Conceptualizing a framework for slow tourism in a rural destination in Malaysia

There is a growing belief to change the fast-paced tourism activities to a slower pace in order to appreciate the beauty of slowing down during vacations. The image of rural destinations is socially constructed to have a slower level of consumption than urban destinations. Therefore, there is a possibility that rural destinations are an idealistic setting or landscape to facilitate slow tourism aside from urban destinations. This study is looking into initiating the slow tourism conceptual framework to investigate the suitability of pursuing slow tourism activity in a rural destination. The objective was obtained through the method of thematic analysis of slow tourism literatures in order to construct an ideal framework that can be used for slow tourism. The findings from the study can be proposed as an initial guide for the local authority to position slow tourism as one of the attractions of rural destinations

Scratch resistance enhancement of 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane coating incorporated with silver nanoparticles

An effective method to enhance scratch resistance was developed using a 3-glycidyloxyproplytrimethoxysilane as a base on the formation of a transparent coating on glass substrate. The addition of silver nanoparticles improves further the scratch hardness of the thin film coating. The critical load obtained from the microscratch test increases from 2931 to 3319 mN upon the addition of silver nanoparticles. The size of silver nanoparticle was analysed using transmission electron microscope (TEM) and was found to be in the range of 20–40 nm. Addition of silver nanoparticles also increases the surface energy; hence the result enhances the hydrophobicity compared to substrate with only GLYMO coated on it

The role of family life and the influence of peer pressure on delinquency: Qualitative evidence from Malaysia

Juvenile delinquency is always seen as a public health problem which needs intervention at various levels. Identifying which factors may lead juveniles to delinquency is a long-standing question among criminologists. This remains the case in Malaysia. There are studies that have explored the impact of problem-solving skills, low socioeconomic status, and gender differences in predicting the delinquent behavior of youth in Malaysia. However, very few studies have aimed to find an in-depth understanding of the effects of family roles and peer pressure on delinquency in Malaysia. The present qualitative research was designed to fill this gap in the literature. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 young male prisoners (juvenile delinquents) in Malaysia to explore the influences of family life and peer pressure on delinquency. The current study showed that parental un-involvement, parent separation, peer pressure, criminal gang membership, and parents’ involvement in crime were the important factors for involvement in delinquency. The findings revealed the importance of guidance and counseling for parents and adolescents, to help them cope with life challenges and to build their social and emotional skills, as well as the necessity of appointing school psychologists and public health experts to help the youths become valuable individuals