East Of Malaysia Research Articles

Factors on political involvement among university student in Malaysia

For a country to remain stable, young people's participation in politics is crucial. Today's youth, even university students who ought to be at the forefront of this crucial issue, are becoming less and less interested in participating in politics. The purpose of this study was to determine the elements that influence university students' political participation. A cross-sectional survey of 417 university students from Peninsular Malaysia's East Coast was done. The AMOS programme was used to analyze the data obtained through the questionnaire using the Structural Equation Model (SEM). The results demonstrate that factors such as attitude, family, media, and socializing have a favorable impact on university students' political involvement. This conclusion is supposed to serve as a foundation for different stakeholders to take all required steps to boost the involvement of university students in politics.

The Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Infantile Seizures in the First Year of Life: A Single-Center Study

BackgroundEpilepsy has a high incidence among infants during their first year of life, yet the prognosis can vary significantly. Although considerable research has been conducted on infantile spasms, studies examining infantile-onset epilepsy, excluding infantile spasms, remain limited, particularly concerning the factors influencing outcomes. Therefore, our study aims to elucidate seizure control, developmental outcomes, and prognostic factors in infants with epilepsy during their first year of life, within a single-center study in Malaysia. MethodsWe retrieved data from patients who experienced seizures before age 12 months and were followed for over two years, using electronic patient records at Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II in Kelantan, a state in Malaysia's east coast. We retrospectively reviewed these records and assessed clinical outcomes based on the last follow-up. ResultsOf 75 patients, 61 (81.3%) achieved good seizure control or remission. At the last follow-up, 24 (32%) exhibited developmental delay, whereas 19 (25.3%) displayed abnormal neuroimaging. Patients with abnormal background electroencephalographic (EEG) activity, as well as abnormal radiological findings, were more likely to experience poor seizure control and unfavorable developmental outcomes (P < 0.05). ConclusionsOur study underscores that most infants with epilepsy can achieve seizure remission. However, poor seizure control and developmental delay are associated with abnormal EEG background and characteristics, as well as neuroimaging abnormalities. The management of infantile-onset epilepsies may necessitate substantial resources and precise interventions to enhance overall outcomes.

Investigating the Predictive Effects of Depression and Self-Esteem on Suicide Ideation among Malaysia East Coast Undergraduate Students

Investigating the Predictive Effects of Depression and Self-Esteem on Suicide Ideation among Malaysia East Coast Undergraduate Students

Physical Activity and Body Mass Index Among Hypertensive Patients Attending Outpatient Clinic at a Tertiary Hospital in Kelantan, Malaysia

Introduction: Hypertension is one of the predisposing factors for increased morbidity and mortality rate in Malaysia as it significantly contributes to the risk of non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney injuries. Non-pharmacological intervention such as physical activity (PA) helps to reduce the progression of hypertension severity and body mass index (BMI) among hypertensive patients. Limited studies were conducted among hypertensive patients at outpatient clinics in the east-coast region of Malaysia. Objective: To determine the level of PA and BMI of hypertensive patients attending outpatient clinics.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using purposive sampling. The study was conducted among 73 hypertensive patients who attended the outpatient clinic at a tertiary hospital in Kelantan state, the Northern East of Malaysia. Data was collected using a self -reported questionnaires for BMI and hypertension and the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to measure the level of PA. Results: The findings show that most of the respondents above 50 years old are moderately active (54.8%, n=40) and nearly half (45.2%, n=33) were overweight. There is no significant association between the level of PA and BMI (p=0.854). A significant association was only found between the respondents’ marital status and their BMI (p=0.034). Conclusion: The majority of the respondents in the study were moderately active in performing physical activity and within the category of overweight. PA and BMI are not significantly associated in the study. The non-significance findings could be due to the small sample size in this study and other contributing factors such as co-morbidities, lifestyle variables including dietary habits, and sedentary behaviour that were not investigated in the study. Overall, the study underlined the importance of physical activity and body mass index in achieving public health recommendations. Conclusion: Overall, the study underlined the importance of physical activity and body mass index in achieving public health recommendations.

The First Next-Generation Sequencing Metabarcoding Dataset on Faecal Bacterial Diversity from the Southern River Terrapin, Batagur affinis ssp.

The Southern River terrapin, Batagur affinis ssp., has the first data on faecal bacterial diversity from next-generation sequencing (NGS). This dataset describes the bacterial diversity of the Southern River terrapin, locally known as Tuntung. Batagur affinis spp. are freshwater turtles listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List since 2000. This is the first dataset on the faecal bacterial diversity of Batagur affinis ssp., and the data provided here can be used to comprehensively understand the microbiome's community composition. Seven faeces samples were collected aseptically from captive (N = 5) and wild (N = 2) adult B. affinis ssp. while crossing Peninsular Malaysia's east and west coasts. The data was acquired by metabarcoding using 16S rRNA. The amplicons were further analysed using the SILVA and DADA2 pipelines. The V3-V4 of the 16S rRNA gene region was amplified, and the amplicons were sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq system. In total, 297 bacterial communities' taxonomic profiles (phylum to genus) have been determined. The data for this metagenome can be found in the BioSample Submission Portal as Bio-Project PRJNA767629 and Sequence Read Archive (SRA) accession numbers from SAMN21919713 to SAMN21919722.

AESTHETIC QUALITIES OF ISLAND TOURISM IN MALAYSIA'S EAST COAST REGION: DOES DURATION OF STAY MATTER IN SATISFYING TOURISTS?

The East Coast islands of Malaysia are becoming increasingly popular as a world-class nature tourism destination. Not only are they naturally beautiful and accessible, they are also attractive and appear as a destination image. However, whether satisfaction based on the aesthetic quality of the island is sufficient in determining a tourist’s duration of stay is being questioned. This study, therefore, sets out two objectives to investigate the relationship between Aesthetic qualities and Tourist Satisfaction: (1) to investigate which aesthetic quality has a significant influence on tourist satisfaction of Malaysia's East Coast islands, and (2) to determine whether the length of stay has a significant influence on tourist satisfaction of the East Coast islands of Malaysia. This study is quantitative and cross-sectional. Smart PLS-SEM analysis was used on 150 responses; the 5000 replication of samples reveals that all aesthetic qualities contributed to tourist satisfaction. The ANOVA analysis, supported by the post hoc multiple comparison analysis among the groups, the Least Square Difference (i.e., LSD) Fisher's Test, and Games-Howell Test, yielded intriguing results for the significant difference between the duration of stay groups on these islands. All aesthetic qualities, especially scenery, showed significant differences during a short stay. The findings would raise public awareness of the importance of sustaining the aesthetic quality of island tourism while also benefiting many stakeholders. There is also a need for more promotional efforts to extend the tourists' duration of stay. However, generalizations of the results of this study are limited to responses given mainly from three main islands of Terengganu.

Ku-band specific attenuation coefficients for high-throughput satellites in equatorial region

Ku-band have a larger attenuation during heavy rain in the equatorial region. Despite that, Ku-band has been identified as a frequency band in high-throughput satellite systems (HTS) for broadband satellite communication. The available rain fade prediction models are still not able to accurately predict rain attenuation in the equatorial region. The models depend on the specific attenuation parameters produced based on the international telecommunication union radiocommunication sector (ITU-R) instead of the measured value. Direct measurement of specific attenuation is more accurate but difficult to obtain because the correlation of rainfall rate and satellite signal loss due to rain must be obtained simultaneously. This paper aims to derive new specific attenuation frequency-dependent coefficients for Ku-band using the semi-empirical method. The Malaysia East Asia Satellite 3 (MEASAT-3) satellite data was collected using a 13 m antenna located at Cyberjaya, Selangor while the rainfall data was collected by the nearby hydrological station. The specific attenuation was obtained from correlations of the direct measurement of rain attenuation and rainfall rate. The new frequency-dependent coefficients for Ku-band specific attenuation values are k = 4.6690 and α = 0.1941. The newly acquired specific attenuation coefficients have improved the rain attenuation model prediction for the equatorial region.

Assessing the Spatiotemporal Spread Pattern of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Malaysia.

IntroductionThe unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected human health and socioeconomic backgrounds. This study examined the spatiotemporal spread pattern of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia from the index case to 291,774 cases in 13 months, emphasizing on the spatial autocorrelation of the high-risk cluster events and the spatial scan clustering pattern of transmission.MethodologyWe obtained the confirmed cases and deaths of COVID-19 in Malaysia from the official GitHub repository of Malaysia's Ministry of Health from January 25, 2020 to February 24, 2021, 1 day before the national vaccination program was initiated. All analyses were based on the daily cumulated cases, which are derived from the sum of retrospective 7 days and the current day for smoothing purposes. We examined the daily global, local spatial autocorrelation and scan statistics of COVID-19 cases at district level using Moran's I and SaTScan™.ResultsAt the initial stage of the outbreak, Moran's I index > 0.5 (p < 0.05) was observed. Local Moran's I depicted the high-high cluster risk expanded from west to east of Malaysia. The cases surged exponentially after September 2020, with the high-high cluster in Sabah, from Kinabatangan on September 1 (cumulative cases = 9,354; Moran's I = 0.34; p < 0.05), to 11 districts on October 19 (cumulative cases = 21,363, Moran's I = 0.52, p < 0.05). The most likely cluster identified from space-time scanning was centered in Jasin, Melaka (RR = 11.93; p < 0.001) which encompassed 36 districts with a radius of 178.8 km, from November 24, 2020 to February 24, 2021, followed by the Sabah cluster.Discussion and ConclusionBoth analyses complemented each other in depicting underlying spatiotemporal clustering risk, giving detailed space-time spread information at district level. This daily analysis could be valuable insight into real-time reporting of transmission intensity, and alert for the public to avoid visiting the high-risk areas during the pandemic. The spatiotemporal transmission risk pattern could be used to monitor the spread of the pandemic.

Phylogenetic and multivariate analyses of Gekko smithii Gray, 1842 recover a new species from Peninsular Malaysia and support the resurrection of G. albomaculatus (Giebel, 1861) from Sumatra

AbstractAn integrative taxonomic analysis of Sundaic populations ofGekko smithiifrom the Thai-Malaya Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo recovered four deeply divergent mitochondrial lineages that are separated by major geographic barriers (mountains and seaways). Furthermore, they bear a number of concordant statistically significant differences in meristic and morphometric features, morphospatial separation in multivariate space, and discrete differences in color pattern.Gekko smithiisensu strictois restricted to southern Thailand south of the Isthmus of Kra and Peninsular Malaysia west of the Banjaran (mountain range) Titiwangsa, being that the type locality is on Penang Island, Penang.Gekko hulksp. nov.is a new species from extreme southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia east of the Banjaran Titiwangsa and five east coast islands—the type locality being Pulau (island) Tioman, Pahang. Gekko cf. albofasciolatus is tentatively used to include Bornean populations west of the Iran Mountains in Sabah and Sarawak which, in the absence of molecular data, cannot unequivocally be separated morphologically fromG. albofasciolatusfrom the type locality at Banjarmasin, Kalimantan, Indonesia east of the Iran Mountains. In the absence of molecular data,G. albomaculatusis resurrected to include mainland Sumatran, Nias Island, and Banyak Islands populations which, based on their morphology, cannot be separated from descriptions ofG. albomaculatusfrom the type locality of Bangka Island, 15 km off the southeast coast of mainland Sumatra. Further integrative analyses of all Sumatran and Bornean populations are currently underway as well as the enigmatic Wallacean populations from Sulawesi. Data are presented that strongly suggest all references toG. smithiifrom Java stem from a 151 year-old misidentification of a specimen ofG. geckoof unknown provenance. Additionally, there are no vouchered records ofG. smithiifrom Myanmar. The phylogeographic patterns of Sundaic populations of theG. smithiicomplex are concordant with those of a plethora of other Sundaic lineages.

A Study of Risk Factors in Acute Myocardial Infarction of Adults Ages 18 To 45 in A Tertiary Referral Centre for Cardiology Services in Malaysia's East Coast.

Introduction: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the major cause of death worldwide. There is limited data on the characteristics of afflicted young adults. Recent increase in recreational drugs has been associated. No local studies have ever reliably attributed this in young adults. This study aims to study the characteristic of AMI cases among young adults and these associations. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary referral centre for Cardiology services, Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA), Kuantan, Pahang. It involved screening 818 patients presenting with AMI at the Emergency Department of HTAA over a one-year duration. Malaysian citizens aged 18 to 45 years old diagnosed with new AMI were included. Urinary samples were collected for recreational drug screening. Results: The incidence of AMI cases among young adults in HTAA Kuantan, Pahang were 10.3 per 100 persons of total AMI cases in a one-year period (95% Confidence Interval, 8.4%-12.6%). Fifty-eight patients who met the inclusion criteria were recruited, 1.7 % tested positive for amphetamines. Males made up 96.6% of the patients and the most common risk factor identified for young adults with AMI was smoking (N=45, 77.6%) followed by obesity (N=33, 56.9%). Conclusion: Recreational drug use at AMI presentation was negligible. Males made up the majority and smoking was the most prevalent risk factor. To date, this is the first study in Malaysia looking at the incidence of young adults with AMI and their preponderant characteristics.

THE BRI IN MALAYSIA’S PORT SECTOR: DRIVERS OF SUCCESS AND FAILURE

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been characterised as a large-scale initiative to boost the movement of goods and services, capital, and people from China to Southeast Asia and beyond. Transport and logistics are a key aspect of this enterprise, with many projects focussing on railways, road networks, and ports receiving priority attention. However, BRI-related initiatives are often cast in unitary terms, with agency and autonomy almost uniquely ascribed to China-based firms and funders, and very little attributed to host country agents or their interests. Since 2013, Malaysia has received substantial inflows of BRI-related funds for infrastructure, particularly railways and ports. The Kuantan Port Expansion on Peninsular Malaysia's East Coast and the Melaka Gateway on its West Coast are two port-centred development projects associated with the BRI. Begun at the same time, these initiatives are similarly structured, as joint ventures linking large China-based state-owned enterprises with local players. Despite their similarities, these two projects have followed vastly different trajectories. While the Kuantan Port Expansion is proceeding according to schedule, the Melaka Gateway lies mired in delays and controversy. Through comparing and contrasting these two projects, this article will explore how – despite China's financial and political influence – host country actors can and do oppose, subvert, and even veto infrastructure initiatives perceived as inimical to their interests.

Estimation of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Resources in the East of Malaysia

The Malaysian Government has set a target of achieving 20% penetration of Renewable Energy (RE) in the energy mix spectrum by 2025. In order to get closer to the target, Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) aligned with solar PV, biogas and biomass energy sources must be evaluated and comprehended. Hybrid OTEC systems consisting of energy and water production are currently under research and validation. Therefore, for the construction of a commercial OTEC plant, 1 MW or 2.5 MW, the choice of a strategic location or potential site is vital. In this paper, oceanographic data such as seawater temperature, depth, salinity and dissolved oxygen obtained from the Japan Oceanographic Data Center (JODC) for Semporna, Tawau, Kudat, Pulau Layang-Layang and Pulau Kalumpang in Sabah, Malaysia, are reported. The RE available from the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on the coast of Sabah was estimated based on the JODC data obtained. There were no remarkable differences in temperatures between the five sites, which were reported as approximately 27 °C at the surface and 7 °C at depths below 600 m. The surface salinities below 100 m at those sites were slightly lower than the deeper waters, where the salinity increased up to approximately 34.5 PSU. Dissolved oxygen data from the Pulau Kalumpang site showed a slight increment to approximately 4.7 mL/L at depth intervals below 50 m, before declining steadily to approximately 1.7 mL/L along with the depth. The temperature-salinity profiles of the Malaysian sites were congruent with those of Palau, Kumejima and Okinawa, but not with that of Fiji, where the salinity profile showed a distinct variation at the relative depth (below 200 m). Estimates of RE using two different methods were used to prove the potential of OTEC in Malaysia.

Distinctive characteristics of upwelling along the Peninsular Malaysia's east coast during 2009/10 and 2015/16 El Niños

We investigate the southwest monsoon average structure and interannual variability of upwelling along the Peninsular Malaysia's east coast (PMEC) based on satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST), reanalysis wind data and cruise observations. The upwelling area prompted by southwest monsoon winds is represented by a patch of cooler water along the coast. This cooler water is also an outcome of the cooler water flooded from the Karimata Strait, nonetheless, localised upwelling conditions demonstrating their substantial impact to further cool down this already cooled water. Results from empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis revealed that variation in SST was dominated by the first EOF mode, which accountable of 80.99% of total variance and its loading map demonstrated a persistence of SST front, represented the signature of upwelling. The time series of the first EOF mode was highly correlated with the alongshore wind stress anomalies, indicating the Ekman transport driven nature of upwelling interannual variability. We demonstrate that a delayed El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) effect as an important factor for the interannual variations of upwelling along the PMEC. Our analysis focusing on the two recent strongest El Niños, 2009/10 and 2015/16 revealed that the intense northwest Pacific anticyclone anomaly (NWPAA) and the occurrence of the northerly wind anomalies from the subtropical western Pacific (SWP) in 2010 weakened the upwelling along the PMEC. While in 2016, the occurrence of the ‘C-shape’ wind anomalies generated by the warming of the southeast tropical Indian Ocean (SETIO) weakened the upwelling along the PMEC.

Prevalence of Postconcussion Syndrome after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Young Adults from a Single Neurosurgical Center in East Coast of Malaysia.

Context:Postconcussion syndrome (PCS) is a set of symptoms occurred after a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). Aims: This study aims to determine the prevalence of PCS in a young adult population from a single Neurological Centre in Malaysia's East Coast and to evaluate the factors associated with PCS in MTBI patients.Settings and Design:This was a cross-sectional study conducted in a Neurological Centre at Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia, from January 2016 to December 2016.Subjects and Methods:A total of 209 patients; 133 males and 76 females, in the age range of 16–84 years, were randomly recruited for this study. All the selected patients were subjected to the checklist for diagnosis of PCS as per International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th edition classification at a 2-week interval.Statistical Analysis Used:Descriptive statistic and Multivariable Logistic Regression Model were used for frequency and percentage analyses of categorical variables, using SPSS version 23.0.Results:Only 20 patients were identified with PCS. There were more female (70%) patients with PCS than the male (30%) patients. The prevalence of PCS for 2 weeks, 3 and 6 months since injuries were 9.6%, 8.1%, and 8.1% respectively. Majority (80%) of the patients were found to have PCS due to road traffic accidents, while the remaining were attributed to assault (15%), and falls (5%). Among the sample population, 25% were smokers, while 10% of them had either skull fracture or premorbidity.Conclusion:Less than 10% of patients with MTBI had PCS after 6 months’ following trauma. None of the variables tested were significant factors for the development of PCS symptoms.

Reinforced Concrete Buildings with Plane Frame, Shear Wall with and without Openings

Malaysia is situated at Sunda plate which has geographic advantage in seismic zone. However, an earthquake occurred in Sabah, east of Malaysia without a warning in 2015. This scenario raised the question regarding the structural performance of high-rise buildings in Malaysia in response to seismic activity. This study is to analyze the effects of the shear wall on seven RC buildings by using pushover analysis. This pushover analysis is a simple approach where a building is subjected to increasing horizontal lateral loads until the building fails. SCIA Engineer software is used to model three different designs of seven storeys buildings are model in accordance with the Eurocode 8. The pushover analyses are carried out on three models, pushover curves (base shear vs. roof displacement) are plotted, and they are compared to explore both elastic and inelastic properties of the building response to the seismic action. The frame model without shear wall can resist less base shear. The plane frame model also approaches maximum allowable displacement of 60 mm earlier as compared to the other two models. Therefore, the high-rise buildings with shear wall design are highly recommended for the lifelong seismic resistance of reinforced concrete buildings.

Malaysia East Coast Energy Harvesting Invention

Malaysia East Coast Energy Harvesting Invention

Estimation of Stature from Footprint Anthropometry Using Regression Analysis : A Study on the Bidayuh Population of East Malaysia

The human foot has been studied for a variety of reasons, i.e., for forensic as well as non-forensic purposes by anatomists, forensic scientists, anthropologists, physicians, podiatrists, and numerous other groups. An aspect of human identification that has received scant attention from forensic anthropologists is the study of human feet and the footprints made by the feet. The present study, conducted during 2013-2014, aimed to derive population specific regression equations to estimate stature from the footprint anthropometry of indigenous adult Bidayuhs in the east of Malaysia. The study sample consisted of 480 bilateral footprints collected using a footprint kit from 240 Bidayuhs (120 males and 120 females), who consented to taking part in the study. Their ages ranged from 18 to 70 years. Stature was measured using a portable body meter device (SECA model 206. The data were analyzed using PASW Statistics version 20. In this investigation, better results were obtained in terms of correlation coefficient (R) between stature and various footprint measurements and regression analysis in estimating the stature. The (R) values showed a positive and statistically significant (p < 0.001) relationship between the two parameters. The correlation coefficients in the pooled sample (0.861–0.882) were comparatively higher than those of an individual male (0.762-0.795) and female (0.722-0.765). This study provided regression equations to estimate stature from footprints in the Bidayuh population. The result showed that the regression equations without sex indicators performed significantly better than models with gender indications. The regression equations derived for a pooled sample can be used to estimate stature, even when the sex of the footprint is unknown, as in real crime scenes.

Seasonal Variation of Surface Circulation Along Peninsular Malaysia' East Coast

The sea surface circulation pattern over the coast of Peninsula Malaysia's East Coast during Northeast Monsoon (NE) and Southwest Monsoon (SW) are derived using the seasonally averaged sea level anomaly (SLA) data from altimetric data and 1992-2002 Mean Dynamic Ocean Topography. This altimetric data has been derived from multi-mission satellite altimeter TOPEX, ERS-1, ERS-2, JASON-1, and ENVISAT for the period of nineteen years (1993 to 2011) using the Radar Altimeter Database System (RADS). The estimated sea level anomaly (SLA) have shown similarity in the pattern of sea level variations observed by four tide gauges. Overall, the sea surface circulations during the NE and SW monsoons shows opposite patterns, northward and southward respectively. During the SW monsoon, an anti-cyclonic circulation has been detected around the Terengganu coastal area centred at (about 5.5° N 103.5° E) and nearly consistent with previous study using numerical modelling. The estimated geostrophic current field from the altimeter is consistent with the trajectories of Argos-tracked Drifting Buoys provided by the Marine Environmental Data Services (MEDS) in Canada.

Extension Agents and Sustainable Cocoa Farming: A Case Study of Extension Agents in Sabah State, Malaysia

Cocoa has been commercially planted in Malaysia since the 1950s. Over the years, the planting area has gradually reduced, which has resulted in the need to import cocoa beans to sustain the local grindings requirement. The Malaysian Cocoa Board (MCB) has introduced extension programmes to cocoa farmers to encourage sustainable farming of cocoa in the country. This study assessed the perception, knowledge, attitudes, and value of agricultural extension agents towards sustainable cocoa farming in Sabah State, Malaysia. Data were collected from extension agents working for the Malaysian Cocoa Board. A questionnaire was administered to all the front-line extension agents who deal directly with cocoa farmers. Findings revealed that cocoa extension agents’ perception, knowledge, attitudes, and value towards the concept of sustainable cocoa farming is favourable. In fact, they strongly support the concept. A significant relationship exists between knowledge on Sustainable Cocoa Farming (SCF) and their attitude towards the concept (r = 0.465). Perception also significantly correlates with the attitude of the agents (r = 0.425). The study concluded that policymakers should include SCF in training. Extension agents’ positive perceptions regarding selected sustainable cocoa farming have implications for in-service training for agricultural extension agents in the east of Malaysia to increase their specific knowledge in SCF. In addition, although cocoa extension agents possess general knowledge on the concept, further training on the application of SCF is highly recommended.

Performance Evaluation of Rain Attenuation Models in a Tropical Station

The non-uniformity of rainfall in both the horizontal and vertical directions makes the estimation of slant path attenuation complex. At frequencies above 10 GHz, the effects of attenuation and noise induced by rain are quite significant. One year satellite attenuation data were sourced from Malaysia East Asia Satellite at Ku frequency band; using ASTRO beacon signals to monitor and measure the slant path rain rate and attenuation at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai. Four years’ one minute rain rate ground data at 0.01% of time exceeded were collected using rain gauge. The attenuation exceeded for other percentages of the time was obtained using statistical methods. Different rain attenuation prediction models were investigated and their performances compared. The validation results clearly suggested that the Breakpoint attenuation prediction model produced better results when compared with other models of interest. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijece.v4i5.6583