Sabak Bernam Research Articles

Conservation and Studies of Oriental Pied Hornbills in Sabak Bernam: A Review of Current Literature

Conservation and Studies of Oriental Pied Hornbills in Sabak Bernam: A Review of Current Literature

Agricultural chemical input risk management practices in the paddy crop subsector: Evidence from Sungai Panjang, Sabak Bernam district, Malaysia

Agricultural chemical input risk management practices in the paddy crop subsector: Evidence from Sungai Panjang, Sabak Bernam district, Malaysia

The development of an environmental resilience index for Selangor, Malaysia

Over the years, rapid urbanisation aided by advanced technologies and population increment has significantly altered the natural environment into concrete jungles resulting in adverse environmental degradation. In order to mould a sustainable, resilient and green future, global efforts and directives have been introduced, such as the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, low-carbon cities, and others at international and local levels. Nevertheless, grassroots initiatives and actions are crucial in producing results. Presently, there is no mechanism to measure the relevant environmental components into a comprehensive system indicating Malaysia’s level of environmental resilience. Though the local governments have to report their development performance via MURNINET, a system developed by PLANMalaysia, this system does not include environmental resilience. As such, this study on the Environmental Resilience Index (ERI) was embarked on, proposing five environmental components that can be used by local authorities to assess environmental resilience. ERI covers environmental resources, built environment, climate conditions, natural disasters and environmental issues. On the other hand, this paper shares an ERI pilot analysis of the environmental resources of the study area, Selangor, Malaysia, consisting of 9 districts. The data used to analyse are majorly secondary data from official reports of responsible technical departments and agencies in Malaysia to ensure the validity and reliability of data. The output of this analysis was generated using ArcGIS software as it relates to the weightage of different components and sub-components. The results show that most districts in Selangor have an ERI level of moderate level, while three districts, namely Sabak Bernam, Sepang and Petaling, are categorised as having low ERI levels.

Assessment of Heavy Metal Content and Consumption Risks At Selected Paddy Field in Malaysia: A Review

As the Malaysian population grows, there is a high demand for rice, the main staple food in this region. This has caused the overuse of agrochemicals that contain heavy metals and the utilization of contaminated groundwater to increase paddy yield, posing a risk to humans. This study reviewed the accumulated heavy metals in paddy fields of Malaysia's Selangor, Kedah and Sabah states and further calculated the consumption risks of rice grains from the selected areas. The study revealed that paddy soil in Ranau Valley (Sabah), Kota Marudu (Sabah) and Tanjung Karang (Selangor) showed presences of Cu and Cd in high concentration, respectively, creating higher potential to be uptake by paddy roots. These findings also revealed that Ranau Valley (Sabah) paddy grains contained high Cu and Cd concentrations, while Sabak Bernam (Selangor) contained high Pb concentrations. Further, a higher Cd concentration was reported from the Ranau Valley (Sabah), while the higher Pb concentrations were reported from the samples collected from Sabak Bernam (Selangor), Tanjung Karang (Selangor) and Kubang Pasu (Kedah). Based on the health risk indices calculation in this study, carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks in all study areas except in Kubang Pasu (Kedah) and Langkawi (Kedah) are likely to occur due to Cu mining activities, ultrabasic soil contamination, utilization of contaminated groundwater and rock phosphate fertilizer and vehicular emission. Regular assessment of heavy metal content and consumption risks of paddy is essential to ensure the paddy field is free from contamination and will help protect the ecosystem and human health.

FACTORS INFLUENCING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: A STUDY ON QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANT IN SABAK BERNAM, SELANGOR

Globally, all industries including franchises experience competition in business. Similar goods and services are offered by newly established brands and businesses in an attempt to attract customers and make a profit. Every business and brand should have its own approach to dealing with this issue. This paper focuses specifically on a fast-food restaurant located in Sabak Bernam, Selangor. This study will determine the factors of marketing experience based on the five dimensions of marketing experience proposed by Schmitt to enable marketing mechanisms to influence customer satisfaction. This study will use quantitative methods. A convenience sampling technique was used, and data were collected through an online survey using google forms and data from 377 respondents who came and used products/services at this fast food restaurant in Sabak Bernam, Selangor. The statistical data will be analyzed by Smart-pls version 4. The findings conclude that only related senses and experiences are positively related to customer satisfaction. Management can take action to increase their sales and profits by reading this paper and learning about how marketing affects customer satisfaction.

Identifying Visual Quality of Rural Road Landscape Character by Using Public Preference and Heatmap Analysis in Sabak Bernam, Malaysia

The rural road landscape is crucial in forming rural areas’ landscape character (LC). As a platform for portraying the rural landscape, the rural roads demonstrate the area’s unique natural and cultural characteristics to visitors. However, with the continuous development of rural areas, the rural LC has been severely impacted, thus impacting visitors’ visual experience. In order to preserve and protect the rural landscape, this study aims to assess the visual quality of rural road landscapes based on public preference and heatmap analysis. The results indicated that most of the participants had a higher level of preference for rural landscapes with open horizontal views represented by agricultural areas, such as paddy fields. It was also found that different paddy field characters based on their planting stages can also positively affect the visual quality of rural road landscapes. The study also revealed that rural LCs with roadside settlements, commercial structures, mixed agricultural crops, and vegetation received low preference ratings. These characters negatively impact the visual quality of the rural road landscape. These findings provide significant insight for planners and decision-makers regarding protecting and preserving the essential rural road landscapes for the rural tourism experience.

Peranan Syeikh Abbas Bakar Rafiee dalam Pembaharuan Sistem Pendidikan Islam di Madrasah Al-Mashoor Al-Islamiah Pulau Pinang, 1922–1957

This study examines the development of the Islamic Educational system in Malaya, especially in Pulau Pinang between 1922 and 1957. This period is significant because the institutionalisation of the reform of the educational system based on the rapid development of both English and vernacular educational institutions in Malaya which rivalled the Islamic Educational institutions. This study focuses on the role of the third Headmaster of Madrasah al-Mashoor al-Islamiah, Syeikh Abbas Bakar Rafiee in bringing and implementing the idea of reform in the field of Islamic Education which was previously pioneered by Syed Syeikh al-Hadi. This study uses qualitative research methods based on primary and secondary sources using historical and thematic approaches. The results of the study show that Syeikh Abbas play a very important role in implementing this various madrasah reforms in terms of administrative and curriculum systems, introducing co-curricular activities and sending the students to further their studies in West Asia. In addition, Syeikh Abbas also played a significant role in establishing the madrasah girls’ section, the Madrasah al-Mashoor’s branch in Balik Pulau and in cooperating to establish a madrasah in Sabak Bernam modelled upon the Madrasah al-Mashoor. In addition, the headmaster also produced influential human capital that has brought changes in social awareness in society and played an important role in shaping the country’s history.

Variance of total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity for water quality in Sabak Bernam

<span lang="EN-US">Water pollution is one of the most serious environmental problems in Malaysia. The most notable occurrence of pollution happened in Selangor. Currently, there are various water quality monitoring (WQM) methods to observe the quality of water. One of the methods used is the internet of things (IoT) for wireless sensor network technology to obtain real-time data measurement. In this study, the developed WQM system is equipped with a sensor that can measure total dissolved solid (TDS) and electrical conductivity (EC). Arduino UNO was used in this system as a microcontroller to interact with the sensor. The Wi-Fi module, ESP8266, was used to transfer the collected data to ThingSpeak, which acts as a cloud to store all the data. The results showed that both sample populations can be discriminated since the p-value is greater than 0.05 in the normality test, while in the paired sample t-test, the p-value is less than 0.05. In conclusion, this research provides an easier way to monitor water quality by taking up less time at less cost, as well as being reliable in giving real-time data reading.</span>

SPATIAL CLUSTERING PHENOMENA OF COVID-19 CASES IN SELANGOR: A HOTSPOT ANALYSIS AND ORDINARY LEAST SQUARES METHOD

Abstract. An increase in number of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases will lead to more cluster discovery in Malaysia. Furthermore, with the increasing population, city growth, workplace income needs, high-risk groups, and other relevant factors can contribute to the formation of the new clusters. The cluster distribution of the disease could be seen by mapping and spatial analysis to understand their spatial phenomena of the disease dynamics. The purpose of the study is to analyse the spatial distribution of COVID-19 cluster cases in Selangor for year 2020. Two objectives of the study are i) to determine the hotspot location of the COVID- 19 cluster, and ii)to examine the spatial distribution of the factors affecting the COVID-19 cluster. The data processing was conducted using hotspot analysis and ordinary least squares (OLS) in ArcGIS Pro and Microsoft Excel to explore the local disease phenomena. TheCOVID-19 cases was most prevalent in the Petaling district, followed by Hulu Langat and Klang. The virus had the least impact in Sabak Bernam, Hulu Selangor, Kuala Selangor, Sepang, Kuala Langat, and Gombak. Three environmental factors of population density, the effects of urbanisation, and workplace cases were influential variables at the local clusters. These findings could help the local agencies to facilitate and control the spread mode of the virus in a spatial human environment.

Assessment of hydrogeological parameters in a tropical region using GIS and AHP

Hydrogeological parameters have a significant impact on groundwater fluctuations in a tropical region. Malaysia is a tropical country experiencing rise in groundwater usage to meet the growing water demand. Therefore, an assessment of hydrogeological parameters is necessary for sustainable planning and management of groundwater. Geology, rainfall, drainage density, slope and soil are the hydrogeological parameters analysed for assessment in the region. The study aimed to assess hydrogeological parameters in the state of Selangor, Malaysia using Geographic Information System (GIS) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The parameters were weighted based on the degree of impact on groundwater potential using AHP model. The weighted and ranked parameters were integrated through GIS to create groundwater potential zone map. The groundwater potential zones were divided into three categories low, moderate, and high potential zones. Moderate potential zones cover 73% of total area in the state of Selangor. The moderate potential zones cover most of the districts in the west such as Sabak Bernam, Klang, Kuala Langat and Sepang. As well as the majority of the area in districts like Hulu Selangor, Petaling, Gombak and Kuala Selangor. The findings of this study might be useful for policy makers and government organisations in formulating strategies for sustainable groundwater management and determining ideal locations for groundwater extraction.

Digital Supply Chain Exploration (DSC) in Rural and Sub-Urban Livestock Ventures

In both the domestic and global markets, the rapid development of the digital economy has become a major distraction. As well as middle economic units that bear business risks, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are also affected. Nonetheless, SMEs can take advantage of the disruption in order to compete with large, industrial businesses rather than invest overseas. Amidst a very gloomy economic climate, digitalization is considered one of the best alternatives and suggestions to ensure that businesses can survive. Agricultural and livestock sectors, especially micro-farmers in suburban and rural areas, have been hardest hit. As well as the challenges they have long faced with digitalization, the number of products they require has decreased drastically as well. From this point of departure, this study is conducted to assess the readiness of micro-farm entrepreneurs (MLEs) towards digitalization embrace digitalization and examine the impact of digital adoption on their business operations. A random sampling method was employed on the MLE in various sub-towns in Selangor, namely Kuala Selangor, Sabak Bernam and Hulu Selangor, from 2020 to 2021. Using the method of analysis, instruments are verified and coefficients tested. The results showed that MLEs are using digital platforms to promote their products and connect with their business ecosystem. In spite of this, they face the challenge of ensuring further improvements to their infrastructure and the capabilities of digitalization in contributing to value without posing high risks or costs. This study suggests that further studies have to look at and evaluated rural entrepreneurs using a triangulation approach of data and broader subjects.

Awareness on Stroke Warning Signs and Risk Factors amongst Rural Population in Selangor

Stroke is a neurological disorder known to be the third leading cause of death in Malaysia. Eighty percent of the cases occurred due to abrupt blockage of blood supply to the brain causing the affected brain area to become damaged and lead to disability or even death [1]. The gold standard treatment via tissue plasminogen activator, however, is most effective to be administered within three hours after the onset of stroke symptoms [2]. According to previous report in 2020, most of the stroke patients that arrived late at the emergency medical care unit were due to the delay in deciding to seek medical attention following the stroke symptoms [3]. Lack of knowledge about the stroke risk factor, signs, and symptoms as well as the tendency of procrastination can result in delay in seeking medical treatment. Several studies had reported the poor level of understanding as well as awareness of stroke signs and symptoms among urban population in Malaysia [4,5]. Therefore, the objective of this cross-sectional study is to explore the awareness and action towards stroke symptoms and risk factors amongst rural population in Selangor, Malaysia.
 
 A cross- sectional questionnaire-based study via snowball sampling was conducted amongst the adult individuals residing in several districts of Hulu Selangor, Sabak Bernam and Kuala Selangor that are recognized as rural areas by the Selangor state council. The study used a set of developed questionnaires that consists of two sections: sociodemographic characteristics as well as the awareness and action towards stroke symptoms and risk factors. Descriptive analysis was used to express the variables.
 
 Of the 343 respondents, the mean ±SD for awareness on stroke symptoms was 3.9±1.82 out of a total score of 8 whereas awareness on stroke risk factors was 8.9±3.68 out of a total score of 13 (Table 1). The awareness about the stroke symptoms was considered poor as only 36.44% subjects were able to identify all five symptoms of stroke. Meanwhile only 32.4% of respondents were aware of all the risk factors for stroke despite all of them (100%) had heard about stroke. Although most of the respondents recognized stroke as an emergency condition, only 31.8% of them were aware of the appropriate action of calling an ambulance upon recognizing stroke symptoms (Table 2).
 Previous reports on awareness of stroke symptoms and risk factors were mostly conducted among urban population is Selangor. In 2014, a similar survey conducted among residents in Kajang reported that only 35% of the respondents had satisfactory knowledge of the stroke warning signs while 29% had satisfactory knowledge on the stroke risk factors. Although 78% can correctly recall Emergency Medical Systems number, only 11% were aware of calling the ambulance as the most appropriate action towards witnessing stroke symptoms in individuals [4]. On the other hand, a more recent study conducted among Petaling Jaya residents in 2019 reported that 82.9% to 92.1% of the respondents were able to recognize common symptoms of stroke followed by 74.2% of the study respondents saying that they would go to hospital within 4.5 hours of stroke onset [5].
 
 On contrary, the present study indicates a poor awareness and action towards stroke symptoms amongst rural population in Selangor. Thus, it is suggested that future intervention programs should focus on health promotion and awareness program related to cardiovascular diseases to the community living in the rural districts of Selangor.

Mechanical properties of Bermuda grass roots towards sandy and clay soil for slope reinforcement

Natural and man-made slope failure has been a phenomenon that has caused many deaths, destruction, and environmental damage. The use of bioengineering technique (grasses) has been widely approached for slope remediation work. However, slope failure still occurs even though it has been protected by a few grasses. Many previous findings have reported on root pull out and root tensile strength for different plant species. However, the type of soil was not taken into account. Therefore, this research was carried out to investigate the function of root mechanical properties in different types of soil. The dry and wet sieve analysis tests were performed to know the classification of the soil. In addition to that, the soil mineralogy test was also conducted to support the soil classification. Root tensile strength tests were carried out on well-grown and poorly-grown Bermuda grass toward sandy and clay soil in dry and wet conditions. The dry condition is considered the condition of Bermuda grass in hot weather, while the wet condition is the condition after the raining season. Bermuda grass was chosen since this type of grass is widely applied for slope stabilization. The site locations were chosen in Temerloh, Maran which consist of clay soil. The other locations chosen were Karak, Gambang, Kuantan, Dengkil, Batang Kali, Ulu Yam, Kuala Pilah, Gombak and Sabak Bernam consist of sandy soil. The results show that the single root of Bermuda grass has higher tensile strength in sandy soil with range values from 0.47 to 185 Mpa compared to clay soil with range values from 0.12 to 159.10 Mpa. In conclusion, the results indicate that soil is one of the factors that influence the growth of bioengineering techniques for slope reinforcement.

Assessment for Local Road Scenic Routes Conservation - Tanjung Karang to Sabak Bernam

Nowadays, many people are interested in using the highway rather than using the local road to go to their destination. The roads have many interesting points that can attract road users to use the road. Still, the road user did not consider the existing natural and cultural landscape as one of the attractions in the area. It can make the loss of the value of the natural and artistic at the location. This study was conducted to identify the scenic view observable along the scenic route and the influence on the road user along the Tanjung Karang to Sabak Bernam road. The study had used the mixed-method, which is qualitative and quantitative. The scenic routes provided access to people to go to the natural and cultural features. Besides that, it also identifies the road that will intrigue the road user according to the uniqueness, naturalness, vividness, attractiveness and unity of the study area.

Crop Monitoring of Paddy Field Using Landsat 8 OLI

There are times where paddy farmers faced crop yield production that does not meet their expectations although the crop has been well-tended. Especially when the growing and harvest seasons, farmers will be able estimate on cutting some production costs while increasing crop yields with crop yield monitoring and mapping if they could measure the different vegetitation indices of crop field. Therefore, to test the efficiency of this study, the crop health was monitored using vegetation index values obtained from multispectral remote sensing images, such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI). The objectives were to estimate the NDVI and SAVI values of a paddy field in Sabak Bernam, Selangor and create a crop health map using the calculated NDVI and SAVI during its resting period (January, February, July, August) and growing up period (April) in 2020. This study used Landsat 8 OLI images at a resolution of 30 meters. The data was then processed using Erdas Imagine and ArcGIS Pro to estimate the NDVI and SAVI values, as well as produce crop health maps. As a result, the estimated NDVI and SAVI crop health maps were displayed. In comparison to NDVI, SAVI estimates a greater vegetation index as the value of adjustment factor (L) applied in the SAVI can reduce the soil noise compared to the NDVI. Furthermore, the computation of planted areas revealed that some changes had occurred. The planted area decreased in a specific month, indicating the harvesting season. 

Species Composition and DNA Barcoding of Hemipteran Assemblages Throughout Paddy Growing Seasons

Hemipterans are the diverse, abundant, and important pests in the paddy ecosystem due to their piercing and sucking mouthparts that feed on the crop causing significant losses in rice yields. Despite their important roles in the paddy ecosystem, the information on DNA barcode, diversity, and species richness has been occasionally discussed. This study aimed to measure its abundance, species richness, and barcode hemipteran species from the paddy ecosystem. Active sampling was used with two different sampling arrangements in the paddy ecosystem in Sabak Bernam, Selangor, for two different seasons. Hemipterans were collected and identified up to species level morphologically prior to DNA barcoding. The richness and the abundance of species were measured along with the paddy growth phases (vegetative, reproductive, and mature). A total of 2,167 individuals of seven hemipteran species (Cyrtorhinus lividipennis, Leptocorisa oratorius, Nephotettix virescens, Cofana spectra, Sogatella furcifera, Scotinophara coarctata, and Graptostethus sp.) were successfully collected with Shannon-Diversity Index (H’ = 0.4572), Margalef richness index (D = 0.7811), and Evenness Index (E = 0.2257). There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) for species diversity in both seasons. The highest abundance of hemipteran was during the maturity stage (1,543 individuals), followed by the reproductive (591 individuals) and vegetative stages (33 individuals). This study observed a significant difference between the paddy growth for both seasons (p < 0.05). Five hemipteran species namely C. lividipennis, L. oratorius, N. virescens, C. spectra, and S. furcifera, were successfully barcoded with Leptocorisa, the dominant genus. Outcomes from this study suggested that different hemipteran management approaches must be developed to cater to different hemipteran species at different paddy growth stages for a successful and sustainable paddy growing practice in Malaysia.

TAHAP KESEDIAAN GURU ALIRAN PERDANA DALAM PELAKSANAAN PROGRAM PENDIDIKAN INKLUSIF SEKOLAH RENDAH DI SELANGOR

The Inclusive Education Programme or known as Program Pendidikan Inklusif (PPI) was created to provide an opportunity and space for Pupils with Special Needs or Murid Berkeperluan Khas (MBK) to acquire suitable education which is aligned with their requirements. The levels of knowledge, readiness and positive attitude of the mainstream teachers are all important aspects to ensure that the inclusive education programme could be implemented effectively. The objective of this study was to identify the readiness level of the mainstream teachers towards the implementation of this programme. Generally, this quantitative study utilised the survey instrument to identify and analyse in an empirical and systematic manner regarding the readiness level of the mainstream teachers at four primary schools in the Sabak Bernam district. The Constructivism learning theory by Lev Semenovich Vygotsky was utilised to describe the readiness level of the mainstream teachers who were involved in the implementation of the inclusive education programme. The study sample comprised 90 mainstream teachers who were involved in the inclusive education programme at the selected schools. The level of readiness of mainstream teachers in the implementation of IEP is also at a moderate level with a mean value = 3.52 and standard deviation = 0.89. The conclusion from the analysis indicated that the readiness level of the teachers could be improved from time to time to ensure that the Inclusive Education Programme could be implemented effectively.

Artificial neural network modeling for predicting the quality of water in the Sabak Bernam River

Water <span>quality prediction is aided by environmental monitoring, ecological sustainability, and aquaculture. Traditional prediction approaches capture the nonlinearity and non-stationarity of water quality well. Due to their rapid progress, artificial neural networks (ANNs) have become a hotspot in water quality prediction in recent years. ANNs are utilised in this study to predict water quality using soft computing techniques. The feedforward network and the standard back-propagation method of Levenberg-Marquardt and scaled conjugate gradient learning algorithm were employed in this research. One hidden layer has been recommended for the modelling, with the number of hidden neurons set at 3, 24, and 49. For this analysis, six different testing percentages were used, and the output data can be categorised as '0' for clean water and '1' for polluted water. From the results, it can be shown that the most optimised model was from the model of trainlm with a testing percentage of 18% and with 3 number of neurons. This most optimised model obtains an accuracy of 91.7%, the best validation performance of 0.073346 with 24 epochs, and having a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve that is closer to the true positive rate compared to other samples.</span>

Phenotypic profile of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) exposed to pyrethroid-based mat vaporizers and underlying detoxification mechanisms: A statewide report in Selangor, Malaysia.

This study examines the biological efficacy of four mosquito mat vaporizers each containing different active ingredients: prallethrin with PBO, dimefluthrin, prallethrin, and d-allethrin. The glass chamber assay was used to evaluate their efficacy on Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae) from nine districts in Selangor, Malaysia. Aedes albopictus exhibited different knockdown rates, with 50% knockdown times, KT50, varying from 1.19 to 2.00min, 1.22 to 2.20min, 1.39 to 5.85min, and 1.39 to 1.92min for prallethrin with PBO, dimefluthrin, prallethrin and d-allethrin, respectively. In general, all populations of Ae. albopictus were completely knocked down after exposure to all active ingredients except Hulu Selangor population, which showed 96.00% knockdown against d-allethrin. On the contrary, mortality rates were observed from 84.00-100.00%, 84.00-100.00%, 90.67-100.00% and 90.67-100.00% in populations tested with prallethrin with PBO, dimefluthrin, prallethrin and d-allethrin, respectively. Moreover, significant correlations between mortality rates of prallethrin with PBO vs dimefluthrin (r=0.836, P=0.003), prallethrin with PBO vs prallethrin (r=0.760, P=0.011), and prallethrin vs d-allethrin (r=0.694, P=0.026) were also observed, suggesting cross-resistance among pyrethroids. d-allethrin was found to be high in insecticidal activity, followed by prallethrin, prallethrin with PBO, and dimefluthrin. In consistent with mortality due to insecticide exposure, elevated levels of enzyme activities were also demonstrated in Sabak Bernam, Hulu Selangor, Gombak, Petaling, Hulu Langat and Klang populations.

Parents' Perspectives on Healthy Lifestyle Practices for Special Need Students

This study was designed to examine the difference between healthy lifestyle in terms of balanced diet, physical exercises, emotional and self management among special need students in rural and urban areas. This study is conducted quantitatively by using the questionnaires that are valid and reliable. These questionnaires were adapted from the Healthy Lifestyle Instrument. The sample size of 40 parents from Cheras, Kuala Lumpur were participated for the urban area, while another size of 40 parents from Sabak Bernam, Selangor were participated on behalf of the rural area. Google form was used as the platform of the questionnaires and were distributed accordingly online. Inference analysis was used to study the research questions by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPPS) version 23.0. The analysis showed there was no significance in the difference between special need students in urban area and rural area towards their healthy lifestyle based from the three aspects. As a result, the main party should be obligated in adding healthy lifestyle practices among special need students in both urban and rural areas.