The global push for sustainable development has brought environmental issues to the fore. As minimizing environmental deterioration implies reducing energy consumption, this has come under intense discussion among economists and policymakers. This is because it may affect productivity, and thus slow economic growth ensues. Most earlier studies focused on overall energy consumption rather than energy use by sector to see how it can affect CO₂ emissions. However, little research has been conducted on the connection between energy use in particular sectors, such as agriculture and transportation, and CO₂ emissions. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impacts of energy use in Malaysia’s transportation, industrial, and agricultural sectors and foreign direct investment (FDI) on CO₂ emissions between 1989 and 2019. The ARDL technique is employed, and the results demonstrate that energy consumption in the transportation sector has a greater impact on CO₂ emissions than in the industrial sector. On the other hand, energy use in the agricultural sector reduces CO₂ emissions. These findings may help policymakers formulate the right policies in specific sectors to benefit communities. They will be at low risk of suffering from diseases attributed to environmental degradation.

Previous studies have investigated various determinants of CO₂ emissions, such as energy use, economic expansion and population growth. However, foreign workers have not been treated as a potential determinant. Therefore, this research embarks on an investigation into the impacts of energy use, foreign workers and tourist arrivals on CO₂ emissions in Malaysia from 1982 to 2018. An ARDL approach was employed, and the findings showed that natural gas and electricity use insignificantly influence CO₂ emissions. Tourist arrivals, coal use and oil use were found to positively influence CO₂ emissions, while foreign workers and population growth insignificantly influence CO₂ emissions. It was found that in the early stages of development, higher GDP negatively influences CO₂ emissions, but in the final stages, higher GDP positively influences CO₂ emissions. These findings are important for formulating policies to reduce environmental degradation stemming from higher CO₂ emissions. Malaysia should use more renewable energy sources, and a carbon tax could be imposed to reduce environmental degradation.

This study uses panel ARDL analysis to investigate the connections between GDP growth, environmental degradation, and public debt in the ASEAN-5 countries (Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, and Indonesia) from 1996 to 2021. It appears that economic development can increase public debt, but investment can reduce public debt in the long run. Moreover, there is a positive correlation between savings and public debt, but only in the short run. These findings raise important considerations for policymakers in striking a balance between economic development, environmental sustainability, and public debt. This study also suggests that savings may positively affect public debt in Indonesia. In contrast, investment may raise debt in the short term in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. The possible effects of corruption on public debt in the Philippines and environmental damage in both that country and Thailand are also highlighted. Keeping public debt at a manageable level requires policies that balance economic development and environmental protection, as emphasized by this research.

This study examines how cultural heritage and gender roles shape achievement motivation among 12 women entrepreneurs in the batik and songket industries in Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu and Kota Bharu, Kelantan, East Coast Malaysia, using McClelland’s theory of needs as a conceptual framework. The study operationalizes the constructs of need for achievement (nAch), power (nPow), and affiliation (nAff) to analyze how family attitudes, socialization, inherited skills, and personal interests influence entrepreneurial motivation in heritage business contexts. A qualitative case study design was employed, with participants selected through purposive and snowball sampling from a population of 458 registered entrepreneurs. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically to identify patterns linking cultural and gender factors to motivational drives. Findings show that intrinsic achievement motivation (nAch) predominates over profit motives, while nAff and nPow are expressed through collaborative networks and leadership in business operations. The study’s original contribution lies in linking family heritage and gender roles with McClelland’s motivational constructs, providing a framework to support women-led heritage entrepreneurship and preserve Malaysia’s cultural crafts.