Growing awareness worldwide toward sustainability has spurred many initiatives to search and apply more environmentally friendly solutions in daily activities. One of the solutions highly investigated currently is for the application of natural fiber composites (NFCs) as a substitution material especially to synthetic composites and other traditional engineering materials. NFC offers many advantages in terms of environmental performance such as renewability, recyclability, and biodegradability, in addition to lower raw material costs and lightweight property. In this chapter, the sustainability performance of natural fiber composites is explained based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis, a methodology formulated to assess the potential environmental impact of products throughout all of their life cycle stages. Among the discussions included are the LCA analysis methodology and collection of research on LCA analysis conducted for natural fiber composites. In addition, a case study on the application of LCA analysis to evaluate the potential environmental impact of automotive products made from natural fiber composites is also included. Eco-indicator 99 method was applied as an impact assessment method in the simplified LCA analysis, based on cradle-to-grave approach. The case study showed that the use of NFCs in hybrid form to produce automotive anti-roll bar components resulted in a lower eco-indicator score, compared to current use of spring steel material. The case study also showcased how the LCA methodology is able to help product designers in performing simplified LCA analysis to assess products' environmental impact holistically throughout their life cycle stages.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the sustainability levels in terms of sustainability practices amongst public-listed property companies in Southeast Asia. Design/methodology/approach The websites and annual reports for each company were assessed to determine the level of sustainability practices amongst property companies in Southeast Asia. Their sustainability strategies were then rigorously assessed by using a scorecard which assesses sustainability levels based on related issues. Findings The results show that green or sustainable property development in Southeast Asian countries remains at a moderate level. There is still much room for improvement to enhance the level of green attributes in property development. Research limitations/implications This paper only assesses property development companies in five Southeast Asian countries; namely, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Originality/value Given the increasingly significant sustainability issues – especially amongst international property development players, this paper attempts to deliver better informed investment and decision-making ideas for sustainable property developments.

The management activities of the local authorities were audited to evaluate whether the planning of programs and activities was carried out successfully within the stipulated period, without any wastage. Generally, any issues or weaknesses of activities will be revealed by the audit. Thus, the outcome of the audit will assist local authorities to take corrective action on the issues raised so that value for money could be obtained. The objective of this paper is to review what are the issues that frequently be raised by the audit on local authorities' immovable assets. A total of 13 projects were reviewed through the Auditor General Report on the activities of State Government Department and Agencies from 2011 to 2013. The review only involved projects on local authorities' immovable property. Document analysis method was used to know the evaluation done by the Malaysian National Audit Department of the local authority property management over the years. Out of 13 projects being reviewed, it can be concluded that there were seven main matters that have caused a lot of money being wasted for namely high arrears of rental and tax revenue, poor maintenance, vandalism and theft activities, delayed project, poor documentation, record and system, abandoned and unutilized asset also weak monitoring and enforcement by the council on property. Factors were interrelated to each other make more money to be spent in managing a property. In conclusion, property management in Local authorities is still in unsatisfactory level. Comments issued by the National Audit Department may be a best guideline for

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discover the operational character of gated communities in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on a small case study conducted in Iskandar Malaysia, an economic development region located in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia. In the case study, 12 housing developers were interviewed, involving 32 gated communities altogether. The investigation covered the identification of the governing document used in operating a gated community, the operational purposes and scopes, the arrangement for collection of maintenance fee, and the internal governance within the gated communities. Findings – From the analysis, it was found that two types of gated communities exist in the case study areas, namely the strata gated community scheme, and the gated community scheme (GACOS). The operational mechanism for the former is through a set of rules enforced by the government. Meanwhile, the latter is based on the arrangement set up either by the developer, where legal agreement is applicable, or through the consensus among homeowners. However, despite these differences, both mechanisms share the same intention, that is to operate the gated community based on cooperative-collective sharing arrangement. Research limitations/implications – Despite the vulnerability of GACOS enclosure components, the case study revealed that the number of GACOS is still bigger than the strata gated community scheme. Since this perspective is lacking in this paper, it is suggested that more studies are conducted to explain the reasons behind the indicated phenomenon. Originality/value – The most important contribution of the paper is to highlight the importance of gating experience that is heavily influenced by the local policy setting to determine the survival of a gated community; thus, demonstrating how different they are from each other.

In Malaysia, rivers were homes to vital communities and they initiated the emergence of cities around them. Population growth, economic growth, urbanisation and increased technology have transformed many Malaysian river systems from water industries into non-water industries. The focus of this study was to examine the level of success for sustainable waterfront development in Malaysia as well as to identify the barriers in achieving best practices in waterfront development in Malaysia. The findings of this research were based on the questionnaires mailed and e-mailed to property development companies listed by Bursa Malaysia in 2009. The findings indicated that the level of successful implementation of waterfront development in Malaysia was considered low. This was attributed by several reasons such as; difficulty in balancing the various social, economic and financial needs of the various stakeholders, no collaboration between stakeholders, and external interference and lack of human expertise. The attributes identified were then recommended to be improved in order to achieve best practices of waterfront development in Malaysia in future.