Hasrina Mustafa

Gaining Campaign Support Through Peer Networking: An Impact Analysis of Energy Efficiency Projects in Malaysia

This article presents a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of two community projects on energy efficiency held in Malaysia in January 2008. Specifically, the study was undertaken to compare levels of attitudes and practices of energy efficiency between baseline and post-campaign survey; compare electricity consumptions before, one month after, and three months after the campaign; and to gain a richer understanding of the process of attitudinal and behavioral change among residents during the campaign period. Two community projects, among 1,800 residents of five apartments, were conducted with various activities. Results exhibited show improved levels of positive attitudes and practices of energy efficiency at home; and a significantly lower electricity usage among the residents between the baseline and the post campaign survey conducted one month after. However, positive behavioral change that occurred earlier did not persist during the three month assessment. To conclude, integrating interpersonal influence and emphasizing peer networking in the planning and implementation of a social campaign is very crucial to the success of a campaign.

From Middle Childhood to Adulthood Attachment: Measuring Attachment Stability in the Context of Married Individuals in Penang, Malaysia

Attachment theory argues that attachment styles developed during infancy and childhood will be relatively enduring and continue during adulthood. While research on adult attachment has been mounting in the past, less is known on the enduring effect of attachment styles with mother, father, and their peer or peers during childhood on adult romantic attachment styles. Past research in fact have obtained mixed findings on the stability of attachment styles from childhood to adulthood, especially in the context of Malaysian setting. In order to explore the stability of attachment styles from childhood to adulthood, a survey among 400 married individuals was conducted and partial least squares was employed for data analysis. The application of attachment theory in this study was established via two dimensions of anxiety and avoidance. The result indicated that respondents who exhibited high levels of anxiety and high levels of avoidance with mother, father, and their peers would display the same attachment styles with their romantic partners or spouses during adulthood. The findings provide conclusive evidence on the continuity and stability of attachment styles with stronger and enduring bonds observed for peer-adult attachment.

Muslims in cyberspace: exploring factors influencing online religious engagements in Malaysia

The emergence of Islam and Muslim public spheres in cyberspace has progressed along with the development of Information and Communication Technologies. Just like believers of other faiths, Muslim individuals are enthusiastic in sharing their faith, beliefs, and values at the click of a mouse. Based on an online survey conducted on 525 respondents, this study seeks further understanding on the factors that influence engagement in online religious activities among Muslims. Through the application of the Theory of Planned Behavior, results from the study revealed five important predictors of online religious engagement, namely attitude–Internet perception, the subjective norms of the Muslim community, the Internet self-efficacy, level of religiosity among Muslims, and offline media usage for religious purposes.

What Do Malaysians Think of America and Its Foreign Policy Post 9/11?

Abstract The study aims to understand the overall perceptions among Malaysians concerning America in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, with a special focus on the Gulf issues, i.e. the issue of terrorism, the issue of Israel versus Palestine and Lebanon, the issue of Iraq and the issue of Iran’s nuclear-arms programme. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in the study. Results of the quantitative analysis express a prominent difference between Malays and other races on every issue, with Malays having less liberal perceptions towards America than other races. The results show that most participants do not blame the American people but put the responsibility on the American government. The qualitative analysis reveals that media does influence the perceptions of the participants towards America. It also illustrates that the participants are aware and discontented with the issues that are going on in Gulf countries. The overall research findings strongly indicate that the Malaysian perception towards the American government and its foreign policy are currently unfavourable.