This study attempts to establish the causal effects of outdoor play through a conceptual model consisting of six latent constructs. Seventy Penang preschool operators took part in a questionnaire survey conducted from June to July 2021. All of the 70 respondents agreed that outdoor play is important for children’s development even though only 62 respondents implemented outdoor play yards in their preschools. Raw data from these 62 respondents were used to develop the conceptual model by PLS-SEM. Measurement models were assessed by checking the indicator reliability, internal consistency reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity. The structural model was assessed by checking the SRMR and NFI. The measurement models are found to be acceptable with AVE > 0.50 for all of the constructs and all of the 34 indicators have loadings > 0.50. However, there are 16 indicators with difference between loadings < 0.10, and the structural model does not have a good fit with SRMR > 0.10 and NFI < 0.90. Lack of discriminant validity could be remedied by removing eight indicators with difference between loadings < 0.10. Model fit could be improved with larger sample size since bootstrapping with 1000 iterations yielded SRMR = 0.098 at 95% for the saturated model. Seven significant paths were found among the six constructs in the final conceptual model.

In this article, two great world religions, Islam and Buddhism, are compared. The purpose is to highlight similarities and differences between the two religions. Additionally, this article aims to project elements and teachings that are deemed important by their followers. A neutral stance on their beliefs is especially important in a multicultural society. The study was conducted to promote the harmony and betterment of Malaysian society, and the nation at large; a value process of understanding of each religion is recommended, which can then lead to acceptance, respect and tolerance among the population, and form the basis for developing a paradigmatic Malaysian society that has unity in diversity. This study adopted document analysis as the research method for data collection and data analysis. The conclusions drawn are that, although the two religions appear rather different in terms of principles and practices, the core values of avoiding evil and doing good are similar. In addition, the study proposes that without prejudice and pride, the basics of all commonly practiced religions in Malaysia should be introduced to all Malaysians, with the objective of all understanding, but not necessarily embracing, each other’s religion.

According to research, preschool physical environments (PPE) that promote outdoor play have a positive impact on children’s overall wellbeing, as well as their total developmental competence and academic learning, which then directly affects their school readiness prior to entering primary school. This study analyses the causative impacts of outdoor play on preschoolers’ school readiness for primary school in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Additionally, we attempted to extend a prior research conceptual model on outdoor play in studying the link between PPE and preschoolers’ school readiness. From June to August 2022, 84 private preschool operators from the Klang Valley took part in the survey to offer their viewpoints; however, only 72 completed questionnaires could be used for PLS-SEM analysis using SmartPLS 4. It has been discovered that outdoor play does, in fact, have a favorable, considerable impact on academic learning and school readiness. Other findings offer more proof of the causal links between outdoor play and children’s development. Important stakeholders, such as preschool providers, preschool designers, preschool educators, as well as parents, should make sure that appropriate outdoor play yards are provided in preschools for children’s full development and academic learning, as well as for preschoolers’ readiness for school.

The Malaysian construction sector registers higher fatal accidents than the manufacturing sector even though the latter has the highest cases of accidents. There is a need to implement effective safety risk management. The main objective of this study is to explore the moderating effect of risk level of accidents on mitigation measures implemented. For this purpose, the factors causing safety risks and the practical measures taken by contractors to mitigate these risks were identified, in addition to the operationalization of the likelihood and severity of accidents using suitable rating scales. Descriptive analysis shows that a fall-related accident is the most likely and the most severe safety risk at high risk level. Results from multivariate analysis using SmartPLS 4 show that safety risks have a significant positive relationship with mitigation measures, and risk level actually heightens this relationship. As a result, the practical measures implemented on construction sites to mitigate the impacts of accidents may be inadequate unless the moderating effect of risk level is considered during the planning, design, and management of construction safety. Therefore, mitigation measures taken by the contractors must take into account the types of factors causing safety risks, as well as the likelihood and severity of these factors.

Scavengers are prone to various health problems, hence seeking healthcare is inevitable. Despite the importance of the help-seeking behavior of scavengers, it has not been addressed explicitly in the existing literature. Addressing this gap, this study intends to explore the help-seeking behavior of scavengers and to identify the factors that influence healthcare utilization among them. This qualitative study conducted thirty-one in-depth interviews through a semi-structured interview guide and analyzed them using thematic analysis. Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Service Use was employed to explore the findings. The findings showed that the scavengers utilized multiple healthcare options depending on the severity and reoccurrence of the illness. The process of help-seeking and health services utilization was largely influenced by the cost of the health service, long distance to the health facility, traveling cost and waiting time. The study highlights the need for scavengers’ enrolment in micro health insurance schemes. The initiative would facilitate scavengers’ access to medical care. Health awareness campaigns and the provision of free mobile medical services, especially at the landfill sites, would also improve curative treatment among scavengers.

Pendekatan kualitatif untuk memahami kualiti hidup masyarakat orang asli di Pahang (Qualitative approach to understanding the quality of life of an indigenous community in Pahang)