FRIENDS OF MELAKA MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION

Chinese designs incorporated in mosques
MyKampung 2012-02-28 18:50


Members of Friends of Melaka Museums posing for group photo at the end of their visit. Front row second from left is Haji Shaukani Abbas, with Iesnordin on the extreme right. Photo courtesy by Sin Chew Daily
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Translated by WINNIE CHOOI
Sin Chew Daily

MELAKA -- The structure of Kampung Kling Mosque in Melaka built in the 18th century boasts of various characteristics of the Chinese, Hindu, Sumatran and Malay cultures.

The Chinese character of double happiness carvings and a rostrum are obvious evidences of close connection with the Chinese architecture during the olden days," explained the person-in-charge at the southern region Department of Museums Iesnordin Hj. Malan, during the Melaka Cultural Heritage Tour in July organised by Friends of Melaka Museum.

Also responsible for the mosque's reconstruction in 1999, Iesnordin attended the activities held on 13 July 1999 that saw the participation of people from various ethnic groups such as Chinese, Muslims, Hindus, Nyonyas, Chettis, and French residing in Malaysia.

After refurbishment

"Tiles carvings on the roof of the mosque is identical to the ones in Cheng Hoon Temple but were concealed with white spray after the refurbishment," said Iesnordin.

The mosque was built on a square site supported by four symmetrical arches made of "kayu berlian" in the prayer hall. Coral made flower-shaped bunga kesidang ornaments adorned the roof while Dutch tiles were used as roof tiles.

Kampung Kling Mosque was originally built in wood in 1748 and later reconstructed in bricks in 1872. It was subsequently refurbished in 1908 using Dutch roof tiles with a pagoda-like minaret like in Kampung Hulu Mosque. The latest conservation works were carried out in 1999.

"Most people were curious why there were two mosques built within the same area. From what I understand they could belong to different ethnics communities. The Kampung Kling Mosque was named this way because it was erected by Indian Muslims.

"Secondly, Kampung Hulu Mosque was supposed to be demolished by the colonial government and be replaced with a new one but the plan was later cancelled," said Iesnordin.

Muslim living

A key speaker in Islamic living, retired teacher Hajjah Nasri Abbas said she remained adhered to the Islamic faith even after she came into contact with people of different religions during her studies in the United States.

"Among the five rules set by the mosque, one is to attend the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in a lifetime. The children or relatives could be the representatives if a Muslim is incapable of carrying out the duty," said Abbas.

In order to form a good rapport between Muslims and non-Muslims, some non-Muslims would tend to greet Muslims by saying "Assalamuailam." However, Abbas said this is not appropriate as it means "may peace be with you" in Quran.

Abbas added that Muslims pray five times a day just like talking to Allah over the phone. The length of prayers for each session is different. Shorter prayers are practised in the pre-dawn at 5.51a.m. as well as in the evening at 4.30p.m.

Abbas pointed out further that Muslims are encouraged to pray more than five times a day. The prayers could be carried out at home or in praying rooms (surau). However, Muslim men must visit the mosque every Friday to pray with the public. No short pants or undergarments are allowed inside the mosque.

"As for Muslim women, prayers are normally carried out in their private rooms at home. Women should not be seen too often inside the mosque to avoid unnecessary distractions to the men. Due to this reason, females should put on their exclusive prayers costume concealing their whole bodies except face and hands.

"In Afghanistan, females have to cover their face and eyes as well and are not allowed to pray during their menstrual periods, " said Abbas.

New members welcome

Newly appointed Chairman of Friends of Melaka Museums, Haji Shaukani Abbas said the association is a non-government organisation set up long ago. The monthly Melaka Cultural Heritage Tour has so far been organised three times after he took over as chairman.

The organisation offers a lot of perks such as free entrance to museums, discounted prices for museum-related products and access to museum library for reading and research purposes.

The objective is to provide local people with an opportunity and platform to participate, promote and protect our cultural heritage, and strengthen the relationship between the communities with the museums through leisure activities.

Members of the public are welcome to join as members. Membership fees and contact details are as follows:

Individual membership: RM10 per annum
Children: RM2 per annum
Foreign membership: RM10 per annum
Lifetime membership: RM100
Enrolment fees: RM5

Please call 012-612 0618 or 06-282 6526/06-281 1289 for details.

MELAKA OVER-BUILDING COMMERCIAL SHOPS

28th. February 2012

I went back to Melaka yesterday for a short trip. When I was in Melaka, I had the opportunity to drive from Melaka Raya to Klebang.

Land reclamation works have been done from Melaka Raya until Klebang. More reclamation works are also being undertakened.

If you drive from Melaka Raya to Limbongan via the coastal highway, the reclaimed land on both sides of this coastal road, has been boarded up for new development. There will be new shopping malls, commercial shop houses, SOHO, condominiums and others. You name it and you will find them. Investors are pumping money into the development of this land. Was informed that there will be more than 4,000 shop houses etc. within Limbongan area.

While it is good for the Melaka Historical City Council in collection half yearly assessments from owners of these shops and offices, the question remains is whether Melaka can sustain this rapid development without proper planning.

These shops and offices can turn into empty shell if there is no business to go around. They can be left vacant as there are no tenants to rent these premises.

Pockets of unoccupied shops and offices will occur especially those not facing the main road and if this happens and owners will be be in debt if they cannot service their loans.

Overbuilding is a nightmare for property developers and Melakans will not want to see empty commercial centres dotting around Melaka. Do not follow the herd mentality and let us have a continuous but sustainable growth for Melaka.

RAPTOR WATCH 2012 (MARCH 10-11) IS BACK

23 February 2012 | last updated at 12:34am

Raptor Watch takes flight for 13th straight year

MALACCA: Raptor Watch, one of the region's biggest bird-watching events, promises yet another exciting spectacle this year.
Organised by the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) in partnership with the Malacca government, the event will take place for the 13th straight year at PNB Ilham Resort, near Tanjung Tuan, on March 10 and 11.

Every year, spectators get to see thousands of raptors, also known as birds of prey, migrate north to their breeding grounds in Siberia, China, the Korean peninsula and Japan from their winter refuge in the south.

Tanjung Tuan, which is gazetted as a forest reserve, is the nearest landfall across the Straits of Malacca from Indonesia and is an important site for the birds to rest or catch thermals before continuing on their journey.

Due to its importance to migratory birds, the 60ha site is designated as an important bird area by Birdlife International.

MNS conserves the forest reserve by promoting Raptor Watch, through which it raises awareness of raptors and the need to conserve their habitat.

Visitors come from Singapore, Taiwan, the Philippines and Thailand. Last year, about 2,000 turned up.

This year, MNS hopes to get even more spectators to take part in activities, which include guided walks, eco-talks, games, arts and crafts, an obstacle course and a treasure hunt.

MNS head of communications Andrew Sebastian said last year's raptor count went up to 57,000 birds over more than 40 days.

"This year, we have spotted 141 raptors, which may seem like a small number, but this is a good sign, as it means the birds will come in big numbers in March."

For details, visit http://mnsrw2012.wordpress.com

WILD DOGS OF MELAKA ZOO

Email Print 18 February 2012

Zoo's success with wild dogs

By HANIS MAKETAB
AYER KEROH
hzmak@nst.com.my


Malacca Zoo boasts of first dhole pups born in captivity in Malaysia



Visitors to Malacca Zoo have the opportunity to see rare dholes, including the first pair of pups born in captivity in Malaysia in August last year. Pic by Mohd Jamah Nasri
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Malacca Zoo welcomed the first dhole pups born in captivity in the country recently.
Zoo director Ahmad Azhar Mohammed said the pups -- a male and a female -- were born in August last year and were now six months old.

"We (Malacca Zoo) had received our first dhole, a male, in 2008 from Terengganu while the second dhole, a female, had been sent to us from Zoo Negara in 2010.

"Soon after, the pair mated and... here they are," he told the New Straits Times, gesturing at the pups.

The pups, which had already grown to be nearly as big as their parents, bounded about in their enclosure, perhaps excited by all the attention they were getting from the photographer.

Often, they would approach the chain-link fence separating them from the public, sniffing curiously at those brave enough to come close to them.

Unlike dogs, they did not bark, but rather, let out a high-pitched whining noise or brief yaps.

"Once they are old enough to be separated from their mother, we hope to exchange them with any other zoo that have stock.

"This is to avoid inbreeding."

Ahmad added that in the wild, it was quite rare to come across them, but visitors to the zoo had the opportunity to come and see a family of dholes first-hand.

The dhole, also known as the Asiatic Wild Dog or "anjing hutan", is only found in Asia and Southeast Asia and is classified as "endangered" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

It is estimated that fewer than 2,500 mature individuals remain in the wild and the declining population trend is expected to continue.

The main threats to the species include ongoing habitat loss, depletion of prey base, harassment and possible disease transfer from domestic and feral dogs.

Dholes are unique members of the canid family as they do not fit neatly into any of the sub-families such as foxes or wolf-like dogs and are thus placed in a genus of its own -- cuon.

Scientifically known as the Cuon alpinus, dholes usually have coats that are rusty red in colour with lighter, yellow fur on its underside.

Together with the grey wolf, the African hunting dog and the Amazonian bush dog, the dhole is one of the few dogs that regularly hunts in packs and together are capable of bringing down larger animals such as wild boars and water buffalos, sometimes even tigers.

ANCIENT ARTEFACT IN BABY SHARK STOMACH

Woman finds ancient Portugese artefact in baby shark

inShare
The Star/Asia News Network
Wednesday, Feb 22, 2012

MALACCA - A baby shark being prepared for lunch gave a family here a big surprise - an ancient artefact believed to be dated long before the Portuguese conquest of Malacca.

Housewife Suseela Menon, from Klebang, made the priceless discovery while filleting the fish for lunch.

It is believed to be a medallion worn by the Portuguese soldiers, presumably as a divine protection, during their conquests in this part of the world in the 16th century.

One side of the medallion is a profile of a woman's head with a crown and encircled by a halo and an inscription that is unclear. The other side is a crucifix with an engraved inscription that read ANTONII.

Checks with a local historian revealed the head engraving could be that of Queen Elizabeth, the consort of King Denis I of Portugal during his reign from 1271 to 1336.

Ms Suseela said she immediately cleaned the medallion and preserved it in a box.

'I bought two sharks from the wet market and was taken aback upon discovering the object inside the stomach of one of the fishes,' said the 47-year-old mother-of-two at her home yesterday.

Ms Suseela had wanted to prepare shark curry for her husband.

'Finally, my husband decided not to eat the fish as the object seems to be a religious item,' she said.

The medallion is 7.4cm long, 6cm wide and weighs 10g.

'My husband feels it is a blessing for the family to have the medallion coming to our home from beneath the sea. We will always cherish it,' said Ms Suseela.

WANGKANG FESTIVAL 2012

16 February 2012 | Last updated at 12:21AM

Barge-ing into hell to exorcise Malacca's evil spirits
By Jason Gerald John and Kelly Koh Ling Min
MALACCA
streets@nstp.com.my | 0 comments

IF evil spirits are present in a Chinese home, its occupants would call a priest to get rid of the evil spirits, during which time the family has to leave the house until the ceremonial prayers are over.
barge-ing

Goh Kok Him, 57, (left) menunjukkan cara menerima wahyu daripada tuhan bagi perayaan Wangkang kali ke-4 sambil diperhatikan demonstrating how one receives a message from the Ong Yah deity before a ‘wang kang’ festival is held as Te Choon Hua, 51, looks on.
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It is certainly a most sombre event.

However, the wang kang (royal barge) festival, which is aimed at exorcising evil spirits, does so in a celebratory manner, with thousands of people thronging the streets of Malacca to witness the significant festivities held once every few decades.

The festival is an age-old tradition of the Hokkien community to "cleanse" a place of evil spirits.

It was held recently for only the fifth time in the last 150 years. Previous celebrations were held in 1919, 1933 and 2001, but there are no records of when the first was held.

The 2012 festival organising committee chairman, Lai Poon Ken, 55, said the wang kang is only held when the temple deity, Ong Yah, receives a message from the heavens to hold the event.

"Evil spirits are blamed for the epidemics and chaotic events that have affected mankind throughout the ages. Cleansing is required for a healthy and happy environment for the people of Malacca.

"Wang kang is a unique event as it is not an annual event like Chinese New Year or Chap Goh Meh. But it is an important event in the Lunar calendar, especially for the Hokkien community with Taoist beliefs.

"Last year, we got the message from Ong Yah, and I was chosen to initiate the festival," said Lai.

As early as 6am, members of the Hokkien community began to gather at the Yong Chuan Tian Temple in Bandar Hilir for the procession.

From the temple, the procession proceeded for 20km along the streets of Malacca, including Jalan Bukit Senjuang, Jalan Laksamana Cheng Ho, Jalan Bunga Raya, Jalan Hang Tuah, Jalan Ong Kim Wee, Jalan Tengkera, Jalan Kubu, Jalan Hang Jebat, Jalan Portugis, Jalan Masjid, Jalan Kampung Hulu, Jalan Kota and Jalan Parameswara before heading back to the temple.

Lion and dragon dance troupes, floats with small boats driven by motorcyclists, were among the groups and structures comprising the procession.

There was a chingay troupe showing off their stunts such as balancing a towering flag pole.

There were also stilt-walkers clad in colourful, traditional Chinese costumes, young children throwing candies and Ong Yah who was paraded on a sedan chair.

The procession made several stops when ceremonial sedan chairs were tossed up into the air.

The main attraction of the procession was the quaint but majestic barge.

It was pulled by some 30 devotees with ropes tied on both sides of the barge.

The barge seemed to glide along, even when the procession came across rough patches on roads like Jalan Merdeka, and when going uphill like Jalan Pulau Melaka.

At junctions, or residences of important personages linked to the festival, the chai lian tau (the captain) standing on the barge would wave the centipede-shaped flag several times.

Meanwhile, chai lian kah (the crew) "rowed" the barge with their ornamental oars as they shouted, "peh, peh, peh, lok peh, lok lok peh, lok peh", ("paddle, paddle, paddle away the evil spirits", to the accompaniment of gongs and drums.

In the evening, during the second part of the festival, some 10,000 people made a beeline for Pulau Melaka across the Straits of Malacca, armed with cameras.

Once on the island, they chose several sites from which to best capture a photo of the wang kang procession as it made its way back to the temple and the "unknown realm beyond" as the barge was set ablaze.

At this point, the atmosphere was electrifying as a fireworks display simultaneously lit up the sky with stunning colours.

It is believed the royal barge "took on board" evil spirits as it burnt, thus destroying the malicious demons.

As the barge was burning away, people walked away as well.

They were very careful to not look back.

This was because looking back would bring misfortune by spirits hell-bent to do evil to those tempted to break tradition, even as they burn on their way to annihilation.

Read more: Barge-ing into hell to exorcise Malacca's evil spirits - Central - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/streets/central/barge-ing-into-hell-to-exorcise-malacca-s-evil-spirits-1.47312#ixzz1mVep5Kub

PREMIUM OUTLET TO BE OPENED IN MELAKA

Email Print 13 February 2012 | last updated at 03:18am
More Premium Outlets to be opened soon

JOHOR BARU: Two more Premium Outlets will be opened after the opening of the Johor Premium Outlets, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said. She said the opening of more Premium Outlets would contribute to the economy, as well as attract more tourists to do their shopping here.

"We will open more Premium Outlets in Sepang and Malacca," she said after visiting the Johor Premium Outlets here yesterday. "With the opening of more Premium Outlets, we hope spending will increase from the present 30 per cent." Bernama