Kajian ini meneliti perubahan pola pengundian masyarakat Melayu dan implikasinya terhadap prestasi UMNO di kerusi Parlimen negeri Johor dalam Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 (PRU 15). Fokus utama kajian ini adalah menganalisis peralihan sokongan pengundi Melayu yang mempengaruhi kedudukan UMNO di Johor, yang sebelum ini dikenali sebagai kubu tradisi parti tersebut. Perubahan pola pengundian tersebut dikaitkan dengan beberapa faktor utama, antaranya krisis kepimpinan dan perpecahan dalaman UMNO, kemunculan parti dan gabungan politik baharu, pengaruh wacana politik identiti dan agama terhadap persepsi pengundi Melayu. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif bagi menganalisis pola pengundi dan tafsiran terhadap sumber yang dikaji, terutamanya helaian mata (score sheet) keputusan pilihan raya kerusi Parlimen di Johor bagi mendapatkan maklumat yang jitu. Selain itu, kajian ini turut menggunakan analisis keputusan pilihan raya bagi meneliti pola sokongan pengundi Melayu serta hubung kaitnya dengan prestasi UMNO bagi kerusi Parlimen di Johor. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa pola sokongan pengundi Melayu dan kemerosotan kesetiaan politik tradisional menyumbang secara signifikan terhadap prestasi yang tidak konsisten UMNO pada PRU 15 di Johor. Secara keseluruhannya, kajian ini menyimpulkan perubahan pola sokongan pengundi Melayu bukan sahaja mencerminkan transformasi tingkah laku politik masyarakat Melayu, malah menandakan cabaran struktural yang semakin kompleks terhadap kelangsungan dominasi politik UMNO di Johor pada era politik pasca hegemonik.
Land use and land cover (LULC) changes represent significant anthropogenic factors affecting slope stability in mountainous regions. This study examines the impact of LULC changes from 2021 to 2050 on Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (LSM) in the Idukki district by employing Remote Sensing, Geographic Information System (GIS), and statistical modelling. Initially, a spatial geodatabase of nineteen conditioning parameters and historical landslide events was developed. Subsequently, the existing LULC (2021) and projected LULC (2050) were generated using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN)-based Cellular Automata Model. Finally, a future LSM was forecasted using conditioning factors, landslide inventory data, and future LULC through the Frequency Ratio (FR) model. The simulated results indicated a significant increase in the built-up area (4.46%) and a reduction in bare ground (3.22%), with the predicted future LS results showing a 26% rise in the Very High LS zone. These findings hold substantial implications for regional planning in hazard-prone areas, and reforestation measures to mitigate slope instability for disaster risk reduction in the study area.
The Klang River is one of the most polluted urban rivers in Malaysia, largely due to mismanaged solid waste, low public awareness and limited community engagement in nonstructural river rehabilitation initiatives. This study examines the influence of pro-environmental behaviour (PEB), green self-efficacy (GSE) and green trust (GT) on the intention to participate in river cleaning activities among small boat operators who depend directly on the river for their livelihoods. Guided by Self-Determination Theory and Self-Perception Theory, a quantitative survey was conducted involving 267 respondents and the data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that PEB and GSE significantly and positively influence participation intention, indicating that individuals who possess strong environmental values and a high sense of personal capability are more likely to engage in river-cleaning initiatives. In contrast, GT demonstrates a weaker and less consistent effect, suggesting that trust in environmental programmes alone is insufficient to motivate active participation without a corresponding sense of agency and competence. The results further indicate that participation is driven more by intrinsic motivation and direct livelihood dependence on the river than by institutional confidence or external incentives. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening environmental self-efficacy and internalised pro-environmental values within riverine communities to sustain long-term involvement in river rehabilitation. The study contributes to river basin management and community-based conservation literature by emphasising that effective river restoration requires not only structural interventions but also the empowerment of local stakeholders through awareness, skills development and participatory governance.
The protracted Syrian conflict is one of the largest displacement crises in recent history, worldwide, forcing Jordan to accommodate a large number of refugees under conditions of regional insecurity and economic strain. This study employs the Copenhagen Securitisation theory as a theoretical framework and examines how the Syrian refugee crisis has been partially securitised in Jordan, as well as how securitisation narratives are constructed, institutionalised, and received by different audiences. Adopting a convergent mixed-methods design, the study and humanitarian organisations with a quantitative survey of Syrian refugees and Jordanian citizens (n = 100). The qualitative findings demonstrate that political and security elites frame refugees primarily as social, economic and security threats, legitimising extraordinary measures such as biometric registration, border restrictions and camp securitisation. Quantitative results reveal selective audience acceptance, with social and economic threat framings resonating more strongly than terrorism-related narratives. This divergence highlights the contingent and negotiated nature of securitisation, rather than its automatic success. The study concludes that Jordan's refugee governance reflects a hybrid model of securitised humanitarianism, in which restrictive security practices coexist with humanitarian commitments and donor-driven assistance. By integrating elite discourse with public perception, the research contributes to securitisation without full societal consensus.
This exploratory study investigates demographic and socio-economic factors influencing divorce rates in Benue State, Nigeria, amid rising marital dissolution despite strong cultural and religious marriage traditions. Data were collected via structured questionnaires from 400 divorced individuals in three purposively selected Local Government Areas (Makurdi, Otukpo, Kwande), representing the state's senatorial zones. Snowball and purposive sampling targeted those with direct divorce experience. Key variables such as age at first marriage, income, education, and occupation were analyzed against marriage duration using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Findings indicate trends such as elevated divorce rates among those marrying at ages 25-34 (31.5%; marriages lasting 1-5 years) and low earners below the national minimum wage (31.3%; marriages lasting 6-10 years). Only occupation showed a significant association with marital duration (p<0.05), with 41.0% of cases highlighting its role in reflecting economic capacity and social status. Results underscore occupation's pivotal influence on marital stability, beyond other factors. The study recommends targeted policies addressing employment and income disparities to enhance marital outcomes.
This article examines the role of the langgar as an element of identity in Kauman, Yogyakarta. Historically, Kauman, Yogyakarta, was part of the Yogyakarta Palace, and the Great Mosque (Masjid Gedhe) was built there. Kauman served as a residential area for the mosque's caretakers, known as Ketib. The Ketib had a langgar closely associated with their home. The langgars in Kauman, Yogyakarta, have evolved into a shared space for residents, serving multiple roles. Using a qualitative, grounded theory approach, this research explores the relationship between the langgar's functional role and the experiences of local residents and visitors. The findings indicate that, beyond their function as places of worship, the langgars serve as an identity marker for Kampung and are managed by local residents. This research contributes to the discourse on architecture and local theory related to the socio-spatial sustainability of Kauman, Yogyakarta.
Ecofeminism actively rejects the notion of returning women to the realms of myth, stereotype and domestication; it boldly addresses these issues through a strong feminist consciousness. This perspective highlights the need to balance relationships within society and within environmental discourse. This article intends to explore two main objectives: 1) the connection between ecofeminism and the role of women in environmental issues and 2) the position of women as agents of change in the environment. The research employs a descriptive qualitative approach to analyzing women's participation in environmental management from an ecofeminist perspective. The study is conducted in Patemon Village, Pakintelan Village and Sekaran Village in Semarang City. The primary subjects of this research are women actively involved in waste management. From each village, two representatives were selected, along with one supporting informant. Data was collected through interviews, observations and documentation. To ensure validity, data were cross-verified through triangulation. Data analysis was conducted in an interpretative and interactive manner. The results of this study indicate that: 1) the role of women in waste management has undergone a significant transformation, including changes in their knowledge and behavior concerning waste and 2) waste management is still predominantly assigned to women due to social constructs that frame waste as a domestic issue, thus it becomes women's responsibility. Culturally, many communities continue to uphold patriarchal norms that prioritize men, leading to a perception that managing household waste is not suitable for them.
Rural tourism contributes to community resilience, cultural preservation, and environmental stewardship, yet faces persistent sustainability challenges. In Indonesia and Malaysia, rural tourism has emerged as an alternative to urban-centered development, but many destinations struggle to balance economic gains with cultural and ecological sustainability. This study aims to examine the dynamics of rural tourism development in selected sites across both countries by applying Butler's Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) model and the Sustainable Rural Development (SRD) framework. Drawing upon qualitative fieldwork, comparative case studies, and spatial-temporal analysis, the research explores how tourism initiatives evolve, how communities adapt, and the extent to which tourism fosters inclusive and sustainable development. The study is expected to produce a conceptual model that integrates TALC with SRD, providing a nuanced understanding of tourism growth stages and their socio-environmental implications. Addressing the research gap in cross-country comparative analysis of rural tourism, the findings will offer theoretical and practical insights into designing strategies that enhance sustainability while respecting cultural and ecological contexts. The implications extend to policymakers, local communities, and tourism stakeholders in advancing rural tourism as a catalyst for equitable development aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Islamic finance holds strong potential to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in addressing housing affordability. In Malaysia, the housing sector has been a major driver of economic and social development since independence. However, housing affordability remains a persistent issue, calling for innovative and inclusive policy solutions. This study investigates key barriers to housing affordability and examines the role of Islamic finance in enhancing access to affordable housing in Malaysia. Using panel data analysis, the study compares three regression models Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Fixed Effects (FE) and Random Effects (RE) based on variables including household expenditure, population, interest rate, inflation rate and rental rate. The findings reveal that the rental rate in Islamic finance (RR) has a positive and significant impact on housing affordability, indicating its potential as an ethical and sustainable alternative to conventional interest-based mechanisms. By reducing financing costs and duration, the RR model enhances homeownership capacity and supports equitable housing access. The study offers policy implications for integrating Islamic finance instruments into national housing frameworks, contributing to SDG targets on sustainable cities, poverty alleviation and inclusive economic growth.
Natural Hazards are a critical concern that all members of society need to address, especially vulnerable individuals living in disaster-prone areas. The purpose of this study is to examine household preparedness levels for natural hazards, considering various factors including financial readiness (e.g.: financial savings for natural hazards and recovery), training and education programs, and specific preparedness actions. Guided by Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), the study employed the Pearson correlation coefficient, multivariate logistic regression, and heat map analysis to investigate the complex relationships between a household's preparedness level and various influencing factors. Findings revealed that savings for natural hazards are the most significant financial factors determining readiness for risks, while other indicators like family money and insurance coverage do not. Training and knowledge sharing positively impact household preparedness for hazards, with multivariate results showing a strong positive relationship of 80% between first aid/CPR training and having trained household members, a trend further visualized through correlation heat maps. Moreover, the study found a strong positive correlation between household hazard preparedness measures like storing emergency supplies, discussing hazard risks, and preparing first aid kits. It also highlighted the importance of communication, strategic planning, and safety measures in enhancing disaster preparedness. The study recommends promoting emergency reserves, financial literacy, and education on natural disaster risks to help families with low savings and encourage precautionary measures.
Sustainable Development Goal 5 of the United Nations strongly advocates gender equality and women's empowerment. This goal aims to ensure equal access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Using a cross-sectional design, this research examines the children's and adolescents' perceptions of gender traits, task preferences, and career aspirations. The chi-square test was employed to examine the difference, while a multinomial logistic regression analyzed the association between gender perceptions and demographics. Findings reveal significant developmental differences; adolescents demonstrated more gender-neutral views in their perceptions of gender roles. In terms of their specific task preferences, both groups acknowledged that many tasks are appropriate for both genders. Now, traditionally feminine tasks are widely accepted as gender-neutral, but there remains a highly masculine task, practical and DIY tasks. Significantly, adolescents expressed more inclusive attitudes toward career aspirations, challenging traditional gender norms, especially in fields like agriculture, machine trades, and structural work, which children still associate with males. Demographic analysis shows that females tend to hold more exclusive perspectives than males. In associating age with gender views, the peak of exclusivity is between 13-16, then declines at 17-20. This implies a progression of gender maturity and inclusiveness associated with age. Furthermore, more inclusive gender views emphasize the importance of family environments that are linked to parents' educational attainment and exposure to occupations. Given these findings, this study prescribes a multi-sector approach that families, communities, schools, and policymakers use to foster sustainable gender equality from early development through adolescence.
A precise and up-to-date land use and land cover (LULC) map is crucial for sustainable development planning and monitoring environmental change. Various machine learning (ML) algorithms are widely used to classify remote sensing data for mapping the Earth's surface, particularly Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). Although numerous comparative studies evaluating these two algorithms exist, their results remain inconsistent and vary across geographic regions and datasets. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of ML algorithms of Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) for LULC classification in the Seremban and Port Dickson districts, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. LULC classification was conducted using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, utilizing Landsat 5 TM imagery for the year 2010 and Landsat 8 OLI imagery for the year 2020. The findings revealed that the RF classifier outperformed the SVM classifier, achieving higher overall accuracy of 0.918 (2010) and 0.890 (2020) compared to 0.780 (2010) and 0.842 (2020) for SVM. RF also demonstrated a higher Kappa coefficient (0.8589 in 2010; 0.8093 in 2020) than SVM (0.6384 in 2010; 0.7318 in 2020). Based on the accuracy metrics, forest, agriculture and built-up areas exhibited lower classification accuracy due to mixed and complex LULC patterns, whereas water bodies were classified with high accuracy by both classifiers due to their distinct spectral characteristics. Overall, the RF algorithm demonstrates superior performance in mixed-class classification and more efficiently handles large volumes of medium-resolution images. Future research may explore hybrid models that combine RF with deep learning or other ML algorithms, alongside higher-resolution imagery and global datasets, to improve classification accuracy and broaden comparative perspectives.
Uncertainty is inherent to property valuation, and valuation practitioners are accustomed to managing it. However, the compounded events: Easter attack, Covid-19 pandemic followed by the economic crisis in Sri Lanka introduced an unforeseen, abnormal level of uncertainty in the real estate markets from 2020 to 2023 or so, with which valuers were relatively unfamiliar. The domain of practitioners' approaches to address abnormal uncertainty remains less explored. Accordingly, this paper aims to investigate how valuers in Sri Lanka dealt with abnormal uncertainty in valuation experienced during 2020 to 2023 or so. Employing a qualitative research approach, data for this study were gathered through in-depth interviews conducted in the first quarter of 2024 with purposively selected 12 professional valuers practicing in Sri Lanka. The study finds that the valuers largely relied on a mix of heuristic, pragmatic, and relationship-based strategies to navigate abnormal uncertainty against the background of data-poor and opaque real estate market. Professional judgement emerged as a central mechanism reconciling the conflicting market signals and the limited market evidence. While some of these practices demonstrate alignment with internationally recognised valuation guidelines and standards, some fall outside of formalised frameworks leading to behavioural uncertainty in valuation. The study highlights the need for the development of context-sensitive professional guidance for valuation under conditions of abnormal uncertainty to ensure consistency and transparency in valuation practice.
The inability of residents to pay monthly rent for the Public Housing Programme (PPR) is a persistent social housing issue often associated with limited financial capability. Limited financial knowledge may weaken spending skills, debt prioritisation and long-term financial planning, thereby increasing the risk of rent arrears among low-income households. This study aims to explore the financial capability among PPR residents in Kuala Lumpur. Guided by the Capability Approach, the study conceptualises financial capability not only as knowledge but as the real opportunities' individuals have to make meaningful financial decisions within structural constraints. A qualitative case study design was conducted. Three PPR in Kuala Lumpur were selected using purposive sampling specifically PPR Kampung Muhibbah, PPR Seri Pahang and PPR Seri Pantai. All data were collected using a semi-structured interview guideline with informed consent from all informants. A total of 15 residents were purposively selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were analysed through thematic analysis supported by NVivo 15 software for systematic coding, categorising and theme development. The findings reveal four main themes of financial capability such as knowledge of spending, knowledge of financial protection, knowledge of debt management and financial attitudes and behaviour. By applying the Capability Approach, this study extends financial capability discussions beyond individual knowledge to include socio-economic constraints affecting financial well-being. The findings offer policy-relevant insights for improving PPR management sustainably and strengthening social worker interventions within urban low-income communities.
Cultural heritage buildings are increasingly exposed to environmental degradation, urban development and inadequate documentation, creating an urgent need for efficient and accurate digital preservation approaches. This study examines the application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) based photogrammetry for three-dimensional (3D) documentation and visualization of Kota Lama Duyong, a historically significant heritage structure located in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. UAV image acquisition was carried out using a DJI Mavic 2 Pro through automated double grid and circular flight missions to ensure sufficient image overlap and comprehensive fa & ccedil;ade coverage in a spatially constrained environment. A total of 180 aerial images were processed using Agisoft Metashape Professional, employing Structure-from-Motion (SfM) and Multi-View Stereo (MVS) techniques to generate sparse and dense point clouds, polygonal mesh models, textured 3D surfaces and orthoimages. The results demonstrate that UAV-based photogrammetry can produce geometrically coherent and visually detailed 3D models suitable for cultural heritage documentation, visualization and digital archiving, even under challenging site conditions. Minor geometric distortions were observed in areas affected by vegetation and infrastructural obstructions; however, the overall model quality remains adequate for heritage recording purposes. This study confirms that UAV photogrammetry represents a cost-effective, flexible and practical solution for heritage digitization and contributes region-specific empirical evidence to support the integration of UAV-derived 3D models into GIS-based cultural heritage management and conservation frameworks.
