Online University Teaching During COVID-19: The Malaysian Experience

Malaysia, like the rest of the world, was hard hit by SARS-CoV-2, also known as COVID-19. After the first COVID-19 case was detected in Malaysia (on January 25, 2020) and traced back to three Chinese nationals, the country was put under Movement Control Order (MCO), a partial lockdown, initially for two weeks, on 18th March. Among MCO consequences: close major economic sectors and educational institutions. Public universities, which began a new semester under a Ministry of Higher Education ruling, switched to online teaching and learning. This chapter chronicles public university experiences with online teaching and learning during the COVID-19 period. A brief background captures the measures taken by the government;how these steps affected university education is appraised next;and finally, the steps taken by the universities to activate online teaching and learning. What challenges cropped up and how to deal with them are acknowledged before drawing conclusions from the online teaching and learning experiences of Malaysian universities. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.

Covid-19 Effect on Community Mobility and Stock Market of Malaysia

Physical distancing is believed to contain the spread of COVID-19 virus. With data provided by COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports from Google, this study examines the mobility patterns at different stages of Movement Control Order (MCO) and investigates whether lower mobility reduces the number of new cases, death cases, and recovery rate. This research also covers the time spent in places such as i) retail and recreation, ii) grocery and pharmacy, iii) parks, iv) transit stations, v) the workplace, and vi) residential areas. As each of these types of places has distinct epidemiological characteristics, they may spread transmission differently. This study also correlates the stock market with mobility patterns of Malaysians in order to evaluate the effectiveness of lockdowns on COVID-19 incidents and its impact on the stock market, in this case;Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI). Findings of this study highlight the effects of pandemic COVID-19 on stock market daily performance by utilizing prospect and uncertainty theory in predicting the short-term impacts of the epidemic.

AS FOOD DELIVERY BUSINESS IS SKYROCKETING, SO IS OUR ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER

This chapter discusses the high adoption of plastic bags/packages by food providers in Malaysia during pandemic that resulted in a long-time lockdown. Under the federal government act of ‘Movement Order Control' (MCO), people had no choice but to order food or purchase food ingredients via online food delivery services. Such situation made the food delivery business instantly one of the top and essential economic contributors. However, this also severely impacted our environment specifically the growing usage of plastic bag, plastic food container, and parcel packaging. While the food delivery company introduces a campaign to reduce and replace the plastic bag/packages, the awareness level is still very low. This chapter highlights the introduction of food delivery business striving in the COVID-19 pandemic, the severity of plastic usage and challenges of sustainability marketing campaign in Malaysia. © 2023 by Emerald Publishing Limited.

Comparison of rainwater quality before and during the MCO using chemometric analyses.

This study aimed to classify the spatiotemporal analysis of rainwater quality before and during the Movement Control Order (MCO) implementation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chemometric analysis was carried out on rainwater samples collected from 24-gauge stations throughout Malaysia to determine the samples' chemical content, pH, and conductivity. Other than that, hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis (HACA) and discriminant analysis (DA) were used to classify the quality of rainwater at each location into four clusters, namely good, satisfactory, moderate, and bad clusters. Note that DA was carried out on the predefined clusters. The reduction in acidity levels occurred in 11 stations (46% of overall stations) after the MCO was implemented. Chemical content and ion abundance followed a downward trend, indicating that Cl- and Na+ were the most dominant among the anions and cations. Apart from that, NH4+, Ca2+, NO3-, and SO42- concentrations were evident in areas with significant anthropogenic activity, as there was a difference in the total chemical content in rainwater when compared before and during the MCO. Based on the dataset before the MCO, 75% of gauge stations were in the good cluster, 8.3% in the satisfactory cluster, 12.5% in the moderate cluster, and 4.2% in the bad cluster. Meanwhile, the dataset during the MCO shows that 72.7% of gauge stations were in the good cluster, 9.1% in the satisfactory cluster, 9.1% in the moderate, and 4.5% in the bad cluster. From this study, the chemometric analysis of the year 2020 rainwater chemical composite dataset strongly indicates that reduction of human activities during MCO affected the quality of rainwater.

Movement control as an effective measure against Covid-19 spread in Malaysia: an overview.

Aim: The first Covid-19 cases were reported in Malaysia on 25 January 2019 followed by a quiescent period before an upward swing of the cases at the end of February 2020, partly attributed to mass gathering during a religious event. This short communication aims to provide an overview of the measures taken by the Malaysian Government in response to Covid-19, and of the effectiveness of the Movement Control Order. Subjects and methods: This short communication reviews articles and government announcements related to containment measures and the Movement Control Order of Malaysia, and graphically presents data pertinent to Covid-19 in Malaysia in order to show the relationship between fluctuations in Covid-19 cases and movement control. Results: At the onset of the Covid-19 outbreak, Malaysia had initiated travel restrictions and quarantine; but with a persistent increase in new Covid-19 cases, the Movement Control Order was finally rolled out on 18 March 2020, requiring closure of all businesses except those providing essential services and items. Enforcement of the order was tightened progressively, resulting in significant improvement of compliance, while other interventions such as tracking of potential contacts and medical screening were underway, and the media continued to provide updates and general advices. The numbers of new and active Covid-19 cases started showing evident downtrends from mid-April, thus indicating the effectiveness of movement control and its compliance. Conclusion: The article provides insight into crucial factors contributing to the success of movement control to effectively contain Covid-19, and highlights the need to prevent future upsurge through continuous monitoring and enforcement.

INITIAL STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON BUSINESS SURVIVAL AMONG SINGLE MOTHER ENTREPRENEURS: DOES DIGITAL MARKETING MATTER?

Since 2019, the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has hit the whole world significantly and has been one of the worst nightmares for us. Single mother entrepreneurs have been one of the most affected groups due to COVID-19, and this group's gradual implementation of technology is called for. This article aims to determine the pandemic's implications for SMPs and whether they have taken any new strategies or changes for the survival of their business. Adopting a qualitative research approach, an open group discussion has been conducted at Padang Jawa, Klang. A total of seven SMPs have been interviewed. The COVID-19 Movement Control Order (MCO) impacts on single mother entrepreneurs and strategies have been divided into two sections: the entrepreneur's perspective on COVID-19 and their current view and approach to facing the pandemic. © School of Engineering, Taylor's University.

Dietary habit, physical activity and perceived barriers during movement control order among undergraduate students in Puncak Alam, Selangor

The emergence of COVID-19 had affected people in terms of their physical activity and nutritional changes which may increase the risk of various non-communicable diseases (NCD) among them. This study aimed to identify the physical activity level, nutritional changes, and perceived barriers to engage physical activity among students of UiTM Selangor, Puncak Alam Campus during the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia. A total of 234 students aged 18-24 years old were chosen to participate in this study by using convenience sampling. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Physical Activity Resource Assessment (PARA), and adapted questionnaire from the Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia were used in this study. Findings reveal that students were able to engage in physical activity level during the pandemic period which required them to be quarantined. Moreover, there was an increase in the frequency of healthy eating behaviour as well as unhealthy eating behaviour during MCO.Copyright © 2023 The Authors.

THE OCCURRENCE OF DEPRESSION AMONG STUDENTS IN UNIVERSITY OF CYBERJAYA DURING MOVEMENT CONTROL ORDER (MCO) OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC

In this study, we demonstrate the prevalence of depression and factors associated with depression among foundation students in University of Cyberjaya during Movement Control Order (MCO) of Covid-19 Pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2021 to February 2022, a period where phase three of MCO was declared in Malaysia. Data was collected by using online Patient Health Questionnaire-9 as the scoring system for depression and was analysed using Jeffrey's Amazing Statistics Program (JASP) version 0.14.1.0. Statistical analyses such as descriptive analysis, chi-square and multinomial logistic regression was applied in this study. Our result showed that the prevalence of depression among foundation students during MCO was high. The students enrolled in Foundation in Art program reported to have the highest severe depression compared to the other foundation programs. Although sociodemographic factors exhibited relevant prevalence pattern among the foundation students, however there is no significant (*p<0.05) association between sociodemographic factors with prevalence of depression in this study. We further analysed the following predominant factors which could affect the learning process and root cause of depression among the students during MCO. Interestingly, students unsatisfied with online classes (*p=0.028) and have poor internet connection (*p=0.027) revealed significant association with depression level. Thus, in order to improvise the learning outcomes, we suggest to have an interactive learning and blended teaching method to overcome the depression and mental stress in students. © 2022, Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine. All Rights Reserved.

MOBILISE-UTHM Resilient Tracker (RITTER) for Resilient Educational Communities in Malaysia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Coronavirus disease has caused a pandemic across the globe and it is now representing a significant threat to global health. Certainly, managing COVID-19 as compared to other types of disasters comes with a lot of unique challenges to many sectors including the educational sector, especially to higher education institutions (HEI). Since the announcement of movement control orders by the government of Malaysia, most of the Malaysia HEI students, including UTHM, have left their campuses, but the problems wrought by COVID-19 have not. UTHM employees from academic and supporting staff are also worried about their future for not continuously working as usual. The aim of the paper is to propose a disaster decision support system by combining UTHM Tracker and MOBILISE Digital System named MOBILISE-UTHM Resilient Tracker (RITTER) for UTHM students to build resilience during the COVID-19 outbreak and further to provide real-time intelligence for rapid disaster response combining UTHM Tracker and MOBILISE system for UTHM students during the COVID-19 outbreak in UTHM. Copyright © 2021, IGI Global.

ECOTOURISM ACTIVITIES, HOMESTAY RECOVERY PLAN AND STRATEGY INDICATORS IN POST COVID-19 KUNDASANG, SABAH, MALAYSIA

The purpose of this article is to discuss strategies and recovery plans for community-based ecotourism and homestays following the Covid-19 pandemic Movement Control Order (MCO), particularly in Kampung Mesilou, Kundasang, Sabah. The spread of the Covid-19 virus has had a significant impact, particularly on the tourism industry in Malaysia and, more specifically, on the ecotourism sector in the state of Sabah. The implementation of MCO in Malaysia, which aims to restrict population movement, has had a negative impact on the tourism sector, as all of them were ordered to halt operations completely. As a result, the question of the strategies and recovery plans implemented by ecotourism and homestay operators to restore the ecotourism sector, particularly in Kampung Mesilou, arises. Therefore, the main research approach in this study is qualitative and based on primary data. The primary data used were the results of in-field informant interviews, which were supplemented by secondary data from journal articles. The study's findings revealed that after the government announced the relaxation of the MCO, the communities in the area took the initiative to re-promote their ecotourism activities widely through social media, etc. One of the entrepreneurs' strategies for attracting tourists in their shorter and medium plans is the addition of new ecotourism products and the improvement of the quality of homestay facilities recently. © 2022 by MIP.

Mapping Chini Lake (Pahang, Malaysia) using Sentinel-2 images to determine the effect of acid mine drainage in the pre- to post-COVID-19 restriction period.

Mining activities in the Chini Lake catchment area have been extensive for several years, contributing to acid mine drainage (AMD) events with high concentrations of iron (Fe) and other heavy metals impacting the surface water. However, during the restriction period due to the COVID-19 outbreak, anthropogenic activities have been suspended, which clearly shows a good opportunity for a better environment. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the variation of AMD-associated water pollution in three main zones of the Chini Lake catchment area using Sentinel-2 data for the periods pre-movement control order (MCO), during MCO, and post-MCO from 2019 to 2021. These three zones were chosen due to their proximity to mining areas: zone 1 in the northeastern part, zone 2 in the southeastern part, and zone 3 in the southern part of the Chini Lake area. The acid mine water index (AMWI) was a specific index used to estimate acid mine water. The AMWI values from Sentinel-2 images exhibited that the mean AMWI values in all zones during the MCO period decreased by 14% compared with the pre-MCO period. The spatiotemporal analysis found that the highest polluted zones were recorded in zone 1, followed by zone 3 and zone 2. As compared with during the MCO period, the maximum percentage of increment during post-MCO in all zones was up to 25%. The loosened restriction policy has resulted in more AMD flowing into surface water and increased pollution in Chini Lake. As a whole, our outputs revealed that Sentinel-2 data had a major potential for assessing the AMD-associated pollution of water.

Modality in the Movement Control Order (MCO) Speech Texts to Curb the Spread of COVID-19 in Malaysia

Speech is a form of language involving the delivery of information that enhances social interactions. Certain modalities are used to characterize these social relationships. Therefore, this study aims to identify the modalities employed by Malaysia's Prime Minister in the Movement Control Order (MCO) speech text and to describe the social interactions attempted to be established based on the usage of these modalities. Eight speech texts are downloaded from the official website of the Prime Minister's Office (https://www.pmo.gov. my/speech/). Qualitative and quantitative approaches are applied alongside Fairclough's (2013) critical discourse analysis theory. The results of the study revealed that there are ten types of modalities used, namely the modality 'boleh', 'dapat', nak', 'mesti', 'mungkin', 'perlu', 'ingin', 'hendak', 'pasti'dan 'mahu'. The speaker's modalities are utilised for two different purposes, namely to give commands and convey information. In comparison, the informative modality is more often utilised than the command modality. The informative modalities usage has proven that the speaker tends to build social relationships that are relaxed in nature with listeners. On the other hand, the command modality usage has hinted that the speaker also builds a formal and serious social relationship with the listeners when proposing his requests. This study not only examines the aspects of language alone but also explores how political organisations manage language in speech texts to convey information when a country is experiencing a global health emergency.

Cyclical and Non-Cyclical Industry Stock Price Reaction towards Movement Control Order (MCO), Economic Stimulus Package and Vaccine Agreement Announcements: The Case of Covid-19

This study carries out empirical analyses using a market-model event study from 26 March 2020 to 20 November 2020. There are three major events highlighted in this article that explain the cyclical and noncyclical stock performance during the COVID-19 outbreak: (a) the implementation of the nationwide Movement control order series (MCOs);(b) the announcement of the economic stimulus package;and (c) the signing of the vaccine agreements. Empirical results are summarized into three main insights: (a) the 10-day event window (CAR -9,0), which entailed the first MCO, was marked by the closure of both public and private non-essential entities, further suspension of events and recreational activities, which negatively affected nationwide economics activities;(b) the 3-day event window (CAR -1,1), which entailed the announcement of the economic stimulus package, resulted in most industries reacting with positive returns except for the oil equipment and services industry;and (c) event window day-293 (CAR +131, +161), which entailed the announcement of the distribution and implementation of COVID-19 vaccines, whereby industries related to the healthcare segments such as equipment and services (+0.0694) and pharmaceuticals and biotechnology (+0.0671) showed positively significant returns at least at the 10% level. Finally, future research could enlighten ownership patterns in Malaysia due to Malaysian companies exhibiting a concentrated ownership structure.

Evaluating the Influence and Modification for Environment and Sustainability Learning Outcome in Environmental Engineering Course During COVID-19 Pandemic

The pandemic has influenced most of us either directly or indirectly. In ensuring the education is always in line with the National Education Philosophy in developing holistic, entrepreneurial, and balanced graduates, the Civil Engineering Program of Universiti Malaysia Sabah utilizes the UMS-OBE system, particularly in course outcome (CO) input to the program outcomes (PO) in the assessment and reporting of student's performance. As the main stakeholders, learners and lecturers must be actively engaged in the rationale and motivation of implementing the OBE mechanisms. Hence this paper evaluated the course learning outcome and measured their perceptions by categorizing the ranked perception feedback on project-based learning (PBL). This paper highlights the modification in implementing PBL that previously involved physical work on-site. Due to the movement control order (MCO) enforced due to the covid-19 pandemic, the course assessment targeted to instill the program outcome (PO) of Environment and Sustainability attribute was strategized into 3 phases. The analysis found that the course outcome has been successfully achieved, even though a slight decrease was observed from the previous regular face-to-face mode. A slight decrease was observed in the overall grade achievement and course outcome analysis. The instructional modification and intervention in Project-Based-learning to improve online learning strategies, despite the requirement for engineering community fieldwork through the learner's feedback responses during the three phases in model strategies for course outcome pedagogy, have shown optimistic input by learners and has continuously engaged them through the Project-based-Learning completion.

Perceptions of Quality of Life during the Pandemic: A Case Study on B40 Single Mothers.

During the pandemic, the lives of B40 single mothers were severely affected, especially in terms of social, economic, and psychological factors. The reduction of income caused by the crisis has forced single mothers and their children to live frugally and without luxury. They also had to perform more than one job at a time during the pandemic to meet their children's needs. A qualitative study has been conducted to explore the perceptions of quality of life during the pandemic among B40 single mothers. Respondents were selected based on demographic characteristics established before the study. A focus group discussion has been conducted on ten (10) B40 single mothers in Balik Pulau, Penang. Single mothers were selected based on purposive sampling. They had to meet the inclusive criteria required to participate in the study, specifically: aged between 20 and 60 years old, belonged to the B40 income category, had children under 18 years old living together, and became single mothers due to divorce or death of husbands. The focused group discussion explored issues related to qualities of life during the pandemic. B40 single mothers expressed their concern about access to health facilities, security in residence, children's education, and economic stability. These areas of life quality have been significantly affected especially during Movement Control Order (MCO). In short, the quality of life of these single mothers has been significantly affected by the pandemic. Their vulnerability towards stress, anxiety, and depression have worsened due to financial issues. Besides the need for emotional and social support, this study found that these single mothers entail financial support.

RISK AND RETURN OF M-REITS DURING COVID-19: EVIDENCE FROM CAPITAL ASSET PRICING MODEL (CAPM)

COVID-19 pandemic has affected real estate sectors, including Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), as the total return of a REIT is subject to the property market’s performance. This research assesses the risk and return of Malaysian REITs (M-REITs) and All-REIT portfolios during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a desktop study, the researchers analysed M-REITs’ historical monthly closing price, FBM KLCI and the yield of 10-year MGS using the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM). The number of observations is 24, six (6) months before and 18 months after COVID-19 hits Malaysia. The result shows that the estimated return of M-REITs using CAPM ranged from-0.1905 to 0.2391. The researchers also develop an equally weighted portfolio where all 17 M-REITs have an equal weight allocation of 0.0588 to assess the fair estimated return of the All-REIT portfolio. The findings also suggest that despite the pandemic and implementation of Movement Control Order (MCO), the average monthly log-return of M-REITs outperformed the monthly log-return of the market portfolio in April and November of 2020 as well as March and June 2021. The remaining period recorded slightly at par with FBM KLCI. Beta at less than 0.1 also indicates that M-REITs is less volatile than the market portfolio. In conclusion, CAPM suggests that M-REITs show a low-performance deviation with market portfolio during the pandemic signifying that it is a low-risk investment and shall be included in any investment portfolios. The findings of this research are vital for investors in considering M-REITs for their investment portfolio. © 2022, Construction Research Institute of Malaysia. All rights reserved.

Conceptualizing the parallax of movement control orders (MCOs) to the spatial dispersion of PM10

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have implemented movement control orders (MCO). Globally, including in Malaysia, such bans have reduced pollution. Thus, this study used remote sensing to examine the particle dispersion and intensity of PM10. Unlike previous research, this technique used Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) satellite images to estimate anthropogenic level changes within the study area. Eight models are used to estimate PM10 levels. The models work well because they were developed and tested in India, which has a similar climate to Malaysia. Two models returned results that matched the study area's CAQMs station. Between 10th March 2020 and 26th March 2020 the CAQMS showed an average PM10 concentration of 17-32 g/m3. The pixel based PM10 estimation is 30-35% off in g/m3. However, the percent reduction of PM10 before and during MCO was within 2% of Model 5 and 7. Incorporating geospatial technology into baseline studies to assess current air quality is clearly beneficial. Since the first MCO in March 2020, toxic pollution emissions have decreased significantly. © 2022, Prince of Songkla University. All rights reserved.

Covid-19 Pandemic: A Demand for Malaysia to Support Refugees under International and Domestic Law

The WHO reported the Covid-19 outbreak infected 486,761,597 people, involving 6,142,735 deaths worldwide as of 1 April 2022. This contagious disease has spread rapidly throughout the world, including Malaysia. Since the outbreak in Malaysia began in March 2020, the Movement Control Order (MCO) has been implemented nationwide, leaving a significant impact on its citizens, non-citizens, as well as refugees. There is some exploitation of refugees, where enforcement officers are targeting them for criminal offences. Stakeholders claimed the Malaysian government did not provide any assistance to refugees during the pandemic, including health care and economy. This article examines Malaysia’s responsibilities as a host country to refugees during the Covid-19 outbreak. The Malaysian government is proposed to continuously support refugees on humanitarian grounds based on the country’s economic development capabilities. This paper will look into the current situation of the Refugees in Malaysia;discuss the challenges that the Refugees in Malaysia are facing;analyse the legal framework governing the status of refugees;and check the responsibility Malaysia should assume as a host country. © 2022, Yijun Institute of International Law. All rights reserved.

Inadequate fruits and vegetables consumption among Malaysian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the eating behaviours of people especially fruits and vegetable intake. No study has addressed the fruits and vegetables intake during the COVID-19 in Malaysia. Aim: to assess the daily intake of fruits and vegetables among Malaysian adults during the COVID-19 outbreak, perceived changes in intake, as well as factors associated with the changes in intake. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through online platforms and a total of 506 participants were recruited. Semi food-frequency questionnaires were used to assess participants' fruit and vegetable intake. Socio-demographics information, knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of fruits and vegetables were collected. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS. Results: The majority of participants (99.8%) did not achieve the recommended five servings per day, in which they consumed an average of 0.84 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. 46.4% of participants reported no changes in intake compared to before the outbreak. Fruits and vegetables intake was associated with physical activity level, knowledge, and beliefs of foods that may prevent/cure COVID-19. Binary logistic regression identified two significant risk factors of daily fruits and vegetables intake namely, being a non-Chinese (AOR = 1.905, 95% CI = 1.114-3.257) and having good practices scores (AOR = 2.543, 95% CI = 1.611-4.015). Conclusion: The study found a low daily intake of fruits and vegetables. The findings suggested that nutritional interventions are necessary to improve awareness on consuming more fruits and vegetables to improve overall health.

Disruptions in the Upstream Palm Oil Supply Chain: A Case of COVID-19's Impact on Upstream Intermediaries in Malaysia

The COVID-19 pandemic had a global impact since it was first discovered in late 2019, in Wuhan, China. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 has affected over 179 million people and killed approximately 3.9 million people in more than 200 countries across the globe (WHO,2021). This outbreak has not only affected people’s lives but also disrupted global supply chains. It has shown significant effects on businesses, consumers, and the global economy. Fear of the virus has led to many companies scrambling to respond regarding employees’ job security, ensuring supply security, risk mitigation strategy, and addressing market uncertainties that are driving down demand. Broadly, the objective of this article is to highlight issues faced by the upstream palm oil supply chain actors during this pandemic. Based on the problem, the study concluded that some forms of actions (short-term & long-term) have been proposed to ensure an agile palm oil supply chain.