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Public universities have recently struggled to maintain operating costs due to a budget reduction from Federal Government. Thus, universities must diversify their revenue streams by utilizing the land as one of their valuable assets. However, since the university is not a for-profit institution, it is difficult for them to generate income from land use. This study examines the challenges that universities encounter when managing the usage of their land for the purpose of generating income. The challenges are determined using content analysis of secondary data and the result of this study has identified the four main challenges. Keywords: University Land, Income Generation, Managing University Land Use eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under the responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians), and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7i21.3744

Small estates are the property and all rights left by the deceased that belong to him during life and will belong to the heirs after his death. Every year, the issue of these idle small estate assets has been reported to be on the rise, which is now a challenge to resolve. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to examine the challenges that led to the issue of idle small estates as well as the potential that can be highlighted in helping to develop and at the same time resolve the issue of these idle small estates. The research methodology is qualitative by using content analysis on previous studies through reference to journals, articles, books, papers, and other relevant written materials to describe the issues, challenges, and potential to resolve the issue of idle small estates in Malaysia. The issues, challenges, and potential solutions of this idle small estate are analyses descriptively and thematically to discuss the results of the study more systematically. The results show that there are four aspects of the challenge that have been identified as drivers of the issue of idle small estates in Malaysia. Aspects of the challenge refer to legal, administrative, social, and economic issues. Findings on the potential to resolve this issue refer to the strengthening of the implementation of policies and legislation; the strengthening of the system of governance; the strengthening and increased involvement of the community; and the increased availability of needs in rural areas. This study can be beneficial for all levels of society, especially Muslims, as well as the parties responsible for these small estates to be more effective in overcoming and at the same time resolving the issue of idle small estates in Malaysia.

The public universities has recently struggled to maintain its operating costs due to a reduction in budget allocation from Federal Government. As a result, public universities must diversify their revenue sources in order to maintain their operating costs. One initiative that could be taken is through effectively manage the university assets in which land is one of the important components. Land is one of the tangible assets that needs for a systematic operational in a way to achieve assets greatest return. Therefore university as landowner must ensure that their land is strategically and efficiently managed, in order to achieve the best and highest return. The land management theory has emphasis on putting land into efficient use and good effect. Land policy, land information, and land administration are the three components of land management that put land use for good effect. These three components are important to ensuring that land management meets its objectives. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to review on how university managing their land and what are the essential component that supports good land management practice in University. To achieve this, qualitative method used in this research in which it will rely on the analysis of the relevant statutes, university’s strategic plan of the university, the policy and procedure of university land management, journal and book are reviewed to identify the information and practice on university land management. This Study found four component of university land management which are land management unit, land information management, the statement of strategic plan, policy and procedures as well as financial management. These components should be useful for universities especially to their decisions-makers, such as chancellors and asset managers.

The delivery of information or news in a community is very much emphasized so that all announcements related to the community and neighbourhood can be delivered clearly, truthfully and quickly. The selection of delivery system indicators also depends on the level of acceptance of the community in a neighbourhood. This means, sometimes residents ’associations need to think the way of a presentation that can attract the community to read it and take proactive steps so that the community does not drop out of knowing authentic information. The methodology of this paper used in depth interviews with 11 resident’ associations in Johor Bahru. This aims to get information more clearly on how the residents' association conveys all forms of neighbourhood information to the community in it. The findings of the study founded that the popular method used by residents' associations is through the WhatsApp medium and also through the sending of leaflets or memos to the community. This communication medium is very popular because it is faster, easier and cost effective. Overall, the writing of this paper showed the importance of the actions and initiatives of residents' associations as the party that governs the guarded neighbourhood in ensuring that the community receives information from legitimate elements and at the same time can strengthen friendship when all communities are involved in each program that has been planned.

The encroachment on government land is an issue faced by the Perak state government. This land encroachment problem has caused losses to the state government in terms of revenue. Various solutions have been implemented by the Perak government to address the issue of encroachment, but the issue of encroachment still occurs to this day. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the causes that cause the existing solution to be ineffective and to study alternative solutions to address the issue of encroachment of government land in the state of Perak. To achieve the objectives of the study, a qualitative design was used. Two types of data were obtained, namely primary data and secondary data. Primary data was obtained by interviewing officers from the Enforcement and Technical Unit under the Office of the Director of Lands and Mines Perak to provide an overview of the current situation and feedback on the issue of land encroachment. While for secondary data obtained from extracts of previous studies, newspaper clippings, and related journals. These data are then analysed using descriptive analysis methods. The results of the study found that there are three sources of existing solutions that are ineffective, namely political intervention, limited financial allocation, and security threats from intruders. In addition, there are several alternative solutions that have been proposed, namely the use of technology and the creation of a complete database of encroached land. In conclusion, it is hoped that the findings of this study will benefit all parties, especially the government in addressing the issues of encroachment on land owned by the state government.

Non-tax revenue trends and their potential have received less attention than property tax, which is the primary source for most Malaysian local authorities (LAs). This paper highlights the examination conducted on potentials and strategies adopted by each LA investigated to maximize return from non-tax revenue. In doing this, qualitative approach using secondary data acquired from financial reports and primary data from in-depth interviews was employed. Ten LAs were selected through purposive sampling. The trend of revenue collection among the selected LAs and the strategies to improve non-tax revenue collection through thematic analysis are highlighted. The analysis of the trend of local authorities’ revenue reveals that non-tax revenue remains the second most important after the tax revenue. However, Pulau Pinang City Council (MBPP) is the only LA that records an average of non-tax revenue exceeding 50 per cent of its total internal revenue. This study has also found that the divergence among the local authorities’ non-tax revenue collection is due to the revenue improvement strategies adopted by each local authority. Therefore, eight recommendations are made to improve non-tax revenue. Though this study is limited to 10 LAs as sample, the successful optimizing strategies highlighted from the study can represent an efficient model for other LAs, in improving their non-tax collection.

Education plays an important role in enabling people to live together in ways that contribute to sustainable development (SD) agendas. Within similar agendas, the higher education (HE) system also actively integrates various approaches toward sustainability, such as design for sustainability (DfS) or sustainable design. This involves efforts to redesign the current education system by placing elements of sustainability in all its curricula. The objective is to empower students as future leaders with knowledge to help design new products and processes that meet the SD goals (social, economic, and environmental). In this chapter, integration of DfS or sustainable design in the HE system toward achieving sustainability agendas are presented. Several case studies on how sustainable design elements were taught to HE students through blended-mode curriculum (theory and hands-on project works) are also discussed. Furthermore, remarks about the challenges to integrate a sustainable design concept in HE are also elaborated on.

Rural hollowing is a recent geographic phenomenon that has received significant attention in China, which experienced rapid urbanization. It is formed due to many houses was kept empty by the owner and a lot of new rural house were built outside the village and retaining the old ones in the inner village. It has led to the wasteful use of land resources and abandoned the houses. The purpose of this paper is to review recent research on the manifestation of rural hollowing phenomenon around the world. In this regard, is revise done based on two objectives: Firstly, to identify each manifestation of rural hollowing and secondly to examine the characteristics of each manifestation. The review made mainly in accordance with point researchers findings particularly on the Phenomenon of Rural Hollowing in rural China, Iran, Europe, and other developed countries or regions. The review found that the problems of rural hollowing manifest themselves in the following aspect: land hollowing (LH); population hollowing (PH); economic hollowing (EH); physical hollowing (PhH); hollowing of infrastructure and social services (IH); and cultural hollowing (CH). Each of the manifestations has its own characteristics in order to categorize each of the manifestations of rural hollowing. The review is particularly useful especially in Malaysia, and need for further research in Malaysia according to the problems of vacant and idle houses in the rural area.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the sustainability levels in terms of sustainability practices amongst public-listed property companies in Southeast Asia. Design/methodology/approach The websites and annual reports for each company were assessed to determine the level of sustainability practices amongst property companies in Southeast Asia. Their sustainability strategies were then rigorously assessed by using a scorecard which assesses sustainability levels based on related issues. Findings The results show that green or sustainable property development in Southeast Asian countries remains at a moderate level. There is still much room for improvement to enhance the level of green attributes in property development. Research limitations/implications This paper only assesses property development companies in five Southeast Asian countries; namely, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Originality/value Given the increasingly significant sustainability issues – especially amongst international property development players, this paper attempts to deliver better informed investment and decision-making ideas for sustainable property developments.

Growing awareness worldwide toward sustainability has spurred many initiatives to search and apply more environmentally friendly solutions in daily activities. One of the solutions highly investigated currently is for the application of natural fiber composites (NFCs) as a substitution material especially to synthetic composites and other traditional engineering materials. NFC offers many advantages in terms of environmental performance such as renewability, recyclability, and biodegradability, in addition to lower raw material costs and lightweight property. In this chapter, the sustainability performance of natural fiber composites is explained based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis, a methodology formulated to assess the potential environmental impact of products throughout all of their life cycle stages. Among the discussions included are the LCA analysis methodology and collection of research on LCA analysis conducted for natural fiber composites. In addition, a case study on the application of LCA analysis to evaluate the potential environmental impact of automotive products made from natural fiber composites is also included. Eco-indicator 99 method was applied as an impact assessment method in the simplified LCA analysis, based on cradle-to-grave approach. The case study showed that the use of NFCs in hybrid form to produce automotive anti-roll bar components resulted in a lower eco-indicator score, compared to current use of spring steel material. The case study also showcased how the LCA methodology is able to help product designers in performing simplified LCA analysis to assess products' environmental impact holistically throughout their life cycle stages.

In Malaysia, rivers were homes to vital communities and they initiated the emergence of cities around them. Population growth, economic growth, urbanisation and increased technology have transformed many Malaysian river systems from water industries into non-water industries. The focus of this study was to examine the level of success for sustainable waterfront development in Malaysia as well as to identify the barriers in achieving best practices in waterfront development in Malaysia. The findings of this research were based on the questionnaires mailed and e-mailed to property development companies listed by Bursa Malaysia in 2009. The findings indicated that the level of successful implementation of waterfront development in Malaysia was considered low. This was attributed by several reasons such as; difficulty in balancing the various social, economic and financial needs of the various stakeholders, no collaboration between stakeholders, and external interference and lack of human expertise. The attributes identified were then recommended to be improved in order to achieve best practices of waterfront development in Malaysia in future.

Proses pembandaran telah menimbulkan pelbagai implikasi kepada masyarakat di bandar. Sejak kebelakangan ini, keselamatan merupakan antara isu utama yang sering diperkatakan oleh masyarakat di bandar. Rentetan itu, Malaysia turut tidak terkecuali melaksanakan pelbagai strategi melalui Program Bandar Selamat bertujuan untuk meningkatkan tahap keselamatan masyarakat. Kajian ini cuba menyingkap secara terperinci tentang konsep Bandar Selamat dengan mengambil satu pendekatan kajian kes ke atas kawasan perumahan di Bandaraya Shah Alam yang bertujuan untuk memahami konsep sebenar pelaksanaan bandar selamat serta keberkesanannya untuk meningkatkan tahap keselamatan penduduk. Penilaian ke atas program ini diperolehi menerusi kaedah temu bual dengan penduduk Bandaraya Shah Alam. Kajian ini mendapati bahawa Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan (PBT) telah melaksanakan konsep bandar selamat yang amat bergantung kepada persekitaran fizikal. Strategi ini dipercayai dapat mencegah perilaku jenayah sekali gus meningkatkan tahap keselamatan penduduk. Bagaimanapun, kajian telah membuktikan bahawa faktor–faktor fizikal kurang diberi perhatian oleh penduduk, sebaliknya mereka telah melaksana langkah–langkah keselamatan menerusi pelbagai kegiatan kemasyarakatan untuk mencegah perilaku jenayah di kawasan tempat tinggal mereka. Kata kunci: Keselamatan; bandar selamat; jenayah; CPTED; perumahan In recent years, safety becomes one of prominent issues amongst urban community. This issue has led to the implementation of Safe City Programme in Malaysia as to strengthening the urban community safety. In Malaysia, Shah Alam City has been declared as the first Safe City in this country. However, this recognition is arguable due to its crime rates, which is found higher compared with other cities. In fact, crime rates appear to be common indicator among the urban community for measuring the urban safety. Therefore, a case study has been carried out in Shah Alam residential area as to have better understanding about the concept of Safe City Programme and its effectiveness towards community safety. The evaluation is based on the community perception in which, gathered from indepth interview. It is found that the respective local authority is highly relied on the physical environment that is believed to be effective in preventing crime. On the other hand, the physical factor has brought less effect to the community, but they have come up with their own safety strategies through numerous social activities as to combat crime at their place. Key words: Safety; safe city; crime; CPTED; residential

The management activities of the local authorities were audited to evaluate whether the planning of programs and activities was carried out successfully within the stipulated period, without any wastage. Generally, any issues or weaknesses of activities will be revealed by the audit. Thus, the outcome of the audit will assist local authorities to take corrective action on the issues raised so that value for money could be obtained. The objective of this paper is to review what are the issues that frequently be raised by the audit on local authorities’ immovable assets. A total of 13 projects were reviewed through the Auditor General Report on the activities of State Government Department and Agencies from 2011 to 2013. The review only involved projects on local authorities’ immovable property. Document analysis method was used to know the evaluation done by the Malaysian National Audit Department of the local authority property management over the years. Out of 13 projects being reviewed, it can be concluded that there were seven main matters that have caused a lot of money being wasted for namely high arrears of rental and tax revenue, poor maintenance, vandalism and theft activities, delayed project, poor documentation, record and system, abandoned and unutilized asset also weak monitoring and enforcement by the council on property. Factors were interrelated to each other make more money to be spent in managing a property. In conclusion, property management in Local authorities is still in unsatisfactory level. Comments issued by the National Audit Department may be a best guideline for improvements. This paper proposed further research to be undertaken into property management issues based on category of immovable property.