States Of Kedah Research Articles

Pakaian Diraja Melayu: Kain Tenggarung dari Sudut Sosio Budaya Melayu.

Tenggarung cloth is a type of traditional Malay woven textile woven by Malay weavers. Around the 19th century AD, Tenggarung cloth was worn by the Royal family and Malay nobility during official government and state ceremonies. This Tenggarung fabric is used as the Malay Royal clothing, especially in the states of Pahang, Terengganu, and Kedah. It is used especially by Malay Royal relatives who have a title. Now Tenggarung cloth has become less and less known and even less produced by Malay textile weavers due to the lack of demand from the local market in addition to the dumping of textiles from outside such as brocade cloth from India and Pakistan. This research is to study Tenggarung cloth as Malay Royal clothing from a Malay socio-cultural point of view. This research uses qualitative methods in the process of collecting research data through two methods, namely primary and secondary. Analytical research is conducted through observation on the visual collection of Tenggarung cloth as well as its historical records. Meanwhile, the purpose of this study is also to provide more information to the community about Tenggarung cloth as a traditional Malay textile from the aspects of culture, history, heritage and the value of the beauty of the Royal Malay clothing.

Enhancing Teacher Leadership in Malaysian Secondary Schools: Do Collaborative School Culture and Principal Support Matter?

Despite the impact of school culture on teacher leadership was well-theorised in literature, the extent to which the principal support strengthening the relationship between school culture on teacher leadership remains unknown. This study aims to examine the influence of collaborative school culture on teacher leadership with the four dimensions of principal support (professional support, emotional support, instrumental support and assessment support) as moderators. This study used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Three hundreds and sixty teachers were the samples from 45 secondary schools in the states of Kedah, Perlis and Penang. Meanwhile, 18 secondary teachers participated in the semi-structured interviews. The quantitative findings revealed a significant influence of collaborative school culture on teacher leadership. The relationship between collaborative school culture and teacher leadership was stronger when the principal’s instrumental support was higher compared to its counterpart. However, there was no moderating effect of professional support, emotional support, and assessment support on the relationship between collaborative school culture and teacher leadership. The qualitative findings informed the impact of collaborative school culture on teacher leadership could be enhanced with support from the local social community, effective communication between leaders and teachers, and teacher engagement in academic and non-academic activities. Implications of the study and future studies are presented.

Racial Complexity and Political Voting Decision: A Study on Young Voters in DUN Semenyih

Chaos theory is a useful tool for politicians and policymakers to achieve their political objectives through deliberate changes. Several political parties seem to gain advantages from chaotic situations, while others suffer significantly. Chaotic phenomena destabilize the emotions and behaviors of voters, making them complex, uncertain, and unpredictable. This research aims to examine how chaos theory has been significantly applicable to voter intentions and behaviors by analyzing a Malaysian political phenomenon.The Malaysian political landscape, before and after the 2018 general election, was filled with multiple chaotic phenomena. The political maneuver known as the "Sheraton Move" in February 2020 created massive political chaos, instantly altering the federal government and several elected state governments. With the collapse of the elected Federal Government, political realignments also took place in the states of Perak, Kedah, Melaka, and Johor, shifting from Pakatan Harapan to Perikatan Nasional, and subsequently, Barisan Nasional. The political chaos and the butterfly effect led to several unprecedented phenomena, including the cohabitation of numerous political adversaries, the gain of power without an election process, changes in the election cycle, and the resurgence of minority parties to state power. It has been established that social media played a role in mediating political chaos.Thus, this study will explore and explain the effects of political chaos on voters' intentions and behaviors, focusing on the impact on young voters' evaluations and decisions in the Semenyih Constituency, Selangor. The expected sample for this study is 380 respondents, and a survey will be used to collect and analyze the data.

Unveiling Limestone Orchid Hotspots in the Karst Hills of Northern Peninsular Malaysia

To date, documentation of the diversity of orchids from the limestone hills in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia, particularly in the states of Kedah and Perak, is still lacking, with limited literature available. There is indeed an urgent need to fill this knowledge gap, so that proper documentation of the diversity of orchids from this unique karst habitat can be prepared. In this study, a series of 12 months of diversity assessments on five limestone hills in Kedah and Perak has resulted in the discovery of 56 orchid species from 37 genera. From this account, 12 species are new records within Kedah and 2 species are new records within Malaysia, namely Bulbophyllum meson J.J.Verm., Schuit. & de Vogel and Luisia brachystachys (Lindl.) Blume. Three species are endemic to Peninsular Malaysia which are Anoectochilus sanguineus P.T.Ong & P.O’Byrne, Cheirostylis goldschmidtiana Schltr. and Phalaenopsis appendiculata Carr. Findings of two keystone species, the long-lost Cheirostylis goldschmidtiana and the endangered snow-white slipper orchid, Paphiopedilum niveum (Rchb.f.) Stein, have catalyzed the need for a more comprehensive study to unveil the species richness and endemism within a limestone habitat. Heat maps using geographical data produced from ArcGIS software have enabled precise determination of the areas with the highest concentration of orchid diversity. Results from this study have shown that Gunung Fakir Terbang houses the greatest number of orchid species, followed by Gunung Batu Putih and Gunung Baling. Meanwhile, lower species occurrences were recorded from Gunung Pulai and Gunung Pong. However, lack of attention and delayed conservation action on this unique karst habitat would only lead to more habitat loss, leading to the decline of limestone orchid populations. Orchids as well as other plants are threatened by anthropogenic activity such as quarrying and forest clearing for agriculture. Thus, the results of this study will serve as baseline data for future work in documenting and conserving limestone orchids and their karst habitat in northern Peninsular Malaysia.

Comparative Metabolomics Analysis of Weedy Rice (Oryza spp.) across Peninsular Malaysia

Weedy rice (Oryza spp.) is a notorious weed that invades paddy fields and hampers the rice’s production and yield quality; thus, it has become a major problem for rice farmers worldwide. Weedy rice comprises a diverse morphology and phenotypic variation; however, the metabolome and chemical phenotypes of weedy rice grains have not been explored. Therefore, this study is aimed to investigate the metabolite profiles and chemical diversity of Malaysian weedy rice. Thirty-one biotypes of weedy rice grains were collected from selected rice granaries in different states of Peninsular Malaysia, including Selangor, Perak, Penang, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, and Terengganu. In addition to the weedy rice samples, four cultivated rice varieties (MR219, MR220, MR220 CL2, and MARDI Siraj 297) were subjected to nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics. The PLS-DA and OPLS-DA models revealed a clear separation between the weedy rice and cultivated rice, which was contributed by the higher level of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), α-glucose, fumaric acid, and phenylalanine in the weedy rice, whilst valine, leucine, isoleucine, fatty acids, 2,3-butanediol, threonine, alanine, butyric acid, choline, γ-oryzanol, fructose, β-glucose, sucrose, ferulic acid, and formic acid were found dominant in the cultivated rice. Interestingly, the models also showed a separation between the weedy rice samples collected from the west coast and east coast regions of Peninsular Malaysia. The metabolites responsible for the separation, i.e., threonine, alanine, butyric acid, fructose, β-glucose, and formic acid, were found higher in the west coast samples, and the east coast samples were discriminated by higher levels of valine, leucine, isoleucine, fatty acids, 2,3-butanediol, choline, GABA, γ-oryzanol, α-glucose, sucrose, fumaric acid, ferulic acid, and phenylalanine. This study is the first to provide insights into the metabolite profiles and chemical phenotypes of Malaysian weedy rice that could be influenced by genotype and environmental conditions. The information on the weedy rice metabolome and omics data is important for further research on weed management and crop improvement.

Vaccination Refusal in Children under 2 Years of Age in Malaysia 2016-2019

Aims: This study will explore the incidence rate of childhood vaccination refusal in Malaysia as well as the reasons for this refusal over a four-year period (2016–2019). Given the complexities and dynamic nature of vaccine refusal, this research is essential for defining the target group, identifying the vaccine types they commonly refuse, and comprehending their vaccination concerns.
 Study Design: This is a retrospective review study.
 Methodology: This study used a nationally representative secondary data set from the Malaysian Ministry of Health's Family Health Division for the years 2016 to 2019. We included vaccination refusals involving children younger than 24 months of age. Data was extracted from the mothers’ immunization refusal form includes information of the ethnicity, citizenship, religion, occupation, the type of vaccine they refused, and the reason for their refusal. The annual incidence rates of childhood vaccination refusal, the types of vaccines and the refusal reason were summarized by percentage, with 95% confidence intervals.
 Results: There was a decline in incidence rates of vaccination refusal from 3.2 in 2016 to 2.3 in 2019 (P<0.001). The refusal rate is highest in the states of Terengganu (15.9%), Kedah (14.1%), and Perak (12.2%). Of the 4052 mothers who refused to vaccinate their children, the majority were Muslims (99.0%) who had secondary education (53.7%) and were housewives (65.3%). Furthermore, most mothers refused to vaccinate their children due to religious beliefs (37.5–39.0%), safety concerns (26.3–34.0%), or belief in complementary and alternative medicine (11.4–15.8%). The reasons of refusal are associated with the mothers’ religion, socioeconomic class, and education level (P<0.001). Muslims have refused vaccinations due to religious beliefs, as they were concerned about the vaccine's halal status. Meanwhile, mothers from a higher socioeconomic class and with a higher educational level were apprehensive about the vaccine's safety.
 Conclusion: Consolidated strategies are required to increase vaccination uptake, combined with a concerted effort to comprehend, analyse, and overcome vaccine refusal.

Research on The Effectiveness of The Bandar Baharu Community College Light Vehicle Service Program on The Automotive Industry

The Transformation of Technical and Vocational Education aims to produce TVET graduates with optimal technical and technological skills. This research paper was produced to identify the effectiveness of the Bandar Baharu Community College Light Vehicle Service program on the automotive industry, after 15 years of being offered educational service. To ensure that the programs being offered remain relevant to the country's employment needs in the automotive industry, this study is required and implemented by examining aspects of the content and suitability of the program with the needs of automotive organizations, employment opportunities for graduates, graduates' development opportunities and collaboration and industry cooperation with Bandar Baharu Community College. A total of 88 automotive operators answered the survey questionnaire and all of them were selected as survey respondents. A research study was also conducted to measure the reliability of the study instrument using Cronbach's Alpha. The overall value of the research study was 0.993. The data of this study were processed and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Science SPSS version 22 to obtain the mean value, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage. Overall, the findings of the study show that the level of effectiveness of the Bandar Baharu Community College Light Vehicle Service program in the automotive industry is at a high and commendable level with an overall mean value of 4.18 (SD = 0.415). The results of this study have also received the latest market feedback from the automotive industry which covers four aspects evaluated. The result of the study showed that the industry gave feedback that the content of the Bandar Baharu Community College Light Vehicle Service program is by the needs of organizations in the automotive industry. The results also show that career opportunities are very wide and open for graduates to work in organizations in the automotive industry around the states of Kedah, Perak, and Penang.The findings of this study are expected to help the management of Bandar Baharu Community College, Polytechnic Education Department, and Community College in planning and implementing the Light Vehicle Service program.

HUBUNGAN ANTARA TEKANAN KERJA DAN PRESTASI KERJA GURU

The role of teachers is arguably the most important in professional groups for our country in the future. So it becomes very important to identify the factors that influence the performance of teachers due to the increasing importance of the role of performing and quality teachers today. Therefore, this study aims to identify the relationship between work stress and teacher work performance. The population for this study consists of National Secondary School (SMK) teachers in the education sector in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia. states of Kedah and Perlis. This study uses a quantitative approach with a questionnaire method to obtain data. Based on the survey method, followed by cluster sampling method and simple randomization, a total of 500 questionnaires were distributed to randomly selected respondents. Of the 500 questionnaires that were distributed, a total of 421 questionnaires were returned representing a response rate of 84.2 percent. However, only 406 identified questionnaires can be used. While the process to analyze the data is using Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS) Version 24. The results of the analysis found that work stress has a significant positive relationship with teacher work performance. The findings of the study are beneficial to theoretical and practical implications. An understanding of the findings of the study enables the Ministry of Education Malaysia to design and implement more effective self-development programs for teachers. Some suggestions for further study are also presented.

Integrating spatial, phylogenetic, and threat assessment data from frogs and lizards to identify areas for conservation priorities in Peninsular Malaysia

Malaysia is recognized as a megadiverse country and biodiversity hotspot which necessitates sufficient levels of habitat protection and effective conservation management. However, conservation planning in Malaysia has hitherto relied largely on species distribution data without taking into account the rich evolutionary history of taxa. This represents the first study that integrates spatial and evolutionary approaches to identify important centers of diversity, endemism, and bioregionalization that can be earmarked for conservation priorities in Peninsular Malaysia. Using georeferenced species occurrences, comprehensive phylogenies, and threat assessments of frogs and lizards, we employed a spatial phylogenetics framework that incorporates various diversity metrics including weighted endemism, phylogenetic diversity, phylogenetic endemism, and evolutionary distinctiveness and global endangerment. Ten areas of high conservation value were identified via the intersection of these metrics—northern Perlis, Langkawi Geopark, southern Bintang range, Cameron Highlands, Fraser’s Hill, Benom-Krau complex, Selangor-Genting complex, Endau-Rompin National Park, Seribuat Archipelago (Tioman and Pemanggil Islands), and southern Johor. Of these, Cameron Highlands requires the highest conservation priority based on the high numbers of endangered and evolutionary distinct species coupled with severe environmental degradation and inadequately protected areas. Other areas, especially in the northwestern (states of Kedah and Penang) and northeastern regions (state of Kelantan) were not only identified as areas of high conservation value but also areas of biogeographic importance. Taken together, frogs and lizards demonstrate distinct east-west and north-south patterns of bioregionalization that are largely modulated by mountain ranges.

An insight of employing of new technologies in conducting online assessment among arabic school teachers in northern Malaysia

This study is conducted to investigate the level of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) skill among Arabic school teachers in preparing online assessment for remote teaching and assessment prior to a training workshop organized by the Malaysian branch of Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, ICESCO-KUIS and Islamic Education Unit, Ministry of Education, Malaysia. This research team has been conducting the TPACK training module among 75Arabic school teachers in Northern Malaysia on 28-29March, 2021 from the states of Kedah, Penang and Perlis in a hybrid mode of training, while only 69 of them responded to the survey after the workshop via Google Form. In addition, all participants were also responding to the open-ended survey during the workshop via Mentimeter.com. This research instruments were investigating the teachers’ knowledge about three essential components of TPACK, which include technology, content, and pedagogy as well their suggestions and feedbacks towards employing online assessment and effectiveness of conducted workshop. The findings are expected in contributing towards the understanding of the teacher’s level of knowledge in technology, pedagogy, and content among Arabic school teachers in Malaysia especially for preparing and conducting effective online teaching and assessment activities especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, The study may also beneficial to other similar settings where the technology has not been effectively utilized by teachers in schools and home-based learning environment.

ANALYSES OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MOVEMENT CONTROL ORDER (MCO) IN REDUCING THE COVID-19 CONFIRMED CASES IN MALAYSIA

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in 5 consecutive Movement Control Orders (MCOs) in Malaysia in an attempt to flatten the epidemiological curve, with a reduction of cases. This study aims to use statistical analysis to assess whether the decisive public health interventions in the MCO were efficacious. Three statistical tests were employed: Mann-Kendall trend analysis; one way between groups ANOVA; and Pearson correlation test. Results demonstrated significant differences between the second block, MCO 3-5, compared to MCO 1-2. Johor and Selangor states experienced significant increase in early MCO, whereas Sarawak and Selangor states experienced significant decrease by MCO 3-5. The northern border states of Kedah, Perlis and Kelantan, had caseloads stabilised to zero by MCO 4/MCO 5. This study demonstrates that the MCO was effective within the target of twice the two-week incubation period of COVID-19, with cases from community transmission and importation through the air and southern land borders. Selangor and Sarawak had higher cases in early MCO due to situational factors. In conclusion, MCO has been efficacious, with different states attaining different levels of case reduction due to individualised reasons.

An Investigation Into Medical Waste Management Practices In Hospitals In Northern Peninsula Malaysia

The main aim of the study was toinvestigatethe medical waste management practices located in the north part hospitals in Malaysia. The northern part includes (Penang, Kedah, Perlis and Perak States). A questionnaire survey was mainly used for gathering information concerning different medical waste management aspects by identifying training services, segregation, and containers, storage, collection, transportation as well as ward attendants. Forty (40) hospitals (public and private) located in the above-mentioned stateswere targeted. The sample size of the whole study was 250 questionnaires; these questionnaires came from different hospitals where they located in the states of Penang, Kedah, Perlis, and Perak. As results, it was found from the analysis that although training programs were offered in the most places, there were not common centralized areas for training and even not applicable at all by 3.5% within the hospitals surveyed in Penang state accordingly to the administrative questionnaire. However, ongoing training programs either for old or new workers had been not identified. The responsibility for the waste to get segregated obviously not practiced by clear designated staff. Other numbers of problems that hospitals are facing in terms of medical waste managementinclude lack of sacks which are not totally subjected to tear, lack of provisional measures carried out to prohibit liquids running out from waste and not enough protective gear were used by workers. From the results of this study, it was clear that medical waste had not received sufficient attention according to WHO recommendation standard. Therefore, it was concluded that the majority of the examined areas had shown lack of practices in terms of segregation, collection, storage and transportation in dealing efficiently with medical waste management. In addition to that, all the interested parties (government, hospitals and workers at healthcare facilities) wrer recommended to implement a safe reliable medical waste management strategy, not only in legislation and policy formation but also particularly in its monitoring and enforcement, which can be achieved by the cooperation of Ministry of Health, Environmental Quality Authority, Ministry of Local Government, and Non-Governmental Organizations working in the same fields.

APPLICATION OF PREFERRED ISLAMIC LEGAL MAXIMS ON THE PRONOUNCEMENT OF TALAK OUTSIDE THE COURT IN MALAYSIA: A BRIEF DISCUSSION

This article discusses the application of Islamic legal maxims on the pronouncement of talak outside the court in Malaysia. The purpose of this article is to identify the preferred Islamic legal maxims by judges for divorce cases. The concept of divorce was analysed to see preferred Islamic legal maxims as an essential element in the submission of each case in order to study the role of preferred Islamic legal maxims as an argument in Islamic law and to examine the position of the writing of judgment in Islam. This study was based on a qualitative approach with two main methodologies, namely, data collection and data analysis methods. Data were gathered through document analysis and interviews over four months in 2017 in the states of Kedah and Kelantan in Malaysia. This study also examined the position and importance of judgment writing in Islamic law by interviewing two academicians and four legal practitioners to obtain information on the application of preferred Islamic legal maxims in judgments and the practice of judgment writing in divorce cases in Malaysia. Data were analysed by applying the content analysis method. This method was also used to analyse the documents obtained from the respondents to extract detailed information on the application of preferred Islamic legal maxims in divorce cases. The results of the study suggest that legal maxims play a significant role in deriving rulings and supporting submissions in dealing with Shariah cases. The preferred Islamic legal maxims, which contain the Maqasid al-Shariah values, must be in parallel with al-Quran and al-Sunnah. Given the prevalence of family issues today, it is hoped that society can entrust Maqasid al-Shariah in dealing with divorce cases. Cooperation between Shariah judges and lawyers helps in developing innovative elements encompassing religious and legal aspects. In this global era, the application and trend of Islamic legal maxims will have a tremendous impact on religious and institutional courts, in particular, Shariah Courts at the national level. This application is aimed at eliminating confusion among the parties involved, specifically, and the Muslim community, in general.

Measuring the Competency of Teachers in Business Studies towards Students' Academic Achievement

The main aim of this study is to measure the competency of teachers in Business Studies in improving students' academic achievement in the subject. The three aspects of the teachers' competence assessed include teachers' knowledge, skills and professionalism towards students' academic achievement. In order to test the objective, a total of 135 Business Studies teachers were selected as respondents from the states of Perlis, Kedah and Penang. A set of questionnaires was used in this study to measure the level of teachers' competency towards the students' academic achievement. Based on the findings, the relationship between teaching skills and professionalism was significant but from low to moderate level. Regression analysis further indicated that the three variables were moderately significant towards students' academic achievement as dependable variable. Meanwhile, the findings also revealed that the teachers experience and qualification were insignificant and did not mediate the independent variable factors against the dependent variable when tested by using PROCESS analysis. In conclusion, there are other factors that are more likely to influence the students' academic achievement compared to the three study variables.

The Influence of Deforestation on Land Surface Temperature—A Case Study of Perak and Kedah, Malaysia

Over the past few decades, there has been a rapid change in forest and land cover, especially in tropical forests due to massive deforestation. The major factor responsible for the changes is to fulfill the growing demand of increasing population through agricultural intensification, rural settlements, and urbanization. Monitoring forest cover and vegetation are essential for detecting regional and global environmental changes. The present study evaluates the influence of deforestation on land surface temperature (LST) in the states of Kedah and Perak, Malaysia, between 1988 and 2017. The trend in forest cover change over the time span of 29 years, was analyzed using Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 satellite images to map the sequence of forest cover change. With the measurement of deforestation and its relationship with LST as an end goal, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used to determine forest health, and the spectral radiance model was used to extract the LST. The findings of the study show that nearly 16% (189,423 ha) of forest cover in Perak and more than 9% (33,391 ha) of forest cover in Kedah have disappeared within these 29 years as a result of anthropogenic activities. The correlation between the LST and NDVI is related to the distribution of forests, where LST is inversely related to NDVI. A strong correlation between LST and NDVI was observed in this study, where the average mean of LST in Kedah (25 °C) is higher than in Perak (22.6 °C). This is also reflected by the decreased NDVI value from 0.6 to 0.5 in 2017 at both states. This demonstrated that a decrease in the vegetation area leads to an increase in the surface temperature. The resultant forest change map would be helpful for forest management in terms of identifying highly vulnerable areas. Moreover, it could help the local government to formulate a land management plan.

Stressful life events and depressive symptoms among adolescents in Malaysia: the mediating role of maladaptive cognitive schema.

The present study aimed to examine the mediational role of maladaptive cognitive schema in the association between stressful life events, which are operationalised as major (i.e. negative life events) and minor (i.e. daily hassles) life stressors, and depressive symptoms among adolescents. A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted to recruit participants across four selected states of Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka and Selangor in Peninsular Malaysia. This study involved a total of 1,032 adolescents from 25 government secondary schools, identified using probability proportional to size cluster sampling technique. Data were collected through a self-report questionnaire. Using structural equation modelling analyses, findings revealed a full mediation effect of maladaptive cognitive schema between negative life events and depressive symptoms, and a partial mediation effect between daily hassles and depressive symptoms. This study provided valuable insights about the significance of maladaptive cognitive schema as a mediator in the stress-depression association and advanced the understanding of mechanism underlying development of depressive symptoms among adolescents in Malaysia. Findings also benefit the clinical practice in the development of targeted depression prevention and intervention programs.

Qualified Audit Reports of Local Authorities in the Northern States of Malaysia

The reliability of information presented in the financial reports of local authorities is of utmost importance to enable the public to measure their performance in terms of efficiency and effectiveness in using public resources. The task to provide such an assurance lies with the Auditor General, who has been entrusted to enforce the auditing compliance regulations. A certificate in the form of “unqualified,” “qualified,” “adverse,” or “disclaimer” accompanied by a report on the financial affairs of the local authorities concerned will be issued after the Auditor General completes the audit of the local authorities’ financial statements. Our study on 14 local authorities comprising municipal and district councils in the Malaysian States of Perlis, Kedah and Penang found that the Qualified Certificate is the common type of audit certificate issued to the local authorities concerned during the period 1997-2001(inclusive of both years). Discrepancies in “Fixed Assets Register” ranked first among the audit incidents that led towards non-compliance to the audit procedures. This was followed by discrepancies in “Other Receivables” and “Cash Flow Statements” which ranked second and third positions respectively. Our finding also shows that size does not grant any advantage to the bigger local authority in reducing the number of audit incidents.

Communication, Coordination, Logistics and the Role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) During Disaster in Malaysia

In times of crisis or disaster such as the recent floods of December 2014 in the northern and eastern Malaysian states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak and Kedah, non-governmental organizations played a significant role in assisting the authorities and government agencies in collecting and providing aid to victims. Under normal circumstances non-governmental organizations vary in what they do and would normally focus on specific issues such as environmental issues, health issues or social issues. However in times of crisis or disaster, these organizations expand their role by assisting authorities with relief efforts ranging from financial assistance to manpower to basic necessities such as food, water, clothing and even logistical assets such as lorries, helicopters and other types of vehicles. The available literature has suggested that individuals, groups and organizations such as non-governmental organizations innovate as seen by countless relief effort activities conducted by non-governmental organizations in times of crisis or disaster in the past. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between communication, coordination, and logistical factors toward the role of NGOs when faced with a crisis in Malaysia. The outcome of the study revealed that coordination and logistics are the main and significant factors contributing to the role of NGOs in times of crisis or disaster. With regard to communication, the findings revealed that this is a significant aspect however it does not contribute towards the role of NGOs in times of crisis. Finally, this study also found that preparation and training contributes to the successful role of NGOs in dealing with crisis or disaster situations, suggesting that more needs to be done in terms of planning, budgeting and training to prepare volunteers. The implications of this study on the surveyed respondents from various non-governmental organizations in terms of experience, requirements, support and issues are discussed.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLIMATE CHANGE AND FOOD SECURITY: A CASE STUDY ON THE NORTHERN REGION OF MALAYSIA

Purpose of the Study: Climate change is an international agenda and entails a worldwide clarification. It is trendy now in Southeast Asia and the nastiest is yet to originate. In recent years, addressing climate change has been high on the global strategic program. There is now consent to avert worldwide heating and attainment of hazardous stages, which can be accomplished through mechanisms of alleviating conservatory gas releases. The target of this paper is to decide the linkages of the aspects of climatic variations and domestic resiliencies through the level of domestic food security among the deprived and squat revenue households in the Northern Region of Malaysia.
 Methodology: In this study, the Northern Region of Malaysia covers four states, namely, Perlis, Kedah, Penang, and Perak. The current learning is founded on the primary data that were composed from March to June, 2018 over a questionnaire review of 400 deprived and less revenue families from the Malaysian states of Perlis, Kedah, Penang, and Perak. The sample was designated from E-Kasih poor domestic database founded on a cluster random sampling system.
 Educational Implications: Primarily, the study is about the events of family nourishment safety according to the United States Agency for International Development – Household Food Insecurity Access (USAIDHFIA) model, and takes track of ordinal regressions under the Logit and Probit models.
 Results: This study discovered that nourishment uncertainty is related to community and financial issues, and is also expressively related to climatic issues. Therefore, nutrition safety programs must be assimilated with the programs for climatic change variation.
 Novelty: The innovation of this paper is the indicator of environmental sustainability in the Northern Region of Malaysia

The Silent Expansion of Rabies in Borneo

Among dengue, malaria, leptospirosis, cholera and tuberculosis, we often forget about rabies. Globally, an estimated 60,000 people die of rabies annually, and more than half of these deaths occur in Asia1. Among all infectious diseases, rabies is most fatal where the mortality rate of human rabies is 100%. On the other hand, rabies is 100% preventable if vaccine is administered timely. Rabies has been known to occur in Peninsular Malaysia since 1884, and since 1924 human rabies cases have been recorded. Most of these cases occurred in states bordering Thailand, which is highly endemic for rabies2. The incidence rose markedly in late 1945 with the reoccupation by Allied Forces, many of whom had come from India had brought their dogs with them3. A major outbreak of rabies occurred in Province Wellesley and Perak in 1945, and subsequently in Selangor in 19523 The total human death from rabies in Malaya from 1946 to 1952 was only 253. Outbreak was controlled by compulsory mass vaccination of dogs, stringent legislation, intensive stray-dog destruction, and mass education. These prompted a National Rabies Control Programme of compulsory vaccination of all dogs and a rigorous programme of destruction of stray dogs3 . However, small outbreaks and sporadic cases of animal and human rabies continued to occur in the northern states of Perlis, Kedah and Kelantan and also in Selangor2 . With continuous efforts, Malaysia was declared rabies free in 2013. However, rabies outbreak occurred in July 2015 in three states – Perlis, Kedah and Penang. After several years this was a new challenge for the authorities and was resolved by November 2015 after extensive vaccination and culling of dogs and awareness campaign4 . The outbreak in Perlis and Kedah were hypothesized to have originated from neighbouring Thailand by land movement, but the outbreak in Pulau Penang was hypothesized to have originated by sea through fishermen boat4. It is noticeable that the first rabies outbreak in Terengganu in 1996 was also by dogs from Thailand brought by fishermen boat4.