Findings of studies on the presence of immigrant workers in Malaysia often present negative social and economic implications. Their entry into the country is frequently a contentious issue due to their presence associated often with illegal foreign workers. This paper however is an attempt to provide insights into the involvement of Indonesian immigrants in the food business sector, their business adaptability and their survival strategies in a foreign land. The Indonesian immigrants’ experiences, from their beginnings in Sabah until their current social and community achievements, are presented in this study. Anchored on a biography study orientation and the in-depth interview method, this exploratory study examines the life experiences of five food business entrepreneurs in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah using the snowball effect as a sampling method with the subsequent data analysed thematically. Findings indicate determination and dedication as the main threads in the positive survival among Indonesian food business entrepreneurs. This study identifies seven survival strategies instrumental to the success and adaptability of the Indonesian immigrant community in their host country. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that (1) not all immigrants become liabilities to their host country and community, (2) some immigrants develop local communities by building public religious schools, and (3) some immigrants contribute to the development of local economies. The findings from this study can be utilised to develop better and more positive social and economic development overtures that could sustain a harmonious and peaceful society.

This study investigated the relationship between the employability of science graduates of a public university in Malaysia and their English language proficiency. Utilising a quantitative research design, the study involved 3,918 graduates from the 2015, 2016 and 2017 graduating years. Using available secondary data, three variables were examined: the graduates’ employment status, their English Language course results, and their Malaysian University Entrance Test (MUET) results. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Chi-square test. Findings showed the number of unemployed graduates was consistently greater than employed graduates although the unemployment percentage decreased progressively each year. No conclusive evidence however could be ascertained to suggest English Language proficiency as the main determinant affecting employability since the highest number of employed and unemployed graduates were from the Intermediate and Upper Intermediate language proficiency range. This points to other factors impacting employability which higher learning institutions may need to address in order to add value to their graduates’ future work credentials.

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Development at times brings to fore conflict between tradition and the need to modernise so as to keep abreast with current trends and approaches. In some rapid developing economies such as Malaysia, the populace is still generally conservative in terms of how they portray themselves particularly in style and fashion. Malaysians, particularly the older generation, are inclined to be selective and prefer fashion and attire forms that are modest and not exposing body shape or skin mainly due to religious and cultural norms and sensitivities. This traditional