Pulau Pangkor Research Articles

Effects of pH Changes on Phytoplankton Biomass

A phytoplankton was incubated for a week to determine the effects of pH changes on its biomass growth in nutrient enrichment incubation samples. In this experiment, a general increase in phytoplankton biomass was observed after 24 hours of incubation, with a similar growth pattern in all incubation samples. By comparing with the same pH range (7.0 to 8.0), Pulau Pangkor (PP) incubation samples achieved the peaks earlier compared to Pulau Redang (PR) samples, although they had a higher increment in biomass. Meanwhile, in extreme pH (4.0 and 9.0) incubation samples, the phytoplankton biomass was observed to thrive well. This present study suggests that the phytoplankton community in Pulau Redang and Pulau Pangkor waters is able to survive in a wide range of pH levels, and the change in ocean pH has no vital impacts on the phytoplankton based on the short-term experiment.

Narrative Tourism: A Study of The Potential of Folklore as a Source of Tourism in Perak and Sarawak

Nowadays, the tourism industry is seen to be growing, within which cultural tourism plays its own role in generating a country’s income. The practice of tourists travelling to certain locations to experience and learn about cultural differences is known as cultural tourism. When it comes to cultural tourism, the narrative experience is a vital component for tourists to appreciate the main attraction, therefore, making it narrative tourism. In Malaysia, narrative tourism is still underutilised, and there is limited research in this area. Thus, this article discusses how narrative tourism can be explored in two tourist destinations in Malaysia, namely Pulau Pangkor in Perak and Gunung santubong in sarawak. The first finding shows that there is no constructive effort to recognise narrative as a tourism resource for Pulau Pangkor, particularly with regard to the story of the hero, Din Ketolok, as well as a few other monuments that are believed to embody their own meaning and event. Meanwhile, the finding on Gunung santubong shows that it already has a significant narrative of the battle between the Princesses santubong and sejinjang, who were ultimately cursed by the King to become mountains. However, its jungle trek to the mountain peak is not a cultural route, which perhaps would be disappointing to tourists who are interested in cultural routes. nonetheless, with due work and effort, it could become more exploratory and intriguing as a narrative tourism destination. This study shows how stories can transform both locations into suitable destinations for narrative tourism in order to flourish in cultural tourism. To achieve this, narrative tourism requires special attention from the tourism industry authorities.

DIVERSITY OF NON-VOLANT SMALL MAMMALS IN PULAU TINGGI, JOHOR, MALAYSIA

A non-volant small mammal survey was conducted at Pulau Tinggi between July and September 2019. This study aimed to provide baseline data for non-volant small mammals in Pulau Tinggi by setting 55 cage traps and 20 pitfalls for 44 trapping nights. A total of 20 individuals of non-volant small mammals were documented, representing five species from three families: Soricidae, Sciuridae and Muridae. The Rajah spiny rat (Maxomys rajah) and the Red spiny rat (Maxomys surifer) were the most abundant species (n=6) of non-volant small mammals in Pulau Tinggi. The Malayan field rat (Rattus tiomanicus) was the least species (n=1). The Malayan shrew (Crocidura malayana) is the only shrew recorded on the island. The analysis of similarities between our study site and other Malaysian islands reveals that Pulau Tinggi shares more similarities with Pulau Pangkor and Pulau Perhentian than Pulau Tioman. The small mammal richness on Pulau Tinggi is relatively low compared to other islands, most likely due to the study site’s limited coverage and time constraints. Long-term monitoring is required to determine the true diversity of species and distribution of small mammals on Pulau Tinggi.

The Implication, Current View and Approach in Facing Covid-19 Pandemic among Resort Entrepreneurs in Pangkor: A pilot study

The business resort owner is one of the groups hugely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. This article aims to determine the pandemic's implications for business resort owners and whether they have taken any new strategies or changes for the survival of their business. A total of seven business resort owners in Pulau Pangkor have been interviewed via focus group discussion as a pilot study. The paper also aims to discover their current view and approach to facing the pandemic to ensure their survival in business. Keywords: Covid-19, business resort owner, business, strategy eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA CE-Bs by E-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7i20.3625

NMR Study of Methyl β-orsellinate from Dirinaria sp. was Collected from Coastal Areas of Teluk Nipah, Pulau Pangkor, Perak Malaysia

The research was carried out to isolate and characterize the methyl β-orsellinate of lichen Dirinaria sp. collected from the coastal areas of Teluk Nipah, Pulau Pangkor, Perak Malaysia. The sample was extracted in methanol for three times at room temperature. Subsequently, the crude extracts and further analysed using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and vacuum liquid chromatography (VLC). To derive the pure compounds, the isolation step was performed using radial chromatography (RC). The chemical structure of the isolated compound was determined by several spectroscopies i.e. infra-red (IR), nuclear magnetic resonances (NMR), and mass spectrometric (MS). The compound was identified as methyl β-orsellinate.

Evaluation of microplastics ingested by sea cucumber Stichopus horrens in Pulau Pangkor, Perak, Malaysia.

The widespread presence of microplastics has caused significant concerns on their potential effects on marine ecosystems. Microplastics are classified as plastic products of less than 5 mm in size and are known to be one of the most dangerous aquatic debris to marine species. Sea cucumbers are deposit feeders living in sediment regions and benthic zone that may collect microplastics in low-energy environments. This research aims to evaluate the types of microplastic isolated from the intestine of Stichopus horrens in Malaysia. This species is selected because it is mainly found in this island. Pulau Pangkor is one of the leading tourism destinations on the small islands is facing increasing numbers of tourists and development and it is useful for sustainable study. A total of 20 S. horrens samples collected from Pulau Pangkor, Malaysia were dissected, and their intestines were collected for digestion. Microplastics were extracted using NaOH and filtered using filter paper. Microplastic identification was conducted on the based of the physical characteristics (colour, shape, size) and chemical characterisation was evaluated using FTIR for polymer functional groups. A total of 1446 unit of microplastics were found in S. horrens. Among various types and colours, fibre (90%) and black (59%) were dominant amongst the various particles identified. The majority of microplastics sizes were 0.51 μm and 1-2 μm. Two polymer materials were identified, namely polyethylene and poly(methyl methacrylate). As a conclusion, the findings of the study will serve as primary data for pollution indicators in respective islands. The microplastics could impact the immune system and upset gut's balance of human.

Exploring Dimensions of Sustainable Housing Development: Results from a Pilot Study in Pulau Pangkor, Malaysia

Exploring Dimensions of Sustainable Housing Development: Results from a Pilot Study in Pulau Pangkor, Malaysia

Assessment of the Malaysian Tidal Stream Energy Resources

As a developing country, Malaysia has shown great interest and effort to commit and invest for green technology and green energy especially tidal energy resources. This research project is conducted to carry out an assessment study to analyse and compare several locations in Malaysia while using the optimal analytical approach in finding the best sites to harness tidal stream resource around Malaysia. Previous studies that only considered flow velocity at the deployment sites may not be accurate since geometry of the coastal region and the friction force exerted from the tidal flow with the seabed can also contribute to the suitability of the proposed tidal sites. Tidal Model Driver was used to extract tidal elevation data on specific harmonic constituents and tidal velocity attribute, and then compared to the data obtained from General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans. The weighted decision matrix was used to analyse the potential of each location by considering essential criteria such as tidal velocity, depth of coastline, geometry of coastline and environmental impacts. Top locations with the highest score were chosen as potential location to invest in a tidal energy farm, which consists of Pulau Pangkor, Port Dickson, and Pulau Tioman among others. The locations that produce the highest yearly energy density are found to be Pulau Pangkor with 1.21 MWh/year followed by Pulau Pinang with 836.5 kWh/year. Notably, the inclusion of other factors besides tidal velocity such as the site characteristic and the amount of potential impact to the environment provided different outcome than published materials in this field.

Strength and performance of reinforced incinerator bottom ash concrete cube

Municipal solid waste incineration produces non-combustible by-product known as bottom ash. Increase in waste production leads to increase in bottom ash, which raises environmental concerns and management issues. With the parameters and properties of bottom ash are in close agreement with those of aggregates used in concrete making, bottom ash has been adopted for reutilization in civil engineering. However, the workability of the concrete made with partial substitution of aggregate with bottom ash from local municipal solid waste incinerator has never been addressed. This paper aims to evaluate the performance and properties of concrete cube made with partial substitution of aggregate with bottom ash from Pulau Pangkor municipal solid waste incinerator in Perak. The content of bottom ash substitution in concrete cube made in this study were varied at 10, 20 and 30 percent of aggregate. All samples were tested for its workability, water absorption, compressive strength, and resistant towards fire. It was found that the performance of concrete with partial substitution of aggregate with bottom ash reduced with increased in substitution content in all aspects. However, the performance of the concrete with 10 percent bottom ash substitution to aggregate was acceptable and closed to that of control concrete. It has been demonstrated through this study that the use of bottom ash as partial substitution of aggregate in concrete making is possible at very low content. However, there are huge needs of further enhancement in manufacturing methodology in order to produce concrete with partial substitution of aggregate with bottom ash that outperform – or in closed agreement with – the control concrete.

The Impact of Marine Tourism Towards the Local Community at Pulau Pangkor, Perak

Marine tourism is one of the main factors contributing to the growth of the tourism sector in Malaysia. Malaysia is among the countries that have assets of most beautiful islands with diverse marine life. It is attracting visitors to enjoy the beauty of the sea nature. The vibrant activity was an opportunity for local community to engage in the tourism sector. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the perceptions of local community towards the impact of tourism activities in Pulau Pangkor. The study involved 150 respondents among the local community that involved in the tourism sector.

The Influence of Marine Tourism towards the Quality of Life among Local Tour Operators at Pulau Pangkor, Perak

Marine tourism is one of the main factors contributing to the growth of the tourism sector in Malaysia. Malaysia is among the countries that have the most beautiful islands with diverse marine life. It is attracting visitors to enjoy the beauty of the sea nature. The vibrant activity is an opportunity for local tour operators to engage in the tourism sector. Therefore, the business activities can provide benefits to the local tour operators, but these also have negative impacts on economic, socio-cultural and environment. A preliminary study was conducted to determine tour operator’s perceptions about the impact of tourism activities related in entrepreneurial of community in Pulau Pangkor. The study involved 150 respondents who joined the local tour operators in the tourism sector. This study used questionnaire survey as the method of data collection. The findings show the marine tourism involving entrepreneurial activity has a high impact on the socio-economic development of the local population and moderate impact to the environment.

Length weight relationships and fecundity estimates of long-spined Sea Urchin, Diadema setosum, from the Pulau Pangkor, Peninsular Malaysia

The present study is an attempt to describe the size frequency distribution, length weight relationships and fecundity estimates of long-spined Sea Urchin, Diadema setosum from the Pulau Pangkor, Peninsular Malaysia. In total 101 specimens of D. setosum were collected from the inter-tidal reef of Pulau Pangkor of Parek during the breeding season in May–August, 2010. Individual total length (TL) was measured using digital slide calipers and individual body weight (BW) was taken using a digital balance. Mean length of D. setosum was estimated as 59.66 mm and the mean weight was 101.68 g. Among the 101 specimens, 52 were males and 49 were females, indicating a sex ratio of male to female of 1:0.94. The logarithmic form of length-weight relationship of D. setosum was Log W = −1.3977 + 1.9049*Log TL, while the exponential form of equation obtained for the length-weight relation was W = 0.04*TL1.9049. The value of regression co-efficient (r2) estimated for the species was 0.63. The mean fecundity was estimated at 7,313,600 (±567,992) with a range between 6,290,000 and 7,980,000 eggs. Analysis of the relationship between the absolute fecundity (F) and total length (TL), and also between the fecundity and drained body weight (DW), revealed a linear regression model with a positive and significant relationship. This study presents results on the total length-body weight relationships and fecundity estimates of this Sea Urchin from Pulau Pangkor, Peninsular Malaysia for the first time.

Abundance and Distribution of Climbers in a Coastal Hill Forest in Perak, Malaysia

Species diversity and density of all climbers were inventoried in five 1-hectare plots (at 45m to 350 m elevations) in a coastal hill forest of Pulau Pangkor in Perak. In addition, we analyzed pattern of community diversity using species richness and evenness. Total of 4901 climbers belonging to 45 species were recorded. Mean climber density was 870 stems per ha. Annonaceae, Connaraceae and Menispermaceae were the most species-rich plant families of climbers followed by Rubiaceae and Leguminosae. Twiners formed the bulk (64%) of climber types followed by hook climbers and tendril, while root climbers were rare. Results from Canonical Corresponding Analysis (CCA) indicate that altitude was the most important factor that influenced the abundance and distribution of climbers.

Tree Species Composition and Structureofa Coastal Hill Forest in Pulau Pangkor, Malaysia

Tree species composition and structure of a coastal hill forest in Sungai Pinang Permanent Forest Reserve in Pulau Pangkor at Perak was studied based on the data from five 1-hectare plots. All stems with a diameter at breast height (dbh) ? 5cm enumerated, identified and their height weremeasured. The mean stem density was 659 (stems ha -1 ), and a total of 45 families, 102 genera, 181 species, 3319 individuals were presented in the five 1-ha plot; this comprises 6.3% species, 19.2% genera and 42% families of the total tree taxa found in Peninsular Malaysia. Based on IVI, Vatica maingayi, Xanthophyllum affine , Vatica pauciflora were the most dominant tree species. The families of Dipterocarpaceae, Polygalaceae,Guttiferae and Myrtaceae were among the most important families with high FIV. Based on dbh class, nearly 50% of the trees were distributed in the lower diameter class(5-15cm). According to heightlife-form categories, 53% of stems were belonged to small trees (7-15m). Species accumulation curve showedan asymptote at the third hectare.

Vascular Plant Composition and Diversity of a Coastal Hill Forest in Perak, Malaysia

Vascular plant species and diversity of a coastal hill forest in Sungai Pinang Permanent Forest Reserve in Pulau Pangkor at Perak were studied based on the data from five one hectare plots. All vascular plants were enumerated and identified. Importance value index (IVI) was computed to characterize the floristic composition. To capture different aspects of species diversity, we considered five different indices. The mean stem density was 7585 stems per ha. In total 36797 vascular plants representing 348 species belong to 227 genera in 89 families were identified within 5-ha of a coastal hill forest that is comprises 4.2% species, 10.7% genera and 34.7% families of the total taxa found in Peninsular Malaysia. Based on IVI, Agrostistachys longifolia (IVI 1245), Eugeissona tristis (IVI 890), Calophyllum wallichianum (IVI 807), followed by Taenitis blechnoides (IVI 784) were the most dominant species. The most speciose rich families were Rubiaceae having 27 species, followed by Dipterocarpaceae (21 species), Euphorbiaceae (20 species) and Palmae (14 species). According to growth forms, 57% of all species were trees, 13% shrubs, 10% herbs, 9% lianas, 4% palms, 3.5% climbers and 3% ferns. Diversity indices were higher along the stream side and species accumulation curve showed sampling area captured a high proportion of the species richness.

Another new, diminutive Rock Gecko (Cnemaspis Strauch) from Peninsular Malaysia and a discussion of resource partitioning in sympatric species pairs

A new, diminutive species of Rock Gecko, Cnemaspis shahruli sp. nov. from Penang Island, Penang; Pulau Jerejak, Penang; Pulau Pangkor, Perak; and the adjacent mainland at Sungai Sedim, Kedah was previously confused with juveniles of the sympatric, endemic species C. affinis (Stoliczka) on Penang Island. Cnemaspis shahruli sp. nov. is diagnosed from all other Southeast Asian Cnemaspis on the basis of several unique aspects of squamation, coloration, and body size. It is proposed that this new species has a more extensive mainland distribution than is presented here based on its southernmost record on Pulau Pangkor, Perak. A pattern of resource partitioning on the basis of body size, habitat, and activity period among sympatric species pairs of Cnemaspis is discussed.

Detection of Hepatocystis sp. in Southeast Asian Flying Foxes (Pteropodidae) Using Microscopic and Molecular Methods

Three species of flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus, P. vampyrus, and P. lylei) from Malaysia and Vietnam were screened for apicomplexan parasites by thin blood smears and polymerase chain reaction. Only 1 of 16 bats sampled from 3 localities in southeast Asia was found to be infected (P. hypomelanus from Pulau Pangkor, Malaysia). We observed micro- and macrogametocytes, with morphology consistent with Hepatocystis sp. parasites, using light microscopy. Phylogenetic analysis of the cytochrome b gene showed that the parasite from P. hypomelanus groups with 2 published sequences from Hepatocystis spp., including one from Cynopterus brachyotis, another fruit bat in the Pteropodidae.

Corollospora besarispora, a new arenicolous marine fungus from Malaysia

A new species of Corollospora, C. besarispora is described from sand grains in association with driftwood, collected at Turtle Bay, Pulau Pangkor, Peninsular Malaysia. Corollospora colossa was also collected from sandy beaches in Malaysia, and most closely resembles C. besarispora . The species are compared and distinguishing characters highlighted.

Coastal Resources Management: Tourism in Peninsular Malaysia

In this article, the coastal resources of Peninsular Malay sia^ and the problems and issues relating to coastal management are discussed briefly first. The existing pattern and the type of coastal tourism development are then outlined. Some of the positive and negative effects of coastal tourism, and in particular, the environmental problems, are discussed with reference to the main coastal tourism areas at Port Dickson, Penang, Pulau Pangkor, Pulau Langkawi and the East Coast (several locations including some offshore islands). The integration of tourism development in coastal zone management is also considered.