The Immediate Impacts of COVID-19 on Low-Income Households: Evidence from Malaysia

This study unravelled the economic impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on low-income households. The asymmetric economic impacts of the pandemic that are biased towards the poor, young, and women have been well established. However, micro evidence on the poor is limited, thus demanding detailed understanding to design an effective targeted assistance. In this study, data were gathered from face-to-face interviews using a sampling frame provided by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). Online data collection was dismissed to ensure all low-income households had the same chance to participate, as some might have no online access. Logistic regressions were estimated to identify the characteristics of households that suffered job loss and income reduction. The findings revealed that one in ten households experienced job loss during the pandemic, while one third survived with lower income. The extent of income reduction was rather severe, as the pandemic had reduced income generation by more than half among the affected households. The regression outcomes showed that the higher-income households among the low-income households had higher chances of experiencing income reduction. A similar scenario was noted for less-educated households. Notably, the adverse impacts were not biased toward female-headed households, as is widely perceived. There was no evidence that economic sectors explained job losses, but households involved in the agriculture, domestic, and transportation sectors had higher chances of suffering from income reduction. These results suggest that monetary government assistance should not rely on general indicators, such as female-headed households and below-poverty-line income (PLI). Instead, a more effective measure is to look at other characteristics, such as employment type, education level, and job sectors.

Has Digitalisation Mitigated the Impact of Covid-19 on the Manufacturing Sector's Performance?

The Covid-19 pandemic brought many businesses to a standstill as international travel restriction was imposed across countries in addition to a national lockdown. Firm performances were depressed due to reduced order and output. This study examines whether digitalization has mitigated the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Malaysia's manufacturing sector. Using sales as the performance yardstick of 24 industrial sectors from January to December 2020, our result shows that manufacturing sales performance was negatively related to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the adverse impact of Covid-19 was mitigated with a higher level of digitalization. The mitigating role of digitalization remains robust in further analysis. This study has managed to quantify the mitigating effect of Covid-19 on manufacturing sectors. As a policy implication, the government should expedite the introduction of the 5G network, promote digital adoption across all sectors to ensure business continuity and provide an effective response mechanism in any pandemic or crisis. © 2023, University of Wollongong. All rights reserved.

Supplements purchase intention: young consumer's perspective

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the factors that influence young consumers' purchase intention towards dietary supplements (DS) in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachThe supplement industry in Malaysia has been growing rapidly recently due to a paradigm shift in healthcare management, from curative to prevention. Thus, it has sparked interest to conduct a study on the factors that influence young consumers' purchase intentions towards DS. With a response rate of 74.5%, a survey questionnaire was used to elicit data from 149 Gen-Y respondents who consume supplements on a regular basis.FindingsThe results revealed that the influencing factors towards purchase decisions among these Gen-Y respondents aged between 17 and 25 are based on product knowledge and product quality. The implications of these findings and directions for future research are outlined at the end of this paper.Originality/valueThis study offers empirical insights from the perspective of an emerging digital economy on the factors that influence young consumers' purchase intentions towards DS in Malaysia.

Editorial: Post-COVID-19 global trade and business environment and maritime supply chain

Since January 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread impacts on virtually every sector of the global economy, including world trade and global supply chains. [...]it has been argued that the existing globalised economies might require to be restructured in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic when governments and firms start to re-strategize their critical supply chains through various disruption and resilience management strategies. [...]other shipping intermediaries, i.e. freight forwarders and logistics service providers, who play crucial roles in connecting demand and supply of maritime supply chains also suffered due to reduced business transactions. [...]the focus of this special issue is on understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on various players in the maritime supply chain, as well as possible trends of global trade and maritime supply chains and strategies and policies in the aftermath of the pandemic.

The Importance of Low-Cost Live Feed Culture Technology to the Marine Shrimp Industry during COVID-19

The importance of live feed as a beginning diet in marine shrimp (Penaeus sp.) is largely dependent on careful management during the early stages of larval growth. The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on Malaysian aquaculture, which is critical for seafood supply and security. Cladocerans are an alternative live feed species that outperform Artemia nauplii in terms of nutritional value, economic value, availability, and reproduction rate. In terms of supplying live feed for commercial aquaculture, cladoceran culture and cultivation can therefore be an economically viable, sustainable, and desirable live feed species. The purpose of this study is to collect information on low-cost live feed for marine shrimp used in aquaculture and how COVID-19 affects the sector. Thus, a survey was conducted at a private hatchery and farm in Pekan and Badong, Pahang, Malaysia to investigate the importance of low-cost live feed culture technology to the marine shrimp industry during COVID-19. A total of 20 respondents took part in the survey. During the COVID-19 period in Malaysia, data were gathered using a questionnaire that was planned to be completed via an online form from August 2020 through December 2020. The software utilised was a Google application (Google Form). The data gathered revealed the importance of utilising live feed for maintaining shrimp larvae production in the sector. The current data are critical for developing policy actions to support seafood industries affected by the pandemic at both the national and international levels. Copyright©2023 by authors, all rights reserved.

The impact of E-service quality, Facebook usage and Artificial Intelligence on E-learning systems: The mediating role of student satisfaction

The adoption of e-learning systems has been increasing and reports indicate that Asia has the highest percentage of the growth towards e-learning systems. Following this backdrop, the main purpose of the present study was to evaluate the role of the E-service quality, Facebook usage, artificial intelligence, and student satisfaction on the usage of the E-learning systems. Sample data was collected from students enrolled in any institute offering e-learning in Malaysia. A total of 500 questionnaires were disseminated to the participants identified via online polling and a total of 412 usable questionnaires were evaluated for SEM. The findings of the study show that the usage of Facebook, Artificial intelligence, the satisfaction of students, and E-service quality affected the use of the E-learning systems. Students' satisfaction was also found to positively mediate with AI, FBU, ESQ, and ELS. E-learning adoption is increasing in Malaysia and the recent outbreak of COVID-19 has also invigorated the need for the development of effective e-learning programs so that the education of students doesn't get interruptions. The present study has important theoretical and practical implications in this regard;the findings can be applied to the development of e-learning systems of the country

Inspiring Academic Confidence in University Students: Perceived Digital Experience as a Source of Self-Efficacy

Purpose: This study aims to introduce a research framework that identifies the potential sources of design self-efficacy that emerge from the digital class by covering the teaching for professional competence model (TPCM) to enhance students' design self-efficacy. Design/methodology/approach: The multistage and purposive sampling technique is used, and the respondents considered are Malaysian university students. Further, the students who completed the survey included both local and international students so as to capture responses through primary data. Findings The findings of this research study reveal that design self-efficacy is determined not only by feedback and collaborative learning but also by perceived digital class experience. Research limitations/implications: Moreover, this study is limited in offering a theoretical framework using the TPCM;therefore, future studies may incorporate Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and may also use the theory integration approach. Also, in terms of geographic coverage, the current work is limited to an area in Klang Valley. Future studies may be carried out in other parts or regions of the country. Future researchers may also focus on technological self-efficacy to capture the other related factors that may be related. Practical implications: This study not only contributed to the theoretical extensions but also to practical implications, which would benefit the policymakers of higher education providers in Malaysia. Originality/value: TPCM components, which are students' personal characteristics, teaching practices and student's perceptions of the classroom climate, are mapped into the digital class context as potential sources of design self-efficacy and collectively labelled as digital class experience. To the authors' knowledge, the digital class environment variable is yet to be tested as a component of TPCM.

COVID-19 VACCINE PERCEPTION AND HESITANCY AMONG PATIENTS WITH AUTOIMMUNE RHEUMATIC DISEASE (AIRD) IN MALAYSIA

BackgroundPatients with autoimmune rheumatic disease (AIRD) are at risk of severe COVID-19 infection and vaccine has been demonstrated to be able to reduce the severity of infection. Malaysia has a low flu vaccination coverage rate (approximately 3%) and hence it is important to assess the perception and hesitancy of COVID-19 vaccine especially among the vulnerable group.ObjectivesTo study the perception of COVID-19 vaccine and to determine the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy among AIRD patients in Malaysia.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional survey using online Google Forms® that was conducted among adult AIRD patients (18 years and older) from August 2021 until February 2022. Patients were recruited from the outpatient clinics as well as distribution of the survey through social medias. The survey was in English and Malay language. The survey collected data on the socio-demographic background, prior history of other vaccination after the age of 18 and COVID-19 vaccination with reasons of hesitancy, defined as being unsure or unwilling to be vaccinated. The survey also assessed the patients' perception by specifying the level of agreement to COVID-19 vaccine statements using the Likert response scale: 1-Strongly disagree;2- Disagree;3-Neither agree nor disagree;4-Agree;5-Strongly agree.ResultsA total of 162 patients participated in the survey and majority of them were females (87.7%). Our multi-racial cohort consisted of Malay (n=103, 63.5%), followed by Chinese (n=38, 23.5%), Sabahan Bumiputra (n=12, 7.4%) and Indian (n=7, 4.3%). More than half (n=107,66.6%) have not had any history of other vaccination after the age of 18. Only 16.7% (n=27) agreed/strongly agreed that COVID-19 vaccine can be given to patients with co-morbidities and 24.1 (n=39) agreed/strongly agreed that COVID-19 vaccine can be given to patients who have history of allergy to other drugs or food. At the time of the survey, vast majority of the respondents have received at least the 1st dose of Covid-19 vaccine (n=148, 91.4%). A total of 9 (5.6%) patients were hesitant to be vaccinated (6 were unsure and 3 patients were not willing to be vaccinated). The commonest reasons of being unsure or not willing to be vaccinated was worried of the vaccine's adverse effects (66.7%), worried of the blood clot complication (33,3%), worried of disease flare post-vaccine (33,3%), worried of allergic reaction (22.2%), lack of information on the safety of the vaccine in patients with AIRD from government and media (22.2%), face mask and social distancing measures were adequate (22.2%). Statistical analysis revealed that more patients who had vaccine hesitancy were from the lower socioeconomic status (income <1066 Euro/month), 88.9% vs 11.1%, p=0.03 but no association with ethnicity, education status, marital status or place of residence (urban vs rural).ConclusionCOVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is low in Malaysian patients with AIRD but patients with a low socioeconomic status are prone to have vaccine hesitancy. More education on the vaccine's efficacy and safety especially among patients with co-morbidities are warranted.Reference[1]Knowledge, acceptance and perception on COVID-19 vaccine among Malaysians: A web-based survey. Mohamed NA, Solehan HM, Mohd Rani MD, Ithnin M, Che Isahak CI (2021) Knowledge, acceptance and perception on COVID-19 vaccine among Malaysians: A web-based survey. PLOS ONE 16(8): e0256110.Acknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of InterestsSyahrul Sazliyana Shaharir Speakers bureau: Pfizer,Novartis, Lydia Kamaruzaman: None declared, Theepa Nesam Mariamutu: None declared, Mohd Shahrir Mohamed Said: None declared, Azmawati Mohammed Nawi: None declared, Wan Syamimee Wan Ghazali: None declared, Malehah Mohd Noh: None declared.

Student Satisfaction on Lecturers' Effectiveness, Efficiency and Productivity: Malaysian Education Landscape during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has engulfed the whole planet, including the education sector in Malaysia. As a result, the quality of lecturers' work is critical in maintaining the number of students in a university, particularly during a pandemic. Lecturers are put through their paces as they move from traditional to e-learning, learning new ways to teach classes, navigating technology, using new skills, and utilising their own knowledge. This study analysed responses of 892 local students from various officially registered public higher learning institutions throughout Malaysia. Convenient sampling method was used to gather responses through online google forms from the above respondents. The outcomes of this study provided some insight on how Malaysian higher education institutions might redeem themselves by offering better service to the society, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students Learning Experiences during COVID-19: Work from Home Period in Malaysian Higher Learning Institutions

Recently, the whole globe was affected by the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which caused a major disruption in every economy sector as well as the education sector. Most of the education systems in the world shifted to a full online learning method, either conducted in a synchronous or asynchronous method. Thus, making the traditional teaching and learning methods were no longer option of learning method. This reality of online teaching and learning methods by the Malaysian education system, especially the Higher Learning Institution as an alternative teaching method is compulsory throughout the pandemic. This paper evaluates the experience of the students of higher learning institutions in Malaysia with the implementation of online learning during this pandemic.

Prevalence of tension-type headache and its correlation with sleep quality among physiotherapy and nursing students from higher education institutions in Klang valley, Malaysia, during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction and Aim: Previously tension-type headache (TTH) was found to be highly prevalent among the general population worldwide, but the current data available were limited. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many life changes occurred to adapt to the situation, students started e-learning from home and their sleep quality (SQ) might be influenced. Physiotherapy and nursing students were studied as they are rarely being studied by researchers, information about them was very limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of TTH, SQ and the type of correlation between the two during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method(s): A cross-sectional study was conducted by sharing the online questionnaires composed of 2 main components: (i) Questionnaire formulated from diagnosing criteria for TTH of ICHD-3 (ii) Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), to PS and NS students from higher education institutions in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Result(s): A total of 259 respondents were recruited in the study. The prevalence of TTH was 76.8% and SQ had a mean score of 5.12, which indicated poor SQ among PS and NS students, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Correlation between TTH and SQ was proved to be significant in this study (p=0.032, rs =0.133). Conclusion(s): High prevalence of TTH and poor SQ among PS and NS students during the COVID-19 pandemic was determined. There is a weak positive correlation between TTH and SQ during COVID-19 pandemic.Copyright © 2023, Indian Association of Biomedical Scientists. All rights reserved.

Sorotan Literatur Kesedaran Wanita Bekerjaya Tentang Hak-Hak Selepas Perceraian

Wanita berkerjaya adalah salah satu komponen yang penting dalam institusi keluarga, komuniti, dan negara. Tidak semua wanita berpeluang mengecap kesejahteraan sebagai suri rumahtangga dan juga tanggungjawab di tempat kerja. Ada wanita yang terpaksa melepaskan salah satu peranan tersebut bagi meneruskan kelangsungan hidup dan memilih perceraian. Kes-kes perceraian di Malaysia dilaporkan meningkat dalam tempoh Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) akibat pandemik Covid-19. Dalam kepedihan melalui proses perceraian itu, ada wanita dilihat seolah tidak mempedulikan hak-hak selepas perceraian yang sepatut menjadi miliknya sama ada secara sengaja atau tidak menyedarinya. Artikel ini bertujuan membentangkan analisis sorotan literatur berkaitan isu kesedaran wanita berkerjaya tentang hak-hak selepas perceraian. Pendekatan analisis kandungan secara perbandingan telah digunakan dalam menggabung jalinkan sumber-sumber literatur yang diperolehi. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahawa semua hak wanita selepas perceraian telah disusun kemas termaktub dalam Enakmen Undang-Undang Keluarga Islam setiap negeri. Namun terdapat segelintir wanita yang kurang kesedaran untuk menuntut semua hak yang layak untuknya di atas pelbagai faktor. Hasil analisis juga mendapati kebanyakan hasil penulisan tidak mengaitkan kesan positif yang terhasil apabila kesedaran itu wujud kepada pihak-pihak yang terlibat dalam perceraian. Oleh itu kajian lanjut untuk melihat kesan positif daripada kesedaran wanita tentang hak-hak selepas perceraian amat wajar dilaksanakan. Working women are one of the essential components of family, community, and national institutions. Not all women have the opportunity to taste well -being as a housewife and also responsibilities in the workplace. There are women who have had to give up one of those roles in order to survive and choose divorce. Divorce cases in Malaysia were reported to have increased during the Movement Control Order (PKP) period due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the agony of going through the divorce process, some women are seen as disregarding the rights after a divorce that should have belonged to them either intentionally or unknowingly. This article aims to present an analysis of the literature highlights related to the issue of awareness of career women about rights after divorce. A comparative content analysis approach has been used in combining the interweaving of the literature sources obtained. The results of the analysis show that all women's rights after divorce have been neatly enshrined in the Islamic Family Law Enactment of each state. Yet there are a handful of women who lack the awareness to claim all the rights they deserve on a variety of factors. The results of the analysis also found that most of the writing results did not relate the positive effects that resulted when the awareness existed to the parties involved in the divorce. Therefore further studies to see the positive effects of women's awareness of post-divorce rights are highly desirable.

Amalan Sulh dalam Norma Baharu di Brunei dan Malaysia

Pertikaian antara suami dan isteri merupakan suatu perkara yang tidak dapat dielakkan dalam sebuah ikatan perkahwinan. Penyelesaian terhadap pertikaian ini tertakluk kepada budi bicara kedua belah pihak yang terlibat sama ada dengan perbincangan tertutup antara kedua belah pihak sahaja atau dihadapkan ke mahkamah Syariah jika tiada kata perdamaian dicapai dalam proses pra-bicara tuntutan yang dihadapkan iaitu majlis Sulh. Dari segi perundangan, proses Sulh akan dijalankan dalam tempoh yang telah ditetapkan oleh mahkamah Rendah Syariah dan diadakan sesi perjumpaan secara fizikal yang terdiri daripada kedua pihak yang bertikai dan pegawai Sulh sahaja. Sejak pandemik Covid-19 menular di seluruh dunia pada tahun 2020, majoriti aktiviti secara fizikal tidak dapat dilaksanakan dan diganti dengan aktiviti secara atas talian. Proses majlis Sulh juga tidak ketinggalan menghadapi situasi tersebut. Semenjak menularnya covid-19 proses majlis Sulh hanya boleh diadakan secara atas talian demi menjaga kemaslahatan dari segi kesihatan semua pihak yang terlibat dalam proses majlis Sulh tersebut. Justeru kajian ini dilaksanakan untuk meninjau kelancaran perjalanan proses majlis Sulh di Brunei Darussalam dan Malaysia sama ada ia berjalan dengan lancar dalam norma baharu dan mencapai objektif majlis Sulh. Metodologi kajian adalah secara kualitatif deskriptif dengan menggunakan teknik analisis dokumen dan statistik. Melalui analisis dokumen, data yang diperoleh dari bahan bertulis akan diteliti, dihurai dan dianalisa. Analisis dilakukan dengan meneliti maklumat data sekunder terutama penulisan, jurnal dan artikel. Kajian mendapati faktor penularan pandemik tidak menjejaskan proses majlis Sulh yang secara lazimnya dilaksanakan secara fizikal atau bersemuka, bahkan majlis Sulh tetap boleh dijalankan dengan lancar secara atas talian sebagaimana proses lazimnya. Perdamaian adalah jalan terbaik bagi kedua belah pihak yang bertikai demi menjaga kemaslahatan ahli keluarga yang lain khususnya anak-anak, seterusnya akan mengurangkan kes-kes penceraian di era pandemik. A dispute between a husband and wife is an inevitable affair in a marriage bond. The settlement of the dispute is subject to the discretion of the two parties either with closed discussions between the two parties only or before the Syariah court if no reconciliation is reached in a pre-hearing process of claim that is brought before the Sulh council. Legally, the Sulh process will be conducted within the period stipulated by the Syariah Subordinate Court and physical meetings will be held consisting of both the disputed parties and Sulh officers only. Since the Covid-19 pandemic spread worldwide in 2020, most physical activity could not conduct and replaced online activities. The Sulh council process is also not left out in the situation. Since the spread of covid-19 pandemic the Sulh council process can only be held online to safeguard the health of all parties involved in the Sulh council process. Hence, this study was carried out to review the process of sulh council process in Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia whether it runs smoothly in the new norms and achieves the objectives of the Sulh council. Qualitative and descriptive research methodology is used in this study in applying document and statistical analysis techniques. Through document analysis, data obtained from written materials will be examined, elaborated, and analyzed. Analysis is done by examining secondary data information especially writing, journals and articles. The pandemic contagion does not affect the Sulh council process which is usually carried out physically or face-to-face, even the Sulh ceremony can still be conducted online as usual. Reconciliation is the best way for both parties who are in dispute to protect the welfare of family members, especially children.

Geo-visualization of Sarawak COVID-19 Publicly Available Data Employing Open-source Geospatial Software

The state government of Sarawak with the help of the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) has continuously made the updated information on the state COVID-19 situation and its ensuing control measures available to general public in the form of daily press statements. However, these statements are merely providing textual information on daily basis though the data are in fact rich in temporal and spatial properties. Since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, spatiotemporal analysis becomes the key element to better understand the spread of COVID-19 in various spatial levels worldwide. Hence, there is an urgent need to convert this textual information into more valuable insights by applying geo-visualization techniques and geospatial statistics. The paper demonstrates the prospect of retrieving geospatial data from publicly available document to locate, map and analyze the spread of COVID-19 up to division level of Sarawak. Specifically, map visualization and geospatial statistical analysis are performed for the list of exposed locations, which are indeed locations visited by COVID-19 patients prior to being tested positive in Kuching division, using open-source geospatial software QGIS. It is found that these exposed locations concentrate on the build-up areas in the division and are in south-west to north-east direction of the center of Kuching in September and October 2021. Despite the number of exposed locations published is relatively small compared to the number of confirmed cases reported, both are nearly strongly correlated. The insights gained from such geospatial analysis may assist the local public health authorities to impose applicable disease control interventions at division level. © 2023 Horizon Research Publishing. All rights reserved.

Psychological Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Mental Health Practitioners in Selangor, Malaysia

Introduction: The Coronavirus disease pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19) has had psychological implications and altered the public's well-being. In response to the pandemic, mental health practitioners play an essential role in mitigating the adverse psychological effects among the public. However, as the demand for mental health services increases, the responsibilities of mental health professionals are far stretched from what they can handle. Therefore, this research is aimed to explore the psychological impact of the pandemic on the mental health practitioners in Selangor and their coping strategies. Method: A total of 10 mental health practitioners who are clinical psychologists and counselors participated in the one-to-one interview. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis. Result: The higher client loads, the transition to virtual therapy, burnout, and anxiety were found to have an impact on the mental health practitioners' well-being. Despite the challenging psychological impact, the mental health practitioners expressed a high level of satisfaction with their jobs, which they attributed to the supportive organisational culture and their intrinsic drive for selecting this profession. The mental health practitioners have reported that perceived organisational support, social support, and self-care approaches are effective coping mechanisms. Mindfulness skills such as breathing techniques and meditation are often practiced by the participants to calm the mind and body from a long day of work. Conclusion: The implication of the study contributes to breaking the stigmatisation of help seeking behaviour among the helping professions, as well as urging the policy makers, governments, and foundations to play a part in providing accessible and quality mental healthcare to the society. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Malaysian Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences is the property of Universiti Putra Malaysia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Professional shariah audit training via the e-learning approach during COVID-19: challenges and prospects

PurposeThis study aims to explore and identify potential challenges and prospects for conducting the professional shariah audit training programme via an e-learning approach during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaires were administered to 296 participants who were enrolled in the professional shariah audit training programme via e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in 2020. These participants were final-year students from selected Malaysian public universities.FindingsFindings show that several main challenges are faced in adopting an e-learning approach for conducting the professional shariah audit training programme such as the inability to do more hands-on, group and physical activities, different understandings based on academic backgrounds, difficulty in learning practical and technical topics, technical issues and problems during e-learning sessions. These lead to the unsuitability of conducting professional training via the e-learning approach. In terms of prospects of knowledge learnt via the e-learning approach, participants showed that they are able to master all six modules covered in the professional shariah audit training programme via the e-learning approach. These include (1) shariah principles;(2) shariah governance;(3) Islamic financial transactions;(4) shariah risk management;(5) shariah audit planning and programme;and (6) shariah audit fieldwork and communication.Practical implicationsBased on the findings, it is suggested to have more time spent and earlier preparation on the learning contents and sessions, more discussion on actual contents and practical exercises and competency of the trainers in delivering e-learning sessions.Originality/valueThis study is believed to be one among the pioneering studies on the potential challenges and prospects in adopting e-learning for conducting the professional shariah audit training programme due to COVID-19.

The Role of IoT Technologies in Malaysia During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Mini- Review

The Covid-19 global infection has significantly influenced people's health, resulting in sudden changes in lifestyle through social exclusion and isolation. To break the transmission and terrifying health threat of Covid-19, the Malaysian Government imposed a Movement Control Order (MCO) starting March 18, 2020, by restricting movement and contact. The Covid-19 pandemic emphasized the importance of the digital inclusion agenda, and the application of Internet of Things (IoT) services has given tremendous benefits in various disciplines, as it helps maintain physical distance during the pandemic. Modern lifestyles are being transformed by the IoT revolution by embracing technological, economic, and social prospects. In fact, many sectors in Malaysia would be transformed through the application of IoT, particularly in productivity, and services. Thus, this review paper discusses IoT's most recent breakthroughs and applications that are used in Malaysia during the Covid-19 crisis. Furthermore, it investigates current IoT implementation and discusses the potential impact of the pandemic on the application of IoT in terms of technology trends and economic impact. IoT is worth mentioning as one of the technologies demonstrating its importance and capabilities in mitigating the severity of the pandemic within the country. This article delves into the applications, social and economic impact, and barriers to the widespread adoption of IoT in the Covid-19 pandemic. This review paper will be useful to academic researchers, business professionals, organizations in various sectors, and anyone interested in determining IoT services' impact on pandemics.

A Qualitative Study Exploring the Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Teaching and Learning of Family Medicine Course among Undergraduates in a Local University in Malaysia

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the global teaching and learning process (TnL). Unfortunately, to date, not many qualitative studies have been published specifically on the impact of COVID-19 on the Family Medicine course, particularly in Malaysia. Hence, this study aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the teaching and learning experience of undergraduate students undergoing their Family Medicine course at a local university. Methods: A qualitative study using focused group discussion (FGD), was conducted among undergraduate students during the lockdown period. A semi-structured interview guide was used to interview 20 students, in their fifth undergraduate year, undertaking their fourth to fifth week of a total six-week course. They were selected using purposive snowball sampling method. There were four focus group discussions (FGD) with five students in a group. All interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and the contents were analysed using the standard content analysis framework. Subsequently, thematic content analysis was conducted, and three major themes were produced. Results: The three major themes were (1) facilitators to learning, (2) barriers to learning, and (3) rooms for improvement. Conclusion: Although COVID-19 pandemic had significant impact on TnL of Family Medicine course among undergraduates, the students remained optimistic and proposed some improvement from their point of view. However, a creative, realistic, effective, and impactful way of TnL, particularly in clinical aspects should be developed and experimented. Technological progress and advancement should permit this idea to be achievable and implemented in near future. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Malaysian Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences is the property of Universiti Putra Malaysia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Supply chain risk and SME business continuity strategies in the food industry during COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThis study aimed to (1) identify supply chain risks faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in food businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) investigate the business continuity management (BCM) strategies employed by organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were conducted, involving eight SMEs in the Malaysian food industry. Their responses were analysed using a thematic analysis.FindingsThe thematic analysis indicated that supply risks, demand risks, operational risks, logistics risks and financial risks were amongst the challenges that the respondents faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also provided evidence which showed the importance of flexibility, redundancy and collaboration to avoid or reduce the impact of such risks.Originality/valueThis paper fills the void in the literature by exploring the BCM practices amongst SMEs in the food businesses of a developing country, during the COVID-19 disruptions. Previous studies in the area had mainly focused on large organisations.

Distance Learning: Perceived Constraints Towards the New Norms in Learning Anatomy During COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has led to unavoidable new norms, including increasing demands for online learning. In view of the potential constraints to virtually learn anatomy among medical students, this study was conducted to identify the level of exposure towards online anatomy learning as well as the perceived constraints among medical students in a public university in Malaysia. Methods: A cross sectional study utilizing online survey was conducted during the movement control order (MCO) enforcement in Malaysia between March and October 2020 among all consented medical students at a public university in the Klang Valley area. The data was collected using a validated self-administered questionnaire which was distributed using Google Form application. Results: A total of 281 medical students consented and completed the online survey, with 94.3% students had low level of exposure towards online anatomy learning. Year of study and accessibility towards computing facilities and internet connection were significantly associated with online anatomy learning, with the non-clinical students are 19.9 (aOR= 19.888, B=2.990, 95%CI: 2.484-159.220) times more likely to have higher exposure towards online anatomy learning respectively. Conclusion: A very high proportion of medical students having low exposure towards online anatomy learning was observed in this study, which was predicted among the clinical students. Strengthening the utilization of online learning should be seriously considered in parallel with the new norms and the many uncertainties with COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure continuity of effective and quality learning. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Malaysian Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences is the property of Universiti Putra Malaysia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)