Household welfare and women empowerment through microcredit financing: Evidence from Malaysia microcredit

Microcredit financing is considered a crucial vehicle to flourish the socioeconomic conditions of women and women empowerment, especially among those who are from low-income households and deprived of access to financial services. Nevertheless, the literature arrived with a conflicting conclusion about its effect and women demonstrate that microcredit has small or no effect. This study is intended to scrutinize the impact of a productive loan provided by Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) on women household welfare and empowerment. A cross-sectional survey was employed through the distribution of a questionnaire to 495 of old and new borrowers. We observe that microcredit has significant positive effects on borrowers’ household income and personal asset acquisition. However, even though the effect of microcredit empowers women borrowers in households’ decisions-making, it has no effect on women control over minor financials.     

Ethnic Chinese in Malaysian citizenship: gridlocked in historical formation and political hierarchy

The ethnic Chinese in Malaysia are a significant minority who call for a critical assessment as far as their cultural identity and political positioning are concerned. Appropriating the concept of ‘multicultural citizenship’, this article attempts to dissect various demands and aspirations of the ethnic Chinese in Malaysia’s multiracial hierarchy. It suggests that using the lens of multicultural citizenship can help shed light on Malaysian Chinese as well as the entire nation, where ethnicity and citizenship are gridlocked in historical formation and political hierarchy. In recent times, Malaysian Chinese have articulated their political desires and demands in order to get rid of the disgrace of racial constraints, and also to envisage a more inclusive multicultural citizenship for Malaysia as a nation-state. This article also compares and contrasts three Chinese public figures who have taken disparate stands and approaches with regard to language, culture, race, nation, and party politics.     

Emphasizing the experiences of researchers after RCR instructions: Introduction to Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) in Malaysia

The purpose of this study is to highlight the experiences of individuals who participate in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training program held at various universities in Malaysia. In response to a mailing request sent to 40 individuals who had undertaken a RCR training program, 15 participants agreed to be interviewed. The results of the study showed that the three main reasons for participating in the training were as follows: anticipation for knowledge gained; personal experience with research misconduct; and establishing a new network of researchers. In terms of the positive effects gained from undertaking the training, the participants highlighted an increased awareness of the issues and problems related to research misconduct; the need to promote integrity in research conduct; a change in the way they conduct their research; and a change in the way they confront and address misconduct. The findings of this study should be valuable for policy makers and those involved in the management of research programs and ethics, as it demonstrated the importance of RCR training in equipping researchers with the necessary knowledge to conduct research responsibly, and to avoid research misconduct.     

多舛命运况味人生——欧大旭《丝之谜》的无穷意味

马来西亚旅英华裔作家欧大旭以《丝之谜》获2005年英国惠特布莱德小说奖。该小说以20世纪40年代的马来西亚为背景,通过华人林强尼充满神秘色彩的人生故事,叙写马来西亚华人在英国殖民势力和日本帝国主义夹击之下的艰难图存,多舛命运,况味人生。殖民时期的华人,必须与不同的族群及政治利益集团结交周旋,以寻求自存之道,他们的奋斗故事错综复杂有如"丝"之谜团,裹挟着复杂的人性,精彩纷呈。小说采用多角度叙述手法,不同叙述者讲述同样的人生故事,产生多层次艺术效果,历史真相扑朔迷离,小说故事真假难辨,给读者的启发意味无穷。     

Acceptance of Koha Open Source System among Librarians in the Malaysian Academic Libraries: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

Abstract

This paper reports on a study that explores the requirements and level of acceptance for the Koha open source software implementation in Malaysian academic libraries. This is a qualitative study based on interviews with system librarians from library application and system divisions in 5 Malaysian universities. The interviews were conducted to understand the technology acceptance, system quality and system information, beliefs and attitude of librarians and to provide insight into a user and open system relations. These factors can be critical in order to understand what may hinder the acceptance of open source systems in Malaysia academic libraries. The findings disclose that the level of acceptance of the Koha open source system among Malaysian librarians is high as they are satisfied with the information quality, system quality and system platform. They have positive intentions to use this system and believe it meets their current and future information needs. The requirements of its implementation are focused on perceived usefulness (technology), attitude toward using (users), and perceived ease of use (system). The subsequent influencing factors are a reflection of Koha system stability and users’ acceptance of this system’s information quality, system quality, librarians’ awareness, satisfaction, user confidence level, support for library standards, highly integrated modules, a web-based solution, intention to use a system, and actual usage of an open-source system. Practical implications include cost savings, outsourced system maintenance, and accessibility of the system after office hours. The Koha open-source system is a new paradigm in system solutions for libraries in Malaysia. The results of the current study are applicable to other library settings.     

Alibaba’s discourse for the digital Silk Road: the electronic World Trade Platform and ‘inclusive globalization’

The digital Silk Road, which involves the internationalization of Chinese internet firms across countries that are party to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has remained underexplored in the literature. This paper employs a poststructuralist discourse theory to analyze one of the most important Chinese internet firms, Alibaba, and its initiative for global trade: the electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP). The article argues that the eWTP is a counter-hegemonic discourse that, based on the economic and technological power of Alibaba and its support of the BRI, attempts to globalize a China-centered and privately led global digital trade order to challenge the previous wave of US-led globalization. However, the eWTP has at least five contradictions. First, despite its criticisms of globalization, the initiative remains essentially neoliberal. Secondly, it sidelines inherent tensions with the Chinese state-centric internet governance model. Thirdly, it excludes some social identities and makes utopian promises. Fourthly, it is unclear to what extent it really will be inclusive. Finally, unless carefully hedged, it might entrap partner countries in new types of problematic digital dependence.     

新马华文文学萌发时间之我见

由于新马华文文学的发生、发展受中国五四新文学影响至重,历来的文学史都只关注其新文学的发生、发展,有意无意地忽略了所谓旧文学的萌发及其延续,因此,往往把新马华文文学的萌发时间定于1919年之后。我们认为,本土意识是海外华文文学的灵魂和纲领,考察海外华文文学,必须把立足点放在海外华文文学赖以产生的海外各国本土上。海外华文文学的萌发,必须具备三个条件:第一必须得有形成规模的华人移民群体(即华人社会)和华人学校;第二必须得有华文文学的创作者及其创作事实,并且这些作品必须得对当地的社会生活有所反映或表现;第三必须得有能让这种文学作品传播的载体,并且通过一定的传播手段传播于世。根据这三个必要条件,新马华文文学的萌发不应该忽视所谓的旧文学,其萌发时间应该是在1919年之前的旧文学诞生之时。     

戏曲与狂欢——马来西亚华语戏曲演出活动探析

马来西亚华语戏曲来源于中国，它是华族文化认同的象征符号。长期以来，华语戏曲在马来西亚上演，沿用的是中国乡间演戏的世俗通例。在社会文化功能方面，华语戏曲的演剧活动在彰显其最重要的宗教功能的基础上，其“娱人”的世俗功能也得到了发挥。这种特殊的演剧活动，体现的是一种狂欢精神，具有原始性、全民性和反规范性的特征，从中显示出华语戏曲在马来西亚这个国度特殊的生存状态。     

杰出的马华文学史家方修

方修是马华最为杰出的文学史家。本文从史观、史识出发,把方修的文学史研究与他的心灵特质、人格精神结合起来,从而论证了方修的文学史研究是他作为生命的展开方式而不断证实自我、完善自我的过程。     

北马潮人早期之经济活动初探

本文根据大量翔实的文献资料 ,从北马潮人早期的甘蔗种植业和制糖业 ,与农业、渔业生产、硕莪业生产 ,以及从这些垦植活动中崛起的潮人实业家等方面 ,阐述了早期潮人在北马的开拓性经济活动 ,肯定了早期潮人对北马经济的开发与发展所做出的巨大贡献