scholarly journals COVID-19: Malaysia's fight against this deadly virus

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ke-Yan Loo ◽  
Vengadesh Letchumanan
Keyword(s):  
Virus Infection ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Immunization Program ◽  
The Third

Malaysians are facing the biggest challenge in 2021 - the rise in COVID-19 cases and its variant of concern (VOC) strains. The scale and impact of this coronavirus disease are unimaginable, scary, and full of sorrows. Many lost their loved ones, relatives, friends, and children are becoming orphaned overnight. Now our only hope is on the available vaccines to control this deadly virus infection. When this Review article was in press, over 170 million confirmed cases with 3.5 million deaths were reported worldwide. Malaysia is dealing with spikes in the number and severity of new cases. A record toll of new cases and fatalities for consecutive weeks has pushed Malaysia's total cases to a soaring 500,000 confirmed cases with 2300 deaths – the third highest in Southeast Asia behind Indonesia and the Philippines. The healthcare system in Malaysia is currently under heavy pressure to control the disease as the number of confirmed cases is rising exponentially. A National COVID-19 Immunization Program was launched in February 2021 in the hope of providing immunity to 80% of the population in Malaysia and achieve herd immunity. This review discusses the alarming COVID-19 situation in Malaysia, the management strategies, and the vaccinations program.

New and little-known species of the genus Zhengitettix (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae: Scelimeninae) from Southeast Asia

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-223
Author(s):  
S.Yu. Storozhenko
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Check List ◽  
Key To Species ◽  
The Family

Seven new species of the genus Zhengitettix Liang, 1994 are described: Z. hosticus sp. nov., Z. mucronatus sp. nov. and Z. spinulentus sp. nov. from Vietnam; Z. albitarsus sp. nov. and Z. extraneus sp. nov. from Thailand; Z. palawanensis sp. nov. and Z. taytayensis sp. nov. from the Philippines. Two species, Z. curvispinus Liang, Jiang et Liu, 2007 and Z. obliquespicula Zheng et Jiang, 2005 are firstly recorded from Vietnam. An annotated check-list and key to species of the genus Zhengitettix are given. Position of Zhengitettix within the family Tetrigidae is briefly discussed.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Vaccine Intention among Healthcare Workers in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 835
Author(s):  
Mohammed Noushad ◽  
Mohammad Zakaria Nassani ◽  
Anas B. Alsalhani ◽  
Pradeep Koppolu ◽  
Fayez Hussain Niazi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Vaccine Coverage ◽  
Vaccination Campaign ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Positive Sign ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Public Health Strategies

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused largescale morbidity and mortality and a tremendous burden on the healthcare system. Healthcare workers (HCWs) require adequate protection to avoid onward transmission and minimize burden on the healthcare system. Moreover, HCWs can also influence the general public into accepting the COVID-19 vaccine. Therefore, determining COVID-19 vaccine intention among HCWs is of paramount importance to plan tailor-made public health strategies to maximize vaccine coverage. A structured questionnaire was administered in February and March 2021 among HCWs in Saudi Arabia using convenience sampling, proceeding the launch of the vaccination campaign. HCWs from all administrative regions of Saudi Arabia were included in the study. In total, 674 out of 1124 HCWs responded and completed the survey (response rate 59.9%). About 65 percent of the HCWs intended to get vaccinated. The intention to vaccinate was significantly higher among HCWs 50 years of age or older, Saudi nationals and those who followed the updates about COVID-19 vaccines (p < 0.05). The high percentage (26 percent) of those who were undecided in getting vaccinated is a positive sign. As the vaccination campaign gathers pace, the attitude is expected to change over time. Emphasis should be on planning healthcare strategies to convince the undecided HCWs into accepting the vaccine in order to achieve the coverage required to achieve herd immunity.

scholarly journals The Philippines’ and Singapore’s Journeys towards Liberalised Electricity Supply Industries—Takeaways for Malaysia

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 3514
Author(s):  
Hazleen Aris ◽  
Iskandar Shah Mohd Zawawi ◽  
Bo Nørregaard Jørgensen
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
The Other ◽  
Electricity Supply ◽  
Good Practices ◽  
Electricity Supply Industry ◽  
The Third ◽  
Legislative Framework ◽  
Supply Industry ◽  
Asean Countries

Malaysia is in the process of liberalising its electricity supply industry (ESI) further, with the second reform series announced in September 2018. If everything goes as planned, Malaysia would be the third country in the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) to have a fully liberalised ESI after the Philippines and Singapore. A number of initiatives have been in the pipeline to be executed and a lot more will be planned. At this juncture, it is important for Malaysia to look for the best practices and lessons that can be learnt from the experience of other countries that have successfully liberalised their ESIs. Being in the same region, it is believed that there is a lot that Malaysia can learn from the Philippines and Singapore. This paper therefore presents and deliberates on the chronological development of the countries’ progressive journeys in liberalising their ESIs. The aim is to discern the good practices, the challenges as well as the lessons learnt from these transformations. Analysis is being made and discussed from the following four perspectives; legislative framework, implementation phases, market components and impact on renewable energy penetration. Findings from this study would provide useful insight for Malaysia in determining the course of actions to be taken to reform its ESI. Beyond Malaysia, the findings can also serve as the reference for the other ASEAN countries in moving towards liberalising their ESIs.

Exploring the Asian Economic Miracle: Politics, Economics, Society, Culture, and History — A Review Article

1994 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terutomo Ozawa
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
South Korea ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Review Article ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Systems ◽  
Industrial Activities ◽  
Economic Miracle ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Pacific Asia

Structural upgrading and industrial dynamismin Pacific Asia—initially Japan, then the Asian NIEs (Newly Industrializing Economies: South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore) following closely behind, and most recently, ASEAN 4 (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines)—have been unprecedentedly phenomenal. This regional supergrowth in industrial activities has become the center of attention, but the evolving changes in the political systems and societal structures of the Pacific Asian nations have been, no doubt, equally important, although rather subtle and not so dramatic in appearance.

scholarly journals How Blue Carbon Ecosystems Are Perceived by Local Communities in the Coral Triangle: Comparative and Empirical Examinations in the Philippines and Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 127
Author(s):  
Jay Mar D. Quevedo ◽  
Yuta Uchiyama ◽  
Kevin Muhamad Lukman ◽  
Ryo Kohsaka
Keyword(s):  
Global Climate ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Blue Carbon ◽  
Utilization Rate ◽  
Coral Triangle ◽  
Factors Affecting

Blue carbon ecosystem (BCE) initiatives in the Coral Triangle Region (CTR) are increasing due to their amplified recognition in mitigating global climate change. Although transdisciplinary approaches in the “blue carbon” discourse and collaborative actions are gaining momentum in the international and national arenas, more work is still needed at the local level. The study pursues how BCE initiatives permeate through the local communities in the Philippines and Indonesia, as part of CTR. Using perception surveys, the coastal residents from Busuanga, Philippines, and Karimunjawa, Indonesia were interviewed on their awareness, utilization, perceived threats, and management strategies for BCEs. Potential factors affecting residents’ perceptions were explored using multivariate regression and correlation analyses. Also, a comparative analysis was done to determine distinctions and commonalities in perceptions as influenced by site-specific scenarios. Results show that, despite respondents presenting relatively high awareness of BCE services, levels of utilization are low with 42.9–92.9% and 23.4–85.1% respondents in Busuanga and Karimunjawa, respectively, not directly utilizing BCE resources. Regression analysis showed that respondents’ occupation significantly influenced their utilization rate and observed opposite correlations in Busuanga (positive) and Karimunjawa (negative). Perceived threats are found to be driven by personal experiences—occurrence of natural disasters in Busuanga whereas discerned anthropogenic activities (i.e., land-use conversion) in Karimunjawa. Meanwhile, recognized management strategies are influenced by the strong presence of relevant agencies like non-government and people’s organizations in Busuanga and the local government in Karimunjawa. These results can be translated as useful metrics in contextualizing and/or enhancing BCE management plans specifically in strategizing advocacy campaigns and engagement of local stakeholders across the CTR.

scholarly journals The Effect of the Characteristics and Activities of the Board of Directors on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Disclosures: Empirical Evidence from Southeast Asia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 8007
Author(s):  
Lintang D. Sekarlangit ◽  
Ratna Wardhani
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Board Of Directors ◽  
Research Work ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Public Companies ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The Board Of Directors ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
One Year

This study aimed to analyze the board of directors’ commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by looking at the influence of the characteristics and activities of the board of directors and the existence of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) committees on disclosures regarding the SDGs. The directors’ characteristics that were analyzed in this research included the board size, the proportion of independent directors, the presence of female directors, and the presence of foreign directors. The activities analyzed included the number of board meetings held in one year and the percentage of directors in meetings. The context of this study was companies in five Southeast Asian countries—Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines—during the 2016 and 2017 reporting years. This study was an initial research work aiming to empirically examine the effect of the board of directors on SDG disclosures in public companies from five countries in Southeast Asia. The study shows that the percentage of attendance of board directors’ meetings and the existence of CSR committees positively affected SDG disclosures. It also indicates that the presence of the board at the meeting can encourage more intensive SDG disclosures. Companies with a high commitment to sustainability, as shown by their forming of CSR committees, also tended to have a higher level of SDG disclosures.

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