• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.91-98
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• 2021

One of the concerns in the economic policy circle is the fiscal sustainability. This current research revisit the notion of fiscal sustainability for Malaysia using the Indicator of Fiscal Sustainability (IFS) developed by Croce and Juan-Ramón (2003) where we employ samples of time-series data from 1970 to 2017. The findings reveal that 40 out of 48 years, during which the calculated IFS algorithm is above the threshold of 1, imply Malaysia was fiscally unsustainable. Despite having been fiscally unsustainable, Malaysia's fiscal stance shows improvement as a result of fiscal consolidation and fiscal reforms during the sample period. This is shown by the improved calculated IFS algorithm on average, which the value improved from 1.465 in 1970-1993 to 1.377 in 1998-2004 and to 1.146 in the 2006-2013. From the policy front, this indicator can serve as a precautionary early warning measure in formulating future fiscal path for Malaysia. This can be executed by targeting debt ratio and shifting the allocation of expenditures away from less efficient toward more growth-enhancing ones, which eventually would regain fiscal space to counter any incoming economic shocks in the future. This can enhance the fiscal transparency and assist in formulating a fiscal policy strategy in Malaysia.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.19-29
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• 2022

Purpose: This study was conducted to gauge the economic evaluation and sample distribution of conserving the Belum Royal State Park (BRSP) in Perak, Malaysia and to identify factors influencing its use by the community. This study aims to examine community perception on the conservation of the Belum Royal State Park (BRSP) and maximum community's willingness to pay for park entry permits fees. Research design, data and methodology: A questionnaire survey was conducted involving a total of 280 respondents. The study adopted the Dichotomous Choice Contingent Valuation Approach (DC-CVM) and the Logistic Model, to estimate the maximum community's willingness to pay for park entry permits fees. Results: The results established that the factors of respondent's occupation, income, ecotourism influence on the BRSP and maximum entry price, significantly influenced visitors' decision on community's willingness to pay. The average community's willingness to pay was RM9.68 per person. Conclusions: In conclusion, surveillance and patrols in protected areas should be expanded. The extra expense for ensuring safety can be offset through income from ecotourism that should also benefit the local community on economic evaluation and equal distribution on the BRSP.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.3.1-3.8
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• 2024

This article is a narrative review that discusses the recommended sample size requirements to design a pilot study to assess the reliability of a questionnaire. A list of various sample size tables that are based on the kappa agreement test, intra-class correlation test and Cronbach's alpha test has been compiled together. For all calculations, type I error (alpha) was set at a maximum value of 0.05, and power was set at a minimum value of 80.0%. For the kappa agreement test, intra-class correlation test, and Cronbach's alpha test, the recommended minimum sample size requirement based on the ideal effect sizes shall be at least 15, 22, and 24 subjects respectively. By making allowances for a non-response rate of 20.0%, a minimum sample size of 30 respondents will be sufficient to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. The clear guideline of minimum sample size requirement for the pilot study to assess the reliability of a questionnaire is discussed and this will ease researchers in preparation for the pilot study. This study provides justification for a minimum requirement of a sample size of 30 respondents specifically to test the reliability of a questionnaire.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.91 no.1
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• pp.63-73
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• 2024

Improving the blast resistance of structural establishments has become an imperative engineering commitment to prevent property damage and fatalities in terrorist incidents. This study investigates the effects of blast mass and stand-off distance on CFRP skin concrete core sandwich bunkers of varying thicknesses using ABAQUS/Explicit software with CONWEP functionality. The considered parameters include TNT masses of 1, 10, and 25 kg and stand-off distances of 0.1, 1, 2, and 2.5 meters on structures with 200, 250, and 500 mm core thicknesses. The study finds that there exists a declining response corresponding to the blasting mass reduction coupled with increases in the stand-off distance and core thickness. The 500 mm thick bunker sustains less damage compared to those with 200 mm and 250 mm core thicknesses. The sandwich configuration remains structurally advantageous vs. those without skins. The sandwich bunker with a 500 mm thick concrete core gives the best performance against the 10 kg TNT blast load with a 1 m standoff distance exhibiting a 22.8% reduction in damage vs. that without skins. Mathematical expressions are then formulated for predicting maximum von Mises stress, principal stress, and displacement of sandwich bunkers as functions of TNT masses, stand-off distances, and core thicknesses.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.302-310
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• 2016

The loss and degradation in tropical forest region are some of the current global concern. Hence, these issues elevated the role of rehabilitated forests in providing ecological products and services. The information on the carbon stock is important in relation to global carbon and biomass use, but lacking from the tropical region. This paper reports the assessment of tree and soil carbon stock in a chronosequence rehabilitated tropical forest stands in Malaysia. The study site was at the UPM-Mitsubishi Forest Rehabilitation Project, UPMKB. $20{\times}20m$ plot was established each and assessed in 2009 at 1-, 10- and 19-year-old sites while an adjacent ${\pm}23-year-old$ natural regenerating secondary forest plot was established for comparison. The overall total carbon stock was in the order of 19-year-old>${\pm}23-year-old$>10-year-old>1-year-old. When forest carbon stock is low, the soil component plays an important role in the carbon storage. The forest carbon recovery is crucial to increase soil carbon stock. The variations in the carbon stock showed the different stages of the forest recovery. Species survived after 19-years of planting are potential species for carbon sequestration activities in rehabilitated forest. Human intervention in rehabilitating degraded forest areas through tree planting initiatives is crucial towards recovering the forest ecological role especially in forest carbon stock capacity.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.296-306
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• 1998

Ongoing huge Bakun Hydropower project is including the construction of a 210 m height hydroelectric rockfill dam with an installed capacity of 2,520 MW and a power transmission system connecting to the existing networks between Sarawak and peninsula Malaysia. In order to allow the main dam construction during the dry season, the Ballui river will have to be detoured through 3 concrete lined diversion tunnels with an internal diameter of 12 m and a length of 1,400 m each. The geology of Bakun site belongs to the several thousand meters thick Belaga formation deposited from the late Cteteceous to the early Teriary in the Northwest Borneo geosyncline. The orientation of the bedding plane, strike at N55$^{\circ}$E to N70$^{\circ}$E and dip at 50$^{\circ}$SE to 70$^{\circ}$SE, is developed uniformly in Bakun sedimentary rocks. Rock mechanical characteristics of Bakun site have been classified into 4 rock mass types(RMT) depending on the degree of weathering and the occurrence of rock jointing with RMR. Graywacke(Sandstone) as well as Shale can take place together in the same rock mass type if their rock mass properties are similar. It was summarized the rock support type and support system design of underground diversion tunnels in view of rock mechanics.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.411-414
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• 2017

Antimicrobial resistance and emerging infectious diseases, including avian influenza, Ebola virus disease, and Zika virus disease have significantly affected humankind in recent years. In the premodern era, no distinction was made between animal and human medicine. However, as medical science developed, the gap between human and animal science grew deeper. Cooperation among human, animal, and environmental sciences to combat emerging public health threats has become an important issue under the One Health Initiative. Herein, we presented the history of One Health, reviewed current public health threats, and suggested opportunities for the field of public health through better understanding of the One Health paradigm.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.527-543
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• 2012

This paper presents a response spectrum analysis procedure suitable for base isolated regular buildings subjected to near fault ground motions. This procedure is based on the fact that the isolation system may be treated separately since the superstructure behaves as a rigid body on well selected isolation systems. The base isolated building is decomposed into several single-degree of freedom systems, the first one having the total weight of the building is isolated while the remainder when superposed they replicate approximately the behavior of the superstructure. The response of the isolation system is governed by a response spectrum generated for a single isolated mass. The concept of the procedure and its application for the analysis of base isolated structures is illustrated with an example. The present analysis procedure is shown to be accurate enough for the preliminary design and overcomes the limits of applicability of the conventional linear response spectrum analysis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.42-45
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• 2008

Derivation of modern products from the by gone age has contributed much for the new modern living. It has been generally recognized that the various ethnicities in Borneo with different backgrounds had made Borneo a place of cultural diversity. However as time passed, most indigenous products are no longer in used or are stored in poor condition. Most products nearly aged over a century are still in a good condition with invaluable sentiments. Indigenous product is an artifact that had been designed and used by certain community of people such as tools, clothing, crafts and goods. Each design may have its own identity to the community. Some of the indigenous products which are no longer in use at present are kept by the community as their collections. The research reveals similarities in the interests of indigenous products, concerns and realities of indigenous communities from the different regions. The study suggests that learning about indigenous materials, such as hand-made products and machine-made products is necessary for the local industry to develop a product identity that is distinctly local. Most indigenous products show evidence of connections to old traditions, yet are new to the design market.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.77-85
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• 2015

A Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction in a liquid-liquid system under microwave radiation was observed under non-stirring conditions. To control this non-equilibrium reaction, nano-particle, which is active under microwave irradiation, was added to the solution. Color changes of the solution during the oscillatory reaction were found to be influenced by the irradiation power although the droplet temperature was equal to the temperature of surrounding oil. During the irradiation, the period of oscillation became shorter because the reaction rate was faster. It could also be observed that there is possibility to eliminate oscillatory behaviors of the reaction using higher power of microwave. The possibility of controlling non-linear reaction using microwave was shown since microwave can easily travel through oil phase and reach water phase.