East Coast Of Peninsular Malaysia Research Articles

A systematic review of Climate Change related Coral Reef research trend in Malaysia

Climate change related coral reef research has been receiving great interest globally as the world continues to experience worsening catastrophic climate change events, which causes the degradation of the ecosystem. While Malaysia is known for its extensive coral reef coverage, little is known about its coral reef research trajectory, especially related to climate change. Hence, this study aims to address the state of Malaysian coral reef research trend using the Web of Science (WoS; 1987–2022) database with comparison made within four areas in the country (East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah), and explicitly looking into the aspect of climate change using three search strings respectively; (1) Bleach*, (2) Acid*, (3) Climate Change*. The results found the number of such publications in the WoS database is low (total of 31 publications in 36 years), with substantial research location bias dominated at the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Generally, the study subjects of the publications focus on mixed organisms (Coral Reef) and Cnidaria as well as non-biological category ‘Environment’. Overall, the ecological assessment of the study trend shows notable climate change research gap in Malaysian coral reef research (lack of important organism studies; Pisces, Echinodermata, Mollusca). Thus, there is a need for climate change inclusive research direction in Malaysian coral reef research for the understanding, adaptation, prediction, and management of our coral reef ecosystem in an era of accelerated climate change circumstances.

First Record and Distribution Extension of Two Emperor Fishes, Lethrinus semicinctus and Lethrinus olivaceus to the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia

This study reports the occurrence of two species of Lethrinus (family Lethrinidae) on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The specimens were caught by commercial bottom trawlers operating in the southern part of the South China Sea and landed at several fish landing ports. Lethrinus semicinctusValenciennes, 1830 and Lethrinus olivaceus Valenciennes, 1830, previously known from Borneo, with the latter also occurring in the Straits of Malacca on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, are now documented as new records of geographic range in the northeastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. These records add to published Malaysian literature with photographic records, locality details, collection numbers and preserved specimens. Diagnostic characters for both species are given, as well as detailed morphometric and meristic data.

Metagenomic profile of the bacterial communities associated with Ixodes granulatus (Acari: Ixodidae): a potential vector of tick-borne diseases.

Ixodes granulatus Supino, 1897 (Acari: Ixodida) is one of Malaysia's most common hard ticks and is a potential vector for tick-borne diseases (TBDs). Despite its great public health importance, research on I. granulatus microbial communities remains largely unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the bacterial communities of on-host I. granulatus collected from three different recreational areas on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia using high throughput Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). A total of 9 females on-host I. granulatus were subjected to metabarcoding analysis targeting V3-V4 regions of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) using the Illumina MiSeq platform. This study identified 15 bacterial phyla corresponding to 19 classes, 54 orders, and 90 families from 435 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), revealing a diverse bacterial community profile. Together with 130 genera assigned, local I. granulatus harbored 4 genera of pathogens, i.e., Rickettsia da Rocha Lima, 1916 (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) (58.6%), Borrelia Swellengrebel 1907 (Spirochaetales: Borreliaceae) (31.6%), Borreliella Adeolu and Gupta 2015 (Spirochaetales: Borreliaceae) (0.6%), and Ehrlichia Cowdria Moshkovski 1947 (Rickettsiales: Ehrlichiaceae) (39.9%). Some endosymbiont bacteria, such as Coxiella (Philip, 1943) (Legionellales: Coxiellaceae), Wolbachia Hertig 1936 (Rickettsiales: Ehrlichiaceae), and Rickettsiella Philip, 1956 (Legionellales: Coxiellaceae), were also detected at very low abundance. Interestingly, this study reported the co-infection of Borrelia and Ehrlichia for the first time, instilling potential health concerns in the context of co-transmission to humans, especially in areas with a high population of I. granulatus. This study successfully characterized the tick microbiome and provided the first baseline data of I. granulatus bacterial communities in Malaysia. These results support the need for way-forward research on tick-associated bacteria using NGS, focusing on medically important species toward TBD prevention.

ESL Primary Teachers’ Perceptions on the Use of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) Approach to Teach CEFR Speaking Skill

As the world heads into digitalisation, the ability to speak fluent English has become increasingly important due to its emergence as an international language among speakers of different countries. Nevertheless, many ESL pupils have struggled to speak and convey their ideas well throughout the years despite learning English very young. Along with abolishing centralised exams like UPSR and PT3, the English curriculum in Malaysia was spontaneously reshaped by introducing the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Consequently, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) Approach is being revived to sustain spoken interaction among the pupils. Despite countless studies on the CLT approach in ESL classrooms, there is insubstantial past research focusing on integrating CLT and CEFR curriculum in teaching ESL speaking skills. Hence, this study aims to explore ESL primary teachers’ perceptions of the use of CLT in teaching speaking and their readiness to use the said approach. This study focuses on 305 English primary teachers teaching on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. By adopting a cross-sectional survey design, data is collected quantitatively through purposive sampling. The research instrument used is an online questionnaire created via Google Form to be administered via a web-based survey procedure. The findings revealed at least 4.15 mean intervals across the first ten items and 4.07 and above for the following ten items, indicating that most respondents held positive perceptions and were ready to use the CLT approach in teaching speaking skill under the CEFR curriculum. Future recommendations included using localised CEFR textbooks and integrating Virtual Reality (VR).

A 10-Year Review of Obstetrics Anal Sphincter Injury at a Tertiary Teaching Hospital in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia

Introduction: Obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASIS) is an uncommon complication that may occur during vaginal delivery and increases the risk of pelvic floor dysfunction following delivery. This 10-year review is aimed to determine the occurrence of OASIS at a tertiary teaching hospital. Methods: A retrospective review of records of women who had their newborns delivered at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia between 2007-2016 was conducted. OASIS was classified according to the classification proposed by Sultan AH in 1999. Women who delivered on the same day with the index delivery but without OASIS acted as the control group (n = 154). Results: There were 61,049 vaginal deliveries over the ten years. A total of 154 women were recorded to have vaginal delivery complicated with OASIS, with a cumulative prevalence of 0.25% per year. Of these, 86% (n = 133) sustained a third-degree, and the remaining 14% (n = 21) had a fourth-degree perineal tear. Three independent risk factors for OASIS were identified using multivariable analysis: primiparity, greater gestational age, and higher infant birth weight. Conclusion: Nulliparous, primiparous, and a higher infant birth weight > 3500 g pose a higher possibility of developing OASIS during vaginal delivery among women who delivered at a tertiary teaching hospital on the east coast of Malaysia.

Knowledge, attitudes, and associated factors of caregivers towards children with autism spectrum disorder in East Coast Peninsular Malaysia.

Caregivers are directly involved in managing the daily basic needs of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The knowledge and attitudes of these caregivers are important to achieving success in their roles. Thus, this study aimed to determine what constitutes good knowledge, attitudes, and associated factors among caregivers toward children with ASD. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 128 caregivers of children with ASD in Kota Bharu, Kelantan from May to August 2020, using convenience sampling. Validated questionnaires were used to assess the knowledge and attitudes toward children with ASD. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 24. Descriptive statistics and simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were then performed. The response rate was 100%. The proportion of good knowledge and attitudes toward children with ASD among caregivers was 85.1% and 88.3%, respectively. Factors significantly associated with good knowledge were being female (OR (95% CI) 2.79 [0.99-7.90]) and ASD children being non-first-born children (OR (95% CI) 0.41 [0.15-1.12]). Factors significantly associated with good attitudes were age of 30 years and older (OR (95% CI) 0.13 [0.03-0.62]) and caregiver having other children with other types of learning difficulties (OR (95% CI) 0.15 [0.04, 0.52]). The proportion of caregivers with good knowledge of ASD and good attitudes toward children with ASD was high. The caregiver's age and sex, the position of the ASD child among the siblings, and the presence of other types of learning disorders in the family need to be considered when managing children with ASD.

HPTLC PROFILING AND FTIR FINGERPRINTING COUPLED WITH CHEMOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF MALAYSIAN STINGLESS BEE PROPOLIS

Propolis is a natural substance produced by the bees to protect their hive. The present work reports the utilization of chemical profiling and fingerprinting combined with multivariate analysis for discrimination of the geographical origin of Malaysian stingless bee propolis. High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) has been performed to profile the chemical composition of Geniotrigona thoracica propolis from different localities in East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia namely Besut, Terengganu (BST), Dungun, Terengganu (DGN), Lundang, Kelantan (LDG), Tanah Merah, Kelantan (TM) and Gua Musang, Kelantan (GM). The obtained HPTLC profiles showed the presence of flavonoids, phenolics and terpenoids in propolis. The chemical fingerprinting was obtained through Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Chemometric analysis on FTIR dataset using principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) have classified the propolis into three major groups according to their sampling locations. Chemical fingerprinting analysis on the functional group via FTIR and chemometric revealed that the locations of propolis have direct correlation with the chemical composition, thus affecting the biological activities of propolis. Both chemical marker and chemical fingerprinting analysis are important tools in propolis standardization.

KRAS Mutational Profiles among Colorectal Cancer Patients in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

KRAS is a key driver gene in colorectal carcinogenesis. Despite this, there are still limited data on the mutational status of KRAS amongst colorectal cancer (CRC) patients in Malaysia. In the present study, we aimed to analyze the KRAS mutational profiles on codons 12 and 13 amongst CRC patients in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, located on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. DNA were extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues obtained from 33 CRC patients diagnosed between 2018 and 2019. Amplifications of codons 12 and 13 of KRAS were conducted using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by Sanger sequencing. Mutations were identified in 36.4% (12/33) of patients, with G12D (50%) being the most frequent single-point mutation observed, followed by G12V (25%), G13D (16.7%), and G12S (8.3%). No correlation was found between mutant KRAS and location of the tumor, staging, and initial carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level. Current analyses revealed that a significant proportion of CRC patients in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia have KRAS mutations, where this frequency is higher compared to those in the West Coast. The findings of this study would serve as a precursor for further research that explores KRAS mutational status and the profiling of other candidate genes among Malaysian CRC patients.

Application of the random forest algorithm for mapping potential fishing zones of Rastrelliger kanagurta off the east coast of peninsular Malaysia

Indian mackerel, Rastrelliger kanagurta, play an important role in the marine fisheries of Malaysia, and their distribution is reported to be influenced by various oceanographic conditions. In this study, a modeling framework of machine learning techniques (random forest [RF]) and spatial analysis with geographic information systems (hotspot analysis) was used to predict and map potential fishing zones of R. kanagurta in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) waters off the east coast of peninsular Malaysia. The RF model was constructed with a training dataset (n = 2535) and externally validated by a testing dataset (n = 1087). Model validation using Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) on the testing dataset indicated good agreement (CCC = 0.811) between the predicted and observed catch per unit effort (CPUE) of R. kanagurta. The variable importance plot revealed the relative importance of four predictors of potential habitat, ranked in decreasing order of importance: sea surface height anomaly (SSHA), eddy kinetic energy (EKE), sea surface temperature (SST) and surface chlorophyll-a (CHL) concentration. Partial dependence shows that R. kanagurta prefers a habitat with the following parameters: SSHA -0.05–0.20 m, EKE < 0.02 m2/s2 or > 0.07 m2/s2, SST 30–31 °C and CHL 0.1–0.3 mg/m3. Spatial distribution of predicted CPUE hotspots were found to be closely related to the thermal fronts, which influenced by the monsoonal wind and occurrence of upwelling event in the study area. Our study indicates that cost-effective satellite-derived products can be used to predict potential fishing zones of R. kanagurta and provide useful information on relationship between environmental factors and CPUE of R. kanagurta.

Adaptation of coastal defence structure as a mechanism to alleviate coastal erosion in monsoon dominated coast of Peninsular Malaysia

The complexity of the coastal environment and the advent of climate change cause coastal erosion, which is incontrovertibly a significant concern worldwide, including Peninsular Malaysia, where, the coast is threatened by severe erosion linked to anthropogenic factors and monsoonal wind-driven waves. Consequently, the Malaysian government implemented a mitigation plan using several coastal defence systems to overcome the coastal erosion problem. This study assesses coastal erosion management strategies along a monsoon-dominated coasts by evaluating the efficacy of coastal protection structures against the coast. To this end, we analysed 244 km of the coastline of Terengganu, a federal state located on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Due to a higher frequency of storms and the ensuing inception of high wave energy environments during the northeast monsoon (relative to southwest monsoon), the study area is the most impacted region in Malaysia with regard to coastal erosion. Fifty-five (55) coastal defence structures were detected along the Terengganu coastline. The Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) was utilised to compute changes in the rate statistics for various historical shoreline positions along the Terengganu coast to assess the efficacy of the defence structures. Additionally, this study acquired the perception of the existing coastal management strategies through an interview session with the concerned stakeholders. The rate statistics revealed the effectiveness and impact of the coastal defence structure on the coastline. Assessing the functionality of the coastal defence structures shed light on the present scenario of coastal erosion management. Greater efficacy and lower impact of coastal defence structures are prescribed for coastal erosion management strategies across the monsoon-dominated coast.

Development of inundation maps along East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia due to predicted seaquake from Manila Trench

Coastal zone has high value of socioeconomic activities. The number of developments and activities at the coastal areas of various sectors has increased day by day. Tsunami hazard is classified as one of the most devastating natural disasters that cause destruction along the coastal areas resulted to human fatalities. There are many causes of tsunami, but the most common is due to earthquake in the ocean. Previously recognised as a safe zone from natural disasters of tsunami, Malaysia was confronted by a rude awakening of the 2004 Andaman tsunami, causing a total loss of 68 lives. However, the potential impacts of tsunamis towards Malaysia coastal areas, especially at East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, have not been explored extensively. This study, therefore, is critical and pertinent. It aims to investigate the potential seismic activities that generate tsunami occurrences affecting East Coast Peninsular Malaysia. This study further simulates Manila Trench earthquake-induced tsunami at various earthquake intensities, namely Mw 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0, by using TUNA model. Results obtained from this study indicated that tsunami wave generated by Manila Trench earthquake at Mw 9.0 resulted to the highest disastrous effects towards East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Findings from this study have established that Kelantan will experience the highest inundation depth at 4.0 m in Pasir Puteh with the highest inland inundation distance at 5.5 km in Bachok. Besides that, Terengganu will experience the highest inundation depth at 6.0 m in Kuala Terengganu with the highest inland inundation distance at 6.0 km also in Kuala Terengganu. In Pahang, the highest inundation depth at 4.5 m with the highest inland inundation distance at 3.3 km is anticipated to experience in Pekan, while in Johor, the highest inundation depth at 1.2 m with the highest inland inundation distance at 0.4 km is anticipated to experience in Mersing. On the other hand, Mw 8.0 and 7.0 earthquake was expected to be insignificant upon arriving at the coastal areas. Mitigation measures and evacuation plans can be effectively planned as findings obtained from this study are able to provide vital information on the possibilities of tsunami waves occurrences to overcome massive losses of properties and life.

The Level of Involvement of Women Entrepreneurs in the Textile Industry in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia

Women and business are a unique phenomenon that can only be observed in the East Coast state of Peninsular Malaysia. The involvement of women entrepreneurs in the batik and songket-based textile industry in the East Coast outweighs the involvement of male entrepreneurs. It is interesting to highlight that only women entrepreneur in Kelantan and Terengganu engaged more actively in market activities than women entrepreneurs in other states. Women entrepreneurs in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia share the same entrepreneurial culture where entrepreneurship activities in two states in the East Coast have been held for a long time. This article aims to analyze the level of involvement of women entrepreneurs in the textile industry on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Quantitative design methods based on descriptive analysis and structured interviews were used in this study conducted on 102 respondents in the states of Kelantan and Terengganu in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Data obtained from structured interviews were analyzed descriptively and multiple regression analysis. The results show that the level of women’s involvement in the textile industry is at a high level. Five factors influence the involvement of women entrepreneurs in this study to venture into the textile industry, namely total of income, increased income, self-motivation, self-satisfaction, and social motives. This study suggests that the high profits that female entrepreneurs can generate will encourage other women to participate in this business.

A review of the family Cymothoidae (Isopoda: Cymothooidea) infesting marine fishes from Malaysian waters, with new host and geographical records.

A checklist of parasitic cymothoids from Malaysian waters is presented based on available literature and material collected from 2010 to 2020. Most of the collected specimens were recorded from waters of Terengganu, east coast of Peninsular Malaysia (facing the South China Sea), whereas literature records were included from Sarawak, along the Miri coast of northwest Borneo. The checklist comprises 19 species in ten genera, seven of which are new records from Malaysia: Anilocra nemipteri Bruce, 1987; Ceratothoa barracuda Martin, Bruce & Nowak, 2015; Ceratothoa carinata (Bianconi, 1869); Cymothoa epimerica Avdeev, 1979; Elthusa sigani Bruce, 1990; Joryma engraulidis (Barnard, 1936) and Renocila richardsonae Williams & Bunkley-Williams, 1992. Eight new host records are based on collected specimens: Anilocra nemipteri was dorsally attached on Nemipterus nemurus (Bleeker, 1857), Nemipterus nematophorus (Bleeker, 1854), Nemipterus tambuloides (Bleeker, 1853) and Nemipterus thosaporni Russell, 1991 (family Nemipteridae); Ceratothoa carinata was found in the buccal cavity of Decapterus macrosoma Bleeker, 1851 (family Carangidae); Cymothoa eremita (Brunnich, 1783) was attached in the buccal cavity of Nemipterus tambuloides (Bleeker, 1853) and Nemipterus furcosus (Valenciennes, 1830); Elthusa sigani was found attached on the gills of Pterois russelli Bennett, 1831 (family Scorpaenidae), and Renocila richardsonae was attached on the caudal fin of Upeneus japonicus (Houttuyn, 1782) (family Mullidae). All cymothoid species listed here are known to have a Central Indo-Pacific distribution, with some ranging as far as the Western Indian Ocean. A cymothoid-host association is here listed from 28 fish families, with the most commonly reported from Carangidae (pompanos, jack mackerels, runners, scads), Engraulidae (anchovies), and Leiognathidae (ponyfishes, slipmouths). This paper is the first comprehensive review of both verified literature records and deposited specimens. A key for the family of Cymothoidae in Malaysian waters is given.

Simulation of Dispersion Modeling of 137Cs for the Possible Leakage of Malaysia’s Nuclear Power Plant Operation

The world’s energy needs increase in line with population growth. One alternative to overcome this problem is the construction of a nuclear power plant, a source of energy that is cheap, clean, and safe. Malaysia has a plan to construct nuclear power plants by 2025, which is located close to Indonesian waters. This study aimed to determine the distribution model of 137 Cs radionuclide released by the nuclear power plant in the event of a leak in east coast of Peninsular Malaysia and its impact on the presence of 137 Cs in Indonesian waters. A quantitative method was used in this study with a scenario 2D modeling using hydrodynamics module and transport module in MIKE software. The results showed that the highest concentration of 137 Cs would be found in the area around the nuclear power plant with a value of 10 11 PBq/m 3 , then it would decrease through diffusion and advection processes. On the 15 th day, the spread of 137 Cs would reach Indonesian waters with a distance of up to 76 km and would expand on the 30 th day with a distance of up to 130 km from the released source. The movement of 137 Cs follows the dominant current pattern due to its nature. The presence of 137 Cs in Indonesian waters after the 15 th and 30 th days would reach a value of 1 Bq/m 3 due to advection and diffusion processes.

A multi-hazards coastal vulnerability index of the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia

In Southeast Asia, an increase of 20 million people in the coastal zone have accentuated the infrastructure risk. In Malaysia, littoral erosion due to seasonal monsoons can critically affect the coastal population and the country lacks practical plans to attenuate coastal erosion. In this study, a systematic coastal vulnerability assessment that covers 10 physical and 5 socio-economic variables has been conducted at 16 districts from 4 states. The aim is to highlight the most vulnerable districts with respect to a potential catastrophic event. Multivariate statistical analyses facilitated realistic and meaningful interpretations for optimal coastal zone planning. We show that socio-economic variables are extremely relevant in all states except in southern Terengganu because it faces a direct impact of monsoon waves. Gender composition was found to be the most dominant coastal vulnerability factor for two states: Kelantan and Terengganu (north) due to the abundance of women involved in coastal trade and commerce. Besides, agriculture indicates a primary concern in the district of Johor. The results were categorized from very low to very high of vulnerability. The northern states of the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia show very high to high vulnerability relative to the southern states, which reveal moderate to very low vulnerability. In statistical analysis, it is shown that there is a similarity of 81.25% between Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) and Hierarchical Agglomerative Cluster Analysis (HACA). The authorities could utilize the findings of this study to forecast potential shoreline recession and establish adaptation measures to their coastal erosion adaptation plan.

Diagnostic value of serum and tissue eosinophil in diagnosis of asthma among patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases of sinonasal mucosa. Asthma among CRS patients is often underdiagnosed which makes the management of CRS more challenging. Therefore, using serum and tissue eosinophil as an indicator and predictor of asthma in CRS patients is vital for further preventing recurrent and increasing the effectiveness of treatment for CRS. To determine the association and diagnostic ability of serum and tissue eosinophils in the diagnosis of asthma among CRS patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 24 CRS patients with asthma and without asthma, respectively, from the Otorhinolaryngology clinic of two tertiary hospitals located on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Serum and tissue eosinophils (obtained from nasal polyp) levels between both groups were compared. Association between serum and tissue eosinophils with asthma was evaluated using logistic regression analysis, adjusting for important sociodemographic characteristics. The diagnostic ability of serum and tissue eosinophil was then evaluated by assessing the receiver operating characteristic curve. A total of 48 CRS patients with a mean [SD] age of 47.50 [14.99] years were included. Patients with asthma had significantly higher serum [0.48 vs 0.35 × 109/L] and tissue eosinophil [100 vs 8.5 per HPF] levels. Tissue eosinophils were found to be an independent predictor of asthma with adjusted OR 1.05, p < 0.001, after adjusting for age and serum eosinophils. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for serum eosinophil was 69.0%. At optimal cut-off value (0.375 × 109/L), the sensitivity and specificity for serum eosinophil was 75.0% and 70.8%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for tissue eosinophil was 93.4%. At the optimal cut-off value (58.0 per HPF), the sensitivity and specificity for tissue eosinophils were 79.2% and 91.7%, respectively. This study indicates a significantly higher level of serum and tissue eosinophils in CRS with asthma. However, there was no correlation between serum and tissue eosinophils in both group. Based on this study, the CRS patient needs to be screened for asthma if the level of serum eosinophil is > 0.375 × 109/L and tissue eosinophil > 58 per HPF.

Polychaete Assemblages in the Sungai Terengganu Estuary (East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia): Spatial Distribution Patterns

Polychaete Assemblages in the Sungai Terengganu Estuary (East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia): Spatial Distribution Patterns

Modelling of Coastal Vulnerability Index Along the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia due to Sea Level Rise Impact

Sea level rise is a very serious phenomena around the world and caused by expansion of sea water due to the high temperature and the melting of ice at the poles. In Malaysia, areas located on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia are more vulnerable to the impact of rising sea water because they are facing the South China Sea where the waves are stronger, especially during the monsoon season in November to March. The study site is along the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, over 675km and covered fifteen districts located along the coast. This study focuses on developing vulnerability indices on physical, socioeconomic and correlation between both parameters. The analysis of physical vulnerability index (PVI) consist seven variables namely geomorphology, shoreline change rate, coastal slope, wave height, tidal range, sea level rise change and rock type. While for socioeconomic index (SeVI) focuses on three parameters such as quality of life, economic value and infrastructures. After obtaining the index for each parameter, coastal vulnerability index (CVI) is then calculated to determine the overall vulnerability for the coastal area. For CVI, the highest index along coastal area is Kuantan and the lowest index is Tumpat.

Lifestyle Practices and Mental Health in Adolescents: Explorative Analysis from Malaysian Health and Morbidity Survey 2017

Many significant psychosocial problems may go undetected and untreated in adolescents. We aim to determine the prevalence of high-risk behaviors among Malaysian adolescents. Retrospective data analysis was performed using data from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2017 report. The dataset included 27,497 responses from adolescents aged 13 to 17 years old from five established topographic zones: northern peninsular, east coast peninsular, southern peninsular, central, and east Malaysia. The strength of associations between selected high-risk behaviors and different topographical zones were performed using logistic regression analysis. Adolescents from the northern peninsular reported the highest prevalence of suicidal attempt (27.1%) and active drug user (30.1%). The same region reported the highest prevalence of those who ever had sexual intercourse (SI) (27.2%), with 32.5% who had their first SI before 14 years old, while east Malaysia reported the highest prevalence of current smokers (26.1%) and current alcohol consumers (30.6%). Overall poor lifestyle choices were evident in the northern peninsular region. Hence, specific districts breakdown may enable targeted interventional lifestyle strategies for adolescents at risk.

Media Information, Flood Images, and Perceptions in Times of Flood

Disasters in Malaysia are managed using a framework developed through Directive 20 by the National Security Council. This framework is widely used in managing floods on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. However, the prolonged rains that occurred on 17 December 2021 tested the capabilities of the existing framework: the rains caused floods in urban areas, which is unusual. This study was conducted to investigate the flood situation using data from the media, observations of the affected area, and people’s perceptions to determine their actions upon receiving flood information from the media. This study used thematic analysis to analyze the media content on the floods in Selangor. Next, observation techniques were used in one of the most affected areas, namely Hulu Langat, Selangor, where content analysis of field notes was implemented to determine the emerging themes that were being formed. Finally, an online survey questionnaire was distributed through social media. This study’s findings established that what was reported in the media was correct; however, what actually occurred was worse than what was stated in the media. Through the survey, it was found that people are extremely reliant on social media and assume that logistical constraints in the delivery of assistance have contributed to negative public perceptions of disaster management agencies.