The Malaysian Journal of Social Administration

INVESTMENT POLICIES MODELS IN THE STATE UNIVERSITIES WITH AUTONOMOUS LEGAL ENTITIES: EVIDENCE FROM INDONESIA

2023-05-22T12:32:09+08:00

Research on hybrid organizations has gained interest from many scholars. This is due to the combined
characteristics of private- and public-sector organizations, embedded in a single entity; thus, it carries
distinctive challenges for the researchers. State universities with autonomous legal entities are
educational institutions in Indonesia that are obliged to provide world-class education services for the
public. In fulfilling the mission, the university management needs support, such as finance and
regulation, from the government. However, the government limits the flexibility of the university
management in generating profit. For instance, the tuition fee rate, which is one the university’s
primary revenue sources, must be submitted to the government's guideline. In other words, the
university management does not have the flexibility to determine the tuition cost rate. Consequently,
the university management must seek for other revenue streams, i.e., optimizing the use of
endowment funds for investment, to achieve the university’s objective. Also, the university
management must explore strategies that can deliver maximum return for its investment while at the
same time minimizing the risk. Therefore, This study explores to identify the investment policy model
in hybrid organizations especially higher education institutions. A qualitative approach through
documents review was conducted in this study. The findings reveal that an ideal portfolio investment
model should consider factors, such as attitude to risk, the number of funds invested, income received
during the period for investment, and the restrictions derived from the regulations. Therefore, the
decision-makers, i.e., The ministry of higher education should consider issuing regulations that allow
flexibility for the state university with autonomous legal entities in making investment decisions. Other
than that, the management must develop investment policy models that can provide maximum return,
but with moderate risks to support the financial needs of the university.

DOES CORPORATE SOCIAL DISCLOSURE ON SOCIAL MEDIA INCREASE COMPANY VALUE? A QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

2023-05-22T12:41:41+08:00

Social media has a significant impact on a company's review process. As a result, many companies are now using social media to increase their corporate value. This study looks at whether disclosing a company's performance on the social side of social media can increase its value. The survey was conducted using a qualitative method. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 3 scholars in the fields of accounting and finance, governance, and communication. The results of the survey reveal that the development of Indonesian capital markets has prompted changes in the investment behavior of those who have begun to use stocks as a means of investment. However, the increase in the number of investors has not been optimally complemented by the increase in public financial literacy. The current trend is that many millennials are investing in capital markets. Millennials usually use social media to look up the existence of a company. Therefore, social media is considered to be a more effective forum for communicating corporate information than annual reports. Similar to using Instagram accounts, Twitter and TikTok are now widely used by businesses to communicate their achievements. Currently, the general public is gradually educated to judge the company. Not only is the company valued in terms of profitability, but the community is valued for the achievement of social and environmental aspects of the company. There are no special restrictions on the disclosure of the company's performance on social media as it is voluntary. Therefore, the results of this study are expected to help regulators not only encourage more responsible disclosure but also enhance the company's image without adding significant value.

SOCIAL-CULTURAL LEARNING TO IMPROVE SELF-DEFENSE MECHANISM FOR AUDITORS TO COMMUNICATE AUDIT FINDINGS

2023-05-25T22:36:14+08:00

Novice auditors often meet clients with diverse socio-cultural background. In countries with multi ethnicities and customs, the situation can be even worse. Auditors who have lack of understanding on the clients’ socio-cultural background tend to face difficulty in defending the audit opinion. These phenomena have gained interest from many scholars. Therefore, this study aims to identify socio-cultural learning materials needed by auditors to improve their self-defense mechanisms when communicating audit findings. This study uses a qualitative method by conducting an in-depth interview with key informants. Triangulation technique was used to validate the findings. The results of this study show that socio-cultural learning needs to be conducted systematically, starting from the audit planning phase, collecting and evaluating audit evidence, and reporting and communicating findings phase. In the audit planning phase, auditor must understand the characteristics, i.e., socio-cultural background, of the clients. In the collecting and evaluating audit evidence stage, auditors must build communications with the clients. In this phase, auditors must know how to engage closely with the clients to prevent miscommunication. At the last stage, auditors must communicate the findings in a style where clients can accept the findings and audit opinion without reluctance. The implications of this study show that the process of developing audit learning must be understood comprehensively by auditors so that the audit findings and opinion can be accepted unconditionally.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MALAY WOMEN DRUG ABUSER’S INTENTION IN ENTERING THE REHABILITATION CENTRE AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PROGRAMS

2023-05-25T22:45:19+08:00

This paper intends to focus on the issue of women involvement with drug abuse and the treatments that have been initiated by rehabilitation centres in Malaysia. The issue of drug abuse is more prevalent among men compared to women. However, recently the involvement of women in drug abuse has become a serious issue as the statistics shows that the number of women involved with drugs has kept on increasing yearly. In this study, the researchers aim to uncover the intentions of the drug abusers as they enter the rehabilitation centre with the effectiveness of the treatment. This is because the intentions can be either voluntary or involuntary which can have a significant effect on the progress of the treatment. The intentions play a crucial role as it will determine the willingness of the client to participate during the treatment session. Thus, this shows that the effectiveness of the treatment program needs to work together with the client’s intention in order to be effective and help the clients to achieve their quality of life after being released from the centre. The results should help to answer whether there is a relationship between how the client's intention in entering the rehabilitation centre can give an impact towards the effectiveness of the treatment that will determine the drug abuser’s quality of life as they have been released from the centre. Hence, this paper will be able to contribute toward ensuring the efficiency of the treatment given toward clients in order to avoid them from relapse.

CULTURAL BELIEFS TOWARDS CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

2023-09-21T13:41:41+08:00

Individuals’ cultural backgrounds in Malaysia significantly impact their views and behaviours, particularly concerning medical issues such as physical disability. This influence is pervasive and extends to various aspects of life, including the upbringing of children with impairments. To gain insight into Malaysians' cultural ideas on disability, a qualitative research approach was employed. The study utilised semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 17 parents from Malaysia's three main ethnicities residing in the Klang Valley region, each with a child with a physical impairment. The interviews were conducted with the participants' informed consent and transcribed for thematic analysis. The findings revealed that attitudes towards impairments are shaped by socialisation, assimilation, and adaptation to current conditions rather than being limited to specific races or religions. Malaysians' cultural attitudes towards impairments are influenced by biomedical and traditional perspectives, independent of ethnic or religious origin. Cultural competence is, therefore, crucial for promoting inclusion and supporting the active participation of people with disabilities in Malaysian society, given the nation's heterogeneous makeup.

KEBERKESANAN COMMUNITY POLICING BERDASARKAN MODEL PENILAIAN STUFFLEBEAM/KIPP: PERSPEKTIF WARGA PDRM KONTINJEN KUALA LUMPUR (Efficiency of Community Policing Based on Stufflebeam/KIPP Evaluation Model: From The Perspective of Royal Malaysia Police Staffs Kuala Lumpur Contingent)

2023-04-04T16:36:06+08:00

Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menilai keberkesanan Community Policing dari sudut pandangan dalam kalangan warga PDRM Kontinjen Kuala Lumpur berdasarkan Model Penilaian Stufflebeam/KIPP (Konteks, Input, Proses dan Produk). Kajian ini mempunyai empat objektif iaitu; (1) mengukur tahap pemahaman konsep Community Policing, (2) mengenal pasti tahap persediaan pelaksanaan Community Policing, (3) menilai keberkesanaan Community Policing ketika proses pelaksanaannya dan (4) mengenal pasti kesan dan perubahan yang berlaku dalam kalangan kumpulan Pegawai Kanan Polis (PKP) dan kumpulan Pegawai Rendah Polis (PRP). Seramai 487 orang responden telah dipilih secara rawak strata sebagai sampel kajian dengan menjawab borang soal selidik. Dapatan kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa dari penilaian konteks, keseluruhan warga PDRM Kontinjen Kuala Lumpur memahami konsep dan objektif Community Policing (min=3.99, sp=0.61). Dari penilaian input, tahap persediaan dalam pelaksanaan Community Policing yang meliputi persediaan sumber, kendiri, sokongan ketua, pengurusan kewangan, sokongan agensi lain dan promosi juga berada pada tahap tinggi (min=4.03, sp=0.57). Dari penilaian proses, warga PDRM Kontinjen Kuala Lumpur menjalankan tanggungjawab secara professional dalam memastikan Community Policing dilaksanakan dengan berkesan apabila mencatatkan tahap tinggi (min=4.03, sp=0.59). Manakala kesan dan perubahan yang berlaku dalam kumpulan PKP dan PRP dari penilaian produk juga berada pada tahap sangat tinggi (min=4.09, sp-0.57). Kumpulan PKP lebih mengalami perubahan sikap selepas pelaksanaan Community Policing berbanding kumpulan PRP. Kajian ini membuktikan bahawa Community Policing di Kontinjen Kuala Lumpur adalah berkesan, masih relevan dan perlu diteruskan agar konsep kebersamaan antara PDRM dengan masyarakat menjadi satu budaya dalam sistem kepolisan di samping terus membantu PDRM dalam mengurangkan kadar jenayah.

ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COURT ADVISERS OF THE COURT FOR CHILDREN IN MALAYSIA: LESSONS LEARNT FROM SELECTED JURISDICTIONS

2023-09-05T23:50:00+08:00

Court advisers form an important component in the setup of the Court For Children in Malaysia. They are appointed to assist the magistrate in matters relating to children who are brought before the court. These children include children in need of care and protection, children in need of protection and rehabilitation, children beyond control, children who are trafficked and abducted, and children in conflict with the law. However, this article will only focus on children in conflict with the law. Section 11(2) of the Child Act 2001 provides that the court advisers are responsible to advise the magistrate on the order to be made once the child is found guilty. Not only that, they may also advise the parents or guardian of the child to the extent that they may be considered as the protector of “the welfare component” of the legal process in dealing with a child that has been brought before the Court For Children. However, their functions are not clearly explained as the relevant provision in the Child Act 2001 is too general. Therefore, this article intends to explore the role and functions of the court advisers in Malaysia by analysing the position in Singapore and India. These two countries are amongst the British commonwealth countries in Asia that have roles similar to court advisers in their Juvenile Justice System. Hence, this article will compare and contrast the role and functions of the court advisers in Malaysia with these two jurisdictions in order to identify the best practices. This would in turn enhance the role of the court advisers in Malaysia and in the long run, safeguard the welfare of the children produced before the Court For Children.

Keywords: children, conflict with law, court advisers, functions, comparative

PERANAN DAN TANGGUNGJAWAB MASYARAKAT TERHADAP RUMAH KEBAJIKAN KANAK-KANAK (Roles and community responsibilities towards children welfare home)

2022-06-10T22:56:13+08:00

Pembangunan komuniti dianggap sebagai strategi terpenting untuk menerapkan nilai-nilai murni bermasyarakat bagi menangani isu-isu sosial seperti keganasan, gangguan dan kemiskinan keluarga; menggalakkan keadilan sosial dan hak asasi manusia; serta mempromosi aspek kesihatan dan kesejahteraan semua orang. Pembangunan komuniti merupakan pendekatan bersifat psikologi yang dapat menggalakkan transformasi sosial melalui perubahan sikap dan tingkah laku bertanggungjawab; menggalakkan penyertaan rakyat untuk berpolitik; memperbaiki struktur sosial; mewujudkan peluang ekonomi, vokasional dan pendidikan; menyokong pembinaan keluarga dan para belia; membina semangat dan kesedaran komuniti; dan memupuk rasa sepunya dan kesalinghubungan. Dasar Sosial Negara (DSN) telah digubal pada tahun 2003 dengan menggariskan hampir 50 strategi bagi menjamin setiap individu, keluarga dan komuniti tanpa mengira kumpulan etnik, agama dan budaya dapat menikmati kesejahteraan hidup seiring dengan arus pembangunan negara. Beberapa akta turut dipinda dan digubal sebagai menunjukkan inisiatif untuk mewujudkan masyarakat sejahtera dan berkebajikan. Namun, petunjuk-petunjuk semasa menggambarkan situasi berbeza. Bilangan rumah kebajikan kanak-kanak dan jumlah penghuni masih tiada penurunan ketara. Begitu juga dengan kes keganasan rumah tangga, orang papa dan seumpamanya. Statistik ini menimbulkan persoalan terhadap keutuhan institusi keluarga dan nilai bermasyarakat serta sensitiviti agensi berwajib dalam menangani isu kebajikan dalam masyarakat. Artikel ini cuba membincangkan peranan masyarakat terhadap kehidupan kanak-kanak di rumah kebajikan dan kelestarian rumah kebajikan. Bagi tujuan ini pengkaji telah melakukan lebih daripada 70 lawatan ke Rumah Kebajikan Kanak-Kanak (Berkediaman – Persendirian/NGO). Ia melibatkan 35 buah institusi meliputi lapan buah daerah di Selangor. Perbincangan ini adalah berdasarkan data daripada borang soal selidik, temubual dan pemerhatian semasa lawatan. Temubual melibatkan pentadbir tertinggi institusi manakala pemantauan terhadap persekitaran institusi adalah secara tidak langsung melalui aktiviti sukarelawan di institusi. Cadangan-cadangan yang dikemukakan adalah terhad kepada peranan institusi pendidikan dan agensi kebajikan negeri.

CASE MANAGEMENT OF PERSONS WITH MENTAL DISABILITIES IN MALAYSIA: COLLABORATION CHALLENGES AMONG STAKEHOLDERS

2023-09-21T14:29:43+08:00

Components of Case management of Persons with Mental Disabilities (PWMD) has not been sufficient explored and studied in Malaysia. With the increased numbers of PWMD in Malaysia studies on case management of PWMD are definitely needed. This objective of this paper to explore collaboration challenges among stakeholders in case management of PWMD in Malaysia. Ten social workers from Medical Social Work Department and Social Welfare Department in Malaysia were in-depth interviewed in this qualitative study and the qualitative data were analysed thematically using a case study approach. The study discussed the social workers’ challenges arise within collaboration with the public and private sector such as lack of specialized trainings for officials and lack of formal and effective collaborations between agencies. The findings suggest that the two main primary stakeholders involved with case management of PWMD such as Health Ministry and Welfare Department should enhance collaboration between them in getting their resources such as information and manpower together. This paper is fundamental for policy makers to take into account the complex needs of PWMD and their social workers to ensure the effectiveness of both important services. Thus, the case management services for persons with mental disabilities can be significantly improved aligned with Malaysia’s social work competency standards.

FACTORS INFLUENCING ENGAGEMENT AND TYPE OF VOLUNTEERING ACTIVITIES PREFERRED BY THE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY STUDENT

2023-12-26T12:53:35+08:00

Volunteering is defined as a voluntary activity or activity that benefits both the volunteer and the group or community that is aided in urban and rural areas. There is no doubt that students have extensive exposure and accessibility to enable them to actively engage in volunteering activities. However, the changing lifestyle of the community nowadays directly affects the trend of student participation in volunteer activities. In this regard, this study was conducted to examine the trends of students getting involved and participating in volunteering activities. This trend of engagement will be seen from two aspects, i) the factors influencing engagement and ii) the type of volunteering activity preferred by students. The study involves 400 students who participated in volunteering activities at three public universities, namely UM, UKM, and UPM. The results showed that the main factor of influence student participation in volunteering activities was colleagues and instructors (i.e. lecturers, teachers, etc.). Meanwhile, the type of activities preferred by the student is community services, education, and environmental protection.