Exploring the potential of rendang as local food heritage of Negeri Sembilan.

Every part of the country has its signature dishes to be proud of and some of them are already being well-known to the world. This worthy treasure that has influenced foreign cultures such as Indian, Chinese, Arabs, and Thais still managed to attract the new generations to crave and become the regular consumer of the food. However, the efforts to promote and preserve the culinary heritage to become one of the prominent tourism products of the country are still low and it may keep declining if there is no further action to be taken. Malaysia has a unique Malay local heritage’s delicacy starting from its origin, way of cooking’s and the ingredients. Rendang is famous as the local food heritage of Negeri Sembilan that was brought by the Minang people that reside in the districts. However, the research on Rendang that focuses on the knowledge, anthropology, history, and cultural aspect of Rendang is still limited in Malaysia. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore the potential of Rendang as a local food heritage of Negeri Sembilan. This study employs qualitative research. A total number of 3 respondents have participated in this study. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The outcomes of this study will contribute to the research that focuses on knowledge, anthropology, history, and the cultural aspect of Rendang. Hence, this study is significant to increase the promotion of Rendang as the local food heritage of Negeri Sembilan to promote its culinary tourism as one of the gastronomic tourism destinations in Malaysia

The examination of conservation awareness, future sustainability, and conservation readiness on tourists’ attitude towards marine conservation behavior in Malaysia’s Marine Parks

This study examines the relationship between tourists' conservation awareness, future sustainability, and conservation readiness towards attitude toward marine conservation behavior in Malaysia's marine parks. This study adopted the quantitative convenience sampling approach, with 202 samples obtained via an online questionnaire. IBM-SPSS version 26 was used to process and analyze the data. Multiple Regression Analysis was used to test the relationships between variables. The findings suggest that future sustainability and conservation readiness are significant factors in predicting tourists' attitudes towards marine conservation behavior. In contrast, conservation awareness was found to be insignificant. This study found that respondents have a positive attitude towards marine conservation behaviors, but awareness does not always translate into action. This study found that respondents support marine conservation and marine park sustainability. Awareness of conservation efforts does not necessarily lead to positive attitudes towards conservation behavior. The impact of conservation readiness on attitude emphasizes the need for preparation and education in conservation. The unexpected possible relationship between education and conservation behavior warrants further investigation. These findings highlight the importance of focused conservation education and the necessity to consider many elements when increasing stakeholder marine conservation behavior

EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF RENDANG TO BE PROMOTED AS THE LOCAL FOOD HERITAGE PRODUCT FOR TOURISM IN NEGERI SEMBILAN

Rendang is a popular Malay heritage dish found across Nusantara, which includes Malaysia and Indonesia. However, Indonesian researchers have dominated most of Rendang studies, particularly those focusing on Rendang's characteristics, such as knowledge, preparation method, sensory attributes, history, and cultural significance. This fundamental characteristic is necessary for the preservation and promotion of Rendang as a tourism product based on this fundamental concern. The purpose of this research is to explore the potential of Rendang to be promoted as a local food heritage product for tourism in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The qualitative study has been implemented through semi-structured interview questions. A total of seven respondents took part in this investigation. Thematic analysis was used to examine the data. The findings of this study are focused on the characteristics of Rendang, which include three aspects: food heritage knowledge, sensory attributes, and Rendang's cultural values. In particular, this study found Rendang's history can be traced back to the Sumatran migration to Negeri Sembilan. However, there are two types of Rendang in Negeri Sembilan: Rendang Cili Padi or Rendang Kuning (yellow-colored) and Rendang Hitam (black-colored). Each type of rendang uses different ingredients, but they are commonly cooked until they are completely dry. Both types of Rendang had a robust flavour, a fragrant aroma, a lovely texture, and a black and yellow colour. The participants believed that heritage foods should be marketed to people from other cultures. So, this research is important for promoting Rendang as a traditional cuisine heritage of Negeri Sembilan to promote its culinary tourism as one of Malaysia's gastronomic tourism attractions