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Johor is known for its UMNO-born state on May 11, 1946, which has been the stronghold of UMNO in Malaysia since the first General Election (GE-1). The UMNO-led BN won GE-1 to GE-13 in the state for the state assembly by winning more than 2/3 seats. But in the 14th general election, Johor for the first time fell to the opposition party Pakatan Harapan (PH), which used the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) logo by winning 36 state seats compared to the BN (19 seats) and PAS only 1 seat. Johor politics changed again on February 26, 2020 when the PPBM (BERSATU) stepped out of the PH and formed the Perikatan Nasional (PN) along with Muafakat Nasional (MN) and a Indipendent people representative. This political dynamic is an interesting arrangement involving political strategy and art in order to gain political power either constitutional or have an interest. It is, therefore, the purpose of writing this article to analyze election politics in the GE-14 and post-GE-14. Based on the analysis of the 2018 GE results, field observations and secondary sources such as journal articles and conference papers, the findings show that the victory of the BN and the defeat of the BN in the GE-14 and the post-PN PN PN victory in Johor prove that nothing is impossible who remains in politics. Indeed, political science is full of dynamics and artistry. The stronger national issues influenced the political decisions of the people of Johor, and the state and local leaders of Johor also took their turn. PH victory in GE-14 fueled by support from China and India in addition to young Malay voters and most of the First Time Voters are influenced by social media. The implication of this article is that the victorious party must exercise the responsibility of a just and trustworthy government for the good of the people while the deceased must play a role as the builder in ensuring the physical and spiritual development of the people of Johor in the eyes of all politicians in the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Journal of Advances in Soft Computing and its Applications (IJASCA) is a rapidly growing academic journal published by Al-Zaythoonah University of Jordan (ZUJ). IJASCA publishes original contributions on soft computing, machine learning and artificial intelligence, cloud computing, big data and other current science and technological trends. This study uses different bibliometric analysis tools to analyze the IJASCA published research papers between 2009 and 2021. The analysis includes annual publication growth, citation patterns, most prolific authors, institutions and countries, co-citation and co-occurrence networks analysis. A total of 317 published papers have been studied. The results show that IJASCA has grown in research contributions from 12 papers in 2009 to 40 papers in 2021, and citations have grown drastically to 2253. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, is the institution that contributed the most to IJASCA publications with 109 papers. Malaysia is the country that was cited the most with 794 citations. Thematic analysis shows that the most important author keywords are soft computing, optimization, machine learning, big data and cloud computing. Overall, the findings are beneficial to the IJASCA editorial board. Its retrospective review will most likely encourage journal readers and assist the editorial team in developing research strategies that will allow research scientists to contribute high-quality research papers to the IJASCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of an alternative framework in the students' minds acts as the main hindrance to students exhibiting profound understanding of scientific concepts, which in turn promotes the application of scientific knowledge to solve daily life context problems. This research is done in two phases. In the first phase, the research aims to identify the alternative framework among students on the concept of electrochemistry, and in the second phase, it develops an instructional module for secondary school students on the concept of electrochemistry by using the five-phase Needham constructivism model approach to overcome the alternative framework that exists in the students' minds. In this paper, however, only the findings of the first phase are reported. The instrument used for this study is the electrochemistry test developed based on previous research and validated by experts. This paper and pencil test is used in the first phase of the research as a data collection tool. This research adapted a quantitative research design. The data from the electrochemistry test is analyzed using statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS) 20.0 to get the descriptive data as findings of the first phase of the study. The findings of the first phase of this study indicate that the conceptualization level of students in electrochemistry is poor. Multiple alternative frameworks among students were identified from the analysis of the students' responses. This study contributed to existing literature by identifying the alternative frameworks present precisely in electrochemistry. The study recommends incorporating mobile technologies in the data collection process and in developing online instructional modules to be more accessible to educators throughout the country and to steer the chemistry education world to a higher level in the Malaysian education system. Enlightening the alternative framework existent in the students' knowledge schemata immensely facilitates educators worldwide in planning their instructional approach in the classroom for this specific scientific concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rare species Dacryodes nervosa (H.J. Lam) Leenh. was originally described by as Santiria nervosa in 1932. This species was only known from two herbarium collections in Perak and Johor. In this current paper, we have added six localities where species is known, namely from Pasoh and Sungai Menyala Forest Reserves in Negeri Sembilan, Rengam Forest Reserve in Johor, Piah Forest Reserve from Perak and Balok and Panching Forest Reserves in Pahang. Additional information of fruit characters based on sole specimen from Pasoh Forest Reserve is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between 222Rn/220Rn activity concentration in soil gas and proxies within each soil type in Johor state, Malaysia, and identify the best possible predictor of 222Rn/220Rn in soil gas. In this paper, we present the result of correlation analysis between measured 222Rn/220Rn in soil gas and soil gas permeability, geogenic radon potential, 222Rn/220Rn in outdoor air, and terrestrial gamma dose, as well as the recorded relative humidity and temperature during measurement. The measured 222Rn and 220Rn in soil gas were found to have a positive correlation with the soil gas permeability measured within the study area, except for the data measured in a region covered with the marine alluvium and peat soils where a negative and very weak correlation was observed between 220Rn in soil gas and (Rn220S) and sol gas permeability, respectively. Measurement over four soil types (from granitic rocks, soils from metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, soils of steep lands, and soils of urban and mined land) reveals that the terrestrial gamma dose rate is a possible predictor of 220Rn in soil gas. In addition, in a region covered with a soil of steep lands and soils of urban and mined lands, 222Rn and 220Rn in outdoor air were found to be good indicators of 222Rn and 220Rn in soil gas. The result of principal component analysis yields a four-component representation of the total data acquired with 71% of the total variance explained, while the dendrogram of the resulting hierarchical cluster analysis categorizes the measured data into four clusters which are in good agreement with the result of principal component analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Johor Sultanate emerged in the 16th century as the heir of the Malay Sultanate of Melaka. This paper examines the consolidation of Johor's authority from its founding up to the new era of politics and administration in the 18th century. The Johor Sultanate was one of the rising powers in the Malay World. To the Malays, the nexus, focal point, and execution of power began and end with the palace. This power encompasses not only politics and administration, but the socio-economic aspects as well. With this in mind, the objective of this paper is to discuss the extent of the Johor Sultanate's enduring presence from 1528 to the 18th century (in fact, even to the present), and also explain the significance of the 'sultan' as the pillar of Malay authority. The final objective is to assess how the Johor Sultanate became an influential Malay power among the competing regional and foreign powers for centuries. This paper uses the qualitative method based on historical discipline. Therefore, the library research method was used, with the author's exhaustive consultation of Malay manuscripts and authoritative secondary sources. This study found that overall, the political and administrative developments in the Johor Sultanate within the period in question saw many ups and downs. However, the sultanate endured as the symbol of Malay power from 1528 to the 18th century. The position of the 'sultan' as the pillar of Malay authority remained, even with conflicts of succession and dynastic changes. Therefore, the Johor Sultanate remained among the most influential powers in the Malay World, alongside their competition such as Aceh, Jambi, the Portuguese, the Dutch, and other political entities. This was achieved through an organised political and administrative system, as well as well-planned diplomatic relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With cognizance to firms' heterogeneity in an industry, this paper employs the most recent, unpublished and large-scale firm-level data of 14,687 manufacturing firms in Malaysia in 2015 to revisit the drivers of manufacturing exports. Applying the OLS and logistic regressions, we observed a strong positive relationship between a firm's labor productivity and export intensity. Firms' foreign ownership, size and age are positively connected to their export competitiveness. The incorporation of location variables into the regression reveals that firms in the Southern peninsula of Malaysia (e.g., Johor) have a positive effect and demonstrate the highest probability to engage in export activities. Our study is informative to trade policymakers on the key drivers of manufacturing exports, providing references to not only Malaysia, but other economies in Eastern Asia and developing nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Woodcarving can be influenced by numerous aspects, including religions and beliefs, which may be comprised of the selections of motifs and also woodcarving panels. In Johor, Malay is one of the major ethnic groups and is considered the majority of the state's population, contributing to the significant heritage, including architecture. Traditional Malay houses in Johor have instilled woodcarving into some placements of the houses, including windows on jerejak panels. This paper aims to identify the typology of woodcarvings panels and the percentage of usage among the panels found in Johor Malay houses to identify its influence. 72 Johor traditional Malay houses with distinctive woodcarvings were selected to do inventory, photographed, and analyzed. Interviews were conducted while the samples taken were discussed and verified by woodcarving experts. Results show five-piece panels take the highest percentage while six-piece panels come in second in the overall statistic where it is concluded that the Pillars of Islam/Rukun Islam and Pillars of Faith/Rukun Iman have been the influence on the findings. The findings show that the Islamic religion is the most significant influence contributing to the justification of choice. This study can bring recognition to Johor woodcarvings and contribute valuable guides for woodcarvers to apply these panel typologies to their future works to sustain and cherish the Johor houses' woodcarving identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change impacts wildfire events as well as water availability. Exposure of water resources to wildfire can reduce water quality supplied to humans and resulting health problems. On the other hand, water resources such as rivers and ponds are essential in wildfire firefighting. This paper intended to assess spatially the exposure of water resources to wildfire. A case study in Johor, Malaysia is utilised to asses and determine locations of water bodies in an area which are vulnerable to wildfire. Post wildfire runoff water can contaminate water resources. Fire data collected by MODIS from 2000–2020 are used to create a hotspot map. Water resources and waterbody data originated from Department of Surveying and Mapping Malaysia used to identify the stream and dams that are exposed to wildfire. 5 class exposure level has been set to show the degree of closeness of water resources to wildfire hotspot area. Using the spatial analysis method, low to high level of potential wildfire-water exposures were able to be locate. Analysis shows, 7% of Johor's water sources is exposed to medium levels of wildfire, while just 1% is exposed to the highest levels. The majority of the streams have very low levels of exposure. In addition, the wildfire-water exposure map aids in first respondent preparedness and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicinal plants have long been recognised as valuable resources for traditional medicine and modern pharmaceutical research due to their rich reservoirs of bioactive compounds. This study aims to provide baseline data on the phytochemical content and antioxidant activity of a tropical medicinal shrub, Miconia crenata, from Ayer Hitam Utara Forest Reserve (AHUFR), Muar, Johor. Total flavonoid content was determined by using the chloride colorimetric method, while antioxidant activity was validated by the DPPH radical scavenging assay. Phytochemical screening of the methanol extract from the leaves of M. crenata revealed the presence of secondary metabolites, including phenols and flavonoids. The total flavonoid content was measured at 508.84 ± 154.42 mg/mg at a concentration of 0.02 mg/mL, while the extract demonstrated high antioxidant potential, with an IC50 value of 40.54 μg/mL. Further investigation into the phytochemical content of M. crenata may unlock valuable insights into its potential therapeutic uses and contribute to the development of novel pharmaceuticals and natural health products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the effects of service quality and perceived price (monetary and behavioural price) on the revisit intention of patients to hospitals, as well as the mediating role of perceived price on the relationship between service quality and revisit intention. Design/methodology/approach: This paper distributes questionnaires to outpatients in three major cities in Malaysia, namely, Penang, Melaka and Johor. Patients who were in the foyer, dispensary area and waiting area were intercepted where their responses were sought. The responses obtained from 400 patients were analysed using the structural equation modelling technique. Besides analysing the path coefficients, this study has examined the common method variance, bias and indirect effects of the relationships. Findings: The results suggest that patients pay more attention to certain values in their search for the best health-care service and subsequently move on to new values. Pricing is an effective strategy to promote favourable behavioural intentions amongst patients. Better service quality is reflected in the reasonableness of monetary costs incurred by patients in acquiring health-care services. Patients who received poor services will be more likely to compare such services to the medical costs incurred to ascertain the worthiness of the amount paid. In addition, service quality also influences how patients perceive spending their time and efforts (waiting for nurses and physicians, as well as queueing in hospitals) as worthy and vice-versa. Their revisit intention will also be affected by the extent of which they invest their time, energy and efforts to search for relevant information. Practical implications: The hospitals which desire to charge additional fees should enhance their service quality to reflect price equity. This is imperative in view of the pricing structure which can be relatively complex in subsequent follow-up treatments that may affect the decision of patients on the sources of health-care services. Originality/value: Given the inevitable increase in medical fees, the perceived price can be a key determinant to the overall judgement patients had in terms of the health-care services received and the time and efforts sacrificed. However, the importance of monetary price and the behavioural price is still relatively unstudied, particularly their influence on revisit intention in the health-care setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sultanate of Johor emerged as a maritime trade civilization, centred along the Johor River around the 16th and 17th century CE. Its administrative centre shifted to the Riau-Lingga islands in the next century, and returned to the mainland state of Johor in the late 19th century. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, the sultanate of Johor emerged as a great Malay empire, a respected political entity and centre of international trade. However, these aspects should be seen as moving in line with the intellectual apogee of the Johor people. Therefore, the objective of this article is to prove that throughout the 16th and 18th centuries, the sultanate of Johor also became a centre of development of literature, language and culture. Many intellectuals emerged in Johor. The second objective is to discuss the multi-genre literary scene in Johor. Beginning with the two great Malay works, Sulalatus Salatin by Tun Sri Lanang and the Hikayat Hang Tuah, the Johor intelligentsia produced various literary works (history, literature, language, religion, statecraft, fiction, and so on) in the following centuries. Respected members of the intelligentsia produced greatly intellectual works, such as Raja Haji Ahmad, Raja Ali Haji, Raja Khalid Hitam, Raja Ali Kelana, Muhammad Ibrahim Munshi, Muhammad Salleh Perang, Muhammad Said Sulaiman and many others. This paper focuses on writtings and intellectuality in fields of history, literature and language. This study uses the qualitative method in history, especially focusing on library research. This study proves that Johor society is highly prolific in the flowering of literary and intellectual activities. This situation was also in line with the development of printing and associational activities, thus providing the intellectuality of Johor throughout time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional food has long been recognised as an integral aspect of community across the globe. It varies from one community to another and is treasured as an image representation. Traditional Malay kuih in Malaysia, however, lacks its definition. The word kuih itself is loosely used to group a collection of either sweet desserts or savoury snacks. Acknowledging that the district of Mersing in Johor is an underexposed heritage site in Malaysia, this study disinters the traditional Malay kuih nuances as a regional ethnic food. Qualitative method was employed involving 14 kuih experts in Mersing to answer the research question "What is the meaning of traditional Malay kuih in Mersing?" in which semi-structured, in-depth, and face-to-face interviews were conducted. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim to ensure accurate results. Thematic analysis was used to identify the codes, categories, and themes as the nuances of traditional Malay kuih in Mersing. The themes enlist (i) the use of native crops, (ii) the practice of conventional Malay cooking methods, (iii) the enculturation of Malaysia's east coast traditions, and (iv) the enrichment of sub-ethnic traditions among the Malays. It was found that the analysed nuances of traditional Malay kuih reinstated the individuality and uniqueness of the Malay ethnic's gastronomy in Malaysia. In short, this paper provides an in-depth exploration of the Malay's unique culture and heritage in Malaysia, thus benefitting the scholars, local tourism board, entrepreneurs, consumers, among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife conservation is facing a conflict of interest between the survival of wildlife and tangible benefits for humans, especially for those living in neighborhoods around the wildlife habitat. Sustainable conservation offers a balanced approach between conservation and economic benefits. PrimaTourism (primate-based tourism) is one of the important initiatives in fulfilling conservation efforts and providing income opportunities for the local community. The banded langur, Presbytis femoralis, has received minimal attention about its conservation issues and the potential solution for this is primate-based tourism. This paper aims to study the viability of PrimaTourism in Kota Tinggi Johor using quantitative surveys assessing local acceptance by villagers between August 2017 and August 2018, and on-site exploratory qualitative interviews with local nature tourism operators on ways to improve the tourism quality in the area. The consistent positive views on PrimaTourism by residents of Kampong Johor Lama in 2017 and 2018 based on the surveys showed potential for PrimaTourism development and implementation. In-depth interviews with local nature guides were categorized into five clustered themes: (1) prioritization of conservation, (2) improvement in marketing, (3) improvement in infrastructure, (4) implementing the sustainable use of natural resources, and (5) community involvement with PrimaTourism as a future undertaking toward its better implementation in Kota Tinggi, Johor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Woodcarving motifs can be influenced by various aspects, including religions and beliefs. Malaysia is known for its cultural diversity and is rich with traditional heritage. Malay is one of the major ethnic groups in Malaysia and is considered as the majority of the country's population, contributing to the significant heritage, including art, decoration, and even architecture. Traditional woodcarving is an intricate Malay heritage and is the symbol of Malay art. A study on Malay woodcarvings is critically needed in order to know the influence that occurs on the selection of the motifs. It is such a waste to see our woodcarving heritage destroyed unappreciated and undocumented, especially on Johor woodcarvings, as many studies in other states have done. More and more traditional Johor Malay houses are being demolished day by day before we know the historical influence on the existence. The objective of this paper was to identify the woodcarving motifs found in Johor Malay houses and to identify their influence. Site visits were conducted in which the woodcarvings of 50 houses were examined, photographed, and documented. Interviews were also conducted with the house owners and the woodcarvers. The samples were analyzed, and the results were verified by experts. The results show that floral motifs lead the statistic, and the pumpkin motif, known as 'labu maya', takes the highest percentage of the overall motifs. It is concluded that the Islamic religion is the biggest influence that contributes to the findings. The findings also show that the 'labu maya' motif is the identity of the Johor woodcarving motifs. It is hoped that this study can bring recognition to Johor woodcarvings, and contribute valuable guides for woodcarvers to apply these motif typologies into their future works to sustain and cherish the Johor local identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 14th Malaysian Election heralded a new dawn for Malaysian politics and society. The change of government was not predicted by observers of Malaysian politics and came as a surprise for many. Two states in particular stood out in the election as a misnomer, the states of Kelantan and Johor. The cases of Kelantan and Johor are interesting for a number of reasons. First, these states are considered stronghold states of the two Malay based political parties, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). Second, the results in both states were largely unexpected with most observers predicting that UMNO will retain Johor and that PAS will lose Kelantan. Lastly, both states can be described as 'maverick' states. Under Malaysia's current federal system, these states have historically manifested a strong independent streak. In the case of Johor, the bangsa Johor, a kind of state level nationalism that is centred around a Johorean identity can be observed whereas in the case of Kelantan, the conception of Kelantan as an abode of Islam has shaped the Kelantanese identity. This paper examines how both states that demonstrated similar localized election strategies yielded divergent results, with Kelantan continuing to support PAS while Johor abandoned UMNO-BN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Majallah al-Aḥkām al-‘Adliyyah belongs to the Ottoman Empire has been introduced in Johor, Malaysia during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II (1876-1908). The book was brought to the Johor Government in 1893 during the reign of Johor’s Sultan Abu Bakar (1862-1895) in its Arabic language and it was translated later into Malay language and Jawi script during the reign of Sultan Ibrahim (1895-1959) in 1913. The translation was done by the Mufti of Johor and it is known as the Majalah Ahkam Johor. The book is a legal reference comprises the civil matters of muamalat, for example sale and purchase, rent and hibah, besides of containing court proceedings too. There are previous studies which affirmed that the Majalah Ahkam Johor was rarely used as a reference in court due to the expansion of colonial British in Malaya. The objective of this paper is to discuss and analyse the challenges of the use of the book in Johor and the obstacles in it’s implementation. The methodology of this study is based on qualitative design with historical research approach and document analysis from primary and contemporary data. The findings of this study shows that the use of the Majalah Ahkam Johor at the court level faced obstacles due to the British administration policy of interfering with the state legal and judicial system. Furthermore, the introduction of British law led to the abandonment of the use of Majalah Ahkam Johor as a reference on Islamic matters in Johor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Johor Port and Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) are two adjacent seaports act as backbone of the Malaysian international trade and economy. The probability of these seaports catering the same client is very high and may cause overlapping in the hinterland area. This will further result in the waste of resources, congestion in traffic and reducing the competitiveness of seaports. The situation worsened during Covid-19 outbreak as these two seaports faced issues related to capacity and efficiency. This paper employs geoeconomics concept to assist these seaports to design a post Covid-19 recovery plan for these seaports via temporal, spatial and policy taxonomies. An explanatory sequential mixed method design has been employed to meet aims of the paper. The results show that hinterlands in the Southern region are important as production centres, providing logistics efficiency and improving the connectivity. Given the importance of service recovery to continue patronage of these seaports among customers, revitalising 4th industrial revolution and materialising inland capacity are additional post Covid-19 recovery strategies for improved seaport performance from a policy and spatial taxonomies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explains a new Adaptive Path Sensing Method (APSM) for indoor radio wave propagation prediction. Measurement campaigns, which cover indoor line-of-sight (LoS), non-line-of-sight (NLoS) and different room scenarios, are conducted at the new Wireless Communication Centre (WCC) block P15a) of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Johor, Malaysia. The proposed APSM is evaluated through a computerized modelling tool by comparing the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) with measurement data and the conventional Shooting-Bouncing Ray Tracing (SBRT) method. Simulations of the APSM and SBRT are performed with the same layout of the new WCC block P15a by using the exact building dimensions. The results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a better agreement with measured data, compared to the conventional SBRT outputs. The reduced computational time and resources required are also important milestones to ray tracing technology. The proposed APSM method can assist engineers and researchers to reduce the time required in modelling and optimizing reliable radio propagation in an indoor environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning English as a second language has been long implemented in Malaysia since post-independence in 1967. However, many research findings have established that language anxiety remains as an obstacle, which hinders students from mastering English in their second language classrooms. This paper presents the exploration on the relationship between English speaking anxiety and self-efficacy among 289 elementary school students from the population of 1080 students in the zone of Nusajaya, Johor, Malaysia. The results were compared across different academic achievers and genders. A modified version of FLCAS (Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale) by Horwitzs and Cope (1986) and English Speaking Self Efficacy (ESSE) which was adapted and adopted from QESE by Wang (2013) were used as the research instruments. Questionnaires were distributed to the respondents to assess their self-perception on speaking anxiety and self-efficacy. The findings realized the existence of a significant moderate negative relationship between English language speaking anxiety and self-efficacy. No significant difference between genders in the level of speaking anxiety was found but there were significant differences among different academic achievers in the level of speaking anxiety [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism industry has played a vital role in the economic development of Malaysia by driving influx of people, capital and commodities into a potentially wealthy country. Tourism also contributed to a foreign exchange earning of most South East Asian countries including Malaysia. The aim of this paper is to analyse and understand the tourist movement pattern from utility maximisation point of view in reference to the spatial pattern of tour package design in Johor Bahru. Tourist movements from one destination to the other solely depends on the tourist attractions sites available in the area and this corresponds to tourist decision on where, when, how and what time to move from one attraction site to the other. The workflow of this study until the final product is the geospatial map of the tour package that has been statistically analyse from the design questionnaire issued to students on tourism aspects. The method used in identifying and determining the utility maximisation of the arrival time and duration time for each attraction is the mode model. From the statistical result, data validation has been constructed to identify whether the result obtain is significantly accepted or fit by using the elementary statistical test. The final output has been presented in various graph to identify the maximum utility for the arrival and time duration for tour package. *For example, tour package G contains Hutan Bandar, Johor Zoo, Johor Grand Palace, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee Bangunan Kedai Lama and Bazar Karat as the listed attractions together with their corresponding arrival times and durations of time spent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While job insecurity has been widely studied across various contexts, the empirical study within the Malaysian context remained scarce. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of job insecurity on deviant workplace behaviour on employees from retrenching organizations. This study also explored the effects of emotional intelligence and job embeddedness as moderating variables. Respondents were selected from retrenching organizations located in Johore, Penang and Selangor as these three states had the highest number of retrenchment cases in the country. Hypotheses testing was carried out using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), the SmartPLS version 2.0. Overall, the results showed that job insecurity was negatively related to affective commitment and positively related to job-related tension. No relationship was detected between affective commitment and deviant workplace behaviour; however job-related tension correlated positively to deviant workplace behaviour. There was also a significant moderating influence of emotional intelligence on affective commitment and deviant workplace behaviour as well as on the relationship between job-related tension and deviant workplace behaviour. In addition, job embeddedness moderated the relationship between jobrelated tension and deviant workplace behaviour. The implications of the results to both theory and practice are discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia has more than 800 islands that are rich in marine natural heritage, coastal landscapes and insular ecosystems. However, the biodiversity of flora and fauna on the terrestrial part of these islands has been given less attention and is rarely documented compared to those of underwater. Thus, this paper provides a brief note on the flora of Pulau Sibu, Johor as part of an effort to document the terrestrial biodiversity of the island. The botanical survey conducted during a scientific expedition in July 2017 recorded a total of 55 families with 110 species of plants in three vegetation types, where in some areas previously recorded as coconut plantation have become smaller and occupied by 'belukar' type of vegetation. One notable species on sandy mangrove is Mentinggi (Pemphis acidula). Although listed as 'Least Concern' by the IUCN, efforts should be taken to locally protect this species as over collection has been reported elsewhere in Malaysia. Floristic information gathered from this study will be useful for ecotourism development and enhancement of the terrestrial part of the island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Department of Marine Parks Malaysia (now the Marine Park and Resource Management Division under the Department of Fisheries) and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu have a long history in marine based research through various collaborations. In 2017, in recognizing the need for integrated knowledge on both the marine and terrestrial components of our Marine Park islands towards ensuring a holistic understanding of the island ecosystems for its effective management, a new path was paved by the two institutions by agreeing to jointly organize a scientific expedition in Pulau Sibu, Johor. The aim of this expedition was to document the species, ecosystems and livelihoods on the island while focusing on its coastal and terrestrial zones. This first "from land to the sea" scientific expedition was organized successfully from 21st to 25th July 2017. Themed under the topics of Species, Ecosystems and Livelihoods, the collaboration with our partners was a commendable effort that resulted in twelve scientific research papers that added value to the biodiversity profile of the Marine Park island. Together, they served as a case study for creating a baseline for an integrated biodiversity management approach of our Marine Park islands. The findings from this expedition offered new scientific understanding of the uniqueness and connectivity between species, ecosystems and livelihoods on the island. Also, this unique inter-agency collaboration contributed towards initiating a trans-disciplinary research framework that is timely needed in a marine park ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crassostrea (Magallana) saidii has been commercially ranched in Malaysia and consumed for more than 160 years, but it was only recently identified as a new species to science. This study was conducted to evaluate the reproductive phenology of C. (M.) saidii. Samples of 30 individual oysters were taken monthly for 15 months from the sole population at Sungai Muar estuary in Johor, Malaysia. The sex ratio was 1:1.64 (male:female) for all examined specimens, with female numbers significantly higher. Hermaphrodism was detected in 1.56% of all samples. Spawning peaks in April (2019) and November (2018 and 2019), and were positively associated with the increased rainfall upstream. Gametogenesis occurred throughout the research period with temporal variations. The highest values of maturity index (MI) were recorded in March, August and October 2019, when most oysters were in matured and maturing stages. Condition index (CI) ranged from 31.90 ± 1.25 (April 2019) to 70.03 ± 3.23 (October 2019), exhibiting two peaks (March and October 2019) and subsequently reduced in CI indicating spawning consistency with histological observations. Anthropogenic stressors such as heavy sedimentation and inland development are threatening the survival of this species. The understanding of their reproductive biology is essential to ensure the survival and sustainability of C. (M.) saidii fishery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estuaries have strong physicochemical gradients that lead to complex variability and often high rates of biogeochemical processes, and they are also often impacted by humans. Yet, our understanding of estuarine biogeochemistry remains skewed towards temperate latitudes. We examined seasonal and spatial variability in dissolved organic matter (DOM) and nutrients along a partly eutrophic, agricultural–urban estuary system in Southeast Asia: the Johor River and the East Johor Strait. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and coloured DOM (CDOM) showed non-conservative mixing, indicating significant DOM inputs along the estuary. The CDOM spectral slopes and CDOM : DOC ratios suggest that terrigenous, soil-derived DOM dominates along the Johor River, while phytoplankton production and microbial recycling are important DOM sources in the Johor Strait. CDOM properties were not unambiguous source indicators in the eutrophic Johor Strait, which is likely due to heterotrophic CDOM production. Nitrate concentrations showed conservative mixing, while nitrite concentrations peaked at intermediate salinities of 10–25. Ammonium concentrations decreased with salinity in the Johor River but increased up to 50 µ mol L -1 in the Johor Strait, often dominating the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) pool. Phosphate concentrations were low (<0.5 µ mol L -1) throughout the Johor River but increased in the Johor Strait, where DIN : phosphate ratios were typically ≥ 16 : 1. This suggests that the Johor Strait may experience phosphorus limitation and that internal recycling is likely important for maintaining high nutrient concentrations in the Johor Strait. Overall, our results indicate that the Johor River and Johor Strait are clearly not part of the same estuarine mixing continuum and that nutrient recycling processes must be quantified to understand nutrient dynamics in the Johor Strait. Moreover, our results highlight the need for better techniques for DOM source tracing in eutrophic estuaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), especially public research universities (PRU), is considered to be an important agent in enhancing the knowledge economy of the 21st century. The rapid development of the industry is particularly associated with the role of HEIs as a centre of knowledge that drives regional economic development and human capital. Development in the Iskandar region, Johor has shown the development of a competitive city region with education hub, high-tech industries, recreation and international urban centre. Based on this, the paper analyses the role of HEIs by selecting PRU as the main focus. The question is, to what extent the university is integrated with knowledge-based economic activities? The objective of this article is to (1) identify the role of PRU in the innovation and promotion of biotechnology industry; (2) study the knowledge exchange mechanisms and the formation of university-industry networks in the region; and (3) summarize how the knowledge-based economy is effective in the growth of biotech industry. It involves the collection of secondary data from newspapers, brochures and reports and in-depth interviews with university officials and research institutions. Content analysis methods have been used for data analysis. The findings show that HEIs form a network of government-industry support systems whereby PRU generates expertise, technology resources and effective knowledge for the workforce and development of biotech industry. Science parks, incubators and government incentives in the form of financial, world-class infrastructure, skilled manpower and business-friendly environment also influences transnational investment in the biotechnology industry of Iskandar Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current study investigates mediation model design through a quantitative survey. Paper-pencil questionnaires were administered to 100 emerging adolescents who were purposely selected, aged around 12 to 14 years old from Johor, Malaysia. Findings indicated that parental involvement, psychological well-being and social support have significant positive correlations. Mediation model analysis based on SPSS Macro Process by Hayes was executed for examining whether social support had any significant mediating effect on parental involvement and psychological well-being. The outcome of the analysis showed that social support was a significant mediator between parental involvement and psychological well-being. Parents involvement for emerging adolescents was also shown to be important for the psychological well-being among emerging adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After some initial euphoria, the SIJORI Growth Triangle -- formed by Singapore, Johor (Malaysia) and Riau Islands (Indonesia) -- seems to have been forgotten. The growth triangle concept was developed to enhance the attractiveness of the three territories for foreign investment. This paper aims to explore whether firms in the oil and gas industry are making use of the different factor endowments accessible in close spatial proximity. Based on FDI data and expert interviews, it is observed that Singaporean firms are, in fact, taking advantage of the different factor endowments that SIJORI offers, especially in sectors related to storage and and offshore equipment manufacturing. However, in the case of Johor and Riau Islands, the focus continues to be on lower value-added activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the Water Quality Index (WQI) model becomes a widely used tool to evaluate surface water quality for agriculture, domestic and industrial. WQI is one of the simplest mathematical tools that can assist water operator in decision making in assessing the quality of water and it is widely used in the last years. The water quality analysis and prediction is conducted for Johor River Basin incorporating the upstream to downstream water quality monitoring station data of the river. In this research, the numerical method is first used to calculate the WQI and identify the classes for validating the prediction results. Then, two ensemble and optimized machine learning models including gradient boosting regression (GB) and random forest regression (RF) are employed to predict the WQI. The study area selected is the Johor River basin located in Johor, Peninsular Malaysia. The initial phase of this study involves analyzing all available data on parameters concerning the river, aiming to gain a comprehensive understanding of the overall water quality within the river basin. Through temporal analysis, it was determined that Mg, E. coli, SS, and DS emerge as critical factors affecting water quality in this river basin. Then, in terms of WQI calculation, feature importance method is used to identify the most important parameters that can be used to predict the WQI. Finally, an ensemble-based machine learning model is designed to predict the WQI using three parameters. Two ensemble ML approaches are chosen to predict the WQI in the study area and achieved a R2 of 0.86 for RF-based regression and 0.85 for GB-based ML technique. Finally, this research proves that using only the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and percentage of dissolved oxygen (DO%), the WQI can be predicted accurately and almost 96 times out of 100 sample, the water class can be predicted using GB ensembled ML algorithm. Moving forward, stakeholders may opt to integrate this research into their analyses, potentially yielding economic reliability and time savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have been conducted on problem-solving but only a small number of studies emphasized the strategies of teaching problem-solving. This paper explores the teaching strategies for mathematical problem-solving in a secondary school in Johor, Malaysia. It involves a qualitative study in which a semi-structured interview was conducted with mathematics teachers. Data were analyzed using a sixstep thematic analysis. The results can be viewed from three contexts of findings, namely the teaching strategies, the problems faced by teachers, and the solutions to overcome the problems. The findings revealed that there are teachers who have implemented personal teaching strategies, namely the Easy-Maths Model and the Cut-Stop-Solve Model to effectively teach mathematical problem-solving. The findings also explained some problems in teaching mathematical problem-solving, whereby students' weaknesses in basic mathematics emerged as the main drawback. This study provides useful information to teachers on the different strategies for teaching mathematical problem-solving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive assessment on the orchid flora of Gunung Ledang, Johor, Malaysia was carried out from 2012 to 2018 with the aim to re-evaluate the presence of orchid species listed by Ridley in his "Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 35:1-28", published in 1901, after more than 100 years. The relevant account for comparison is also listed, noting that Ridley's historical collections were for the isolated group of hills commonly known as Gunung Ledang (Mount Ophir), while the collated item in Orchidaceae is part of catalogues for the whole of Peninsular Malaysia. After Ridley, no account on the orchid flora of Gunung Ledang has been properly given, particularly from the uppermost peak of the mountain, where many interesting plants and orchids are to be found there. This study identified 26 species or 67% were the same as those recorded by Ridley (1901), and 65 species or 83% of Turner (1995) checklist of 270 species of orchids for the state of Malacca and Johor, including the common and widespread species to Peninsular Malaysia. By contribution, this paper provides an updated account on the diversity of orchids in Gunung Ledang, listing 122 species of orchids, of which eight are endemic to Peninsular Malaysia, two are hyper-endemic known only from Gunung Ledang, and 30 were recognised as new records. A comparison table of the current findings against Ridley (1901) and Turner (1995) is provided which shows only 16 species were the same in all three studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family Zingiberaceae is well distributed in Peninsular Malaysia, including the southern region of Johor. A preliminary survey updated the current checklist of wild gingers from Panti Forest Reserve and Labis Forest Reserve. During the brief survey, 28 taxa from 8 genera were recorded. The genera include Amomum, Alpinia, Boesenbergia, Conamomum, Etlingera, Globba, Hornstedtia, Meistera, Scaphochlamys, Sundamomum, and Zingiber malaysianum. Three endemic species to Johor were recorded from the study sites: Scaphochlamys lanceolata, Scaphochlamys klossii var. glomerata, and Zingiber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a pilot study on the teachers' competency in teaching programming education in primary schools. In response to the growing demand for professionals in the field of computer science, many countries have started to promote programming to young students. Malaysian education also in line with this change. Programming education in primary schools can be highly beneficial for kids as it can develop their logical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. The implementation of an effective programming education needs teachers with good competency. The aspect of competence intended in this study refers to 3 elements in KSA Model which consist of knowledge, skills, and attitude. A quantitative survey was employed to explore the competency of primary school Design and Technology (D&T) teachers in programming. The data was gathered through Google Form online survey. The survey was announced through programming workshop called "Scratch for All" held in Universiti Teknikal Malaysia (UTeM), Melaka. The teachers involved are from 46 schools across three southern Malaysian states, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, and Johor. As the purpose of this pilot study is to verify the items in questionnaire, the result obtained showed that the items for programming knowledge among D&T teachers had a reliability index of = 0.903, the programming skills items were at = 0.945, and the items measuring teachers' attitudes towards programming were at = 0.933. All the result showed a good determining factor for the planned study. As conclusion, all items in sections (b), (c), and (d) can be used in the planned study to identify the competency of D&T teachers regarding the teaching of programming in primary schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abrupt shift in teaching and learning methods from physical classes to online classes has created a new norm for teachers and students and has had an impact on them, particularly teachers especially in post pandemic era. The primary purpose of this study is to determine the level of readiness in terms of knowledge, literacy, and teacher attitudes toward digital transformation in education. The survey method was used in this study to determine the relationship between the independent variable, digital transformation in education, and the dependent variable, level of readiness in terms of knowledge, literacy, and teacher attitude. In this study, 377 rural primary school teachers from the state of Johor were asked to complete a questionnaire. Overall, the study's findings revealed a moderately high level of readiness in terms of knowledge, literacy and teacher's attitudes toward digital transformation in education. As an outcome of this research, teachers and educators should seize the opportunity to prepare themselves and their students in various aspects of digital transformation in order to further strengthen Malaysia's education system. This is also supporting the SDG targets 4.3 and 4.4 within the context of Asia-Pacific and under the overarching theme of "Transforming Learning: Meeting the skills demand to achieve the SDGs in the Asia-Pacific". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of modern technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) is causing a significant transformation in the education sector during the Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0). Education is increasingly focused on fostering digital literacy and creativity to equip students with the necessary abilities to confront future issues. However, educators in Malaysia continue to encounter difficulties in comprehending and implementing the principles of Industrial Revolution 4.0 within their instructional environment. The primary impediment to instructors properly incorporating technology in teaching and learning is the absence of exposure and training opportunities specifically focused on technology 4.0. Thus, this study aimed to determine the proficiency of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) educators in terms of their knowledge and skills throughout the era of IR 4.0. This study included a total of 135 participants from three TVET institution in the state of Johor, Malaysia. The study utilised a quantitative methodology to collect conclusive and unambiguous evidence for statistical analysis through the use of a questionnaire. The study's findings indicate that most of the TVET educators possess a high level of preparedness in terms of knowledge (M=4.05) and skills (M=4.13) throughout the era of IR 4.0. The findings indicate a significant correlation between the proficiency of TVET teachers in the context of the IR 4.0, with a correlation coefficient of 0.46 (p < .001). This suggests that as these teachers become more proficient, IR 4.0 technologies are more successfully integrated into educational processes. Well-equipped educators are crucial in educating pupils for a digitally advanced workforce. Policymakers and educational institutions should invest in technical and vocational teacher professional development programmes to improve their skills and stay current with technology, creating a more effective and future-ready educational system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avitourism, or birdwatching tourism, refers to the activity of observing and identifying birds in their natural habitats, and has become a rapidly growing niche of ecotourism. Avitourism is highly beneficial to the economic development of the local communities and promotes in situ biodiversity conservation sustainably. While birdwatching is well-established in certain areas of Johor, the focus is only on the famous birdwatching hotspot areas such as Tanjung Piai, Endau- Rompin National Park and Panti Bird Sanctuary. Other areas remain understudied and their potential as avitourism sites has yet to be discovered. Hence, this study aims to provide a bird species checklist and evaluate the avitourism potential in Pantai Manis, Johor. A point-count survey method was used for the bird sampling by using a DSLR camera (Nikon D5600) with telephoto lens (AF-P NIKKOR 70-300mm 1:4.5-6.3G ED) and a monocular (80x magnification). The data collection was carried out for 30 days between early August until early September 2021. Additionally, a set of questionnaires was distributed among 50 respondents from the local community and visitors to evaluate the potential of avitourism in Pantai Manis. A total of 36 bird species from 22 families were recorded. The bird assemblage comprised of one waterbird, eight shorebirds, three raptors and 25 common bird species. In present study, Pantai Manis recorded a high diversity value (D' = 0.9161 and H' = 2.8688). Based on the questionnaire survey, the results indicate that the respondents possess good knowledge about birds and ecosystems of Pantai Manis, which is essential for the development of avitourism in the area. Besides, their willingness and positive feedback to learn more about avitourism suggested that Pantai Manis has the potential to become a popular birdwatching site in Johor. The study further identifies the potential flagship species based on the criteria of good nature tourism products modified from WTO/UNDP. The species are Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus), Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia), Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) and Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis), which fulfill the criteria for avitourism such as safety, reliability of a sighting, morphological attractiveness, behavioral enticement, rarity, endemism, and cultural linkages. Therefore, this study concludes that Pantai Manis has a great potential to be developed as a birdwatching and avitourism spot in Johor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, flood risk map has been widely accepted as a tool for flood mitigation. The risk of flooding is normally illustrated in terms of its hazard (flood inundation maps), while vulnerability emphasizes the consequences of flooding. In developing countries, published studies on flood vulnerability assessment are limited, especially on flood damage. This paper attempts to establish a flood damage and risk assessment framework for Segamat town in Johor, Malaysia. A combination of flood hazard (flood characteristics), exposure (value of exposed elements), and vulnerability (flood damage function curve) were used for estimating the flood damage. The flood depth and areal extent were obtained from flood modeling and mapping using HEC-HMS/RAS and Arc GIS, respectively. Expected annual damage (EAD) for residential areas (50,112 units) and commercial areas (9,318 premises) were RM12.59 million and RM2.96 million, respectively. The flood hazard map shows that Bandar Seberang area (46,184 properties) was the most affected by the 2011 flood. The flood damage map illustrates similar patterns, with Bandar Seberang suffering the highest damage. The damage distribution maps are useful for reducing future flood damage by identifying properties with high flood risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Mammals play a crucial role for the biotic processes of the rainforest ecosystem. Studying their behaviour and biology are vital to fully understand the jigsaw of rainforest dynamics. This study was made to update the diversity checklist of mammals in Gunung Ledang. This study was done in Taman Negara Johor; Gunung Ledang (2.37°N, 102.60°E) where it is known to be the highest mountain (1,276 m asl.) in the southern Malay Peninsula. This study was conducted from July 2018 to April 2019. In total, 22 cameras were installed along three nature trails which are Sagill trail, Telekom Trail, and Resort Trail. Overall, a total of 31 species of terrestrial mammals from small- to large-sized were recorded in our camera trapping study of 3434 camera-days. Mammals such as the Leopard (Panthera pardus), Sumatran Serow (Capricornis sumatraensis), and Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus) were caught in the videos of camera trap. This showed that the diversity of mammals in Gunung Ledang is quite high. Tthis paper already gave valuable insights in a rainforest guild that is highly diverse and of outstanding value to the forest ecosystem. Management plans and strategy to conserve the mammals in Gunung Ledang can be done as accordingly afterwards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The brown bast (BB) syndrome causes a 15-20% loss of annual rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) production in Malaysia, and no sustainable remedy has been developed yet. Initial investigation showed a macronutrients deficiency in the bark of affected plants compared to non-affected plants. Therefore, this study was undertaken to know the effect of spraying the deficient macronutrients in curing BB syndrome and increasing latex productivity. The treatments were selected by adjusting deficient nutrients, especially in N, K, and S, compared to healthy plants. The treatments consisted of 13 combinations of nutrient concentrations and a control (no application on healthy rubber trees). One liter of individual treatment per tree was applied on the trunk of BB-affected trees once a week for one month. Data on latex production was collected one week after the last application and continued for up to three months. The results showed that the treatment T9 (0.5% N, 0.8 mg/L K, and 0.2% S), in addition to other prescribed nutrients, made a 100% cure of BB syndrome after three weeks of application, and the nutrient contents of the bark of the affected plants appeared to be similar to the healthy plants. Applying these additional nutrients enhanced the latex production at the rate of 51.85 g/tapping/tree after two months of treatment application under the agro-ecosystem of FELCRA, Simpang Renggam, Johor, Malaysia. It is a new finding to 100% cure BB syndrome and to increase the latex productivity in sustaining the rubber industry in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CRB (coconut rhinoceros beetle) haplotype was classified into CRB-S and CRB-G, based on the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the mitochondrial cox1 gene. Mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) are the most widely used genetic resources for molecular evolution, phylogenetics, and population genetics in relation to insects. This study presents the mitogenome CRB-G and CRB-S which were collected in Johor, Malaysia. The mitogenome of CRB-G collected from oil palm plantations in 2020 and 2021, and wild coconut palms in 2021 was 15,315 bp, 15,475 bp, and 17,275 bp, respectively. The CRB-S was discovered in coconut and oil palms in 2021, and its mitogenome was 15,484 bp and 17,142 bp, respectively. All the mitogenomes have 37 genes with more than 99% nucleotide sequence homology, except the CRB-G haplotype collected from oil palm in 2021 with 89.24% nucleotide sequence homology. The mitogenome of Johor CRBs was variable in the natural population due to its elevated mutation rate. Substitutions and indels in cox1, cox2, nad2 and atp6 genes were able to distinguish the Johor CRBs into two haplotypes. The mitogenome data generated in the present study may provide baseline information to study the infection and relationship between the two haplotypes of Johor CRB and OrNV in the field. This study is the first report on the mitogenomes of mixed haplotypes of CRB in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we investigate plantation agriculture as a technology aimed at extracting natural resources, utilising unpaid labour, and installing regulatory authority. Using the oil palm plantation territories of Johor State in Malaysia – a core zone of palm oil production, manufacturing and export – as a case study, we ask how more-than-human assemblages enabled the expansion and refinement of oil palm plantations in Malaysia and contributed to the material transformation of the territory. We also explore how plantations can be mobilised as an analytical device to study the urbanisation of territory through agro-industrial production. To explore those questions, we present three episodes of more-than-human involvement in assembling oil palm plantation territories in Johor. Through the conceptual frame of the operationalisation of territory, we bring into dialogue literature on the Plantationocene with critical urban studies and the history of urbanisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1877, the small territory of Muar in the Malay Peninsula was ceded to Maharaja (later Sultan) Abu Bakar of Johor after the death of Sultan Ali Iskandar Shah of Johor. This was done with the connivance and approval of the British Governor and Colonial Office, setting aside the claims of Sultan Ali's son, Tunku Alam. Although presented locally as a triumph for the politicking of the Maharajah, the Muar Succession was a short-lived check to the British forward movement in the Malay Peninsula. This article attempts to explain the reason for this anomaly, and the role of Governor Robinson during the event. The qualitative research was conducted using primary sources like Arkib Negara Malaysia documents, colonial newspapers and Colonial Office files. Contrary to conventional historiography which portrays the British forward movement as linear and inevitable, we show that the personal initiative of the Governor of the Straits Settlements played a crucial role in the development of British policy towards Muar, which would later influence the politics of British colonial administration in the Malay Peninsula in the 19th century. In particular, the personal convictions of Governor Robinson against granting the Maharajah more influence marked the start of hardening colonial attitudes towards the Maharajah, leading to a resumption in British forward policy from the 1880s. The Muar affair would prove to be the exception that proves the rule, where the British experience in nonintervention in the Malay Peninsula provided instead justification for further direct expansion in the name of good administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic, along with the wave of digitalization, concocted an unprecedented challenge for retailers all over the world. Over 300,000 SMEs closed down within the first eight months of the first Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia in the year 2020. Furthermore, Malaysia was slow in the evolution process as far as digitalization is concerned. E-wallets, e-commerce, and online shopping were not accepted as the norm or even considered necessary for many, but it all changed during the lockdown due to the pandemic. The less expected impacts include global logistical costs increment, supply chain interruptions, and disrupted manpower allocation, which should also serve as a wake-up call for Malaysian retailers to rethink their business models and to transform them, in order to survive in the market. This article aims to study the Business Model Transformation of the Electrical Appliances Retail Industry in Johor, Malaysia with qualitative methodology using thematic analysis to analyse the data collected. Several members of Johor Electrical Appliances Dealers Association (JEADA) will be studied to identify the constructs of each business' transformation, whether obvious or underlying. As of the year 2020, the association has one hundred and fifteen (115) members from all over the state of Johor. Three (3) focus groups of five members each are planned. The focus groups are designed to include members of a similar level, such as business owners, strategic management members, and second generations or heir apparent to the businesses. In addition, in-depth interviews are planned to be carried out with five electrical business owners. However, the in-depth interview will continue with additional business owners until saturation point is achieved, that is, the responses given are similar and no new information is obtained. Social research methods will also be adopted here, such as site surveys and field research at the participants' physical outlets, to support or enhance the data collected. The thematic analysis method is deemed appropriate here because of the vast, fresh data that can be collected in these interviews, the concepts need to be sorted into broad themes or blocks. The blocks of Business Model Canvas will be used after the data collection, to funnel the various transformations ideas or experiences into one of nine categories: customer segments, value propositions, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partnerships, and cost structure. However, the data collected might reveal newer categories of the business models utilized by SMEs. The expected outcome of the paper is the equifinality of business survival, but we hope to discover an emerging model that can be replicated by struggling SMEs in the same or a similar industry. Resources are scarce in SMEs, especially timeand finance-wise. SMEs need to know what to focus on. The emergent model aspires to provide new angles and dimensions for business owners, with a certain degree of ready market acceptance and hence, can be translated to practical industrial applications especially during or post-pandemic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy is widely used in industry for heating and cooling, with natural gas (NG) being the largest primary energy source in Malaysia, closely followed by coal. Renewable energy, such as biogas upgrading to biomethane, could cut the use of fossil fuels by supplementing NG usage due to their similar physicochemical and thermochemical characteristics. Biogas production plants in Malaysia are more commonly seen in waste-to-energy scenarios, with the technology anaerobic digestion, and their deployment is supported via feed-in tariffs (FiT) for power generation. Other potential applications such as the conversion of biogas into biomethane, injection into the natural gas grid or transportation through a virtual pipeline may still need further technical development. This paper presents spatial techno economic optimisation modelling using BeWhere to determine decentralised biomethane production plants using feedstock from multiple sources of biogas, including palm oil mill effluent (POME), food waste, cattle manure and chicken manure. This model considered potential configurations and sizes of the biomethane plants, the transportation of biomethane using a virtual pipeline (at 250 psig) and demand in one of the states in Malaysia, namely Johor. It was found that two to four biomethane plants with capacities ranging between 125 and 700 m3/h were located in densely populated areas or heavier industrial consumers when the carbon tax was implemented at 167.71 EUR/tCO 2 (800 MYR/tCO2). Sensitivity analysis suggested that biomethane production increases with the increasing country renewable energy share target to beyond 2080 MW. It is recommended that specific policy regulations and Feed-in Tariff (FiT) mechanisms are used to expand the biomethane market share in the country. • A spatially explicit optimisation model is extended for biomethane injection. • Highly populated and heavy industry areas are selected for plant construction. • Carbon price and subsidy rationalisation are crucial to promote biomethane injection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new psolid sea cucumber species are described from the 2010-2013 Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey (CMBS) of the Johor Straits, Singapore: Psolidium helenae Ong & O'Loughlin, new species and Psolidium wongae Ong & O'Loughlin, new species. Psolidium helenae differs from other tropical Psolidium species by having: a low profile; a band of tube feet around the periphery of the sole up to six wide; an absence of smaller outer marginal tube feet on the sole; a band of mid-ventral tube feet on the sole about five wide; distally spinous cupped cross ossicles present dorsally. Psolidium wongae differs from other tropical Psolidium species by having: low profile; tube feet series around the periphery of the sole up to about 10 wide; an absence of smaller outer marginal tube feet on the sole; an absence of cupped cross ossicles dorsally and ventrally. Psolus fimbriatus Sluiter is referred to Psolidium Ludwig, as are Psolus boholensis Semper and Psolus complanatus Semper. Variety Psolus boholensis var. pandanensis Semper is raised to species status and also assigned to Psolidium. A key to 15 tropical East Indian-West Pacific Psolidium species is provided for: Psolidium berentsae O'Loughlin & Maric; P. boholensis (Semper); P. complanatum (Semper); P. disjunctum Sluiter; P. fimbriatum (Sluiter); P. helenae new species; P. hutchingsae O'Loughlin & Maric; P. mccallumae O'Loughlin & Maric; P. minutum (H. L. Clark); P. pandanensis (Semper); P. parmatum (Sluiter); P. rugosum Koehler & Vaney; P. spinuliferum (H. L. Clark); P. translucidum Koehler & Vaney; P. wongae, new species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In soil engineering, the soil slope is one of the important issues in geotechnical and environmental engineering that can fail due to settlement behaviour. Due to soil slope instability, roads near the Segamat River's slopes have seen severe settlement. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine how the geometry of the soil slope and the properties of the soil affect soil stability and deformation. Because of the varying slope geometries along the river, this study used two alternative slope geometries in its modelling. A comparison was made between the existing slope and the slope stabilised with sheet piling by using Plaxis 2D. Other parameters that affect slope stability are also being investigated, such as anchor length and anchor installation angle. The anchor sheet pile's presence is intended to improve the slope's stability. As a result of this analysis using PLAXIS 2D software, the optimal anchor length depends on the passive pressure of the soil behind the sheet pile. According to the results, installing an anchor with a 60° angle is more stable because the safety factor obtained is 3.26 which is greater than that of a 45° angle which is 1.33. It shows the anchor is the best support of the sheet pile for the soil slope stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in land-use–land-cover (LULC) affect the water balance of a region by influencing the water yield (WY) along with variations in rainfall and evapotranspiration (ET). Remote sensing satellite imagery offers a comprehensive spatiotemporal distribution of LULC to analyse changes in WY over a large area. Hence, this study mapped and analyse successive changes in LULC and WY between 2000 and 2015 in the Johor River Basin (JRB) by specifically comparing satellite-based and in-situ-derived WY and characterising changes in WY in relation to LULC change magnitudes within watersheds. The WY was calculated using the water balance equation, which determines the WY from the equilibrium of precipitation minus ET. The precipitation and ET information were derived from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data, respectively. The LULC maps were extracted from Landsat-Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI). The results demonstrate a good agreement between satellite-based derived quantities and in situ measurements, with an average bias of ±20.04 mm and ±43 mm for precipitation and ET, respectively. LULC changes between 2000 and 2015 indicated an increase in agriculture land other than oil palm to 11.07%, reduction in forest to 32.15%, increase in oil palm to 11.88%, and increase in urban land to 9.82%, resulting in an increase of 15.76% WY. The finding can serve as a critical initiative for satellite-based WY and LULC changes to achieve targets 6.1 and 6.2 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG) 6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]