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Article History

Received: 11 June 2025

Accepted: 23 July 2026

First Online: 10 September 2026

Declarations

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethical approval: The interview and methodology for this study were approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) (Approval No. JEP-2024-544) and received an official Ethic approval letter on 30 September 2024.

Informed consent: Prior to data collection, researchers provided participants with a detailed explanation of the study’s purpose and procedures. The informed consent process strictly follows these procedures: First, the research team distributes paper copies of the parental informed consent form—detailing the study’s purpose, procedures, potential risks, confidentiality commitments, and voluntary participation terms—to all potential student participants through school channels. Students bring this document home for their parents to read and sign to confirm consent. Upon receiving the signed parental consent form, researchers explain the study content to the student before the interview begins. Only after confirming the student’s informed and voluntary participation do they proceed with the formal interview. All personal identifiers were removed from the transcribed data, and code numbers were used in place of participant names. Transcription files were encrypted and stored on a password-protected, stand-alone device, while physical materials were secured in a locked filing cabinet accessible only to the research team. All raw data were securely destroyed within ten years of the study’s completion. The informed consent for this study was obtained on October 2024.

Declaration: All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments.