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.

Malaysia is a country rich in biodiversity, particularly in its flora and fauna. Malaysian forests have been exploited for their valuable products since ancient times. One of these high-value products is agarwood ( Aquilaria malaccensis ), a highly prized commodity used for various purposes such as incense, perfume, traditional medicine, essential oils, and other products in the global market. Although there are several existing reviews on topics related to agarwood, many focus on specific aspects such as its chemical composition, traditional uses, or cultivation techniques. This review aims to provide a holistic and updated perspective on Agarwood, emphasising its ecological functions, threats, and market potential within the Malaysian context. By integrating recent findings and addressing regional nuances, this article seeks to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of agarwood's multifaceted significance. It draws on literature from abstracts, full-text articles in journals, books, reports, and electronic sources, including Springer, Elsevier, Routledge, Emerald, PubMed, Taylor and Francis, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, and Science Direct, as well as other relevant websites. Agarwood is a source of numerous economic, social, and environmental benefits that contribute significantly to the well-being of forest-dependent rural communities, regional and national economies, and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 15, which focuses on sustainable forest management.

Research on consumer furniture purchasing, longstanding, has recently expanded globally, focusing on diverse factors influencing buying behavior. Although interest in this subject is expanding, there aren't enough thorough and rigorous reviews, which results in a fragmented understanding of how consumers behave when buying furniture. Hence, this study aims to identify which research topics of interest are more evident in consumer purchasing behavior on furniture and provide future researchers with directions to explore other research areas on purchasing furniture. Adopting the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) search methodology, the searched keywords included “consumer*” OR “purchasing*” OR “purchase*” AND “furniture”, extracted from the Wiley Online Library electronic database. The study applied specific inclusion criteria, including publication dates from 2015 to 2025, country, methodology, model/theory, and other dimensions. Through a comprehensive method-based systematic literature review, out of the 61 initial records, two articles published in the consumer behavior purchasing furniture literature were included. Key trends, top publication sources and contributors, and the present body of research regarding furniture-buying consumer behavior are all identified by this study. This review highlights the limited methodological and geographical diversity of existing studies on furniture purchasing behavior. Some relevant research may not have been included, as the analysis was confined to studies meeting the review’s specific inclusion criteria. This paper contributes to uncovering the literature on consumer purchasing behavior on furniture to date. This review might act as a basic and instructive guideline for scholars to continue expanding knowledge in the topic with the suggested future research directions.

This study examines the operational workflow and governance structure of Islamic donation-based crowdfunding, focusing on its alignment with Shariah principles and ethical financial practices. Islamic donation-based crowdfunding provides a faith-based mechanism for charitable contributions through digital platforms. Employing a qualitative document analysis approach, this research identifies four key stages in the end-to-end campaign process: project application, fundraising, post-campaign reporting, and fund disbursement. The findings show that campaign initiators begin by submitting proposals for platform approval, followed by public fundraising. Upon project completion, initiators are required to report on fund utilisation and outcomes. A notable feature of most platforms is that funds are disbursed directly to beneficiaries or service providers, rather than to project owners, reinforcing the principles of trust (amanah) and public benefit (maslahah) in Islamic finance. However, the study also finds inconsistencies in verification procedures and post-campaign accountability across platforms. It aligns with concerns raised by previous studies regarding the need for enhanced governance mechanisms. These variations highlight the need for a more standardized governance structure. In conclusion, the study highlights the need for a unified, Shariah-compliant framework to enhance transparency, build donor confidence, and uphold the objectives of Islamic Law (maqasid al-Shariah), particularly justice (‘adl), social responsibility (mas’uliyyah), and social welfare.