The respect for patient autonomy is a bioethical principle that has acquired a compelling degree of prevalence in modern medical practice. While a doctor is ethically and lawfully bound to respect a patient’s preference and personal values in administering the requisite treatment, the duty to do so is more intricate in end-of-life care, when most patients are unable to partake in the decision-making process. An advance medical directive thus provides an assurance that the patient’s right to make autonomous decisions is preserved and will not be defeated by any future incapacity. It also serves to alleviate the ethical dilemma faced by doctors and assist them to determine the course of treatment according to the incompetent patient’s wishes. In turn, this facilitates healthcare providers to effectuate a more functional allocation of resources, which include costly life-sustaining equipment. In Malaysia, although advance care planning and advance medical directives are fairly novel concepts, there have been recent calls by certain sectors to increase awareness among the public and incorporate such measures into the delivery of healthcare services. This paper seeks to discuss the viability of integrating advance medical directives into the Malaysian regulatory framework on the provision of healthcare. Accordingly, this will also include deliberation on the Islamic standpoint with regard to the subject matter, in view of Malaysia’s religious demography and the position of Islam as the official religion of the country.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic is catastrophic and caused negative psychological effects among patients, healthcare workers and their surroundings. This study aims to determine the prevalence of depression and general anxiety disorders (GAD) among stable hospitalized COVID-19 patients.MethodsA cross-sectional study via web-based online survey involving 401 patients in the main COVID-19 hospitals in Malaysia who were selected via quota sampling. The questionnaire consists of socio-demographic profile, Patient Health Questionnaire 9 items (PHQ-9), General Anxiety Disorders 7 items (GAD-7) and Brief COPE (Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced). The identified probable cases of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation were subsequently referred to psychiatrists.ResultThe prevalence of depression and anxiety were 7.5% and 7.0%, respectively. Besides that, 4.0% of respondents were suspected as having suicidal ideation. The prediction model revealed that females [aOR=5.29 (95% CI: 1.34, 20.80)], age 35-49 years old [aOR=7.47 (95% CI: 1.78, 31.30)], adopting behavioral disengagement [aOR=1.94 (95% CI: 1.31, 2.87)] and self-blame [aOR= 1.74 (95% CI: 1.31, 2.30)] as coping strategies, were significant predictors of depression. ConclusionsThe findings estimate the mental health burden among COVID-19 patients in Malaysia. The establishment of continuous mental health surveillance is essential in managing cases of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.

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Kerajaan Malaysia telah menggubal Dasar Wanita Negara (DWN) dan pelancaran pertamanya adalah pada tahun 1989 sehingga ke tahun 2020. Antara matlamat DWN, ialah perkongsian saksama antara wanita dan lelaki dalam memperoleh dan mengawal sumber dan peluang penyertaan serta menikmati manfaat pembangunan. Ini adalah peluang yang amat baik untuk menampilkan keupayaan wanita dalam semua sektor ekonomi negara. Kertas ini cuba menggariskan keserasian usaha ini dengan prinsip-prinsip al SiyÄsah al Syarciyyah.yang memartabatkan tadbir urus yang baik, penglibatan holistik, keperluan manusia dan kepentingan bersama. Kertas ini mengutarakan satu kajian kes yang meneliti lantikan wanita yang menganggotai lembaga pengarah bank dan badan penasihat Syariah bank di 16 buah institusi bank Islam di Malaysia dari tahun 2012 sehingga tahun 2018, suatu lantikan yang penting dan melibatkan pembuatan keputusan dalam sektor tersebut. Kajian mendapati bahawa sungguhpun tenaga kepakaran Malaysia di dalam sektor perbankan Islam telah diiktiraf di persada antarabangsa, penglibatan wanita sebagai penentu dasar dalam tempoh masih tidak mencapai sasaran minima 30%. Kertas ini mencadangkan peningkatan penglibatan wanita dalam sektor ini. Penglibatan wanita secara umum dalam penentuan dasar juga adalah selari dengan semangat al SiyÄsah al Syarciyyah untuk tadbir urus yang baik, penglibatan menyeluruh dan kelestarian pembangunan.

Background: Mental health has always been an important marker for survival especially in the case of disaster due to pandemic disease. Therefore, we aimed to determine the burden of among COVID-19 patients in Malaysia. This article describes the study protocol on the research project entitled “Mental Health Status of COVID-19 Patients in the Main Hospitals in Malaysia”.Method: A cross-sectional study via web-based online survey involving 401 patients in the main COVID-19 hospitals in Malaysia who were selected via quota sampling. The questionnaire consists of socio-demographic profile, Patient Health Questionnaire 9 items (PHQ-9), General Anxiety Disorders 7 items (GAD-7) and Brief COPE (Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced). The identified probable cases of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation were subsequently referred to psychiatrists.Discussion: The study should identify probable cases of depression and anxiety including suicidal ideation which should be managed appropriately by the psychiatrist in the participating hospital. The findings will reveal the current mental health burden towards COVID-19 patients.