Rapid urbanisation has raised major issues, especially in cities in developing nations. In Malaysia, for example, the urbanisation rate is at 74%, but the size of urban land is less than 10%. This phenomenon has caused urban expansion to encroach on to its fringe areas. At present, although much has been said about the economic benefits of urban expansion to the fringe areas, yet little is known about its impact on the local communities. This paper aims to highlight the spatial expansion of George Town Conurbation and to investigate how local inhabitants perceive urban development. This study used satellite images and GIS techniques to identify the spatial expansion of urbanisation in George Town. Quantitative and qualitative approaches of data collection were employed to investigate the impact of urbanisation on the communities. The findings indicated that the inhabitants in less urbanized states welcome urban expansion, as they perceive that urban growth generates more jobs and brings economic opportunities. On the contrary, those who have experienced a longer period of urban development did not fully welcome urbanisation. Therefore, inclusive development policies are required to ensure that urban growth will benefit dwellers in the urban area as well as in its surroundings. In addition, they are required to safeguard the environment.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is causing a global health crisis, which has inevitably led to a worldwide economic slowdown. In Malaysia, the small business sector is most affected by the movement control order (MCO). The MCO has caused the closure of the retail and transport sectors that has sharply curtailed the daily operations of the majority of small entrepreneurs, leading to a loss in income. However, if small business communities make optimal use of digital applications for their business activities, their income will be less affected by the current Covid-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the everyday use of ICT has the potential to create numerous landscape improvement and business continuity, specifically for small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs). This, in turn, would increase community participation in entrepreneurship.  Therefore, it is crucial to study the role of digital marketing in strengthening new business norms among small entrepreneurs during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is also imperative to identify other factors that can help boost digital business. This research examined the relationship between ICT use in empowering rural entrepreneurs during MCO in Malaysia. The study design consisted of a quantitative form for each research instrument using the Google Form online survey. This study’s sample was selected using a particular sampling method (purposive sampling) and snowball sampling (snowball sampling) involving 158 small rural entrepreneurs in Penang, Malaysia. The data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 27.0 software. The findings showed that the respondents navigated the Covid-19 pandemic by carrying out business activities on the digital platform and took full advantage of the ICT applications as part of their new business norms. This study can provide input for the government to formulate strategies related to ICT in increasing awareness among rural entrepreneurs. Additionally, the input of this study can offer programs and activities to further enhance the entrepreneurs’ skills in using ICT.   Received: 4 March 2021 / Accepted: 6 May 2021 / Published: 8 July 2021

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Rapid urbanisation has raised major issues, especially in cities in developing nations. In Malaysia, for example, the urbanisation rate is at 74%, but the size of urban land is less than 10%. This phenomenon has caused urban expansion to encroach on to its fringe areas. At present, although much has been said about the economic benefits of urban expansion to the fringe areas, yet little is known about its impact on the local communities. This paper aims to highlight the spatial expansion of George Town Conurbation and to investigate how local inhabitants perceive urban development. This study used satellite images and GIS techniques to identify the spatial expansion of urbanisation in George Town. Quantitative and qualitative approaches of data collection were employed to investigate the impact of urbanisation on the communities. The findings indicated that the inhabitants in less urbanized states welcome urban expansion, as they perceive that urban growth generates more jobs and brings economic opportunities. On the contrary, those who have experienced a longer period of urban development did not fully welcome urbanisation. Therefore, inclusive development policies are required to ensure that urban growth will benefit dwellers in the urban area as well as in its surroundings. In addition, they are required to safeguard the environment.

Poverty among the elderly is always a significant concern due to changes in demographic patterns. It's because there is an increasing number of elderly, moreover, about the disability and limited ability of employment in themselves. This situation has an economic and social impact not only on individuals but also family members and the government involved. Therefore this article aims to study the issue of poverty among the elderly. Besides, the study will identify the financial resources obtained in the help of their daily lives. The study has selected a total of 327 older people aged 60 years and above. The study used a quantitative approach using a questionnaire to obtain feedback from respondents on their financial resources and income of respondents. The results of the study found that the majority of respondents answered 50.5% of the primary source of children as the main economic source in addition to other economic resources. Nevertheless, although there are results shown by the respondents, there are various sources as financial resources, but still exist among them. Therefore, it's hoped that the authorities or non-governmental organizations can help the elderly who face the problem of poverty always provide social assistance, especially related to the social security system through medical aspects exempt free hospital medical services, distribution of first-class medical cards or even provide initiatives through the enhancement of additional income programs explicitly implemented for the needy elderly.