Vol. 16 No. 3(I)S (2024)

Internet access is crucial in facilitating effective learning and communication. However, disparities in internet quality persist, especially within Public Higher Educational Institutions (PHEIs). Despite efforts by broadband providers to enhance services, complaints regarding quality persist among students and staff. Thus, this research aims to investigate users' Quality of Experience (QoE) with broadband services in PHEI campuses, focusing on coverage, service quality, reliability, and usability. Additionally, it seeks to identify user preferences and usage patterns, correlate broadband quality with user satisfaction, and propose improvements. A comprehensive methodology integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches, including surveys, and interviews is proposed. The implications of this research extend to regulatory and policy actions, including infrastructure improvement, ensuring quality of service, supporting online learning, and encouraging research and innovation in broadband technologies. This study aims to inform stakeholders and contribute to enhancing broadband access and quality in PHEIs, ultimately improving educational outcomes and experiences.

Islamic countries widely recognize zakat as a significant means to promote equity in sharing wealth among Muslims. Despite the obligation of Muslims to pay zakat, the total amount collected is considerably lower than the amount acquired through taxes. Thus, this study aims to identify the determinants influencing zakat payment among Muslims in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. It will provide a better understanding of the factors that shape zakat payment behavior in this district. The data collection method involved a quantitative survey using structured questionnaires administered to a sample of 400 Muslim residents in Seremban. The study utilized a range of statistical analysis techniques, including correlation and regression to examine the relationships between the determinants and zakat payment practice. The study found that convenience is the most significant determinant motivating individuals to pay zakat through zakat agencies. This finding provides valuable insights for zakat agencies, policymakers, and religious authorities in Malaysia to develop targeted strategies to increase zakat compliance behavior among Muslims. These may include improving religious education programs, implementing transparent reporting mechanisms, developing tailored outreach programs, leveraging technology to simplify and streamline the zakat payment process, and collaborating with community leaders to reinforce positive social norms in paying zakat.

The performance of nurses can be seen as a reflection of healthcare organizations, as they constitute the most critical human resources within hospitals. However, challenges arise when issues such as staff shortages, high turnover rates, and burdensome workloads contribute to poor nurse performance. Conversely, the incorporation of spirituality in the workplace provides nurses with an opportunity to align their inner selves within a supportive community environment, fostering a deeper sense of purpose in their professional responsibilities. This study sought to determine the connection between spirituality at work and nurses’ job performance, surveying 350 nurses employed in public hospitals across Malaysia. Data analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 27, revealing that all three aspects of spirituality at work, namely inner life, meaningful work, and sense of community, had a positive and significant influence on nurses’ job performance. This study provides potential aid to decision-makers in Malaysian healthcare organizations by offering significant insights for the development of strong spirituality at work values within their organizational setting. Additionally, this study presents recommendations for future research and proposes methods for the authorities to incorporate spirituality at work values into nurses’ jobs, ultimately enhancing the overall performance of healthcare services.

This bibliometric analysis offers a comprehensive look at the current research trends in Islamic environmental, social, and governance (ESG) over 12 years, from 2012 to 2023. The study encompasses a dataset of 54 papers from the SCOPUS database and employs various bibliometric metrics, including authorbased, country-based, and organization-based citations. The results indicate a variable growth in the number of publications in this research domain over the period, with a particularly significant surge observed between 2021 and 2023. The descriptive analysis identifies the most prolific countries and document types within Islamic environmental, social, and governance realms. The citation analysis identifies the most influential authors, organizations, and countries shaping this field. In summary, the results show that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) research and practices that include Islamic teachings and values still demonstrate a significant gap, and recommendations are provided for future research based on the primary issues and gaps discovered from the current trends. These findings are valuable for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers seeking insights into this study area.

With China’s goal of achieving "carbon peak and neutrality”, green innovation has become an inevitable choice to accomplish the dual objective of ecological protection and economic growth. The objective of this study is to examine whether green innovation can contribute to enhancing firm performance. Specifically, this study empirically investigates the relationship between green innovation and firm performance by analyzing a sample of listed firms in China's A-share power industry from 2009 to 2022. By using panel fixed effect regression, this study found that green innovation markedly and positively enhances the firm's current performance. Furthermore, this paper tested the effect of green innovation on the firm's future performance, which is positive and greater than the effect on the current performance. Through data support spanning 14 years, this study verifies the theoretical hypothesis that green innovation can substantially enhance firm performance in the power industry. This not only deepens the understanding of how green innovation affects firm performance but also offers empirical evidence to support the further implementation and advancement of green innovation within the power industry. This study only uses a sample of a single industry, so the conclusions of this study do not have explanatory power for firms in other industries.

This study examines internal control challenges in Malaysian government projects, drawing on Public Accounts Committee (PAC) reports from 2019 to 2022. The focus on this period stems from the shift in PAC chairmanship from government to opposition, which enhanced perceived independence. However, the literature suggests that the PAC’s success depends more on collaborative decision-making than on the chairman’s political affiliation. Analyzing 29 government agencies across various sectors revealed recurring weaknesses in internal controls. The study employed the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission’s (COSO) Internal Control-Integrated Framework (ICIF) to systematically identify these weaknesses. A content analysis method was used to examine the themes, which were grouped into five ICIF components: control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication, and monitoring. Weaknesses in the control environment include conflicts of interest, compromised ethical values, inadequate governance, and a lack of accountability and transparency. Risk assessment deficiencies were found in financial risk management, procurement and acquisition risks, geopolitical and strategic risks, intellectual property and technology risks, and project management risks. Control activity weaknesses involved poor resource and process management, non-compliance, and flawed decision-making. Information and communication issues included poor documentation, inadequate system integration and data sharing, limited stakeholder engagement, weak communication protocols, and poor information management. Monitoring deficiencies were noted in regulatory compliance, contract management, financial oversight, monitoring systems, and disbursement tracking. Addressing these weaknesses in internal controls is crucial for minimizing the risks of fraud, waste, and loss of public trust.

Quality has long been a critical metric for determining a company's competitiveness in the business world. The use of tools, methods, and concepts to improve and regulate product quality has been widespread. The purpose of this research is to solve the missing accessories issue that occurs during the packing process by using the Lean Six Sigma tool DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control). As part of the Lean Six Sigma quality effort, the DMAIC technique is frequently defined as a problemsolving methodology and a data-driven quality strategy. The actual root cause for these missing accessories is the lack of a proper validation process during the packing process. A brainstorming session was held to develop solutions to this problem, and one suggestion was to employ the radio frequency identification (RFID) validation system. This new implementation was set up during the kitting process by pasting RFID labels for all accessories. These accessories were validated back during the packing process to ensure no missing accessories after the operator sealed the carton box. After implementing the RFID system, the company managed to reduce the cost of manpower and parts that needed to be replaced in case of missing data. It also improves the efficiency of the business, as the addition of a validation RFID system avoids mistakes by detecting missing accessories before the product is delivered to the customer.

The study addresses the growing concern about work-life balance among gig workers in Malaysia, a population facing unique challenges due to the nature of gig employment. This issue is particularly critical as gig workers often struggle with task management, securing social support, and dealing with income volatility, all of which impact their ability to achieve a balanced work-life dynamic. This study aims to analyze the effects of task management, social support, and income stability on the work-life balance of gig workers in Malaysia. A quantitative research methodology was employed, involving a survey of 70 gig workers across various sectors in Kedah. The data was analyzed using correlation analysis to assess the relationships between the independent variables, task management, social support, and income stability, and the dependent variable, work-life balance. The findings reveal that task management, social support, and income stability are all significantly correlated with better work-life balance, with task management being the most influential factor. The implications of this study suggest that improving task management practices, enhancing social support systems, and stabilizing income are crucial strategies for gig platforms and policymakers to consider. These measures can significantly improve the well-being of gig workers and contribute to a more sustainable gig economy. The study also highlights the need for further research to explore these relationships in different cultural contexts and over time, to better understand their long-term effects.

This research delves into the hotly contested topic of residency requirements in our country, which is now receiving a lot of attention from the media. Students at public colleges, especially those from low-income families who already face many obstacles, should pay special attention to this issue. Students who must manage the challenges of university life in addition to having to repay student loans are even more disadvantaged. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the social, psychological, and financial aspects that impact the need for living on campus. 200 questionnaires in all were disseminated using Google Forms and then analyzed. The study utilized multiple regression analysis to evaluate the predictor factors that influence kids' fundamental survival needs. According to the findings, societal factors (b = -.455) had the biggest impact on the fundamental requirements of UiTM Melaka degree and diploma holders. The kids' basic needs were also strongly impacted by psychological (b = -.310) and economic (b = -.357) aspects. These results highlight the vital role that social, economic, and psychological interventions have in improving people's quality of life—not just in college settings, but also in general. The study's high R Square value (.978) indicates that these factors together account for almost all variances in quality of life. As a result, this research supports all-encompassing approaches that target these important factors to enhance people's general well-being, especially those of those who are vulnerable.

This study explores the comparison of websites of various State Islamic Religious Councils (SIRCs) in Malaysia using the Government Website and Service Monitoring System known as SPLaSK ratings. SPLaSK, an initiative by the Malaysian government serves as a critical tool for monitoring and evaluating the performance of government websites and services. By focusing on the SIRCs, this study seeks to identify patterns, strengths, and areas for improvement in digital governance. Using qualitative content analysis and semi-structured interviews, the study analyzes SPLaSK ratings of SIRCs to understand how these councils utilize digital platforms to engage with the public, disseminate information, and provide services. Websites registered with SPLaSK are assessed based on six (6) dimensions, namely accessibility, ease of use, quality of content, privacy or security, responsiveness, and reliability. It has been disclosed that only 10 out of 14 SIRCs were registered with SPLaSK in 2023, with 40% achieving excellent ratings of above 80%. The overall scores of the websites also suggest that four (4) SIRCs have underperformed, receiving scores below 50, attributed to inefficient website management. The findings offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of SPLaSK in promoting transparency, efficiency, and user-friendliness in government digital services, thus contributing to the broader discourse on digital governance within government agencies in Malaysia.