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This paper examines Melaka's links with the Middle East during the long fifteenth century through the evidence of the sources written in Arabic, Persian and Turkish. These comprise Arabic navigational texts, Arabic inscriptions from Melaka itself, Persian geographical texts, and Turkish chronicles and administrative documents. Together, they show how the Melaka sultanate was perceived and remembered in the broader Islamic world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Malaya began its relationship with the Ottoman Turkish Empire in the 15th century, during the time of the Melaka-Sultanate. This relationship continued even after the arrival of colonialists and the fall of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. At first, their relations were focused on politics and economics. These two kingdoms were considered to be the powerful Islamic forces that influenced Europe and Asia. The Sultan of Melaka visited Turkey several times to strengthen their relationship and even took an oath of allegiance to the Ottoman Turkish Empire, promising to defend Islam in Asia. After the fall of Melaka, the Ottoman Turkish Empire provided war aid through Aceh to help Melaka regain control of the seized kingdom. The Ottoman Turkish Empire also influenced the Malay community’s thinking and struggle to resist colonialism in the 18th century. The Malay community even took the Ottoman Turkish Empire as a model for freeing Malaya from Western threats. This paper will examine the initial relationship between the Melaka Malay Kingdom and the Ottoman Turkish Empire, particularly from a political perspective, and the type of influence that catalysed the Malays’ spirit to continue to rise and defend Malaya from external threats. This research will focus on document analysis and descriptive writing methods. The relationship between Malaya and the Turkish Government lasted until the Islamic caliphate fell in 1923. Furthermore, Ottoman Turkey was a significant Islamic government that the Malays expected to obey, as it acted as a power that was always concerned with Islam and the country as an Islamic state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Islam places great emphasis on matters related to faith and shariah. All practices and beliefs that are not based on original sources such as the Quran, Hadith, Ijma' and Qiyas are rejected by Islam. All forms of superstition, whether in the form of practice or belief, can lead to polytheism and are contrary to Islamic creed and shariah. However, some people today still believe and practice it in certain circumstances due to certain factors. This paper aims to identify the superstitious practices against babies that are still practiced among the Malay community in the state of Malacca. In addition, it will assess the level of understanding of superstitions against babies among them. The study respondents included 45 Malay women in a village in Central Melaka who had been married, pregnant and given birth. Data was analyzed as a percentage using Microsoft Excel software based on a Likert scale of 1-5. Findings show that there are 5 highest superstitious practices and 2 lowest superstitious practices ever performed by pregnant mothers towards babies during pregnancy, childbirth, and abstinence. In addition, pregnant women's understanding of superstitious practices against babies is at a moderate level. The highest mean value of 4.93 refers to respondents understanding that superstitious acts against babies are included in major sins and shirk to God while the lowest mean value of 1.57 refers to the statement 'I understand the entire practice of superstition against babies and have never done it'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reconstructs the history of Kling Muslims' contribution to the religious and ethnic cosmopolitanism of sixteenth-century Ayutthaya. This study's argument is constructed based on an aggregate of written fragments about the Kling in both Portuguese primary sources and the wider academic literature. We reveal that, amongst the many ways in which Siam benefited from the Iberian invasion of Melaka in 1511, the dramatic geopolitical rupture of the invasion re-routed trade across the Bay of Bengal. As a result, Kling merchants began arriving in Ayutthaya in greater numbers via the new network of Siamese-controlled ports and portages. Moreover, this study demonstrates the utility of greater synergy among South Asian, Southeast Asian, Thai, and Malay Studies through focusing on the exonyms employed in primary and secondary sources. Finally, this article contends that Ayutthaya's ethnic and religious cosmopolitanism was impacted by the arrival of South Asian Muslims, referred to as Kling in the Malay World and Khaek in Siam, approximately one century before Persians arrived in greater numbers. This, among others, was an unintended result of Portugal's sixteenth-century interventions into, and alliances with, the Siamese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous written sources and local tradition attribute the emergence of the Bugis kingdom of Suppa on the west coast of South Sulawesi (Indonesia) to events in the 15th century. A founding female figure emerged from the sea with her entourage and, together with a 'descended' male figure, established the various kingdoms in the Ajattappareng area. Details in the story and persistent memory suggest the presence of Malays from Melaka. Given the nature and purposes of Bugis historiography and ideology, together with generalised support from archaeology, it seems that this may represent a valid memory of actual events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reversion of the Chinese state, under the early Ming emperors, from private maritime shipping and trade to state-sponsored diplomatic and economic missions into Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean littoral under the Admiral Zheng He, has led to the Chinese textual documentation contains substantial information on the Sultanate of Melaka in the fifteenth century. However, this body of information, and the historical narrative of the Sultanate, has been based primarily on the extant records of the imperial Ming voyages, and the official bureaucratic records, such as the Ming shilu and Mingshi. Other texts post-dating the fifteenth century, including such encyclopedias as the Dongxi yangkao , draw their information on Melaka from these texts. The digitization of the Siku quanshu (Compendium of the Four Treasuries) commissioned in the late eighteenth century, has opened up the opportunity to discover hitherto unknown historical information, and the develop new paradigms and methodologies for the research of the history of Melaka. Importantly, the various entries of information on Melaka, found in the compendium that date after the fall of the Melaka Sultanate in 1511, provide insight into the lenses and experiences through which archivalisation, and the process in which Chinese officialdom collected information on the port-city, occurred through the course of the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. This paper utilizes digital database search processes to elucidate new aspects of the history of Melaka's trade and economic interactions with East Asia, and how Southeast Asia ports continued to feature in the memory landscape of the Chinese officialdom, long after the ceased to exist in the form of their original polities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Melaka-Southeast Asia-China links continue to receive considerable scholarly interest, the Melaka region's links with the economies of the northern Bay of Bengal have received less attention. Despite the fact that scholars have often focused extensively on the history of the Bay's western littoral, and that the Straits played a crucial role in linking this western littoral to the China Seas during the Melaka era, the region has been marginalised in scholarship. As will become clear, the history of Melaka during this time can be divided into two discrete periods. The first of these periods started with the city-state's foundation as regional rival to Ayutthaya by Palembang's monarch Parameswara ca. 1402, and the second began with the Portuguese conquest of the port-city in 1511, after which the Straits became not only a transnational passageway for Persians, Arabs, South, Southeast and East Asians, but also a hub in East-West commerce. This study will investigate changes occurring in the northern Bay of Bengal world consequent to Melaka's founding as regional emporium and subsequent emergence as an international marketplace, and ends with the Dutch capture of Melaka in 1641 and its subsequent decline concurrent with Batavia's promotion as regional entrepôt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introductory chapter and those that follow in this issue of JESHO celebrate the 500th anniversary of the c.1400–1511 strategic Melaka port-of-trade based Sultanate that controlled the Straits of Melaka maritime passageway connecting the Western and Eastern Indian Oceans to the China and Java Seas and beyond in eastern Asia until the Portuguese seizure of Melaka in 1511. As such, these studies update prior JESHO publications that have addressed Melaka's history since the Journal 's inception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration has produced many ethnic minority communities worldwide owing to sea-borne trade, religious evangelicalism, and colonialism. For centuries, these communities have existed alongside other cultures, creating multiethnic societies. However, changes in political, economic, and sociocultural conditions have caused these communities, typically with varying degrees of social alignment and sociocultural adaptation, to re-strategize their inter-ethnic interactions. One such minority community is the “Chitty” of Melaka, a distinct Tamil community that migrated to Melaka, a coastal port city that has flourished in trade and commerce since the late 14th century. This paper investigates the historiography, its hybridity and adaptation, and the concerns of ethnic invisibility faced by this community throughout its 700-year history. Through historical analysis and ethnographic observations, the study finds that the Chitty community has contributed significantly to the sociocultural, economic, and political fabrics of Melaka in different periods of history. Secondly, the Chitty’s hybridity nature enabled them greater dexterity to socioculturally adapt to the changing surroundings and dynamics in Melaka for the last seven centuries. Thirdly, the study finds that due to their marginality in numbers and the mass arrival of new Indian migrants, the ethnic visibility of the Chitty has diminished in the new Malaysian demographic.

Background: Burn injury remains one of the most frequent public frequent public health concerns that are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This study aims to understand the epidemiological profile of burn patients admitted to Burn Unit, Hospital Melaka between January 2016 and December 2018. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to review burn cases that were admitted to Burn Unit, Hospital Melaka from January 2016 to December 2018. The epidemiological data of 241 patients were collected and studied. Results: The etiology of burn was determined: 230 (95.4%) thermal burns, 4 (1.7%) electrical burns, and 7 (2.9%) chemical burns. In 230 cases of thermal burn, 85 (37.0%) of accidents were caused by flames, 119 (51.7%) by scalds, and 26 (11.3%) by contact with hot objects. One hundred and eighty-nine (63.2%) of the patients were male, the remaining 110 patients (36.8%) were female. The female/male ratio was 1:1.7. The duration of hospitalization stay was 8 days. Mortality rate was 3.34% with 50% of deaths following major burn were due to sepsis with multiorgan failure. Conclusion: This study provides an overview on demographic features of burn patients admitted to Hospital Melaka.

This study discusses urbanism in pre-colonial Melaka city, focusing on pre-colonial Melaka city during the Malay Sultanate of Melaka. This study aims to (i) explore the urbanism of the pre-colonial Melaka, and ii) study the matrix analysis of pre-colonial Melaka. Data was gathered through secondary data content analysis drawn from previous works such as documented textual analyses and lithographs. The results demonstrate that pre-colonial Melaka urbanism is characterised by sustainable traditional urban forms such as palatial fort, mosques, market, settlements, and padang. Furthermore, the close proximity from the palace to the estuary and bridge reflects the idea that a palace serves as a defence building, centre of administration, and royal residence. Observations of pre-colonial Melaka urbanism shows a degree of city planning, reflecting that sustainable and natural growth is embedded in the Melaka Sultanate era.DOI: https://doi.org/10.20365/disegnarecon.25.2020.21

As messengers of a peaceful gospel, the 'Christian soldiers' put in charge of expanding the remit of the London Missionary Society to South-east Asia and, eventually, to South China frequently found themselves at war with each other. Based on the personal correspondence of missionaries stationed at Melaka, Batavia and Guangzhou, the present article analyses both the challenges faced by the missionary circle as well as the disagreements which developed. The Protestant missionaries sailed in the wake of the Dutch and British navies after the Napoleonic wars. They thus found themselves both protected and held at ransom by the colonial politics which ensued, resulting in personal decisions which could pit individual missionaries against each other. Not a few missionaries were of continental European origin – for example, Thomsen, Brückner and Gützlaff – accentuating rivalries between the colonial enterprises and between competing missionary societies. Differences in personality, such as Robert Morrison's proverbial severity or the schoolmastery of William Milne, did little to alleviate such tensions. But arguably the most important reason for the 'murmurings and disputings' observed by Robert Morrison was radically different outlooks concerning the objectives of the mission. These related to conversion methods, to the educational paradigm of the Christian missions, and methods of outreach, pitting a highly mobile 'entrepreneurial' approach against the stability of the mission stations. Importantly in the polyethnic composition of south-eastern Asia, opinions differed on the utility of the Malayan languages, South Chinese vernaculars or the language used by Chinese officials. Dissension within the Ultra-Ganges Missions arose from the essential bifurcation between life in the 'here & now' and a future destiny in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was conceptualized to be a stepping stone for analysis of BCC in Melaka. Aims and Objective: To analyse the incidence of BCC in Melaka and analyse the distribution of age, gender, ethnicity, localization of lesion and treatment done. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis on patients who were diagnosed and treated for BCC was conducted in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Hospital Melaka from January 2013 until March 2019. Result: There were 152 patients diagnosed with BCCs (N=152) involving 80 women (52.6%) and 72 men (47.4%) over the study period. The patients were aged between 18–92 years with average age for women were 66.2 years and 66.1 tears for men. The majority of cases, 134 (88.2%) were located on the head and neck region. The most common ethnic group to be affected by BCC is the Chinese with 78 (51.3%) followed by Malays at 72 (47.4%) and 1 (0.7%) for Indians and 1 (0.7%) for other minor ethnic group. There were 89 (58.6%) patients underwent excision only whilst 63 (41.4%) patients underwent excision with reconstruction either with skin grafting or local flap. Conclusion: Basal cell carcinoma is a common cutaneous malignancy. The local demographics of patients with BCC in Melaka are similar to that in the literature. We hope with the data provided, it will facilitate better outcome treatment of BCC not just in our local setting but elsewhere worldwide.

Jointly-listed with George Town as a UNESCO world heritage site since 2008, Melaka is one of the few cities in Muslim-majority Malaysia where the public display of statues is not unusual. A replica of Rio De Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer built in the city's Portuguese settlement in 2017 nevertheless caused controversy due to its subject matter. As the largest statue in tourist-dependent Melaka, its public acceptance is an important cultural and heritage issue. It showcases a minority community's attempt to self-identify with a replica of a foreign cultural icon, raising questions about symbolism and authenticity surrounding how a new and imported construct can represent an old and localized culture. By highlighting the reaction of academic tourists to Melaka's Christ the Redeemer, this study shows how a small but strongly-motivated community can create a new statue that is nevertheless accepted as a proclamation of heritage. It is an example of how even a contentious monument can be protected from demolition by adding it to society's social conscience and 'tourist gaze'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little historical information is available about early Chinese settlement in Southeast Asia. By the 15th century several Chinese settlements of significant size had formed, but they vanished by the time the Portuguese reached the region. This article surveys the historical literature on these early overseas Chinese settlements, and summarizes the contributions which archaeology can make to clarifying the timing and nature of the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roof Crown of the mosque is a 3D ornament designed in various shapes and sizes. Roof Crown has its own unique characteristics that have a basic rectangle, pyramid-shaped, terraced, and have angle decoration. However, the uniqueness of the mosque's rooftop crown is now threatened and its numbers are dwindling due to the fact that some of the people who do not accept and say that this decoration is not in the mosque building due to reasons which do not adhere to Islamic teachings. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to be mapping the location of the roof crown of mosque and the typological classification of the crown design found on the crown roof of the mosque in Malacca. The research method used to achieve this objective is to use qualitative methods involving library and field studies as well as using typology of analysis. This study was conducted in all districts in the State of Malacca namely Jasin, Central Malacca and Alor Gajah. The research was carried out in 360 ° visual documentation using DJI Phantom 3 Standard Dron technology to get detailed roof crown design as well as Google Maps application to map the location of the mosque. The use of Adobe Illustrator also helped to create a visual illustration of a mosque's crowning crown in Malacca. The results of this study have found that 38 traditional mosques still have a rooftop crown in Malacca. The results of this study have identified several types of design typologies that have been featured in the design of a mosque roof crown in Malacca. The findings of this study are expected to keep the crown jewel of the mosque still in use in the mosque building as an art decoration that represents the identity of the local Muslim community, especially in Malacca. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: School counselling interventions have a substantial impact on students' educational and personal development. Individual and small group counselling, classroom guidance and consultation activities seem to contribute directly to students' success in the classroom and beyond. Aim: This paper attempted to study impact of counselling services in universities in Melaka state, Malaysia. Method: The research was carried out in four universities in Melaka, with a total sample of 564 students. Findings: The results showed that all research variables tested (awareness, resources, counsellor, management policy and effectiveness of counselling) were rated more highly in public universities than in private universities, with each variable achieving a p‐value of <.05. Implications: All research variables tested (awareness, resources, counsellor, management policy and effectiveness of counselling) were rated more highly in public universities than in private universities. It is possible that this is because public universities follow Act 580 of the Counselling Act, which makes it compulsory for public universities to have counsellors, while this is not the case for private universities. Employing a counsellor is an additional cost and it may be that there is more reluctance to invest in the welfare of students in the private sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the curious case study of Thai literary networks in the late Ayutthaya, the networks' adoption and adaptations of the Javanese Panji epic, and what these innovations reveal about the form of cosmopolitanism that existed until the late Bangkok period. While windows into what we refer to as Siamese cosmopolitanism have been reconstructed by historians in accounts of Persian, Portuguese, Dutch, French, Chinese, and Japanese mercantile networks, our treatment of this important topic expands the units of analysis to include Thai literary networks. Davisakd Puaksom's excellent doctoral dissertation piqued our interest in Panji's Siamese adoptions and adaptations, but we set ourselves the task of exploring the utility of Ronit Ricci's Islam Translated, which analyzes Tamil, Javanese, and Malay sources for Thai studies. We pursue a comparative approach to Southeast Asian historiography in ways that increase the dialogue between Thai studies specialists and members of the Malay Studies Guild. Having described the most important Thai version of this Javanese epic produced by Siamese literary networks from the Ayutthaya through to the late Bangkok period, we consider the principal historical personalities and processes that brought Panji to cosmopolitan Ayutthaya. After providing details about the presence of Javanese individuals and influences in both Ayutthaya and Patani, we introduce insights provided by literary scholars and historians concerning the notoriously ambiguous terms "Java/Jawah/Javanese" and "Malay/Melayu." These form the foundation for putting forward arguments about Ayutthaya having fostered forms of cosmopolitanism resembling the fluid linguistic and cultural milieu that flourished in other Southeast Asian port polities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is analyzes the local policy implementation by the state authorities at two historical cities, namely Melaka (Malacca) and George Town, Penang. Both cities are awarded as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Or- ganization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites. One of the most prominent compo- nent of tangible cultural heritage is historic buildings. Thus, it is essential to ensure the sustainability of those buildings so that they will keep attracting more domestic and international travelers. Lack of awareness from the local residents is one main issue arises due to some policies imposed by the local government concerning the historic buildings. This paper is based on previous literature and from findings of a study. The findings were obtained from content analysis of local daily bilingual print newspapers namely The Star and Berita Harian (BH) on the portrayal of cultural heritage in Malaysia. The result of this paper would sheds some light, especially on the conservation of historical buildings to both historical cities through the role of the state government and agencies in imple- menting and enforcing the formulated policies.

Background: This study was conceptualized to be a stepping stone for analysis of BCC in Melaka. Aims and Objective: To analyse the incidence of BCC in Melaka and analyse the distribution of age, gender, ethnicity, localization of lesion and treatment done. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis on patients who were diagnosed and treated for BCC was conducted in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Hospital Melaka from January 2013 until March 2019. Result: There were 152 patients diagnosed with BCCs (N=152) involving 80 women (52.6%) and 72 men (47.4%) over the study period. The patients were aged between 18-92 years with average age for women were 66.2 years and 66.1 years for men. The majority of cases, 134 (88.2%) were located on the head and neck region. The most common ethnic group to be affected by BCC is the Chinese with 78 (51.3%) followed by Malays at 72 (47.4%) and 1 (0.7%) for Indians and 1 (0.7%) for other minor ethnic group. There were 89 (58.6%) patients that underwent excision only whilst 63 (41.4%) patients underwent excision with reconstruction either with skin grafting or local flap. Conclusion: Basal cell carcinoma is a common cutaneous malignancy. The local demographics of patients with BCC in Melaka are similar to that in the literature. We hope with the data provided, it will facilitate better outcome for treatment of BCC not just in our local setting but elsewhere worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the applicability of the Zomia concept for social scientific studies of the Malaysian region, with a focus on the Malaysian port cities, including Melaka. While for both empirical and socio-cultural reasons the term Zomia itself may not be entirely appropriate to the Malaysian Melaka region, the analytical implications that are based on James C. Scott’s usage of it, particularly the emphasis on the cultural dynamics of inter-ethnic, inter-national, and inter-religious relations of port areas, can be of great utility to those working in the Malaysian region. Zomia is a neologism gaining popularity with the publication of James C. Scott’s provocative book, The art of not being governed: an anarchist history of upland Southeast Asia. The term of Zomia is designed to indicate the people who has not been governed by the nation-state and national regime.

This article examines legal aspects of Marriage law in the Sultanate of Malaka in the 15th and 16th centuries. It focuses on some legal aspects of Undang-undang Melaka (a text of laws of Melaka) represented by Liaw Yock Fang, regarding the issues of marriage such as wali (marriage guardian), ijāb-qabūl (consent of both parties), witness(es), t\alāq (repudiation), faskh (broken marriage contract), interfaith marriage and marrying slave. This study aims to know the source of the marriage laws of Undang-Undang Melaka (UUM). It shows that UUM was a collection of common law in Melaka and consisted of Islamic law. One aspect of Islamic laws was marriage law. In UUM, the legal aspect was based on fiqh of several schools (madhhab), particularly the al-Shāfi‘ī school derived from al-Iqnā’ written by al-Sharbini. This finding also refuses the previous research finding stating that it was derived from al-Taqrīb by Abū Shujā‘.

This paper aims to report the findings of an empirical research focusing on the role of web design that influence purchase intention in hotel industry. With very little effort or time, hoteliers can publish hotel information on their website and customers can make room reservations online. To understand the mechanism surrounding these transactions, this study was conducted to investigate the role of web design that influence purchase intention in the hotel industry. The data for this study will be collected by using questionnaires from 150 respondents in the hotel industry at Melaka. The results indicate that purchase intention on website hotel are determined by usability, functionality, perceived usefulness and ease of use. Overall, in this research findings, the ease of use is the most influence and has resulted in a significant on the online purchase intention with a value of 0.000. The collected data will be analysed, interpreted and discuss in this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthcare facilities are required for all levels of a population regardless of age, race or socioeconomic status. Provision for healthcare facilities requires knowledge of population data and area for placement of healthcare facilities. The main objective of this paper is to examine the relationship between availabilities of healthcare facilities and population in districts in Melaka. This study is based on population data and distribution of healthcare facilities which were obtained from the Department of Statistics Malaysia and Malaysia Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU). Both types of data were converted into geographic information systems (GIS) data format using QuantumGIS. Then these data were analysed using two main methods using GeoDa and ArcGIS applications. First is by using a formula set by a global standard, ISO37120 to measure healthcare facilities adequacy. Secondly, spatial statistics, Bivariate Moran's I was used to examine the relationship between population and healthcare facilities distribution. Local Moran's I was used to examine the cluster of population distribution. Findings show the allocation of healthcare facilities is sufficient according to the Malaysian Community Facilities Guideline. A high-high cluster of the population is found in Melaka Tengah District. However, the relationship between the total population and number of public hospital in-patient beds are negatively correlated. Similar results are obtained for private clinics and pharmacy. This result shows higher population distribution has less number of public hospital inpatient beds, the number of private clinics and pharmacy. However, Bivariate Moran's I analysis yields a different output for the public clinic. This result shows the high number of population distribution is positively correlated with a high number of public clinics. Thus, authorities, in this case, would be the Ministry of Health and Melaka state government should be aware of the current availability of healthcare facilities to its population in ensuring a high level of healthcare services provided in the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Melaka Manipal Medical College (MMMC), India, offers a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme of 5 years duration. Majority (98%) of students in this programme are Malaysians. The present study was intended to explore students’ perspectives about the academic and non-academic aspects of their life in the campus. Methods: Students (n=126) of the first year of the MBBS programme, living in the campus for 10 months, were included in the study. They were asked to respond to a questionnaire consisting of 18 items each in the academic and non-academic categories and the responses were analysed. Results: Students felt that the content of the syllabus in the first year was adequate(85%) and clinically oriented(70%). They found faculty approachable, accessible outside class hours(92%) and inspirational to achieve higher goals(84%). They felt that their feedback was valued(82%) and assessment methods effective(74%). However, they opined that the work load was too heavy(70%), teaching hours too long and as a result concentration in class difficult(78%). An attendance requirement of 90% for appearing for the final examination was a matter of concern(70%). They also wished they had more avenues (77%) and time (83%), for relaxation after class. Conclusion: The students were able to appreciate the strengths of the academic programme as well as motivational attributes of the faculty. Guidance regarding time management may be in order to help them manage their workload.

Melaka and Georgetown, Penang, received UNESCO recognition as a World Heritage Site (WHS) in 2008. "Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca", both Melaka and Georgetown have heritage of outstanding universal value (OUV), which means cultural and/or natural significance so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and be of common importance for present and future generations. Sustainable protection of this heritage is thus of highest importance to the international community. In UNESCO-initiated conventions such as the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage 2003 and UNESCO World Heritage Centre's Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention 2015, participation of communities and individuals that create, maintain and transmit such heritage is given much emphasis. To what extent is the concept of a community-based heritage protection and conservation adopted by authorities in WHSs in their efforts to safeguard the heritage of OUV and sustain the status of their respective sites? This article argues that for sustainable continuity as a WHS, the local communities of WHSs should be regarded as the subject of development, and not as object of development, where they should be one of the principal actors, and actively involved in decisionmaking that will impact their living conditions and life. Based on Melaka as a case study, this article discusses the participation of the local communities in the planning and management of heritage protection and conservation of Melaka as a WHS. A series of consultations and focus group discussions were conducted with the various communities in 2013–2014. The research findings indicate that community participation in the planning and management process is minimal and that the local community is largely excluded from this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is the substantial update to a journal article published in 1981, focal on the first northeast Sumatra fourteenth- and fifteenthcentury Islamic Sultanate Samudra-Pasai port-of-trade. In doing so the study represents the significant transitions in Indian Ocean history that were substantially influenced by Michael Pearson's scholarship. Samudra-Pasai was a notable eastern Indian Ocean fourteenth- and fifteenth-century Straits of Melaka international maritime stopover that competed against the west-central Malay Peninsula-based Melaka emporium for regional commercial prominence prior to Portuguese seizure of Melaka in 1511. Past histories are based on the several surviving contemporary maritime sojourner accounts, Chinese dynastic records, and the local sixteenth-century Hikayat Raja-Raja Pasai dynastic chronicle. Recent anthropological surveys of the Sumatra upstream pair with new archaeological recoveries, which include dated Arabic script inscribed dynastic tombstones, to mandate a re-evaluation of upstream downstream networking that was the basis of Samudra- Pasai's over two-century sovereignty. This study moves beyond initially innovative 1970s conceptions of early Straits of Melaka upstreamdownstream networking in its incorporation of Michael Pearson's adaptive characterizations of Indian Ocean port-of-trade coastline littorals, and introduces the importance of newly focal offshore communities as these are now prominent in the most recent Indian Ocean scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The services offered by a host of unique and friendly to international tourists to visit somewhere especially in Malacca which has been recognized as a UNESCO heritage site. From the above scenario, arises a question mark whether the product services requested by international tourists and could be offered by the host to international tourists. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the extent of the influence of the host to international tourists in the services sector in Jonker Streeet. The study includes 100 hosts and 150 international tourists. The results showed interaction with host international tourists in the services sector earn an average mean of 3.79 where international tourism is satisfied to interact with the host in the service sector. Among the services offered by the product host is, accommodations, places of worship, transportation facilities, restaurant / cafe, how to entertain and other services. In summary, the product of the services offered by the host in Jonker Street while interacting with international tourists are enjoyed by international tourists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the applicability of the Zomia concept for social scientific studies of the Malaysian region, with a focus on the Malaysian port cities, including Melaka. While for both empirical and socio-cultural reasons the term Zomia itself may not be entirely appropriate to the Malaysian Melaka region, the analytical implications that are based on James C. Scott’s usage of it, particularly the emphasis on the cultural dynamics of inter-ethnic, inter-national, and inter-religious relations of port areas, can be of great utility to those working in the Malaysian region. Zomia is a neologism gaining popularity with the publication of James C. Scott’s provocative book, The art of not being governed: an anarchist history of upland Southeast Asia. The term of Zomia is designed to indicate the people who has not been governed by the nation-state and national regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total Organic Carbon and Carbon/Nitrogen ratio were determined from the sediments samples collected from eleven study areas in Kuala Sungai Baru Melaka. The high percentage of organic carbon observed in Station 8 ranging 1.88% and this could be attributed to organic matter from industrial, residential and municipal wastewater around the study areas. Comparatively higher C/N ratio was found in Station 1 of 68.04 which is in the sea; this could be the result of the rain that happened the day before we collected the samples. With various agricultural wastes from the palm oil and rubber plantation, forest, padi field and the effluent from the pig farm attribute to the higher number of C/N ratio which is most likely accumulated in Station 1. However, overall results can support the idea that sediments in Kuala Sungai Baru were mostly derive from the primary production in the sampling sites. The result results show that the water quality in all the sampling stations is classified as Water Supply II category based on Interim National Water Quality Standards for Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two key Malaysian heritage NGOs were founded in the mid-1980s, Badan Warisan Malaysia (BWM) in Kuala Lumpur in 1983 and the Penang Heritage Trust (PHT) in 1985. Other NGOs, such as the Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP, formed in 1969), Institut Masyarakat (Community Institute, mid-1970s) and Aliran (1977) had previously pursued heritage conservation as part of a broader agenda they termed 'sustainable development', opposing a development model used by town councils and state governments, as well as property developers, which replaced heritage buildings with shopping complexes, office towers, and tourist theme parks. This article traces the history of Malaysia's heritage NGOs and their involvement in decades of 'heritage battles' prior to the passing of Malaysia's National Heritage Act in 2005, reviewing the impact of their ideas of 'sustainable development' across several decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism has been one of the largest contributors towards Malaysian GDP over the last three decades. In essence, Malaysia generated 1,795,500 employments in 2013 of which some 6.5% of the total employment was created in the tourism sector. The study deals with extraction of tourists’ expenditure in five tourism sectors, accommodation, food and beverages, entertainment, shopping and transportation that lead to direct community benefits. Diary record survey was conducted at three different groups of selected hotels based on stars ratings- 5 & 4 stars hotel; 3,2& 1 stars hotel; and budget hotels. The total number of 1500 survey booklets was distributed, only 1000 surveys were collected. The preliminary findings suggested that tourists spent 64.7% of their expenditure for transportation and only 1.4% for shopping. On average, it was also found that actual expenditure was rated at RM172 against the budgeted amount of RM306 per day. 34.3% of tourists spent were channeled to the local community. This study identifies and assesses Melaka's position as an affordable tourist destination and how tourism indeed contributed to the local population indeed positively promotes the sustenance of and directly benefits their economic well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]