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In Malaysian education, an approach to inculcate Environmental Citizenship (EC) comprising positive attitudes and pro-environmental behaviour is to try and improve Sustainable Development (SD) awareness based upon knowledge of the environment, social, cultural, and economic domains. However, will the increase of knowledge of these domains suffice for enhancing EC? The paper discusses a 2019-2020 nationwide survey conducted to determine the EC status and SD awareness. The study had 1976 respondents, and statistical analysis revealed that the overall self-perceived EC and SD awareness levels were high among Malaysians. However, correlational analysis between the EC and the SD knowledge component domains revealed low associations indicating a lack of interconnectedness between the domains. Environmental values, investigated as an exploratory variable in the study, appeared to have a mediating role between the EC and SD awareness component domains. Further analysis using PLS-SEM software revealed that values did play a mediating role. Based on these findings, the paper argues for an emerging model for a missing pedagogical link in transforming Malaysian EC through SD awareness education for pro-environmental behaviour. Implications for an education policy are discussed.

Purpose: In Malaysia, research indicates that there is an interest amongst the stakeholders, namely, administrators and academicians to be engaged in education for sustainable development (SD), but it is rarely implemented as a part of the higher education curriculum due to various barriers. This paper aims to develop a framework for integrating SD concepts into the chemistry curriculum, using a case study approach. Design/methodology/approach: This study was conducted at a local university located in Selangor, Malaysia, offering a foundation programme to students between 17 to 18 years of age. Data was collected using a qualitative approach that involved 12 experts as informants. The collected data was analysed via three coding stages, namely, open coding, category coding and thematic encoding using Atlas.ti 7.0 software. Findings: The research revealed that six aspects contribute to the integration of SD concepts into the chemistry curriculum, namely, educational policy, awareness, resources, curriculum, pedagogical approach and stakeholders' engagement. The proposed framework was formulated by considering these aspects. Originality/value: The findings of this study can be used as a guide to facilitate the integration of SD concepts into the chemistry curriculum. It is expected to encourage the involvement of more teachers in adopting sustainable chemistry teaching.

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of foundation chemistry learners concerning the sustainable development concept. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative and quantitative studies were conducted. Atlas.ti software was used to analyse the chemistry curriculum based on selected themes and sub-themes. A survey was carried out involving 132 chemistry learners. The chemistry learners were students from a foundation programme in a local university located in Selangor, Malaysia. The collected data were analysed using SPSS 21.0 involving descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings: Document analysis on the chemistry curriculum shows that water is the theme most covered in the chemistry learners' textbook, as compared to other themes. In general, the chemistry learners have good knowledge and attitude concerning the sustainable development concept. However, their knowledge and attitude do not reflect in their behaviour as an individual, as well as in the classroom. Moreover, their knowledge, attitude and behaviour focus more on environmental dimension, as compared to other sustainable development dimensions. Practical implications: This paper is instrumental in assisting educators to assess how chemistry learners perceive sustainable development, and this may help to bring about changes to improve chemistry teaching and learning processes towards education for sustainable development. Originality/value: This paper is an original and novel research paper which is first conducted on sustainable development concept in chemistry curriculum in Malaysia.

Purpose: This paper aims to discuss the knowledge levels, attitudes and behaviours regarding the concept of sustainable development among pre-university programme educators, as well as the potential barriers and opportunities they face in adopting the concept of sustainable development in the teaching of the pre-university level chemistry module at a public university in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was conducted with eight educators of a pre-university programme at a public university located in Selangor, Malaysia. This pre-university programme exposes students to advanced courses in science, which are very much like first-year university courses for candidates who are interested in gaining admission to degree programmes. For this study, the focus was on chemistry educators only. The collected data were analysed through descriptive analysis following which interviews were conducted with the respondents. Findings: In general, the educators have good knowledge and attitudes towards the concept of sustainable development. Moreover, their projected knowledge (K), attitude (A) and behaviour (B) focus more on environmental dimensions, as opposed to other sustainable development dimensions. While the integration of the concept of sustainable development in chemistry teaching is restricted by a few barriers, such as content-based learning, lack of guidebooks related to sustainable development and an overcrowded curriculum, positive responses from the chemistry educators indicate that there are opportunities to implement sustainable chemistry concepts in the pre-university chemistry module. Research limitations/implications: The present study was conducted with several limitations; the data were obtained from a small sample size at an institute located within a public university. The respondents of this research consisted of only three existing chemistry educators and five administrators who are also educators. Further studies about sustainable chemistry teaching should include samples from other public and private universities. Originality/value: This paper is instrumental in assisting the Ministry of Education, administrators, as well as educators within the pre-university sector to shift their goals towards sustainable chemistry teaching to achieve success in education for sustainable development.

Ex-mining lake-converted constructed wetlands play a significant role in the carbon cycle, offering a great potential to sequester carbon and mitigate climate change and global warming. Investigating the quantity of carbon storage capacity of ex-mining lake-converted constructed wetlands provides information and justification for restoration and conservation efforts. The present study aims to quantify the carbon pool of the ex-mining lake-converted constructed wetlands and characterise the physicochemical properties of the soil and sediment. Pearson's correlation and a one-way ANOVA were performed to compare the different sampling stations at Paya Indah Wetland, Selangor, Malaysia. An analysis of 23 years of ex-mining lake-converted constructed wetlands of Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia, revealed that the estimated total carbon pool in soil and sediment accumulated to 1553.11 Mg C ha−1 (equivalent to 5700 Mg CO2 ha−1), which translates to an annual carbon sink capacity of around 67.5 Mg C ha−1 year−1. The characterisation showed that the texture of all soil samples was dominated by silt, whereas sediments exhibited texture heterogeneity. Although the pH of the soil and sediment was both acidic, the bulk density was still optimal for plant growth and did not affect root growth. FT-IR and WDXRF results supported that besides the accumulation and degradation of organic substances, which increase the soil and sediment carbon content, mineral carbonation is a mechanism by which soil and sediment can store carbon. Therefore, this study indicates that the ex-mining lake-converted constructed wetlands of Paya Indah Wetlands, Selangor, Malaysia have a significant carbon storage potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantification of rock slope stability analysis in Malaysia has generally been limited to the traditional methods of Rock Mass Rating (RMR) or Slope Mass Rating (SMR). While these methods represent a means to convey message from geologists to engineers, they can be confusing especially in designing slope stabilization efforts. The limit equilibrium method which is widely used worldwide has only seen limited application for rock slope stability analysis in Malaysia. This paper discusses the limit equilibrium method using Factor of Safety (FOS) from deterministic calculations to probabilistic analysis. Four rock slopes in Klang Valley (L1, L2, L3 and L4) with potential and failed planar failures have been selected for FOS calculation. In this study, Barton's equation has been selected in favour of the Mohr-Coulomb method due to the availability of Joint Roughness Coefficient (JRC) data. A deterministic calculation in dry conditions shows that FOS values range from 1.08 to 2.34 which indicates stable conditions. However, introduction of water into the discontinuities (50% filling) reduces the FOS value from 0.80 to 1.89 while 100% filling of water inside discontinuities further reduces the FOS value to the range from 0.00 to 0.55. The results indicate the importance of water in influencing the FOS calculations. Probabilistic analysis uses normal distribution of parameters measured at the field except for water content in which an exponential distribution is assumed. The probabilistic FOS analysis shows probability of failure ranging from 4.83% to 44.80% whereby the slope with highest likelihood of failure is at L1. Estimated block weight shows median mass value between 0.07 tonne/m to 1.30 tonne/m. The establishment of FOS and probability of failure values will help the engineers better to design adequate stabilization structures if needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the barriers and challenges faced by chemical industries in Malaysia causing to the low participation in Responsible Care program. Also, this paper aims to propose a solution to address the issues in implementing Responsible Care by introducing a Simplified and Integrated Management System for Responsible Care.Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire was distributed to 132 Responsible Care signatory companies in Malaysia, and they were given a week to return it via e-mail. Combining the inputs from the survey and document analysis, a Simplified and Integrated Management System for Responsible Care (SIMS-RC) was proposed.Findings Responsible Care signatory companies faced barriers in implementing product stewardship code and they also faced challenges in getting employees' commitment from all levels. Taking the inputs received from Responsible Care signatory companies and document analysis, an SIMS-RC was proposed as a closed-loop process which consists of quality, environmental, health and safety management system.Research limitations/implications Some of the chemical companies were unable to share their thoughts in the survey due to the companies' confidential reason.Originality/value Abundant literature has discussed about the limitation of Responsible Care that needs to be improved. Therefore, several elements and procedures of the program need to be revised and innovated to help the signatory companies to continuously improve their performances and encourage more participation in Responsible Care program. The findings will add value to the current body of knowledge and Responsible Care signatory companies which seek to improve Responsible Care implementation through an integrated management system approach. The proposed SIMS-RC is a simple, integrated, holistic and process-oriented management system in which it blends Responsible Care into quality, environmental, health and safety management system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

this study, an initiative has been taken to characterize soil physical properties of stable and failed soil slopes along the Ranau-Tambunan road in Sabah. A total of 26 samples consisting of 10 samples from stable slopes and another 16 samples from failed soil slopes were collected. Basic physical soil tests that were performed were particle size distribution, liquid limit, plastic limit and plasticity index. The Mann-Whitney test was used to determine the association between landslides and the physical properties of both slope groups. In addition, mean rank of physical properties for both slope groups were also computed. Based on the test, the particle size distribution, liquid and plasticity index for both groups were indicated as significantly associated with landslides with p values of 0.0305, 0.009 and 0.040 respectively. The plastic limit (p=0.667), however, did not show significant association with landslide occurrences. In terms of mean rank, failed slopes have higher value than stable slopes for fine grain materials comprising of silt and clay (15.94 vs 9.60), liquid limit (16.50 vs 8.70), plastic limit (14.03 vs 12.65) and plasticity index (16.69 vs 8.40). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some regions in Malaysia is facing water scarcity problem nowadays despite Malaysia has high quantity of water resources. The increasing water demand has triggered the initiatives to look for alternative water supply. Rainwater harvesting was proposed by the government as part of the solutions to mitigate water scarcity problem. Literatures associated with rainwater harvesting were obtained from various sources. These literatures were reviewed and have been instrumental to analyze the potential, policies and development of rainwater harvesting in Malaysia. This article discusses the potential of rainwater harvesting in Malaysia under the dynamic climate as a case study. The challenges of rainwater harvesting development in terms of environment, policy, economy, social and technical are pointed with the way forward for rainwater harvesting. It is anticipated that rainwater harvesting is going to play the role as an alternative water resource in the country. In order to promote rainwater harvesting in Malaysia, inter-ministerial and multi-stakeholders co-operations are needed to mainstream this alternative water resource into the national strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the Malaysian chemicals industry has been progressively growing over the past few decades, the industry associations had not been actively engaged with one another. The Chemical Industries Council of Malaysia was established to form a stronger and more cohesive representation from other sub-sectors of the industry such as oleochemicals, industrial gases, petrochemicals, paints, coating resins, fertilizers, biodiesel and pesticides, as well as their respective chemical traders, distributors and other service providers. Among its initiatives is the Responsible Care programme which has proven to be a very useful tool in promoting responsible practices among signatory companies that protect the environment, human health and safety. While the chemicals industry and related industries have adopted most of the responsible best practices to reduce their environmental impact, participation from small and medium enterprises has been low. This paper aims to provide an overview of the initiatives of the Chemical Industries Council of Malaysia, and assess its current position with regard to providing environmental, health and safety services to its members in view of the expanding global chemicals sector and the challenges it poses. It will also identify the main challenges faced by the chemicals industry, and propose measures to overcome them for the future competitiveness and sustainability of the chemicals industry at both regional and international levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanotechnology enables the development of new and improved products. However, the public is also concerned about uncertain risks associated with nanotechnology-enabled products. To address this concern, the study aims to expand the understanding about public benefit and risk perceptions as a basis for the effective formulation of policy that addresses public interests. The study investigates public benefit and risk perceptions of nanotechnology development from the psychological and sociological aspects through a questionnaire survey conducted on Klang Valley, Malaysia. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) illustrates that demographics indeed influences public benefit and risk perceptions of nanotechnology development. However, public knowledge about nanotechnology exerts no effect on public benefit and risk perceptions of nanotechnology development based on independent t-tests. Simple linear regression reveals that the lack of public trust in government increases risk perception. Public attitude perceives nanotechnology to be more beneficial than risky, thus influencing benefit perception rather than risk perception. Public lifestyle, such as culture, religious beliefs and social group influence benefit perception but not risk perception. Result is expected to deliver better communication of benefit and risk of nanotechnology to the public as well as ensure an ethical policy regarding nanotechnology development. • The public is concerned about uncertain risks associated with nanotechnology-products. • Understanding public perceptions of nanotechnology development is instrumental for effective policy formation. • Knowledge has no effect on public perceptions towards nanotechnology development. • Public perceives nanotechnology as more beneficial than risky thus increasing benefit perception. • Public culture, religious beliefs and social groups influence benefit perception but not risk perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water and carbon, essential for Earth's well-being, face imminent threats from human activities that fuel climate change. This study investigates nature-based solutions, focusing on the carbon-water nexus of ex-mining lake-converted constructed wetlands, specifically in Malaysia's Paya Indah Wetlands (PIW). Addressing research gaps, it assesses the ecosystem services of these wetlands, emphasising integrated evaluations for informed land management and employing a top-down conservation approach. Methodologically, spatial assessments, soil and water sampling, carbon quantification, water quality index calculations, land cover classification and stakeholder surveys were conducted. Results underscore the significant carbon sequestration and water quality improvement potential of constructed wetlands, with soil and sediment carbon accumulation reaching 1553.11 Mg C ha−1 (equivalent to 5700 Mg CO 2 ha−1), translating to an annual sequestration capacity of 67.5 Mg C ha−1 year−1. Water quality index values ranged from 58 to 81 (Classes II to III). PIW's establishment led to a reduction of over 90% in barren land, with increases in water bodies (36%) and vegetation-covered land (38%), boosting wildlife populations by 30%. Spatial variations in organic carbon density and water quality underscore the complexity of the carbon-water nexus and its impacts on ecosystem health and water security. Despite land use changes, PIW demonstrates resilience, contributing to climate change mitigation. Stakeholder perceptions vary, emphasising the need for adaptive strategies. The study proposes transdisciplinary conservation initiatives and adaptive plans, stressing the pivotal role of ex-mining lake-converted constructed wetlands in enhancing climate resilience. [Display omitted] • PIW shows the crucial nexus between carbon and water for ecosystem sustainability. • PIW decreased barren land and increased water bodies and vegetated areas. • Soil and sediment in PIW reveal major carbon pools, aiding carbon sequestration. • The Water Quality Index at PIW ranges from slightly polluted to clean. • Carbon-water nexus at PIW shows suspended solids and COD affect carbon levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanotechnology is developed to improve public well-being, stimulate economic growth, and provide environmental solutions, which are essential for sustainable development. However, the uncertain risks of nanotechnology may destroy public confidence and impede nanotechnology development from facilitating sustainable development. Thus, public perception is a critical component to understand public acceptance of nanotechnology and for nanotechnology development to be well governed. Good governance of nanotechnology is vital to ensure the benefits are distributed equitably while protecting the public from the risks. Hence, this study was based on psychological and sociological approaches with intervention from moderators, that is, media coverage, technology and economic development, benefit and risk of nanoapplications, and benefit and risk information. A survey was conducted in Malaysia to determine the effects of moderators' influence on public perceptions. The study found, based on a psychological and sociological approach, that the moderating effects of moderators influenced public perception in a manner that increased or decreased the benefit and risk perception of nanotechnology. The results later serve as an input for recommending good governance strategies for applying nanotechnology to sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proper disposal of pharmaceuticals has become a prime concern in contemporary healthcare and environmental management. The evolving awareness highlights the ecological and public health risks associated with pharmaceutical waste. Therefore, evaluating medication disposal patterns and public awareness regarding pharmaceutical-related environmental issues is crucial for promoting responsible practices. The primary aim of this study is to identify the determinants of participation in the Medicine Return Program (MRP) among Malaysians. This cross-sectional study employed snowball sampling and an online questionnaire, disseminated via multiple social media platforms. Results: Out of 389 respondents, 46% were 18 to 29 years old, 61% were female, and 69.7% attained a tertiary educational level. Most of them (71.5%) reported disposing of their unused medicines into the rubbish bin, indicating that this disposal method is prevalent among Malaysians. Only 26.2% participated in the MRP program. The study revealed that 73.0% of respondents were aware of pharmaceutical-related environmental contamination. Furthermore, significant associations were demonstrated between a factor of receiving advice from healthcare professionals (p < 0.001), awareness level on environmental pharmaceutical contamination (p < 0.001) and MRP (p < 0.001) and willingness to participate in MRP (p < 0.001) with MRP support. This study provides valuable insights on Malaysian pharmaceutical disposal practices and the factors influencing MRP participation. These findings can inform targeted interventions and public health campaigns to improve medication disposal behaviors and reduce pharmaceutical waste's environmental impact.