Research Inquiry - Draft 1.1

Specific Question/Brief

Are there any specific questions/headings that were prompted and helped structure your thinking? Set out the concept or question you want to research. (250)

Animal endangerment is an ongoing crisis that is oftentimes buried among other issues that are deemed more important by society. This is due to the fact that general society does not see wildlife on a daily basis which is why some may find it more difficult to understand. All living beings have their own personalities, therefore through exploration of animal behaviour, this project aims to dive deeper into the characteristics and personalities of endangered Malaysian species. It is important to expand knowledge and explore to become more aware of current situations as an environmentalist. By being environmentally aware, one is able to express it through design in many ways as a graphic designer.

Over the years, Malaysia has organised numerous campaigns, sanctuaries and conservation centers to help preserve the country’s wildlife. However, another cultural aspect that is important to many is the ‘lepak’ culture. For someone who has lived abroad for a long period of time, one may have been deprived of experiencing the Malaysian culture as a full package. When translated to English, the word ‘lepak’ means ‘loiter’ which seemingly has a negative tone. Though, in Malaysian culture the term implies to something positive. It is believed that the ‘lepak’ culture is important to many Malaysians as it is a way of catching up with friends or to watch a sports match. Through researching and observing how this concept is such a big part of being Malaysian and how it unites its citizens, this project focuses on expressing significant animals and culture through product design.

Is there a specific proposition/ judgment/ opinion that you have regarding this question/concept? (250)

Many projects regarding endangered species are done in a serious matter; which is why the goal of this project is to step out of the box and create something more light-hearted. Society may believe that each animal has its own personality and behavioural habits that makes them unique despite what we may perceive them as (Lamb, 2019). Which is why it is important to celebrate these animals especially when they are enlisted as endangered, critically or not. In their habitats, every species possesses its own role which is important because if a species were to decrease in population or to go extinct, then it would have an effect on its niche which consequently disrupts the food chain and ecosystem. It is believed that humans and animals share common traits in terms of personality which brings this discussion to the second topic.

As previously mentioned, to ‘lepak’ translates to ‘loiter’ which has a more negative connotation. However in Malaysian culture the term is taken more positively than negative. The word ‘lepak’ in the Malay language is known as to ‘hang out’. The youth meet up with friends after classes whereas the slightly older generation would meet up after work. Even so, one thing these generations have in common is that their preferred location is almost always a local eatery known as a ‘mamak’. A mamak may be considered as a bistro where they are run by Malaysian Indians. The affordability of eating at a mamak creates a more welcoming feeling among its customers hence why Malaysians opt for meeting up there. I believe that the correlation between ‘lepak’ culture and these bistros, you are able to see so many races in harmony who are all enjoying their time with local food.

How are you going about this research

Why is this idea important to consider now in this time and age? (so you will have to show you are culturally/ socially aware of its relation to current issues) (500)

In recent years, the world has come to see the drastic changes in weather patterns due to rapid climate change. Society believes that 2020 has been a terrible year because of bad luck when in fact, it is all due to the effects of climate change. Along with on-going human activities, it has shown the effects of these actions upon lives and communities but wildlife is often forgotten. For instance, during the Borneo forest fires that took place in Kalimantan took a rigorous toll on the native species such as orangutans, which were spotted hopelessly escaping (Cochrane, 2020). As previously stated, wildlife plays an important role in ecosystems where the main contribution is to naturally maintain the environment, such as dispersing fruit seeds as well as the balancing act of the food chain. Larger animals such as elephants are able to disperse seeds after feeding which helps to reproduce plants whereas predators feed on prey which makes sure that the population of those species maintain at a reasonable number. Scientists believe that if the world were to experience a mass extinction, the earth’s diversity would take three million years to revive itself (Business Insider, 2018). This consequently causes severe impact to human life; though by proactive actions, it is best to help preserve what is left of these incredible animals.

Moving along to another existing crisis, with current global protests for the Black Lives Matter movement raising awareness for the black community in America; the Malaysian youth have quickly come to speak out on the racist acts seen in our own country whilst educating one another. For example, there have been many cases where landlords and employers who only seek applicants of a specific race. Though as of more recently, during the beginning stages of the pandemic a number of hospital cleaners were arrested after protesting against their employer for mistreatment (Xiang, 2020). These individuals were seen peacefully protesting outside of the hospital claiming that they were unknowingly transferred to different locations far from home and were not being paid equally despite the change of their working schedule. This caused outrage among our community who showed their support for these individuals online. It is evident that those who are racist are often of an older generation simply because of what society taught in the past.

However communities have learnt to live harmoniously despite the colour of their skin for generations (Bristow, 2016); where it is important to continuously speak up for others when they are clearly being mistreated. People outside of Malaysia view it as a diverse country of people who live in unison regardless of their race and beliefs which is both easy and difficult to believe. Times where citizens proudly unite together and instances where a person may face mistreatment simply because of their colour. To promote unity and harmonious living, it is important to continuously show its significance everyday to prove that Malaysia is a country that is able to fight against racism.

Current Word Count: 1042

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References

Bristow, M. (2016, May 10). Harmony on show in Malaysian street. Retrieved September 17, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36125534

Business Insider. (2018, October 16). It will take the Earth 3 million years to recover from the species going extinct in the near future. Retrieved September 17, 2020, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/10/so-many-animals-will-go-extinct-in-the-next-50-years-that-it-will-take-earth-at-least-3-million-years-to-recover/

Cochrane, J. C. (2020, April 9). Indonesian fires and toxic smoke devastate wildlife as well as people. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from http://www.borneonaturefoundation.org/en/news/indonesian-fires-and-toxic-smoke-devastate-wildlife-as-well-as-people/

Lamb, J. (2019, July 12). The Curious Science of Animal Personalities. Retrieved September 17, 2020, from https://daily.jstor.org/animal-personalities/

Xiang, Y. W. (2020, June 2). Hospital Cleaners Arrested For Protesting Alleged Mistreatment By Employer During Pandemic. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from https://says.com/my/news/5-hospital-cleaning-frontliners-arrested-for-protesting-against-employer-for-mistreatment