Ibrahim Komoo

• PhD (Engineering Geology)
• Professor at National University of Malaysia

Purpose University research institutes were established in Malaysian Universities to facilitate research activities that do not fit into discipline-oriented departments, including the multi- and inter-disciplinary research that goes beyond the single-disciplinary boundary. This paper aims to report on a case study of one university research institu...

Several widespread debris flow disasters stroke Peninsular Malaysia in between 2021 and 2022, scattered across the country. It was the first time for this hazard being nationally recognised as a type of geological disaster in the country. Debris flow disaster is not a new phenomenon. It had been recorded since 1995, however, in the past they were i...

Jurong Formation underlies part of Southern Johor Bahru which comprises well cemented and consolidated volcanic-sedimentary rocks. The study aims to assess quality and hydrogeochemistry of rock aquifer in Jurong Formation at Southern Johor Bahru which is mainly overlain by rhyolitic tuff. It also evaluates the differences in quality and hydrogeoche...

Leadership has been considered as an essential foundation for universities to flourish, more so in the context of emerging higher education systems. Using an exploratory qualitative approach, this paper reviews the challenges and prospects in the development of higher education leaders in selected countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nat...

The Lenggong Valley is uniquely significant in national and international geological heritage and was declared a UNESCO Archaeological Heritage Site in 2012. The Lenggong Valley was formed 550 million years ago. It is one of the oldest in Peninsular Malaysia, equivalent to the rock formations in Langkawi and Jerai. The geological evolution in the L...

Exploration of groundwater sources are increasing worldwide due to the water scarcity. In this study, groundwater exploitation was carried out around Southern Johor Bahru in Malaysia, to understand the subsurface geology, identify potential high yielding aquifers, assess the drilling challenges and determine required mitigation to deal with these c...

The presence of isolated or clustered granite boulders in tropical weathered masses commonly formed a very thick heterogeneous zone in weathering Zone 3 to 5. The boulders with various characteristics are always misinterpreted during the geotechnical design process due to being poorly understood and studied. This study aims to determine the physico...

Downhole camera is an effective tool to locate fractures and other geological features in boreholes although it does not quantify the characteristics of fracture directly. This study attempts to qualitatively characterize fractures in three deep boreholes, namely W1-W3 using downhole camera of R-CAM 1000 XLT as well as to investigate the geological...

A geopark should develop continuous efforts towards the management and development of geoproducts based on integrated heritage resources in order to preserve them for future generations, provide geotourism activities and serve as a socio-economic catalyst for the local community. This paper describes the development of a geoproduct for tourism deve...

Around the world, efforts to facilitate, promote and strengthen heritage conservation initiatives in an island-based tourism development have been widely carried out. Still, more works need to be conducted to truly achieve its goals. One of the main issues facing heritage conservation is the lack of holistic and integration to ensure participation...

Evaluation of research performance has significantly increased in importance, particularly in many emerging higher education systems. In Malaysia, the Malaysian Research Assessment (MyRA) was developed to evaluate the research performance of universities and Research Centres of Excellence (RCoEs). This paper reports on a participatory action resear...

In a university system, the key to identifying and rewarding excellence is through academic promotion to professorship. However, research on the characteristics of professors as excellent academic leaders and how they enact leadership activities is very limited. The main issues include unclear definition of excellent professors and in-depth researc...

The district of Mersing is bestowed with many national and international geological heritage sites dated since 350 million years ago. The high biodiversity and uniqueness of the local culture complements the geoheritage of the area. Thus, the National Geopark Committee has chosen Mersing as a territory to be developed as a geopark. Mersing Geopark...

As blasting has some environmental constraints, ripping has got more prevalent as a method of breaking ground in both civil and mining engineering applications. A rippability model of a higher applicability is, therefore, needed to appropriately predict the ripping production (Q) prior to carrying out such tests. For the purpose of predicting the r...

Bab ini mentakrifkan budaya, ekosistem dan kecemerlangan

Boulder is often posed challenges to earthwork activities such as cut slope and foundation excavation especially in tropical weathered rock like Malaysia. In addition, the guidelines for hard material or rock excavation related to boulder provided by Department of Works Malaysia (JKR) are limited and there is a need to be revised. Therefore, this s...

The relationship between physico-mechanical properties of tuff and penetration rate of air percussion drilling was investigated during an exploratory well drilling work at Southern Johor Bahru. The rocks were tested for weathering grade, average grain size, porosity, quartz content and point load strength test. The penetration rate was found to inc...

Engineering properties of tropical weathered granite mass have been widely investigated and classified for engineering purposes. However, the engineering properties of tropical boulder in weathered granite profile is poorly understood and not well classified. This study aims to examine and classify the physico-mechanical properties of granite bould...

This study revisits the Bukit Antarabangsa, a hilly topographic region of Ampang Jaya where a number of landslides occurred between year 1990 and 2010, resulted in 65 lives perished. Among those fatal landslides were the collapsed of a block of Highland Towers condominium, Taman Hillview bungalow and Taman Bukit Mewah housing estate. In examining h...

Disasters disrupt normalcy and present challenges for development policies. The impacts of any disaster–whether triggered by climate change, natural hazards or other man-made events–can be compounded by decisions that intentionally or unintentionally amplify rather than reduce damage. Disasters have impacts across all sectors, necessitating multi-...

Disasters disrupt normalcy and present challenges for development policies. The impacts of any disaster–whether triggered by climate change, natural hazards or other man-made events–can be compounded by decisions that intentionally or unintentionally amplify rather than reduce damage. Disasters have impacts across all sectors, necessitating multi-...

The Klang Gates Quartz Ridge was formally named as the Gombak Selangor Quartz Ridge (GSQR) by the Selangor State Government by 24 June 2015. It was believed as the longest quartz ridge in the world which is about 14 km long. Their wide is range between 50 m to 200 m and elevation more than 300 m from sea level. The GSQR can be divided into the east...

The Klang Gates Quartz Ridge was formally named as the Gombak Selangor Quartz Ridge (GSQR) by the Selangor State Government by 24 June 2015. It was built entirely of quartz vein formed when residual magma crystallized and consolidated within vertical slab of dyke through large linear fissures within massive granitic rock known as Kuala Lumpur Grani...

The exploration of groundwater in Malaysia was not very welcomed due to few misconceptions such as it is very expensive to extract, could give negative impacts to the environment and not reliable. Yet, in recent times, rock aquifers such as limestone, sedimentary rocks, volcanic rocks, igneous rocks and metasedimetary rocks are being explored. This...

The selection of suitable overburden loosening method has a crucial importance in several applications of geotechnical engineering. Factors such as rock properties and environmental constrains play a significant role in the selection of the needed equipment for overburden loosening. This paper presents several new models/equations for prediction of...

Transformation and innovation of universities have become a necessity in a globalized world especially for newly established universities that seek a place in the increasingly competitive market. For Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), the challenge for transformation is greater as it is a relatively young university within the public university...

This paper is intended as a contribution to the discussion of the overview of existing excavatability assessments and their reliability in assessing the state of tropically weathered rocks, specifically in Nusajaya, Johor, Malaysia. For this purpose, case studies were conducted on sedimentary rock masses of the Jurong formation, located in Nusajaya...

This paper describes the development of an excavatability classification system for surface excavation of weathered sedimentary rock based on practical excavations and statistical analysis. Extensive field and laboratory studies were undertaken on three sedimentary rock sites with a range of weathering and strength conditions in the Iskandar region...

Boulder is well known as one of the obstruction material and problematic to the underground excavations and constructions. Although the presence of boulder in weathered rock mass was revealed and reported by many researchers, but the occurrence and physical characteristics of boulders in weathering profile are still not clearly understood. This pap...

The Sarawak Delta is located in the Kuching and Bau Districts and comprises the Bako, Santubong, Sarawak River Delta, Serapi and the Bau areas. The area is proposed as the Sarawak Delta Geopark. The delta plain has become a foundation accommodating continuous development where integration between various communities, cultures and the environment ta...

The selection of suitable methods to be employed for surface excavation works is particularly important in geotechnical engineering projects. Factors such as environmental constrains, rock properties and size of site may affect the selection of machine required for surface excavation. Wrong selection of equipment and technique can result in unrecov...

Boulder is known as one of the weathered products that formed by the disintegration and decomposition process of jointed rock mass, forming into spherical form by the reaction of concentric spheroidal weathering process. However, the physical characteristic of boulder in weathering profile where it is formed is not well understood. This paper is ai...

Surface excavation work is one of the most common problems that cause disputes between contractors and clients when they do not reach mutual agreement regarding the price of excavating rock and soil during construction, as it is loosely defined in the contract document. Normally, blasting method will only be considered necessary if the physical lim...

This paper presents an assessment of weathering effect to the rock mass structure by studying the joint characteristics of tropically weathered granite. Joint survey was performed by scanline method and the results were analyzed statistically by stereographic projection plots. The overall trend of mean joint spacing followed a sharp decrement from...

Geopark adalah satu pendekatan pembangunan inovatif yang diperkenalkan di peringkat global dan memberi tumpuan serius kepada konsep pembangunan secara lestari dan holistik merangkumi aspek pemuliharaan warisan, pembangunan komuniti, peningkatan sosioekonomi serta pendidikan awam. Usaha untuk mengintegrasi kesemua aspek ini memerlukan sistem governa...

Increasing population and urbanization pose a huge challenge for municipal authorities to select suitable landfill site to dispose the increasing quantities of solid waste. Wrong landfill siting can result in social, environmental and economic cost. Therefore, suitable approaches are required to select landfill sites because that can enhance sound...

Geopark is an innovative developmental approach that was introduced globally and it gives serious attention to the concept of a holistic development covering aspects of heritage conservation, community development, socio-economic improvement and public education. Efforts to integrate all the above aspects require a good integrated governance system...

Boulder is known as one of the weathered products that formed by the disintegration and decomposition process of jointed rock mass, forming into spherical form by the reaction of concentric spheroidal weathering process. However, the physical characteristics of boulder in weathering profile where it is formed is not well understood. This paper is a...

Deep weathering profile is a common phenomenon for humid tropic especially in Malaysia. The reactions of deep weathering under soil surface are decomposition of the massive rock and formation of thick stratum of soil and boulders. However, the occurrence of embedded boulders or loose blocks in the highly to completely weathered in the hilly area is...

Solid waste management is an important component in the environmental management system. Due to high fluctuations of the amount of the produced waste in langkawi because of tourism in area, the use of neural networks is appropriate method to predict the amount of the produced waste based on non-linear and complex relationships between inputs and ou...

One of the most important challenges in the study of slope stability, foundation, and excavation in rocks is understanding the weathering states. This issue is more important in tropical climates, where severe weathering produces thick weathering profiles. Thick weathering profiles are normally classified or graded differently based on some field o...

The purpose of the study is to examine the resiliency characteristics of FELDA first generation academics namely: engagement; challenges and control, while the academics were growing up in the FELDA environment. The study employed a qualitative methodology that included semi structured interviews involving 68 academics from seven public universitie...

In order to understand the aesthetic value of geological landscape, a study was conducted at Dataran Lang viewing point, Kuah, Langkawi based on horizontal viewpoint landscape mapping and public perception survey method. From the mapping exercise several types of landforms and landscapes have been identified and were associated to their various geo...

The place now used as the landfill in Mashhad (due to the increasing population and expanding city, the place used as the landfill is old) does not follow some of the environmental and socio-political standards and criteria. It makes problems include the location of the landfill site which is close to population centers where there is fertile agric...

Landslides, including slope failures, are one of the significant natural disasters in Malaysia. Their frequency and impacts, such as injuries, loss of lives and damage to property, have been increasing over the years. However, current policy measures and response towards landslide risk reduction have not taken into account the full spectrum of the...

Sustainable development aims to create a sustainable future by balancing the aspects of the environment, economy and society. It has been recognized that integrating sustainable development concepts in higher education would have a positive impact on sustainability as it would provide the opportunity to change the ways that future professionals thi...

This paper discusses the artificial neural network (ANN) with emphasis on how its role in accurate forecasting of the amount of solid waste generation in the Langkawi Island. To achieve an accurate amount of solid waste forecasting is not an easy work because many factors or variables influence the forecasting process, which consequently increases...

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is recognized internationally as an essential tool to achieve sustainable development. Its importance is seen in the establishment of United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD) from year 2005 to 2014. It has been stressed by many scholars that integrating sustainable developme...

This paper examines the increasing uncertainty regarding academic leadership in Malaysian universities. Arguably, Malaysian universities' administrators, managers and leaders have grappled with profound internal and external changes that influenced they way they function. This paper highlights some of the notions of academic management and leadersh...

There has been an increasing trend in the occurrence of natural disasters and it is expected that climate change will aggravate the devastating impacts of disasters. Several effective strategies particularly through the application of green technologies could be used to strength resilience for both of disaster and climate change. This article attem...

Malaysia is undergoing rapid industrialization to achieve a developed nation. In spite of this, this country is taking initiatives to achieve sustainable development through balance up economic and social development with environmental protection. It is undeniable that engineers have a critical role to play to achieve the vision. Therefore, enginee...

Landslides, including slope failures, are one of the significant natural disasters in Malaysia. Their frequency and impacts, such as injuries, loss of lives and damage to property, have been increasing over the years. However, current policy measures and response towards landslide risk reduction have not taken into account the full spectrum of the...

A pre- Sendai Framework article: Landslides, including slope failures, are one of the significant natural disasters in Malaysia. Their frequency and impacts, such as injuries, loss of lives and damage to property, have been increasing over the years. However, current policy measures and response towards landslide risk reduction have not taken into...

The adoption of ‘sustainable development’ concept by many countries of the world has drawn attention to the needs to conserve and protect what has been identified as heritage. Due to their symbiotic relationship, the natural and cultural heritage needs to be conserved in an integrated manner, thus requiring integrated planning and management. The g...

The adoption of ‘sustainable development’ concept by many countries of the world has drawn attention to the needs to conserve and protect what has been identified as heritage. Due to their symbiotic relationship, the natural and cultural heritage needs to be conserved in an integrated manner, thus requiring integrated planning and management....

The study reported in this paper represents one of the first attempts at exploring the perspectives of the local communities on the designation of Langkawi Island in Malaysia as a UNESCO Global Geopark. It is premised on the widely acknowledged assertion that the local communities constitute an important group of stakeholders in the planning and im...

Disasters including natural and manmade make heavy losses in life and property each year. This subject can affect society, economy, and environment and can be a serious threat for development. In 10 years ago over 200 million people are have been effected both life and property. This figure is seven times more than losses in war. After the earthqua...

Kundasang area, situated at the foot of Mount Kinabalu, is generally susceptible to landslides. Several landslide systems known as Kundasang Landslide Complex were reported occurring in the area, and is still active. In April 2011, a number of new landslides occurred in Kundasang after consecutive days of prolonged rain. Among the affected areas, t...

Landslides, including slope failures, are one of the significant natural disasters in Malaysia. Their frequency and impacts, such as injuries, loss of lives and damage to property, have been increasing over the years. However, current policy measures and response towards landslide risk reduction have not taken into account the full spectrum of the...

This paper presents the variation in strength reduction for various weathering grades of granite due to increase of moisture. This problem often associates with the wet tropical region where thick weathering profile and heavy rainfall are expected. Both field and laboratory studies were carried out in order to assess the rock material properties. T...

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is the natural result of human activities. MSW generation modeling is major significant in municipal solid waste management system planning. Predicting the amount of generated waste is difficult task because it is affect by various parameters. In this research, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was trained and tested to we...

The population growth, changing consumption patterns, and rapid urbanization contribute significantly to the growing volumes of solid waste that are generated in urban settings. As the rate of urbanization increases, demand on the services of solid waste management increases. The rapid urban growth in Langkawi Island, Malaysia, combined with the in...

This paper examines Langkawi's local community's views on their appreciation of the geopark as a tool for heritage conservation. Data were collected through qualitative method using interviews with key village informants and local residents. The results of this study are presented according the five core values established in a newly developed fram...

Since independence, Malaysia has generally registered continuous economic growth and this development has brought about numerous benefits including improved social amenities and a trend toward greater urbanization of the population. Economic development in Malaysia has contributed to environmental degradation and uncontrolled physical development,...

scientific and local community perception studies on landscape of scenic beauty were carried out at Pantai Penarak, Langkawi. Horizontal view mapping technique was applied to scientifically map the visual landscape from selected viewpoints. The study categorised two main landscape types namely natural and man made. The natural landscape observed is...