The COVID-19 pandemic had an adverse impact on the mental health of frontline workers including firefighters. To better understand this occurrence, this cross-sectional study evaluated the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among 105 operational team and elite team firefighters in Kota Bharu, Kelantan State, Malaysia before and after the pandemic. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), a validated self-reporting survey tool, was used to assess symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among the survey respondents. Findings revealed that firefighters had an increased level of anxiety and depression during the post-pandemic period compared to the pre-pandemic period. However, there was a decrease in the stress levels (20%) reported by study participants. Respondents belonging to the operational team had a higher reported level of depression, anxiety, and stress than those from the elite team. This may be attributed the operational team being more exposed to the risk of COVID-19 infection on account of their routine and more voluminous workload. The findings of this study suggest that firefighters, in general, are at an increased risk of mental health problems as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowing this, it is important to consider these findings when addressing the prevention and management of mental health among firefighters. This includes providing additional support and devoting more resources to those who are most at risk for experiencing symptoms of mental health such as firefighters performing functions aligned with that of an operational team.

The development and expansion of economies depend heavily on entrepreneurship, and Malaysia is no exception. Understanding the underlying elements that impact the success or failure of user adoption behaviour of online shopping activities is significant since entrepreneurship is critical in driving economic growth and innovation. The study includes 73 articles published from 2004 to the last of 2023 from Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. We utilised qualitative methods and systematic review issues through the findings of “qualitative” studies as the last step inside a systematic review using Nvivo14. Our study’s result illustrated that applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) in Malaysian e-commerce validates the relevance of established theoretical frameworks. This study explores the relationship between 20 independent variables and five mediator factors, with dependent variables, e-commerce in Malaysia. The results highlight the intricate relationships between these variables and their importance for companies, decision-makers, and other stakeholders involved in Malaysian infrastructure financing. This review provides legislators, educators, researchers, and businesspeople with new knowledge in Malaysia so that decision-makers, investors, and aspiring entrepreneurs can make informed decisions.

Currently, there is little study on managing organizational silence in Malaysia post COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to examine the determinants of organizational silence and the impacts of silence on private sectors and employees. The target respondents are two hundred individuals above 21 years old working in private sectors across Malaysia. Purposive sampling is selected for this study because the target respondents must be individuals working in private sectors across Malaysia. The strongest predictor of organizational silence is the attitudes of immediate superior, followed by attitudes of top management and communication opportunities. This study provides valuable information to the employees and management in the private sector to recognize the behaviors that will create silence within the organization.

The Intellectual Property (IP) chapter of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is recognized for its extensive coverage, encompassing a broad range of innovation areas such as patents, trademarks, geographical indications, and copyright. This chapter sets a new global benchmark for IP protection, posing significant challenges to the existing legal frameworks of member countries and necessitating rapid adaptation, particularly for developing members like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Mexico. These nations have undertaken comprehensive revisions to their IP laws to align with the international standards established by the CPTPP. Despite their unique national contexts, the legal amendments reflect distinct strategies and methodologies in meeting international standards. This paper conducts a qualitative analysis of Vietnam, Malaysia, and Mexico, comparing their law amendment strategies, contents, and techniques across three dimensions. It highlights the distinctive characteristics and impacts of their legal revisions, offering valuable insights for other prospective developing members within the CPTPP framework on the practice of IP law reform.

Our study investigates the relationship between firm profitability, board characteristics, and the quality of sustainability disclosures, while examining the moderating effects of financial leverage and external audit assurance. A key focus is the distinction between Big 4 and non-Big 4 audit firms. Using data from Malaysia’s top 100 publicly listed organizations from 2018 to 2020, we analyze sustainability reports based on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. Unexpectedly, our results indicate a negative association between firm profitability and board characteristics, challenging traditional assumptions. We find that non-Big 4 audit firms significantly enhance sustainability disclosure quality, contradicting the widely held belief in the superiority of Big 4 firms. Our finding introduces the “Big 4 dilemma” in the Malaysian context and calls for a reassessment of audit firm selection practices. Our study offers new perspectives on the strategic role of board composition and audit firm selection in advancing sustainability disclosures, urging Malaysian organizations to evaluate audit firms on criteria beyond the global prestige of Big 4 firms to improve sustainability reporting.

This study investigates the factors influencing the adoption of telehealth among consumers in Malaysia, aiming to understand the impact of effort expectancy, performance expectancy, computer self-efficacy, and trust on the intention to use telehealth, building on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). A quantitative descriptive methodology was used, collecting data from 390 Malaysian consumers via an online survey. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS software to evaluate the relationships between the variables. The analysis revealed significant positive relationships between all examined factors and the adoption of telehealth. Performance expectancy was the most influential factor, followed by trust, effort expectancy, and computer self-efficacy. The multiple regression model indicated that these variables collectively explain 82.1% of the variance in telehealth adoption intention. The findings provide valuable insights for providers and marketers, suggesting that telehealth platforms should focus on performance expectancy, trust, and ease of use. Additionally, the study emphasizes the need for supportive policies from the Malaysian government to enhance telehealth adoption. The results contribute to the literature on healthcare technology adoption, offering practical implications for improving telehealth implementation in Malaysia.