Urban Areas In Malaysia Research Articles

ADVANCED SMART PARKING BARRIERS: DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND IMPACT ON URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE

This study investigates the creation and execution of an intelligent individual parking barrier system aimed at resolving urban parking difficulties in Malaysia. The project adheres to a systematic methodology that includes conceptual design, detailed design, prototype creation, testing and validation, data analysis and refinement, and implementation and deployment. The system's lifetime and efficacy are guaranteed by the inventive use of durable materials and advanced sensor technologies. Additionally, convenience and security are enhanced by a user-friendly wireless control system. The data analysis confirms that the system is highly reliable, with sensors that have a 95% success rate in detecting events and low delay in wireless control operation. The concept is in line with larger smart city projects, such as the Kuala Lumpur Smart City Blueprint, which aims to promote parking options that are both efficient and secure. In addition, the system promotes environmental sustainability by minimizing emissions related to the search for parking. It also aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, namely SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). This study showcases the possibility of implementing the proposed system on a large scale in different urban areas in Malaysia, therefore leading to the development of more intelligent and effective urban infrastructure.

Streaming to Success: Amplifying Purchase Intentions Among Malaysian Consumers

This research project explores the factors influencing consumers' purchase intention via live streaming in Malaysia, including trustworthiness, social influence, perceived ease of use, and attractiveness. The study utilized both primary and secondary data, with questionnaires administered through Google Forms to 207 respondents in the urban areas of Malaysia. This study used Smart PLS software (version 3.0), and the findings suggest that trustworthiness, peer or social influence, and perceived ease of use have a significant relationship with purchase intention via live streaming among consumers in Malaysia, whereas attractiveness does not support this hypothesis. The findings of this study can assist new startups and entrepreneurs in gaining a better understanding of the live-streaming selling concept using the Source Credibility Theory.

Achieving relationship satisfaction: household gender equality and mattering

This study delves into the dynamics of relationship satisfaction (RS) among married couples and its crucial significance for mental health and psychological well-being. Survey data encompassing variables such as the general mattering scale, gender inequality in Household Chores scale, kansas marital conflict scale, and relationship assessment scale were gathered from 128 married individuals aged 18 to 65 in urban areas of Malaysia and Indonesia. Participants furnished demographic information including age, gender, and marriage duration. The study variables were assessed through the scales mentioned earlier. The findings, derived from bootstrap analysis involving 5,000 samples at a 95% confidence interval, revealed that the extent of partners' involvement in household chores significantly predicted their perception of gender equality in domestic responsibilities. This perception, in turn, fostered an elevated sense of mattering, thereby contributing to heightened relationship satisfaction. Importantly, the general mattering scale served as a significant mediator in the relationship between partner's household involvement and relationship satisfaction. In summary, couples benefit from partners engaging in domestic chores, resulting in an enhanced sense of mutual significance, greater relationship satisfaction, and improved mental well-being. Marital conflict frequency and intensity did not emerge as significant factors in this relationship.

South East Asian Nutrition Surveys (SEANUTS) II - a multi-country evaluation of nutrition and lifestyle indicators in children aged 12 years and below: rationale and design.

To assess the nutritional status, growth parameters and lifestyle behaviours of children between 0·5 and 12 years in nationally representative samples in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the four countries, between May 2019 and April 2021. Data collected can be categorised into four categories: (1) Growth - anthropometry, body composition, development disorder, (2) nutrient intake and dietary habits - 24-h dietary recall, child food habits, breast-feeding and complementary feeding, (3) socio-economic status - food insecurity and child health status/environmental and (4) lifestyle behaviours - physical activity patterns, fitness, sunlight exposure, sleep patterns, body image and behavioural problems. Blood samples were also collected for biochemical and metabolomic analyses. With the pandemic emerging during the study, a COVID-19 questionnaire was developed and implemented. Both rural and urban areas in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Children who were well, with no physical disability or serious infections/injuries and between the age of 0·5 and 12 years old, were recruited. The South East Asian Nutrition Surveys II recruited 13933 children. Depending on the country, data collection from children was conducted in schools and commune health centres, or temples, or sub-district administrative organisations. The results will provide up-to-date insights into nutritional status and lifestyle behaviours of children in the four countries. Subsequently, these data will facilitate exploration of potential gaps in dietary intake among Southeast Asian children and enable local authorities to plan future nutrition and lifestyle intervention strategies.

Depressive symptoms among adults: Baseline findings of PURE Malaysia cohort study

IntroductionIn Malaysia, the prevalence of depression has increased from 1.8 % to 2.3 % within a decade. Thus, this study was performed to identify depressive symptoms and its associated factors among Malaysian adults. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among the adult population aged 35–70 residing in rural and urban areas in Malaysia. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the short form Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) questionnaire. Logistic regression models were fitted to identify the associated factors related to depressive symptoms. ResultsAbout 3.7 % (95 % CI: 2.33–4.83) of the respondents reported having depressive symptoms. Younger adults aged 35–40 years old (AOR: 3.087; 95 % CI: 2.021–4.717), females (AOR: 2.318; 95 % CI: 1.669–3.219), widows and divorcees (AOR: 2.294; 95 % CI: 1.085–4.848), smokers (AOR: 1.843; 95 % CI: 1.334–2.545) and alcohol consumers (AOR: 1.843; 95 % CI: 1.264–2.688) showed a higher odds compared to their other counterparts. Underweight individuals (AOR: 1.899; 95 % CI: 1.177–3.065) and those diagnosed either with hypertension (AOR: 1.442; 95 % CI: 1.11–1.873), diabetes (AOR: 1.554; 95 % CI: 1.133–2.13), angina (AOR: 2.73; 95 % CI: 1.596–4.67), COPD (AOR: 4.187; 95 % CI: 1.528–11.472) or asthma (AOR: 1.906; 95 % CI: 1.309–2.774) were more likely to have depressive symptoms. Additionally, individuals with difficulty trusting people (AOR: 1.477; 95 % CI: 1.024–2.13) and those reported to experience either home or work-related stress (AOR: 2.584; 95 % CI: 2.003–3.331) were more prone to have depressive symptoms. ConclusionIn this broad population-based study, about 3.7 % (95 % CI: 2.33–4.83) of respondents reported having depressive symptoms. Timely and well targeted collaborative intervention on the identified risk factors by the relevant authorities, would mitigate their effect on the quality of life and retard the progression into depression, especially among younger adults.

Sustainable Urban Energy Solutions: Investigating the Solar Potential of Vertical Façades Amidst Adjacent Buildings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

This article explores the impact of adjacent buildings on solar exposure for photovoltaic (PV) applications in high-rise urban areas in Malaysia. The rapid urbanization and population density in Malaysia's high-rise areas have increased energy demand, necessitating the exploration of alternative energy sources. Integrating PV systems into vertical façades offers a promising solution for maximizing energy generation in space-constrained urban environments. However, the efficacy of PV systems is influenced by adjacent buildings, including their arrangement, height, and orientation, which affect solar exposure and energy generation potential. Understanding these effects is crucial for optimizing PV system design and placement. This study aims to investigate the relationship between adjacent buildings and solar exposure for PV panels mounted on high-rise buildings in Malaysia. By examining these effects, the research provides valuable insights for urban planners, architects, and renewable energy practitioners involved in sustainable urban development. The findings will inform decisions regarding the integration of PV systems, promoting renewable energy adoption, and reducing the environmental impact of urban areas. The article also discusses Malaysia's climate, energy consumption, and solar radiation potential, emphasizing the need to harness solar energy in a country blessed with abundant sunlight. The challenges faced by current air conditioning systems and building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) applications in Malaysia are outlined, along with efforts to address them through energy-efficient systems and awareness campaigns. The research conducted simulations using a 3D model in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, considering different heights and distances of adjacent buildings. The software used for simulations was IES-VE, which offers various modules for energy consumption analysis. The results demonstrate how adjacent buildings affect the annual average energy for different scenarios, highlighting the importance of distance and height. The findings provide insights into the monthly average energy variations and emphasize the relationship between adjacent building height and average energy levels. Overall, this research contributes to the efficient utilization of vertical façades for harnessing solar energy in high-rise urban areas, supporting Malaysia's sustainable energy goals while ensuring urban environment liveability and resilience.

Impact of Dynamic Leadership and Marketing Planning on Organizational Resilience During Covid-19: Higher Learning Institutions

The impact and changes due to sudden internal or external occurrence are difficult scenarios faced by many business organizations. The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the nation’s economic, social, and technological progressions. The effects of the sudden, extreme changes and uncertainty toward the environment require business organizations to further adapt and change to improve their survivability. Dynamic leadership requires leaders to make sudden changes improving adaptability or marketing capabilities to stay resilient and relevant to the mass market. Thus, the goal of the present study was to investigate the influence of dynamic leadership and marketing planning on organizational resilience in the context of Malaysian Private Higher Learning Institutions (PHLI). In this paper, the study performed PLS-SEM on the data collected using purposive sampling of 224 respondents, consisting of managers from colleges and universities in urban areas of Malaysia. The SEM was used to test on the levels of relation and whether there was any mediation between the tested variables. The study revealed that the dynamic leadership and marketing planning of Private Higher Learning Institutions’ (PHLI) managers can improve organizational resilience. It highlighted the impact of leadership values has on improving overall market plans and affecting their resilience. Marketing planning should not be neglected as it is one of the crucial factors in achieving resiliency. The study’s results are timely as they provide information for users to improve their overall survivability. The value of marketing planning should not be lightly treated as it has a serious impact toward organizational resilience. It is an important element for organizations in the current state of where survivability is essential in an unpredictable environment.

Identifying Suitable Variables for Visual Aesthetic Quality Assessment of Permanent Forest Reserves in the Klang Valley Urban Area, Malaysia

Permanent forest reserves (PFR) in urban areas are an integral aspect of the urban forest concept and the basis of a city’s green infrastructure. The preservation of natural forests in urban areas has become a widely researched topic due to the environmental, social, and economic benefits provided by it. Although several studies have shown that visual aesthetics play a role in preserving natural forests in urban areas, visual aesthetic value is typically not prioritized in preservation plans since it varies based on the physical characteristics of natural forests in urban areas, making it difficult to measure universally. Therefore, this research aims to identify the suitable variables for assessing the visual aesthetic quality of permanent forest reserves within urban areas in Malaysia. This study selected two permanent forest reserves based on four criteria. Data were collected via participant-generated images taken along selected forest trails based on participant visual aesthetic preferences. Researchers and experts analyzed and classified the data according to content to identify suitable visual aesthetic quality variables. This research identified 14 suitable variables for assessing the visual aesthetics of PFRs in urban areas, with a dominant preference for information-processing theory variables. Mystery was the most present variable for the visual aesthetic quality assessment of PFRs. Furthermore, participants’ educational and emotional backgrounds, categorized as design, environmental, social, and technical, impacted their visual aesthetic preferences. Our findings serve as a foundation for assessing the visual aesthetic quality of natural forests within urban areas in Malaysia.

Determinants of Microenterprise Performance among Microcredit Clients in Urban Areas of Malaysia

Determinants of Microenterprise Performance among Microcredit Clients in Urban Areas of Malaysia

The Delineation of the Langat Basin Aquifer Based on Geological and Hydrogeological Characterization of Three Urban Areas of Malaysia

The Delineation of the Langat Basin Aquifer Based on Geological and Hydrogeological Characterization of Three Urban Areas of Malaysia

Development and Evaluation of an e-Book for Bone Health and Osteoporosis Education in Adolescents.

Achieving optimum peak bone mass during adolescence is crucial for lifetime bone health. This study is aimed at developing and assessing an e-book designed for adolescent bone health knowledge and osteoporosis education. A needs assessment was conducted among 43 adolescents, aged 13-16 years, living in urban areas in Malaysia to determine their needs and preference for health educational material. The researchers also searched for relevant guidelines and articles regarding adolescent bone health. Subsequently, an e-book was developed based on the needs assessment and literature search. Five expert panelists (mean work experience = 11.3 years) validated the e-book contents and assessed its understandability and actionability using the Patient Educational Materials Assessment Tool for Audio-Visual Material (PEMAT-A/V). The internet (72.1%), parents (44.2%), television (41.9%), and teachers (39.5%) were the top four sources of health information among the respondents. Magazines (4.6%) and newspapers (11.6%) were the least preferred resources. Most adolescents were interested in cartoon-themed educational materials, and they perceived that including a short video, quiz, and infographic in the educational material would make it much more interactive for users. The developed e-book includes seven infographic chapters, a link to a quiz, and a summary video. The topics cover basic information on bones and the formation and resorption processes, osteoporosis and its risk factors, key nutrients for bone health (calcium and vitamin D), along with their sources and recommended amounts, physical activity and exercise for bone health, and tips for healthy lifestyle practices for bone health. All chapters and the video were rated with a median score of 100% for understandability and actionability, respectively. Some of the comments received from evaluators included that the e-book made good use of infographics, was easy to understand and interesting, and contained well-organized content. Some suggestions for improvement included adding take-home messages relevant to the topic, using colors to highlight keywords, and narrating all points presented in the video. Overall, the newly developed e-book on adolescent bone health was highly rated by expert panelists. However, the acceptance and effectiveness of the e-book in increasing bone health and osteoporosis knowledge among adolescents are yet to be evaluated. The e-book could be used as one of the educational tools to promote bone health in adolescents.

Prevalence and factors associated with prediabetes and diabetes mellitus among adults: Baseline findings of PURE Malaysia cohort study

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus (DM) is a silent killer that is responsible for almost 1.6 million deaths annually, particularly among those who are undiagnosed during its early stage. Prediabetes has become a growing public health concern due to its potential to progress to DM. This study thus aimed to determine the prevalence of prediabetes and DM and their associated factors among Malaysian adults. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among adults 35–70 years of age residing in rural and urban areas in Malaysia. Blood samples (finger prick test) and physical examinations were conducted on 4982 participants who consented to participate in this study. A pre-validated questionnaire consisting of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and medical history was used to assess physical activity level and family history of DM, respectively. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to identify the factors associated with prediabetes and DM. ResultsThe prevalence of prediabetes and DM were 10.8% and 11.9%, respectively. Participants who were ≥50 years old, male, Malay, or physically inactive or had hypertension or a family history of DM had higher odds of having prediabetes and DM. Unique to DM, individuals with a lower educational level were more likely to have DM. ConclusionsPrediabetes health screening is critical in the Malaysian population. Early detection of prediabetes promotes early intervention, including lifestyle modifications, to prevent progression to DM. The factors associated with prediabetes and DM identified in this study will assist in disease prevention and facilitate more efficient management strategies in this population.

A Laboratory Perspective on an Epidemiological Pattern of Infectious Gastroenteritis: A Five-year Surveillance between 2016 to 2020 from Established Private Healthcare Centers within Klang Valley in Malaysia

Infectious gastroenteritis is endemic globally and caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites. The study determined the epidemiological pattern of infectious gastroenteritis within selected urban areas in Malaysia. Analysis of 745 laboratory requests was conducted based on FilmArray gastrointestinal assay and socio-demographic details from suspected cases in KPJ hospitals in Klang Valley, Malaysia, between 2016 to 2020. Descriptive analysis and Fisher-Freeman-Halton Exact testing were performed to ascertain the relationship between socio-demographics with the type of infections. Of 745 requests, 288 (38.7%) were caused by one etiological agent (mono-infection), while the remaining 334 (44.8%) were due to more than one agent (co-infection). Mono-infection was significantly higher among adolescents (n=9; 47.4%) and young adults (n=37; 40.2%) in comparison to adults (n=18; 35.3%). Whereas co-infection was significantly higher in infants (n=216; 49.2%). Mono-infection was mainly caused by bacteria (n=194/288; 67.4%) with Salmonella spp. was prevalent (16.6%), followed by EPEC (12.5%), Campylobacter spp. (11.9%) and Norovirus (10.5%). The co-infections (n=334) were identified with a combination of EPEC and the following bacteria or viruses (Norovirus=38, Campylobacter spp.=30, Salmonella spp.=26, EAEC=22, Rotavirus=19, Adenovirus=10). The month of August to October was recognised as the peak season for infectious gastroenteritis. The present findings may indicate contamination of infectious agents to the food supply and food processing chain as well as reduced hygiene in food sanitation leading to foodborne health issues, particularly among the children in Klang Valley, Malaysia.

The Invisible Struggles: A Qualitative Study in Understanding Mothers’ Perceptions and Experiences in Nurturing Small for Gestational Age Infants

Introduction: Small for gestational age (SGA) infants have been linked to poor growth trends and nutritional status. SGA infants that do not reach their full growth potential must be supervised by a multidisciplinary medical team. Parents devote more time, energy, and money for raising of the SGA infants. The objective of this present study is to explore the perceptions and the experiences of the mother in nurturing the small for gestational age infants in their first year of life. Method: A qualitative exploratory descriptive study via in-depth interview was conducted in the primary health clinics in urban areas in Malaysia to explore the mothers’ perceptions and experiences in SGA infant’s care. 13 SGA infant’s mothers participated in the study after the children achieved the age of one year old. Thematic analysis was conducted using software ATLAS.ti version 8. Results: The average mothers’ age in this study were 33 years old, majority was Malay ethnicity. Only one mother was a housewife and others were working mother. Four out of 13 SGA infants were born prematurely. This study found that homogenous experiences throughout the pregnancy and baby nurturing phase, perceptions on husband involvement and external supports in infant care, infant health status and health services provided, were highlighted as important contributor to infant survival. Conclusion: The importance of monitoring SGA infant growth and nutritional status have been highlighted. Maternal psychological support needs to be enhanced to ease the burden in SGA infant care. Targeted program intervention for family and community social support during postnatal and empowering mothers in nurturing their infants are crucial.

PM2.5 forecasting for an urban area based on deep learning and decomposition method

Rapid growth in industrialization and urbanization have resulted in high concentration of air pollutants in the environment and thus causing severe air pollution. Excessive emission of particulate matter to ambient air has negatively impacted the health and well-being of human society. Therefore, accurate forecasting of air pollutant concentration is crucial to mitigate the associated health risk. This study aims to predict the hourly PM2.5 concentration for an urban area in Malaysia using a hybrid deep learning model. Ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) was employed to decompose the original sequence data of particulate matter into several subseries. Long short-term memory (LSTM) was used to individually forecast the decomposed subseries considering the influence of air pollutant parameters for 1-h ahead forecasting. Then, the outputs of each forecast were aggregated to obtain the final forecasting of PM2.5 concentration. This study utilized two air quality datasets from two monitoring stations to validate the performance of proposed hybrid EEMD-LSTM model based on various data distributions. The spatial and temporal correlation for the proposed dataset were analysed to determine the significant input parameters for the forecasting model. The LSTM architecture consists of two LSTM layers and the data decomposition method is added in the data pre-processing stage to improve the forecasting accuracy. Finally, a comparison analysis was conducted to compare the performance of the proposed model with other deep learning models. The results illustrated that EEMD-LSTM yielded the highest accuracy results among other deep learning models, and the hybrid forecasting model was proved to have superior performance as compared to individual models.

The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic Towards Socioeconomic Wellbeing of Rural Community in Malaysia

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the socio-economic well-being of people either in urban or rural areas. The Covid-19 cases and fatalities that concentrated in major urban areas in Malaysia. However, as the pandemic progressed, the rural community faced health vulnerability due to the Covid-19 pandemic threat. Among the significant impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic are income generation, economic activity work, and health vulnerability, especially the rural community involved in rural economic activities such as agriculture and fishery. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the socio-economic well-being of rural communities in Malaysia. The case study selection is in Mersing, Pontian and Batu Pahat involving three villages using GIS mapping. The methodology used is quantitative research through a household survey conducted using 182 heads of households based on the economic and social dimensions. The finding reveals that most of the target group experienced a decline in income generation, economic activity restriction, and education issues. Furthermore, there are also decreasing in the economically active population (age 15-60) in the village. As a result, this study is essential in formulating a post-Covid-19 recovery plan regarding socio-economic well-being impacts and the revival of rural community well-being in Malaysia through Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping.

Forecasting Daytime Ground-Level Ozone Concentration in Urbanized Areas of Malaysia Using Predictive Models

Ground-level ozone (O3) is one of the most significant forms of air pollution around the world due to its ability to cause adverse effects on human health and environment. Understanding the variation and association of O3 level with its precursors and weather parameters is important for developing precise forecasting models that are needed for mitigation planning and early warning purposes. In this study, hourly air pollution data (O3, CO, NO2, PM10, NmHC, SO2) and weather parameters (relative humidity, temperature, UVB, wind speed and wind direction) covering a ten year period (2003–2012) in the selected urban areas in Malaysia were analyzed. The main aim of this research was to model O3 level in the band of greatest solar radiation with its precursors and meteorology parameters using the proposed predictive models. Six predictive models were developed which are Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Feed-Forward Neural Network (FFANN), Radial Basis Function (RBFANN), and the three modified models, namely Principal Component Regression (PCR), PCA-FFANN, and PCA-RBFANN. The performances of the models were evaluated using four performance measures, i.e., Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Index of Agreement (IA), and Coefficient of Determination (R2). Surface O3 level was best described using linear regression model (MLR) with the smallest calculated error (MAE = 6.06; RMSE = 7.77) and the highest value of IA and R2 (0.85 and 0.91 respectively). The non-linear models (FFANN and RBFANN) fitted the observed O3 level well, but were slightly less accurate compared to MLR. Nonetheless, all the unmodified models (MLR, ANN, and RBF) outperformed the modified-version models (PCR, PCA-FFANN, and PCA-RBFANN). Verification of the best model (MLR) was done using air pollutant data in 2018. The MLR model fitted the dataset of 2018 very well in predicting the daily O3 level in the specified selected areas with the range of R2 values of 0.85 to 0.95. These indicate that MLR can be used as one of the reliable methods to predict daytime O3 level in Malaysia. Thus, it can be used as a predictive tool by the authority to forecast high ozone concentration in providing early warning to the population.

Determinants of Using Ride-Hailing Service: Evidence from Malaysia

With the entrance of Uber into the land transportation industry, ride-hailing service has gained popularity and changed the way people travel in urban areas in Malaysia. Despite the growing popularity of this new mode of cab service, studies about factors influencing consumers’ choice to use ride-hailing service are limited in developing countries. This study used primary data collected via a survey in Penang, Malaysia. This study aims to examine the factors affecting consumers’ decision to utilise ride-hailing service. The novelty of this study is the adoption of a Heckman probit selection model to account for the possibility of sample selection bias and the introduction of an important explanatory variable - consumers’ comparative satisfaction with the attributes of ride-hailing and traditional taxi service that affect consumers’ choice of cab service. The results show age, gender, education, marital status, income, cost considerations and vehicle ownership significantly determine the probability of using cab service. Consumers’ choice between ride-hailing and traditional taxi service is affected by gender and their comparative rating of both services in terms of waiting time and the disposition of drivers. This suggests the necessity for cab service providers to improve their service in order to remain competitive in the industry.

A REVIEW ON SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT POLICY IN MALAYSIA

Sustainable transport is an essential aspect of supporting urban mobility. The current percentage of urban population growth, with an estimated 75% of the population living in urban areas in Malaysia has led to increased travel demand. This population growth supported an increase in travel trips from 40 million trips in 2010. It is estimated to increase to 133 million trips in 2030. Based on the expected increase in Trips and CO2 emissions, the Government's priority is to provide consistent policies with the need for Global Sustainable Transport Policy. Therefore, this study will assess the interrelationship of global sustainable transport policies with the relevant national transport policies. This assessment will measure the translation level of global transportation policy to national policy. Therefore, using a Y shape matrix with seven criteria related to sustainable transport will be used to see the relevance of each policy. As a result, it was found that there is a relationship between global policy and national policy provided. The Five-Year Malaysia plan and National transport policy have translated the sustainable development goal policy and new urban agenda related to sustainable transport at most. However, the National Physical Plan also has a policy that covers almost all SDG and NUA policies. Overall, based on the global policy outlined by the United Nations and the national policy, the growing demand for trip development and analysis of the existing policy shows that the current transport policy focuses almost the same criteria as the global. Among the focus are road safety, transportation for all and sustainable infrastructure. These three criteria have highlighted most policy statements globally and nationally.

Post-locked down mental wellbeing among Malaysian adults: factors of life satisfaction in urban Malaysia

Under the enforcement of the recovery movement control order (RMCO), citizens of Malaysia were allowed to commute for work with tight protocols of social distancing. In this period of time, most individuals were adjusting to the new norm after being locked down for about six weeks. With an assumption that the social dynamics could have been different from the pre-pandemic era, this study aims to investigate how mattering predicts life satisfaction among individuals who live in the urban area of western Malaysia in the aforementioned timeframe. The role of other variables, namely perceived social support (PSS), resilience, and spirituality was also investigated. Data was collected from 402 adults between 18 and 66 years of age (M=25.44) who reside in the urban areas of Malaysia. A moderated serial mediation hypothesis was tested by employing the Bootstrap method in PROCESS Macro model 92. Our findings suggested that resilience does not play a significant role in the equation due to its insignificance in predicting life satisfaction after controlling the rest of the variables.