Uncontrolled drug and substance use (DSU) may pose unprecedented threats to nation building and a country’s socioeconomic development. Despite considerable efforts made and resources used to address DSU concerns, Malaysia has seen a significant annual rise in cases of DSU. The bulk of the reported cases originate from youth between the ages of 15 and 40 years. To date, data related to DSU in Malaysia have been entirely dependent on operation statistics, arrest counts, and reported cases; DSU may therefore be under-reported and the data obtained not representative at the national level. This study aims to determine the prevalence of DSU among Malaysian youth through a large nationwide representative survey. Of the population of 11,129,316 youth aged 15–40 years, the prevalence of DSU among lifetime users was found to be 5.5%, while for those who had taken drugs in the past 30 days or who currently use them, the prevalence of DSU was found to be 3.5%. The most popular drugs for lifetime users were kratom or Mitragyna speciosa, while for current users the most popular drug was cannabis. The current study reports the magnitude of the problem at a country-wide level, which is a crucial preliminary effort for crafting evidence-based and well-informed policies.

This study explored the pressing issue of drug and substance abuse (DSA) among adolescents in drug hotspots in Malaysia. The Malaysian Anti-drug Agency (AADK) has identified 155 hotspot areas across Malaysia, of which 78 were randomly selected as the study sites. These areas were identified as having extreme drug-related activities such as drug trafficking and drug-related crimes. According to the literature, several factors influence adolescents to be involved in DSA. Therefore, understanding the risk factors in the context of Malaysian school-going adolescents is of utmost importance. The study examined, in particular, a wide range of potential predictors, including socioeconomic factors, peer influence, family dynamics, educational experiences, drug access, and community characteristics. Adolescents in the hotspot areas were selected by means of a cross-sectional survey design with a cluster sampling method. The sample comprised 3382 school-going adolescents, and the data were collected through face-to-face interviews. The logit model method with STATA software was used to analyse the data. The findings of the study revealed that school-going adolescents with disciplinary issues face a two-fold increase in the risk of becoming current drug users compared to their peers. Further, those exhibiting externalising behaviours, such as aggression and rule-breaking, also face greater odds of becoming involved in DSA. Drug pushers were identified as the most significant risk factor, with adolescents exposed to them being 46 times more likely to become current drug users. The factors of friends and family also contribute significantly to adolescent drug involvement. However, adolescents with academic-related issues may be less involved if they have the protective factor of better coping skills. These findings will contribute to efforts to mitigate drug addiction and drug-related activities, particularly in high-risk communities, as well as help policymakers and healthcare professionals develop targeted interventions and generally promote the well-being of adolescents.

Good agricultural practice (GAP) helps increase productivity by producing fresh fruit bunches (FFBs), and selling FFBs will increase Independent Smallholders’ (ISH) income. However, although GAP promotes increased productivity, the effectiveness of GAP in delivering the well-being of the ISH in oil palm production areas remains to be determined. To that end, this study (i) measures the smallholder’s well-being index, (ii) compares the well-being index by states in Malaysia, and (iii) maps the relationship between GAP implementation, productivity, and well-being. The study selected respondents using purposive sampling (PS). PS identifies and selects individuals with Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification and knowledge and experience of GAP. As a result, the research interviewed 564 ISHs with MSPO certification from 162 Sustainable Palm Oil Clusters (SPOC). The study used Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and the Structural Equation Model (SEM) framework to achieve the objectives. The study found that the average ISH well-being index was 0.62, and ISHs in Sabah had the highest well-being, with 0.73 compared to other states. The study also found that GAP influences productivity and is positively and significantly related to well-being. Therefore, it indicates to ISHs and the government the importance of GAP implementation to increase ISHs’ productivity and well-being.

Although the extent of illicit drug use (IDU) among youths is alarming, there are only a handful of mechanisms that explain the pathway-interactions between IDU and mental health (MH). As such, the present study examines the mediating effects of familial support (FS) and religiosity (R) on IDU among Malaysian youths. Between January 2020 and July 2021, a nationwide interviewer administered face-to-face cross-sectional survey was conducted among 9818 youths aged 15–40, who were selected via multi-stage complex sampling. The validated local versions of the depression, anxiety, and stress scales (DASS-21); alcohol, smoking and substance involvement screening test (ASSIST); the multidimensional scale of perceived social support; and the religious commitment inventory-10 were used to assess the respondents' perceived MH status, IDU, FS, and R. Generalised structural equation modelling (GSEM) was then used to examine the intricate correlations between the variables via Stata version 14.0. The lifetime prevalence of IDU among Malaysian youths was 0.7% for opiates and 2.5% for cannabis, while the prevalence of ongoing IDU was 0.3% for opiates and 1.5% for cannabis. The direct effects logit and mediation models revealed significant correlations between perceived anxiety (path coefficient (β) = 0.114, p < 0.001), depression (β = 0.201, p < 0.001), stress/pressure (β = 0.067, p < 0.001) and IDU. Familial support (FS) (β = -0.097, p < 0.001) and R (β = -0.042, p < 0.001) were found to prevent IDU. More specifically, FS mediated anxiety, depression, and IDU while strong R discouraged IDU and provide depressed or stressed youths alternative coping mechanisms. Therefore, FS and R are important potential buffers against the many MH challenges associated with IDU. As such, interventions that strengthen FS and promote genuine R must be considered to mitigate IDU among youths.

The high prevalence rate of tobacco consumption among teenage school students has become a global issue with profound implications for their developmental trajectory. Research conducted at drug-abuse hot-spots as a proximal factor related to tobacco use has been limited. Therefore, the present study examined the prevalence, risk factors, and protective factors of tobacco use among adolescents at drug-abuse hot-spots in Malaysia. Through stratified random sampling, the nationwide sample comprised 3382 school-going adolescents (71.4% male; mean age = 15.35 years [SD = 2.79]). The prevalence of tobacco use was 19.0% for current use and 28.5% for lifetime use. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that being male, being an older adolescent, living in urban areas, living many years in the hot-spot area, parental divorce, and having a high external locus of control were significant risk factors for tobacco use. High internal locus of control and good problem-coping skills were protective factors for tobacco use. Policy implications and suggestions for future research are discussed for the prevention and intervention of tobacco use among school-going adolescents.

This study investigates whether enterprise risk management (ERM) functions as a mediating mechanism through which audit committee effectiveness (ACE) and internal audit (reflected by its arrangement and expenses) influence financial reporting lag (FRL). This study also tests (a) the nonlinearity of the ERM–FRL relationship and (b) the heterogeneity in the FRL that affects the relationship. The analysis is grounded in agency theory and the resource-based view and draws on 2,352 firm-year observations of companies listed on Bursa Malaysia from 2012 to 2015. The study employs panel static models to account for unobserved heterogeneity across firms alongside threshold regression and quantile regression methodologies. This approach captures nonlinear and distributional effects in the relationship between the variables. The findings indicate that investment in internal audit is essential to enhancing ERM effectiveness, which subsequently contributes to reducing FRL. Additionally, the results show that ERM mediates the relationship between ACE and FRL particularly at low levels of ERM effectiveness and when FRL is not excessively prolonged. The study highlights the importance of ERM in preparing financial reports, thus emphasising its role in ensuring a short FRL for timely decision-making by shareholders. It contributes to the financial reporting literature by offering novel insights into the nonlinear and heterogeneous effects of ERM on reporting timeliness.