The Global Pandemic and Challenges for Tertiary Education in Malaysia

The global pandemic and subsequent series of movement control orders (MCOs) imposed by the Malaysian government have severely impacted the tertiary education sector comprising both public and private universities in Malaysia. Private colleges and universities in Malaysia now face increased financial pressures as enrolments of students have either been cancelled outright or deferred. Whilst full-time employees in the tertiary education sector face additional pressures to handle these disruptions, contractual staff members face the risk of unemployment resulting from the non-renewal of their existing teaching contracts. Even if some of these classes can be moved online, challenges remain; for example, scientific research and classes that require physical access to laboratories for the conduct of experiments will be impacted.

Loneliness, Coping Strategies and Perceived Social Support among Students of Public Universities in Malaysia during the Covid-19 MCO

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic had prompted many governments to enforce lockdown to prevent the virus from spreading. In Malaysia, a series of Movement Control Orders (MCO) were introduced starting March 18, 2020. As a result, many people’s lives were affected, including university students. These affected students had to stay in their campus residential facilities, isolated from family, relatives and friends, which could lead to the feeling of loneliness. This study aims to explore the phenomenon among students stranded on campus during MCO periods. Approximately 243 students from several public universities were surveyed using Google form. Results from the 210 usable responses showed that most of these students experienced moderate loneliness and often used coping approaches like acceptance, positive interpretation, active coping, and active solitude. Friends seemed to be a more immediate source to seek for support in times of isolation. Correlation results suggested that social support availability is negatively associated with student loneliness experience, and positively related with student coping strategies. Specifically, the availability of support from friends and significant others may minimize loneliness experience.

Influence of COVID-19 Mobility-Restricting Policies on Individual Travel Behavior in Malaysia

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in new postpandemic travel patterns as a result of the stay-at-home policies and restricted movement orders imposed by the Malaysian government. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in individual travel behavior after the government imposed a series of lockdowns, also known as movement control orders (MCO). From March to April 2021, a questionnaire survey was distributed throughout Malaysia, and 435 complete responses were collected. Results indicated that the respondents predominantly chose private cars for various traveling purposes during the pandemic. When choosing a travel mode during the pandemic, married respondents and essential workers placed a significantly higher priority on pandemic-related - items such as cleanliness, infection concern, social distance, and wearing face masks, compared to single respondents and nonessential workers. Binary logistic regression models were developed to estimate individuals’ propensity to make trips for different purposes, i.e., work/study, social activities, recreational activities, and religious activities. Results indicated that essential workers were nearly three times more likely than the general population to make a work trip during the pandemic. Regarding social and recreational trips, males were more likely to make such types of trips as compared to females. Furthermore, those who perceived a higher risk of infection were less likely to make social and recreational trips. Regarding religious trips, males were significantly more likely to make such trips during the pandemic as compared to females. In addition, Muslims had significantly higher odds of making a trip for religious purposes during the pandemic. The findings of this study could be useful in transportation planning when considering travel restrictions during pandemics based on peoples’ travel purposes and mode choices.

Factors Of Domestic Violence When Movement Control Orders

Cases of Domestic Violence were increasing when the Movement Control Order was implemented in March 2020. This is becoming increasingly worrying and needs to be given attention by all parties. This is because domestic violence can affect family institutions in society. Domestic violence is one of the patterns of coercive behavior that can have a detrimental effect on the victim that can cause severe physical and emotional injuries such as trauma and suicide. Therefore this article discusses the factors of domestic violence that can occur against women during the Movement Control Order. This study used a library research method that aims to examine the factors faced by women during the period of the Movement Control Order is implemented. The result of this research concluded that violence against women needs to be given serious attention because women are an important asset to the State. Violence against women also needs to be addressed by identifying the causes of violence to prevent women from continuing to be victims of violence. The effects of violence on women such as suffering from physical injuries and health problems as well as trauma due to mental and emotional disorders.

Homeless Management During Movement Control Order Due To COVID-19 Pandemic: Experience from Federal Territory Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Malaysia has been hit by COVID-19 pandemic since 2020 and this problem also affects countries around the world. This COVID-19 infection does not distinguish age, gender, educational and financial status. Homeless people are also not exempt from being infected with COVID-19, especially when the government implements the Movement Control Order, particularly these people who have no permanent home. This article describes the activities carried out by the government agencies, especially from the Ministry of Health Malaysia, Department of Social Welfare, National Anti-Drugs Agency, Immigration Department of Malaysia, as well as other non-governmental agencies in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur on homeless people during movement control orders. It is hoped that this shared experience can be a guide to government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private sectors and individuals in other states to manage this underprivileged group, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

Use of movement restrictions during an outbreak of COVID-19 in Selangor, Malaysia

Objective: Various public health and social measures have been used during the COVID-19 outbreak, including lockdowns, contact-tracing, isolation and quarantine. The objective of this manuscript is to describe outbreaks of COVID-19 in Selangor, Malaysia, the public health strategies used and the observed impact of the measures on the epidemic curve. Methods: Information on all confirmed COVID-19 cases in Selangor between 25 January and 28 April 2020 was obtained. Clusters were identified, and cases were disaggregated into linked, unlinked and imported cases. Epidemic curves were constructed, and the timing of movement control orders was compared with the numbers of cases reported. Results: During the study period, 1395 confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported to the Selangor Health Department, of which 15.8% were imported, 79.5% were linked and 4.7% were unlinked cases. For two main clusters, the number of cases decreased after control measures were instituted, by contact-tracing followed by isolation and home quarantine for the first cluster (n = 126), and with the addition of the movement control order for the second, much larger cluster (n = 559). Discussion: The findings suggest that appropriate, timely public health interventions and movement control measures have a synergistic effect on controlling COVID-19 outbreaks.

Sphere Of Influences In Public Policy Domain During EmergencyTo Combat COVID-19

The spreading of Covid19 as a global pandemic has tested countries around the world at many levels. From mental strength to economic resiliency and far stretching to include legality of issues. A year later, the world is still not in a better place. Malaysia, like others are fighting the thirds waves of the pandemic, believed to be more fatal than before. From March 2020 until to date, Malaysians have been placed under complete lockdown before that order was relaxed and tighten again when the numbers of infected patients and deaths skyrocketed. Now Malaysia is placed under emergency order and law. Strangely the emergency order is issued while the complete and conditional Movement Control Orders (MCO) are still in effect. Since an emergency is a situation where the country could not be managed under regular administrative system, it is important to know which parties that are majorly involved in currently running the country to fight Covid19 has the overriding power over the others, what are their rights or limitations. Between the emergency order, complete MCO and conditional MCO, which one should be prioritized and how long would Malaysia remain under emergency? The answer could be found by studying the sphere of influences in the public policy domain. The article is qualitative in nature; data is collected from legal documents, judicial precedents and article writings. The sphere of influences during emergency time is more complex than usual. The legislative and executive powers are concentrated to one or two party(s) with enormous authorities and expansive jurisdictions.

Meeting the Challenge of the Preventive State: Due Process Rights and the Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Act 2019

This article focuses on the control order regime introduced by the Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Act 2019 and its implications for due process rights. Control orders are formally civil, and so the heightened criminal procedural protections in the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 (the NZ Bill of Rights) ostensibly do not apply. But the simplicity of the criminal–civil binary belies the hybridity of control orders. In this respect, control orders capture in microcosm the larger policy shift towards a "preventive state" which, rather than relying on ex post facto denunciation, pre-emptively incapacitates threatening individuals before they commit harm. This article assesses how we should deal with control orders' hybridity. It suggests that on the basis of current authority, control orders would not attract the criminal procedural protection in s 25 of the NZ Bill of Rights. Instead, they will be governed by s 27(1), which secures a right to natural justice. It then critically assesses this result. Drawing on the work of Andrew Ashworth and Lucia Zedner, it canvasses four possible approaches to control orders. It argues that, in order to facilitate engagement with their distinctive and problematic features, control orders ought to be distinguished from punishment and dealt with under other provisions of the NZ Bill of Rights. This should stimulate discussion about the kind of procedural protections that are appropriate to safely balance the liberty interests of the subject against legitimate security concerns.

Islamic Financial Planning: Towards Sustaining the Financial Wellbeing of Muslim Families in Malaysia Post Covid-19

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was reported that over 60% of the people in Malaysia only have enough savings to last them for less than 6 months in the event of loss of income. It is also reported that only 10.8% of urban Malaysian households have enough savings to withstand ‘financial shocks’ resulting from events such as job loss, economic crisis, physical impairment and death. The current Covid-19 pandemic had proven in stronger term that financial preparation is crucial for unpredictable situations such us the financial problems arising from the economic slowdown caused by movement control orders and lockdowns. Many households; especially those whose breadwinners were being laid-off by their companies, or had their salaries cut-off and asked to take unpaid leave – are in difficult financial situation. Only those with minimal debt obligations, steady income stream and enough financial buffer to pay for expenditures for the coming months are not in urgent need of any government assistance. Hence, it is high time to inculcate the knowledge of Islamic financial planning among Muslim families to ensure their wellbeing.

COVID-19 AND STOCK RETURNS: EVIDENCE FROM MALAYSIA

The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus or Covid-19 has affected the world unprecedentedly. Malaysia is not exempted from its impact. The Malaysian government announced a nationwide lockdown in the middle of March 2020. The magnitude of the outbreak had caused panic to the public and financial panic in the stock market. This study examined the impact of Covid-19 cases and the action taken by the government through movement control orders (MCOs) and economic stimulus packages in the stock market. Event study methodology was used to assess the impact of Covid-19 on stock returns in Bursa Malaysia. Consistent with the efficient market hypothesis, the study found that during the early stages of the MCOs, the cumulative average abnormal returns (CAAR) reflected significant negative returns. However, it showed positive returns after MCO 3 and MCO 4. The results implied that the market perceived that the pandemic was under control. The study also revealed a significant relationship between CAAR and the number of cases announced, supporting the notion that in a less to a moderately free country such as Malaysia, investors showed a certain lack of trust in the number of cases reported by the authorities, and thus overreacted to the number of reported cases. The stimulus packages that were expected to stabilise the economy and society were found to be positively significant during the early stages of the MCOs.