Education for sustainable development in Malaysia: a study of teacher and student awareness

Sustainable development is seen as a modern development idea that is most proactive and practical in addressing the issues of development demand and environmental conservation. This paper examined two variables influencing teachers’ and students’ awareness of education for sustainable development (ESD), namely, school location and school participation in the Sustainable School Environmental Award (SLAAS) Programme. Primary data were gathered from 447 students and 245 teachers of six secondary schools in urban areas and six secondary schools in rural areas which participated in the SLAAS Programme. Results of the statistical analysis revealed a difference in terms of content knowledge, attitude and behaviour between students in rural and urban areas and no difference for the teachers. This meant that the application of ESD as the outcome of SLAAS Programme between urban and rural students is different according to the ESD awareness variable, but not so for urban and rural teachers. Findings also revealed differences with respect to knowledge practice and behaviour for students and teachers according to school participation in the SLAAS where a significant relationship existed for schools that participated in the SLAAS at the national level. These findings might be useful in informing further effort to enhance ESD awareness of the school community particularly through sustainability activities

Topophobia wanita dan persekitaran bandar: satu pendekatan reruang

Persekitaran bandar yang tidak selamat mewujudkan perasaan takut manusia terhadap tempat atau topophobia. Topophobia wanita dibina sebahagiannya secara prejudis yang dicerminkan melalui pola pergerakan mereka di dalam ruang. Makalah ini bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti lokasi dan sifat ruang topophobia wanita di Pantai Dalam, Kuala Lumpur. Seramai 391 orang wanita yang tinggal di kawasan kajian telah dipilih menjadi sampel kajian. Data sifat ruang dan lokasi topophobia diperoleh menerusi kaji selidik di lapangan menggunakan borang soal selidik dan berdasarkan titik yang ditandakan oleh responden pada peta dasar Pantai Dalam. Penganalisisan data lokasi topophobia dilaksanakan menggunakan Sistem Maklumat Geografi (GIS) manakala sifat ruang topophobia menggunakan statistik deskriptif dan inferensi (ujian khi kuasa dua). Hasil kajian menunjukkan sifat ruang topophobia yang paling ditakuti ialah berkeadaan sunyi atau lengang (82.1%). Peratusan ini mengatasi ciri-ciri ruang topophobia yang lain seperti jalan/lorong (68.5%), ruang terpencil dan jarang dilalui orang (58.8%) dan ruang yang diisi oleh penagih dadah berkeliaran (41.9%). Persepsi kebanyakan responden terhadap tahap keselamatan menunjukkan Pantai Dalam kurang selamat (54%). Ujian khi kuasa dua mendapati bahawa terdapat perhubungan antara persepsi tahap keselamatan dengan pilihan untuk tinggal di kawasan ini. Kajian ini memberi gambaran khusus tentang keterancaman wanita dalam persekitaran fizikal dan sosial di Pantai Dalam. Justeru, pihak berkuasa wajar merancang dan membangunkan semula Pantai Dalam ke arah bandar selamat dan berdaya huni

Kemudahterancaman (vulnerability) penduduk terhadap perubahan guna tanah di Selangor

The changes in land use and land cover indicate the development changes that occur at a certain place. Selangor has an area of 796,084 hectares and consists of nine districts. The state government of Selangor plans to achieve the most developed state status by the year 2005. Consequently, land use patterns have changed tremendously, especially within the past five years. The change in land use, especially from forest to non-forest, results in environmental degradation that will eventually threaten human life in that particular area. Whether we realize it or not, the change in land use may increase people’s vulnerability in a society that tries to achieve development in line with the framework of sustainable development. This article will examine the changes in land use and land cover which has occurred within the last four decades (1966-2001) using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and its relationship with vulnerability to human life in the surrounding area. In this context, the driving forces to the changes will be looked at in a holistic and integrated manner. Among the driving forces of change that will be discussed are state development policies, foreign direct investment, population change, urbanization and infrastructure developmen

Geo-spatial approach for suitable location of transportation terminals in the coastal towns planning

Good establishment of transportation terminals (jetties and airports) of coastal towns in proportion to relevant landuses and urban networks is an important element in urban tourism planning. Increasing urban network has both positive and negative impacts. Accessibility is chosen as key elements with respect to its critical roles in quality and attraction of coastal tourism. The overall objective of this study is to develop a decision support tool to plan appropriate locations for jetties, airport and urban transportation network development through the use of spatial technologies to address the issues of accessibility. Langkawi Island, an important tourism city in Malaysia has been chosen as a case study. This method can explain the linkage between accessibility and tourism quality. It covers the optimum accessibility from Jetties and airport to tourism landuses and facilities area. This research has successfully managed to develop a scientifically based approach to convert conceptual configuration of accessible tourism locations into transportation terminals using geospatial technology. It is hoped that this spatial based approach can be employed in transportation planning and urban network suitability assessment at both the local and structure plan levels

The emerging Kuala Lumpur extended mega urban region (KLEMUR): implications on urban prosperity in Malaysia

About half century ago urban scholars in Malaysia described urban areas and towns in the country as ‘sleepy hollows’, functioning more as extractors of riches than creating wealth for the people and the economic growth of the Malay states. Today the Malaysian nation-state is having vibrant towns and cities promoting growth and modernity, and it begins to grapple with issues related to the rise of large urban regions. The largest is the urban region centering on the Kuala Lumpur city which in the last four decades has witnessed urbanized edges extending outwards in all directions. The relative weights of the region’s importance in the Malaysian urban landscape can be substantiated through a range of indicators including land use changes over time, social, economic, infrastructural and quality of life. The Kuala Lumpur mega urban region with extended urbanized areas on all sides of its border is the outcome of overlapping drivers that coalesce in time , beginning with the world integration of trade on spices in the 16th century, then the integration through colonial investments, trade, colonial intervention and administration, the present integration of the space-time through the globalization process leveraged on by the Malaysian nation-state for accelerating the socio-economic development of the people framed within the developmental state paradigm. Malaysian cities become a window of the rising prosperity. The fact that the KLEMUR is compressed in time and space, there are challenges which the article will discuss

Urban planning for sustainable urbanization

This paper perceives sustainable urbanization as an ideal to be achieved by the urbanization process and urban growth in Malaysia. Sustainable urbanization should become the common shared value for every citizen and urbanite. Yet the concept is still far from being clear to guide city governance and planners. Cities keep on expanding in size in the country. The urbanization of capital at the global level in the thirty years has made it possible for Malaysia to adopt industrialism as a means to bring itself out of the third world to first in the 2020. In the process industrial estates have been developed in strategically planned areas either close to or within existing major cities’ contiguous areas. The impacts of the industrialization process are physically and socially clear, ranging from those changes that contribute to the betterment of livelihood in the city to negativities that threaten the urban ecosystem health and the urban environment as a whole. Can urban planning guide the urbanization process to achieve sustainable city? It is argued here that the state of the art in urban planning does pay tribute to sustainable city ideals but there seems to be a gap between planning for sustainable city, that is sectoral, and planning sustainable city that is holistic. Parts of the problems lie in the concept of sustainable development from which sustainable city concept is derived. Apart from being culturally biased to the developed western countries, we need to find commonalities embedded in the concept that is meaningful to us. Urban planning in Malaysia has paid much attention to physical planning, with emphases on meeting standards. Overall, urban planning does not consider the total urban ecosystem dynamics, albeit in recent years the guide lines for structure and local plans do pay due attention to the environmen

Economic equity among ethnic in retail sector: case study in Seremban City Center, Negeri Sembilan

Retail sector is one of important components in urban economic activity for urban livability. Currently, the retail sector contributes 60% of Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Since retail sector provide more than half of the country’s GDP, an in-depth study to understand the framework of this sector should be emphasized. This paper will discuss the participation of Bumiputera in the retail sector with a focus on the Seremban City Center (SCC) as the designated study area. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the New Economic Policy (NEP) is successful in bringing about even economic equity by ensuring 30% Bumiputera participation in retail sectors. Preliminary results obtained through primary and secondary data indicates that Bumiputera involvement is only 7% (Malays), while 93% of it is participated by non Bumiputera (Indian 13% and Chinese 80%). Bumiputera only involved in specific business such as restaurant, beauty care, travel and insurance agency, tuition center, boutique and also private clinics. In addition, data trend for the past three decades showed a mere 6% increased in Bumiputera participation in retail sector in SCC. This paper discusses the important of the retail activities for urban dwelling. The preliminary result shows that participation of the Bumiputera in retail sector are still questionable and urban planner should play more roles for the Bumiputera livability and sustainability

Urbanization trends and groundwater issues in Asian cities

Above half of the global population resides in urban areas and the increasing population is highly dependent on groundwater for its drinking water and agricultural requirements. Asia and Africa are urbanizing at a higher rate than other developed regions. Asia contributes to 53 percent of global urban population and is expected to reach 55 percent by 2025. This article seeks to explore the urbanization trends in Asia and its impacts on groundwater resources through evaluating five countries- China, India, Indonesia, Japan and Malaysia. China and India are two major contributors of world’s urban population; Indonesia, Japan and Malaysia are other three rapidly urbanizing countries in Asia. The analyses are drawn based on a critical review of previous studies conducted on the topic in Asia. The study has found that most populous mega-urban regions in the world and in Asia are located in these five countries. The urban growth rate of China is double or little less than India, Indonesia and Malaysia; Japan is expected to exhibit a declination in its urban population while continue to maintain a high urbanization level during 2014-2050. Urbanization in Asia is not environmentally sustainable and it puts huge pressure on groundwater resources, degrading its quality and quantity, raising concern for resultant land subsidence. India poses a higher pressure on its groundwater resources, followed by China, Indonesia, Japan and Malaysia. Innovative technological and governance solutions with given priority on infrastructural development and environmental conservation is required to tackle urbanization dilemma existing in Asia

Challenges of urban space for sustainable solid waste management in the Langat Basin, Malaysia

Urbanization process in the Langat Basin, Malaysia, grow rapidly for the past three decades. The land use change urban areas of the basin increased from 2.3% in 1974 to 32% in 2010. While the population experiencing rapid growth from 665,395 in 1991 and increase to 1,492,422 in 2015. The vibrancy of economic activities with increasing of population, leads to increasing generation of solid waste in the basin. Solid waste generation increased from 332.7 ton/day in 1991 and increased to 1,641 ton/day in 2015. The current practice of waste management in the Langat Basin still focus on disposals to landfill. Previously there are nine landfill supporting the needs of the basin, however there are only three landfill left. The landfills closed were due to pressure from the development of residential, commercial and industrial areas. The demand for new landfill will compete for space with other economic activities and security of ecosystem services. Land are so precious, thus priorities will not be given for landfill in the Langat Basin. Hence there is a need for change of waste management. Priority should be given to resource recovery with waste recycling, waste reduction and waste reuse as the main approach, with support of other strategic plan such as designing product and system as well as using incinerator to ensure reduction of solid waste flow to landfill. These approaches and strategies will able to reduce dependency of space for new landfill in the Langat Basin in the future

The soul of the city: a reflection

This article presents a small scale research on the definition of the soul of a city as an indicator of liveable city that has undergone rapid and drastic changes in the process of urbanization. When humans begin to inquire various questions in their minds with regards to the characteristics of the surrounding town, the knowledge of city’s soul emerges. Humans observe the conditions of a city as they reflect upon themselves. Such reflection is parallel to the development of human mind which result in patterns of the soul of the city as both object and subject of observations: a metaphor and something that is intriguing yet complex. Patterns of the soul of the city contain life’s motives, values and norms, sustainability, complexity and harmony. The city’s soul physical and social development as well as enhancement is a natural driving force among the people, principles and patterns of places of the city itself. With this driving force, liveability is formed whereby any changes either in form or space was to take place, they (the changes) would not be able to influence existing form and soul. However, the biggest challenge in interpreting the essence of the soul of the city is to decode its abstract nature into its physical form which can be touched, seen while remaining its coherence and sustainability