Development of impact assessment instruments for renewable energy investments in Orang Asli communities

Authors

  • Farrah Ilyani Che Jamaludin Department of Management and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia.
  • Muhammad Ridhuan Tony Lim Abdullah Department of Management and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia.
  • Mohd Nuri Al-Amin Endut Department of Management and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia.
  • Mohd Ikhwan Izzat Zulkefli Department of Management and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia.
  • Syaaibah Zulkipli Department of Management and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol10iss1pp443-465

Abstract

Background and Purpose: The transition to renewable energy is crucial for sustainability, but its impact on marginalized communities, such as the Orang Asli in Malaysia, is insufficiently explored. This study aims to develop culturally sensitive impact assessment tools to evaluate renewable energy projects' effects on the Orang Asli. The purpose is to create a comprehensive framework that ensures these projects are socially, economically, and environmentally inclusive.

Methodology: This study used the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to identify and prioritize key impact indicators. A panel of 12 experts from diverse fields provided input through surveys in multiple rounds. The FDM identified seven main indicators and 25 sub-indicators related to health, living standards, education, service delivery, cultural preservation, skills development, and safety. AHP was then used to rank the importance of these indicators.

Findings: The study identified seven critical impact indicators: health quality, economic diversification, education, cultural preservation, service delivery, skills development, and safety. Health quality was the most important, emphasizing the need for improved healthcare access and disease prevention. Economic diversification, education, and stakeholder engagement were also prioritized as essential for long-term sustainability and resilience.

Contributions: This study offers a culturally sensitive framework for assessing renewable energy impacts on marginalized communities. It provides valuable insights for policymakers and energy developers to ensure that renewable energy transitions are inclusive, equitable, and aligned with the needs of indigenous communities, with broader global applicability.

Keywords: Renewable energy, Orang Asli, impact assessment, Fuzzy Delphi method, Analytic Hierarchy process.

Author Biographies

  • Farrah Ilyani Che Jamaludin, Department of Management and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia.

    Farrah Ilyani Che Jamaludin is a health sciences researcher specializing in data-driven analysis. Her work spans healthcare, renewable energy, community well-being, and Shariah-compliant frameworks, employing methodologies like Fuzzy Delphi, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), and statistical modeling.

  • Muhammad Ridhuan Tony Lim Abdullah, Department of Management and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia.

    Dr. Muhammad Ridhuan Tony Lim Abdullah is a Senior Lecturer at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, specializing in impact assessment, decision-making frameworks, and technology integration. His research employs Fuzzy Delphi, Analytical Hierarchy Process, and Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) to advance renewable energy, Shariah-compliant healthcare, and sustainable education, contributing to policy development and strategic planning.

  • Mohd Nuri Al-Amin Endut, Department of Management and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia.

    Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Nuri Al-Amin Endut is an Associate Professor at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, specializing in Islamic Thought, Theology, and Social Index Studies. With over 23 years of experience, he leads research on index development for Islamic affairs and governance, employing Fuzzy Delphi, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), and Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM).

  • Mohd Ikhwan Izzat Zulkefli, Department of Management and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia.

    Mohd Ikhwan Izzat Zulkefli is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Management and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS. He holds an MPhil in Social Science and Humanities from the same university. His research interests include ethnic relations, socio-religious harmony, and the management of Islamic affairs.

  • Syaaibah Zulkipli, Department of Management and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia.

    Syaaibah Zulkifli is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Management and Humanities at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS. Her research focuses on sociology, anthropology, ethnic studies, socio-development of the Orang Asli, and political science.

References

Abdullah, M. R. T. L., Al-Amin, M. N., Yusoff, A., Baharuddin, A., Khir, F. A., & Talib, A. T. (2016). Socio-religious harmony index instrument indicators for Malaysia. Journal of Al-Tamaddun, 11(2), 29-44.

Abdullah, M. F., Othman, A., Jani, R., Edo, J., & Abdullah, M. T. (2021). Socio-economic development and sustainable livelihood of the Orang Asli. In M. T. Abdullah, C. V. Bartholomew, & A. Mohammad (Eds.), Resource use and sustainability of Orang Asli (pp. 201–214). Springer.

Adler, M., & Ziglio, E. (1996). Gazing into the Oracle. Jessica Kingsley Publisher.

Ahmad, Y., & Pirzada, D. S. (2014). Using analytic hierarchy process for exploring prioritization of functional strategies in auto parts manufacturing SMEs of Pakistan. Sage Open, 4(4), 1-12.

Ameri, A. (2013). Application of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) for prioritize of concrete pavement. Global Journal of Human Social Science Interdisciplinary, 13(3), 19-28.

Amin, N., Shabbir, M. S., Song, H., & Abbass, K. (2022). Renewable energy consumption and its impact on environmental quality: A pathway for achieving sustainable development goals in ASEAN countries. Energy & Environment, 35(2), 644-662.

Angelina, D., Jelinči´c, J., Martins, J., Št’astná, M., & Martin, J. (2021). Indicators for cultural and creative industries’ impact assessment on cultural heritage and tourism. Sustainability, 13(14), 7732.

Awad, J., & Jung, C. (2022). Extracting the planning elements for sustainable urban regeneration in Dubai with AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process). Sustainable Cities and Society, 76(1), 1-12.

Bataineh, M. J., Marcuello, C., & Sánchez-Sellero, P. (2023). Toward sustainability: The role of social entrepreneurship in creating social-economic value in renewable energy social enterprises. Revista de Estudios Cooperativos, 143(1), e85561–e85561.

Belicza, E., Takács, E., & Boncz, I. (2004). Development of an indicator system for evaluating the quality of health care services. Orvosi Hetilap, 145(30), 1567–1572.

Calderon-Tellez, J. A., & Herrera, M. M. (2023). Assessing renewable energy projects: A sustainability and innovation perspective. In M. M. Herrera (Ed.), Business model innovation for energy transition. Palgrave studies in democracy, innovation, and entrepreneurship for growth (pp. 61-82). Palgrave Macmillan.

Cheng, C.-H., & Lin, Y. (2002). Evaluating the best main battle tank using fuzzy decision theory with linguistic criteria evaluation. European Journal of Operational Research, 142(1), 174-186.

Darko, A., Chan, A. P. C., Ameyaw, E. E., Owusu, E. K., Pärn, E., & Edwards, D. J. (2018). Review of application of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in construction. International Journal of Construction Management, 19(5), 436-452.

Darwina, N., Ezat, S., & Puteh, W. (2012). Burden of non-communicable diseases among the Orang Asli community and patient satisfaction on non-communicable diseases management at public health facilities. BMC Public Health, 12(2), 1–1.

Denysiuk, O., Svitlyshyn, I., Tsaruk, I., Vikarchuk, O., & Dankevych, A. (2022). Diversification in the enterprises’ activities for sustainable development in the agricultural sector. Rivista Di Studi Sulla Sostenibilita, 2(1), 85–102.

Diansyah, M. W., Abas, A., & Sakawi, Z. (2022). Exploring the relevance of engaging the Orang Asli in Malaysia’s forest management. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 5(1), 1019994.

Gan, K. E., Taikan, O., Gan, T. Y., Weis, T., Yamazaki, D., & Schüttrumpf, H. (2023). Enhancing renewable energy systems, contributing to sustainable development goals of United Nation and building resilience against climate change impacts. Energy Technology, 11(11), 2300275.

Ghazali, Z., Lim, M. R. T., & A. Jamak, A. B. S. (2019). Maintenance performance improvement analysis using Fuzzy Delphi method: A case of an international lube blending plant in Malaysia. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 25(1), 162-180.

Haron, N., Radin Salim, K., & Harun, H. (2015, August 24-25). Orang Asli students’ readiness to be part of the sustainable education community [Paper presentation]. International Conference on Sustainable Initiatives (ICSI 2015) in conjunction with 8th ASEAN Environmental Engineering Conference (AEEC), UTM Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Ishizaka, A., & Labib, A. (2009). Analytic hierarchy process and expert choice: Benefits and limitations. OR Insight, 22(4), 201-220.

Jacobs, J. M. (1996). Essential assessment criteria for physical education teacher education programs: A Delphi study. West Virginia University.

Jamshid, Villanthenkodath, M. A., & Velan, N. (2022). Can educational attainment promote renewable energy consumption? Evidence from heterogeneous panel models. International Journal of Energy Sector Management, 16(6), 1017–1036.

Kaufmann, A., & Gupta, M. M. (1988). Fuzzy Mathematical models in Engineering and management Science. Elsevier Science Inc.

Kazeem Alasinrin, B., Moamin, A. M., Nazrita, I., & Fathin Faizah, S. (2023). Modelling Malaysia’s energy transition pathways: The role of renewable energy policy measures. Materials Research Foundations, 29(1), 500–509.

Khamkanya, T., Heaney, G., & McGreal, S. (2012). Introduction of AHP satisfaction index for workplace environments. Journal of Corporate Real Estate, 14(1), 80–93.

Kil, S.-H., Lee, D., Kim, J.-H., Li, M.-H., & Newman, G. (2016). Utilizing the analytic hierarchy process to establish weighted values for evaluating the stability of slope revegetation based on hydroseeding applications in South Korea. Sustainability, 8(1), 1-17.

Kimkong, H., Promphakping, B., Hudson, H., Day, S. C. J., & Long, L. V. (2023). Income diversification and household wellbeing: Case study of the rural framing communities of Tang Krasang and Trapang Trabek in Stung Chreybak, Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia. Sustainability, 15(14), 11106.

Kumar, S., & Rathore, K. (2023). Renewable energy for sustainable development goal of clean and affordable energy. International Journal of Materials Manufacturing and Sustainable Technologies, 2(1), 1–15.

Leal, J. E. (2020). AHP-express: A simplified version of the analytical hierarchy process method. MethodsX, 7(100748), 1-11.

Leal Filho, W., Levesque, V., Sivapalan, S., Salvia, A. L., Fritzen, B., Deckert, R., Kozlova, V., LeVasseur, T. J., Emblen-Perry, K., Azeiteiro, U. M., Paço, A., Borsari, B., & Shiel, C. (2022). Social values and sustainable development: Community experiences. Environmental Sciences Europe, 34(1), 1–13.

Lee, C.-S., Chen, Y.-C., Tsui, P.-L., Che, C.-W., & Chiang, M.-C. (2021). Application of fuzzy Delphi technique approach in sustainable inheritance of rural cooking techniques and innovative business strategies modeling. Agriculture, 11(924), 1-13.

Lin, C. J., Belis, T. T., Caesaron, D., Jiang, B. C., & Kuo, T. C. (2020). Development of sustainability indicators for employee-activity based production process using fuzzy Delphi method. Sustainability, 12(6378), 1-31.

Loh, B. Y., & Idrus, R. (2023). Some Orang Asli still think Najib is PM: Representations and self-representations of the Orang Asli in the Cameron Highlands by-election. In B. Y. Loh, & J. Chin (Eds), New media in the margins (pp. 39-64). Palgrave Macmillan.

Mabrouk, N. (2021). Green supplier selection using fuzzy Delphi method for developing sustainable supply chain. Decision Science Letters, 10(1), 63-70.

Mahmud, A. M., Shaffii, H., & Mohamed Yunus, M. S. (2022a). Approaching to energy delivery services model for Royal Belum Orang Asli community. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1022(1), 012009.

Mahmud, M. H., Baharudin, U. M., & Md Isa, Z. (2022b). Diseases among Orang Asli community in Malaysia: A systematic review. BMC Public Health, 22(1), 1–8.

Mohamed Yusoff, N. Y., Ridzuan, A. R., Soseco, T., Wahjoedi, Narmaditya, B. S., & Ann, L. C. (2023). Comprehensive outlook on macroeconomic determinants for renewable energy in Malaysia. Sustainability, 15(5), 3891.

Mohd Jamil, M. R., Siraj, S., Hussin, Z., Noh, N. M., & Sapar, A. A. (2014). Pengenalan asas kaedah Fuzzy Delphi dalam penyelidikan reka bentuk pembangunan. Minda Intelek Agency.

Özbay, F., & Duyar, I. (2022). Exploring the role of education on environmental quality and renewable energy: Do education levels really matter? Current Research in Environmental Sustainability, 4(1), 100185.

Papapostolou, A., Karakosta, C., Mylona, Z., & Psarras, J. (2023). Energy efficiency financing and stakeholder engagement: Evidence from a participatory approach. In N. F. Matsatsinis, F. C. Kitsios, M. A. Madas, & M. I. Kamariotou (Eds.), Operational research in the era of digital transformation and business analytics (pp 281–289). Springer.

Rahman, N. H. N. A., Yaacob, N., Noh, A. Y. M., Azliha, M., Bakar, A., Rahman, A., Fauzi, M. H., & Kamauzaman, T. H. T. (2021). Determination of service key performance indicators for emergency departments of teaching hospitals in Malaysia: A fuzzy Delphi method. The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 76(6), 792-798.

Razak, A. Z. A. (2022). Education transformation of Orang Asli students in Malaysia. In D. Adams (Ed.), Education in Malaysia (pp. 34–48). Routledge.

Saaty, T. L. (1980). The analytic hierarchy process, planning, priority setting, resource allocation. McGraw-Hill.

Saaty, T. L. (2008). Decision making with the analytic hierarchy process. International Journal of Services Sciences, 1(1), 83-98.

Sart, G., Bayar, Y., Sezgin, F. H., & Danilina, M. (2022). Impact of educational attainment on renewable energy use: Evidence from emerging market economies. Energies, 15(7), 2695.

Selvaratnam, D. P., Md Isa, Z., & Don, A. G. (2023). The Orang Asli community’s socioeconomic status of Kampung Gedung Siam, Pahang Malaysia and its implications to their health. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(3), 128-145.

Szumilas-Kowalczyk, H. (2020). Assessment worksheets—Practical tool in visual impact assessment procedures for renewable energy investments. In M. Wróbel, M. Jewiarz, & A. Szlęk (Eds.), Renewable energy sources: Engineering, technology, innovation (pp. 1013-1024). Springer.

Taisch, M., Heydari, M., Zanetti, C., & Peruzzini, M. (2014, December 10-13). Service performance assessment and governance [Paper presentation]. IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, Bangkok, Thailand.

Tamrazov, T., & Abdullaeva, Z. (2022). The effect of diversification on the productivity of some crop varieties under the same cultivation conditions. Bulletin of Science and Practice, 12(1), 232–239.

Tarmuji, A., & Dhanurendra, C. (2022). Rancang bangun sistem pengukuran indikator pelayanan pasien rawat inap untuk peningkatan mutu layanan puskesmas menggunakan rumus IPRI. Jurnal Riset Komputer, 9(6), 1933–1944.

Vanchikova, E. N., Sangadieva, I. G., Perinov, S. B., ishigenov, I. V., & loginov, I. S. (2022). Foresight: Diversification of agriculture for sustainable rural development. Economic Analysis: Theory and Practice, 21(12), 2293–2313.

Waseem, M., Li, X., Jamil, I., Islam, A. H. M. S., Abbas, Q., Raza, M. H., & Eliw, M. (2023). Do crop diversity and livestock production improve smallholder intra-household dietary diversity, nutrition and sustainable food production? Empirical evidence from Pakistan. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7(1), 1143774.

Zulkipli, S., Al-Amin Endut, N., Ridhuan, M., & Lim Abdullah, T. (2021). Orang Asli socio-development index instrument in Malaysia. SHS Web of Conferences, 124(1), 07001.

Zuluaga, S., Karney, B. W., Saxe, S., Ma, F., Hou, P.-W., Li, Z.-Z., Fois, V., Lecis, L., & Cocco, D. (2022). Social impact assessment of wind power generation. An innovative method for decision making processes. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2385(1), 012004.

Downloads

Published

2025-02-28

How to Cite

Development of impact assessment instruments for renewable energy investments in Orang Asli communities. (2025). Journal of Nusantara Studies (JONUS), 10(1), 443-465. https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol10iss1pp443-465