Syahriah Bachok

Sustainable Well-Being Subjective Indicators: Human Interdependence with Other Humans and with the Environment

The intention of this study is to assess the theories and current approaches to well-being and sustainability to help identify the dimensions and influencing factors for sustainable well-being for Malaysia. Problem: Studies on the subjective measure of sustainable well-being exhibit high attention to human interdependence with other humans (HIH) and human interdependence with the environment (HIE). However, a conclusive study concerning the dimensions and influencing factors that determine the interdependencies is lacking. Approach: An exploratory review was adopted to identify the dimensions and influencing factors of HIH and HIE. Findings: The study discovered that both HIH and HIE have four dimensions each. The dimensions for HIH are (i) personal empowerment, (ii) positive relations, (iii) organisational opportunity and (iv) community development. The dimensions for HIE are (v) individual personality, (vi) interaction with nature, (vii) environmental attitude and (viii) external conditions. Limitation: The full reliance on literatures is the weakness of the paper. An empirical study is needed to prove the applicability of the dimensions and influencing factors discovered. Significance: The key findings of HIH and HIE are practical for research exploration in Eastern Muslim and developing countries, such as Malaysia.

Assessing disparities in the urban-rural service: A case of public bus services in Peninsular Malaysia

An understanding of bus service disparities between urban and rural settlements is necessary to provide the best approach to improving and providing an efficient public transportation system in the country. An efficient public transportation system will contribute towards sustainable economic growth and healthy social development of the district, which, in turn, will ensure human security in respect of the mobility of goods and services for today’s and future needs. However, limited studies that analyse the service gap and local demand for the public bus service in Peninsular Malaysia have been conducted. The improvement in bus service reliability depends on several parameters including the route coverage and schedule. This study presents an empirical analysis of the fixed-route hour level of service (LOS) for urban and rural bus services to understand the level of reliability and quality of the service provided. A field survey was conducted to collect the secondary data concerning the bus routes and schedules from the local bus operators. Through a sampling survey of bus lines in selected urban and rural settlements in Peninsular Malaysia, service reliability based on the fixed-route hour service is evaluated. A total of nine (9) bus companies with a total of 48 routes were selected to represent nine (9) bus terminals operating in Johor, Penang, Pahang and Perak. Johor represents the southern states, while Penang represents the northern states. For the east-coast states, Pahang is selected, while Perak represents a still developing state, which is yet to reach the advanced level of large conurbations. The distance of a bus route from the origin to the destination is also analysed. A standard service quality measure is referred to in determining the level of service (LOS) and for identifying the service disparities between urban and rural settlements. The results indicate that the LOS for the fixed-route hour of bus services in the rural areas range from C to D and B to E in the urban settlement. The recommendations put forward include the improvement of real-time scheduling of buses, expansion of service hours and revised fare systems to ensure the future sustainability of the urban and rural bus services in Malaysia.

Sustainable well-being objective indicators: Basic necessities, complementary needs and desired opportunities

Abstract Purpose: This study assesses the theories and approaches to sustainable well-being in developing objective social indicators to recognise the all-inclusive wellness of Malaysians. Problem: Currently, in Malaysia, well-being is measured by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) Malaysia through the Malaysian Quality of Life Reports and Malaysian Well-being Report. The reports cover the social progress of Malaysians through a set of indicators categorised under economic well-being and social well-being. The three main issues found in the current approach include (1) a lack of output indicators for some components, which makes it impossible to interpret the true performance of well-being, (2) the absence of a hierarchy of needs to identify more prioritised components and indicators, and (3) a narrow understanding of progress due to a strong reliance on the correlation with GDP growth. Approach: This study employs a literature review and document analysis. Findings: A new approach is necessary to improve the current approach to measuring well-being in Malaysia. Based on the theory of the hierarchy of needs, the objective indicators are categorised into specific components of three dimensions of sustainable well-being – necessities, complementary needs, and desired opportunities. Through reconsideration and re-coordination of the existing indicators and selected additional indicators, the elements that constitute well-being as well as the data appear consistent and transparent. Significance: Sustainable well-being indicators will prioritise what is most important to the citizens. The model recognises the progress of the survival requirements of human beings, the moral basis of happiness, and the greater life prospects of Malaysians.

PUBLIC BUS LEVEL OF SERVICE PERFORMANCE IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA: CORRELATION ANALYSES ON LEVEL OF SERVICE (LOS) AND PASSENGERS’ SATISFACTION LEVEL

This study explore the stage bus performance of 48 routes within selected urban and regional settlements in Peninsula Malaysia, using a quantitative traffic engineering measure known as Level of Service standards or LOS and validated through the evaluation of passengers’ satisfaction level. The findings on the level of service (LOS) highlight the poor performance of the urban and rural bus service with the tolerable threshold below D. There are clear disparities on LOS and passenger satisfaction level between the urban and rural bus operation systems in terms of frequency, operation hour, bus speed, and passengers’ load threshold Keyword: Level of Service (LOS), stage bus, passengers’ satisfaction Date Received: 30 April 2016 Date of Acceptance: 30 October 2016 Zakiah Ponrahono, Syahriah Bachok, Mariana Mohamed Osman, Mansor Ibrahim, & Muhammad Faris Abdullah Public Bus Level of Service Performances in P. Malaysia: Correlation Analyses on LOS and Passengers’ Satisfaction Level

A REVIEW ON SUSTAINABLE WELLBEING INDICATORS FOR HUMAN INTERRELATIONSHIPS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT

The environment should appear not only as a commodity to humans but as an inspiring source that appeals to humans’ ethical ability. In Malaysia, studies concerning factors influencing pro-environmental behaviours are vast. However, studies on interrelationships between humans and the contextual surroundings are scarce. Towards achieving sustainable well-being, it is undoubtedly important for humans to have conforming emotions, behaviours, cognitions and motivations towards the environment. This study intends to identify the determinants of human values and ethical behaviour concerning the environment towards developing a theoretical framework of interrelationship between human and environment. Keyword: sustainable well-being, human interrelationships with the environment Date Received: 30 April 2016 Date of Acceptance: 30 October 2016 Aisyah Abu Bakar, Mariana Mohamed Osman, Syahriah, Ismawi Zen, Alias Abdullah, & Muhammad Faris An Assessment of Sustainable Wellbeing Indicators for Human Interrelationships with the Environment

Sustainable well-being: An empirical exploration on human interdependence with other humans

This study is a part of ongoing research to discover subjective measures of sustainable well-being manifested in (i) Human Interdependence with other Humans (HIH) and (ii) Human Interdependence with the Environment (HIE). This paper focuses on HIH. ISSUES: An increasing number of subjective well-being studies discovered that sustainable well-being is a product of human interdependency. However, a conclusive empirical study on components and indicators that determine the human interdependency is in need. AIM: This study intends to provide empirical evidence on the components that constitute HIH. METHOD: Questionnaire Survey and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were implemented to determine the components of HIH. Before the Questionnaires, the research had already theoretically explored four separate dimensions to HIH. The dimensions of HI were (i) personal empowerment, (ii) positive relationships, (iii) organisational opportunity and (iv) community mobilisation. Potential and measurable HIH indicators were discovered through literature review and converted into 40 self-reported items. Survey Questionnaires were conducted in central regions of Malaysia inquiring respondents of their levels of HIH. FINDINGS: There were 12 components extracted in total, based on four separate PCA analysis for each HIH dimension. LIMITATION: Full reliance on literature review and PCA in discovering the components for HIH is the constraint of the research. An in-depth qualitative approach such as semi-structured interviews could potentially identify other possible determinants to HIH. SIGNIFICANCE: This study distinguishes the determinants of HIH. The empirical evidence of HIH at the local scale contributes to the practicality of measuring sustainable well-being through HIH.

An assessment on housing affordability on selected urban areas in Perak

This study concerns on strategies and focuses on affordable housing for urban areas in Perak. The affordable housing development has become an absolute necessity of residents in Perak. The affordable housing assessment is to assist policy formulation, decision-making and resources allocation of the local authorities and state government. It was found based on national household income survey for the year 2012 to 2014 that household income levels differed from one district to another, with Kinta and Manjung population having higher income levels compared to the rest of the state population. Analysis of the study appears to show that some 40% of the population earned less than RM 4,000 monthly, thus, can be classified as the B40 group and there existed disparities among districts which resulted in differing levels of affordability, particularly in the context of purchasing of a house. Furthermore, the study also found that there has been a drastic change in housing pricing between the year of 2012 and 2014 that affected the affordability levels. In other words, the affordability index for the whole of Perak for the year 2014 and 2015 can be categorised as severely unaffordable.

An assessment of public transport features in urban and rural settlements in Malaysia

This paper focuses on assessing the features of bus services offered in selected urban and rural settlements in Malaysia. Five definitions of public transport level of services (LOS) according to Transportation Research Board are adopted. Assessment of the LOS has been conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods of primary and secondary data capture. With a sample of more than 1000 passengers surveyed, the demand side’s perception and aspiration have been collected and analyzed based on the classification of LOS. The overall performance measured in urban and rural were LOS E, which is below the tolerable standard of LOS D. In analyzing the satisfaction levels among the urban and rural passengers, it was found that the majority of the respondents (60.4%) were dissatisfied with the services in both urban and rural areas. Further recommendations are to bridge these gaps by increasing headways, locating designated bus stops or halts at strategic catchment points of alighting and dropping off as well as revised maintenance scheduling and consistent repair of the existing fleet. Finally, operators may also improve on-board comfort and convenient levels as aspired by the passengers. This can be commensurate by the willingness of passengers to pay higher fare rates for the increased quality of such services.

Assessment on subjective sustainable well-being for central region of Malaysia

Sustainable well-being results from a well-being that sustained at another’s expense. That is the well-being achieved from supportive interaction system and sourced from the well-being of others. Thorough investigations suggested that subjective sustainable well-being is achieved through interdependencies between human and other humans and between human and the environment. By analyzing the levels of interdependencies, this paper emphasizes the significant differences between the urban, suburban and rural community in attaining sustainable well-being in the most urbanized and populated regions of Malaysia.

Analysis on the fulfillment of hierarchy of needs for central region of Malaysia

Some literature suggested that in less developed countries, the well-being of the residents is higher in urban areas where economic development while in wealthier countries, the well-being of the residents is higher in low-density and rural areas closer to the natural environment. The fulfillment of the survival needs of the population allows the nation to progress to the higher levels of well-being and eventually sustainable well-being. By analyzing the fulfillment of human motivational needs, this paper highlight the differences in the fulfillments of human needs between urban, suburban and rural communities in the most urbanized and populated regions of Malaysia.