The palm oil industry has contributed enormously to the economic growth of developing countries in the tropics, including Malaysia. Despite the industry being a development tool for emerging economies, the oil palm crop is inundated with allegations of its unsustainable plantation practices and viewed as environmentally detrimental and socially adverse. These negative perceptions are amplified through anti-palm oil campaigns and protectionist trade regulations in developed countries, particularly in the European Union (EU). This situation, if further exacerbated, could potentially affect the export of palm oil and the industry as a whole. As such, this article provides a critical review of the key sustainability issues faced by the Malaysian palm oil industry as the second biggest exporter of palm oil to the global market. The various insights and the interpretations of sustainability are contested according to the contexts and the interests of the countries involved. Hence, palm oil is constantly exposed to bias masked by non-tariff barriers from consumer countries to protect their domestically produced vegetable oils. This could constrain the commodity competitiveness in the international market. As issues on palm oil sustainability continue to evolve, policymakers at key stakeholder agencies need to devise strategies to manage global disruption in the palm oil trade.

Disaster Communication in Managing Vulnerabilities

We live in a world where hatred and conflicts divide individuals, society, and countries. Although all faith systems and school curriculums emphasize some degree of peaceful co-existence, love, and compassion, the real-world situation is indeed abysmal. How can a naturalistic and altruistic logic of bioethics enhance divine and human-centric values in enabling social cohesion? As such, this paper proposes the integration of bioethics and value-based education principles into the education curriculum to help mitigate social conflicts and promote harmony in society. By employing conceptual and theoretical reviews, the paper attempts to shed light on how these principles can help to mitigate hatred and conflicts in society. Further, through matrix analysis, the study shows the relationships between the four main bioethics principles, respect for autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice, and the values expounded in value-based education. The study finds that by integrating bioethics principles into value-based education, learners are able to internalize the values of social cohesion and tolerance, and reflect these values in their learning experiences. Bioethics principles amplify the expressions of values promoted in value-based education, and this, in turn, motivates the learners to change from social conflict behaviors to social cohesion aptitude while dealing with others in society. Social cohesion enables individuals and groups to develop social bonds and societal peace ownership.

This paper investigates the collaborative and benefit-sharing approaches to conflict management in the management of cross-border water resources for the sustainable development of the Kabul River Basin riparian states of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The study offers an understanding of water management strategies concerning peace, progress and development, and sustainability. Using an interpretative social science approach, this paper investigates the impacts of water scarcity and stress, hydro-politics, water diplomacy, and water issues among co-riparian countries. It also investigates how cross-border river management impacts river water sustainability and sustainable cross-border water management strategies. The paper finds that the most significant factor in resolving and managing cross-border water disputes is to employ a collective and combined method of water management based on cooperation and benefit-sharing. This is in addition to providing an immediate cost-effective benefit of improving water supply, hydroelectric generation, and agricultural production, as well as future communal and monetary benefits for the public who reside and work the river basin. The paper proposes establishing a combined cross-border basin authority for both Afghanistan and Pakistan in order to effectively realize the benefits of the Kabul River Basin.

Malaysia has the highest infection rate in Southeast Asia, with over 1 million positive COVID-19 cases and over 8500 deaths. The National Immunization Programme, which began in late February 2021, had a particularly slow vaccination rate, with only 4% of the targeted group receiving vaccination in three months. The delay has sparked a lot of public debate and concern, especially in light of allegations of vaccine injustice, unclear prioritization, queue jumping by people in positions of power, and other aspects of the vaccination process. Using an interpretative social science approach, this paper examines the ethical issues that arise in Malaysia’s COVID-19 vaccination discourse, focusing on vaccine justice and the bioethical principle of ‘respect for autonomy’. The paper finds that despite several shortfalls in the immunization process, most Malaysians remain optimistic and support the government’s immunization initiatives. The paper contributes to the understanding that building public trust is critical to the success of the immunization programme. Health agencies should make more efforts to inform the public about the benefits and risks of vaccines, as well as the transparency of immunization processes, which will increase public trust in health systems.

Vietnam is a vibrant and emerging South East Asian economy. However, the country faces a challenging task in meeting rising energy demand and the need to securitize energy while addressing the negative environmental impact of fossil fuel utilization. Growing concerns about sustainable development have led Vietnam to develop civilian nuclear energy for electricity generation. Nuclear power is widely recognized as a clean, mature and reliable energy source. Its inclusion in Vietnam’s energy mix by 2030 is expected to supplement other energy sources from fossil fuel, hydropower plants, renewable resources and energy imports. Despite strong reservations in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster, Vietnam has pursued its national nuclearization program. Civilian nuclear energy development has been widely regarded as a controversial issue, although it is intended for peaceful purposes and as a solution for long-term energy security. Anxiety over nuclear safety measures, inadequate nuclear regulatory mechanisms, lack of institutionalized radioactive waste management, the threat of nuclear accident, theft and terrorism, and nuclear proliferation have marred public perception. The apprehension towards nuclear energy development has raised serious questions on the ethics and risks of the technology. Using a qualitative approach of reviewing published scholarly research, we investigated the ethical and risk issues that manifest in civilian nuclear energy development in Vietnam. Our findings reveal that the conundrum of civilian nuclear energy revolves around balancing energy security, environment preservation and societal well-being with ethical and risk predicaments of nuclear energy.