Saad Mohd Said

East Asian Labor Markets and the Economic Crisis: Impacts, Responses and Lessons

The sudden, and often painful consequences of the financial crisis in East and Southern Asia, led to disappearing employment, and earning opportunities in the formal sector, reduced incomes, and meager social assistance. Thus, these difficult events of the late 1990s, raised questions for the regions countries, regarding the labor market aspects of the crisis, and the needed labor policy reforms for the long term. It is in this framework that the World Bank, and the International Labor Organization (ILO) sponsored a series of papers on policy options, i.e., unemployment benefits, active labor market programs, support for vulnerable groups, and social dialogue, which were presented at the Tokyo Workshop in October 1999. This book includes those country reports, and international policy papers, in a revised form to reflect the seminar discussions. It describes how regional labor markets were affected, and how governments, and communities responded, and, looks forward in setting out the labor policy options for the future, based on international experience. A follow-up project, will focus on the application of active, and passive labor programs, to be discussed at a regional seminar in early 2001.

SMEs in the Malaysian Economy

This study provides comprehensive analysis of the contribution of and challenges facing SMEs in the Malaysian economy. In particular, it looks at the contribution of the SMEs to create employment opportunities and provide stimulus to economic growth, backward and forward linkages, expanding entrepreneurial bases and developing human capital. The study also outlines the challenges and opportunities faced by Malaysian SMEs in an increasingly globalized world.

The determinants of industrial accidents in the Malaysian manufacturing sector

This study analyzes the determinants of industrial accidents across 44 four-digit manufacturing industries in Malaysia from 1993 to 2008 through the business cycle and structural approaches. The results of pooled ordinary least square and fixed-effects estimations revealed that industrial accidents in Malaysian manufacturing sector were negatively influenced by firm size and positively influenced by business cycle. Consistent with the findings of previous studies in other countries, the empirical evidence of this study supports the pro-cyclical behavior of injury rates in manufacturing industries towards business cycle. The analysis demonstrates that both structural and cyclical variation effects are important determinants of industrial accidents in Malaysia.

Demographic and Socioeconomic Factors Influencing Public Attitudes Toward a Presumed Consent System for Organ Donation Without and With a Priority Allocation Scheme.

Abstract The influence of demographic and socioeconomic factors on the publics attitude towards a presumed consent system (PCS) of organ donation was estimated in 2 scenarios: without and with a priority allocation scheme (PAS). Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 775 respondents. Using multiple logistic regressions, respondents’ objections to donating organs in both scenarios were estimated. In total, 63.9% of respondents would object to donating under a PCS, whereas 54.6% would object under a PCS with a PAS. Respondents with pretertiary education were more likely to object than were respondents with tertiary education, in both the first (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.615) and second (AOR = 1.728) scenarios. Young respondents were less likely to object than were middle-aged respondents, in both the first (AOR = 0.648) and second (AOR = 0.572) scenarios. Respondents with mid-ranged personal monthly income were more likely to object than were respondents with low income, in both the first (AOR = 1.994) and second (AOR = 1.519) scenarios. It does not seem that Malaysia is ready to implement a PCS. The educational level, age, and income of the broader public should be considered if a PCS, without or with a PAS, is planned for implementation in Malaysia.