Sungai Petani Research Articles

Complete Genome Sequence of Dickeya chrysanthemi Bacteriophage DchS19.

ABSTRACTWe characterized the complete genome of a lytic Dickeya chrysanthemi bacteriophage, DchS19, which was isolated from a soil sample in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaysia. The phage, from the Autographviridae family, has a 39,149-bp double-stranded DNA genome containing 49 protein-coding genes and shares 94.65% average nucleotide identity with Erwinia phage pEp_SNUABM_12.

The Impact of The Covid 19 Pandemic on The Emotional and Physical Students of Sungai Petani Community College

There are challenges and impacts faced by students of Institutes of Higher Education in the teaching and learning process after the Covid 19 pandemic period. Most students experience some effects on emotions and physical aspects. This study was carried out on the students of Sungai Petani Community College for the purpose of identifying the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic on the above factors. A total of 108 students were involved in this study. A questionnaire was used as a research instrument to obtain student feedback on the implementation of teaching and learning after Covid 19. Based on this study, it was found that both aspects, namely emotional and physical, showed positive effects. However, for the physical aspect it is at a moderate level. Therefore, the college management needs to plan an appropriate method to overcome the problem.

Design of ground-mounted grid-connected photovoltaic system with bifacial modules using PVsyst software

Bifacial photovoltaic module has gained significant traction in recent years due to its higher irradiation capture capabilities with cost-effective technology. This paper presents the design, simulation, and techno-economic evaluation of a 45MW fixed-tilt ground-mounted grid-connected photovoltaic system with bifacial photovoltaic modules. The site is located in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaysia. The PVsyst 7.2 software was used to design the system by selecting the rating of PV module, inverter and tilt angle of PV modules. In addition, shading and loss calculation, as well as performance evaluation, were also conducted using the software. The simulation of the optimal geometrical parameters had shown an optimal tilt angle of 5°, the pitch of 5.5m and PV array installation height of 1.5m with an albedo value of 0.25. Besides, the performance of system with bifacial and monofacial modules were compared in terms of techno-economic performance indicators. The results showed that the bifacial PV system produces higher energy output with a lower levelized cost of electricity when compared to the system with monofacial PV modules.

A successful extraction of difficult giant bladder stone: A case report

Lately, the incidence of giant bladder stones has significantly declined. Severe acute kidney injury caused by bladder stones is rare. Open cystolithotomy would usually be the mode of treatment for such cases. However, few data reported on the technique used to deliver complicated giant bladder stones. We report such presentation and the exceptional technique of delivering a giant bladder stone weighing 1 kg in a 30-year-old man in Hospital Sultan Abdul Halim, Sungai Petani, Kedah. This technique involves using a chisel and a hammer.

PROTECTION OF WEDLOCK CHILDREN FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF MAQASID AL-SHARI’A

This study examines the protection of children out of wedlock who do not get enough attention and are neglected in the perspective of maqashid sharia. The status of children out of wedlock generally do not get proper services because their presence is not expected. From that, the Orphan Care Agency in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaysia established a baby hatch that was used as a temporary shelter for these children, to be later adopted by foster parents. This article raises the problem of how the existence of the baby hatch is in the review of maqashid sharia for fear of being misused to accommodate children out of wedlock? Which problem should be prioritized in the context of the paradox between preserving the soul (ḥifẓal-nafs) and maintaining offspring (al-nasl) by looking at the existence of a baby hatch that accommodates children out of wedlock. By using the tarjih maslahat method based on data obtained from the field, this article concludes, that in this case, hifẓal-nafs should take precedence over hifẓal-nasl.

Critical Factors Influencing the Purchasing Decisions among Home Buyers in Malaysia

Home purchasing trends are constantly changing due to several factors. Financing factors have always been a major factor that will influence home buying decisions in Malaysia. However, the factors are different for groups of people because their demands and preferences in choosing a home are different. As a result, most developers find it difficult to build and design homes to attract home buyers. Therefore, this study aims to identify the factors in influencing the purchase decision of home buyers in Malaysia especially in Kedah. Researchers have listed financing, location and neighborhood as factors that can influence in determining the factors of home purchase decisions among residents in and the quantitative research method through was adapted in this study in which 74 questionnaires were distributed to the respondents within two weeks. The findings of the study indicate that financing, location and neighborhood contributed a positive relationship with the purchase decisions of home buyers in Laguna Merbok Sungai Petani township. From the results, some suggestions are recommended by the researchers along with the limitations of the study and hopefully can help future researchers with the expansion of the scope of the study, variables and methods.

LAND USE PATTERN USING SEMIAUTOMATIC CLASSIFICATION PLUGIN (SCP) WITH OPEN SOURCE DATA

Since the early 1970s, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States) has been developing a series of multispectral satellites known as Landsat. Landsat photos are frequently used in environmental studies. Image classification is one of the most important tasks in image processing and analysis. It's used to look at different forms of land use and cover. Satellite photos, like high resolution satellite images, are obtained using remote sensing. However, just examining these photos isn't enough; we also need to process them. Thus, to analyze these images, we need to classify them. For this paper the Landsat classification has been performed on the Sungai Petani a major city in Malaysia. Using Landsat 8-OLI data, this paper propose a wavelet transform-based Landsat classification. This classification analysis has been performed using the plugin tool Semi-Automatic Classification tool in QGIS software.

Need analysis of English for Hospitality students: A case study in Sungai Petani Community College

Malaysia, as a rapidly developing nation, plays a crucial role in equipping its graduates with all the necessary skills which are considered highly in demand in the current market. Course designers need to consider the target learning needs of ESP students in redesigning an appropriate syllabus that will cater to their working needs. Needs analysis is a way of determining and outlining syllabus and teaching methods to achieve a valuable learning environment. Instructors and teachers conducting English classes ought to identify their students’ needs to build an appropriate curriculum that facilitates a better learning process. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the English Language needs of Community College English for Hospitality students. 40 internship Hospitality students from a Community College, and 40 industry personnel participated in this study. All these participants were from Malaysia. The questionnaires were used as the main instruments in this study. The finding shows that 62.5% of the respondents’ main reason for learning English is to improve their speaking skills as they are mainly dealing with answering telephone calls, inquiries on hotel facilities as well as handling hotel reservations. The finding further reveals that major emphasis should be given to listening and speaking skills as they are more widely used when dealing with the guests. It is hoped that the findings of this study are used to propose an English for Specific Purposes syllabus, which would benefit future hospitality students in public or private colleges.

Butterfly communities (Insecta: Lepidoptera) at two recreational areas in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract. Basri NIA, Zakaria N. 2021. Butterfly communities (Insecta: Lepidoptera) at two recreational areas in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia. Biodiversitas 22: 5039-5047. The knowledge on the butterfly diversity, especially in various habitats in Kedah is still poor. A study was conducted to determine and compare the diversity of butterflies at two recreational areas in Sungai Petani, Kedah, namely Bukit H and Taman Jubli Perak. This study was carried out starting from January 2021 until March 2021 with a total of nine sampling occasions at each site. Visual Encounter Survey (VES) was chosen as a sampling method. The butterflies were captured using a sweep net from 9am to 11am and 12pm to 2pm for each sampling site. A total of 145 individuals from 13 species from four families of butterflies were recorded. The most abundant species were recorded from the family Nymphalidae. Chilades pandava was the most abundant species obtained from the two recreational areas. From the t-test analysis, there was no significant difference between the diversity of Bukit H and Taman Jubli Perak. Shannon and Simpson's diversity indices showed both sites were interpreted as moderately low in diversity. This may be due to the different types of vegetation that exist at both sampling sites. This study will contribute to the first record of butterflies in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia.

Comparison of O<sub>3</sub>, NO, NO<sub>2</sub> concentrations and meteorological parameters in urban, sub urban and rural residential area

Ozone (O3) have many adverse impacts toward the living human, environment and O3 formed through the photochemical reaction with the aid of sunlight. Therefore, this study focused on the determination of O3, nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations and meteorological parameters (temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind direction) three residential area namely Taman Tun Dr Ismail Jaya, Selangor as the urban area, Taman Delima, Sungai Petani, Kedah as the sub urban area and Taman Kifayah, Jeli, Kelantan as the rural area. The monitoring were continuously done for three days in 24 hours from 12 a.m. until 12 a.m. per day at each site. Aeroqual S500 series and weather station model RK900-01 were used to measure O3, NO, NO2 concentrations and meteorological parameters. The concentration of O3, NO, NO2 and the meteorological parameters were determined and O3 concentration was compared by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Among the studied areas, the highest mean O3 concentration was recorded in Taman Delima, Sungai Petani with 35.2 ppb followed by Tun Dr Ismail Jaya with 33.3 ppb. Result suggested that sub urban areas showed higher mean O3 concentration compared to urban area which might linked to the availability of the O3 precursors in the area. As expected, the lowest mean O3 concentration recorded at Taman Kifayah, Jeli with 12.1 ppb as the area have limited O3 precursor’s sources. However, the ozone concentration at three residential areas were still under permissible level according to Recommended Malaysia Ambient Air Quality Guidelines (RMAAQ).

Modeling Mathematics Performance Between Rural and Urban School Using a Fuzzy Logic Approach

This study concerns competitiveness in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) performance between two different schools in Kedah, Malaysia, focusing on Mathematics scores. There are two different schools selected namely SMK Sungai Layar and SMK Bandar Sungai Petani. SMK Sungai Layar is a rural school while SMK Bandar Sungai Petani is an urban school. The objectives are to determine which schools between urban and rural schools perform better in mathematics subjects and classify students' performance on Mathematics subject using Fuzzy Logic. It is found that the performance of urban school was better than the rural school. As for rural school, the performance was moderate. The percentage of Mathematics value for SMK Bandar Sungai Petani is higher than SMK Sungai Layar. The number of students from an urban school who got a good score was double from the number of students from rural schools. The results show that the students from the urban school have excellent flexibility and reliability in Mathematics subject.

First report of Fusarium sacchari causing leaf blotch of orchid (Dendrobium antennatum) in Malaysia

The occurrence of leaf blotch of orchid (Dendrobium antennatum) was observed in two locations in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaysia and Sungai Dua, Penang, Malaysia. Two isolates of Fusarium sp. were isolated from the infected leaves. Based on morphological characteristics and comparison of DNA sequences of translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1-α) and mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal DNA (mtSSU rDNA), the isolated fungal isolates were identified as Fusarium sacchari. Phylogenetic analysis of the combined dataset of TEF1-α and mtSSU showed that the isolates were grouped with the reference isolates of F. sacchari from GenBank database. The pathogenicity test revealed both isolates of F. sacchari responsible for causing leaf blotch of D. antennatum. This is the first report of F. sacchari causing leaf blotch of D. antennatum in Malaysia and worldwide.

Determinant Factors that Influence Customers' Experience in Fast Food Restaurants in Sungai Petani, Kedah

This study investigates the relationship between total restaurant quality and customers' experience in a local fast food restaurant. The objectives of this study are to determine the factors that lead to customers' positive experience and to recognize the elements that encourage people to dine-in at a chosen fast food restaurant. The study was conducted quantitatively, in which the convenience sampling method was chosen to collect the data. 373 questionnaires were collected and the findings were analyzed using the Predictive Analytics Software (PASW). Four critical factors of total restaurant quality were tested and the findings of this study proved that there is a positive relationship between three factors (food quality, service quality, and perceived value) and customers? experience. Perceived value is the main reason for people to dine-in at a chosen fast food restaurant. Overall, this study suggests that a fast food restaurant should focus on delivering services to the customers and simultaneously enhancing the other qualities in order to capture long-term relations with customers.

PRODIGY AUTOHAUZ: THE APPROACH OF INDUSTRY ON CAMPUS CONCEPT AT SUNGAI PETANI COMMUNITY COLLEGE

This conceptual paper explores the implementation of Industry on Campus (IOC) at Sungai Petani Community College (SPCC). The IOC program was implemented based on the original concept developed by the Department of Polytechnic and Community College (JPPKK) through its basic model framework. Implementation of IOCs involving educational institutions with companies from the industry builds strategic collaboration that promotes the development of highly skilled human resource development at the institutional level. In recognizing this aspect, the automotive unit has implemented the IOC model at Sungai Petani Community College for students to take advantage of this concept through Autohauz Prodigy Entrepreneur hub @SPCC. The continued collaboration of companies and institutions for implementing the IOC is expected to contribute to high marketability to enhance the country's social and economic life.

SMART BUBBLES LAUNDRY: THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INDUSTRY ON CAMPUS APPROACH IN SUNGAI PETANI COMMUNITY COLLEGE

This conceptual paper was developed to illustrate the planning and implementation of the Industry on Campus (IOC) at Sungai Petani Community College. In general, the IOC was designed based on the basic concepts developed by the Department of Education Polytechnic and Community College, Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia. The IOC's implementation at the Sungai Petani Community College was implemented through the one of the SPCC Niche Area, which is Laundry service in the cluster of Hotel Operation. The IOC in Sungai Petani Community College involves collaboration with the industries; D’Kota Resources and MD Chan Enterprise is a form of strategic collaboration to develop high-skilled human resources from the institution to the industries. All the efforts and commitments in regards to the IOC approach at Smart Bubble Laundry have been reported in this paper as a pilot project documentation for the new education concept for TVET education. It is hoped that companies' and institutions' continuous efforts will contribute to high marketability workers, the national economy, and the community's social life.

Water quality status of Sungai Petani River, Kedah, Malaysia

Water is one of crucial natural sources for all livings. However, as the burgeoning population growth and excessive development, the quality of water is deteriorated. Hence, assessing the quality of river water is pivotal not only for determining water quality condition but also identifying polluted areas. This study was conducted to determine water quality status of Sungai Petani River located in Kedah, Malaysia involving three sampling stations (S1, S2 and S3). Six water quality parameters were determined following APHA standard method. The results then assessed following Water Quality Index (WQI) assessment and evaluated based on National Water Quality Standards (NWQS) for Malaysia. Both dry and wet seasons shows increasing index value. In wet season the results were 51.33, 73.06 and 74.76 for S1, S2 and S3 respectively while for dry season index value of 47.97, 58.04 and 69.60 for S1, S2 and S3. Increasing index value from upstream to downstream (S1 to S3) indicates the water quality status was from polluted to slightly polluted (S1 to S3) due to pollutant load from nearby activities. The overall classification for the river water was in class III, the uses for this classification water are water supply with the need for an extensive water treatment and fishery and livestock drinking.

The Importance of Feng Shui Influence on the Housing Selection among the Chinese in Generation Y: A Study on the Developers’ Perceptions

Fengshui,anelementthathasbeenassociatedwithsuccess,wealth,andharmony,isoftenconsideredthe key factor for the decision-making of housing purchase among the Chinese in Malaysia. Nevertheless, property developers often overlooked this factor, resulting in a gap between consumers’ expectations and developers’ perceptions,whichcouldleadtocustomers’dissatisfaction.Thisstudywascarriedouttoidentifytheimportanceof fengshuitheorytowardshousingdevelopment,determinetheinfluenceoffengshuifactorsinhousingselection,and examine the perceptions of developers towards feng Shui factors in residential property. This paper adopted a qualitative approach by employing the interviewing technique. This study was conducted within a selected residential area in Sungai Petani, Kedah and the respondents were the Generation Y within the Chinese group. The resultsshowthatmostofthedevelopersbelievedthatonlyrichandfamouspeopleareconcernedaboutthefengshui element in selecting a residential property. Besides that, the construction of a housing project has to consider many factors prior the completion,including the multiracial customersasthepotentialbuyers.Hence,itisnotpracticalto consider the feng shui element for each person.

Indoor and Outdoor Particulate Matter Concentrations in the Vicinity of Plastic Waste Processing Industries

While plastic recycling has gained conclusive acceptance by various stakeholders as a preferable products’ end-of-life management, plastic waste processing industries may contribute to serious air pollutants emission and impair human health, especially if it is in uncontrolled conditions. Apart from toxic gas pollutants, this industry may also emit significant concentration of particulates matter or dust, notably via physical (shredding, sorting, and washing) and melt (re-granulation and reprocessing) processes. Meanwhile, in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaysia, public anguish is increasing in recent years due to mushrooming plastic waste recycling industries in its residential area. Thus, a study was conducted to analyse the day- and night-time ambient air PMio levels and their relationship with selected meteorological parameters (ambient temperature, relative humidity and wind speed) at two different locations (Cinta Sayang Resort Villa, CSRV and Metro Specialist Hospital, HM) in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaysia. The mean ambient PMio levels of Cinta Sayang Resort Villa (CSRV) and Metro Specialist Hospital (HM) were found exceeding the New Malaysia Ambient Air Quality Standard at 150 (μg/m3 (24-hours), which were 568.082 + 266.441 (μg/m3 615.046 + 355.672 (μg/m3, respectively. Distribution of PMio concentrations betwen day and night-time were found to be statistically insignificant at both sites. Meteorological parameters have also contributed to the trend of PMio concentrations at both sites especially at HM. Inverse correlation with PMio at CSRV was explained by the absence of moisture (or rain) at the site while the positive correlation observed at HM was due to the hot temperature-strong wind association at the site. Temperature was found to be the manipulating factor for PMio at HM, via linear regression model developed at PMouth = - 4352.426 + 170.557 x Th with F(1, 8) = 15.224 at p < .005, accounting for 65.6% of the variation Thus, proper attention should be given to the particulates matter emitted in Sungai Petani, believed to be influenced by the uncontrolled emission from the plastic recycling industries.

Integrated GIS Tool for Investigating the Relationship of Road Characteristics with Road Traffic Accidents

Road accidents pose a serious economic and social problems given that the number of fatal accidents continue to rise at the national and international levels. This study investigates the relationship between three road parameters, namely number of lanes, level of service (LOS), and slope, with road accidents. The data for road accidents were obtained from the Police Department - Contingent Headquarters (IPK) Alor Setar, Kedah, the data for roads, namely number of lanes and traffic volume, were obtained from Public Works Department (JKR), while the TanDEM-X Image was provided by the licensed holder. The ArcGIS software 10.5 was used to process the data; this is followed by performing the regression and kernel density estimation to determine the relationship between the parameters with accident cases. The majority of road accidents in Kedah occurred on two-lane roads. LOS is negatively correlated with road accidents, which indicates that less accidents occurred with higher level of flow. Slope is negatively correlated with road accidents, indicating that a smaller number of accidents occurred on roads with higher slope values. Alor Setar and Sungai Petani have been identified as road traffic accident hotspots for the period from 2013 to 2015. In summary, the findings of this study provide the relevant authority such as the Traffic Police with the critical information required to make a better decision when formulating strategies to reduce road traffic accidents.

The nexus of time poverty and well-being of women from poor households: A Malaysian Indian case scenario

Time autonomy is a core component in measuring the well-being of humans. The interrelation of time and well-being explains the autonomy one holds towards their time and improves their well-being. Scholars have noted that gendered aspects of well-being are always reflected through time poverty. Time autonomy is not always equal for men and women due to the interference of gender complexities in a household. In traditional societies, men’s time is often dedicated to their role as breadwinners while women’s time is often allocated for multiple roles (i.e. caregiver, mother and wife) in the household. Studies have shown that women’s time allocation is always dedicated to their unpaid roles, which add value for the household members but often reduces their own personal well-being. Poor women have been identified as a group greatly affected by time poverty, which pushes them away from attaining well-being. This study intends to show the spectrum of time poverty experiences of Malaysian Indian women which constraints them from attaining physical and mental well-being. Data was gathered through in-depth interviews with twelve Indian women from B40 households in Sungai Petani and Kulim, Kedah, Malaysia. The findings of this study revealed that excessive weight of household chores, performing multiple roles simultaneously and minimal investment towards personal development as the three important themes. Using the themes and narration of poor Indian women, time poverty and its effects on well-being were explored in this study. Keywords: B40 household, Malaysian tamil women, time scarcity, well-being