Heritage In Malaysia Research Articles

Constructing ethnic consciousness: the role of cultural heritage in Malaysia

ABSTRACT The Chinese community’s unique position in Malaysian inter-ethnic relations weaves through intricate interactions with other ethnic groups, maintaining distinct cultural identities amidst Malaysia’s diverse ethnic fabric. This study explores the intricate relationship between ethnic consciousness and cultural heritage among Malaysian Chinese people, examining, within a historical context, how this community maintains its distinct identity within a multi-ethnic society. Utilizing focus group discussions (FGDs) with Chinese independent schools (CIS) students, the study delves into their identity perceptions, influenced by both “authority-defined” and “everyday-defined” social realities. The findings reveal how cultural heritage, particularly through lion dance activities, reinforces ethnic consciousness while contributing to a broader national identity. This study elucidates the complex dynamics of ethnic identity formation in a multicultural context and advocates for an inclusive heritage management. Such an approach fosters dialogue, respects diversity, and enhances our understanding of the role of heritage in shaping a cohesive, multicultural society.

Investigating the Engineering Interventions in the Conservation of Malaysia Heritage Structures: A Review on Preserving Historical Edifices Through Advanced Civil Engineering Techniques.

Investigating the Engineering Interventions in the Conservation of Malaysia Heritage Structures: A Review on Preserving Historical Edifices Through Advanced Civil Engineering Techniques.

The law protecting Malaysia’s remarkable underwater heritage: an assessment and suggestions for improvements

ABSTRACT The National Heritage Act 2005 (NHA 2005) is an important act supporting the enforcement of acts related to underwater cultural heritage in Malaysia. The issue of theft of artifacts in the area of the shipwreck site is one of the important issues that must be addressed by tightening the enforcement aspect. This paper aims to analyze the legal provisions related to the enforcement of the sinking site area in the National Heritage Act 2005. This paper also intends to recommend a proposed solution to the identified issues. This paper is based on a qualitative approach – data collection through an interview method with respondents with 10 years or more experience in shipwrecks. The data obtained were analyzed through thematic analysis methods.

The Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Heritage Tourism in Malaysia:A Review

Over the past several decades, the tourism industry centered on cultural sites has evolved into one of the most active and rapidly increasing economic sectors across the globe. This is especially true in countries that are home to a large number of heritage monuments. According to reports provided by the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, the cultural tourism industry contributed 551 million Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) to the country's economy over the course of the preceding three (3) years prior to the COVID-19 epidemic. In addition, more than seventeen (17) million individuals participated in cultural tourism events during that period. However, ever since the COVID-19 pandemic happened, the tourism heritage business in Malaysia has undergone a big economic collapse economically. As a result, the earnings of a great number of individuals have suffered as a result of this. This article presents a brief investigation of how the COVID-19 outbreak has impacted Malaysia's heritage tourism industry by doing a thorough evaluation of existing studies and statistics from the local government and offering an analysis of the findings. According to the findings of this study, the revenue generated by the heritage tourism industry in Malaysia dropped by an amount equivalent to 50% in the year 2020 compared to the previous year. In addition, there was a decline of more than one hundred thousand (100,000) jobs in sectors of the economy that are directly connected to tourism. It is common knowledge that the COVID-19 outbreak has caused enormous losses for the economy of the country; despite this, the findings of this study shed light on the extent to which these losses damage the economic viability of the heritage tourism sector.

Innovatively Preserving the Kelarai Weave Pattern Design through Photographic Documentation

The art of kelarai weaving is a local community heritage in Malaysia that has been passed down from generation to generation. The objective of study was to evaluate the art of kelarai weaving, which is a local community heritage in Malaysia. The study utilized a qualitative research approach, including interviews, observations, and documentation to collect data. The researchers selected experienced kelarai weavers from Kelantan, Terengganu, and Sarawak, Malaysia, to participate in the study. Results indicate the important of preserving local heritage and culture, which can provide valuable insights into the country's history and traditions. It can be concluded that photography is an innovative, effective, and cost-effective platform for preserving and promoting the art of kelarai weaving in Malaysia. Overall, photography contributes to preserve and promote traditional crafts and customs. Empirical evidence states that photography is an effective method of preserving Malay heritage. In future, kelarai woven can be preserve and promote through an innovative approach such as wall decorations, wood carvings and textiles.

IMPLEMENTATION OF HERITAGE BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING (HBIM) FOR CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE MANAGEMENT

Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM) is a process applied to existing buildings which enable the creation of a model that can simulate the actual construction of the existing building by starting up with a digital survey using laser scanner or camera for photogrammetry. The implementation of HBIM in Malaysia construction industry is relatively low. However, the studies in Malaysia regarding HBIM implementation rarely focus on the technical information in implementing HBIM. Therefore, this research is aimed to develop a guideline of implementing HBIM in Malaysia heritage building by identifying the methods of data capturing and modelling. The research method adopted was quantitative approach via questionnaire survey. The research found that terrestrial laser scanner, photogrammetry and combination of image-based and range-based method are the data capturing’s method while the processing of survey data will be data cleaning, data registration, surface meshing, texturing, and creation of orthographic image. The contribution of this research is that it can serve as a reference for the heritage architect in managing the heritage building by adopting HBIM.

Preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage under the National Heritage Act 2005 [Act 645] vs UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003)

The Malaysian National Heritage Act 2005 [Act 645] is a statute which intends to protect, conserve, and preserve not only Intangible Cultural Heritage, but tangible, underwater heritage, and natural sites. The enactment of Act 645 is influenced by the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH Convention). However, Act 645 is general in character compared to the ICH Convention. This paper adopts the qualitative doctrinal approach where the analysis of the provisions both in the ICH Convention and Act 645 are made in order to identify the similarities and differences on the issue of preservation of intangible cultural heritage in Malaysia. This paper suggests for the amendments to the Act 645 in order to better safeguard Malaysian intangible cultural heritage.

Application of Nature in the Motif of Malay Traditional Jewellery in Malaysia

The application of nature in traditional Malay jewellery motifs has been practiced since time immemorial as the main element of decoration and design variations. In this study, the traditional jewellery chosen is dokoh, one of the favourites of the Malays worn on the neck with kebaya. This study aims to identify the application of natural elements in design motifs in Malaysia. Qualitative research involving observation, description, and composition analysis are applied using a formal analytical approach. This research helps to preserve Malaysia's heritage and become a reference for future generations regarding extrinsic and intrinsic values. Keywords: Dokoh; Motif; Malay, Traditional Jewellery eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7iSI7%20(Special%20Issue).3796

Exposing the nuances of traditional Malay Kuih in Mersing district, Johor, Malaysia

Traditional food has long been recognised as an integral aspect of community across the globe. It varies from one community to another and is treasured as an image representation. Traditional Malay kuih in Malaysia, however, lacks its definition. The word kuih itself is loosely used to group a collection of either sweet desserts or savoury snacks. Acknowledging that the district of Mersing in Johor is an underexposed heritage site in Malaysia, this study disinters the traditional Malay kuih nuances as a regional ethnic food. Qualitative method was employed involving 14 kuih experts in Mersing to answer the research question “What is the meaning of traditional Malay kuih in Mersing?” in which semi-structured, in-depth, and face-to-face interviews were conducted. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim to ensure accurate results. Thematic analysis was used to identify the codes, categories, and themes as the nuances of traditional Malay kuih in Mersing. The themes enlist (i) the use of native crops, (ii) the practice of conventional Malay cooking methods, (iii) the enculturation of Malaysia’s east coast traditions, and (iv) the enrichment of sub-ethnic traditions among the Malays. It was found that the analysed nuances of traditional Malay kuih reinstated the individuality and uniqueness of the Malay ethnic’s gastronomy in Malaysia. In short, this paper provides an in-depth exploration of the Malay’s unique culture and heritage in Malaysia, thus benefitting the scholars, local tourism board, entrepreneurs, consumers, among others.

Bibliometric analysis on the implementation digitization technologies in cultural heritage in Malaysia

Bibliometric analysis on the implementation digitization technologies in cultural heritage in Malaysia

Level of Sustainability Heritage Cities in Malaysia

This article aims to measure the level of sustainability of heritage cities in Malaysia. Respondents consisted of 1000 residents in 10 selected heritage towns throughout Malaysia selected based on cluster sampling method and simple random to fill out a questionnaire. Likert scale questionnaires 1 to 5 were used to elicit feedback. Five sustainability constructs were used, namely economic, social, environmental, cultural heritage, and government/community role. The results showed that items in each study construct achieved acceptable reliability with a Cronbach Alpha value greater than 0.70 and met normality test requirements. Descriptive analysis of frequency, percentage, and mean values were used to obtain each construct's level of sustainability. The results of the study found that the cities that got high scores were Georgetown (3.94), Taiping (4.00), Melaka City (3.76), and Muar (3.71). Meanwhile, the cities that got average scores were Kuala Kubu Bharu (3.36), Jugra (3.23), Tampin (3.37), Kuala Lipis (3.28), Kota Bharu (3.65), and Kuching (3.51). Only, five cities surpass the average value of Malaysia heritage cities of 3.58. The implications of this study can be used as an indicator of the level of sustainability of heritage cities in Malaysia and be a reference to make the process of improvement towards a more sustainable city by 2030.

Conservation Management Plan for Heritage Site in Malaysia: A case study of Brooke Dockyard, Kuching, Sarawak.

Conservation Management Plan (CMP) and its implementation is a relatively new practice in the protection and safeguarding of heritage buildings and sites in Malaysia. The CMP is a vital legal document which details out the management strategy for historic assets, heritage sites and significant places; as well as prescribes future use, management, alteration, or repair to retain the significance of heritage buildings and sites. Without proper CMP implementation, gazetted heritage buildings or sites are at risk due to potential development threats that may affect their significant values. This article presents the fundamentals of the CMP as stated under the Malaysian laws, which are the National Heritage Act 2005 (Act 645), State of Penang Heritage Enactment 2011 (Enactment 14) and Sarawak Heritage Ordinance 2019 (Chapter 77). This study involves a qualitative research in examining provisions in the Malaysian heritage laws; as well as reviewing the contents of the CMP of Brooke Dockyard in Kuching, Sarawak as a case study. The study found that all three Malaysia heritage laws have similar provisions in aspects of authority, power, control, management, and designated criteria for heritage property. Specific provisions of the Sarawak Heritage Ordinance 2019 (Chapter 77) laws were found to be fully complied and well documented in the case study of the CMP of Brooke Dockyard. Hence, the CMP of Brooke Dockyard serves as an instrumental tool in safeguarding the significant values of this heritage building prior to its transformation into a maritime museum. The CMP provides guidance to envisage future care and use of Brooke Dockyard including new development proposals within the designated core and buffer zones. The CMP also portrays Brooke Dockyard as one of the significant heritage sites in Sarawak that should be conserved for the benefits of future generations.

Peoples' Participation in the Preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Malaysia: The Legal Perspective

Communities, groups, and individuals (or known as CGIs) are the main focus of the international law on intangible cultural heritage preservation, and the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 focuses on community participation. In Malaysia, Articles 5 and 8 of the Federal Constitution provide a general principle on the rights of people to their livelihood and equality. However, the National Heritage Act [Act645] has no specific provisions on community participation. This paper highlights the international law on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, including from selected foreign nation-state's legislations. The absence of specific provisions on community participation and the rights of the CGIs under the existing law raises the question of the extent of their participation, particularly in decision-making. The paper concludes with the recommendation that the existing law should be amended to include more comprehensive provisions on community participation.

Artistic Heritage of Kelingkan Embroidery in Malaysia: History and Development

Kelingkan is a form of artistic embroidery that uses metal ribbon threads, which are coated in gold and silver, and embroidered onto the surface of soft fabric. The creation of kelingkan embroidery requires a high level of accuracy and utilises all the expertise that the embroiderer possesses. Kelingkan is known as a Malay artistic heritage that is still being produced on a small scale. However, the extent to which the art of kelingkan embroidery is being continued in Malaysia today, is under question. Therefore, this research will detail the history and development of kelingkan in Malaysia, map the latest locations of kelingkan embroidery practitioners in Malaysia and explain the factors that have influenced the development of kelingkan in Malaysia. Through qualitative research methods, a field study involving the observation of artifacts and interviews with embroiderers was conducted. The findings of this research has found that the history of kelingkan embroidery in Malaysia had developed since the emergence of trade systems in the Malay World. Only three states, namely Sarawak, Selangor and Kelantan still have embroiderers who are actively making kelingkan embroidery. The development of kelingkan embroidery in Malaysia all began in the palace and spread through familial relations from generation to generation, as well as kelingkan embroidery programmes (short and long term) or incubator programmes. As an implication, the findings of this study can be used as a source of knowledge for the younger generation to continue preserving kelingkan embroidery as a heritage in Malaysia. This research can also suggest proactive efforts to continue this artistic heritage by Malay women, so that it may be preserved for the future.

Predicting Factors on Destination Food Image among International Tourists in Malaysia

This study aimed to identify factors influencing destination food image among the international tourists in Malaysia. Food tourism is becoming a trend among tourists. By trying different foods from different countries, tourists able to understand and gained knowledge on the country’s culture. In Malaysia, the food knowledge among the international tourists are limited. Although there are several Malaysian foods which are popular, it still remained unknown for the tourists. This caused international tourists to feel strange and unfamiliar with the food heritage in Malaysia. A quantitative research was carried out, where questionnaires were distributed to the international tourists in Malaysia using Google Form. Sample size of 278 respondents were collected, and Partial Least Square – Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM), SmartPLS 3.0. was used to run the data. Result showed among the five independent variables, only Social Media do not have significant relationship with Destination Food Image. Discussion and result of these 5 variables were explained in this study. Lastly, limitations and recommendations were included to provide contribution to the future academicians who are interested in the related field.

Assessing Earthquake-induced Debris Flow Risk in the first UNESCO World Heritage in Malaysia

The Mw 6.0 Ranau earthquake dated on 05th June 2015 was recorded as one of the strongest earthquakes in the history of Sabah, Malaysia. The earthquake induced many cascading geohazards and earth material in the vicinity of Mount Kinabalu, the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Malaysia. The earthquake formed a temporary landslide dam that later breached and remobilized as debris flows. This paper provides a new insight into the cascading geohazards as a result of the 2015 Ranau earthquake in Sabah. We evaluated the surface changes of source area that contributes to the landslide damming formation using the remote sensing techniques and field validation. Two image classification methods were performed, including the Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC), and Nearest Neighbor Classification (NNC). Both presented the supervised pixel- and object-based classifications respectively. This study delineated the source area of before- and after earthquake using the Geographic Information System (GIS), followed by the image classification, accuracy assessment, and surface changes. A series of field mapping was carried out to validate the local evidence. The findings determined three classes within the source area, namely; vegetation cover, bare earth, and stripped earth material (SEM). The surface changes resulted from the earthquake using the MLC was −1.62 km2 (vegetation cover), +0.23 km2 (bare earth), and +1.39 km2 (SEM), while using the NNC was −1.44 km2, +0.12 km2, and +1.32 km2 accordingly. The accuracy assessment of before and after earthquake for the MLC was 86% and 89%, whereas the NNC resulted in a 97% and 95% respectively. The NNC produced higher accuracy of 11% and 6% than the MLC. The increased SEM of 1.44 km2 has contributed to the accumulated earth material and resulted in the landslide damming formation. As a conclusion, this study explores the local risk of debris flow induced by the earthquake, by means of remote sensing technology with improved classification methods. A new insight of possible sediment-induced disaster was presented in the inaccessible and rugged topography, and rapid investigation of potential damming areas in a tectonically active region. This study provides an important clue to understand the local risk and substantially develop Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and resilience strategies in the vicinity of UNESCO World Heritage to support the achievement of global targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.

Preserving Javanese identity and cultural heritage in Malaysia

This research traces the diaspora of the Javanese and their cultural heritage and examines their adaptation to Malaysian society. The disputes that occurred in the last ten years between Indonesia ...

Innovation of Batik Block Through Design Thinking Process: A Cultural Sustainability Project

Malaysia's traditional batik block is the legacy and treasure of the country. However, it has slowly faded nearing extinction, particularly in the east coast region. Nowadays in the context of globalization and rapid technological change, the production of batik block has become scarce when younger generations are no longer interested in block making. Therefore, only a few master block makers left in Malaysia. Cultural sustainability of block makers is needed through the innovation of Batik block towards Batik community and society. This research paper aims to create a traditional block through innovation and sustaining the original block state by using the design thinking approach. The art of block making has continued to thrive from the findings, thus contributing to flourish and enhance appreciation and sustain batik design as Malaysia's heritage traditional culture.

Cultural heritage preservation efforts in Malaysia: A survey

Malaysia, just like its neighbouring countries in the region, has a rich and diverse culture and heritage treasures. What makes Malaysia more unique is its diversity as a multi-racial and multicultural country. These cultural heritages might become lost and extinct without any efforts in preserving and safeguarding due to modernization, assimilation, and globalization. We present an overview of different cultural heritage in Malaysia and available efforts to preserve these treasures found from literature. Digital preservation efforts that computer graphics, media scientists and practitioners could offer as alternatives in preservation of culture and heritage preservation will also be included in this paper.

ANALISA PERUNDANGAN TERHADAP PERLINDUNGAN WARISAN KEBUDAYAAN TIDAK KETARA DI MALAYSIA

The National Heritage Act 2005 is the only Act enacted in Malaysia to date to protect the national heritage including intangible cultural heritage. In the field of heritage study, intangible cultural heritage becomes a priority in the context of a 'non-existent' heritage enjoyed through the human senses. However, the Act provides a rather limited definition of intangible cultural heritage due to ambiguity in certain terminologies of its definition and scope. Hence, by using the provisions of the UNESCO Convention 2003 as the basis of discussion, this article analyses the legal provisions which protect intangible cultural heritage in Malaysia for the country in fulfilling its responsibilities as a Member Country of the Convention. This article finds that improvements to the definition of intangible cultural heritage need to be made by expanding the scope of the provision to include relevant intangible cultural heritage elements such as food and fine arts heritage.