In the era of global business, quality of human resources, skilled and knowledgeable employees are highly essential. It is frequently noted that quality human resources act as a prerequisite for competitive advantage and competitive edge of any business. This is especially so in the case of small and medium industries (SMIs), considered as "the seeds" from which large organizations and big corporations are grown. Similarly, previous studies indicate that high turnover of employees undeniably affects production, productivity, profitability and hence hinders further growth of any business, small, medium and large alike. While there are a number of empirical studies on employees, their working environment, and job satisfaction, only a few have based their
Rice is an important staple food in Asia. However, modernization and rapid development have reduced and threatened the practice, especially maintaining traditional hill rice cultivation, as in this case study by the Iban in Kuala Tatau located in the largest state in Malaysia, called Sarawak. It is important to understand the problems and challenges of this issue to ensure food security among the rural population in Sarawak, particularly the Iban. Therefore, this paper aims to discuss the issues and problems faced by rice farmers in Kuala Tatau, Sarawak. The respondents were Iban farmers in Kuala Tatau; named Sungai Semanok and Kuala Serupai, were selected as it is at a great distance from urban areas named Bintulu, and they still practices paddy cultivation. For the purpose of obtaining the data, qualitative research methods through in-depth interview techniques, group discussion and observation were utilized and the data were analyzed using content analysis. The results showed that the rice sector faced major problems such as the decrease of the number of farmers and a weak system in the distribution of subsidies. However, there were differences shown in results between the two villages as well, which were in term of inadequate agricultural land, and issues on drainage and irrigation system, depending on the distance of the village from urban area, transport facilities, and other issues as discussed in the following section.
Lack of support and interest among the public is one of the major challenges in strengthening and sustaining the future national agendas on Antarctica. The main goal of this study is to identify the perception of Malaysia's public with regard to Antarctic values and Malaysian involvement in the region. A survey on Malaysia's young citizen perception on Antarctic has been conducted for mapping out the future landscape of Malaysian involvement in the Antarctic region. Surveys have been conducted on respondents from secondary schools and universities in Malaysia. A questionnaire was designed to seek respondents’ knowledge and awareness on the values of Antarctica and their opinions on Malaysia's involvement. The results of the study showed that respondents had a high level of awareness of Antarctic environmental issues. However, general knowledge about the Antarctic region was still intermediate. On the other hand, the results of this study showed that the young citizens had positive and strong support for strengthening Malaysia's Antarctic involvement. This study hopes to contribute as baseline data on the matter. Such background information will reflect on the national strategy in strengthening Malaysia's current policy and future involvement in Antarctica.
The communities in the district of Padang Terap, Kedah, were not used to fl ood events even though they had been living in the area for generations. Since 2000, fl ooding in this area had become a common occurrence as a result of the increased intensity and frequency of rain due to global warming and climate change. Recognizing the need to address the vulnerability and adaptation of the communities and relevant agencies, the Centre for Global Sustainability Studies (CGSS), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), carried out a project based on universitycommunity engagement and education for sustainable development (ESD) in this area. The stakeholders involved in this project were from different entities, consisting of experts from USM, residents, local offi cials, and selected schools in the district. The project identifi ed that the communities of Padang Terap needed counseling for trauma victims, training in handling and maintaining fl ood-related equipment, accredited fl ood rescue training, and the establishment of a formal community fl ood disaster committee consisting of village leaders and the local authorities. In addition, CGSS also addressed public awareness of the dangers of fl ooding via ESD Chapter 12
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