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"Temples Malaysia."
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A Unique Episode in Transregional “Buddhist” Connections: The Ruan and Liang Buddhas from China to India and Beyond
A unique episode in the transregional connections of Buddhism is illustrated through the figures of Ruan Ziyu (1079–1102) and Liang Cineng (1098–1116). Since at least the Song dynasty, Huineng (638–713), the Sixth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism, has been a revered figure in Guangdong province of China, resulting in the formation of numerous stories and legends. In the Sihui region, near the urban hub called Zhaoqing, Ruan and Liang emerged as notable disciples of Huineng, reputed to have had spiritual encounters with the Sixth Patriarch and attained Buddhahood. Known as the “Ruan Buddha” and the “Liang Buddha”, they were venerated by the Sihui people during times of droughts, turmoil, and health crisis. Over time, they became integral to Sihui identity and spread to Southeast and South Asia, particularly as people emigrated from the region in the late nineteenth century. This article examines the various stories about Ruan and Liang that circulated in Sihui and how the two buddhas have been venerated, without many links to Huineng or Buddhism, in Malaysia and India. It highlights the significance of local adaptations of Buddhist figures in transregional contexts.
Journal Article
Descending into foreignness: Datuk Fatimah and the home of the pendatang
In the worship of keramats amongst the Chinese community of Malaysia, Datuk Fatimah bears some unique characteristics: she is identifiable as a female figure who wears the hijab and conforms to the ideals of a pious Muslim woman, even as she is invested with a crown that signifies her temporal sovereignty. This essay frames the history of the architecture of the temple devoted to her and the surrounding village in relation to a 1958 essay on 'Odd Houses' by German architecture historian Julius Posener, the founder of the first architecture programme in Kuala Lumpur. 'Odd Houses' offers a mode of seeing that embraces the permutative and playful idioms of modernism. Rather than seeing modernity as a set of predetermined characteristics and conditions, the essay explores the modern as a practice of elective affinity, through which we may explore the heterochrony of migration and its art history. The accounting of time is premised on the mytho-poetic language of ritual possession, which offers a reading of temple as a historical record. This record communicates a relayed cultural bond between two working class migrant communities (Chinese and Javanese) across the twentieth century.
Journal Article
Cultural Dynamics in Disaster Management: Exploring Sociocultural Influences on Disaster Response in Malaysia
Disaster management strategies often emphasize technical and structural solutions, overlooking the sociocultural factors that shape community resilience and disaster response. In Malaysia, a multiethnic and multireligious country frequently affected by floods and monsoon storms, cultural beliefs, social networks, and traditional practices play a pivotal role in shaping disaster preparedness and recovery. This study examines how religious beliefs, community cohesion, gender roles, and traditional knowledge influence disaster management in Malaysia.
A qualitative research approach was employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews with 15 stakeholders from diverse ethnic, religious, and social backgrounds. Participants, represented various religious groups and geographic areas. Their roles included local leaders, government officials, NGO workers, and community members, providing insights into how sociocultural factors influence disaster response and policy.
Religious beliefs serve as both a source of resilience and a potential barrier, shaping community attitudes toward disaster preparedness. Community cohesion, particularly through gotong-royong (mutual aid), plays a crucial role in mobilizing resources and support, though it often excludes marginalized groups. Gender roles significantly influence disaster response, with women taking on caregiving responsibilities yet remaining underrepresented in decision-making processes. Traditional knowledge remains valuable, particularly in rural communities, but faces challenges as younger generations increasingly rely on modern technologies.
This study highlights the need for culturally sensitive, gender-inclusive, and community-driven disaster management policies in Malaysia.Integrating sociocultural dimensions into formal frameworks can foster more adaptive and inclusive strategies. Enhancing community participation and gender inclusivity will be key to improving disaster resilience in Malaysia.
Journal Article
The Wood Carvings of Two Traditional Timber Mosques in Kelantan and Terengganu
Wood carving has a long history in Malaysia. It is greatly influenced by the rich landscape of tropical forest in the living environment of the locals. The motifs of the carving are primarily derived from the images of flora and fauna. It mimics the intricate nature of leaves and flowers of the plants. The craftsmen initially use the bas-relief design consisting also of animal imageries on the boat’s sides or sometimes on the house components and even the dagger handle. However, with Islam’s arrival in the early 15th century, due to its teachings, contributed to the ban of animal images on art form. While most of the carvings are done on wood, there is no ample evidence of records available due to time and tides of the decaying process of the artwork. Likewise, there is no extensive research and documentation produced by academics to record the traditional wood carving of the Malays. Although few collections had documented the contemporary Malay houses produced by local scholars, sadly, there was no recount on the importance of housing elements and the technique of construction neither on wood carving. Hence, this paper attempts to examine the influence and pattern of wood carving on traditional mosques in Kelantan and Terengganu. The research conducted case studies, to seek the signs of the features and elements of wood carving on the traditional mosque in Kelantan and Terengganu, disclosing the influence of patterns and motifs on the selected images of its architecture. A measured drawing technique commonly used in conservation works guided the research operation which comprised of hand-drawn sketches to capture the details, measurement of building components, as well as transferring the images using tracing paper, while the other methods in gathering the information extended to direct interviews and photography. Then, the data collected were analyzed to determine the differences of each carving patterns and motifs in the two mosques in Kelantan and Terengganu. The result of the research established the future records on the variety of motifs and patterns of the Malay wood carving. Subsequently, it further elaborates the extensive techniques of wood carvings system and records the patterns found at Kelantan and Terengganu’s mosques for future inventory and recorded history.
Journal Article
Marginalized Minorities in Malaysia? A Case Study of a Demolished Estate Hindu Temple in Penang
In the literature, Malaysian Indians, as minorities, are marginalized and discriminated against, while their agency is either conspicuously lacking or one-dimensional. As a result, the mainstream discourse concerning Malaysian Indians is discursive and renders them subordinate. I argue that despite the marginalization and discrimination, grassroots Malaysian Indian Hindus are not powerless. With a case study of a demolished estate Hindu temple in Penang, I unpack their agential compliance and lack of confrontation when the state government destroyed their community temple. Their agential responses reflect their diverse political and social experiences as minorities and the myriad ways of interpreting the political rivalry between the ruling federal and opposition-led state government. Analysis of the case study is derived from ethnography and in-depth interviews with the estate Hindus.
Journal Article
THE HISTORY OF MOSQUE’S MINARET DESIGN IN LEMBAH KELANG, MALAYSIA
This article explores the history of mosques’ minaret design in Lembah Kelang. The aim is to categorize the minaret in Lembah Kelang and to document its typology. The lingering issue is fusion in designing minaret raised by experts who prefer to maintain the traditional designs and sustain the uniformity. One pertinent question in this research was: what are factors that contribute to the innovation. Samples of one hundred mosques in Lembah Kelang were observed and findings were recorded. Methods of data collection were twofold: documentation and observation. Collected data were analysed by deductive, inductive and comparative analyses. Findings exhibit that a minority of architects prefer to modernise the minaret according to the trend without neglecting the need and budget. On the other hand, the majority of architects sustain the traditional design answering the local community choice. It seems that accommodating needs and budget are two main factors in designing modern minaret of mosques in Lembah Kelang. In conclusion, fusion is inevitable.
Journal Article
Classification and prioritization of waqf lands: a Selangor case
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to study the current status and development of waqf lands in Malaysia, specifically in the state of Selangor, Malaysia and propose a new model for categorisation of its waqf lands. Previous studies on waqf lands and allocation of financial resources on these lands have been general and scanty.
Design/methodology/approach
They lack the focus of categorising waqf lands according to sectors, economic attributes and strategic locations so that it was not easy to match these lands to the kind of resources and investment models required for their development. The present research is carried out to categorise waqf lands and prioritise them according to four major sectors, namely agriculture, commercial, residential and religious
Findings
The study is quantitative in nature and uses a multi criteria decision-making method, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to prioritise the waqf lands by taking inputs from the officers working in Selangor Islamic Religious Council and some other related organisations. The study concludes with recommendations and suggestions for future research.
Originality/value
I have proposed a new model for the categorisation of waqf lands. Previous studies on waqf lands and its allocation of financial resources have been general and revealing. The present research is carried out to categorise waqf lands and prioritise them according to four major sectors, namely agriculture, commercial, residential and religious.
Journal Article
Buddhist Disaster Relief: Monks, Networks, and the Politics of Religion
Sri Lankan Buddhist (Theravada) temples in Malaysia have only recently begun actively engaging in international disaster relief. This article explores the reasons for this emerging example of religious relief by examining the diasporic history of social welfare engagements by these temples and their interactions with initiatives by Chinese organizations and other religious aid providers in Malaysia. In doing so, it investigates the politics of religion both within Buddhist relief practices and within wider contexts in which the relief work is located. The discussion focuses on a case study of Mahindarama Temple in Penang and its remarkable mobilization in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. I argue that the temple's relief work is one element of a wider flourishing involvement in social welfare activities. Previous domesticallyoriented practices gave doctrinal and administrative precedent for transnational disaster relief work following the tsunami. Mahindarama's relief activities were linked to a transnational web of religious and ethnic networks in which monks played decisive roles. Both the monks' doctrinal work and their interventions in practical tasks were crucial in facilitating and brokering the relief efforts. While Mahindarama's disaster relief work drew on Buddhist practices, values, and principles, it was also informed by a particular constellation of political, social, and economic concerns that reflect the location of Buddhist patrons in multicultural Malaysia.
Journal Article