Search

This study examines the impact of female labour participation and life expectancy on economic growth in Southeast Asia economies using non-stationary panel data techniques. The study utilizes balanced panel data spanning from 1992 to 2020, encompassing ten countries in Southeast Asia. The results reveal that economic growth, female labour participation, and other factors are cointegrated. The findings indicate that trade openness has a negative impact on economic growth. However, we find that female labour participation, female longevity, female education, domestic investment, and foreign direct investment have a positive long-term effect on economic growth. Our study also highlights that the effect of female labour participation on growth varies depending on female longevity. We find that female labour participation positively impacts economic growth but changes negatively when countries exhibit a high level of female life expectancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic palm oil consumption in Malaysia increased to about 3.37 million metric tons in 2022. This number is expected to increase further due to population growth and consumer preferences for palm oil cooking oil. However, in 2016, the government withdrew its subsidy on palm cooking oil, increasing its price by 48.9%. Recently, the government proposed to use a floating price for palm cooking oil. These changes have left direct and indirect impacts on food producers and consumers. Therefore, this paper examines the impact of an increase in the price of palm cooking oil on food producers (directly) and consumers (indirectly). This study applied the Leontief price modelling technique and simulated a scenario for the price changes in the production cost. The simulation results indicated that costs and prices changed. The results found that the most significant cost change came from restaurants, 52.0%, while other price changes were from oil palm (29.6%) and restaurants (17.4%). This study also used the profit index to calculate the profit food producers and services gained. Based on this scenario, food producers should revise their prices of goods and services since they still gain profit. It was recommended that the government revise the price of palm cooking oil by providing subsidies or incentives to the food producer or consumer. The fluctuation in palm oil prices impacts the price of palm cooking oil in the market. If the government does not revise cooking oil prices, it will affect food consumers and producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food security has nowadays become a big challenge around the world. Therefore, this comprehensive review investigates the complex relationship between the status of fish resources and the escalating challenges posed by climate change and population expansion, focusing on Malaysia's food security. With the global population on the rise and the effects of climate change intensifying, it is of the utmost importance to ensure a consistent and reliable food supply. This review assesses the present status of Malaysia's fish resources as a crucial element of the nation's food security landscape by conducting a comprehensive literature review. By elucidating the intricate interplay between changing climate patterns, expanding population pressures, and the availability of fish fisheries, this study identifies future vulnerabilities and opportunities. The findings of this review demonstrate that increasing fish availability alone does not guarantee food security. Effective policies must instead take into account the complex interplay between various factors, including consumption behaviours and ecosystem resilience in order to promote sustainable food security in the face of changing challenges. The study highlights the need for a multidimensional approach that addresses not only sustainable production practises, but also habitat preservation, balanced utilisation, and adaptive management strategies. As the study concentrates on the Malaysian context, its implications extend to regions with comparable challenges, highlighting the urgency of adopting holistic governance models that integrate ecological health and food security objectives. This review provides valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders interested in formulating resilient and effective measures to ensure enduring food security amidst the ever- changing dynamics of climate change and population growth by developing strategy to improve the contribution of fish in terms of sustainable food supply in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the relationship between skills and firms' technical efficciency in the services sector in Malaysia. Skills are categorized into six dimensions, namely effective communication skills; critical thinking skills and problem solving; teamwork skills; ethical and moral skills in the profession; entrepreneurial skills; and management skills. This study is based on 130 service firms obtained from field studies in 2014. The objective of the study is to analyze the relationship between skills and firm technical efficiency. This study uses stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) in measuring the firm's technical efficiency, while the structural equation model (SEM) uses the SmartPLS software in analyzing the relationship between skills and efficiency. The findings show that the level of technical efficiency of the service firm is relatively low. Furthermore, only the teamwork skills that positively influence the firm's level of efficiency, while ethical and moral skills in the profession and effective communication skills negatively affect level of efficiency in the sector studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of Manpower planning in the industry or sector is considered as one of the ways to create sustainable growth and development. This study aims to present a comprehensive review of the projecting Manpower requirements in chosen service's sectors in Malaysia and suggesting the direction in the development of a human resource that indicates different categories of employment for the year 2020. The Manpower Requirement Approach (MRA) is used in selected service's sub-sectors for 2020, utilizing the Malaysian Input-Output tables for the year 2005 and 2010, composed of skilled, medium-skilled and low-skilled labour categories. The results show the higher need for Manpower in the skilled labour, in line with the ideology in targeting active labourintensive participation of localized Manpower and liberalize the service's sector in Malaysia. This study fully benefits labour economics and encourages the participation of local Manpower in the services' sector in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effect of real wages and industry-specific variables (training, IT, R&D) on labour productivity of 44 sub-manufacturing industries in Malaysia over the period of 2000-2015. Using a dynamic heterogeneous panel model namely Pooled Mean Group (PMG) and Mean Group (MG) estimators, the main result reveals that real wages has positive significant impact on labour productivity in the short and long-run. The latter is consistent with the efficiency wage theory which acclaims the idea that the increase in real wages may induce labour productivity in parallel. The industry-specific variables (training, IT, R&D) are also statistically significant in influencing labour productivity in the long-run but not in the short-run. These findings may provide some insights for policy makers in setting the appropriate level of wages for the manufacturing industry and in the implementation or evaluation of labour policies in Malaysia. Financial inducement and other relevant support from the government in training, IT and R&D may boost labour productivity in the manufacturing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify the level of technical efficiency and the determinants of technical inefficiency for transport manufacturing firms in Malaysia for 2010 using cross-sectional data of 130 firms acquired from the Department of Statistics (DOS). Based on the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) approach, the results of the study reveal that the average level of technical efficiency is moderate. The estimated result identifies the important determinants of technical inefficiency which are due to employee wage rates as well as the cost of information and communication technology. The fundamental implications of this study are that transport manufacturing firms need to boost motivation among employees and strengthen the network of the production market via wage increment and communication cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social capital is one of the important elements to reduce the incidence of poverty because of its ability to influence an individual's or household's income of a country. Nevertheless, past studies that examine social capital issue are rather lacking especially in Malaysia. This study aims to identify the level and determinants of social capital index in Malaysia based on 2,443 heads of households' data collected in 2012 in five states in Peninsular Malaysia; Kedah, Selangor, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Terengganu. The analysis involves two steps; computing social capital index and estimating regression models to identify the determinants of social capital index. The study finds that 72.9% of heads of households are having moderate and high social capital index of 0.5 and above. The percentage of heads of households with higher social capital index is higher in Selangor compared to other states. Further, the study demonstrates that the significant determinants of social capital index are marital status, location, states, and household income. The findings from the study imply that Malaysia must implement programmes that can raise an individual's or household's income in order to increase their level of social capital index, which subsequently will improve Malaysia's level of economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]