Asian Social Work Journal

Legitimacy and Public Trust in Coalition Governments: A Malaysian Perspective

2025-09-11T20:17:09+08:00

This article examines the issue of legitimacy in coalition governments in Malaysia following the 15th General Election (GE15), which for the first time produced a hung parliament and subsequently a unity government. While constitutionally valid through parliamentary majority support and the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, public acceptance of this government remains fragile. Adopting a qualitative approach, the study draws on 31 informants through in-depth interviews (IDI) and focus group discussions (FGD), complemented by secondary document analysis. The findings highlight five major themes undermining popular legitimacy: perceptions of a “forced coalition,” concerns about party dominance, the persistence of identity politics based on race and religion, unclear and inconsistent policy communication and economic confidence. These results are interpreted using Easton’s theory of specific versus diffuse support, Schmidt’s framework of input, output and throughput legitimacy and Public Choice Theory (Buchanan & Tullock). The study also underscores the Sarawak GPS model as an alternative example of coalition stability, achieved through a collective identity, ethnic consensus, and development-oriented politics. Overall, the article contributes to the literature by emphasizing that the legitimacy of coalition politics does not rest solely on parliamentary numbers, but also on the government’s ability to rebuild public trust through transparent communication, balanced power-sharing, and inclusive policymaking.

Pembelajaran Berasaskan Pengalaman dalam Menangani Cabaran Keibubapaan Anak Istimewa: Satu Kajian Kualitatif di Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

2025-09-11T20:17:09+08:00

Artikel ini meneroka bagaimana ibu bapa anak kurang upaya pembelajaran memperoleh kemahiran penjagaan melalui pembelajaran berasaskan pengalaman. Kajian ini menggunakan teori pembelajaran berasaskan pengalaman, iaitu mengkaji bagaimana ibu bapa meningkatkan kecekapan melalui pembelajaran melalui pengalaman, refleksi, interaksi bersama profesional dan kumpulan rakan sebaya. Pendekatan kualitatif digunakan serta data di kumpul secara temu bual mendalam bersama 28 ibu dan bapa di Pusat Pemulihan Dalam Komuniti di sekitar Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. Kajian ini mengetengahkan ibu bapa belajar berdasarkan pendekatan "belajar secara spontan" serta beradaptasi dengan perubahan seterusnya mengatasi cabaran emosi, perubatan dan pendidikan. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa pembelajaran berasaskan pengalaman merupakan proses berulang yang berterusan yang meningkatkan kebolehsuaian, penyelesaian masalah dan kemahiran advokasi ibu bapa. Dapatan kajian ini memberikan pandangan tentang bagaimana ahli profesional boleh memudahkan pembelajaran penjagaan anak berasaskan pengalaman dengan menyediakan maklum balas, sumber dan peluang masa nyata untuk pembelajaran reflektif.

Meneroka Kesediaan Ibu Bapa dalam Menjaga Anak Kurang Upaya Pembelajaran : Satu Kajian Kualitatif di Pulau Pinang

2025-09-12T08:13:03+08:00

Kajian ini meneroka kesediaan ibu bapa menjaga anak kurang upaya pembelajaran di Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. Dengan menggunakan reka bentuk kualitatif, 28 ibu dan bapa telah dipilih daripada Pusat Pemulihan Komuniti (PDK) di sekitar Pulau Pinang. Temu bual separa berstruktur telah dijalankan untuk mengenal pasti pengalaman peribadi, emosi dan strategi daya tindak ibu bapa. Data di analisis menggunakan analisis tematik. Empat tema yang dikena pasti antaranya persediaan emosi, pemerkasaan maklumat, rangkaian sokongan sosial serta advokasi dan proses membuat keputusan. Penemuan menunjukkan bahawa kesediaan ibu bapa merupakan proses dinamik yang dibentuk oleh dimensi emosi, maklumat, sosial dan advokasi. Implikasi amalan kerja sosial di Malaysia termasuklah penyediaan kaunseling, maklumat, rangkaian komuniti dan sokongan advokasi.

Perceptions, Attitudes, Learning, and Challenges of Social Work Undergraduates in Cultivation of International Talent: A Survey of Five Universities in Guangzhou, China

2025-09-11T20:17:09+08:00

In 2019, China's Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area proposed the establishment of an international education demonstration area. As the core city of the Greater Bay Area, major universities in Guangzhou have initiated initiatives to cultivate international talent. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and internationalized learning of undergraduate social work students, as well as the challenges they encounter in cultivating international talents within their majors at Guangzhou universities. In this study, 291 online questionnaire data from undergraduate students from five universities in Guangzhou were collected through a questionnaire survey. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, and one-way ANOVA. The results showed that students value most is to master professional knowledge in international social work. Most of the students (86.6%) believed that it was necessary to cultivate international talents in social work, but 19.3% of the students believed that the prospect was not optimistic, and 24.1% of the students held a wait-and-see attitude. The gender of the students had a significant effect on attitudes. There were significant differences in students' internationalization learning among universities. Challenges faced by students are centered on the unfulfilled demand for internationalized learning. Although most universities have put forward the goal of cultivating international talent, there is still a gap between the goal and its achievement. It is recommended that universities increase resources for social work majors and improve the internationalization level of teachers to achieve the goal of cultivating international social work talents.

Financial Crisis as a Factor of Stress and Conflict among Asnaf Families in Perlis

2025-10-17T08:24:46+08:00

This study explores the impact of financial crisis on stress and conflict among asnaf families in Perlis. Using a qualitative approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 families registered under asnaf assistance programs with Perlis religious council. The findings highlight how financial instability exacerbates psychological distress, generates inter-family conflicts, and affects coping strategies. Four main themes emerged; financial hardship and psychological stress, economic strain and family conflict, coping mechanisms and resilience and lack of financial aids. The study provides insights for policymakers to design targeted interventions for vulnerable families.