Villages In Malaysia Research Articles

Recent Advances of Nipah Virus Disease: Pathobiology to Treatment and Vaccine Advancement.

The zoonotic infection of the Nipah virus (NiV) has yet again appeared in 2023 in Kerala state, India. The virus, which has a mortality rate ranging from about 40 to 70%, has already infected India five times, the first being in 2001. The current infection is the sixth virus outbreak in the Indian population. In 1998, the first NiV infection was noted in one village in Malaysia. After that, outbreaks from other South and Southeast Asian countries have been reported periodically. It can spread between humans through contact with body fluids. Therefore, it is unlikely to generate a new pandemic. However, there is a considerable knowledge gap in the different areas of NiV. To date, no approved vaccines or treatments have been available.Tofulfilthe knowledge gap, the review article provided a detailed overview of the genome and genome-encoded proteins, epidemiology, transmission, pathobiology, immunobiology, diagnosis, prevention and control measures, therapeutics (monoclonal antibodies and drug molecules), and vaccine advancement of the emerging and deadly pathogen. The advanced information will help researchers todevelop safe and effective NiV vaccine and treatment regimens worldwide.

Retirement Village Design Features: Generation X’s Expectation

The retirement village is increasingly accepted as a suitable living arrangement for older people post-retirement. Nevertheless, the specific design elements that should be included in the village to cater for the needs of elderly individuals in Malaysia remain unclear and open to interpretation. Thus, this research examines Generation X’s expectations of the required features that a retirement village should have for more sustainable living. Generation X is selected as the case study as this generation will be the nearest generation that will be the occupant of the retirement village. In this quantitative study, the questionnaire survey method is utilised to investigate the correlation between two primary concepts: the design feature of retirement villages and their influence on the motivation to relocate to such communities. The factors are identified from the integrative literature review conducted. The structural equation model is used to verify if the retirement village design features can significantly influence Generation X’s motivation to move into a retirement village in Malaysia. The retirement village posed three important design features: senior-oriented basic settings, age-friendly social environment, and environmentally friendly design features. The outcome could guide stakeholders to view the retirement village concept based on the local context and set the stage for future research on age-friendly housing facilities for older individuals. However, the results derived from this paper are purely based on the quantitative approach and can be further validated through a qualitative approach to understand each outcome better.

Reviewing the benefits to promote sustainable retirement villages in Malaysia

Reviewing the benefits to promote sustainable retirement villages in Malaysia

Investigation of Anthelmintic Property of Cow Urine Distillate on Ascaris and Trichuris eggs Isolated from Soil

Background: Helminth infection occurs due to contact with contaminated soils and poor hygiene practices. Even though there is immense progression in human medicine, infections that occur due to bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites persist as a crucial threat to public health. Over the years, many studies indicated cow urine has antimicrobial activity. Hence, this study looks into anthelminthic property of cow urine in Ascaris spp., and Trichuris spp., eggs. Methods: The soil sample was collected at the riverside, near the toilet area and at the pond area at an aborigine village in Malaysia. Next, floatation technique was used to isolate the helminth eggs and it was identified using a light microscope. The cow urine was prepared as raw cow urine (RCU), evaporated raw cow urine diluted with distilled water (ERCUD), evaporation raw cow urine diluted with saline (ERCUS) and evaporated filtered cow urine diluted with saline (EFCUS).Results: From the soil samples, mainly two types of helminths were found which were Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura. Evaporated cow urine diluted with saline showed the most prominent result in the destruction of helminth eggs.Conclusion: Evaporated cow urine possesses biochemical agents that can be used in the future as anthelmintic agents whereby further studies can be made to explore more possibilities to use cow urine as a potential anthelmintic agent.Keywords: Cow urine; Helminth eggs; Anthelmintic

Plastic waste micro-management towards innovative sustainable living in inspiring art practice

This study explores the integration routine of daily lifestyle towards practising and producing artworks by managing plastic waste. With the current option of managing plastic waste, pollution has increased on land and across the sea and air. Plastic waste management is not a new trend, implemented extensively through innovations and technological developments. Artists need to fully grasp the concept and understand their role in this sustainable era globally through the reviewed literature. Every individual must know their responsibility and what they can do to make a change. This study has performed participatory research in one of the villages in Malaysia to test the proposed conceptual framework of the study. The study found that artists and communities can collaborate to play a significant role in micro-managing plastic waste and implicating societal awareness by extracting the aesthetic value of plastic waste art. This study further discussed and concluded that the impact of integrating innovative sustainable living into modern art practice has its purpose in developing the human lifestyle. An advanced conceptual framework on art practice toward innovative sustainable living will be proposed in this study as an extension of the previously reviewed literature.

THE ELDERLY QUALITY OF LIFE (E-QoL) AND RETIREMENT VILLAGE PREFERRED FEATURES BY MALAYSIAN GENERATIONS

Along with the continuous growth of the elderly population, Malaysia projected to become an ageing nation by 2030. The Retirement Villages are a Restricted Ageing Community that offers a complete range of services supplying the diverse housing demand of the elderly (seniors) generation. The World Health Organization (WHO) identified four broad domains universally relevant to the Quality of Life: physical and psychological health, social relationships, and environment. This study aims to provide an in-depth overview of the Retirement Villages in Malaysia. The objectives of this study are sets as follows: (i) To define the Elderly Quality of Life (QoL), and (ii) To determine the generational preferences features of Retirement Village in Malaysia. The Malaysian housing generations involved in this study are the Baby Boomers, Generation X (Gen-X), Generation Y (Gen-Y), and Generation Z (Gen-Z). With a mixed-methods approach, the derived findings revealed that preferred generational features of Retirement Villages are diverse for each main feature; (i) Location; (ii) Services; (iii) Design Criteria; (iv) Physical Environment; and (v) Social Activities. This study contributes more understanding of the main actors of property development and the real estate industry players on the preferred features for Retirement Villages in the Malaysian context.

Optimal sizing of autonomous hybrid microgrids with economic analysis using grey wolf optimizer technique

Integrating microgrids with existing distribution systems is a complex process that requires optimal design. This study seeks to develop a robust methodological framework to design optimal configurations of hybrid Microgrid systems (HMGs). Different configurations of hybrid Microgrids are proposed comprising various generating resources to meet the electrical load of small villages in Malaysia. Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) is employed to minimize the cost of energy COE ($/kWh) considering operation constraints. Four indicators are calculated to assess the reliability and performance of the hybrid system, which are loss of power supply probability (LPSP), renewable energy index (IRE), storage performance index (ISP), and excess energy index (IEE). These formations are subjected to two energy management strategies: load following (LFs) and cyclic charging (CCs). The results indicate that the energy cost of the optimal configuration was $0.24/kWh, whereas renewable resources contributed 75.3% of total energy production, and the percentage of unserved loads was 0.039. The results reveal that climatic conditions are essential in selecting generation resources. A genetic algorithm (GA) is applied to compare the results. This study provides essential information for electrical power designers.

THE ASSESSMENT ON KAMPUNG KUBU, TANJUNG MALIM, PERAK AS A HERITAGE VILLAGE

The conservation of heritage villages in Malaysia seems to receive more attention from government and private organizations. However, the assessment guidelines are still unclear, and urban development tends to ignore these historical settlements. This study aims to assess Kampung Kubu, a historical settlement in Tanjung Malim, Perak, by discussing its potential as a heritage village. The study focuses on heritage significance based on the criteria used for heritage village assessment in other states. Descriptive data is obtained from reviews on historical documents and articles, field observation, and interviews with the village and local authority representatives. The findings showed that Kampung Kubu displays strong evidence in the historical aspect, based on the traditional houses, historical landmarks, weaponry, and proper documented historical records. Therefore, it is recommended for this village to be developed for heritage tourism to support its recognition as a heritage village as a part of the urban development.

Remote communities, material entanglements and information and communications technologies as double agents

Digital devices and Information and Communications Technology or ICT play a prominent role in most people’s everyday lives, as the often unconscious, mostly unacknowledged entanglements between people, devices and infrastructure shape contemporary lives and co-determine activities and their outcomes. Communications technologies are particularly agentic for people who live in rural and remote parts of the world because they often lack easy access to goods and services that are ubiquitous in more urbanized areas. At the same time, access to ICTs in these areas is often tenuous because the maintenance of ICT infrastructure is not always economically viable. This paper examines emerging techno-lifeworlds in remote villages in Malaysia and their social, economic and political context through a new materialist lens. I argue that the entanglements with digital technologies and the resulting diffractions can result in increased agency for those involved. At the same time as this new materialist focus emphasizes the agentic role of devices and infrastructure, it allows for thinking through the power relationships that are implicated in the regional techno-politics and the economic and political interests that determine the material access to communications infrastructure.

The Study of Place Identity of Fishermen Water Vilage in Malaysia

Identifying the critical elements in fisherman's village is vital as the identity of the place is slowly dying due to the rapid coastal development. The research objectives were to understand elements of cultural identity and characteristics of water village culture, to identify the cultural identity and characteristics of the water village in Malaysia, and to evaluate typical culture water village activities in Malaysia. A comparative study is conducted to determine the main element that signifies the fisherman village in Malaysia to guide and retain the future identity of fishers in Malaysia. Keywords: fishermen water village, sense of place, cultural identity eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: ttps://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7i20.3507

The Preliminary Results on the Push Factors for the Elderly to Move to Retirement Villages in Malaysia

Many countries are witnessing a rise in the ageing population, which has become a global phenomenon that all nations must address. As the population of greying people is expected to increase in Malaysia, the demand for senior citizen accommodation is predicted to have experienced a major rise by 2030. However, although studies related to retirement villages (RV) are highly important to understand how to provide a better ambience for the elderly, research on the development of retirement villages in Malaysia is yet to gather pace fully. Thus, this paper aims to explore the potential of the retirement village in Malaysia by focusing on the push factors for the elderly to move to retirement villages in the local Malaysian context. The outcome of this paper presents the initial findings derived from a literature review and pilot survey. Eight potential push factors were identified after questions were posed to potential respondents through a pilot survey questionnaire. The research revealed that the main potential reason why the elderly relocate to retirement villages was related to social factors, with the elderly preferring better access to healthcare and support due to their unique requirements. The findings of this study are relevant to Chapter 11, as underlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which call on all governments to offer access to a secure, green environment for everyone, especially the elderly. Theoretically, this research provides the first findings on the elements that encourage the elderly to relocate to an RV when they retire in Malaysia.

Occurrence ofantibiotic resistant C.jejuni and E.coli inwild birds, chickens, humans, and the environment inMalay villages, Kedah, Malaysia.

Foodborne pathogens have become amajor concern not only due tothe diseases they cause, but also because ofthe rise ofantibiotic resistant strains inhuman and animals. The purposes ofthis study were todetermine the occurrence ofCampylobacter jejuni and Escherichia coli and their antibiotic resistance profiles inwild birds, chickens, humans, and the environment inMalay villages inMalaysia. Three Malay villages inKota Setar, Kedah were chosen. Three hundred nine (309) samples were collected inthis study including wild birds (38), chickens (71), humans (47), and the environment (153). Subsequently, the C.jejuni and Ecoli isolates were tested against antibiotics using the disc diffusion method. Campylobacter jejuni was found positive in17 (37.8%) flies and 8 (11.3%) chickens. Also, E.coli was found positive in89.4% ofhuman, 47.4% ofbird, 44 62% ofchicken and in71.2% ofthe environmental samples. Ten antibiotics were used todetermine the susceptibility ofthe isolates. Eighty four percent (84%) ofC.jejuni and 100% ofE.coli isolates were found toshow resistance towards atleast one antibiotic. The isolates showed high resistance tocefpodoxime and tetracycline.

Water Supply System for a Rural Village in Malaysia

The aim of this research was to design and build a water supply system for a village in rural Malaysia.  Very often technologies previously developed for water supply are not known or specifically upgraded to suit a particular population (or village).  This has resulted in 600 million humans still living in abject poverty.  Companies can be called in to develop water supply systems but too often their profit motive will make the project inviably expensive.  This project was accomplished with a very tight research grant, lots of trial and error and engineering knowledge.  The village is located 103 kilometers from Kuching.  The final system is a 3Ø, 4 HP pump placed on a floatable wooden barge near the river pushing water up 120m over an elevation of 9m to a Pump House located behind the Community Hall of the village.  Another 3Ø, 1 HP pump is used to pump water from the 9000L holding tank to the 38 individual homes of the village.  Upon achieving a supply of water, other aspects of developing the village using modern technology was worked upon.  This will enable villagers to get out of the poverty trap and approach life with renewed confidence.

Water Supply System for a Rural Village in Malaysia

The aim of this research was to design and build a water supply system for a village in rural Malaysia.  Very often technologies previously developed for water supply are not known or specifically upgraded to suit a particular population (or village).  This has resulted in 600 million humans still living in abject poverty.  Companies can be called in to develop water supply systems but too often their profit motive will make the project inviably expensive.  This project was accomplished with a very tight research grant, lots of trial and error and engineering knowledge.  The village is located 103 kilometers from Kuching.  The final system is a 3Ø, 4 HP pump placed on a floatable wooden barge near the river pushing water up 120m over an elevation of 9m to a Pump House located behind the Community Hall of the village.  Another 3Ø, 1 HP pump is used to pump water from the 9000L holding tank to the 38 individual homes of the village.  Upon achieving a supply of water, other aspects of developing the village using modern technology was worked upon.  This will enable villagers to get out of the poverty trap and approach life with renewed confidence.

The Effects of Rural Electrification on Quality of Life: A Southeast Asian Perspective

Despite the general agreement about the benefits that electrification brings to well-being, few studies have concentrated on the actual effects of electrification on the diverse non-economic dimensions of quality of life (QoL). In a multi-disciplinary and cross-institutional effort, a group of natural and social scientists have studied three electrification schemes (grid extension, centralised hybrid, and solar home systems) in four rural villages in Malaysia, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Using a novel approach with scales on several QoL measures (self-reported QoL and five QoL sub-domains; psychological, physical, social, and economic well-being; occupations; and total active time), this article presents an analysis of the effects of rural electrification on human well-being. With original data surveyed in the villages through a baseline prior to electrification and an endpoint several months after, the effects were examined through suitable statistical methods. Overall, we confirmed a positive effect of electrification in self-reported QoL levels as well as psychological, physical, and social well-being. There was, however, a certain reduction recorded in economic well-being. In the sub-domains of QoL, there were no changes after electrification in satisfaction levels concerning time use, time spent alone, housing, and personal safety, but a positive effect on satisfaction levels was observed in cooking. Finally, in terms of occupation, we observed no changes in the total hours dedicated to work and no prolonged active time on usual activities in the household. The findings provide support to the hypothesis of a positive effect on general QoL from electrification, but also suggest more precisely that, for specific QoL sub-domains, the effect might not necessarily exist, or in fact, may be negative. The article concludes by discussing differences determined by cultural aspects and technological limitations in each of the systems under study.

To move or not to move? A study of sustainable retirement village in Malaysia

Sustainability is now on the forefront on a wide variety of global debates, which is hardly surprising given its emphasis to enhance the well-being of society in an increasingly challenging world. The rapid aging of developing societies has compelled policymakers and developers to provide adequate housing options that meet the diverse needs of elderly populations. As a result, sustainable retirement village (SRV) has emerged as a novel relocation option in meeting the needs of the elderly by providing them an affordable and comfortable living space. Thus, the present study aims to elucidate the multifaced aspects of sustainability features (i.e., social, environmental, and economic aspects) that affect the elderly’s willingness to move into retirement village. A self-administrative survey was adopted to collect data from 261 elderly in Malaysia aged 50 years old and above. The analysis of the structural model has shown that sustainability in the aspect of social and environmental, positively impact on the attitude towards SRV. Besides that, communicability was also found to moderate the path between economic sustainability and attitude as well as attitude towards willingness to move into SRV. The paper concludes with limitations and recommendations for future research.

Amir’s Life Story: Resilience and Other Soft Skills Development to Thrive, Despite Vulnerable Beginnings

This article explores the life story of Amir, a young adult from a rural village in Malaysia, who built resilience and developed soft skills to thrive in his life despite his vulnerable beginnings. Amir’s strong resilience and other soft skills that assisted him to be outstanding in his academics and career may have resulted from his caring and supportive authoritative mother, countering his strict and harsh authoritarian father, with an ecological system of protective factors and developmental assets strengthened by religiosity and spirituality. However, both his parents’ extremely different confrontive and coercive methods appeared to have worked together towards the development of certain soft skills, such as his entrepreneurial mindset. This fresh outlook may provide guidance to assist vulnerable children and youth from rural areas to thrive, while raising new questions for future research.

A comprehensive methodology for setting up rural electrifications with minimum budgets on indigenous villages in Malaysia

PurposeThis paper aims to propose a comprehensive methodology for setting up rural electrifications for indigenous villages with minimum budgets and the lowest possible cost of electricity (COE). The electricity accessibility of rural area in Malaysia is not fully covered and the cost of extending the grid to these areas can be high as RM 2.7m per km. Lack of vigorous policies and economic attraction of the rural areas are also the main barriers to rural electrification. Electricity is an essential element of economic activities and the lack of electricity exacerbates poverty and contributes to its perpetuation. Therefore, a hybrid standalone power system can be an alternative solution for the rural electrification. A hybrid standalone power system is studied to investigate the potential of the implementation and the budget required.Design/methodology/approachA site survey has been carried out in a village in Peninsular Malaysia, namely, Kampung Ulu Lawin Selatan. A standalone hybrid system is modeled in HOMER Pro software and the data collected from the selected site are used to obtain the system configuration with the lowest COE. The load following and cycle charging energy dispatch methods are compared to identify the optimal system configuration that yields the lowest COE. The diesel generator-only system is chosen as a benchmark for comparisons.FindingsThe results show that the hybrid system constituted from the diesel generator, photovoltaic (PV), micro-hydro and energy storage using the load following energy dispatch method yields the lowest COE of RM 0.519 per kWh. The COE of the hybrid system is 378 per cent lower than that of the diesel generator-only system. The lead-acid energy storage system (ESS) is able to reduce 40 per cent of COE as compared to the system without ESS.Originality/valueThe results indicate that the COE of the diesel-micro hydro-PV-ESS system with load following dispatch strategy is RM 0.519 per kWh, and this value is 35 per cent higher than the average electricity price in Malaysia. However, it is important to note that the costs of extending the grid to the rural area are not taken into account. If this cost is considered into the electricity price, then the standalone hybrid power system proposed by this study is still a competitive alternative for rural electrification.

Understanding Adaptation: Lessons from Local Adaptive Measures to Coastal Risks and Hazards – A Case Study of Kukup Water Village, Malaysia

Globally, rising sea levels could have the most significant impact on developing countries, which have limited adaptive capacity to face the challenges of climate change. Through a case study of Kukup water village in Malaysia, this study seeks to understand the influence of coastal risks and hazards on coastal settlements’ spatial development, local construction measures for the adaptation of the coastal environment, and the implication of local adaptive measures on environmental policy and coastal management. The study used historical records and qualitative semi-structured interviews for data collection, and presented the spatial development and construction measures using an open-access 3D modelling tool, “SketchUp”. The study finds that natural, socioeconomic and cultural factors have contributed to the adjustment of spatial arrangement and that local adaptive measures reflect the local perception of coastal risks and hazards. More research is needed to understand the effects of cultural factors on adaptive capacity and how cultural aspects of adaptation can contribute to the improvement of adaptive capacity that is sensitive to different social context.

Feasibility of solar-powered ultrafiltration membrane water treatment systems for rural water supply in Malaysia

Abstract According to the World Bank's collection of development indicators, in 2017 approximately 25% of Malaysia's population were living in rural villages. Some of these villages are currently without electricity from the national grid and public piped water supply. In this study, a solar-powered ultrafiltration membrane water treatment system was installed at a rural village in Perak, Malaysia, to identify its feasibility. The ultrafiltration system was evaluated and compared with a conventional sand/media filtration water treatment system at the same location. Various aspects of both systems such as operational parameters, life-cycle cost and carbon emissions have been analyzed under this study. The distinct advantages of the ultrafiltration system include better filtrate turbidity quality (below 0.4 NTU), and lower operational cost and carbon emission. By utilizing a cross-flow filtration operation mode, the UF system does not require a daily intermittent backwash sequence, unlike the conventional system, to further simplify the daily operational routine. Accessibility of clean water supply for all has been heavily emphasized by the United Nations General Assembly (under sustainable development goal number 6) to ensure public health. This comprehensive study highlights the feasibilities of solar-powered ultrafiltration membrane water treatment systems for rural villages in Malaysia.