Search

Malaysia is often regarded as a multi-ethnic nation that inherited a few ethnic groups who were taken as homogeneous unions. Still, the rise of Islamophobia in Western countries has increased the same sentiment among Malaysian non-Muslim Indians, with the HIND RAF protest in 2007 demonstrating their deep concern for religious freedom. This study aims to understand the formation of Islamophobia among Malaysian non-Muslim Indians and their perceptions of Islam. This study employed the focus group method to collect data, thematic analysis to analyze data and purposive sampling to recruit 16 non-Muslim Indian undergraduate students. Intergroup contact theory was used as a framework to understand the mechanism for the formation of Islamophobia. Results showed that although participants from public universities have more contact with Muslim classmates than those from private universities, their knowledge and perception of Islam, as well as the levels of their Islamophobia are quite the same. The results suggest that it is important not only to increase contact between Muslims and non-Muslims in Malaysia but also to increase knowledge of each other’s cultures and religions, because increasing contact without knowledge will only further strengthen the existing prejudice. Through increasing contact and knowledge of both Muslims and non-Muslims, it is believed that the Islamophobia among non-Muslims would be reduced, thus increasing harmony among different ethnic groups.

PurposeThis study examines the hearing students' attitudes and behaviors towards deaf students in Malaysia using the intergroup contact approach.Design/methodology/approachPurposive sampling was used to recruit 439 hearing students at secondary schools. Hearing students were asked to fill in questionnaires that contained four measurements: contact with deaf people, sources of knowledge about deaf people, attitudes towards deaf people and behaviors toward deaf people. A serial mediation model was proposed to investigate the hypothetical mediating role of knowledge and attitudes toward deaf students in the relationship.FindingsThe results of this study showed that contact frequency is negatively associated with attitudes towards deaf people. However, such a relationship is suppressed, only when knowledge is included as a mediator. In addition, mediation analysis supports that sources of knowledge and attitudes about deaf people mediate the relationship between contact and behaviors toward deaf people. Moreover, the frequency of contact indirectly contributes to behaviors through knowledge and attitudes.Originality/valueThe findings indicate that increasing the contact between hearing and deaf students would improve hearing students' attitudes and behaviors towards deaf students. However, this is only when the contact can improve hearing students' knowledge about deaf people and deafness.

Before Malaysian government liberalising its private tertiary education in the 1996 Education Act, Taiwan was one of the popular choices for students from Chinese Independent Schools (CIS) to further their tertiary education. However, the number of CIS students choosing Taiwan as the destination of their tertiary education keeps hiking up substantially despite more choices of higher education provided locally after the liberalisation. In light of this, this study aims to explore factors affecting country choice of Malaysian students from CIS in the meantime while they were to further their tertiary education. A mixed-method design was employed to investigate factors shaping this peculiar phenomenon. The researchers identified eight push-pull factors from the data coding of a focus group discussion in the first phase of the study. Based on the results, a questionnaire was crafted in the second phase of the study. Then, by engaging a purposive sampling, 869 Senior Three CIS students were recruited from several CIS in different states of Malaysia to participate in the survey at the second phase of the study. The findings revealed the importance of demographic factors administering CIS students in choosing Taiwan as a popular destination of pursuing tertiary education. In addition, the use of Chinese language as the medium of instruction in teaching and financial consideration were the pull factors contributing to the interpretation of the choice made by this group of participants. Furthermore, students’ perspective of choosing future career path and their concern of family also determine their choice of higher education. Overall, the study highlighted the importance to include demographic factors in the push-pull model. It further provides factual information for the stakeholders or policy makers to incorporate more effective strategies in recruiting CIS students.

Studies found that smartphone addiction is relevant to the personality of smartphone users, especially the extroverts and introverts. However, the findings of the associations between extroverts/introverts and smartphone addiction are not consistent, and it is suggested that the inconsistency results can be relevant to the types of smartphone use. Accordingly, this study adopts the use and gratification theory as a framework to examine the relationships among extroverts/introverts, smartphone addiction, and the types of smartphone use, and the mediating effect of the types of smartphone use in the relationships between extroverts/introverts and smartphone addiction. Three hundred eighteen undergraduates were recruited to fill in a questionnaire using the purposive sampling method. Results show that both introverts and extroverts are associated with smartphone addiction. However, introverts are more likely to use smartphones for process usage but extroverts for social usage. In addition, process usage but not social usage is positively associated with smartphone addiction. Moreover, only process usage is the statistical mediator for the effects of introverts on smartphone addiction. The findings indicate that intervention programs can be developed to provide more alternative activities to reduce the dependence on smartphones among introverts to gratify their process needs.

The problems faced by refugees in Hong Kong are seldom reported and understood by the general population. Through Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, this preliminary report aims to explore the views of adult refugees on the support provided by the Hong Kong government, and whether these supports meet their basic and psychological needs or not. Purposive sampling method was used to recruit five adult refugees for an in-depth interview. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the transcripts of the interview. The results showed that the assistance from the government are able to meet their basic needs but not their psychological needs. Some express their psychological needs to move forward but feel helpless due to the policy that they are not permitted to find a job or study. It is suggested the government to revise the policy from a short-term to a long-term consideration, as many of them have been staying in Hong Kong for a long period of time, and some of them even have set up their own family in Hong Kong.

BackgroundStudies have revealed that grit personality and non-attachment are positively associated with happiness. Grittier people are happier while they persist in pursuing their long-term goal, whereas non-attached people are hap-pier as they are not clinging onto any object. These contrasting findings seem to suggest that the two concepts may have some relevancies. Accordingly, this study aims to use the mediator and moderator models to exam-ine whether grit personality either moderates or mediates the effects of non-attachment on happiness.Participants and procedureThree hundred sixty undergraduates were recruited by the purposive sampling method to participate in a survey. They needed to fill in the Short Grit Scale, Non-Attachment Scale and Subjective Happiness Scale.ResultsThe results showed that non-attachment is positively associated with a component of grit; that only persever-ance of efforts, but not consistency of interest, was positively associated with non-attachment. In addition, per-severance of efforts mediates rather than moderates the effects of non-attachment on happiness.ConclusionsThe findings suggesting that non-attached people are happier does not mean they detach from life. They are able to work with perseverance on their long-term goals, but they do not attach to the outcome of their goals. The findings provide further conceptual clarification of grit personality and non-attachment and further infor-mation to educators and program managers while designing programs to improve happiness.

Discrimination perceived by refugee children in Malaysia is seldom reported. This study used an interview method to understand the types of discrimination perceived by refugee children in Malaysia....

Studies have shown the relationships among cybervictimization, coping strategies, and depression, but no study has examined the mechanism that links the three variables. Accordingly, this study used the transactional model of stress and coping theory as a conceptual framework and proposed that coping strategies are mediators for the effects of cybervictimization on depression. A total of 387 adolescents were recruited by using the purposive sampling method. The results showed that cybervictimization is not directly associated with depression. All the coping strategies are found to be associated with cybervictimization, but only the avoidant coping strategy is the statistical mediator for the effects of cybervictimization on depression. This study’s findings suggest that the transactional model of stress and coping theory may provide a framework in the area of cyberbullying and recommend more actions to be taken in order to reduce the use of avoidance coping strategies among victims of cyberbullying.

The high attrition rate among Malaysian tertiary students have drawn the attention of educators and policy makers, and poor academic adjustment is regarded as one of the factors. Therefore, it is important to find out factors that are relevant to their poor academic adjustment so that intervention programs can be designed to improve their adjustment. Social media addiction and the grit personality have found to be significant factors that affect academic performance. However, it is not clear how the three variables interact with each other. Accordingly, this study adopts the essentialist and contextual perspectives to examine the relationships among these three variables, especially whether grit is a mediator or moderate for the relationship. 210 undergraduates were recruited by using the purposive sampling method and were asked to fill in a questionnaire. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling was used to analyze the data. The results showed that social media addiction is negatively associated with grit personality and academic adjustment, and grit is positively associated with academic adjustment. In addition, grit is a statistical mediator rather than a statistical moderator for the effect of social media addiction on academic lifestyle. The findings support the contextual perspective on personality that grit personality is a state that can be changed by certain social context. The findings reveal the importance of providing a positive social context for tertiary students who are undergoing a transition period, so that their grit personality can be developed and thus enhance their academic adjustment.

This study aims to examine the relationships between parenting styles, food addiction and obesity among Malaysian Chinese adolescents, since their obesity rates are higher than other ethnics in Malaysia. 333 secondary students were recruited using the purposive sampling method to participate in a survey. The questionnaire included the parental authority questionnaire, Yale food addiction scale in addition to the details of height and weight for BMI. The results showed only authoritative parenting style is positively associated with food addiction. In addition, food addiction is not associated with BMI. Moreover, food addiction does not mediate the effects of parenting styles on BMI. These results are different from studies conducted on adults and adolescents from Western countries. These differences could be related to Asian cultural values and the location where participants were recruited from. Future studies may consider recruiting participants from urban areas in Asian countries to see whether different results can be obtained

The perceptions of language teachers on project-based language learning (PBLL) is important as negative perceptions will affect the adoption and promotion of PBLL in a particular English learning context. The educational culture of basic English education in mainland China is teacher, classroom, textbook and examination-oriented which is opposite to the principles of conducting PBLL, which may cause negative perceptions among language teachers of PBLL. Therefore, this study adopts a mixed methods approach in the investigation of English teachers’ perceptions of PBLL in 9 secondary schools in Ningbo China. A questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews were employed to gather the relevant data from 265 English teachers. The results of data indicate that: (1) PBLL can be promoted in secondary schools in Ningbo further due to the positive perceptions of PBLL of most of English teachers, but it is proper for English teachers to take PBLL as a supplemen t to the traditional classroom instruction in English ; (2) the educational culture may affect the perceptions of language teachers of PBLL to some extent, but it is not a determinant factor; (3) the social environment factor may affect language teachers’ perceptions of PBLL, such as the economic development and the English education quality of a district. Keywords: project; project-based learning; project-based language learning; English language teaching; teaching perceptions

Aiming to explore factors affecting Malaysian Chinese parents in sending their children to either national secondary schools or Chinese independent schools, 494 parents were surveyed using ...

The excessive use of social media is prevalent among undergraduates. Dark triad personality is one of the significant predictors of social media addiction, but inconsistent findings were reported. This study adopted the personality-coping-outcome theory as a framework to examine whether coping strategies mediate the effects of dark triad personality on social media addiction. The purposive sampling method was used to recruit 219 undergraduates for a survey. The results showed that only narcissism is associated with social media addiction, and only avoidance coping strategy mediated the effects of pathology on social media addiction. It is suggested a complete theory is required to explain the relationships between dark triad personality and social media addiction, and a coping scale to be developed to cover the coping strategies that fit dark triad personality.

The main objective is to compare the perception of the importance of Chinese cultural values by Chinese entrepreneurs in Malaysia and Taiwan. A questionnaire that included demographic data and a survey of Chinese values was distributed by mail to Chinese entrepreneurs in Malaysia and Taiwan. A total of 95 questionnaires from Malaysia and 70 from Taiwan were returned. The results showed that perceptions of the importance of Chinese values are quite similar among Chinese entrepreneurs in Malaysia and Taiwan, and that some differences might be explained by social context. Overall, Chinese entrepreneurs in Malaysia perceived Chinese values to be more important than did Chinese entrepreneurs in Taiwan.这个研究报告的主要目的在比较马来西亚和台湾华裔企业家对华人文化价值观重要性的认同。研究是以问卷调查方式进行, 并以邮寄方式分发给在马来西亚和台湾的华裔企业家。 问卷内容包括了一些个人基本资料的测量及华人价值观量表。这项研究一共回收了95 份来自马来西亚华裔企业家及70份来自台湾华裔企业家的问卷。分析结果显示马来西亚和台湾华裔企业家对华人文化价值观的重要性认同相当类似，而一些不同的华人文化价值观的重要性的认同可能和他们所处的社会情况有关。整体而言，马来西亚华裔企业家对华人文化价值观的重要性认同稍高于台湾华裔企业家。This article is in English.

Because Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 RefugeeConvention, the children of refugees living in Malaysia are deprived of any formal education. Children are taught mostly by the refugees themselves, many of whom are volunteers. Most of the community-based learning centers, which encounter many academic and management problems, are also sustained by the refugees. This qualitative study aims to apply the framework of resources and demands theory to explore the work demands encountered by these refugees’ teachers and whether they have enough resources to meet the demands, as the learning centers are self-supported or supported by non-governmental organizations. This study collected data using the focus group method, recruiting participants through purposive sampling. Participants were organized into eight groups, each with seven volunteer participants, and open-ended questions were used for the participants to fully express their views and experiences. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The result showed that participants are burdened by academic and administrative tasks, lack of resources, poor infrastructure, and self-incompetence. The findings of the study proposed that more non-government organizations, local communities, and other stakeholders provide expertise and financial assistance to these community-based learning centers as education is the human right of each child. Karena Malaysia bukan merupakan penandatangan Konvensi Pengungsi 1951, hak anak-anak pengungsi untuk mendapat pendidikan resmi telah menjadi sebuah masalah yang tidak begitu diperhatikan. Kebanyakan anak-anak ini diajar oleh guru yang terdiri dari para pengungsi yang bekerja sebagai sukarelawan. Pusat pembelajaran berbasis komunitas dikelola dan dikendalikan oleh pengungsi sering menghadapi pelbagai isu dari segi akademik dan manajemen. Studi pendekatan kualitatif ini menggunakan teori sumber daya dan permintaan sebagai kerangka kajian untuk mengetahui apa saja tuntutan pekerjaan yang dihadapi guru pengungsi dan apakah mereka memiliki sumber daya yang cukup untuk menghadapi tuntutan tersebut, karena pusat pembelajaran bersifat swadaya atau didukung oleh Lembaga Swadaya Masyarakat (LSM). Sumber pembelajaran yang tersedia perlu dikaji supaya cukup menampung serta memenuhi permintaan kerja. Pengumpulan data menggunakan metode focus group dan partisipan direkrut melalui purposive sampling. Partisipan dikumpulkan ke delapan kelompok, masing-masing kelompok terdiri dari tujuh partisipan sukarelawan. Pertanyaan terbuka (open-ended questions) digunakan untuk mendapat pandangan serta pengalaman berkaitan isu yang dikaji. Data dianalisis menggunakan teknik analisis tematik. Hasil temuan menunjukkan bahwa para guru memikul beban yang berat dalam menjalankan tugas akademik serta administrasi. Mereka juga menghadapi isu kurangnya sumber daya, keadaan infrastruktur yang serba kekurangan serta keyakinan diri dalam kompetensi mengajar. Temuan studi ini mengusulkan agar lebih banyak LSM, masyarakat setempat, dan pemangku kepentingan lain menyumbangkan keahlian dan bantuan keuangan pada pusat-pusat pembelajaran tersebut karena pendidikan adalah hak asasi manusia bagi setiap anak-anak.

This study examines parents’ sex discrimination through the perspectives of their children and its relationship to their daughter’s happiness and self-esteem. Questionnaires were collected from 805 secondary school students at eight Chinese Independent Schools in Malaysia. The results showed that perceived parental sex discrimination (PPSD) was negatively correlated with happiness and self-esteem. Importantly, this relationship only occurred among female but not male respondents. These results suggest that significantly negative psychological impact is possible due to PPSD, and, thus, the introduction of laws to ban the abuse of the sex-selection techniques is not enough to tackle this complicated phenomenon.

Most refugee children in Malaysia face an extremely difficult situation. This report is therefore aimed to explore the demographic variables that are relevant to the quality of life (QoL) among refugee children in Malaysia. A total of 89 refugee children were recruited from five refugee education centres. Children were asked to complete their demographic information on the Youth QoL – short form (YQoL-S), and the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS). The results suggest that the main predictors of QoL were deported experience, level of education, and employment status among fathers of refugee children. Researchers, the government, and NGO programmers should work hand in hand to develop better policies to improve these indicators among refugee children.

This study aims to examine whether different educational systems will impose students with different perception on Chinese values. Cluster sampling method was used and 599 Chinese students from three national secondary schools (NSS) and two Chinese independent schools (CIS) in Malaysia were recruited. A questionnaire containing two sections namely background information and Chinese value scale developed by Chinese Culture Connection (1987) was distributed. The findings showed that the practice of Chinese cultural values indicated through the use of Chinese language in everyday life between respondents from NSS and CIS is about the same, but more respondents from CIS read or watch Chinese materials than those from NSS. Respondents from CIS and NSS viewed integrity and tolerance as the most important Chinese value. Respondents from NSS perceived Confucians ethos or human relationship as more important, whereas respondents from CIS chose loyalty to ideals and humanity. The findings suggested that the role of parents in the perseverance of Chinese culture and the influence of different school environment are equally important in determining the perception of Chinese values among secondary school students.

Online risks may result in unnecessary harm but these risks can be minimized by being online privacy concerned and by taking privacy protective actions. Few studies examined the impact of privacy concern and internet self-efficacy on the online technical protection privacy behavior. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the effect of privacy concern and internet self-efficacy on technical protection. Quantitative and purposive sampling methods were used in this study. Data were gathered via questionnaire surveys from 235 undergraduates from six universities in Malaysia. The questionnaire includes participants’ demographic data, internet addiction test, web user self-efficacy scale, privacy concern, and technical protection scale. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the effect of internet self-efficacy and privacy concern on technical protection, while controlling for gender, course type, and internet addiction. Results showed that both privacy concern and internet self-efficacy were significant predictors of technical protection. Moreover, mediation analysis showed that there was an indirect effect of internet self-efficacy on technical protection through privacy concern. The results contribute to literature by revealing how internet self-efficacy and privacy concern increase technical protection. The government and policy makers can design intervention and prevention programs that aim to boost privacy concern and internet self-efficacy, so that internet users are more capable of safeguarding their online privacy.

Preference for sons derives from the agricultural economy of the past. It is surprising, however, that this preference still exists in countries which have progressed from an agricultural to an industrial economy. The main aim of this study was therefore to explore the perception of adolescents to parents who did or did not have a preference for sons. Adolescents aged from thirteen to fifteen ( n = 1,982) from six Chinese independent schools were invited to fill in a questionnaire in a cluster sampling study. Factor analyses were used to examine the reliability of measurements. Chi-square and independent t tests were run to analyze the data. The results showed significant differences between respondents’ perception of their parents in terms of whether their parents had a preference for sons or not, and that respondents whose parents who had this preference were more likely to have a poor perception of their parents than those whose parents who did not have this preference. Also, both males and females had a poorer perception of parents who had a preference for sons, even though males had received better treatment from parents who had such a preference. In the light of the continued prevalence of preference for sons in some Asian countries, it is suggested that more studies should explore the attitudes and behaviors of those children whose parents have a preference for sons, so that the government and the public are aware of the potentially negative impacts of the preference culture and effective action can be taken to tackle the problem.

A random population based study was carried out to understand HIV-related attitudes and behaviors and self-reported sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among men who have had sex with men (MSM) in Hong Kong. A special computerized telephone survey method was used and 85 MSM were identified (from a total sample of 2,074 men), 47.1% of whom had at least one male sex partner in the past 6 months. Among these 85 MSM, 29.4% had multiple partners and 37.5% had had anal sex in the last 6 months (67% of them were inconsistent condom users). MSM were more likely to have contracted at least one STD in the last 6 months (10.6%) and were less likely to perceive susceptibility for contracting HIV (62.4%) than those other respondents who visited a female sex worker (FSW) in the past 6 months (4.3% and 43%, respectively). About 45% of the MSM did not perceive condom use to be efficacious for HIV prevention (vs. 30% for male clients of FSW). The study is limited by its small number; however, it suggests that MSM in Hong Kong may be at high risk of contracting HIV. Prevention programs should attempt to change attitudes (e.g., perceived efficacy of condom use, perceived susceptibility, awareness of risk involved, etc.) as well as behaviors. The feasibility for establishing a behavioral surveillance system for this population was demonstrated.

This study examined sexual practices among the female population in Hong Kong. A total of 2,076 women between 18 and 50 years were interviewed by using a computerized telephone survey method. Sexually active women (59.3%) were classified into the "Husband Only Group" (HOG, n = 1,005), the "Steady Boyfriend Only Group" (SBG, n = 192), and the "Higher Risk Group" (HRG, n = 35). Over 60% of the HRG members did not perceive condom use as an efficacious means for HIV/AIDS prevention. Within the HOG and SBG, 30.0% and 41.1% reported that they always used condoms (25.7% in the HRG). Condom use was often suggested by both men and women of the SBG, but was often initiated by the women only in the HRG. "Trust" and "lack of necessity" were common reasons for not using condoms. About 85% of the respondents would ask their partners to use condoms if they suspected their partners having engaged in commercial sex; however, only 75% would have the final control. The HRG members seemed to be less able to insist on using condoms (55.6%, OR = 0.41, p < .05) and were more likely than the HOG to perceive some chance of contracting HIV (OR = 10.88, p < .01). The prevalence of high risk behaviors among women in Hong Kong was not high; however, those at risk were often inconsistent condom users and they had weak control over condom use. Women in Hong Kong had low awareness of HIV-related risk.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the relationships between Sense of Coherence (SoC), Coping Strategies and Quality of Life (QoL) of parents of children with autism in Malaysia. Method: Purposive sampling was used to recruit parents of children with autism from 3 Autism Centres run by NGOs. The parents were asked to complete a questionnaire. Results: The results of the study show that SoC and cognitive reframing are important factors that are associated with QoL. Conclusions: It is recommended that policy-makers and programmers at the Autism Centres conduct more training workshops for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), so that their overall QoL can be improved. Limitations: Future studies could recruit more participants, especially parents at government centres.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine whether there are any significant differences in demographic characteristics and health-related Quality of Life (QoL) among people living with HIV (PLWH) at shelter homes and drop-in centres in Malaysia. Method: 117 PLWH were recruited by using the purposive sampling method. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey. Results: Significant differences were found between PLWH at shelter homes and drop-in centres, in their demographic characteristics and in the 3 factors in the HIV/AIDS-Targeted Quality of Life Instruments (HAT-QoL) – namely, overall function, health worries, and provider trust. Conclusion: Due to the differences in characteristics and QoL among PLWH in these two settings, different approaches are suggested to assist PLWH from shelter homes and drop-in centres.

The present study compared the results of behavioral surveillance data obtained on the male clients of female sex workers (FSWs) population in Hong Kong. Two surveys, using an identical method, were completed in 1998 and 2000. Respectively, 1,020 and 2,074 respondents aged 18-60 who were randomly selected from the general population participated in the study. About 12% of the respondents had patronized FSWs in the past 6 months in 2000 as compared with 14% in 1998 (p = .143). Crossing the border for sex and purchasing sex in multiple geographic areas was very common and a higher percentage of respondents reported having patronized FSWs in mainland China in 2000 than in 1998 (p = .003). About 25% of the respondents in both surveys had not always been using condoms (i.e., not used condoms every time) when having sexual intercourse with FSWs. Those who practiced commercial sex in mainland China were less likely to have always been using condoms with FSWs (p.01) and were more likely to have ever contracted STD in the past 6 months (p.05), when compared with those who had purchased sex only in Hong Kong or in other places.

The present study aims to investigate the perspective relations between HIV/AIDS and condom-related knowledge, condom use, history of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and predictive factors of condom use by female sex workers (FSW) who were sent to the Women Re-education Center (WRC) in Shenzhen, People's Republic of China. Seven hundred and one FSW were interviewed. Whereas respondents had attained certain accurate knowledge about the HIV transmission routes, misconceptions were still commonly reported. Level of condom related knowledge was not high. The prevalence of using condoms with clients was relatively low-15%- 22% reported not using condoms consistently. One of the major obstacles was 'Refusal by clients'. Significant predictive factors associated with consistency of condom use with clients were age, educational background, average number of client intakes per day, capacity in determining the use of condoms and past STD history. The respondents may have developed a false sense of safety by subjectively assessing whether their clients had a STD but they were unaware that HIV carriers may show no obvious symptoms at all. The data has confirmed the worries regarding the potential 'bridging effect' of HIV transmission as resulted by cross-border commercial sex-networking activities.

The objective of the study was to establish a behavioural surveillance system (BSS) for sexually-related risk behaviours of the Hong Kong adult male general population. Benchmark data were obtained by interviewing 1,020 male respondents, age 18 to 60. The results showed that: (1) 14% of the respondents had engaged in commercial sex in the past six months, (2) 27% of the male commercial sex clients did not always use condoms when having sexual intercourse with commercial sex workers (CSWs), (3) 1.5% of the respondents had contracted sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the past six months, (4) 6.1% of respondents had only ever had sex with a man, (5) 0.8% of the respondents had practised unprotected anal intercourse with a man in a six-month period, (6) 4.4% of respondents practised sexually-related high risk behaviours, defined as unprotected sex with a CSW or unprotected anal intercourse with a man, and (7) 36.4% of those who engaged in commercial sex had not used condoms with their regular sex partners. Commercial sex was often practised outside Hong Kong, very commonly in Mainland China or Macau, and was often practised at multiple locations by the same client. Effective programmes have to be able to reduce the size of the at-risk population. This study together with future ones, will form the first BSS in Hong Kong for the general male population and will provide a relevant yardstick for programme evaluation.