Sending me off at KLIA are from left, Afal (my second son), wife, mother-in-law, and Ayin (my youngest son)..where?...of course the one that took this photo!
Thursday, 24 February 2005
Leaves for Adelaide
Sending me off at KLIA are from left, Afal (my second son), wife, mother-in-law, and Ayin (my youngest son)..where?...of course the one that took this photo!
Tuesday, 22 February 2005
Plan of Studies? Who cares.
Hi....its been a while since I last posted about my progress. Things have not gone in my way yet. The last time I told you about how difficult I was to explain to BLPS regarding my ticket...yes..it still remains that way. They told me that they'd bring my application to the meeting. Actually they didn't. Later I was told that they could make a decision administratively without a meeting. And this the dilemma of a split PhD research. Who cares.
I was surprised as to why they had done this to me. I've acted according to the plan of studies which was approved by my supervisor, my Dean and their office!
Any way, its not worth arguing with them. As time is drawing nearer to my departure date, I decided to make my own ticket booking. Finally I managed to get the 23 February return flight paying RM3050...who cares?
I was surprised as to why they had done this to me. I've acted according to the plan of studies which was approved by my supervisor, my Dean and their office!
Any way, its not worth arguing with them. As time is drawing nearer to my departure date, I decided to make my own ticket booking. Finally I managed to get the 23 February return flight paying RM3050...who cares?
Thursday, 3 February 2005
Memo on Heritage Landscape
A Memorandum to the National Heritage Department Malaysia
With reference to the proposed Malaysia’s Heritage Bill, as reported by Berita Harian today (2 February 2005), the honourable minister Dato' Seri Dr Rais Yatim was quoted as saying that he needed input from various parties including academicians regarding the draft Bill. He mentioned about the need to include visual heritage like writings and music in addition to buildings, historic sites and monuments.
We applaud his considerations to include other intangible heritage in this very important Bill. We would hereby like to propose that landscape heritage be included in the Bill. We will explain why landscape should be included as our national heritage.
We believe that the thrust of this Bill should be the conservation of the heritage of the Malays for they are the original inhabitants of the Malay Archipelago. They lived in this region especially in the Malay Peninsular for hundreds of years before being colonised by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British. Throughout their existence and due to their humbleness, the Malays had readily accepted outside influence from various cultures and practices from the Middle East to the Orient during the Sultanates. Thereafter they interfaced with the European influence during the modern era. The Malays have always valued and cherish their land dearly that they would fight against any intruders who wished to destroy their country and values.
Evidence of their outstanding relationship with their landscape is revealed through phrases like tanah air ku, the national anthem Negara ku and numerous others. Early historical documents associated the Malays and their landscapes included Puteri Gunung Ledang, Mahsuri and the burnt rice; state symbols like negeri di bawah bayu, padi kuning or even our national crescent, the tiger that symbolises bravery of the forest. In short, the Malay landscapes exist and can be distinguished from others through its strong identity, heritage, culture and place. It is in this landscape that the Malays had lived in harmony over time.
The Colonial occupation has brought about changes to the landscape far serious than the Malays would have realised. The so-called modern era had done damage to people’s value, heritage, tradition and their landscapes. Though originally resided in urban settlements, they have slowly been moved out into the interiors due to the division of labours for economic reasons by the colonial power. Their true settlements, being pioneers, were normally at the river estuaries. These lived-in landscapes are never destroyed because the Malays had always worked in sympathy with them. The remit was that do not destroy the landscape if they give you benefits over time. This ‘sense of place’ is still evident today if one were to see them carefully throughout our country.
As they moved into the countryside, the Malays are true to their loved for the land. They cultivate, farm, and live in harmony with the landscape. Examples are the traditional methods of farming; many different types of Malay kampongs neatly nestled in the rural landscape. Of course during that period there was no mention about landscape heritage protection and conservation. When the British came, they were not interested to protect them either; they were only interested to gazette wildlife for game and hunting purposes. But the working landscapes in the urban and the countryside truly characterised the Malay identity and their origin.
Today, the absence of a strong and effective law may not be able to control land uses and development that would destroy the characters and identity of our urban and rural landscape heritage.
This Bill will define the meanings of heritage in its true sense. If the country wants to preserve our Malay landscapes, we propose that now is the best time to include it in the Bill. If landscape is not defined as a heritage, we fear that the Malay identity will vanish in the name of modernity and growth.
We sincerely hope that the Ministry will give it utmost consideration to this very important heritage: the landscape heritage of the Malays.
Thank you.
Kamarul Bahrain Shuib
With reference to the proposed Malaysia’s Heritage Bill, as reported by Berita Harian today (2 February 2005), the honourable minister Dato' Seri Dr Rais Yatim was quoted as saying that he needed input from various parties including academicians regarding the draft Bill. He mentioned about the need to include visual heritage like writings and music in addition to buildings, historic sites and monuments.
We applaud his considerations to include other intangible heritage in this very important Bill. We would hereby like to propose that landscape heritage be included in the Bill. We will explain why landscape should be included as our national heritage.
We believe that the thrust of this Bill should be the conservation of the heritage of the Malays for they are the original inhabitants of the Malay Archipelago. They lived in this region especially in the Malay Peninsular for hundreds of years before being colonised by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British. Throughout their existence and due to their humbleness, the Malays had readily accepted outside influence from various cultures and practices from the Middle East to the Orient during the Sultanates. Thereafter they interfaced with the European influence during the modern era. The Malays have always valued and cherish their land dearly that they would fight against any intruders who wished to destroy their country and values.
Evidence of their outstanding relationship with their landscape is revealed through phrases like tanah air ku, the national anthem Negara ku and numerous others. Early historical documents associated the Malays and their landscapes included Puteri Gunung Ledang, Mahsuri and the burnt rice; state symbols like negeri di bawah bayu, padi kuning or even our national crescent, the tiger that symbolises bravery of the forest. In short, the Malay landscapes exist and can be distinguished from others through its strong identity, heritage, culture and place. It is in this landscape that the Malays had lived in harmony over time.
The Colonial occupation has brought about changes to the landscape far serious than the Malays would have realised. The so-called modern era had done damage to people’s value, heritage, tradition and their landscapes. Though originally resided in urban settlements, they have slowly been moved out into the interiors due to the division of labours for economic reasons by the colonial power. Their true settlements, being pioneers, were normally at the river estuaries. These lived-in landscapes are never destroyed because the Malays had always worked in sympathy with them. The remit was that do not destroy the landscape if they give you benefits over time. This ‘sense of place’ is still evident today if one were to see them carefully throughout our country.
As they moved into the countryside, the Malays are true to their loved for the land. They cultivate, farm, and live in harmony with the landscape. Examples are the traditional methods of farming; many different types of Malay kampongs neatly nestled in the rural landscape. Of course during that period there was no mention about landscape heritage protection and conservation. When the British came, they were not interested to protect them either; they were only interested to gazette wildlife for game and hunting purposes. But the working landscapes in the urban and the countryside truly characterised the Malay identity and their origin.
Today, the absence of a strong and effective law may not be able to control land uses and development that would destroy the characters and identity of our urban and rural landscape heritage.
This Bill will define the meanings of heritage in its true sense. If the country wants to preserve our Malay landscapes, we propose that now is the best time to include it in the Bill. If landscape is not defined as a heritage, we fear that the Malay identity will vanish in the name of modernity and growth.
We sincerely hope that the Ministry will give it utmost consideration to this very important heritage: the landscape heritage of the Malays.
Thank you.
Kamarul Bahrain Shuib
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