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The widespread adoption of the tawarruq contract by Islamic banks in their deposit and financing offerings has spurred the emergence of mushārakah mutanāqisah as an alternative for Islamic property financing. Affin Islamic Bank Berhad is among the Islamic banks that offer mushārakah mutanāqisah as the core Shari‘ah contract in their Islamic property financing services. This type of financing is offered to customers for completed properties and those that are under construction. In the context of Islamic property financing, mushārakah mutanāqisah refers to a structure where the customer assumes the role of the registered property owner while the bank holds ownership shares in the form of beneficial ownership. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has released multiple Policy Documents regarding Shari‘ah contracts as guidelines to ensure uniformity in the application of Shari‘ah contracts across Islamic financial products and services. Islamic banks are required to adhere to these guidelines, including the mushārakah mutanāqisah. Thus, this paper intends to study the application of mushārakah mutanāqisah in property financing based on Affin Islamic Bank’s experience in adopting the related Policy Documents issued by BNM. The findings from this paper would shed light and provide valuable insights into implementing the related guidelines to mushārakah mutanāqisah and its impact on the Islamic finance industry in Malaysia. Document analysis approach was used to analyse library data gathered from previous studies and relevant policy documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The noncholera Vibrio spp. which cause vibriosis are abundantly found in our water ecosystem. These bacteria could negatively affect both humans and animals. To date, there is a paucity of information available on the existence and pathogenicity of this particular noncholera Vibrio spp. in Malaysia in comparison to their counterpart, Vibrio cholera. Methods. In this study, we extracted retrospective data from Malaysian surveillance database. Analysis was carried out using WHONET software focusing noncholera Vibrio spp. including Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio fluvialis, Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio hollisae (Grimontia hollisae), Vibrio mimicus, Vibrio metschnikovii, and Vibrio furnissii. Results. Here, we report the first distribution and prevalence of these species isolated in Malaysia together with the antibiotic sensitivity profile based on the species. We found that V. parahaemolyticus is the predominant species isolated in Malaysia. Noticeably, across the study period, V. fluvialis is becoming more prevalent, as compared to V. parahaemolyticus. In addition, this study also reports the first isolation of pathogenic V. furnissii from stool in Malaysia. Conclusion. These data represent an important step toward understanding the potential emergence of noncholera Vibrio spp. outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Islamic insurance, hereafter referred to as takaful, is established on the concept of mutual assistance and mutual assurance between participating members who undertake to mutually guarantee and indemnify one another in case of a particular defined event. This concept has been widely used to structure various takaful products, ranging from general to family takaful, with features that resemble most of the features of conventional insurance. Nevertheless, the fact remains that not all conventional product features can be easily adopted and offered by takaful operators (TOs). This is evident in the absence of a Shari'ah-compliant model for retirement annuity plans with defined benefit features in the Malaysian takaful industry. This is despite its important features of providing security and peace of mind to the participants during their retirement years. The present study proposes the application of a hibah mu'allaqah (conditional gift) contract structured together with a wakalah (agency) contract for a Shari'ah-compliant retirement annuity plan. The study also identifies several potential Shari'ah issues and operational challenges entangling the proposed model. The study concludes with a set of policy recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper introduces the concept of manihah and develops a conceptual framework to address Malaysia's abandoned lands and food security issues. Design/methodology/approach: This is a conceptual paper based on insights from the existing literature and secondary data on food security, abandoned lands and manihah. Based on the prevailing gaps, the study proposes a conceptual framework of the Manihah Agricultural Financing Model to address Malaysia's abandoned land and food security issues. Findings: The proposed model can address abandoned lands and food security issues due to the new incorporation of manihah within Malaysia's agricultural and Islamic financial industries' milieu. Research limitations/implications: This is a conceptual paper mainly intended to spark a discussion on the potentiality of manihah. Practical implications: The paper contends that Islamic banks have a crucial role in furthering the socio-economic development agenda under the value-based intermediation (VBI). The paper will also be an excellent introduction to Islamic bank practitioners in understanding manihah's relevance to their daily operation. Originality/value: This paper introduces manihah as the potential solution to food security issues by utilizing abandoned lands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pneumococcal disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important cause of morbidity and mortality across all ages, particularly in younger children and older adults. Here, we describe pneumococcal disease hospitalizations at Ministry of Health (MoH) facilities in Malaysia between 2013 and 2015. Methods: This was a retrospective databases analysis. Tabular data from the Malaysian Health Data Warehouse (MyHDW) were used to identify microbiologically confirmed, pneumococcal disease hospitalizations and deaths during hospitalization, using hospital-assigned ICD-10 codes (i.e., classified as meningitis, pneumonia, or non-meningitis non-pneumonia). Case counts, mortality counts, and case fatality rates were reported by patient age group and by Malaysian geographic region. Results: A total of 683 pneumococcal disease hospitalizations were identified from the analysis: 53 pneumococcal meningitis hospitalizations (5 deaths and 48 discharges), 413 pneumococcal pneumonia hospitalizations (24 deaths and 389 discharges), and 205 non-meningitis non-pneumonia pneumococcal disease hospitalizations (58 deaths and 147 discharges). Most hospitalizations occurred in children aged < 2 years. Crude mortality was highest among children aged < 2 years (for all three disease categories), among adults aged ≥ 65 years (for pneumococcal pneumonia), or among adults aged 65–85 years (for non-meningitis non-pneumonia pneumococcal disease). The case fatality rate, all ages included, was 5.8% for pneumococcal pneumonia, 9.1% for pneumococcal meningitis, and 28.3% for non-meningitis non-pneumonia pneumococcal disease. Conclusions: Our study is the first to document pneumococcal disease hospitalizations and deaths during hospitalization in Malaysia. Although this database analysis likely underestimated case counts, and the true disease burden could be even greater, the study demonstrates a substantial burden of pneumococcal disease. Public health measures, including vaccination, would significantly contribute to the prevention of hospitalizations and deaths associated with pneumococcal disease in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pneumococcal disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important cause of morbidity and mortality across all ages, particularly in younger children and older adults. Here, we describe pneumococcal disease hospitalizations at Ministry of Health (MoH) facilities in Malaysia between 2013 and 2015. Methods: This was a retrospective databases analysis. Tabular data from the Malaysian Health Data Warehouse (MyHDW) were used to identify microbiologically confirmed, pneumococcal disease hospitalizations and deaths during hospitalization, using hospital-assigned ICD-10 codes (i.e., classified as meningitis, pneumonia, or non-meningitis non-pneumonia). Case counts, mortality counts, and case fatality rates were reported by patient age group and by Malaysian geographic region. Results: A total of 683 pneumococcal disease hospitalizations were identified from the analysis: 53 pneumococcal meningitis hospitalizations (5 deaths and 48 discharges), 413 pneumococcal pneumonia hospitalizations (24 deaths and 389 discharges), and 205 non-meningitis non-pneumonia pneumococcal disease hospitalizations (58 deaths and 147 discharges). Most hospitalizations occurred in children aged < 2 years. Crude mortality was highest among children aged < 2 years (for all three disease categories), among adults aged ≥ 65 years (for pneumococcal pneumonia), or among adults aged 65–85 years (for non-meningitis non-pneumonia pneumococcal disease). The case fatality rate, all ages included, was 5.8% for pneumococcal pneumonia, 9.1% for pneumococcal meningitis, and 28.3% for non-meningitis non-pneumonia pneumococcal disease. Conclusions: Our study is the first to document pneumococcal disease hospitalizations and deaths during hospitalization in Malaysia. Although this database analysis likely underestimated case counts, and the true disease burden could be even greater, the study demonstrates a substantial burden of pneumococcal disease. Public health measures, including vaccination, would significantly contribute to the prevention of hospitalizations and deaths associated with pneumococcal disease in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]