Academic Publication (FASS)

This paper is focused on analysing the uniqueness of stereoscopic 3D visuality and its more and more matured narrative potency in the digital incarnation. Drawing on Kracauer’s classic remark (1961) that ‘the nature of film is the redemption of physical reality,’ first I argue for 3D’s enhanced ability to (re)construct and recreate a perceptual ‘hyper-reality’ based on 3D’s (actual or virtual) two-camera mechanism and its integration with digital technologies as well as High Frame Rate (HFR), 360 Degree Production, and 4 K/8 K. Furthermore, based on 3D’s cross-parallax ontologies, I argue that the alternation or layering of flatness and depth in 3D visuality enhances 3D narrative by highlighting the dramatic qualities of characters and volumetric spaces. I eventually compare the 3D and 2D versions of the opening scene in Gravity (2013) to exemplify the unique and transformative mode of ‘3D realism’ –the immersive 3D stereoscopic hyperrealism.

The contribution of the diaspora has always been measured in terms of remittances to the country of origin. This article examines academic diasporas that contribute to their countries of origin in times of crisis and beyond through scholarly and innovative work. I argue that in times of crisis, the links between the diaspora and the country of origin are strengthened. Altruism, humanitarianism, benevolence, spirit, nostalgia, and the desire to rediscover origins are the main motivators for connection. This article proposes an alternative framework for analyzing the academic and intellectual contribution of the diaspora to its origins in times of crisis. This article is based on a thorough examination of triangulations between established and emerging diaspora theories and contemporary practices. Destination countries benefit from expertise and knowledge, while source countries can use diaspora intellectual resources to mitigate the effects of crises.

Two anomalous events occurred along the coast of north Borneo: (a) large numbers of small pelagic fish (“Tamban”) jumped onto the shore at Tambisan in Lahad Datu, Sabah, East Malaysia, on 24 December 2013; and (b) large numbers of live clams appeared at Lumut beach, Brunei Darussalam, on 3 January 2014. The paper attempts to explain the occurrence of these anomalous events by comparing plausible explanations based on atmosphere-oceanic interactions with wind, wave and surface ocean current patterns generated using MeteoInfo, an open-source GIS software. Reanalysed data were obtained from Live Access Servers (LAS), notably NOAA’s geophysical fluid dynamics lab using its WaveWatch3 and OceanWatch models. Although the study is not conclusive, it found some patterns that support the proposed hypotheses and provide plausible scientific explanations for the events. The fish incident at Tambisan therefore appears to be caused by ocean currents forcing pelagic shoals into a constricted channel, while the clams at Lumut were mobilised and deposited by waves-generated currents produced by atmospheric circulation a few days leading to the incident. Other factors, such as Internal Waves or Solitons, were also discussed. A major challenge encountered is presenting large number of the maps generated, in printed format, and in a way that does not reduce their readability.

Particulate matter (PM10) is the pollutant causing exceedances of ambient air quality thresholds, and the key indicator of air quality index in Brunei Darussalam for haze related episodes caused by the recurrent biomass fires in Southeast Asia. The present study aims at providing suitable forecasts for PM10 exceedances to aid in health advisory during haze episodes at the four administrative districts of the country. A framework based on random forests (RFs), genetic algorithm (GA) and back propagation neural networks (BPNN) computational intelligence techniques has been proposed in which the final prediction is made by the BPNN model. A hybrid combination of GA and RFs is initially applied to determine optimal set of inputs from the initial data sets of largely available meteorological, persistency of high pollution levels, short and long term variations of emissions rates parameters. The inputs selection procedure does not depend on the back propagation training algorithm. The numerical results presented in this paper show that the proposed model not only produced satisfactory forecasts but also consistently performed better via several statistical performance indicators when compared with the standard BPNN and GA optimisation based on back propagation training algorithm. The model also showed satisfactory threshold exceedances forecasts achieving for instance best true predicted rate of 0.800, false positive rate of 0.014, false alarm rate of 0.333 and success index of 0.786 at Brunei-Muara district monitoring station. Overall, the current study has profound implications on future studies to develop a real-time air quality forecasting system to support haze management.

Over the past decade, the concepts of border have gained resonance in several disciplines within social sciences. While critical theory of borders has made tremendous advancements, scarcity of the scholarship in border studies is stillevident. Borders are, in general, cultural, social, territorial, geographical, political, sexual and racial separators. This article deals with geographical borders in the Southeast Asian (SEA) region. Most countries in SEA share borders with each other. Under a range of circumstances and relationships such as trade, security and migration flows take place. Southeast Asia’s heterogeneity—politically, ethnically, religiously, economically, demographically and spatially—has crucial implications for neighbourly relationships, trade, border constructions, migration and refugee flows for all the countries. This article delves into the interplay between borders and heterogeneity in SEA and their outcomes. We argue that borders type determine the level of relationship between neighbouring countries and security outcome, trade and population mobility.

The huge amount of remittance transfers has brought migration studies to the fore in the public and private discourse on global development. Since the time migration studies occupied a space in the academe, most research has been devoted to remittances in cash and their use. Prior to the mid-nineties, the debate about the concept of migrants’ ‘remittance’ has not entailed other forms of remittances other than remittances in cash. This research explores another form of remittance, that is, biological remittance. This research firstly explores how migrant populations handle ‘biological remittance’ in their societies, and secondly compares the experiences of female migrant workers in two countries with distinct cultural and religious mores. We collected empirical information from two countries: Indonesia and the Philippines. A total of 38 respondents (17 from the Philippines and 21 from Indonesia) were selected for this study by using the snowball technique. While all the respondents, irrespective of countries of origin, face ordeals coping with their situation, Indonesians bear more psychological burden than the Filipinos. This research has crucial implications for scholars, researchers and policy-makers alike.

The present national history of the Sultanate of Brunei includes a fabricated history of official Brunei-China relations that extends as far back as the sixth century AD. The present paper treats the subject of Boni, a place well documented by pre-modern Chinese sources starting from the tenth century. It attempts to address some major issues in the use of these sources to establish Boni as a precursor of modern Brunei. Since the late 1970s writers within Brunei, foremost among them Robert Nicholl, have contributed to the project of a long history of pre-modern Brunei by interpreting the available Chinese sources very narrowly. Based on a close reading of the original texts, this essay argues that the majority of the texts until the Ming dynasty quote from the first extant source in the tenth century. Hence, official Chinese perception of Boni did not increase over time, but in fact did stagnate. Consequently, identification with a specific location in Borneo, as Nicholl and C. Brown suggested, is impossible. What the essay suggests is that with the extant official pre-modern Chinese texts Boni cannot be established as Brunei, but that more likely, Boni under different dynasties referred to various places on the north coast of Borneo.

This article presents the findings of a study measuring business people’s perceptions of English language use and its importance in the Chinese business community. Utilizing a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, an analysis of cross-validated data from 1505 questionnaire participants and 30 interviewees revealed that business people in China do not use English as frequently as their national language, Mandarin Chinese, in their dealings. Nevertheless, the findings also indicated that business people are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of English as a medium of communication in the business world. The findings have meaningful implications for practitioners of English for specific purposes, policymakers, and materials developers.

This paper examines the cultural homogenization process in Brunei Darussalam. While the success and outcomes of cultural homogenization, in general, have been thoroughly examined and highlighted, recent research trends have also been focusing more on the processes of cultural homogenization on the ground, i.e., the responses and reactions of ordinary people who are, supposedly, at the receiving end of the homogenization process. In the case of Brunei Darussalam (hereinafter Brunei), cultural homogenization strategies were introduced as early as the 1950s, primarily for state-building purposes. Similar to conventional writings, official narratives of Brunei’s homogenization also focus more on the outcomes of the process. Thus, focusing on the Dusun ethnic group as its case study, this article questions the ways the Dusuns view and respond to the homogenization process. This study utilizes the interview data gathered from thirty-four Dusun respondents to examine how they perceive, understand, and react toward the process and related policies. The findings of the study suggest that the Dusuns generally accept the homogenization with a sporadic indication of contestation mainly due to the observable decline of ethnic culture and language. Modernization has also been identified as a notable agent, integrating successfully with the homogenizing process, and driving the latter to the desired outcomes.

The study compares the socioeconomic development of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to that of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). SAARC was established on December 8, 1985, as a result of former President Ziaur Rahman's efforts to promote the welfare of the people and mutual trust. ASEAN was founded in August 1967 with the goal of accelerating the region's economic growth, social progress, and cultural development while also promoting regional peace and stability. The SAARC countries share problems such as poverty and unemployment. SAARC countries have a GDP per capita four times that of ASEAN. A qualitative analysis based on secondary data pertaining to SAARC and ASEAN reveals that SAARC has not been more successful than ASEAN. National and international conflicts are common within SAARC. SAARC has 22% of the world's population and 3% of the world's economy, and there are enormous opportunities for economic growth and human development.

Purpose – China/Chinese English (CE) has been a well-studied variety of English for over 40 years. However, there are still different opinions as to whether the terminology is promising or problematic. There are discussions on which term to name the variety: China English or Chinese English. Design/methodology/approach – To investigate these questions, 143 published papers with more than 10 citations on CE have been reviewed. Findings – It is found that 55% of these works preferred to name the variety as China English while 21% preferred Chinese English and 18% used both terms. Further analysis revealed that 82% of these papers demonstrated a positive attitude toward CE while only 10% were neutral and 8% negative. Research limitations/implications – Not much updated relevant literature is reviewed since one of the criteria of the data selection is that the works must have been cited 10þtimes (as a feature of the validity of the academic work), which excluded most papers published in recent years. Practical implications – The pedagogical implications of this article are that CE, and other varieties of English should be introduced to English teaching in China to improve attitudes to the use of such terminology and possibly have an impact on English learning efficiency. Social implications – This study will help the further development of China/Chinese English as a variety of English in the background of world Englishes. Originality/value – This is the first study in China/Chinese English concerning the choice of the name of this variety based on the well-accepted papers published.

This paper addresses the identity construction of the Chinese diaspora in Brunei Darussalam. It argues that social, cultural, national and global demands for integration the Chinese in Brunei face collectively shape their sense of self. Considering Wang Gungwu’s claim that because “home is not here,” ethnocultural roots inform the diasporic subject’s sense of belonging. They maintain these roots through cultural customs, beliefs and values, and also historical routes to the host nation—where naturalisation signals localisation. Across generational gaps, Brunei’s Chinese diaspora reflects the demands, dreams and desires for reconstructing individual, familial and transnational selves. This paper aims to provide insights into Chinese Bruneian identity by examining the tensions between these multiplex selves. An analysis of K. H. Lim’s Anglophone Bruneian novel Written in Black (2014), offers a valuable lens through which to view the complex dynamics and internal structures of Chinese Bruneian families. While its representations are by no means representative of the entire Chinese Bruneian community, the novel provides a useful platform to discuss the roles, positions and experiences of the Chinese diaspora in Brunei. Many ethnic Chinese living in Brunei strive to conform to the successful image of “the model minority” at the expense of their individual desires for self-actualisation. Analysing the Chinese familial home as analogous to the Brunei national home, Chinese and Malay cultural demands for filialness simultaneously produce an anxiety among the localised Chinese diaspora that causes a transnational shifting of familial and individual selves.

Global climate action initiatives have focussed on either climate mitigation or adaptation in the decarbonisation agenda. The impact of urbanisation is generally overlooked. Urban development alters the environment, including climate, in multiple ways. Therefore, climate actions are unlikely to succeed, even if its goals are achieved, largely because the current paradigm promotes expansion at the expense of nature. This paper presents an alternative perspective on urban design with respect to climate resiliency. It draws primarily from the thoughts that underpin Arcology and Biomimicry from a complex, evolving Earth systems paradigm. It argues that urban development must shift from 2-dimensional gigantism to a compact 3-dimensional form. It further posits that the structure should facilitate greater exchanges, drawing together complementary elements in economy, industry and society, and services into the same structure. Hyper-structures, multi-functional infrastructures, and systems are required to drive the transition towards a more efficient, low-impact urbanisation paradigm that frees the land for nature to recolonize. Biomimicry provides suitable models and guides through species that thrive as well as biomes that have developed in the range of environmental and climatic regions on the planet. A viable approach would be to build on existing transport infrastructure.

Across Southeast Asia, coastal livelihoods are becoming more diverse and more commodified, as maritime zone developments intensify. We review literature from the ten maritime states in Southeast Asia to assess how older and emerging forms of maritime zone developments influence the viability of small-scale fishing livelihoods. Applying a political economy lens to small-scale fisheries and maritime zone developments at regional scale, we show how small-scale fisheries persist as a significant coastal livelihood activity across the region, despite declining opportunities due to long-term intensification of fisheries exploitation. The paper further analyses the ways in which newer maritime zone developments, including aquaculture, land reclamation, special industrial zones, and tourism interact with fishing, and are reconfiguring coastal livelihoods in the region. Key trends that small-scale fishers and coastal communities must negotiate include deepening commodification, worsening environmental degradation, loss of access to fishing grounds, and an intensifying ‘squeeze’ on coastal space.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is reshaping migration dynamics in the MENA region and the GCC. This study examines the BRI's impact on migration trends and the socio-economic factors influencing migration decisions. The extensive infrastructure projects—including motorways, railways, and ports—boost connectivity, create economic opportunities, and expand labor markets by attracting workers and easing mobility. As regions become more integrated, cultural exchange and social ties strengthen, further influencing migration patterns. The creation of special economic zones and industrial corridors along BRI routes fuels both internal and cross-border migration. In this context, the study highlights how the BRI's infrastructure development not only facilitates physical connectivity but also serves as a catalyst for economic growth. As new industries and urban centers emerge, significant migration is expected as people seek work in these areas. The study contributes to the understanding of the impacts of BRI on migration in the MENA region.

In recent years, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a prominent endeavour in numerous enterprises and organizations. The purpose of this article is to investigate the theoretical aspects of CSR's commercial significance, as well as to identify and analyse CSR practices during COVID-19 in Bangladesh and Singapore. Government funding alone may not be sufficient to offset any adversity's economic and other consequences. Hence, CSR has evolved. This article examines what role CSR played during the difficult COVID-19 pandemic in two countries. The private sector made significant contributions through CSR to healthcare infrastructure and mitigating the economic burden of COVID-19 in both countries.