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One method for disposing of old, damaged, or misprinted Qur’an pages is to burn them. Recently, there have been cases of al-Quran mushaf disposal management that do not comply with the maqasid of al-Quran text disposal as stipulated in established guidelines. Furthermore, the number of damaged al-Quran manuscripts is growing, making the collection site increasingly limited in capacity. To save money and space, it was discovered that some institutions in charge of disposal have delegated this task to unauthorized parties, such as non-Muslim parties, which disposed of al-Quran text at paper mills. Therefore, this article discusses the perspectives and evaluations of religious scholars on the methods used by Malaysian institutions to dispose of al-Quran text. Document analysis and interviews with the State Muftis of Selangor, Kelantan and Terengganu were used to collect data. It was done through semi-structured interviews and descriptive analysis. According to findings, the Malaysian government has implemented several methods. One method used is to burn it to ashes, bury it, and then wash it into the sea. Many authorised institutions carry out disposal in accordance with the established guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization will cause various land use changes and the vast occupation of green spaces, a critical factor in the deterioration of biodiversity in urbanized areas. Some species of wildlife are endangered due to habitat shrunk and fragmentation. However, Malaysia's current biodiversity protection range is still limited. The Ecological Network (EN) refers to a framework of ecological components, which can be obtained by geographical and technical approaches to support more ecological diversity ranges. Furthermore, little research has been found on EN in Malaysia and the impact of land use change on EN. Therefore, the Selangor region is selected as the study area. This paper quantifies land use change and measures the extent of land use change to obtain the EN's change. The result has shown that forestland has decreased, explored by people for housing and agriculture from 2000 to 2020. The EN has a trend of fragmentation. Overall, this study's results imply that the land use change led to EN's worsened performance from 2000 to 2020 in the study area. This paper hopes that this research could help supply information on conserving biodiversity in future development and urban sustainable planning in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The invention of street vendors in urban public places help in creating a living cultural enclave despite the robustness of street activities. This paper aims to explore the potentials of street vending as a place making tool in creating a dynamic public area. By choosing Bandar Tasik Puteri as a case study, this paper investigates how street vendors may help to create and improve the livelihood in a public place. The mixed method approach through site observation and questionnaire survey were adopted to capture tangible and intangible aspect of the study area. Findings of the study reveals that Bandar Tasik Puteri has a great potential for street vendor activities as it will improve quality of life of local community, foster social interactions and create dynamic public space within the area. However, several challenges need to be resolved beforehand, including limited space and regulatory issues. The paper highlights the importance of a supportive legislative framework and a collaborative approach among stakeholders to enable the long-term growth of street vending as a means of improving public spaces and boosting public participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Malaysia, home-based businesses emerge as one of the most enticing paths for entrepreneurial endeavors. This paper attempts to identify the barriers faced by urban women from the B40 demographic in the Selangor, Malaysia. A group of 25 participants in a one-day pastry-making workshop was conveniently chosen to partake in this study. A post-event survey was conducted to gain deeper insights into the hurdles these participants faced in their efforts to establish home-based pastry businesses. Only two participants managed to launch their pastry businesses following the workshop. The barriers highlighted by most participants revolved around initial capital to initiate their home-based businesses, a shortage of suitable equipment and utensils, and the unsuitability of their homes for running food-related business activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of fires in tropical peatlands poses significant threats to their ecosystems. An Internet of Things (IoT) system was developed to measure and collect fire risk factors in the Raja Musa Forest Reserve (RMFR) in Selangor, Malaysia, to address this issue. In this paper, neural networks with different layers were employed to predict peatland forests' Fire Weather Index (FWI). The neural network models used two sets of input parameters, consisting of four and nine fire factors. The predicted FWI values were compared with actual values obtained from the Malaysian meteorological department. The findings revealed that the five-layer neural network outperformed others in both the four-input and nine-input models. Specifically, the nine-input neural network achieved a mean square error (MSE) of 1.116 and a correlation of 0.890, surpassing the performance of the four-input neural network with the MSE of 1.537 and the correlation of 0.852. These results hold significant research and practical implications for precise peatland fire prevention, control, and the formulation of preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peatland refers to the peat soil and wetland biological environment growing on the surface. However, unexpected fires in peatlands frequently have brought severe greenhouse gas emissions and transboundary haze to Southeast Asia. To alleviate this issue, this paper first establishes an Internet of Things (IoT) system for peatland monitoring and management in the Raja Musa Forest Reserve (RMFR) in Selangor, Malaysia, and proposes a more efficient and low-complexity model for calculating the Duff Moisture Code (DMC) in peatland forests using groundwater level (GWL) and relative humidity. The feasibility of the IoT system is verified by comparing its data with those published by Malaysian Meteorological Department (METMalaysia). The proposed Linear_DMC Model and Linear_Mixed_DMC Model are compared with the Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI) model, and their performance is evaluated using IoT measurement data and actual values published by METMalaysia. The results show that the correlation between the measured data of the IoT system and the data from METMalaysia within the same duration is larger than 0.84, with a mean square error (MSE) of 2.56, and a correlation of 0.91 can be achieved between calculated DMC using the proposed model and actual values. This finding is of great significance for predicting peatland forest fires in the field and providing the basis for fire prevention and decision making to improve disaster prevention and reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental conditions of a lake are influenced by its type and various environmental forces such as water temperature, nutrients content, and longitude and latitude to which it is exposed. Due to population growth and development limits, former mining lakes are being converted to more lucrative land uses like those of recreational zones, agriculture, and livestock. The fungus Ganoderma lucidum has the potential to be utilised as a substitute or to perform synergistic bacteria-coupled functions in efficient contaminated lake water treatment. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the water quality and water quality index (WQI) of an ex-mining lake named Main Lake in the Paya Indah Wetland, Selangor. Furthermore, the current work simulates the use of a Malaysian fungus in decolourising the contaminated ex-mining lake by the BioDeF system in a 300 mL jar inoculated with 10% (v/v) of pre-grown Ganoderma lucidum pellets for 48 h. According to the results, the lake water is low in pH (5.49 ± 0.1 on average), of a highly intense dark brownish colour (average reading of 874.67 ± 3.7 TCU), and high in iron (Fe) content (3.2422 ± 0.2533 mg/L). The water quality index of the lake was between 54.59 and 57.44, with an average value of 56.45; thus, the water was categorized as Class III, i.e., under-polluted water, according to the Malaysian Department of Environment Water Quality Index (DOE-WQI, DOE 2020). The batch bioreactor BioDeF system significantly reduced more than 90% of the water's colour. The utilization of Ganoderma lucidum as an adsorbent material offers a variety of advantages, as it is easily available and cultivated, and it is not toxic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the population grows and resource consumption increases, waste management has become a significant environmental challenge. A more sustainable approach to waste management is essential to maximize the recovery of materials acquired from nature. Vermicomposting is one of the answers to sustainable waste management. A study was conducted to determine the viability of vermicomposting Gliricidia sepium leaves and office scrap paper with matured compost as feedstock and to determine the vermicompost characteristics and suitability as potting mixtures for vegetable cultivation. The choy sum mustard was selected as the test crop. The plants were grown in the pots in a netted nursery in Serdang, Selangor. Treatments were mixtures of vermicompost to soil ratio by volume: control (0% no vermicompost), T1 (20% vermicompost), T2 (40% vermicompost), T3 (60% vermicompost), T4 (80% vermicompost) and T5 (100% vermicompost). Physicochemical properties of the potting media mix were determined and compared to an established growth media concentration and other ASEAN standards. Crop growth was evaluated by measuring plant height, the number of petioles, and fresh and dry weights at harvest. A significant improvement in the physicochemical properties of the media was observed, where the optimum ratio of potting media was 60% to 80% (T3 & T4). The number of petioles was 20-46% higher, plants were 39-46% taller, and dry matter accumulation was three-fold higher than controls. Crop yields were 200% higher in media treatments consisting of 60-80% vermicompost. In conclusion, G. sepium based vermicompost could be used in media mixtures for potting plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to develop a measurement of spiritual poverty for an urban residents based on the spiritual concept and practice of purifying of the self (Tazkiyah Al-Nafs). This follows the process of cleansing of the self, where the nature of bad practices are replaced with those of good practices. A quantitative approach was utilised by distributing questionnaires to 528 urban Muslim households in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya, Malaysia, which was then analysed using descriptive analysis. This was, then, followed by the usability assessments by 14 experts from academia and industry, where the data was analysed using the 'fuzzy delphi method'. Findings indicated that 27.84% of respondents experienced spiritual poverty relating to the emotional indicator, 17.42% experienced from a perceptual indicator, while 91.86% of respondents experienced poverty from a practices indicator perspective. The study points out that the elements of emotion, perception and practice as indicators holds significance in measuring spiritual poverty with a percentage expert consensus of 78.6% on emotion and perception indicators and 85.7% on practices indicator. The results gives credence to the expansion of the concept of multidimensional poverty, to include measuring psycho-spiritual deprivations as one component of poverty in addition to measuring both monetary and non-monetary factors as currently being advocated. This study calls for further exploration of this important area relating to self development, which has been overlooked in poverty measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real estate planning is the exertion plan, which must be made to distribute the property owned by the property owner to the beneficiaries when the owner passes away in order to prevent problems or arguments later on. This paper aimed to study the effect between knowledge, heir's awareness, and complex administration process toward unclaimed properties among residents in Selangor in the context of post-pandemic scenario. This study reviewed the literature of past research of factors that influenced unclaimed properties. The construct variables used in this study were knowledge, awareness, and complex administration process. This study adopts online survey questionnaire to collect 384 valid responses from the residents in Shah Alam, Selangor. These collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 and the results were gathered through pearson's correlation coefficient. The findings revealed all variables were significantly influenced by unclaimed properties. The implication of this study was to focus on smaller sample in Selangor while sample size should give another significant outcome. Government and state authority must come up with mountainous strategies to overcome this issue by imposing several initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, all types of businesses and industries are facing global competition, and the quick service restaurant franchise industry is no exception. Every time there will definitely be a new brand or business that offers a variety of goods and services in its own way in an effort to attract customers and find profit. For a quick service restaurant, the most important thing is the quality of its fast service in serving customers comparable to its quick and easy concept. However, the experience for customers who buy products or use services at a quick service restaurant needs to be taken care of and ensured that it meets their needs and wishes. This paper focuses on fast food restaurants in Sabak Bernam, Selangor. This study determines the factors of marketing experience based on five dimensions of marketing experience, namely: i, sense experience; ii, feel experience; iii, think experience; iv, act experience; and v, relate experience. This study adopted a quantitative methodology through a survey on 377 respondents who are customers at a quick service restaurant in Sabak Bernam, Selangor. A convenience sampling technique was used, and data were collected through an online survey using google forms. The statistical data were analysed by Smart-PLS version 4. The findings concluded that only sense experience and relate experience were positively related to customer satisfaction. The findings of this study are beneficial to the management of the quick service restaurant and can be used as a guide for them to improve and plan strategies to increase the level of customer satisfaction in the future. This study also suggests that future studies can explore other factors related to customer satisfaction more widely.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Third Malaysia Plan (1976-1980) earmarked Batu Caves as a nature monument, listing it as part of its proposed national parks, nature reserves, nature monuments and wildlife sanctuaries. The listing is pegged on the need to put into effect conservation measures grounded on the ecosystems approach. The policy direction then was to ensure that the diversity of ecosystems are effectively conserved, to complement existing national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Batu Caves was earmarked as a potential area for recreation and tourism. Various literature related to Batu Caves have shown that the area is unique and rich in diversity - both biodiversity and geodiversity, which also makes it susceptible to threats and risks. Taking into account the need to put into place conservation measures from ecosystem as well as geosystem approaches, there is a need to revisit the conservation goal and strategy, as well as review the existing legislative regime that is applicable to Batu Caves. However, given that Batu Caves requires specific measures due to its unique features and richness, the option of badging it as a nature reserve will need to be given serious consideration. This paper looks at one option of establishing such a nature reserve, leveraging on the provisions of the National Land Code 1965. It also recommends the establishment of a specific authority, similar to the Selangor State Water Authority, to manage nature reserves with Batu Caves being one of the many areas that can be listed, thus forming a network of reserves that will be managed by the State government directly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments in linguistic theory in the Minimalist Program have provided many solid basic frameworks for analyzing pronouns in the Mah Meri language, one of the Senoi group. The data analyzed in this paper is taken from fieldwork conducted at Kampung Bukit Bangkong, Selangor. The data was obtained by recording the conversations of respondents who spoke the Mah Meri language. Two research methods were used, the library method and the field method. The library method was used to collect information related to pronouns, and the field method was used to obtain data on the field area. The data collected was analyzed and analyzed using the Minimalist Program. The analysis process of such pronouns is divided into two parts, namely descriptive analysis and syntactic analysis. The descriptive analysis discusses the cases of pronouns of the language, while the syntactic analysis discusses the syntactic structure of Mah Meri pronouns based on descriptive analysis. The syntactic analysis uses a minimalist program framework to analyze the pronouns in the Mah Meri language. As a result of this analysis, a novel finding for an Austroasiatic language is that Mah Meri language pronouns can be divided into two parts, namely case-bearing and case-marked pronouns. Analysis of these pronouns displays differences in the words that follow and precede a noun. In addition, there are also similarities and differences in the classification between Mah Meri and Malay languages, although they are in different language groups and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is discussing on the social media contributions toward service quality of the academic libraries. Everyone aware that social media has become an operative information distribution tool which involves minimal effort in order to be operated by libraries for marketing their informational resources and cultural efforts. Social media is now considered as an emerging occurrence in giving overview about a product. Not only to business, but librarians nowadays recognized the significance of social media in the libraries and information centres. Despite of lack of allocation on budget and resources, librarians still need to strive to meet up with the anticipation of their users in terms of providing their ever-changing needs. With the fact that there are abundances of information which is easily accessible on the internet, libraries should optimize the power of social media in order to give room for interactive communication with the library users and public in an online environment. Furthermore, social media has the potential of improving the image of the library and improving the users experience. The use of social media in library address greater library promotion programs, engaging and increased involvement of the users in library activities besides enhancing the library community building. The objective of this study is mainly to determine the reliability of social media toward service quality in libraries. A quantitative approach was employed in both data collection and data analysis. The study population is made up of the students of the Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Selangor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to measure the satisfaction level of tourists on the attributes associated with adventure lodges. The Holiday Satisfaction Model (HOLSAT) was used to determine the gaps between the expectations of tourists and the experience on 21 adventure lodges attributes. Results were drawn from a questionnaire survey of 280 Malaysian and international tourists who visited the Tadom Hill Resorts located in Selangor, Malaysia in 2018. Data derived from the analysis was plotted into a two-dimensional graph showing the mean score for expectations (Y-axis) plotted against the mean score of experiences (X-axis). Findings reveal that only three attributes gave the most satisfaction to tourists with a significant level at 0.001, with one attribute showing a significant level of dissatisfaction by the tourists. Therefore, the attributes that failed to satisfy tourists should be further investigated to develop strategies to attract tourists and the development of the adventure tourism industry in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology has become a significant factor in producing up-to-date and accurate topographic data in the current world. LiDAR technology has been used for years for many applications, including the efficient creation of digital model for large scale, high accuracy mapping. This technology offers fast, accurate, expedient and cost-effective ways of capturing wide area elevation information to produce highly detailed digital model of the earth. LiDAR is based on airborne laser scanners enables to acquire dense and accurate 3D data of the surveyed area, i.e., the Digital Surface Model (DSM). This paper presents an exploratory study to assess the accuracy of constructed DTM (Digital Terrain Model) and evaluating ground height without surface features using LiDAR Digital Surface Model (DSM). The study area comprised of an undulated area situated at Jinjang in the Klang Valley region, Malaysia covering an area of one kilometre square. LiDAR DSM and DTM constructed and derived from LiDAR were critically assessed with reference to the USGS Map Accuracy Standards. The accuracy of derived DSM and DTM were evaluated using ground control points derived from conventional surveying technique. The constructed models were accessed quantitatively and qualitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Future floods are expected to increase in frequency and intensity. Communities must arm themselves with information and skills to overcome these disasters and limit their impact. Moreover, the Coronavirus-19 infection doubled as the transmission was thought to occur when evacuation facilities were overrun and crowded. Despite government and agency assistance, the aftermath of a flood disaster leaves victims susceptible to the impacts. Resilience is essential when battling flooding or a pandemic. Thus, this study aims to determine the community disaster resilience score and its associated factors in Selangor flood-prone communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative survey will be conducted with a sample size of 574 residents living in flood-prone areas. A validated self-administered questionnaire will be distributed in liaison with community leaders using paper and online. The questionnaire includes respondents' demographic, flood disaster preparedness, general disaster preparedness belief, and community disaster resilience. The associations and predictors between the independent and dependent variables will be examined using bivariate analysis and multiple linear regression with a < 0.05 significance level. Discussion: Insights from this research will help communities better prepare for and recover from disasters. A more robust resilience approach requires focusing on predictors and recruiting those factors to assist health authorities in promoting flood disaster preparedness and resilience practices in the community. Researchers may comprehend the health behaviour of a community to build disaster preparedness and resilience as well as a health intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) is a crime prevention strategy used in many advanced states to safeguard community members from criminal activities. In a non-western setting of Malaysia, individual selected states apply the system to control their crime occurrences. Despite its implementation throughout its municipal councils in the states, Selangor still has the highest recorded crime rates throughout Malaysia. A few factors and underlying issues have caused high crime rates despite the implementation of CPTED. This paper highlights three of those issues: the misunderstanding of the CPTED concept, insufficient funding, and lack of police involvement in designing the CPTED application. The study aims to understand further the theories of CPTED and ways of practical implementations. The study's research approach is qualitative. The study found that most projects are designed by people that do not understand CPTED entirely; due to the yearly budget limitations, it has limited CPTED application and strategies, and the police have not been included in the CPTED design process. Addressing these issues deliver the long-term social and economic benefits to the community. At a larger scale, the country and CPTED strategies, which are well designed, reduces cost and increases the quality of life for its residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reported preliminary findings on orchid diversity and abundance in Gunung Ulu Semangko, Selangor. A total of 52 orchids taxa belonging to 26 genera were opportunistically sampled from a trail in Gunung Ulu Semangko. The majority of collected species were from the subfamily Epidendroideae, with 47 species (91%). The remaining were from the subfamily Orchidoideae, with five species (9%). The results have shown that most of the species collected were epiphytic, with 42 species (81%) and only ten species (19%) were terrestrial. The orchid species diversity was H = 3.74 for Shannon's Index and D = 0.98 for Simpson's Index. The high D and H values were supported by a high evenness value, E = 0.80, indicating that the abundance of each species was evenly distributed without complete domination by one species. Only two species of orchids were evaluated in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, namely the Bulbophyllum cheiropetalum (Vulnerable) and Dendrochilum cf. gracile (Least Concern). The high orchid diversity and presence of rare species discovered in this trail highlights the importance of the comprehensive botanical study to reveal the true state of diversity and conservation assessment of orchids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the study on the relationship between social media marketing and service quality of international private college libraries in Selangor. The study hypothesized three dimensions that posited to influence the service quality of the college’s library namely perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and technology features. The quantitative research method via survey is opted where questionnaires were distributed to a total of 252 respondents. Findings indicated that the majority of the respondents were coming from non-technical programs and exists a significant and high positive correlation between service quality and the posited three service quality dimensions: perceived usefulness (r=0.731, p=0.000), perceived ease of use (r=0.766, p=0.000) and technology features (r=0.795, p=0.000). Findings indicated that academic library social media marketing activities may help students more to fulfil their study needs however it also found that they also face challenges, less anticipation through social media and did not receive a response (to get help) through library social media platforms as quickly as they expect. The study suggests that the library management should be aware of the current students’ needs/issues/behaviour towards the trend of using social media technology as to ensure the service quality of the academic library meets their expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper discussed the comparison of the persistence and mobility of metsulfuron-methyl from a residue field trial experiment and simulation using a VARLEACH model. The residue field trial experiment was performed at Sungai Buloh Oil Palm Estate, Selangor. The plots were treated with metsulfuron-methyl at two treatment rates of 15 g a.i ha−1 (T1) and 30 g a.i ha−1 (T2). Soil samples were collected at 0, 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 30, 60 and 90 days after treatment (DAT) and analysed subsequently by HPLC–UV. The results show that metsulfuron-methyl degraded rapidly in the soil with the half-life (t½) of 6.3 days in T1 and 7.9 days in T2. The simulation of VARLEACH model gave similar pattern of persistence and mobility of metsulfuron-methyl in the soil profile. However, total residues and the mobility of the metsulfuron-methyl were poorly simulated by the VARLEACH model due to consistent overestimation of the quantified residues. Results indicated that the metsulfuron-methyl lost more rapidly than the prediction values from VARLEACH model. In this case, simulation models which use transformation routines similar and which include additional degraded processes such as leaching, volatilisation, plant uptake or runoff could be considered. Albeit, overestimated values on the concentrations of metsulfuron-methyl are reported using VARLEACH model, the model still can be used as rapid and fast approach to predict the behaviour of pesticide at minimum cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Malaysian Education Blueprint (PPPM) 2013–2025 has spurred significant reforms in the Primary School Standard Curriculum (KSSR) and Secondary School Standard Curriculum (KSSM), particularly concerning classroom-based assessment (CBA). CBA evaluates students' understanding and progress, informs instruction, and enhances the learning outcomes. Teachers with robust pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) are better equipped to design and implement effective CBA strategies that accurately assess students' comprehension and growth, provide personalised feedback, and guide instruction. This study aims to investigate the relationship between PCK and CBA among English as a Second Language (ESL) secondary school teachers in Selangor, Malaysia. A 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire was administered to 338 teachers across 27 regional secondary schools in Selangor. The Covariance-based structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the secondary school teachers demonstrated a high level of PCK, with content knowledge (CK) obtaining the highest mean, followed by pedagogical knowledge (PK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). The CBA practices among these teachers were also found to be high. SEM analysis showed a positive association between PK and CBA practices and between PCK and CBA. However, no positive association was observed between CK and CBA practices. In order to enhance teachers' PCK and ensure the effective implementation of CBA, which is crucial for student learning outcomes in Malaysian ESL secondary schools, it is recommended that continuous professional development opportunities be provided, specifically focusing on PCK and CBA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: COVID-19 has led to a significant increase in household waste generation, ranging from 10% to 30% in certain regions. Objective: This study aims to investigate the impact of knowledge and attitude on waste recycling practices in selected communities in Selangor during the post-pandemic period. Methods: A comprehensive waste analysis was conducted in six residential areas in urban Selangor, sampling waste from 25 households. A survey was administered to 244 respondents who had resided in the study area for at least one year and were familiar with the recycling programs and facilities. Data collection involved door-to-door surveys and online platforms. Results: The study revealed a weekly generation of 124.89 kg of solid waste, equivalent to 0.14 kg per person or 0.71 kg per household per day. Of this, 101.45 kg was recycled, resulting in an 81% recycling rate, averaging 0.11 kg per person or 0.58 kg per household per day. Paper accounted for the highest proportion of recycled waste (51%), followed by plastic (19%) and used items such as clothes (19%). Respondents displayed good knowledge (76.6%) and attitude (90.6%), but recycling practices were poor (61.9%). Significant associations were observed between knowledge and gender, attitude and factors such as age, race, monthly household income, and house type, and practice and factors such as residential location, gender, and the number of household members. Conclusion: Despite the pandemic, communities exhibited a high recycling rate, reflecting positive knowledge and attitude. However, bridging the knowledge-implementation gap is essential for improving recycling practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to rapid urbanization, solid waste management (SWM) is a major challenge in Malaysia, hence the need to sustainably manage it. Compared with other states, Selangor produces the highest volume of domestic waste. Most of the state's waste is generated in Shah Alam City. This condition is expected to worsen because the population of Shah Alam is projected to rise by 2.5% from 2018 to 2035. This situation will increase the demand for resources, production, and consumption, increasing the volume of waste generated in Shah Alam. Hence, the pressing necessity to advance from the current traditional waste management practices to a more sustainable SWM system has been identified as a key target in Shah Alam's 2025–2030 plans. The Smart Waste Management System (SWMS) has been identified as a novel approach to dealing with the absence of route optimization, real-time information exchange, and the consequent increase in waste management costs. All of these elements have characterized the current traditional households' SWM. However, because this method is novel, there is a dearth of knowledge on the appropriate measurement model for evaluating the dimension of households' intention to recycle waste through source separation as well as measuring the determinants of such a pro-environmental intention under the new SWMS. Thus, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was carried out to verify the factorial structure of the variables, relying on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) based on the structural dimensions identified in prior exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The study found support for the use of TPB as a relevant framework for modeling the intention for source separation and its determinants under SWMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many industries operate or run 24 h and seven days a week with downtime only for maintenance and repair in manufacturing facilities. This continuous operating trend allows for a higher production volume since the industry has relentless pressures on cost containment to maintain profit margins. However, the practice poses high risks of occupational injuries or major accidents. Shift working hours could lead to various safety and health and significantly impact the workers' well-being. Based on this fact, this paper presents a correlation analysis of shift works with sleep patterns, fatigue, and work injuries in food manufacturing plants, specifically in Malaysia. A survey using a set of questionnaires was conducted on two food manufacturing industries in Selangor, Malaysia. The industry operates continuously with a pre-planned downtime due to market globalization, industrialization transformation, and the rising demand for food. The companies in the food manufacturing industry held frequent internal and external audits to ensure the food quality was not being compromised and adhered to the local acts and regulations. To ensure the company runs continuously, the companies practice slow rotation schedules of shift work systems, where workers change to a new shift every three months. The companies have three working shifts per day, namely the morning shift (7.00 am to 3.00 pm), the afternoon shift (3.00–11.00 pm) and the night shift (11.00 pm to 7.00 am). Based on the statistical analysis, many workers prefer the day shift over the afternoon and night shifts. Sleep patterns and fatigue are significantly correlated with work-related injuries. Due to shift work, the workers tend to have fewer sleep hours, resulting in poor sleep patterns, which could increase the possibility of work injuries. In conclusion, workers' physical, mental and social well-being in any industry should be promoted and maintained to the highest degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women have overcome many challenges within the labour market, but gender inequality still exists in the form of total employment by categories and states. The higher gender disparity was found in Selangor with the ratio of the men and women employed at 599,200 and this is concentrated in the 30-34 years old. The past findings on the gender discrimination practice in the Malaysian labour market motivated this study to fill the literature gap by providing an upclose analysis on the differences observed within the different states in Malaysia, the difference that can be observed by age group, by the status of employment, by the different sectors of employment and the gender difference as observed in mean and median wages. As context for the finding, an overview of the government policy initiatives to close the gender gap is also provided. One of the proposed recommendations was the balanced responsibility between both genders in household care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pneumonia is one of the primary causes of death from infectious diseases. Traditionally, its spread has been tracked based on the total number of cases reported, with no concern for geographical distribution. Disease mapping is among the ways public health and the government can monitor diseases as a preventative strategy. Clear pictures of the risk areas can be seen using this method. Relative risk estimation is a significant part of disease mapping that needs to be considered when studying disease occurrence. This paper aimed to estimate the relative risk values for pneumonia based on three models and compare the results. The approaches used in this study were Standardised Morbidity Ratio (SMR), Poisson-gamma, and discrete time-space stochastic Susceptible-Infected-Carriers (SIC) models, which were applied in estimating the relative risk values. Results showed that Kuala Lumpur was classified as a very low-risk area for pneumonia incidence when using the SMR and Poisson-gamma models. In contrast, Selangor was identified as a very low-risk area when using the discrete time-space stochastic SIC model. Putrajaya was categorised as a very high-risk area in the results of all three types of methods. In conclusion, this stochastic SIC model demonstrated better performance than the conventional models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ku-band have a larger attenuation during heavy rain in the equatorial region. Despite that, Ku-band has been identified as a frequency band in high-throughput satellite systems (HTS) for broadband satellite communication. The available rain fade prediction models are still not able to accurately predict rain attenuation in the equatorial region. The models depend on the specific attenuation parameters produced based on the international telecommunication union radiocommunication sector (ITU-R) instead of the measured value. Direct measurement of specific attenuation is more accurate but difficult to obtain because the correlation of rainfall rate and satellite signal loss due to rain must be obtained simultaneously. This paper aims to derive new specific attenuation frequency-dependent coefficients for Ku-band using the semi-empirical method. The Malaysia East Asia Satellite 3 (MEASAT-3) satellite data was collected using a 13 m antenna located at Cyberjaya, Selangor while the rainfall data was collected by the nearby hydrological station. The specific attenuation was obtained from correlations of the direct measurement of rain attenuation and rainfall rate. The new frequency-dependent coefficients for Ku-band specific attenuation values are k = 4.6690 and α = 0.1941. The newly acquired specific attenuation coefficients have improved the rain attenuation model prediction for the equatorial region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: HIV late presenters were defined as individuals presenting with a CD4 count below 350 cells/μL or with an AIDS-defining event, according to the European Late Presenter Consensus working group. Early diagnosis and treatment of HIV have proven beneficial for people living with HIV (PLHIV), reducing the burden on healthcare systems, and contributing to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. However, in Malaysia, over 50% of newly diagnosed HIV patients present late, leading to increased morbidity and premature mortality. This study aims to determine the prevalence of late HIV presenters and its association with HIV-related stigma and HIV knowledge among PLHIV attending public primary care clinics in Selangor. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at selected public health clinics in Selangor, involving PLHIV aged 18 years and older, who were diagnosed since 2019. HIV-related stigma was measured using the Malay version of Berger's HIV Stigma Scale, and HIV knowledge was assessed using the Malay version of Brief HIV-KQ-18. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with late HIV presentation. Results: A total of 400 participants were included in the study, with 60.0% (n = 240, 95% CI: 55.0–65.0) classified as late presenters. The participants had a mean age of 30.29 (±7.77) years. The risk factors for late presenters were high levels of HIV-related stigma (aOR = 1.049, 95% CI: 1.034–1.063, p-value <0.001), low levels of HIV knowledge (aOR = 0.709, 95% CI: 0.646–0.778, p-value <0.001), tertiary education background (aOR = 15.962, 95% CI: 1.898–134.235, p-value = 0.011), and being single (aOR = 3.582, 95% CI: 1.393–9.208, p-value = 0.008). Conclusion: This study highlights the association between high levels of HIV-related stigma, low levels of HIV knowledge, and late HIV presentation. Interventions targeting stigma reduction and HIV education can promote early testing and prompt access to care, improving health outcomes for PLHIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical peatlands in Southeast Asia have experienced widespread subsidence due to forest clearance and drainage for agriculture, oil palm and pulp wood production, causing concerns about their function as a long-term carbon store. Peatland drainage leads to subsidence (lowering of peatland surface), an indicator of degraded peatlands, while stability/uplift indicates peatland accumulation and ecosystem health. We used the Advanced Pixel System using the Intermittent SBAS (ASPIS-DInSAR) technique with biophysical and geographical data to investigate the impact of peatland drainage and agriculture on spatial patterns of subsidence in Selangor, Malaysia. Results showed pronounced subsidence in areas subjected to drainage for agricultural and oil palm plantations, while stable areas were associated with intact forests. The most powerful predictors of subsidence rates were the distance from the drainage canal or peat boundary; however, other drivers such as soil properties and water table levels were also important. The maximum subsidence rate detected was lower than that documented by ground-based methods. Therefore, whilst the APSIS-DInSAR technique may underestimate absolute subsidence rates, it gives valuable information on the direction of motion and spatial variability of subsidence. The study confirms widespread and severe peatland degradation in Selangor, highlighting the value of DInSAR for identifying priority zones for restoration and emphasising the need for conservation and restoration efforts to preserve Selangor peatlands and prevent further environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robusta coffee is one of Malaysia’s most planted species due to its ability to adapt to the local climate. Nonetheless, the coffee species was perceived as having lower quality and economic value due to bitterness and astringency. It is widely believed that higher caffeine and chlorogenic acid contents in Robusta coffee beans contributed to the unfavourable bitter and astringent flavour. Hence, the present study intends to evaluate the effect of spontaneous wet fermentation (SWF) of locally grown Robusta (Coffea canephora L.) coffee towards the microbiological properties, phytochemical constituents, in particular caffeine and chlorogenic acids (CGA), total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant properties. The SWF of green Robusta coffee beans from University Agricultural Park (UAP), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, took place at ambient temperatures between 25 to 28°C, and the pH decreased from 5.2 to 3.64 over five days of fermentation. The total plate count, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts were significantly increased to approximately 7 Log10 CFU/g. The SWF has reduced caffeine content by 35%, while the CGA has decreased by roughly 20%. The SWF also led to an increase in TPC of approximately 31.5% and an increase in antioxidant activity of approximately 60%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fintech's rapid growth has changed the application zakat in Malaysia. Digital banking and technology haven't increased Malaysian youth involve in online zakat payments. This study tries to identify why youths adopt Zakat fintech. An online quantitative survey of 150 Zakat Fintech users collected opinions. The study used TRA, TPB, TAM as baseline theory. The proposed framework to achieve objective of study involve variable namely as attitude, subjective norms, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. The results show that the intention to utilize zakat fintech is positively impacted by subjective norm, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use and vice versa for Attitude. This study is expected to make a substantial contribution to theories concerning Zakat application. The study provides interested parties with crucial data to understand and improve Zakat application in Malaysia. Additional researchers can utilize the knowledge to develop future research frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The business sector is rife with unethical managerial practices, such as blaming subordinates for organizational failings, along with the exploitation of colleagues, favoritism, and conflicts of leadership. In light of this, numerous researchers have endeavored to explain the phenomenon of ethical perspectives and concerns. It is recommended that organizations in the SME sector adopt ethical practices in order to achieve their long-term objectives. This study stresses the influence of ethical leadership and technological innovation, particularly the mediating role of a positive attitude in encouraging good performance. This study, which was conducted in the SME sector of Malaysia in the state of Selangor, employed a convenience sampling technique for data collection and reports that ethical leadership, technological innovation, and attitude significantly influence performance. A mediating role of attitude in relation to technological innovation and innovative performance is hereby reported, and attitude towards performance was found to have an insignificant effect on ethical leadership and innovative performance. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by explaining the role of ethical leadership and technological innovation in expressing and assessing the revolutionary business practices required to ensure organizational success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical and Health Education (PHE) assessment is essential for evaluating students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes towards physical and health education. Despite the limited number of studies on conceptions of assessment, more research is needed to focus on PHE teachers in the local context. This quantitative study aims to uncover secondary school PHE teachers' conceptions of assessment by examining four variables: improvement, school accountability, student accountability, and irrelevance. The study involved 268 PHE teachers from two districts in Selangor, Malaysia. Results indicated that improvement received the highest level of agreement, while irrelevance had the lowest. A MANOVA analysis explored the effects of gender and years of teaching experience on teachers' perceptions. The analysis showed no significant gender differences, but teachers with more than 20 years of experience had a significantly different mean perception of assessment compared to all other groups, suggesting that teaching experience affects teachers' conceptions of assessment. The result of this study provides valuable insights for stakeholders in education, particularly in PHE assessment. Future research may benefit from incorporating qualitative methods to enhance the study's findings on conceptions of assessment among school teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest reserve degazettement affects the sustainability of forests by altering their ecological functions, hence threatening human livelihoods. This study examines a recently degazetted forest, using a survey of 120 local respondents living near the Ampang Forest Reserve (AFR) in Selangor, Malaysia. A simple random sampling technique was implemented to reduce sampling bias, and descriptive and correlation statistics were used in the analysis. The study aimed a) to examine the public perceived importance of forest ecosystem services from the AFR, b) to determine public awareness of a range of environmental threat levels towards the AFR's ecosystem services, and c) to assess public agreement on conservation measures that could increase protection and ensure the sustainability of ecosystem services from the remaining area of the AFR. The results revealed that all ecosystem services were perceived as important, and the public was mostly aware of environmental threats. At the same time, conservation measures should be implemented to protect and ensure the sustainability of ecosystem services from the AFR. This study provides insights into public perceptions of the importance of forest ecosystem services derived from vulnerable forest reserves. This indicates the relevance and need for better protection in high-risk forest areas, as local livelihood depends on its significant ecological roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the state of migrants' cultural adaptation in Malaysia, and how such an adaptation can help build our understanding of migrants' life and employment experiences in the country. In doing so, this study has adopted a quantitative approach, with a completed survey towards 410 migrant respondents, living and working temporarily in Selangor, Malaysia. A multiple regression analysis finds that the three most significant predictors contributing to the respondents' cultural adaptation are "positive experiences" (β =.677, p =.000), "closeness" (β = −.107, p =.008), and "social relationships" (β =.095, p =.032). While "positive experiences" and "social relationships" influence the migrant workers' adaptation positively, the "closeness" predictor on the contrary (negative). Another predictor, "disconnection", is found to be not statistically significant. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) reveals significant differences in the respondents' cultural adaptation based on such demographic characteristics as age, gender, level of education, nationality, length of employment, and sector of employment. For instance, female migrants are strongly associated with a higher level of "positive experiences" [F(1, 408) = 6.321, p =.013] and "social relationships" [F(1, 408) = 5.634, p =.018], while male migrants tend to rely on cultural proximity (i.e., "closeness") [F(1, 408) = 6.828, p =.009]. The discussion section highlights attributes such as the gender factor in cultural adaptation, preservation of cultural identities, and creation of migrants' symbolic places to understand how cultural adaptation intersects with the migrant workers' daily lives and experiences. This study concludes that as Malaysia's economy continues to rely on migrant workers, it needs to better understand the workers' cultural adaptation and their far-reaching impact on their life experiences and employment conditions in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective - This study assesses the effectiveness of Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) and records management practices within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Selangor. The primary objective is to determine the integration of records management into BCPs and identify the current development stage in SMEs' processes. Methodology/Technique - The research comprehensively examines Selangor SMEs' BCPs and records management practices. This multiple case study investigated the extent to which Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Selangor implemented business continuity management. Through document reviews and interviews with business owners and continuity managers, the study examined the integration of records management within continuity plans and assessed the impact on overall organizational resilience. Finding - The research excluded SMEs outside Selangor, focusing on managerial-level respondents from the records and information system department. The findings reveal a varied landscape, with some SMEs having well-established processes while others are still in the developmental stage. Notably, the research emphasizes the importance of identifying vital records within organizations to maintain essential operations and comply with regulatory requirements. Novelty - The study also underscores the need for regular BCP revisions and effective communication strategies to disseminate plans to employees. Moreover, it highlights the significance of including expertise in BCPs to enhance disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]