Past studies on employability of graduates have placed great emphasis on the supply side efforts in generic skills development which includes the tertiary curriculum design and delivery mechanisms. However, the responsibility of employers in providing training to prospective graduates and collaborating with universities in enhancing generic skills has been raised. On the demand side, there are numerous studies that have examined employer’s perspective in the private sector but few studies have examined employer’s perspective in the public sector. The objectives in this study are twofold: (1) to identify employers’ perception of the ideal generic skills that graduate employees should possess, and (2) to elicit employers’ perception of the lack of generic skills that prospective graduates (i.e. industrial trainees) currently possess. A qualitative research design was utilized, involving primary interview data collected through 16 key informant interviews of employers in the public sector in Kuantan and Johor Bahru. These key informant employers were selected from the UKM’s social science industrial trainees who attended training at these two sites. These interview data were analyzed using content analysis. The findings indicate that there are specific generic skills in the area of information and social interaction skills that the public sector employers seek from the graduates. This study implies the need for a stakeholder-responsibility approach in prescribing a comprehensive normative solution to the employability of graduates. In addition, it also postulates that the culture of learning and gaining varied skills in different spheres of life need to be inculcated amongst students from early years.

Place-making is crucial in tourism destination as how it evolves and develops over time plays a significantly rolein destination’s sustainability. As ecotourism is often perceived as an excellent tool for promoting sustainabledevelopment, including in the Biosphere Reserve (BR), any initiatives in promoting this destination, therefore,have to be in a responsible manner, representing a real experience of the destination. While there is copious ofliterature on ecotourism in the BRs, no research has been conducted on how place-making of ecotourism in TasikChini from its evolution to the current status of Biosphere Reserve. Taking into account the needs ofplace-making that fits the aspiration of a sustainable destination, this article aims to analyze how place-makingof Tasik Chini evolved and being developed in the life cycle of Tasik Chini as an ecotourism destination, aimingat tracing on travel engagement and ecotourism experiences. The study reveals four major components that drivethe place-making of ecotourism in Tasik Chini, from exploratory to contemporary towards achieving sustainabledevelopment: the state of ecotourism in the BR, who the segments are, involvement of community and thegovernment intervention and support system. It is imperative an integrated place-making of ecotourismdestination be promoted and enhanced by all stakeholders in the future undertaking.

In this article, two great world religions, Islam and Buddhism, are compared. The purpose is to highlight similarities and differences between the two religions. Additionally, this article aims to project elements and teachings that are deemed important by their followers. A neutral stance on their beliefs is especially important in a multicultural society. The study was conducted to promote the harmony and betterment of Malaysian society, and the nation at large; a value process of understanding of each religion is recommended, which can then lead to acceptance, respect and tolerance among the population, and form the basis for developing a paradigmatic Malaysian society that has unity in diversity. This study adopted document analysis as the research method for data collection and data analysis. The conclusions drawn are that, although the two religions appear rather different in terms of principles and practices, the core values of avoiding evil and doing good are similar. In addition, the study proposes that without prejudice and pride, the basics of all commonly practiced religions in Malaysia should be introduced to all Malaysians, with the objective of all understanding, but not necessarily embracing, each other’s religion.

With advancements in technology, social media has revolutionised the way farmers communicate, resulting in an increased level of shared agricultural knowledge. Therefore, this study investigates social media literacy among oil palm smallholders in East Malaysia and the association with oil palm integration practices. A survey of 194 respondents was conducted using a random sampling method. The survey questionnaire was adapted from several previous studies on social media literacy. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, involving t-test, ANOVA, and logistic regression were conducted. Social media literacy was significantly higher among oil palm smallholders who were younger, with higher educational levels (p < 0.05). The logistic regression analysis showed that as the level of social media literacy increased, the probability for agricultural integration practices also increased (odds ratio (OR) = 1.052; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.022, 1.083). However, smallholders needed to optimise their use of social media to provide greater benefits to their agriculture. The findings of this study are useful in illustrating that interventions in social media literacy may efficiently facilitate oil palm integration. The results of this study can provide information and recommendations towards policies for the modernising of oil palm farming in Malaysia. Such studies, however, need to be further expanded by involving a larger sample of smallholders nationwide, to represent the geography of smallholders with varying levels of internet accessibility in Malaysia.

This paper aims to identify the pattern of financial behavior among female teachers in Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor. A total of 325 female teachers was involved in the study. Questionnaires were used in the survey to collect data. Data on questions relating to socioeconomic background, financial knowledge and financial behavior were gathered. The financial behavior pattern was formulated using the 5-Likert scale and financial knowledge with the choice of either ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer. The analysis showed four dimensions that were interrelated on the assessment measurement of financial behavior: i) planning, ii) cash flow management, iii) saving and iv) usage of credit card. Descriptive analysis includes t-test and ANOVA were used to analyze the differences between the mean score of financial behavior across the factors such as age, level of education, monthly income and financial knowledge level. The findings showed the respondents had a substantial mean score in the four dimensions of financial behavior described above. The highest mean score was on the dimension of cash flow management which involve activities of paying bills and other expenses by installments. The findings also showed respondents aged more than 45 years old had good financial behavior in term of saving. In another word, as they grew older they cultivate better saving habit. The findings also showed that the respondents with the good financial behavior were among those who were good in saving their income. Further study is suggested to identify factors that influence the financial behavior among teachers. The financial behavior can describe the financial well-being of an individual or group which has an impact on the individual productivity level.

Ecotourism is often perceived as an excellent tool for promoting sustainable development in most of the protected and special areas, including the Biosphere Reserve (BR). In fact, ecotourism can help to revive a declining tourist destination as it preserves nature and support rehabilitation and most importantly, it fits well with the Biosphere Reserve functions of conservation, development and logistics. This article aims to analyse the life cycle of Tasik Chini as an ecotourism destination, by focusing on the following aspects, namely travel engagement, ecotourism approaches and revitalization initiatives. This study utilized a mixed method approach by combining the primary and secondary data in tracing the evolution, development and the existing stage of ecotourism. The study reveals that the four major components which drive ecotourism program/initiatives toward achieving sustainable development are the state of ecotourism in the BR, the targeted segments of the community, the extent of community involvement as well as the supportive infrastructure for ecotourism. As ecotourism in the BR significantly promotes learning and research, smart partnership or collaboration between the stakeholders will help generate true eco-tourists. It is therefore imperative that ecotourism initiatives in the context of the BR is revitalised as it will enable a reflective analysis of the destination’s life cycle. The intervention of credible initiatives can fulfil the real and future roles of ecotourism in sustainable development.