Sustainable Leadership Practices through studentscommunity engagement for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in East Coast Malaysia

Abstract

The environmental issues has become the growing concern since it is highlighted massively in the Malaysia SDG Voluntary National Review 2017 and Malaysia is ambitious in taking the commitment. The aims of SDG is to tackle the critical issue of pollution, food waste, climate change, illegal trade in wildlife as well as sustainable production and consumption. There are a lot of environmental drives for comprehensive implementation in SDG however, the groundbreaking data tells the strategies formulated by UNESCO in integrating the sustainable education framework to raising the awareness and tapped the sense of responsibility in combating environmental issues and climate change is not enough to spur people sensitivity to take action The late start of SDG integration in the curriculum has a disastrous implication when society does not have the right perspectives in the form of enlightenment of what SDG might hold in the future. To further sheds the light on the real matters is, Malaysian and the attitude of littering is a never ending stories. Lack of sustainable Development Goals (SDG) into curricula and educational programs has been said in the UN. Mohammed in 2018 asserted education as a crucial component to gear the SDG. In addressing the serious impact of pollution and climate change, Malaysian are urged to inculcate the environmental knowledge in students through the environmental education in a more hands-on delivery. Thus, the prime objective formulated is shed light into level of awareness, perception and challenges of sustainable leadership practices through students-community engagement via applied mechanism in shaping future leaders by increasing the number of environmental activist for sustainability practices towards SDG initiatives. This study has been conducted in east coast Malaysia involving 275 students along with 115 participant (community) as the engagement from the society. The study conducted are using survey and semi-structured interview and compliment the need of investigation on awareness, perception and challenges of sustainable leadership practices through SDG action.