Despite Malaysia's tremendous economic growth and remarkable achievement in poverty reduction for the nation, pockets of poverty remain in certain regions. Pockets of poverty could be analysed using micro data when macro data is unable to provide a clear understanding on the existence of poverty. This study assesses the pockets of poverty in the Northern States of Malaysia. Northern States of Malaysia consist of Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Perak. The objectives of this paper are twofold: to identify pockets of poverty in the Northern States of Malaysia using household income data and to determine the factors that affect these pockets of poverty. Pockets of poverty in this region are investigated among strata, ethnic groups, income level and education. For this purpose, the National Poverty Line Income (PLI) is determined to specify the poor. Logistic probability function is estimated to assess factors that influenced poverty in the Northern States of Malaysia. This study uses the Household Income Survey (HIS) data for 2009 and 2012. From data analysis, it could be concluded that pockets of poverty exist among elderly, women, Bumiputera and those living in the rural areas. Logistic probability analysis indicates that variables that are statistically significant in influencing poverty are age, gender, location, education level, Chinese (ethnic group) and married (marital status). These findings are vital to develop appropriate policy orientation in targeting the correct group in solving poverty.

The advantage of today's millennials is that the amount of information at their fingertips is almost unlimited. They may be particularly capable of looking for opportunities in the new economic environment of the era of epidemics. However, the study on social media's influence on the development of entrepreneurial skills among millennials has received little attention thus far. In addressing this gap, this study explores the influence of social media as perceived entrepreneurial skills learned by millennials. This study also emphasizes social media usage and the consequences of environmental degradation. Keywords: social media, entrepreneurship, skill acquisition eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI:

PurposeCurrently, Malaysia uses the Poverty Line Income (PLI) to measure poverty. This is because income measurement is the easiest way to collect data, but in its simplicity, it fails to capture the broader meaning and implications of poverty. Asset index is one of the non-monetary poverty measurements which have been established by researchers but not used in measuring poverty in Malaysia. A household might be poor in income, but assets may prevent them from being trapped in poverty.Design/methodology/approachThis study will reassess the poverty of 302 households in the Northern States of Malaysia using the asset index and also the current state of poverty incidence with change under asset index.FindingsThe results show that households in the Northern States of Malaysia are interpreted as being ‘poorer’ when poverty is measured using assets as opposed to income alone. Besides that, poverty incidence of Malay households, households living in urban area and households with middle-aged heads have high poverty incidence, while households with a head of households that is single and highly educated have low poverty incidence. The logistic regression analysis shows that the determinants of poverty incidence based on the asset index are Indian, Penang and Perak State, the age of the head of household, distance to the education centre from home.Originality/valueThis study shows the asset index measurement which have not been done in Malaysia. This will contribute to the improvement of poverty measurement of the country.

The spread of the Corona Virus Disease pandemic is so fast that it poses a health threat and an economic crisis. Since the beginning of March, COVID-19 has spread in Indonesia. Some economic elements, such as the exchange rate, share prices, and so on, have been quite turbulent. This study analyzes the effect of Corona Virus Disease variable (COVID-19), as well as national stock price variables, world oil price variables and exchange rates of countries in ASEAN on IDR / USD exchange rate volatility in the long term and short term. The approach used is a quantitative analysis with the ARDL method and using the ARCH / GARCH method to calculate exchange rate volatility. Estimation results in the selected model show that national stock prices, COVID-19, and world oil prices have a significant effect. Both have a negative correlation with exchange rate volatility in the long run. In the short term, only the national stock price variable does not affect the exchange rate volatility. In contrast, the COVID-19 variable and world oil prices have a significant effect, and each is positively and negatively related to exchange rate volatility. Estimation results show that the exchange rates of countries in ASEAN affected exchange rate volatility during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Malaysia is heavily dependent on landfilling as a method of waste disposal, and as a result, severe space constraints, health issues, and environmental issues will eventually affect the country. This essay aims to give a general overview of solid waste recycling in Malaysia at the level that affects a community or country the most, the family. In Malaysia, households are the main producers of municipal solid waste, with recyclable materials making up between 70 and 80 percent of the total waste found in landfills. To improve solid waste management from a recycling perspective, it is important to consider Malaysia's current household solid waste recycling policy and program status. Wastes are still dumped in open areas of land without any attempt at recovery or recycling, despite the high potential and opportunities for doing so. Malaysia's rate of 5% illustrates the rarity of this practice when compared to recycling rates in neighboring nations. The government is committed to greatly enhancing solid waste management services for all citizens, particularly waste minimization. Since wastes, separation, and recycling make up a sizable portion of the major changes in the current policy implementation, it is a good thing that the emphasis on recycling as a sustainable waste management strategy has undergone a paradigm shift. The question of whether the 2020 goals can be met is still up in the air, but there is a chance for a successful implementation of sustainable solid waste management. These issues and challenges in recycling practice were highlighted in this context.