Explore the vast range of titles available.

The level of Malaysian household debt remains high, currently among the highest in Asia, raising concerns about its sustainability. This article analyzes the prevalence of financial vulnerability, measured by consumers' inability to meet their household needs, to cope with unexpected expenses, and to survive in the event of a crisis. Analysis of a dataset of 902 respondents generally suggests that the risk of financial vulnerability in the event of economic or financial shocks is growing. In addition, in an ordered probit model, the significant determinants of financial vulnerability are income level, marital status, age, level of education, and financial behavior in money management. Those who are most financially vulnerable are younger people who have a lower education level and whose financial behavior leads to poor money management.

Originality/value: This review provides a structured and up-to-date synthesis of PHI determinants in Malaysia, highlighting research gaps and informing future health financing policies and interventions.

Purpose – We examine the effects of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure and green building policies on the stock returns of Islamic and conventional banks. Methodology – Data were obtained from 17 Islamic banks and 17 conventional banks from eight countries (Arab Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Bahrain) over seven years from 2017 to 2023. We conducted panel least squares with fixed effects (dummy variables) for cross-sections using EViews to process the data.Findings – The estimated results show that the green building policy variable is statistically significant to the stock return of Islamic banks, while the environmental, social, and governance variables are not. Meanwhile, the social dimension is statistically significant for the stock returns of conventional banks, but environmental, governance, and green buildings are not. Implications – Investors and policymakers should consider the implementation of ESG and green building policies to contribute on sustainability issues and gain financial return.Originality – This study tests non-financial performance, such as ESG disclosure and green building policy, on the stock returns of Islamic and conventional banks, which has not been extensively studied by the existing literature.

Purpose This paper aims to explore the relationship between integrity, reputation, trust on awqaf institution and intention to endow cash waqf. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative research using survey questionnaire was conducted. A total of 377 completed survey questionnaires were received and analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings Findings show that integrity and reputation of awqaf institutions have direct impact on endowers’ trust on awqaf institution, which consequently lead to endowers’ intention to endow cash waqf. Originality/value This study provides practical information on how awqaf institutions could develop endowers’ trust on awqaf institutions, which will consequently increase the intention of endowers to endow cash waqf.

China has been developing aggressively since its accession into the World Trade Organisation. Consequently, China has become one of the major trading partners to many countries in the world including Malaysia. To what extent China has affected Malaysian economy has been a hot issue facing the economists and practitioners. This paper examines the influence of China on Malaysian economic performances. Using structural vector autoregression (SVAR) methodology that takes into account the effect of other major trading partner countries such as the U.S., Japan and Singapore, the results indicate that different utilisation of foreign country variables to represent external sector in the model brings about different impact on domestic variables. It is shown that the U.S. is particularly important to affect domestic output while China is more important in influencing domestic inflation and the exchange rate, especially with regards to their respective income shocks. In addition, Singapore plays more dominant role in affecting domestic sector when foreign monetary policy shocks are considered. Japan is however more influential in affecting the exchange rate in some other shocks. While China is showing their dominance in the world economy, the study implies that knowing which country exactly affects which domestic variables is very crucial in mitigating the adverse impact of foreign policy change or shocks in the process of transforming Malaysia’s economy toward high income nation in the near future.

In improving the health status of the people, Malaysia continuously provides a more equitable distribution of facilities and efficient health services. Due to the increasing proportion of the aging population in the country, this paper examines the differences in the utilisation of the health services among the elderly in Malaysia and identifies the factors responsible for the observed changes between 1996 and 2006 by using the non-linear decomposition approach. The empirical analysis uses the second and third National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMSII and NHMSIII) data which were conducted in 1996 and 2006. Overall, the findings of this research suggest that other than being sick, the raw differentials in the utilisation of healthcare among the elderly are influenced by socioeconomic status such as education, income, and job status. From this study, it is hoped that by understanding the factors that contribute to the differentials in public and private hospital admissions, and individual’s behaviour towards the use of healthcare services, the government can develop strategies for eliminating socially-caused inequity in health. Reducing financial barriers to care, especially among the private health providers, may benefit the lower socioeconomic group.

The emergence of Islamic micro financial institution becomes the alternative solution for the micro-entrepreneurs who need working capital assistance. However, the impact of Islamic microfinance institution in reducing poverty level is somewhat still debatable. In Indonesia, Islamic microfinance established through the presence of Baitul Mal wa Tamwil (BMT), the most popular type of Islamic microfinance institutions. BMT providing financing for the micro-entrepreneurs, as their potential clients, that operates their activities mostly at the traditional markets. The purpose of this study is to measure the impact of BMT for poverty alleviation in Bandung as the capital city of West Java as the biggest population province in Indonesia, not only based on material level but also on spiritual level. This study is looking at income variables of micro-entrepreneur’s household, as well as the spiritual level indicator of micro-entrepreneur before and after they received financing from BMT. The primary data obtained through in-depth questionnaires in Bandung, Indonesia.

Background: Understanding the perspectives and experiences of hospital food service personnel in managing food waste may aid in determining the factors that influence food waste. However, such research is still scarce globally. This study aimed to determine the factors influencing food wastage in Malaysian public hospitals. Methods: This qualitative research was performed in four Malaysian public hospitals and used purposive sampling to select participants for one-to-one interviews because of their role as key informants. Results: Themes such as patient culture and background, the quality and variety of food choices, the complexity of the ordering system, staff competency and attitude, environmental factors, treatment procedures, and patient clinical condition were identified using thematic analysis. Conclusion: Rather than focusing solely on patient experiences, this study explores other factors influencing food wastage in Malaysian public hospitals based on the experiences of hospital food services staff in managing food wastage.

Protected areas are crucial for the maintenance of human health and well-being. They aim to preserve biodiversity and natural resources to secure various ecosystem services that are beneficial to human health. Their ecological characteristics can influence local health literacy. Typically, communities surrounding protected areas have limited economic opportunities due to restriction policies to protect the ecosystem, resulting in socioeconomic disparities. The local community faces obstacles in gaining access to health care facilities and health information due to these limitations. It is difficult for them to locate, comprehend, and apply information and services to make better health-related decisions for themselves and others. This study protocol examines the impact of the ecosystem on health literacy among rural communities in protected areas. This study comprises 5 phases. In phase 1, we conduct a systematic review to identify the issue of health literacy in protected areas. In phase 2, we will collect data from stakeholders in a protected area of Pahang National Park and analyze the results using Net-Map analysis. In phase 3, we will conduct a survey among the adult community in Pahang National Park related to health literacy, socioeconomic status, health expenditure, and quality of life. In phase 4, informed by the results of the survey, we will determine suitable intervention programs to improve health literacy through a focus group discussion. Finally, in phase 5, we will conduct a costing analysis to analyze which intervention program is the most cost-effective. This study was funded by Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) and strategic research partnership grants, and enrollment is ongoing. The first results are expected to be submitted for publication in 2024. This is one of the first studies to explore health literacy among rural communities in protected areas and will provide the first insights into the overall level of health literacy in the protected community, potential determinants, and a suitable intervention program with expected cost analysis. The results can be used to promote health literacy in other protected areas and populations. International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Registry ISRCTN40626062; http://tinyurl.com/4kjxuwk5. PRR1-10.2196/51851.

Objectives: The study aimed to conduct a literature review on the definition and significance of the Global Innovation Index (GII). Also, to investigate the impact of the GII on economic growth by highlighting the importance of global innovation indicators for countries. The study emphasizes the role of the GII in assessing a country's development and economic growth. Methods: The study adopted the descriptive analytical approach, including a literature review of published studies and economic theories related to the GII and its impact on economic growth. Then analyze the findings and data presented in patents and analysis of the reality of technology and innovation in Palestine in promoting innovation and economic development. Results: The GII has a significant impact on economic growth and development. Education and investment in research and development are crucial in promoting innovation and driving economic growth. Establishing a GII for Palestine is necessary to assess its economic growth and innovation capabilities. Conclusions: The study underscores the importance of the GII in driving economic growth through innovation. It emphasizes the need for Palestine to establish its own GII to evaluate its development and position compared to other countries, which would provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders.