Siew Hwa Yen

Income and Employment Multiplier Effects of the Malaysian Higher Education Sector

The aim of this article is to examine the income and employment multiplier effects of the higher education sector in Malaysia based on conventional input–output methodology. We examined simple, total, Type I and Type II income and employment multiplier effects of private and public higher education institutions (HEIs) in Malaysia. We found that private HEIs have larger direct and indirect income impacts than public HEIs. With the presence of household spending, both public and private HEIs have greater induced income impacts than direct and indirect income generation effects. We also found that Type I multipliers for private and public HEIs lead to additional income of 1.34 and 1.32 for every initial Ringgit of labour income, respectively, while Type II income multipliers for private and public HEIs account for additional income of 3.09 and 3.05, respectively. Higher education creates 1.21 workers per RM 10,000 investment. The overall results show that private higher education has a relatively greater income effect on the economy.compared to public higher education. The higher education sector is also found to be ineffective in creating new employment in the economy. JEL Classification: I23, I25

Financial Market Integration of ASEAN-5 with China and India

This study analyzes the evolution of stock market integration of ASEAN-5 with China, India, the US, and Japan based on the DCC-MGARCH approach. It also examines the structural breaks that affected the correlations between the countries by using the Bai and Perron multiple structural breaks test. The findings confirmed an increase in the financial integration between ASEAN-5 and China but still at a relatively low level. This financial integration became prominent after January 2004. The structural changes that led to a gradual rise in financial market interdependence between ASEAN-5 and China are mostly due to the enforcement of government laws and the establishment of regional trade policies. However, ASEAN-5 does not respond to external disturbance simultaneously and the impact of external turbulence on each ASEAN-5 member is different. In summary, investors in ASEAN-5 may gain by diversifying their portfolios in China in the short run.

The Synchronisation of ASEAN-5 Stock Markets with the Growth Rate Cycles of Selected Emerging and Developed Economies

This study explores the changing direction and degree of financial integration of the emerging economies, People’s Republic of China (PRC) and India, with ASEAN-5 and compares it to the developed economies, the US and Japan, in a time-varying framework. The concordance and rolling concordance indices are used to study the cyclical behaviour in the ASEAN-5 stock markets with the economic activity of the emerging and developed economies. This study covers the period between January 1991 and June 2010. One of the more significant findings from this study is that ASEAN-5 stock markets do not react as a whole to external shock from these four trading partners. Each stock market in ASEAN-5 responded differently in terms of direction and degree towards the influences of the economic condition in these emerging and developed economies. The ASEAN-5 stock markets were less correlated with economic activities in emerging economies but were more aligned with economic activities in developed economies. In summary, ASEAN-5 stock market cycles were still more dependent on the developed economies’ growth rate cycles.

Design of a randomised intervention study: the effect of dumbbell exercise therapy on physical activity and quality of life among breast cancer survivors in Malaysia

Background Participation in physical activity has a positive impact on the overall health and quality of life, whereas physical inactivity is associated with a poor prognosis among breast cancer survivors. Despite the health-enhancing benefits of physical activity, the majority of Malaysian breast cancer survivors are not physically active. This paper presents the design of a randomised study to evaluate the feasibility and effect of exercise therapy intervention using light resistance dumbbell exercise to promote active lifestyle and improve the quality of life of breast cancer survivors in Malaysia. Methods/design This is an intervention study of a 12-week exercise therapy that will explore and compare the effects of light resistance and aerobic exercise on physical activity level and quality of life components in 102 female breast cancer survivors. Major eligibility criteria include histologically confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer stages I–III, 3–12 months post-diagnosis, and absence of any disorder contraindicating exercise. Participants will be stratified based on menopausal status (pre-menopause vs post-menopause) and then assigned randomly to one of three groups. Participants in group A will participate in a three-times weekly supervised resistance exercise using light resistance dumbbells; participants in group B will participate in a three-times weekly supervised aerobic exercise; while participants in group C (control group) will be given aerobic exercise after completion of the intervention. The primary end points include physical activity level and quality of life components. The secondary end points are body mass index, body composition, total caloric intake, and waist-to-hip ratio. Discussion Although there have been many studies of resistance exercise in breast cancer survivors, this is the first study using this specific mode of resistance. Findings will contribute data on the feasibility and effects of light resistance dumbbell exercises, and provide knowledge on the physical activity intervention programme that will maximally promote better overall health and well-being of survivors.