Cities In Malaysia Research Articles

Cultivation of green environmental awareness towards cleanliness city in Malaysia

This paper aims to understand the local authorities’ reaction to green environment activities towards clean cities in Malaysia and how they respond to cleanliness awareness among the community. Four (4) cities, such as Melaka, Ipoh, and Muar dan Kuala Terengganu, were selected, and this study embarks on a qualitative research approach involving a semi-structured interview with top personnel from four local authorities. From the reaction point of view, some local authorities reacted positively towards the green environment and cleanliness of the city. Four (4) themes have been produced, such as awareness, which focuses on the daily routine of local authorities. Secondly, enforcement from the local government, with some warning and advice, really contributes to the changes in society’s attitude. Thirdly, support by local authority efforts, including awareness campaigns from electronic and printed media, does have a good impact. Lastly, active involvement from the local authorities regulated many communities in residential areas and had direct links with local communities and NGOs that annually organized green program activities. This study urged the Local Government Act 1976, which the local authorities are responsible for the enforcement activities such as the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) activities and so on. Local authorities, state governments, and local communities should also help monitor and maintain environmental issues towards a clean city in Malaysia.

Chinese in the Linguistic Landscape of Chinese Communities in Malaysia: A Tale of Three Cities

The study of linguistic landscapes (LL) in Malaysia has emerged as a prominent area of research in Asia, predominantly focused on Kuala Lumpur, the capital city. Despite Chinese constituting over one fifth of Malaysia’s population, the presence of Chinese in the LL remains insufficiently explored. This empirical study addresses this gap by examining the visibility of Chinese in the LL of Chinese communities across three Malaysian cities: Penang, Ipoh, and Johor Bahru. By analysing a corpus of photographed public signs from various spaces, this research investigates the visibility of Chinese in the LL both quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings reveal that the visibility of Chinese in the LL of Chinese communities in the three selected cities not only signifies Chinese identity but also serves as an effective means to preserve traditional Chinese culture among Malaysian Chinese. This study underscores the importance of understanding the role of minority languages in the LL within ethnic communities, contributing to a more comprehensive view of Malaysia’s multilingual and multicultural context.

Equitable post-COVID-19 housing delivery: A practical framework to integrate sustainable development goals in Malaysia’s low-cost housing provision

Studies show that the COVID-19 crisis may threaten to attain sustainable development goals connected with shelter in developing countries, including Malaysia. Low-cost housing provision has been identified as one tool for achieving sustainability goals via synergistic operations. However, studies about post-COVID-19 housing and sustainable development goals integration are scarce in Malaysia. The study investigated the state of post-COVID-19 housing and developed a framework to integrate Goals in housing provision in Malaysia. The study covered four major cities in Malaysia via qualitative research to achieve the study’s objectives. The researchers engaged forty participants via semi-structured virtual interviews, and saturation was achieved. The study utilized a thematic analysis for the collated data and honed them with secondary sources. Findings show that COVID-19 reduced the possibility of low-income earners becoming homeowners. This is because the low-income groups were real losers of COVID-19 economic changes. Also, findings reveal that achieving four Goals from the 17 Goals will improve housing provision in Malaysia’s post-COVID-19 era. The study encourages key housing stakeholders to improve housing delivery, especially for the low-income earners across Malaysia in the post-COVID-19 era. This will imply contributing to achieving four Goals because of the correlation, as part of the study’s implications.

Youth-Friendly Streets: Promoting Well-being in Malaysian Cities

Urban environments have a significant impact on the well-being and development of young people. This paper examines the qualities of comfort and convenience that meet the needs of youth groups on urban commercial streets in Malaysia. Surveying a hundred youths unveils vital factors shaping their street experiences: freedom from pollution and noise and protection from the elements are crucial. Additionally, greenery and seating along pedestrian routes are essential for their comfort. These findings underscore the significance of designing streets that cater to youth, promoting their well-being and sense of belonging in the Malaysian context.

Assessment of low-cost housing provision as government social responsibility towards achievement of sustainable development goal 11: stakeholders’ perspective

Studies show that the government’s role can improve low-cost housing (LCH) to achieve SDGs linked with housing. LCH provision as a government social responsibility to achieving Goal 11 may raise critical issues in Malaysia. Therefore, this study investigated the factors hindering Malaysia’s Government from providing LCH as a social responsibility to achieving Goal 11. The research adopted a qualitative approach via phenomenology. It covered four major cities in Malaysia and achieved saturation at the 35th selected participant. Findings reveal that housing provision for all Malaysia’s low-income earners (LIEs) is an issue. The complexity of the problems, such as government inadequate funding, housing market financialisation, faulty LCH registration system, LCH high development and construction cost, under-declaration of household income by an unqualified person, LIEs collateral lacking, inability to provide 10% down payment, reluctance by mortgage institutions to lend loans to LIEs, entitlement syndrome, and inadequate LCH data sharing between federal and states governments may hinder Malaysia’s Government alone from LCH provision as a social responsibility to the low-income groups. Findings show that achieving Goal 11 may be threatened if these issues are not addressed and suggest measures to improve LCH to achieve Goal 11 via all-inclusive mechanisms.

Positioning the Creative City Agenda Within Urban Policy Discourse: The Malaysian Scenario

As the hype of the creative city model transcends Western borders to Eastern settings, Malaysian cities are fast embracing it as sine qua non urban development strategy. The global creative city model, however, is fraught with conceptual and operational ambiguities when dissecting the notions of “cultural industries” and “creative industries”. The “knowledge economy-based concept of creative industries” is widely critiqued as being void of cultural content. Malaysia is also caught in this conundrum due to national aspirations to be a knowledge and creative economy. The aim of this article is to examine how the Malaysian creative city agenda is positioned within urban policy discourse as the nation’s structural base shifts from industrial to services and the creative economy. Based on qualitative research techniques (i.e. interviews, focus group discussions, fieldwork observations), primary data was collected in selected Malaysian cities from 2019 to 2021. The study indicated that the creative city strategy is still nascent in Malaysia and not systematically integrated and intersected across urban policy domains. This article recommends the need to integrate the elements of culture and creativity more distinctively across all urban policy domains in the quest to develop culturally sensitive and sustainable Malaysian creative cities.

Optimal planning and designing of microgrid systems with hybrid renewable energy technologies for sustainable environment in cities.

Although hybrid wind-biomass-battery-solar energy systems have enormous potential to power future cities sustainably, there are still difficulties involved in their optimal planning and designing that prevent their widespread adoption. This article aims to develop an optimal sizing of microgrids by incorporating renewable energy (RE) technologies for improving cost efficiency and sustainability in urban areas. Diverse RE technologies such as photovoltaic (PV) systems, biomass, batteries, wind turbines, and converters are considered for system configuration to obtain this goal. Net present cost (NPC) is this study's objective function for optimal sizing microgrid configuration. For demonstration, we assess the technical, economic factors, and atmospheric emissions of optimal hybrid renewable energy systems for Putrajaya City in Malaysia. The required solar radiation data, temperature, and wind speeds are collected from the NASA surface metrological database. From the quantitative analysis of simulations, the biomass-battery-based system has optimal economic outcomes compared to other systems with an NPC of around 1.07M$, while the cost of energy (COE) is 0.118 $/kWh. Moreover, environmentally safe nitrogen oxide emissions, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide concentrations exist. The grid-tied RE technology boasts cost-effectiveness, with an NPC of 348,318 $ and a COE of 0.0112 $/kWh. This study aids decision-makers in formulating policies for integrating hybrid RE systems in urban areas, promoting sustainable energy generation.

Carbon neutrality in Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur: insights from stakeholder-driven integrated assessment modeling

Introduction: Several cities in Malaysia have established plans to reduce their CO2 emissions, in addition to Malaysia submitting a Nationally Determined Contribution to reduce its carbon intensity (against GDP) by 45% in 2030 compared to 2005. Meeting these emissions reduction goals will require a joint effort between governments, industries, and corporations at different scales and across sectors.Methods: In collaboration with national and sub-national stakeholders, we developed and used a global integrated assessment model to explore emissions mitigation pathways in Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur. Guided by current climate action plans, we created a suite of scenarios to reflect uncertainties in policy ambition, level of adoption, and implementation for reaching carbon neutrality. Through iterative engagement with all parties, we refined the scenarios and focus of the analysis to best meet the stakeholders’ needs.Results: We found that Malaysia can reduce its carbon intensity and reach carbon neutrality by 2050, and that action in Kuala Lumpur can play a significant role. Decarbonization of the power sector paired with extensive electrification, energy efficiency improvements in buildings, transportation, and industry, and the use of advanced technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture and storage will be major drivers to mitigate emissions, with carbon dioxide removal strategies being key to eliminate residual emissions.Discussion: Our results suggest a hopeful future for Malaysia’s ability to meet its climate goals, recognizing that there may be technological, social, and financial challenges along the way. This study highlights the participatory process in which stakeholders contributed to the development of the model and guided the analysis, as well as insights into Malaysia’s decarbonization potential and the role of multilevel governance.

An Integration of 3D Design in Malaysia Digital Tourism

With multiple projects aimed at boosting visitor experiences and advertising the country as a top vacation destination, the usage of digital technology in the travel and tourism sectors has been expanding quickly in Malaysia. Bringing 3D design into digital tourism is one such attempt that offers an immersive and interactive style to highlight Malaysia's tourist attractions. Despite the advantages, 3D design is mostly used in popular tourist destinations and major cities in Malaysia for digital tourism. This study analyses the use of 3D design in Malaysian digital tourism and its potential to increase tourist numbers, particularly in less well-known countryside destinations. This study will find comparable themes and patterns regarding the application of 3D design in digital tourism in various Malaysian regions using a case study approach. The expected results of this research include improving traveler and tourist experiences, archiving 3D designs for use in future research, and inviting more travelers and tourists to Malaysia, which would boost the country's tourism benefits.

A study of climate resilience in urban tree species of Peninsular Malaysia

<p>Climate change poses significant challenges to Malaysian cities, including heat stress, which high humidity and the urban heat island effect exacerbate. While trees effectively reduce temperatures and improve microclimates, potential sensitivities to climate change impacts require careful species selection. Experts assessed the resilience of 220 tree species from urban and rural areas of Malaysia using eight criteria, based on a list compiled from four sources. We then categorised the species by sensitivity for four urban landscape types. Saltwater sensitivity had the highest proportion of sensitive species, followed by inundation sensitivity. Considering regional climate projections, planners should prioritise species with low inundation sensitivity. Data availability for saltwater, inundation, and high-temperature sensitivities was limited but adequate for the remaining criteria, with susceptibility to predation, parasitism, or disease, and sensitivity to storm conditions being of concern. Urban planners should integrate these criteria into decision-making to ensure climate-smart urban design. Given that our knowledge about the effects of climate change on tree species will advance and should be documented, we developed an open-collaborative online database that assists stakeholders in selecting suitable species for various sites in Malaysia. Moderators will review submissions to ensure consistent application of criteria and alignment between selected answers and supporting information. Assessors can contribute to quality control by voting for assessments they agree with. Our research emphasises the importance of proactively addressing climate change challenges in urban areas and underscores the value of informed decision-making to enhance the resilience of urban tree populations.</p>

Relationships between Air Pollutants and Meteorological Factors during Southwest and Northeast Monsoon at Urban Areas in Peninsular Malaysia

People who currently live in urban areas are subjected to significantly higher levels of exposure to air pollution. Pollutant concentrations in the air change according to the weather, the locations of the many sources of pollution, and the topography of the area. This study examines the link between meteorological parameters (ambient temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed) and daily air pollutant concentrations in four monitoring stations at Peninsular Malaysian cities (Seberang Perai, Pasir Gudang, Batu Muda, and Kemaman) during southwest and northeast monsoon. Pearson Correlation Analysis analyzed air quality data over two years (January 2016 - January 2018). The study found that PM10 concentrations were highest at all monitoring locations. At all monitoring locations, climatic parameters correlated with NO2, PM10, and CO. Air pollution and meteorological conditions correlate weakly to moderately during the southwest monsoon. The investigation found that weather conditions affect O3 most during the dry season. CO and climatic parameters correlated weakly at all four monitoring stations during the northeast monsoon. PM10 correlated positively with ambient temperature and negatively with relative humidity and wind speed at all four stations. The northeast monsoon correlation values were weak to moderate. This study will help officials identify optimal air pollution controls for metropolitan areas during monsoon seasons in line with SDG-11, which promotes sustainable cities and communities.

Retaining knowledge workers for effective digital transformation

The purpose of this research is to examine key factors affecting knowledge worker’s retention for digital transformation. This research is motivated by recent statistics that show that more than 70% of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have yet to undergo large-scale digital transformation due to the failure to retain knowledge workers who can collect and disseminate information effectively through the application of digital technology. Although it is widely recognized that the knowledge worker is an important asset for the digital transformation of SMEs, there is a dearth of studies that focus specifically on how to retain knowledge workers in Malaysia. This research adopts a quantitative research design. Questionnaires were distributed to 200 respondents in SMEs in central urban cities in Malaysia. Purposive sampling was used to collect data where the respondents needed to fulfill criteria such as being currently working in SMEs and their job scope being related to idea generation, information handling, digital transformation, and strategic planning. This study discovers unique findings, such as that, compared to compensation, training and development, work environment, and work-life balance; they play a more significant role in motivating knowledge workers to stay in SMEs post-COVID-19 pandemic, which can enrich the literature on knowledge worker’s retention in developing countries. Serving as one of the pioneer studies in Malaysia and Southeast Asia that focuses on examining important factors to retain knowledge workers in SMEs post-COVID-19 pandemic, this finding benefits SME practitioners and policymakers in devising effective strategies to retain knowledge workers for effective digital transformation.

Identifying Barriers for Sustainable Townscape Development: Challenges in Malaysia

Sustainability has become a key concept in urban development, with increasing attention being paid to creating a townscape that is both environmentally friendly and socially inclusive. However, the townscape quality in Malaysia has been criticised as having poor quality in general. Many cities in Malaysia suffered from a lack of attention or awareness of the importance of a good quality of townscape, resulting in a lack of character and identity of the place. This research presents the findings of a focus group discussion research method on the factors contributing to the barriers for sustainable townscape development in Malaysia. This involved five urban design experts from both academia and industry. The data were analysed by adopting the thematic analysis matrix and analysed using Atlas.Ti software and five themes were established. The framework of “Barriers for Sustainable Townscape Development in Malaysia” is beneficial to policymakers, local authorities and practitioners in ensuring the enforcement of good development and meeting the need for a sustainable townscape in Malaysia.

Leptospira infection and carrier survey on rats from wet market areas in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Background & objectives: Leptospirosis is an important zoonotic infection that has caused significant mortality and morbidity worldwide. This disease is endemic in Malaysia and as a developing tropical country, leptospirosis is concerning as it threatens Malaysian public health and the country’s economic sectors. However, there is limited information on leptospirosis in Malaysia, especially regarding leptospiral seroepidemiology among carriers in Malaysia. Therefore, more epidemiological information on the source of the disease and reservoir are needed for better disease control and source intervention. The objectives of this study are to gather information on Leptospira infection and the carrier status of rats captured from selected wet markets of Kuala Lumpur metropolitan city in Malaysia. Methods: Live rat trappings were performed in four major wet markets in Kuala Lumpur, namely, Pudu, Chow Kit, Datuk Keramat, and Petaling Street. Animal samplings were performed for 12 months in 2017, where blood and kidney samples were collected and tested for anti-leptospiral antibodies via Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) and pathogenic Leptospira screening via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification offlaB gene. Results: MAT showed that 34.7% (n = 50/144) of the captured rats were positive for anti-leptospiral antibody of which the most prominent serovar was Malaya followed by a local strain, IMR LEP 175. In parallel, 50 rats were also positive for pathogenic Leptospira DNA. Interpretation & conclusion: This study showed that there are persistent Leptospira infections among rats in Kuala Lumpur wet markets and these rats are important reservoir hosts for the bacteria.

A cross-sectional survey measuring social norms, personal norms and altruistic values across responsible computer consumption life cycles

Purpose This study makes a unique contribution to the knowledge by investigating the mediating role of the social and personal norms across the acquisition, use and disposal stages of the responsible computer consumption lifecycle. Originality As the pioneer study conducted in Asian countries that provides integrative and holistic comparison on the mediating effect of personal and social norms with regards to responsible computer acquisition, use and disposal. Additionally, this study makes a theoretical contribution to the responsible computer value-behaviour relationships in an emerging market context. Methodology A large sample of 1000 questionnaires collected from 8 developed cities in Malaysia with the highest level of computer literacy, making this study capable of being generalized to the Malaysian population. Findings Social norms mediate the relationship between altruistic values and social norms at the acquisition and disposal stages. Personal norms mediate the relationship between altruistic and social norms at the acquisition and disposal stages.

Comparative review of Smart City from an urban planning perspective in Johor Bahru City and Petaling Jaya City

Smart cities are of great importance globally, and Malaysia recognizes this importance. The Malaysian government has launched various initiatives to encourage the ‘Smart City’ such as the framework (Malaysia Smart City Framework), blueprints, action plans, and standard, the Malaysian Standard for Smart Cities. The outlines the definitions, key principles, and strategies for adopting smart cities in Malaysia’s development. This study aimed to contribute to the understanding of smart city development in Malaysia and provide valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and researchers in their efforts to create sustainable and efficient cities. The objective of this study is to compare the approaches and outcomes of smart city development between Johor Bahru City, Johor, and Petaling Jaya City, Selangor. This has analyzed and comprehended the trends in various features of smart city development of the cities. The study found that Johor Bahru City is making more efforts to develop as a smart city through effective governance and strategic planning for short-term and long-term goals same as Petaling Jaya City but focuses more on a one-stop center which promotes community togetherness with the governance. Nevertheless, at the regional level, Johor Bahru City has the Iskandar Malaysia Smart City Framework promoting Sustainable Smart City Vision, followed by the Johor Smart City Blueprint at the state level, and implemented via blueprints at the local authorities, which sets it apart from Petaling Jaya City. Both cities have well-planned smart city initiatives that integrate technology, energy, and the environment, including support for smart city components that suit their needs. Despite facing challenges, the city serves as a model for smart and sustainable development.

Sink cities and land subsidences: How it affects the development of coastal city in Malaysia?

Sink cities and land subsidences: How it affects the development of coastal city in Malaysia?

A study of climate resilience in urban tree species of Peninsular Malaysia

<p>Climate change poses significant challenges to Malaysian cities, including heat stress, which high humidity and the urban heat island effect exacerbate. While trees effectively reduce temperatures and improve microclimates, potential sensitivities to climate change impacts require careful species selection. Experts assessed the resilience of 220 tree species from urban and rural areas of Malaysia using eight criteria, based on a list compiled from four sources. We then categorised the species by sensitivity for four urban landscape types. Saltwater sensitivity had the highest proportion of sensitive species, followed by inundation sensitivity. Considering regional climate projections, planners should prioritise species with low inundation sensitivity. Data availability for saltwater, inundation, and high-temperature sensitivities was limited but adequate for the remaining criteria, with susceptibility to predation, parasitism, or disease, and sensitivity to storm conditions being of concern. Urban planners should integrate these criteria into decision-making to ensure climate-smart urban design. Given that our knowledge about the effects of climate change on tree species will advance and should be documented, we developed an open-collaborative online database that assists stakeholders in selecting suitable species for various sites in Malaysia. Moderators will review submissions to ensure consistent application of criteria and alignment between selected answers and supporting information. Assessors can contribute to quality control by voting for assessments they agree with. Our research emphasises the importance of proactively addressing climate change challenges in urban areas and underscores the value of informed decision-making to enhance the resilience of urban tree populations.</p>

Vehicle detection and classification using three variations of you only look once algorithm

<p><span>Vehicle detection and classification are essential for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and even traffic camera surveillance. Yet, it is challenging due to complex backgrounds, varying illumination intensities, occlusions, vehicle size, and type variations. This paper aims to apply you only look once (YOLO) since it has been proven to produce high object detection and classification accuracy. There are various versions of YOLO, and their performances differ. An investigation on the detection and classification performance of YOLOv3, YOLOv4, and YOLOv5 has been conducted. The training images were from common objects in context (COCO) and open image, two publicly available datasets. The testing input images were captured on a few highways in two main cities in Malaysia, namely Shah Alam and Kuala Lumpur. These images were captured using a mobile phone camera with different backgrounds during the day and night, representing different illuminations and varying types and sizes of vehicles. The accuracy and speed of detecting and classifying cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, and bicycles have been evaluated. The experimental results show that YOLOv5 detects vehicles more accurately but slower than its predecessors, namely YOLOv4 and YOLOv3. Future work includes experimenting with newer versions of YOLO.</span></p>

LAND SUBSIDENCE DYNAMICS IN MALAYSIA BASED ON TIME-SERIES VERTICAL DEFORMATION USING MODIFIED D-INSAR SENTINEL-1

Land subsidence in urban areas is geohazard that can be caused by tectonic movements, changes in aquifer networks, or anthropogenic activities such as excessive groundwater extraction, mining, tunnelling, and plantations. The degree of land subsidence can be monitored using time-series vertical deformation data extracted from Sentinel-1 satellite imagery using the modified D-InSAR method. This study aims to determine the land subsidence dynamics of 16 cities in Malaysia based on time-series vertical deformation data, including Kota Bahru, Kuala Terengganu, George Town and Butterworth, Alor Setar, Kangar, Ipoh, Seremban, Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, Putra Jaya, Shah Alam, Kuantan, Johor Bahru, Kinabalu, Bandar Labuan (Victoria), and Kuching. The time-series vertical deformation data used in this study were extracted between 2014-2022. Negative values of vertical deformation indicate that land subsidence is occurring, while positive values of vertical deformation are indicative of regional uplift. The overall rate of land subsidence in Malaysia is between -0.5 cm to -6.0 cm, while the average uplift rate is between +0.5 cm to +4.5 cm. An analysis of the data extracted reveals that the city that is most vulnerable to land subsidence is Johor Bahru, followed by Kuala Terengganu, Seremban, Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam, Malacca, and Kuantan, while the city that has the lowest risk of land subsidence is Kangar. In contrast, cities that are vulnerable to regional uplift are Kinabalu and Bandar Labuan (Victoria). The results of this study can be used to guide urban planning initiatives, allowing them to consider any threats that might be posed by land subsidence.