The Smart City concept has grown exponentially and is rapidly accepted by wider international communities and developed countries. Smart City implementation may lead to a high-quality, more resilient, liveable and sustainable development for a nation. Malaysia's urban population will increase from 74.3% in 2015 to 79.6% in 2025. By 2040, Malaysia is expected to reach 84% of the urbanisation rate. In managing and solving daily urban issues (e.g., congestion, energy, crime, pollution, waste management, etc.), urban planners are searching for implementing Smart Cities as a primary solution. This study aims to investigate two (2) cities’ experiences in implementing these initiatives, namely, Putrajaya and Iskandar Puteri. Both cities act as administrative centres at the national and state levels. Since established in 1995, Putrajaya promoted as the 'Garden City' and 'Intelligent City'. This is followed by the new administrative city of Johor State, Iskandar Puteri (previously known as Nusajaya), officiated in 2009 in the Southern part of Peninsular Malaysia. Both cities introduced their own Smart City blueprint, with 93 strategies in the Putrajaya Smart City Blueprint (2018), and 28 in Smart City Iskandar Malaysia (2012). By comparing the Smart City strategies or initiatives in both areas, this study concludes that Putrajaya’s strategies are more focused on micro-city-level implementation. Iskandar Puteri (in Iskandar Malaysia Development Region) has a brief and wider context at the regional level (macro). In both cities, there are still no clear measurement methods or indicators that can assess the achievement of Smart City initiatives implemented at the local level.

River-based tourism product development is regarded as one of the critical segments that focus on proper physical, social, and economic expansion. To date, the lack of depth and concern is tapped into this market by either scholars or stakeholders accordingly. Currently, a part of the local plan for Muar development is envisioned towards developing and promoting the tourism industry. However, the primary challenge of river-based tourism is maximising the usage and livability of its waters and natural resources. Therefore, this research aimed to explore the suitable tourism product for river-based tourism, with the most significant market potential in the context of the Muar River through an assessment of the Tourism Opportunity Spectrum (TOS). The TOS approach is the methodology suitable as an assessment tool for tourism planning and management towards sustainability. The instrument was adopted from previous studies and executed through site inspection and familiarisation trips, namely observation and resources inventory. The main finding of this study was the zonation of five main areas, which contributed to the characterisation of different tourism products along Muar River, and the five scopes of TOS assessment. The recommendations will primarily support the enhancement of river-based tourism development and assist the stakeholders in achieving the visions and missions of Muar’s local plan.

In Malaysia, urban riparian refers to river reserve that reflects green space. As surviving greenery space amidst concrete jungle, urban riparian is essential for safe-keeping the river health, the surrounding environment, and the well-being of urbanites. The existing developments found by the Malaysian riversides are already in place prior to river reserves establishment, thus constricting expansion and synchronisation due to its guidelines applied in isolation within several related agencies. Prior studies have highlighted the potential of riparian vegetation as a viable method that lowers the temperature within urban space. Hence, this paper probes into the potential of river reserve as a passive cooling strategy by determining the vegetation technical requirements from the light of urban river physical planning and design guidelines in Malaysia. Thus, this study outlines the possibility of integration by comparing vegetation requirements for river buffer with vegetation function and ability in altering radiation, as well as heat transfer, through physical attributes. By focusing on vegetation physical structure, the riparian area can attain multiple functions and benefits. Thus, this finding serves as a basis for integration of passive cooling strategies with vegetation requirements for urban river reserve, and for further studies that investigate other essential physical attributes.

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The implementation of a movement control order (MCO) in Malaysia due to the COVID-19 pandemic has widely affected the majority of small-scale economic activities, including the food and beverage (F&B) sector. This paper aims to analyse the impact of MCO implementation on small-scale F&B activities in Majlis Bandaraya Iskandar Puteri (MBIP), Johor, Malaysia. Descriptive and inferential analyses were employed to analyse the impact of MCO implementation via a questionnaire sampling of 60 small-scale F&B operators across the case study. The research found that the movement restrictions had a massive influence on the economy of most of the businesses, particularly on their income generations. The MCO also obstructed a smooth economic recovery of any business, including the small-scale F&B activities, despite the various initiatives being addressed to minimise the economic impact of pandemic and sustain the business activities and income generations. Hence, a planning approach should be taken to manage the chain impact of a health crisis, such as movement restrictions, in reducing the economic impacts of small-scale F&B activities.