Syed Jamal Abdul Nasir Syed Mohamad

An empirical research on relationship between demand, people and awareness towards training needs: A case study in Malaysia Halal logistics industry

Recently, the Halal industry has a huge potential for market demand. The rising of Halal has made the consumers to think twice before using any product because it is proven that Halal product can offer good quality, cleanliness, hygienic, safety, authentic and nutritious. Halal has created awareness to the consumers and supplier to use or supply the good according to Halalan Thoyyibban principle. Many logistics companies in Malaysia have adapted Halal in their operation. However, the lack of employees, skills and experience become the major problem to operate Halal in their operations. There are not enough skills and experience workers who can handle the consignment according to the Halal procedure. Hence, training in the Halal logistics industry professional is crucial as the lack of professionalism in the transport and logistics process in the supply chain may cast doubts on the Halal status of a product. The purpose of this research is to present the relationship between the training needs in Halal logistics industry in Malaysia and investigates its relationship with demand, people and awareness. The data collection instruments used was a questionnaire which was administrated to a total sample of 162 respondents from the middle management level in the logistics companies who have the Halal certification by Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) or Halal Industry Corporation (HDC). Sample selection was based on purposive sampling. The analysis involved statistical methods using Predictive Analytics Software (PASW) 18.0 such as reliability and validity test and multiple regressions. The result indicated that training needs in Halal logistics industry are related to demand, people and awareness which to explain the significant influence to the Halal logistics industry.

The importance of training for Halal logistics industry in Malaysia

As a fast expanding business, the Halal industry is now estimated at USD 2.1 trillion. The attention and demand for Halal certified services and products continues to rise throughout the world because Halal is not only for religious obligations, but there is also a rising demand from nonMuslims. Halal is not only concerned about religious requirements such as the right way to slaughter animals and prepare food. Halal products also attract non-Muslim consumers as it also focuses on where the resources and materials of the product come from. Hence, traceability and integrity of the product are part and parcel of a product being labelled Halal. Halal practices do not come to an end when the product has been manufactured as a product could easily lose its Halalness if it gets contaminated during the transportation and storage prior to retailing. Hence, training industry professional is crucial as the lack of professionalism in the transport and logistics process in the supply chain may cast doubts on the Halal status of a product. This study focuses on the level of training that professionals in the third party logistics industry have on Halal standards and what must be done to bridge the gap in training. The current research relies heavily on disclosed and published materials such as logistics firms annual reports, journals, newspapers and business magazines articles, published reports produced by consultants, special studies and reports commissioned by the Malaysian Government for an analysis of the current state of industry.

The Effects of Brand Orientation, Brand Distinctiveness, and Design Innovation on the Brand Performance of the Malaysian Furniture Manufacturing Firms

The study develops and empirically tests a model of the effects of brand strategy and design innovation on brand performance in furniture manufacturing firms. Questionnaires were sent to 500 furniture SMEs operating in Malaysia, and 204 effective responses were returned. Confirmatory factor analysis is used to validate the constructs. Research hypotheses are tested using structural equation modeling. The proposed model fits the data well. The results show that brand orientation, brand distinctiveness, and functional innovation have direct effects on brand performance. Finally, implication and recommendations of these findings are discussed. The paper encapsulates the role of each dimension of brand strategy and product design innovation to determine a stronger brand performance in the furniture manufacturing firms.

Fastness Properties and Color Analysis of Natural Colorants from Actinomycetes Isolates on Silk Fabric

Actinomycetes are classified as Gram-positive, saprophytic bacteria that can be found distributed in soil, water, and plants. Some actinomycetes are colorful microorganisms that produce a variety of intra and extracellular pigments naturally with different biological functions. These pigments possess biotechnological importance because they can be used as natural colorants as well as an important source for novel antimicrobial agents in place of antibiotics. In this study, two actinomycetes isolated from compost soil and designated as G1A39 and G1A45 were used for extraction of colorants direct from liquid culture (water extracts) and solvent extraction (ethyl acetate and butanol) method. The colorants produced were subjected to dyeing on silk fabrics by using standard procedure for dyeing process. The dyed fabrics were analyzed for their CIE L*a*b* values as well as their colorfastness properties measurement. The result revealed that L* values were high and a*b* values were found within red–yellow zone. Colorfastness to rubbing and perspiration showed excellent ratings between 4 and 5 but poor ratings were observed for light and washing. Color extract from ethyl acetate was proven to produce deep shades on fabrics and further improvement in dyeing process is underway to increase the quality and strength of colorant.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: The importance of training for Halal logistics industry in Malaysia

As a fast expanding business, the Halal industry is now estimated at USD 2.1 trillion. The attention and demand for Halal certified services and products continues to rise throughout the world because Halal is not only for religious obligations, but there is also a rising demand from nonMuslims. Halal is not only concerned about religious requirements such as the right way to slaughter animals and prepare food. Halal products also attract non-Muslim consumers as it also focuses on where the resources and materials of the product come from. Hence, traceability and integrity of the product are part and parcel of a product being labelled Halal. Halal practices do not come to an end when the product has been manufactured as a product could easily lose its Halalness if it gets contaminated during the transportation and storage prior to retailing. Hence, training industry professional is crucial as the lack of professionalism in the transport and logistics process in the supply chain may cast doubts on the Halal status of a product. This study focuses on the level of training that professionals in the third party logistics industry have on Halal standards and what must be done to bridge the gap in training. The current research relies heavily on disclosed and published materials such as logistics firms annual reports, journals, newspapers and business magazines articles, published reports produced by consultants, special studies and reports commissioned by the Malaysian Government for an analysis of the current state of industry.

Notice of Retraction The importance of training for Halal logistics industry in Malaysia

As a fast expanding business, the Halal industry is now estimated at USD 2.1 trillion. The attention and demand for Halal certified services and products continues to rise throughout the world because Halal is not only for religious obligations, but there is also a rising demand from nonMuslims. Halal is not only concerned about religious requirements such as the right way to slaughter animals and prepare food. Halal products also attract non-Muslim consumers as it also focuses on where the resources and materials of the product come from. Hence, traceability and integrity of the product are part and parcel of a product being labelled Halal. Halal practices do not come to an end when the product has been manufactured as a product could easily lose its Halalness if it gets contaminated during the transportation and storage prior to retailing. Hence, training industry professional is crucial as the lack of professionalism in the transport and logistics process in the supply chain may cast doubts on the Halal status of a product. This study focuses on the level of training that professionals in the third party logistics industry have on Halal standards and what must be done to bridge the gap in training. The current research relies heavily on disclosed and published materials such as logistics firms annual reports, journals, newspapers and business magazines articles, published reports produced by consultants, special studies and reports commissioned by the Malaysian Government for an analysis of the current state of industry.

A conceptual paper for human capital in the logistics industry in Malaysia

Globally, logistics is an important economic activity valued at about USD 320 billion a year and growing at an annual rate of 3 to 10 percent. Malaysia has recognized the industry as the main key towards enhancing Malaysias progress on becoming a globally competitive fully developed nation. It was predicted that the logistics industry would grow at 8.6% during the year 2006 – 2020 plan period and contribute 12.1% to Growth Domestic Product (GDP) by 2020. Therefore, the development of the human capital or human resource for the logistics industry in Malaysia becomes important in confirming the nations competitiveness. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to produce a feasible framework of human-resource development for the logistics industry in Malaysia.