ADVISORY BOARD

Mr. Lee Weng Keng : Director

Ms. Elizabeth Lee : Principal
Dr. Khatijah Khalid : Academic Director

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dr. Maznah Ismail

EDITORIAL BOARD

Mr. Nicholas Lum

Dr. Cheam Toon Chee
Dr. Anindita Dasgupta
Dr. M. V. N. Sankaram
Ms. Jaswin Kaur
Mr. Peter Pang
Ms. Santhi Suppiah
Mr. Johnny Y. Savarimuthu
Ms. Vanitha Satchithanadan
Ms. Wong Yoke Chen

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Professor Dr. Noraini Mohd. Tamin, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Professor Dr. Kok Kim Lian, University of Malaya
Professor Ray Anderson, Victoria University, Australia
Professor Dr. Lindsay W. Turner, Victoria University, Australia
Professor Dr. Mohammad Haji Alias, Islamic University College, Malaysia
Associate Professor Dr. Khatijah Zon, Universiti Sains Malaysia
Associate Professor Dr. Ong Boon Hua, Universiti Sains Malaysia
Dr. Divisekara Sarath, Victoria University, Australia
Dr. Juliana Othman, University of Malaya
 i

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

It gives me great pleasure to congratulate the Editor-in-Chief, the Editorial Board

and the Associate Editors for the successful publication of the inaugural issue of
Sunway College Journal.

The publication of this journal is yet another significant milestone in the enviable
history of Sunway College, helping to pave the way to the University College status
that is soon to become a reality. Since its establishment in 1987, Sunway College
has been proudly associated with a tradition of excellence and leadership. This
journal is born in, and as a result of, that tradition; it will become an integral part of
Sunway College in its ongoing and ultimate transformation into a full university.

I find it fascinating to witness and be a part of the initiation and development of this
journal, which would not have happened without the exceptional level of support
and commitment by the contributors and the editorial team. I find it more exciting to
note that this journal is indeed a result of excellent collaboration and teamwork
among associates from various local, foreign, public and private universities and
institutions. Congratulations!

With such continuing dedication and in the Sunway College tradition, I believe that
Sunway College Journal is set to become a reputable and meaningful publication
among educators and researchers alike. I am pleased that it will also serve as a
distinct medium representing Sunway College in its quest for knowledge and
wisdom.

Best wishes.

Lee Weng Keng

Director
Sunway College
ii

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Since its inception as an institution of private higher education in 1987, Sunway

College has striven to provide quality education in Malaysia. As an institution, it is
known for its knowledge-driven and strategic efforts. It has come to be looked upon
as a leader that sets benchmarks of excellence in education.

The publication of Sunway College Journal represents yet another milestone in the
College’s pursuit of academic excellence.

As we are well aware, the only constant in today’s climate is change. We are faced
with a phenomenon where the world of knowledge is adjusting and expanding at an
unprecedented rate. Therefore, educators need to constantly update their
knowledge and skills through engaging in life-long professional learning.

This publication is a laudable endeavour to provide an avenue for our educators

and researchers to discuss ideas and research findings and expand the frontier of
knowledge to make education more dynamic and adaptable to change.

I would ilke to extend my compliments to the Editor-in-Chief, members of the

Editorial Board, the Associate Editors, the authors and various persons for their
contributions in making this journal a success.

Thank you and God bless.

Elizabeth Lee
Principal
Sunway College
 iii

MESSAGE FROM THE ACADEMIC DIRECTOR

I would like to express my best compliments and congratulations to the Sunway

College Editorial Board for the release of the inaugural issue of Sunway College
Journal.

This publication is possible due to the support and encouragement from the
Director, Mr. Lee Weng Keng, and Principal, Ms Elizabeth Lee, and, no less
significant, unstinting cooperation and contribution of the academic staff of Sunway
College. I also wish to acknowledge the enthusiasm and initiative of Dr. Maznah
Ismail, as Editor-in-Chief, in guiding the contents and publication of this much-
anticipated journal with her dedicated team, the Editorial Board and associate
editors.

This release is apt indeed in support of Sunway College’s commitment to

excellence in teaching, learning and research. Furthermore, improvement in
pedagogical knowledge, research skills and competence of academic staff is
important for continued enhancement of an institution’s achievement.

The journal, in general, aims to provide a forum for educators and researchers to
discuss issues, exchange ideas, disseminate and share research findings related to
their areas of specialization. Specifically, it is a strong platform for the young and
budding academic staff of Sunway College to publish their academic works.

Through this journal, and also through the R&D Web site, and the links with other
universities, the academic staff of Sunway College are given the opportunity to
engage with one another and with researchers outside the College. This measure
will make the achievement of our objective of promoting Sunway College as an
educational institution of academic standing A TRUE REALITY.

In this regard, Sunway College Journal is a necessary resource in showcasing the

professional development of the academic staff of Sunway College in support of
commitment to excellence in teaching, learning and research.

This release is the beginning of more to come.

Thank you

Dr. Khatijah Khalid

Academic Director
Sunway College
iv

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

It gives me great pleasure to present the inaugural issue of Sunway College

Journal. The publication of the journal is the culmination of the hard work and
concerted effort of members of the Editorial Board who are committed to fulfil the
vision and mission of Sunway College to pursue excellence in teaching, learning
and research and to share the knowledge and skills gained for the benefit of all.
The Journal represents such an endeavour by providing a forum for educators to
discuss issues, exchange ideas and share experiences related to their areas of
expertise and interest. It also aims to be a venue for researchers to disseminate
their research findings or to present studies in progress.

This volume contains ten articles covering a wide range of topics. The first six
articles focus on economic and business issues. The other four articles discuss
issues related to teaching and learning.

In the first article, Kok and Wong reveal different patterns of the daily anomalies in
five ASEAN equity markets before, during and after the Asian financial crisis.

Juhary et al.’s article argues that agile organization structures, which allow for
knowledge management, would enable a company to survive in unpredictable
business environments.

Faoziah and Tang present the results of their empirical study, which provides
evidence of the presence of inter-counter linkages on the Kuala Lumpur Stock
Exchange.

Choong et al. provide empirical data to show the existence of a long-run

relationship between Malaysian exports and imports. They conclude that the
evidence indicates the effectiveness of Malaysia’s past microeconomic policies in
stabilizing trade balance without violating the inter-temporal budget constraint.

Mohd. Zukime explores the application of the neural network model and concludes
that the model shows great potential for predicting GDP growth using knowledge
based economy indicators.

Yazilmiwati presents research findings on the weaknesses of the publication and

marketing procedures, which led to the drastic decline in the circulation of the
magazine Pengasuh. The author recommends a wide range of measures to re-
establish the popularity of the magazine as the medium of propagation of Islamic
teaching.
 v

Kim’s article discusses the feasibility of using action learning and action research
approaches for developing professional knowledge and skills in a k-based economy
and society.

In his article, Teoh provides empirical data on interpersonal and family experiences
of a group of Malaysian primary and secondary school children. The results lead
him to argue for greater emphasis on mental health care of young people in
Malaysia to help them cope with the increasing demand of modern-day living.

With the current emphasis on mastering English in Malaysia, Abdul Rashid et al.’s
article is timely. The authors present research findings on the problems faced by
Chinese students when learning English. They advocate a return to the teaching of
grammar as a way to help students master the English language.

In the technical report section, Kanendran et al.’s article notes that while e-learning
is gaining acceptance as an alternative mode of acquiring knowledge and skills, an
effective e-learning system requires systematic planning and implementation. The
authors go on to discuss issues and suggest strategies for providing a dynamic and
meaningful e-learning experience.

This first volume presents articles from disparate fields of study. Nonetheless, they
provide insights into issues that are of concern to all of us, whether we are in the
fields of business or education.

The publication of this journal attests to the commitment of the College and the
members of the Editorial Board to make it a success. I would like to take this
opportunity to express my gratitude to Mr. Lee Weng Keng, the Director, Ms.
Elizabeth Lee, the Principal and Dr. Khatijah Khalid, the Academic Director for their
encouragement, support and guidance. My appreciation goes to the contributors of
the articles. I wish to thank the members of the Editorial Board for their hard work,
valuable input and unfailing support. I also would like to thank Western Michigan
University and Adasia Sdn. Bhd. for partially sponsoring the publication of this
journal. Last but not least, my appreciation goes to Jerrine Koay, Yvette Felix and
Miss Law King Kiew for ensuring that the journal is a successful endeavour.

Once again, thank you.

Dr. Maznah Ismail

Editor-in-Chief
Sunway College Journal
 Calling For Manuscripts

The Journal publishes refereed and invited articles in any of the following categories:

• Research-based articles
• Issues-oriented articles
• Reviews of printed and non-printed materials

Contributors are invited to submit their manuscripts for the forthcoming volume. In preparing the
manuscript, please refer to “Information For Authors” below.

INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS

Manuscripts of papers should not exceed 15 pages inclusive of tables, charts, diagrams and references, and should be printed single-spaced with
font size 11, Times New Roman on A4 paper. The text area should be B5 (JIS) size (7.17 × 10.12 inches), with 1 inch top and bottom margins,
and 0.75 inch left and right margins. Microsoft Word format is preferred. Please refer to the American Psychological Association (APA)
publication manual for instructions on manuscript preparation. The decision of the Editorial Board is final.

Title
The title should be brief and typed in capital letters, bold, font size 14, and centered. If more than one line is required it should be single-spaced.
Leave two blank lines after the title, then type the name(s) of the authors(s). Capitalize authors’ names using font size 12. Following immediately
below, the affiliated institution(s) and address(es) should be given, single spaced, font size 11, capitalizing the first letter of all main words. An
address of correspondence with telephone, fax numbers and e-mail address should be given.

Abstract
Leave two blank lines after the address(es), then type the word ABSTRACT capitalized, centered and bold. The abstract should be factual and
contain the main results and conclusions of the paper. It should not exceed about 150 words. Use font size 9.

Key Words
Up to six key words may be included in a separate line below the abstract.

Text
Text should be clear and concise. Use font size 11 throughout. First sentence of the first paragraph should start at the margin. First sentences of
subsequent paragraphs should start at 0.25 inch from the margin. Tables, figures and references must be cited in an orderly sequence. The t ext can
usually be broken down into sections with major headings.

Tables
Tables should carry an Arabic numeral followed by a period. Each major word in the table heading should be capitalized. Tables should be self-
explanatory and footnotes may be added using symbols.

Figures
Figure should carry an Arabic numeral followed by a period. The first word in the caption should be capitalized. Figures and graphs should be
self-explanatory and footnotes may be added.

References
References should be listed at the end of the text and arranged in alphabetical order by the surnames of the authors. Only references quoted in the
text should be listed. Use font size 10. Examples of format :
Fiedler, F. E. (1967). A theory of leadership effectiveness. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Porter, M. E., & Scott, S. (2001). Innovation: location matters. Review of Management, 42(4), 28–36.

Manuscripts should be sent in the form of 2 hard copies and a diskette, or by electronic mail to:

The Editor-In-Chief
Sunway Academic Journal
Sunway University College
No. 5, Jalan Kolej, Bandar Sunway
46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan
Email: journal@sunway.edu.my
Tel: 603 7491 8622; Fax: 603 5635 8633