An assessment of waste management operation in Malaysia: case study on Kuala Langat and Sepang

Malaysia has seen a high rate of economic growth in past couple of decades hand in hand with an ever increasing size of population. Consequently, the issue of sustainable waste management has become an important priority for policymakers and other stakeholders of the society. Although the respective local administrations are responsible for collection and disposal of household and industrial wastes, privatization of the entire process has been heavily promoted and pursued by the federal government of the country. A significant number of waste dealers – both formal and informal – are currently involved in the field level. Through analysing the inputs acquired from semi-structured interviews with these waste dealers operating at Kuala Langat and Sepang districts in the Selangor state, this paper attempts to identify the roles they are playing in the overall waste management cycle, the challenges they are facing, and the untapped opportunities from their operations. This paper will help the policy makers, waste management strategists, local administrators and researchers in the field to formulate sustainable policies, and identify further areas of study in the relevant field.

Download Full-text

Assessing Problems and Prospects of Solid Waste Management in Malaysia

10.31235/osf.io/2csqj ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Innocent A. Jereme ◽

Rawshan Ara Begum ◽

Basri Abdul Talib ◽

Chamhuri Siwar ◽

Md. Mahmudul Alam

Keyword(s):

Waste Management ◽

Waste Treatment ◽

Solid Waste Management ◽

Waste Recycling ◽

High Rate ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Management Scenario ◽

Relevant Field ◽

Treatment Facilities ◽

The Government

Malaysia has seen a high rate of economic growth in past couple of decades hand in hand with an ever increasing size of population. As a consequence, the issue of sustainable waste management has become an important priority for policymakers and other stakeholders of the society. Although there are potentials to recycle up to 80 per cent of the total dry wastes collected, currently most of them are deposited into various landfill sites. Waste treatment facilities are also insufficient in the country. The government has introduced SWM Act 2007 along with other initiatives to improve the waste management scenario, but more needs to be done to be able to recycle and treat a major portion of the wastes. Based on studies on the state of Selangor in Malaysia, this paper this paper attempts to analyse the waste management scenario of Malaysia and the problems and prospects of waste recycling there. The paper will help the policy makers, waste management strategists, local administrators and researchers in the field to formulate sustainable policies and identify further areas of study in the relevant field.

Download Full-text

Fraud in overseas aid and the challenge of measurement

Journal of Financial Crime ◽

10.1108/jfc-02-2014-0006 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 184-198 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Mark Button ◽

Chris Lewis ◽

David Shepherd ◽

Graham Brooks

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

International Development ◽

Local Context ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Content Type ◽

The Public ◽

The Uk ◽

Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges of measuring fraud in overseas aid. Design/methodology/approach – The research is based on 21 semi-structured interviews with key persons working in the delivery of aid in both the public and voluntary sectors. It uses the UK Department for International Development as a case study to applying more accurate measures of fraud. Findings – This paper shows there are significant challenges to using fraud loss measurement to gauge fraud in overseas aid. However, it argues that, along with other types of measures, it could be used in areas of expenditure in overseas governments and charities to measure aid. Given the high risk of such aid to fraud, it argues helping to develop capacity to reduce aid, of which measuring the size of the problem is an important part; this could be considered as aid in its own right. Research limitations/implications – The researchers were not able to visit high-risk countries for fraud to examine in the local context views on the challenges of measuring fraud. Practical implications – The paper offers insights on the challenges to accurately measuring fraud in an overseas context, which will be useful to policy-makers in this context. Social implications – Given the importance of as much aid as possible reaching recipients, it offers an important contribution to helping to reduce losses in this important area. Originality/value – There has been very little consideration of how to measure fraud in the overseas aid context, with most effort aimed at corruption, which poses some of the same challenges, as well as some very different challenges.

Download Full-text

Challenges of Green Office Implementation: A Case Study in Penang, Malaysia

International Journal of Sustainable Construction Engineering Technology ◽

10.30880/ijscet.2021.12.01.015 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ong Yee Sin ◽

◽

Nor'Aini Yusof ◽

Atasya Osmadi ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

State Government ◽

Thematic Analysis ◽

Green Building ◽

Green Buildings ◽

Office Buildings ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Green Practices

This study was conducted in response to the lack of green office buildings in Malaysia, despite the fact that the green concept has been initiated in Malaysia for many years. The Penang State Government has taken the initiative to establish the Penang Green Council (PGC) as the first state in Malaysia, and the implementation of green offices is one of its programme initiatives. Nonetheless, green offices are still in scarcity across Penang. This study identified the challenges faced in implementing green offices. Data were collected from five green building owners using semi-structured interviews and the data were analysed using thematic analysis. The outcomes revealed that the main challenges faced by green office adoption were lack of budget, lack of awareness, lack of expertise, ownership factor, and type of building. This study offers several implications for practitioners and policy makers to improve the adoption of green office in Malaysia. The results may be applied to raise awareness amongst practitioners and office owners regarding green practices in office buildings. The study outcomes may serve as reference to policy makers on enhancing the development of green buildings.

Download Full-text

A Romanian case study of clothes and accessories upcycling

Industria Textila ◽

10.35530//it.070.03.1549 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 70 (03) ◽

pp. 285-290

Author(s):

MANOJ KUMAR PARAS ◽

ANTONELA CURTEZA ◽

RUDRAJEET PAL ◽

YAN CHEN ◽

LICHUAN WANG

Keyword(s):

Eastern Europe ◽

Industrial Wastes ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Current Case ◽

Direct Observations

The present paper aims to investigate the practice of upcycling and redesign. The study draws on the multiple organizations involved in the redesigning activities. The organizations selected for the study are located in the northern part of Romania. Semi-structured interviews along with direct observations were used to collect information. The paper provides practical insights to upcycling process.Various kinds of redesigned products are made out of consumer and industrial wastes such as redesigned clothes, accessories for ladies, handbags, ladies purses and office stationery. Upcycling is generally considered as economically non-feasible. However, this study has found contradictory results. The demand-based redesign activities can help an organization to earn a profit. Two out of three selected organizations are able to self-sustain. One of the organizations is newly entered into the Romanian used clothing markets and ables to compete with existing players. This study could be seen as one of the early attempts to empirically explore the practice of textile and accessories upcycling practice in Eastern Europe. The findings from the current case study can provide several useful insights for other similar companies to make redesign activities profitable.

Download Full-text

A Romanian case study of clothes and accessories upcycling

Industria Textila ◽

10.35530/it.070.03.1500 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 70 (03) ◽

pp. 285-290

Keyword(s):

Eastern Europe ◽

Industrial Wastes ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Current Case ◽

Direct Observations

Download Full-text

SOLID WASTE GENERATION CHARACTERISTICS: THE MALAYSIAN LOCAL AUTHORITIES' OUTLOOK

PLANNING MALAYSIA JOURNAL ◽

10.21837/pm.v9i2.85 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Muhammad Abu Eusuf ◽

Mansor Ibrahim ◽

Shamzani Affendy Mohd. Din ◽

Rafikul Islam

Keyword(s):

Waste Management ◽

Solid Waste ◽

Solid Waste Management ◽

Solid Waste Disposal ◽

Local Authorities ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Integrated Solid Waste Management ◽

Solid Waste Generation ◽

Industrialised Countries

The large and increasing amounts of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated each year in several industrialised countries have raised concerns on the economic viability and environmental acceptability of the current generation activities. The planning of an optimal regional waste management strategy requires a reliable tool for predicting the amount and the corresponding composition of MSW likely to be produced. Furthermore, for integrated solid waste management, direct and indirect participation of local government's authority is essential. This paper focuses on the existing waste management characteristics of selected local authorities in Malaysia. As a case study, the research considers three local authorities in Selangor State, namely Selayang, Klang and Subang Jaya. This research further identifies the issues concerning the enviromnental effects due to indiscriminate solid waste disposal. The findings of the study are expected to provide useful guidelines to the MSW policy makers.

Download Full-text

Recommendations to improve the insurance coverage for physiotherapy services in Iran A multi-criteria decision making approach

10.21203/rs.3.rs-18069/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Saeed Shahabi ◽

Seyed Taghi Heydari ◽

Kamran Bagheri Lankarani ◽

Leila Zarei

Keyword(s):

Insurance Coverage ◽

Health Sector ◽

Value Added ◽

Third Party ◽

High Rate ◽

Second Phase ◽

Policy Recommendations ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Goods And Services

Abstract Background High rate of traffic injuries, climate changes, natural disasters, aging, and chronic diseases have been resulted in a considerable demand for receiving physiotherapy in Iran. However, there are various complications in utilization of physiotherapy services, especially poor insurance coverage. This study investigated and prioritized potential policy recommendations to improve the insurance coverage for physiotherapy services in Iran. Methods The present project was carried out using mix-method (qualitative-quantitative) approach in Iran. In the first phase, a qualitative study was conducted to find the policy recommendations and in the second phase, obtained policy recommendations were prioritized based on the effectiveness, acceptability, cost, fairness, feasibility, and time using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Results In the first phase, 30 semi-structured interviews with health policy-makers, health insurers, faculty members, rehabilitation experts, and physiotherapists were conducted. Several policy recommendations were proposed by participants. Following the second phase, prioritized recommendations were provided to promote stewardship (e.g. informing the policy-makers about physiotherapy services), collection of funds (e.g. value-added tax on luxury goods and services), pooling of funds (e.g. moving the allocated resources to insurance (third party) mechanism), purchasing (e.g. using strategic purchasing), and benefit package (e.g. considering the preventive interventions) as main components of insurance coverage. Conclusion The findings of this study will be provided a favorable ground to improve the insurance coverage for physiotherapy services in Iran, and decision- and policy-makers can place these recommendations at their agenda settings in the health sector to protect the health status of population, especially disabled groups.

Download Full-text

An assessment of waste management operation in Malaysia: case study on Kuala Langat and Sepang Innocent

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management ◽

10.1504/ijewm.2015.071288 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 133 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A. Jereme ◽

Chamhuri Siwar ◽

Rawshan Ara Begum ◽

Md. Mahmudul Alam

Keyword(s):

Waste Management ◽

Management Operation

Download Full-text

The Cumbria spree killing – how mobility affects the policing of critical incidents

International Journal of Emergency Services ◽

10.1108/ijes-12-2013-0026 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 34-48 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Stuart Kirby ◽

Jerry Graham ◽

Michelle Green

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Methodology ◽

Emergency Services ◽

Source Information ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Content Type ◽

The Media ◽

Management Approaches ◽

And Control

Purpose – Spree killing impacts significantly on emergency services and is becoming more prevalent across the world. The purpose of this paper is to explore the Cumbrian spree killing, which resulted in the fatal shooting of 12 people with a further 11 wounded. This study highlights why these events are so difficult to manage in an attempt to assist policy makers and practitioners deal with them more effectively. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative methodology was used, examining open source information and internal police documentation. This was supported by semi-structured interviews with command staff (three), and questionnaires involving a representative group of police staff (11), who were all deployed on the incident. Findings – This case study mirrored the characteristics of many other spree killings. The sophistication of the killer, together with the speed of mobility, significantly increases the challenges posed to the police, specifically in terms of: deployment, decision making, interoperability and managing the media. Further, it questions the effectiveness of normal command and control management approaches that are typically used in these situations. Practical implications – Spree killing (active shooter) events are increasing across the globe. This study highlights the critical challenges to be dealt with. It argues a more innovative inter-agency paradigm is needed to deal with crimes in action. Originality/value – There are few academic papers in relation to spree killing. This paper analyses the factors that impact upon the effectiveness of the police response.

Download Full-text

Accomplishments and relevance of consumer protection organizations

International Journal of Organizational Analysis ◽

10.1108/ijoa-10-2015-0926 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 160-174 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Arnaldo L. Ryngelblum ◽

Nadia Vianna

Keyword(s):

Consumer Protection ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Multiple Sources ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Content Type ◽

The Public ◽

Academic Literature ◽

Business Interests ◽

The Media

Purpose Despite the special attention given to consumers by the business and academic literature, the dissatisfaction of Brazilian consumers has increased significantly. This manifest mainly through the initiation of complaints’ procedures against companies at Procon and other civil society consumer protection organizations (CPOs) that began to take over these issues complementarily to governmental action. This paper aims to examine the accomplishments and relevance of these organizations in protecting consumers and in preparation of related public policies. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative case study was conducted involving an in-depth collection of information about a restricted system, which included multiple sources. The information was obtained through semi-structured interviews conducted with CPOs’ executives and documents from the other participating organizations in the consumer protection field. Findings The CPOs have been positively evaluated by participants from the consumer protection field, for their effective action in the intermediation of complaints and in proposing laws and regulations on consumer protection. However, this picture is contrasted with the difficulties imposed by the practices of other field logics, such as legal procedures, media priorities and business interests that, however, collaborate in various occasions. Research limitations/implications CPOs’ relevance is more easily evaluated through social legitimation such as endorsements and declarations by the media, the public, by the CPOs’ own publicity and so on. As consumers can choose from alternative channels for redress, firms should be updated with the different procedural norms of each. Originality/value This paper draws a picture of the work developed by CPOs and indicates a possible assessment of their relevance in a scenario of logics complexity, which can be useful for policy makers.

Download Full-text