Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Malaysian Society regarding Environmental Issues

This study was conducted among the public in the two states of Penang and Kuala Lumpur. The main purpose of this study is to understand the level of knowledge, attitude, and practices of the public towards environmental issues and their preservation efforts. This study also investigates their preferences with regard to sources of information related to environmental issues. This data was collected using the quantitative method through a survey questionnaire. One hundred respondents were selected with 50 questionnaires distributed to each state. The results of the survey show that the level of knowledge of environmental issues among the public varies according to the issues. Knowledge on issues such as the recycling program is moderate compared to the level of knowledge on air and noise pollution in Malaysia, which is low. However, knowledge of natural disasters is high whereas that of energy source renewal is moderate. The findings also show that the attitude of the public towards the environment and its preservation efforts is relatively low. The same low score was recorded in Penang and Kuala Lumpur for public attitude towards environmental issues and their preservation efforts. As for the source of information, television is said to be the most important media in disseminating information about the environment in both states.