control baits on the third day, while a limited number of maggots attributable to nocturnal or twilight oviposition were observed in experimental baits only on the fifth or sixth day, indicating a categorical delay. These results suggest that such delayed and limited nocturnal oviposition is not forensically significant since the larger maggots deriving from diurnal oviposition would be the ones considered when estimating PMI.     

Data integration in IoT ecosystem: Information linkage as a privacy threat

Internet of things (IoT) is changing the way data is collected and processed. The scale and variety of devices, communication networks, and protocols involved in data collection present critical challenges for data processing and analyses. Newer and more sophisticated methods for data integration and aggregation are required to enhance the value of real-time and historical IoT data. Moreover, the pervasive nature of IoT data presents a number of privacy threats because of intermediate data processing steps, including data acquisition, data aggregation, fusion and integration. User profiling and record linkage are well studied topics in online social networks (OSNs); however, these have become more critical in IoT applications where different systems share and integrate data and information. The proposed study aims to discuss the privacy threat of information linkage, technical and legal approaches to address it in a heterogeneous IoT ecosystem. The paper illustrates and explains information linkage during the process of data integration in a smart neighbourhood scenario. Through this work, the authors aim to enable a technical and legal framework to ensure stakeholders awareness and protection of subjects about privacy breaches due to information linkage.     

What you sell is what you lend? Revealing complexity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">riba</Emphasis> in loan contract

The purpose of this paper is to resolve and examine the possible modus operandi of riba on selling and loan contract according to the Sharia’s precepts. This paper investigate the Qur’an, hadith, and juristic views on such relevant issues based on the survey done on the several sources, i.e., previous studies, Al-Qur’an and Al-Hadith and juristic views and deviate from the existing studies in two aspects, i.e., the selling and buying of goods do not involve riba and also the banks provide loan without riba. The findings of this paper are: First, the concept of interest in lending is widely accepted both in theory and practice. Second, riba exists in selling and lending. Third, the categorization and application of extensive and complex subjects of riba in economic life bring all speculative and usurious transactions under the rubric of riba prohibition. This paper important because express and disclosure riba in both exchange of goods and loans, also the social and economic developments. This is an original undertaking of this paper.     

Technological innovations and firms’ productivity in new patent regime: Evidences from Indian pharmaceutical industry

Innovative firms enjoy more market benefits by conducting both technological (product and process) and nontechnological (organizational and marketing) innovations. This study aims to examine the relationship between technological innovations and firms’ productivity in Indian pharmaceutical industry in new patent regime. In particular, we analyze the direct impact of product and process innovation on the productivity of 168 Indian pharmaceutical firms over 2000–2013. Findings of this study reveal that technological innovations are positive source of firms’ productivity. However, this relationship varies with types of technological innovations and also ownership structure of firms. Moreover, this study also finds that the impact of technological innovation is stronger for multinational enterprises.     

Perceptions of the Orient by the Occident. Twisted visions, false dreams and embracing the other

In this paper I will look at Occidental perceptions of the Orient, through a selective sample of writings by western scholars on the Orient, with special reference to the Malay and Islamic worlds. References to Edward Said's views on Orientalism will also be made. I argue that there is a relationship between Orientalism and politics, even in our contemporary world, although not necessarily in the manner envisaged and presented by Edward Said. Though the relationship between the Orient and the Occident has sometimes been conflictual, there have nevertheless been fruitful and significant encounters and exchanges between them in history. Finally a plea is made that though the scenario in East–West relations might at present appear pessimistic, a normative element in favour of inter-cultural and inter-civilisational dialogue, should be injected in both academia and practical politics, to bring about change and hope for humanity.

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(RE)EXPERIENCING THE NOW-GONE: YOUTH AND CULTURAL POLITICS IN SOVIET AND POST-SOVIET CENTRAL ASIA

The events of the so-called Arab Spring reconnected the young and their culture with images of organized political activism and resulted in huge political resonance. So this may be an appropriate point at which to reconsider the relevance of youth culture politics in the now-gone Soviet Union. The article explores the connections between cultural consumption by the young, ideology, and political ambivalence during Soviet times and considers how the Soviet genre of youth culture politics is being reproduced and continued in an extended form in the post-Soviet setting, specifically in Uzbekistan.