Richiamo Crew OKU Student - Musi and Izzat’s First Day as Richiamo Coffee’s Crew

Izzat and Musi, both 24 and 21 years old, are individuals with disabilities (OKU) who have been hired to work at Richiamo Coffee, UiTM Shah Alam, with the guidance of Hafiz, a fellow cafe crew. This employment opportunity is profoundly meaningful to them, and they express their gratitude to their supportive fathers for helping them commute to work daily and fostering their independence. The cafe which is situated in the lobby of the Bangunan Canseleri Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin, is the third outlet of Richiamo Coffee and is currently open to the public. Through a collaboration with the OKU Unit at UiTM, this cafe aims to provide job opportunities for individuals with disabilities in the food services sector. In total, Richiamo Coffee has expanded to 70 branches nationwide so far and had earlier donated RM6,237.71 to Tabung Cakna OKU UiTM from their sales profits for two months in a row. At an event organised by Richiamo and the OKU Unit, Mr. Adam Kassim, the Director of Marketing commended the collaboration as it had mutually benefited both parties. He also recommended that the collaboration be replicated in future university-industry partnerships. Compliments are also extended to the OKU Unit for their continuous efforts in empowering the OKU community.

GRADFLEX Strengthens Communication and Soft Skills

On July 2, 2022, UiTM Sabah Branch, in collaboration with Yayasan Juwita, conducted the #gradflex program: Confident Communication for Career Success, aligning with the emphasis on soft skills and essential work skills in the 21st century, as outlined in the Graduate Employability Strategic Plan 2021-2025. The program, consisting of seminars and workshops, aimed to enhance students’ communication and soft skills, ultimately preparing them for the workforce. UiTM’s goal is to achieve 90% graduate employability, contributing to the GRU2025 aspirations and producing highly competitive graduates. The organisers expressed hope that the participants would greatly benefit from the meaningful learning experience.

Raikan Senyuman Held at UITM GESTURZ

On June 10, 2022, twenty participants from Rumah Jagaan Cahaya Kasih Bestari Subang were given a unique opportunity to explore the art of canting and colouring batik during the Raikan Senyuman programme at UiTM GESTURZ. This event marked the university’s collaboration with Ronald McDonald’s House Charities (RMHC) and was conducted in conjunction with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between UiTM and McDonald’s Malaysia. The event saw the participation of distinguished guests, including the Deputy Minister of Higher Education Malaysia, the Managing Director of McDonald’s Malaysia, and the UTM Vice-Chancellor. The teenagers from the orphanage were initially shy and anxious but soon relaxed as they traced patterns and explored vibrant colours, guided by friendly UiTM student volunteers. Notably, the creative works produced during the batik workshop did not go unnoticed. Dato’ Azmir Jaafar, representing McDonald’s Malaysia, pledged RM5,000 to purchase their artworks, with the proceeds benefiting the care home. The event was not limited to the participants; it invited guests and visitors to partake in the art, resulting in three beautiful, vibrant giant batik artworks that symbolise the joy of creativity and togetherness. This programme aimed to nurture creativity and interest in the arts among the orphans of Rumah Jagaan Cahaya Kasih Bestari Subang, potentially paving the way for more career opportunities for them in the future.

Machine Learning of Reverse Migration Models for Population Prediction: A Review

Human migration from rural to urban has historically been prominent in the urbanisation process which is associated with economic development that leads to city growth. However, the dwindling supply of natural resources and pressure from the pandemic has threatened economic growth and resulted in changes in human migration; urban to rural. This anecdotal evidence of reverse migration needs to be examined and predicted related to challenges and expansion of sustainable development. The prediction of human migration; related to population size and growth are important for various policies on strategy, planning and industry. Moreover, predicting population mobility can sense the law of migratory flow in advance, and take effective preventive measures, such as crowd evacuation and epidemic diseases. However, migration predictions are notorious for bearing high error, time consuming, complexity and challenging. Therefore, aligning with IR 4.0, this study adopted a significant way to minimise the prediction errors by using a machine learning approach that can predict data in an intelligent way within a broad dataset. This paper presents the investigation of the significant models of machine learning in developing reverse migration prediction. Thus, the aim of this study is to identify the machine learning models for reverse migration through systematic literature review (SLR) screening. As SLR has been recognised to present a reliable review, this paper measures both the review from Scopus and Google scholar to determine the signature algorithm for the models. The findings highlighted the decision tree, random forest and linear regression to be the proposed algorithms that pursue the development of the machine learning models for reverse migration in Malaysia.

The Role of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Education and Social Mobility in Malaysia

The article examines the role of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in promoting social mobility through education. The role of higher education exhibits differences and is influenced by social origin, job mobility and class inequalities. In‐depth interviews with six intergenerational graduates of UiTM and observations of general social mobility provide insights into the way in which UiTM graduates thrive themselves in the social landscape. Results illustrated that adaptation of UiTM graduates in the light of their social origin and earlier study in UiTM supported the gross observation of a stronger chance of their betterment in the society. The potential to thrive by UiTM graduates appeared to be related to their advanced education as well as their previous level of studies that contributed to their destiny and job mobility. Little direct evidence was found to explain variations of adjusting to the society and job mobility by graduates who were from middle to upper income families. It is concluded that the significant composition of UiTM graduates has successfully reduced class inequalities among different races in Malaysia. It is recommended that future research should use different methods, such as experiments or detailed observations to gain a better viewpoint on the impact of UiTM through its academic offerings.

https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/47365/

Impact of Cost of Living, Learning, Social Engagement and Academic Performance on Well-Being Bottom 40% of Income Earners (B40) UiTM Students

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate behavioural and contextual impact of cost of living, learning, social engagement and academic performance on the well-being of bottom 40% of income earners (B40) UiTM students. A quantitative method was used by utilising the correlation method to scrutinise the dissimilarities of study sample characteristics and examine which variables are connected. Structured questionnaires were distributed to gather information from respondents. The study objectives were to identify the level of wellbeing, to compare the statistically significant differences between gender and family background and also to measure the influence of cost of living, learning, social engagement and academic performance on the wellbeing of B40 UiTM students, which also contributes to the literature on B40 UiTM students.

http://www.jised.com/PDF/JISED-2023-52-03-24.pdf

Thermal comfort perception of hijab (headscarf worn by Muslim women) usage among young Muslim women for sports activity

This research was conducted to explore the type of hijabs commonly worn by active Muslim women (AMW) and the perceived thermal comfort experienced while engaging in sports activities or regular exercises. This study also examines whether the casual hijabs which are widely used among AMW are able to give them comfort during sports activities. Quantitative research method was adopted; 100 questionnaires were distributed to AMW respondents who are university students from around the Klang Valley region in Malaysia. The findings revealed that the common hijabs that were used for casual applications did not offer sufficient comfort to Muslim women while performing sports activities or regular exercises. It is hoped that the outcome of this study would give a better understanding on hijab preferences and comfort experienced from the viewpoint of regular hijab users. The information could assist industries to consider the selection of more appropriate materials when developing sportswear hijabs to provide better comfort to the AMW in the future. The method used in this study is also useful to gain information on consumers’ profile and value-added details about the discomfort aspects of hijab which are scarce in the existing literature on thermal comfort.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349248775_ Thermal_comfort_perception_of_hijab_usage_among_ young_Muslim_women_for_sports_activity

Does Financial Development and Corruption reduce the level of Income Inequality? Evidence from Malaysia

Income inequality is an enduring issue and an important one to address, especially in the new era of digital transformation, as it is a crucial element in promoting persistent income inequality. The theory is that while financial development promotes economic growth, the mixed explanations of previous studies show that this does not always help low-income people in emerging economies. Moreover, the effects of globalisation may reinforce motives and increase opportunities for international corrupt practices. It is, therefore, crucial to explore how corruption can be motivated by ineffective rules governing cross-border crimes and how technology can open up new avenues for corrupt behaviour, for example by making it easier to find victims, accomplices and money. Profound socio-economic changes can also provide incentives and opportunities for corruption. This study examines how corruption and financial development affect the wealth gap in a developing country like Malaysia over the period 1995 to 2021. The empirical results show that financial development has a positive impact on income inequality. Moreover, the result also shows that corruption control is an insignificant determinant of per capita income in Malaysia. Even though the growth of the financial sector has led to a variety of outcomes, it has only helped to reduce income inequality. Income inequality is negatively and significantly affected by the interaction between financial development and anti-corruption. It is therefore important to promote financial development, prevent corruption and increase government transparency as these factors can promote sustainable economic development and resilience.

https://ojs.amhinternational.com/index.php/imbr/article/view/3463

Research Ethics Depository (RED) System

The Research Ethics Committee (REC) of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) was approved by the Vice-Chancellor and established in 2004. The Committee is on Tier 2 (Executive), under the governance of UiTM Research and Innovation, where it reports to the University Research Committee (JKIPU) and to the UiTM Senate. The objectives of REC are to safeguard the rights, safety and well-being of human research participants, provide timely, comprehensive and independent review of the ethics of proposed studies and ensure that the research complies with existing laws and regulations. The responsibility of the REC includes, but is not limited to the approval/disapproval, amendment or termination of studies which do not conform to the standard guidelines. All research proposals involving human subjects in UiTM must be approved by the UiTM REC prior to the start of research. When the research involves using the facilities of the Ministry of Health (MOH), researchers should obtain approval from the Medical and Research Ethics Committee (MREC) of the MOH. The Research Ethics Committee of Universiti Teknologi MARA is registered with the Drug Control Authority, National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency until 18 August 2022.

The Role of Zakat in Reducing Income Inequality Among Muslim Society in Selangor

In the Muslim community, zakat has been acknowledged as a vital strategy for combating poverty and income disparity. Zakat plays a critical role in bridging the income gap between the privileged and the poor. This study has opted to elaborate on their previous discussion of the significance of zakat in reducing income disparity in the Muslim community of Selangor. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of zakat as a tool for reducing income inequality in Selangor’s Muslim society. Structured questionnaires were distributed to zakat recipients in four Selangor districts: Kuala Selangor, Petaling, Hulu Langat, and Klang. According to the Lembaga Zakat Selangor (LZS) data, these four districts have the highest number of zakat receivers in Selangor. Income data were obtained from zakat recipients both before and after they received zakat assistance. The effect of zakat distribution on zakat recipients’ income was measured using the Lorenz Curve and Gini Coefficient. According to the results of the Lorenz Curves and Gini Coefficient, zakat has significantly reduced income inequality. The findings revealed that zakat institutions must take prompt policy action to boost their distribution channels to beneficiaries. This study may add knowledge to the literature because there has been little research on zakat and income disparity. Therefore, suggestions for future research to ascertain the factors that contribute to the success of zakat distribution.

http://www.gbmrjournal.com/pdf/v13n4/V13N4-1. pdf

Diversity is Identity Differences are Strength that should be Celebrated

Following an event in Parit Sulong, lunch was enjoyed at Remaja Restaurant in Bandar Baru Uda, Johor Bahru, owned by Ezwan Haffez and Ungku Aishah. The fish asam pedas, chicken curry, and side dishes were notably appetising, while the restaurant featured a contemporary and modern decor. Subsequently, the Keluarga Malaysia Aspirations Tour’s inaugural ceremony, led by Prime Minister YAB Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri, took place at Dataran Angsana Johor Bahru, Johor. It marked the extension of the tour to the state level for the first time, offering a diverse range of engaging activities and featuring government agency booths, including the Ministry of Higher Education. Conversations were held during the event with Minister YB Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad, Prof. Datuk Dr Husaini Omar, and other counterparts. The Keluarga Malaysia concept, introduced by the Prime Minister in August 2021, promoted inclusivity, transcending religious, racial, and ethnic boundaries, emphasising the celebration of diversity as a strength. In the face of contemporary challenges like COVID-19, it aspired to build a better future for the nation, uniting the families of Malaysia.

The Academy of Language Studies at UiTM invests in a culture of togetherness

The Academy of Language Studies at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Perlis Branch is committed to transforming the university into a globally renowned institution through collaborative initiatives. These efforts include partnerships with local and international institutions, the organisation of scholarly events, innovation competitions, and faculty development programmes. It has secured a Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) with higher education institutions, communities and professional associations such as Kolej Universiti Islam Perlis (KUIPs), University of Finance and Economics, Mongolia, Cangzhou Normal University, Xinyang Normal University, French Lebanese University, Darul Aman English Language Learning and Teaching Association and Little Hiccup. In 2022, the Academy of Language Studies, UiTM Perlis Branch launched the International Innovation Competition on Languages, Education and Societies (IINNCOME2022) with Humanising Learning, Teaching and Societies in Digitalised Contexts as its theme under Dr Razlina and Dr Hafizah. The inaugural event showcased innovative practices of students, lecturers, professionals and communities. Meanwhile, the 2nd International Conference on Language & Education 2022 (ICoLE 2022) was conducted on 7-8 July 2022 and the theme was Redesigning & Rehumanising Learning, Teaching and Research towards Education 5.0. The conference highlighted local and international research in teaching and learning, languages and education. In November 2022, Arau International Poetry Festival 2022 continued to gather and inspire the audience with the poets’ creative wisdom under its competent director, Ms Nor Azira. The academy’s dedication to excellence and a culture of togetherness contributed to UiTM’s goal of becoming a world-renowned university.

https://qs-gen.com/uitms-academy-of-language-studies-invests-in-culture-of-togetherness/

How good is social equality in the Peninsular Malaysia; a cross-sectional study among bumiputera community

This study intends to explore and understand the views and livelihood of the Bumiputera communities in facing the ever challenging social, economic and political environments around them. It is necessary because the impact of post- New Economic Policy (NEP) 1971-1990 for these communities should not be devastating. The NEP was the brainchild of our concerned political masters in preparing specifically the Malays and Bumiputras to control the social, economic and political well being for many centuries to come. As a consequence, numerous affirmative policies were carried out by the government to reach the above dream. This study attempts to determine the levels of social equality based on the seven (7) social indicators namely health, quality of life, housing, occupation, income, education, and participation among Bumiputera in Peninsular Malaysia. Overall findings showed that social equality among the Bumiputera community appeared to be moderate. Findings also revealed that education was found to be the perceived highest indicator by the majority of the Bumiputera community.

Students’ Perception and the Effectiveness of Corporate Social Responsibility Among UiTM Sarawak Branch

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now capturing the global interest in most institutions, public as well as private sectors. Hence, higher learning education has taken this opportunity to contribute to social activities and build strategies to strengthen their relationship with society through their education programmes. The aims of this paper are to determine if perceptions of students on the CSR programmes run by the university differ according to sociodemographic variables such as gender and academic level background and to evaluate the effectiveness of the programmes towards the student’s attitude, teamwork and leadership skills. Data was collected from 92 students from various faculties in UITM Sarawak Branch and analysed using SPSS software. It was found that students had a high perception towards the CSR Programme. They liked being involved in the CSR programmes and felt that the programme gave them a lot of benefits and experience. It was also found that the sociodemographic did not influence students’ perceptions towards the CSR programme. This study reveals that CSR programmes give a high effectiveness towards students’ attitude, teamwork and leadership. These programmes have taught them to have good manners, work in a team and how to be a good leader successfully. Correlation analysis was done and it was found that there was a significant moderate positive relationship between perception and effectiveness of CSR programmes among UiTM students. The programmes are considered more effective when students highly agree with the CSR programmes.

http://www.jossr.com/PDF/JOSSR-2020-07-06-10.pdf

Modelling Public Perception of Rohingya Refugees Using Structural Equation Modelling (PLS) in Malaysia

As every part of the world is battling with the deadly virus, Malaysia is also struggling in flattening the COVID-19 curve with Rohingya refugees being one of the clusters involved. This creates both a positive and negative perception of the Rohingya community in this country. Therefore, this study aims to explore the perception of the public on Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. Public perception is referred to as the process to determine the way people interpret their surroundings. Apart from that, the objectives were also mainly to identify the relationship between media, knowledge, government policy and competition in jobs toward the public perception of Rohingya refugees. 384 respondents of this study lived in Selayang, Selangor, Malaysia. A purposive sampling technique was used with a questionnaire as the instrument. SEMPLS analysis was conducted and the findings showed that there was a significant relationship between the variables and perception of Rohingya refugees with mass media considered as the main factor. This study suggested that public perceptions can be constructed through the tested variables; even knowledge can be considered to have a low impact on perception. Hence, various parties such as authority, non-governmental bodies and the community have benefited from the study.

https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/50272/

UiTMLaw Collaborates with Child Frontiers Ltd to Reform Child Justice

Dr Nadzriah Ahmad, a child justice and diversion expert from the Faculty of Law at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTMLaw), Assoc. Prof. Dr Sheela Jayabalan and Assoc. Prof. Dr Normawati Hashim have been tasked with leading Malaysia’s national team in the Country Led Evaluation of Child Justice Reform: The Diversion Pilot. The research is supported by an international grant as part of the consultancy work of international researchers led by Child Frontiers Limited. It is important to note that the purpose of this study is to assist the Malaysian government, led by the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development, in reforming child justice reforms by introducing the diversion pilot in Malaysia. The purpose of introducing the diversion pilot is to prevent children in conflict with the law from coming into contact with the formal child justice system in Malaysia, thus preventing the adversarial system’s adverse effects on children. This evaluation study is in line with the Malaysian Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development’s Strategic Planning 2021-2025, which aims to provide better protection for Malaysian children who are in conflict with the law. One of the primary goals of this evaluation is to shed light on how the diversion pilot is currently operating in the three pilot sites in Sepang, Seremban, and Port Dickson. As a result, this study will have a significant impact on the diversion pilot, particularly in terms of providing evidence-based findings on the desirability and feasibility of continuing or expanding the diversion pilot in Malaysia in 2022. Furthermore, this research aligns with a provision in the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 (CRC) that encourages the use of alternative measures, such as diversion, to protect children in conflict with the law from the negative effects of Malaysia’s formal justice system. UiTMLaw is optimistic that this international collaboration will achieve the stated goals, thereby protecting the children’s interests as the future generation.

https://qs-gen.com/uitmlaw-work-with-child-frontiers-ltd-towards-reforming-child-justice/

UiTMLaw and Universitas Semarang Indonesia Researchers Collaborate to Investigate Bioethical Issues in Genetically Modified Technology and the Resulting Human Rights Issues

Researchers from the Faculties of Law at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and Universitas Semarang Indonesia (UNNES) are collaborating to address the ethical aspects of genetically modified (GM) crops. Their study aims to develop a legal framework and policy to guide policymakers in addressing bioethical issues related to GM technology, particularly in protecting farmers’ rights. The research seeks to balance biotechnology industry development with environmental protection and human rights, with the ultimate goal of instilling ethical compliance in the protection of human rights in both Malaysia and Indonesia.This collaboration is sponsored by a Matching Grant from both faculties with a total value of RM20,000.

https://qs-gen.com/researchers-from-uitmlaw-and-universitas-semarang-indonesia-collaborate-to-investigate-bioethical-issues-in-genetically-modified-technology-and-the-ensuing-human-rights-issues/

UiTMLaw is at the Forefront of Disability Inclusion in the Public Sector

Dr Ikmal Hisham Md Tah moderated a forum session titled “MyCEKAP Public Facilities: Inclusivity Discussion on Policy and Initiative by the Ministry of Transport Malaysia” on June 8, 2022. The forum session focused on public facilities and inclusivity, with the goal of informing People with Disabilities (PWD) about the government’s efforts to improve policies, action plans, and programmes that benefit vulnerable communities, including people with disabilities. A forum was organised by the People With Disabilities Communication Unit, Department of Information Malaysia, Putrajaya, aimed to encourage community participation in order to build an inclusive society, as well as to create participant profiles in order to ensure effective information sharing. The Ministry’s various initiatives that benefit PWD consist of accessible public transportation, transportation licences, and audit access to transportation facilities. Work and continuous improvements have been made to public transport, including trains and buses, to ensure that the facilities are disabled-friendly and accessible to all. The Malaysian government has also implemented a number of initiatives, such as the PWD discount card, the accessible ticket counter, the PWD platform, and ample accessible places within public transportation infrastructure for wheelchair users, the portable ramp, and the emergency button. Through its National Transport Policy and Action Plan, the Ministry of Transport Malaysia has provided continuous improvements, including best practices on the transport system and facilities, to ensure that they are accessible and can provide more benefits to Malaysia’s PWD community. This programme demonstrates UiTMLaw experts at the forefront of disability inclusion within society through accessible and disabled-friendly transportation systems and facilities in Malaysia.

https://qs-gen.com/uitmlaw-at-forefront-of-disability-inclusion-within-government-sector/

Educational Empowerment: UiTM Library Team’s Project for Children in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur

A mini library makeover project was conducted by UiTM Cawangan Pahang Al-Bukhari Library Team with the main objectives of reaching out to the children of Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, and assisting them in owning a convenient mini library as a place for them to read and learn. The project was also carried out to meet the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda in terms of equitable education quality (SDG4) and reducing inequality in access to information, both of which are critical to an individual’s independence (SDG10). The project was chosen because Buku Jalanan Chow Kit (BJCK) and Sekolah Bimbingan Jalinan Kasih (SBJK) provided a learning environment for marginalised groups of children who do not have the opportunity to attend school. This study used qualitative methods, including indepth interviews with volunteers and teachers at these locations about how they operate, the benefits for the kids, volunteers, and teachers, and the effects of the previous makeover project. The findings concluded that, in order to continue attracting and sustaining these marginalised children’s reading programmes, the researchers could further assist teachers and volunteers in developing a library with improved reading modules, as well as the addition of ICT skills and collection management skills for these children. Future research involving other SDGs agendas related to these locations has also been identified and is expected to benefit these children more in the future.

https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/56891/