Technology In Malaysia Research Articles

Prospective for power generation of solid fuel from hydrothermal treatment of biomass and waste in Malaysia

There is growing interest for utilization of biomass and waste for the significant environmental benefits, energy security and long-term fuel sustainability. Malaysia has enormous biomass resources that is currently under-utilized for electricity generation. The variation in the chemical composition, moisture and alkali contents across different biomass feedstocks requires pre-treatment to avoid problem during thermochemical conversion processes. On the other hand, the problem associated with municipal solid waste limit the application for useful fuel due to heterogeneous in nature and high moisture content. This paper reviews the prospective waste to energy technologies in Malaysia using hydrothermal treatment for production of solid fuel from biomass and municipal solid waste. The selection of thermochemical conversion technologies will be based on the fieldwork, characterization and laboratory experiments, environmental and economic evaluations. The overall objectives are to enhance the physical and chemical properties of the biomass and waste and to increase the thermal efficiency of power plant as part of nation renewable energy mix to reduce dependency to fossil fuels particularly coal. The effective use of biomass and waste can supply the required fuel for future electricity generation.

Public acceptance of residential solar photovoltaic technology in Malaysia

Purpose Gaining independence from fossil fuels and combating climate change are the main factors to increase the generation of electricity from renewable fuels. Amongst the renewable technologies, solar photovoltaic (PV) is believed to have the largest potential. However, the number of people adopting solar PV technologies is still relatively low. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the household consumers’ acceptance of solar PV technology being installed on their premises. Design/methodology/approach To examine the solar PV technology acceptance, this study uses technology acceptance model (TAM) as a reference framework. A survey was conducted to gather data and to validate the research model. Out of 780 questionnaires distributed across Malaysia, 663 were returned and validated. Findings The analysis revealed that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and attitude to use significantly influenced behavioural intention to use solar PV technology. Research limitations/implications This study contributes by extending the understanding of public inclination towards the adoption of solar PV technology. Also, this study contributes in identifying the areas which need to be examined further. However, collecting data from urban peninsular Malaysian respondents only limits the generalization of the results. Practical implications On the policy front, this study reveals that governmental support is needed to trigger PV acceptance. Originality/value This paper uses TAM to analyse the uptake of solar PV technology in Malaysian context.

Status of science and technology in malaysia

.

Feasibility Study of Turbine Inlet Air Cooling using Mechanical Chillers in Malaysia Climate

The performance of a gas turbine is dependent on the ambient air temperature. The gas turbine’s power output is reduced and heat rate is increased as a result of higher air temperature. The warm and humid climate in Malaysia, with its high ambient air temperature, has an adverse effect on the performance of gas turbine generators. Turbine Inlet Air Cooling is a power augmentation technology for gas turbines, which reduces the turbine inlet air temperature thereby improving the power output and heat rate of the machine. In this paper the effect of Turbine Inlet Air Cooling using electric chillers, on the performance of the LM6000PD Gas Turbine Generator (43.5MW ISO rating) is evaluated in the context of the Malaysian climate. GT Pro software is used to evaluate the performance of the gas turbine generator with ambient air temperature cooled to 12°C. The ambient design points used for the sizing of the chillers are the 0.4% Evaporative (Design Point A) and the 0.4% Cooling (Design Point B) design points for Sitiawan, Perak as published by ASHRAE. It is observed that Design Point A results in a chiller capacity of 1950RT which is sufficient to satisfy the cooling demand of the Turbine Inlet Air Cooling system for approximately 98% of the operating hours in a year, while Design Point B yields a smaller chiller size of 1700RT which is capable of meeting the Turbine Inlet Air Cooling requirement for approximately 72% of the annual operating hours. In terms of Gas Turbine performance, the net power output is increased by 27.5% and 32.11% while the net heat rate is reduced by 2.8% and 3.74% for Design Points A and B respectively. The substantial improvement in gas turbine net power output and heat rate as predicted by the GT Pro demonstrate that Turbine Inlet Air Cooling using electric chillers is effective as a power augmentation technology in Malaysia.

Sustainable energy planning decision using the intuitionistic fuzzy analytic hierarchy process: choosing energy technology in Malaysia: necessary modifications

ABSTRACTRecently, Abdullah and Najib (International Journal of Sustainable Energy 35(4): 360–377, 2016) proposed an intuitionistic fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to deal with uncertainty in decision-making and applied it to establish preference in the sustainable energy planning decision-making of Malaysia. This work may attract the researchers of other countries to choose energy technology for their countries. However, after a deep study of the published paper (International Journal of Sustainable Energy 35(4): 362–377, 2016), it is noticed that the expression used by Abdullah and Najib in Step 6 of their proposed method for evaluating the intuitionistic fuzzy entropy of each aggregate of each row of intuitionistic fuzzy matrix is not valid. Therefore, it is not genuine to use the method proposed by Abdullah and Najib for solving real-life problems. The aim of this paper was to suggest the required necessary modifications for resolving the flaws of the Abdullah and Najib method.

Review on Adsorption of Heavy Metal in Wastewater by Using Geopolymer

Rapid development of advanced technology in Malaysia gave impact increasing in the accumulation of heavy metal every day in our daily life through wastewater. Long term exposure of human bodies to heavy metals susceptible to receives various infections and diseases. From an environmental and economic perspective, adsorption is acceptable process that can be applied in wastewater treatment. However, usage of activated carbon most acknowledged and costly adsorbents lead people to find an alternative to activated carbon. Several studies of physical properties of geopolymer make them gain attention to replace an activated carbon in the treatment of heavy metal. This paper review adsorption of heavy metal by using geopolymer.

Factors influencing the intention of Malaysian working adults towards lifelong learning

Lifelong learning is an option to fulfil societal needs in order to create a dynamic society. The rising in participation in lifelong learning programmes contributed due to the pressure of globalization and technologies in Malaysia’s changing demography. Therefore, this study aimed at identifying the factors that influence the intention of the Malaysian working adults towards lifelong learning and to develop marketing strategies for Malaysian education providers. The foundation of this study is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour. However, two additional variables were included as the extension to the current model which is trust and perceived usefulness. This research was designed as a cross-sectional field survey, where questionnaire were used for data collection. The target population for this study were the Malaysian working adults who are working in different organizations within the Klang Valley area. The sample size for this research is 210. The hypothesized path analysis was conducted through the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). All the hypotheses were accepted due to the fact that they were statistically significant. The study provides the management of lifelong education centre an insight to develop effective marketing strategies to satisfy that value of potential customers. The findings will also be beneficial to government agencies, policy maker and higher education practitioner by creating insight into adult learner perception and building intentional behaviour to purchase the product. Finally, limitations were discussed and future study direction is proposed.

Adoption factors of cleaner production technology in a developing country: energy efficient lighting in Malaysia

To address the environmental impact of lighting systems, new technologies, such as light-emitting diodes, are gaining interest, as they are more energy efficient and result in lower carbon emissions than traditional lighting methods. However, adoption of new energy-efficient technologies is slow, resulting in delay in the decrease of ongoing damage to the environment. This study investigates factors that may play significant roles in successful adoption of light-emitting diodes-based lighting in Malaysia. In defining these factors the modified Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology is used. Relationships between factors for light-emitting diodes purchase decision were examined using path analysis, and a research model of influential factors is presented. Results from a survey of 221 respondents from multiple cities in Malaysia were used to test the model and hypotheses. The Partial Least Square test was chosen to quantitatively evaluate the impact of the key constructs of the modified Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model: behavioral intention, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, performance expectancy and social influence. The results confirmed that a modified Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model could be used to determine behavioral intention of consumers and predict adoption of light-emitting diodes technology in Malaysia. Results show that Performance expectancy, Effort expectancy, Social influence, Facilitating conditions and Behavioral intention are the main factors in adoption of light emitting diodes-based lighting in Malaysia.

Does a firm’s innovation category matter in practising eco-innovation? Evidence from the lens of Malaysia companies practicing green technology

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate different types of innovations and their effects on eco-innovation practices by firms practicing green technology in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – This paper collected data via postal and online surveys. The population frame for this study was obtained from the External Trade Development Corporation directory 2010 and the MyHijau Directory published in 2013. Surveys were distributed to the top management of green technology companies. Findings – Based on the reflections from the managers who participated in the survey, this study found that environmental compliance has become a critical issue and lack of enforcement can no longer be ignored. Despite that fact that eco-innovation inspection activities to comply with environmental regulations are carried out periodically by the studied firms, the challenges in deploying the latest green technologies and their potential benefits have remain evident. Often, a shortage of resources has restricted firms in setting up in-house research and development units. Practical implications – The findings of this study lead to the suggestion that firms practicing green technology should engage in an information-sharing culture with key suppliers regarding the latest know-how and technological developments. Among the recommendations are that firms should engage employees, customers, suppliers and competitors through co-production. This engagement will help improve product marketability, lean production processes and the design of desired green products. Originality/value – This study investigated the level of eco-innovation practices for each dimension of its construct and compared that level to the different stages of firm innovation. The results will fill in the gaps in the literature because previous studies only focused on theory testing and modelling of eco-innovation from a multidisciplinary approach.

Preliminary Overview on Thermal Performance of Green Roof

Green roof has shown potential contribution on improving the functional performance of buildings by lowering the roof exterior surface temperature, which is indirectly, could potentially reduce the energy demand. In addition, it is likely to provide important ecological services to urban areas through lowering of urban heat island (UHI) temperatures, increasing storm water retention and improves the biodiversity. This paper will then present the initial outcomes of the joint initiative between Malaysia Agricultural Research and Development (MARDI) and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) in promoting this green technology in Malaysia. As green roof technology is still emerging, there is limited technical data available at present in Malaysian climate. The study aims to provide initial observation on the thermal performance of green roof and its effect towards surrounding and associated significant environmental benefit. In order to achieve the goal, the thermal performance of green roof system in experimental plot at MARDI had been monitored. The green roof experimental plot has been set up on two flat roofs in Horticulture Research Centre, MARDI, Serdang, Selangor and the treatments consists of two green roof system known as conventional system and self-watering system. The substrate depths were 50 mm and 100 mm. In addition, some observation on the attracted wildlife to the green roof was initiated. Based on the initial results, it is interesting to report that the temperature reduction for the green roofs on Roof 1 and Roof 2 were in averages of 6.1°C and 10°C, respectively. In conclusion, this joint study between UTHM and MARDI may facilitate the development of roof top gardening system in greening the urban area. With more studies, it will possibly highlight the engineering significance, furthermore promoting the application of green roof technology in Malaysia.

A Quantitative Review on Acceptance of Silent Piling Technology Among Designers in Malaysia

Normally, the conventional method of piling that uses percussion, vibration or bored piles is less environmental friendly and may contributes to environmental problems. The study was conducted in order to identify the potential of silent piling technology for sustainable implementation. In addition, it is also useful to evaluate the acceptance of this technology and the level of technical knowledge among the engineers who are involved in construction industry, especially in Malaysia. Quantitative research using questionnaires was considered for this study in order to gain relevant information. The questionnaire was distributed to 43 companies that are registered under ACEM (Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia). The result shows that there is a great potential for silent piling technology in Malaysia. The technology is accepted among designers at the highest level. Meanwhile, the technical knowledge regarding silent piling technology is also at the highest level. In addition, the result also shows that Press-in technology is highly recommended for the construction industry for sustainable implementation. In conclusion, it is hope that suggestions and strategies can be synergized so that sustainable technology, such as Press-in technology, is applied in Malaysia. The technology is not only useful for the designer, but also the industry, local authorities and universities.

Cloud Adoption in Malaysia: Trends, Opportunities, and Challenges

Cloud computing is rapidly penetrating academia, industry, and government sectors around the globe. Malaysia is one country that's rapidly adopting cloud computing, and its government is aiming to lead cloud adoption in the region. This article presents current trends in the adoption of cloud computing technology in Malaysia. It also discusses future cloud adoption opportunities, and the open challenges that ground future research. It briefly discusses and refers to beneficial documents about cloud adoption efforts in Malaysia as a guide to other governments.

Technology Diffusion in the Telecommunications Services Industry of Malaysia

This study empirically models technology diffusion and incorporates a more comprehensive framework in understanding the diffusion process of telecommunications technology in Malaysia. We inductively assess the government's conduct in translating the productive rents for upgrading activities. The results show that the proactive role of the government when intervening in market operations has considerably influenced the technology diffusion process. The telecommunications services industry of Malaysia achieved a critical mass of entrepreneurs by first engaging business entrepreneurs in contract services from Malaysian Telecommunications Department, then moved to business diversification at the end of 1970s and is now developing a market platform to furnish its sustainable telecommunications system. We highlight positive general macro-meso views of our case and provide salient normative principles as guides for transformational policy-making. The principles discussed in this paper provide policy lessons, or at least some initial guide, for other developing economies aspiring to follow the path of technology upgrading and development.

The Importance of Lightweight Concrete Technology Development for IBS Industry in Malaysia Based on Cost Comparison between Concrete Slab and Hollow Core Slab: A Case Study of LRT Car Park Project

There are several issues related to the implementation of new Industrialised Building System (IBS) technology in Malaysia which some of them are the awareness among industry players, and lack of development on the new technology in the industry. The main constraint that has always been discussed by the IBS players is time and cost. To have more reliable product or technology in terms of cost and time, it is important to craft and develop new idea as well as technology in our own country. The objective of this study was to highlight the cost comparison between cast in-situ concrete slab and hollow core slab (lightweight) which it can be a starting point for future research on the development of new lightweight IBS technology in Malaysia to get the most reliable cost with latest technology by using local resources. Informations on costs and work durations are collected and analysed between two floors using two different construction methods (hollow core slab and conventional concrete slab). Hollow core slab (lightweight IBS) has similar or less cost with shorter construction period (30% shorter) for the project.

Mobile Fatwa (M-Fatwa): The Integration Of Islamic Fatwa Through Mobile Technologymohd

Fatwa institutions play an important role to disseminate information about the fatwa decision that has been discussed. Fatwa is decided will be a guide and reference to the Muslims for dismantling all the problems related to religious law in everyday life. The purpose of this paper to discuss the integration method fatwa information using a mobile device technology. The challenges of Fatwa integration using mobile technology is also reviewed in detail to create a new prospect in explaining the current issues or problems in religion. Some recommendation to achieve this combination of two elements was also made to implement using M-Fatwa through mobile technology in Malaysia.

Sustainable energy planning decision using the intuitionistic fuzzy analytic hierarchy process: choosing energy technology in Malaysia

Energy consumption for developing countries is sharply increasing due to the higher economic growth due to industrialisation along with population growth and urbanisation. The increasing demand of energy leads to global energy crisis. Selecting the best energy technology and conservation requires both quantitative and qualitative evaluation criteria. The fuzzy set-based approach is one of the well-known theories to handle fuzziness, uncertainty in decision-making and vagueness of information. This paper proposes a new method of intuitionistic fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (IF-AHP) to deal with the uncertainty in decision-making. The new IF-AHP is applied to establish a preference in the sustainable energy planning decision-making problem. Three decision-makers attached with Malaysian government agencies were interviewed to provide linguistic judgement prior to analysing with the new IF-AHP. Nuclear energy has been decided as the best alternative in energy planning which provides the highest weight among all the seven alternatives.

Engaging Users Using Movie Mobile Advertising: Technology Acceptance and Purchase Intention

The study identified the relationships between technology acceptance and purchase intentions on movie mobile advertising among Twitter users in Malaysia. Technology Acceptance Model was used to predict the acceptance of computer-based technology based on technology use and usefulness. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between attitude (technology acceptance) towards movie mobile branding in Malaysia and purchase intention. Data was randomly collected from 400 Twitter users in Malaysia and analyzed with statistical analysis (SPSS) using descriptive and correlation analysis. The findings of this paper advocate that technology acceptance attitudes in movie mobile branding contributed significantly towards movie purchase intention in Malaysia. This paper introduces the contribution of attitudes in the study of branding communication utilizing mobile telecommunications technology in Malaysia.

Development of Rural Emergency Medical System (REMS) with Geospatial Technology in Malaysia

Emergency medical services are dedicated services in providing out-of-hospital transport to definitive care or patients with illnesses and injuries. In this service the response time and the preparedness of medical services is of prime importance. The application of space and geospatial technology such as satellite navigation system and Geographical Information System (GIS) was proven to improve the emergency operation in many developed countries. In collaboration with a medical service NGO, the National Space Agency (ANGKASA) has developed a prototype Rural Emergency Medical System (REMS), focusing on providing medical services to rural areas and incorporating satellite based tracking module integrated with GIS and patience database to improve the response time of the paramedic team during emergency. With the aim to benefit the grassroots community by exploiting space technology, the project was able to prove the system concept which will be addressed in this paper.

Achieving Cooler Soil as an Effective Heat Sink for Earth-to-Air Heat Exchanger (EAHE) Cooling Technology in Malaysia Tropical Climate

This research is intended to explore the capacity of Malaysia soil in becoming a more effective heat sink for the application of Earth-to-Air Heat Exchanger (EAHE) Cooling Technology in Malaysia. EAHE Cooling Technology consists of buried pipes underground where the ambient air is channeled through from the pipe inlet and produces cooler air at its outlet. Within the buried pipes, heat exchange process occurs between the air and the soil that surrounding the pipe. This building cooling technology has been applied in many countries, mostly in temperate or hot and arid climate where the diurnal temperature is large. However, minimal resources were found on the study of EAHE application to buildings in Malaysia, hence there is room to develop. A parametric study on EAHE cooling application in Malaysia was done through field experiment and concluded that among many parameters affecting the technology performance, the soil temperature which surrounded the pipe was the most influential factor. The study recommended to further reduce the soil temperature to achieve a cooler outlet temperature. In response to that, this research conducted a parametric study of soil temperature under three different soil surface conditions: bare, shaded with timber pallettes and insulated with used tyres at 1.0 m and 1.5 m underground. The data was logged for a month and the result has shown significant reduction in the soil temperature underground below the shaded and insulated soil surface as compared to below bare soil surface condition. The insulated soil surface produced the best result where the soil temperature was reduced up to 26.9°C. The main contribution of this paper is to highlight that the soil surface treatment can be used to reduce solar heat gain within the soil underground and thus improving the performance of EAHE Cooling Technology particularly for the application in Malaysia tropical climate.

Untangling the Spaces of High Technology in Malaysia

Designated high-tech spaces such as science and high-technology parks have come to the fore as vehicles for promoting local and regional economic development in many nations. The evidence of their efficacy is mixed and reflects contradictions in the roles they are asked to perform in the service of national economic modernization. Indeed, in this respect and in many instances, their value may be largely political and rhetorical. Malaysia is a case in point and one we focus on in this paper, where we discuss the contribution of high-tech spaces—Kulim High-Tech Park, Technology Park Malaysia, BioXCell, and the multimedia supercorridor—to the political economy of economic modernization. Drawing on original interview material, we highlight the tangled intraterritorial and extraterritorial geographies in which these privileged high-tech spaces are positioned.