Kelantan Malay Cultural Landscape: The Concept of Kota Bharu Islamic City

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1 Kelantan Malay Cultural Landscape: The Concept of Kota Bharu City A. Mohammad Rusdi Mohd Nasir, B. Ismail Hafiz Salleh Abstract Kota Bharu, as an City, represents a symbolic icon in the urban development of the state of Kelantan, Malaysia. This research seeks to provide a basis for new approaches to landscape planning that shows greater respect for the landscape. In addition, this research also intends to distinguish the prospects for the future Kelantan Malay cultural landscape, building upon the multiple historical influences in the evolution of the cultural landscape using multiple methods including literature review, observation, document analysis and content analysis. The study of the Kelantan Malay cultural landscape is particularly important in view of its distinctive contribution to Malay heritage by identifying the elements, characteristics, history and their influences. As a result, this research recognizes the importance of incorporating the existing heritage alongside contemporary design, as well as further research on the Kelantan Malay cultural landscape. Optimistically, there will be better landscape practices in the future to understand the past, the present and the future prospects of the tradition, in order to ensure that our architecture, landscape and urbanism practices express its values. Keywords Cultural landscape, the concept, Malay culture, Malay heritage. I. INTRODUCTION ELANTAN is one of the fourteen states of Malaysia, Ksituated in the northeast of Peninsular Malaysia and bordered by Thailand to the north, which is renowned for its arts and culture as well as having distinctive landscape and architecture. Kelantan is synonymous with Malay arts and crafts and has become a popular centre for a variety of arts and cultural activities of Kelantan Malay. About 95% of Kelantan's population are Malay ethnic, and under the Malaysian Constitution, all Malays are Muslims; therefore, Islam a strong cultural influence over the state. While, Kota Bharu is the state capital and has become the central point for Kelantan's administrative and business activities. F. A. Mohammad Rusdi Mohd Nasir is with the Department of Art and Design, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Tanjung Malim, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia (corresponding author to provide phone: ; fax: ; rusdi@fskik.upsi.edu.my). S. B. Ismail Hafiz Salleh, was with the Department of Art and Design, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Tanjung Malim, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia ( ismailhafiz86@yahoo.com). Fig. 1 Location of Kelantan, Malaysia and Kota Bharu City [1], [2]. A. The Scenery of Cultural Landscape UNESCO World Heritage [3] defined; cultural landscapes are the combined products of the interaction between people and nature. These have categorized as defined', evolved' and associative'. The first category is the Clearly Defined Landscape, designed and created intentionally by a single person or a group. This embraces garden and parkland landscapes constructed for aesthetic reasons that are often (but not always) associated with religious or other monumental buildings and ensembles. The second category is the organically evolved landscape. This results from an initial social, economic, administrative, and religious imperative and has developed its present form by association with and in response to its natural environment. Such landscapes reflect that process of evolution in their form and component features. The evolved landscape may either be continuing to evolve as a living place or the evolutionary process may have ceased so that the landscape is in remnant form [4]. There are two sub-categories that are: Relict Landscape or fossil landscape where the evolutionary process came to an end at some time in the past, either abruptly or over a period. Its significant distinguishing features are, however, still visible in material form. Continuing Landscape is one which retains an active social role in contemporary society closely associated with the way of life, and which the evolutionary process is still in progress. At the same time, it exhibits significant material evidence of its evolution over time. 2096

2 The third category defined as the Associative Cultural Landscape, which connected to cultural tradition. The inclusion of such landscapes on the World Heritage list may justify by virtue of, for example, powerful religious associations. The associative cultural landscape is the physical place where intangible aspects of cultural heritage embodied [3]. From the perspective of policy and planning, the cultural landscape to comprise: nature-plus-people, past-plus-present and physical attributes-plus-associative values [5]. This more direct definition has guided the present inquiry. II. KELANTAN MALAY CULTURAL LANDSCAPE A. Historical Sites of Kelantan Very few of the events after the pre-historic age are to be found either in books or the form of unwritten folktales [6]. This makes it difficult to gain an understanding of the historical events that have shaped the heritage and cultural landscape of the state. From the various historical sources collected, it was found that Kelantan is one of the oldest states in Peninsular Malaysia. Following the pre-historical era, it appears that the land was under Hindu-Buddhist influence, but doubts have cast on this view due to lack of traceable evidence. It claimed that, as a civilised state a Kingdom known as the Sri Vijaya Kingdom existed in the year 5 A.D. before Palembang became the centre of the Sri Vijaya Kingdom. practitioners and citizens. This research seeks to identify the characteristics and identities of the Kelantan Malay cultural landscape, as a basis for informing the planning and design of landscape in the future. The investigation highlights the elements that the former cultural landscape can offer to contemporary planners, landscape architects, and municipal administrators in their endeavours to conserve, in an authentic way, the integrity and the beauty of the Kelantan Malay landscape. The search for a Kelantan Malay regional identity is complex because there have been many recent changes and a lack of documentation about the Kelantan Malay landscape. Currently, there are many new landscape developments and new urbanisation schemes that introduce various design concepts to the cultural landscape. There is an urgent and imperative task to ensure that the future of the Kelantan Malay cultural landscape respects its diverse heritage. The reason for selecting Kelantan as a case study is because of its diverse cultures that continue to the present day. Indeed, Kelantan has been labelled as a cradle of Malay cultures because most of the Malay cultures can find there. Significantly, these arts and activities also play a vital role in creating the beauty of the cultural landscape. In particular, they impart their identity on architecture and landscape in a way that produces a singular and characteristic design in the Malay Archipelago. These make Kelantan popular as one of the most important cultural tourism spots in Malaysia. A further reason for this study is the potential conflict that has emerged between design principles and the regional identity under the new management of the municipal council. (a) The Palace of the Great Hall Fig. 2 Illustrations show Kota Bharu as a busy port for traders along the Kelantan riverbank during the 15th century (Source: of Kelantan). Sri Vijaya was ruled the Kelantan until the 13th century before it fell under the sway of Malacca in the 15th century. Conflict among many powers resulted eventually in the establishment by Siam of sovereignty over the area in the early 19th century. Kelantan then became a protectorate of Great Britain in Great Britain had established protectorates by the 20th century throughout the Peninsula, which later formed the Union (1946) as well as the Federation (1948) of Malaya before total independence in B. Understanding and Appreciation of the Kelantan Malay Cultural Landscape Due to the recent development of and rapid urbanisation in Kelantan, there is a need for improved understanding and appreciation of the Kelantan Malay cultural landscape among (b) Jahar Palace (c) The Sultan Ismail Arch as the main attraction of the archway at Kota Bharu Fig. 3 (a c) Among the historical building and artificial structure as a main tourist attraction that can found in the Heritage Zone of Kota Bharu, Kelantan (Source: Author, 2014). 2097

3 III. KOTA BHARU ISLAMIC CITY The Party of Malaysia (PAS) has governed Kelantan from 1990 to the present. On October 1st, 2005, Kota Bharu was declared by the state government as an City based on the Developing with Islam' slogan. Therefore, the city now observes principles in every aspect of daily life in the direction of creating a city that could relate to an identity. A. The Ideal of Kota Bharu City The principal constituent of the Kota Bharu city was to build an environment that consists of three major relationships, namely; Human with God, Human with Human, and Human with Nature [7]. In conjunction with this, the Kota Bharu Municipal Council has undertaken strategic landscape planning by using a combination of the values and the regional identities of Kelantan. They have considered the essential needs of the community and the cleanliness of the environment as the foundations for meaningful development. Based on the Kota Bharu landscape master plan report, it was suggested that some green and open spaces will be provided for the community. At the same time, the economic spaces in the city centre will be upgraded to give greater variety to people. Kota Bharu City Mecca Corridor Image Flower Garden Land Concept Developing with Islam Cultural & Heritage City Cultural & Knowledge Zone Tourist Attraction Fig. 4 Adaptation from the objectives of the Kota Bharu City Master Plan [8]. The municipal council has exhorted people to respect the nature and environment to have a better understanding of God. They have also provided a landscape area that reflects the concept of a garden in heaven. It was common in Kota Bharu to relate the concept of heaven garden through the use of water elements, flower trees, and the use of Arabic letters and calligraphy in the design. Consequently, they have provided more religious spaces and buildings for the community, especially for the Muslim community [9]. The overall landscape theme is Flower Garden Land (Taman Serendah Sekebun Bunga) where the priorities are those of the city concept and the enhancement of local elements. In order to realize this concept, some of the areas in Kota Bharu have divided into themes and concepts based on their existing landscape characteristics. New landscape designs have to have regard to architecture as well as climatic factors, socio-cultural issues and the way of life. The use of local plants is part of a consideration to ensure that culture and heritage are central to landscape development. B. The Fundamental Character of Design Concept In most Muslim nations, architectural education is a public activity under the direct control of the state; occasionally it is autonomous or semi-autonomous. The bureaucratic and state interference has led to non-professionals and unnecessary procedural restrictions and constraints which have prevented institutions from developing a distinct identity, a teaching philosophy, or a personality and image of their own [10]. This reflects a concern that architectural education in Muslim societies has generally remained influenced by foreign and alien points of view, and consequently a failure to adapt to local culture, socioeconomic realities, and even climatic factors in a particular area. Thus, the challenge is to embody various concepts and movements from foreign countries, and at the same time to rediscover the spirit of a distinctive past and historic architecture. The fundamental character of the design concept based on the three main sources namely: The Holy Quran, where there are some verses dealing with the concept of heaven, The hadith, the traditions, teachings and saying of the Prophet, and The arid geography of much of the area in which Islam developed and gained supremacy. These sources lead to seven basic considerations in the making of the garden, namely, diversity, beauty, conservation, context, individualism, multiple-use and moderation. IV. METHOD The methodology used to gather data concerning issues on the Kelantan Malay cultural landscape has been discussed. In order to obtain a diverse set of results for data analysis, multiple methods have been used, including literature review, observation, document analysis and content analysis. The objectives of this study have been pursued by undertaking all the above methods that yielded diverse information and appropriate data for the research. These four principal methods have been used strategically in order to provide a concrete basis to inform a theoretical framework of the Kelantan Malay cultural landscape. The important issues concerning regional identities, sense of place and authenticity issues have explored, as well as the concept of City promoted by the state government. The case studies of rural Kelantan and Kota Bharu city centre create an opportunity to investigate a historic city that still boasts unique local cultures together with historical sites and heritage buildings of great significance, as well as more modest settlements. V. FINDING Table 1 and Table 2 have adapted from the criteria that Francis (1999) has proposed and successfully applied in respect of systematic documentation for landscape design case studies [11], [12]. These tables also include an initial assessment as to whether the site can broadly classify as;, non- or modern ; authentic or inauthentic; and conflictual or sympathetic. 2098

4 Survey Criteria Vernacular element s and imagery Sultan Ismail Petra Arch TABLE I SITE SURVEY SUMMARY (KOTA BHARU ISLAMIC CITY CASE STUDY SITES) The Palace with the Great Hall Kelantan Cultural Heritage Royal State Mosque The Kampung Laut Mosque Independence Square Handicraft Village and Craft Siti Khadijah Central Market Traditional Traditional Colonial Colonial Traditional Traditional New Traditional New New New Design concept Traditional Traditional Colonial Colonial Traditional Traditional Contemporary Traditional Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Existing character New Old Old Old Old Old Old New New New New New Vegetation Good Good Good Fair Fair Fair Fair Poor Good Good Poor Poor Landscape maintenance Good Fair Good Fair Fair Fair Fair Fair Good Fair Good Good Hardscape elements Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Open space Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Colour scheme Brown Brown Brown Cream Cream Brown Green Brown Brown Orange Cream Cream Conflict/ Harmony with surroundings Harmony Harmony Harmony Conflict Harmony Harmony Conflict Conflict Harmony Conflict Conflict Conflict Design materials Concrete Timber Timber Concrete Concrete Timber Timber Concrete Timber Concrete Concrete Concrete Use of building Monument Royal palace Mosque Mosque Open park Market Shopping mall Shopping mall Public access Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Traditional/non Traditional Traditional Authentic/ inauthentic Authentic Authentic Authentic Modern Neo Non Inauthentic Inauthentic KB Mall TESCO Traditional Traditional Non- Neo- Non- Non- Non- Authentic Authentic Inauthentic Pastiche Sympathetic to Sympathetic to Sympa-thetic to TABLE 2 SITE SURVEY SUMMARY - ACTIVITIES AND MEANINGS (KOTA BHARU ISLAMIC CITY CASE STUDY SITES) Survey Criteria Activities Meanings Sultan Ismail Petra Arch Monument To proclaim the p ower of Islam The Palace with the Great Hall Royal Office; official royal events and ceremonies Very strong Malay associations Kelantan Cultural Heritage Very s tron g Malay associations Royal Curation, study, education Colonial building with regard to the royal family belongings State Mosque Performan ce of daily prayer and Is lam ic programs To perform worship to Allah The Kampung Laut Mosque Performance of daily prayer and programs To perform worship to Allah museum Very s tron g Malay associations Independence Square Open park; occasionally use for official royal program e.g: band show Symbol o f independence Handicraft Village and Craft & cultural performan ce Curation and study of history; education; remembrance Neo with resp ect to the Si ti Khadijah Central Market Daily market, trading Daily market with majority of the traders are women KB Mall trading Shopping mall with the building d esign is adapted from the giant drum. TESCO trading Totally new building in new urbanization area. In advance of the main case study analysis, it is helpful to indicate the kinds of evidence that will be discussed the locations. For example, the Handicraft Village/ Craft emerges as the single best venue to observe the variety of the Kelantan Malay cultural landscape. Here, the neo architecture is based on the Kelantan Malay timber house. Its landscape design influenced by the Kelantan Malay Flower Garden Land concept and is in an excellent state of maintenance. Even though the buildings are neo- and described as a pastiche in terms of mimicking previous styles and spatial composition, they have achieved significant success in their aim of representing the beauty of the Kelantan Malay cultural landscape. In contrast, the most authentic timber building is the Palace of the Great Hall, which has officially acclaimed as outstanding heritage in terms of Malaysia's architecture. Other buildings, such as Siti Khadijah Central Market, KB Mall and TESCO, can be described as non- but still sympathetic. Even though the buildings are inauthentic, contemporary and modern elements are fused with elements in the overall design, as evidenced in the floral and calligraphy craft motifs on their walls and in their decorative embellishments. Nevertheless, some buildings in the heritage zone, such as the Royal, State Mosque and Independence Square considered inauthentic, as they have been excessively adapted from other concepts. symbolism widely used in landscape ornaments and decorations. New building and development around the city must decorated with the Arabesque pattern especially on the wall and facades. Pastel colours are used to represent the harmonious of the environment in Kota Bharu city centre. Often, the use of Arabic writing, especially on billboards, signboards, banner and bunting has been compulsory in order to represent the city. It found that a variety of palm trees dominate as a reflection of the garden and have become one of the landmarks in the city centre. In order to reflect an image, the use of palm trees is highly appropriate, but the implications for design might require a more diverse planting palette and the location should be suitable to prevent problematic conditions. (a) (b) 2099

5 Fig. 5 (a-b) Examples of the Arabic words (Jawi) that have used on the billboard and signage in Kota Bharu. (Source: Author, 2014). (a) (b) Fig. 6 (a-b) Some of the various palm trees that have been used to create an city of Kota Bharu. (Source: Author, 2014). VI. RESULT AND DISCUSSION Kota Bharu city centre is gradually experiencing a transformation of its image. Clearly, in the creation of the public realm in Kelantan, issues about architectural form and landscape form are very important. For example, it was noticed that the indigenous Kelantan Malay architecture can be seen in the Palace of the Great Hall and the Kampung Laut Mosque. Further, both of these buildings have attracted attention as the most important wooden structures for the study of Malay architecture. The Palace of the Great Hall is well known as the only extant wooden palace in Malaysia while the Kampung Laut Mosque is famous for the oldest surviving wooden mosque in Malaysia. Consequently, the roof design of the Palace of the Great Hall has become a signature in the remaking of the Kelantan Malay identity. Inspired by this heritage, new designs can be authentic while at the same time still being sympathetic to the. A. Improved Understanding and Appreciation of the Kelantan Malay Cultural Landscape The study has led to an improved understanding and appreciation of the cultural landscape by uncovering the principal characteristics and identities of the "Kelantan Malay" al well as the implementation of the concept of the Kota Bharu City. Also shown how the landscape in Kelantan faced the transformation, especially from the 19th century through to the present day. In terms of the physical characteristics of built and planted environments, there are some pre-eminent properties. For example, one highly distinctive feature is the use of a roof design adapted from the Palace of the Great Hall for use in many new buildings. By identifying the many comparable elements that the Kelantan Malay cultural landscape has acquired through to the present day, the research has illustrated the richness of its regional identities. By comparing the Kelantan Malay timber house to the recent buildings, this research has shown that design still retain significance. Moreover, guidelines published by the Kota Bharu Municipal Council which require that major new buildings in the urban area should have a Kelantan Malay identity, affirm the official value attached to tradition and local properties in current development. From the findings, it is very clear how recent trends have changed the cultural landscape in general and how elements have been adapted to and modern design approaches. The findings also revealed how the Kota Bharu City Municipal Council plays a very important role in creating an City of Kota Bharu by adapting various design concepts from other countries, especially from the Middle East. The study also showed how the City concept became a dominant model for the state government, which is ruled by its party. B. Conflict between and Modern Design Principles and the Vernacular Regional Identity The conflict between design and modern design principles and regional identity founded in Kelantan especially in Kota Bharu. principles add more spiritual elements that signify God and various other social matters such as planning for separate spaces for men and women. Additionally, Islam prohibits any statue that's been used purposely for praying (e.g. Traditional statues of local gods) [11]. The researcher also found evidence of the concept of glocal' where global identities grounded through localised physical manifestations have been implemented in Kelantan. It is suggested here that expressions are often to be welcomed rather than considered entirely problematic because they show the continuing relevance of cultural character to current design. In doing this, local character is applied in a positive ways. However, in some cases, the combination of global and local has been inept, with global influences overshadowing instead of highlighting the beauty of the local character. This is particularly evident in some of the new shopping malls in the Kota Bharu area.area. Glocal effects widely observed in Kota Bharu city centre, where global identities have been mixed with and adapted to the local cultures and identities, or more recent influences. It is particularly evident in some of the recent commercial buildings, and the example of TESCO (Sireh Valley) emerged as a relatively successful attempt to synthesize modern, and elements. The cultural landscape is inherently dynamic rather than static, and is subject to continuous drivers of change. The existence of the driver of change is not necessarily compatible with a place authenticity, what is important is the understanding of the designers concerned with the local as well as the physical distinctiveness. It is applicable and influence only by the combination of the design policy and the understanding and proper planning. New patterns Response Strategies: plans, guidelines, etc. Patterns/ State, e.g. structure, coherence, permeability Effects/ Impacts, e.g. loss of coherence, declining condition Drivers, e.g. social, economic, demographic, climatic Pressures, e.g. industrial building styles, commercial requirements Fig. 7 Drivers of change in cultural landscapes [11]. 2100

6 Referring to the current situation in Kelantan, the drivers of landscape change can be summarized as below: ISLAMISATION Ideologically driven tension GLOBALISATION Tension caused by some iconography and practices being Un- Commercially driven tension caused by the use of non- styles and materials REGIONALISM Fig. 8 Drivers of cultural landscape change in Kelantan [11]. C. Policy and Design Guidelines Should Regularly Reviewed The design guidelines, as well as the policy of development, should be reviewed and regularly updated. The Kelantan Malay heritage should be highlighted as a main consideration in the future planning to preserve and avoid further damage to this valuable heritage. Meanwhile, a regional tradition should be set as the focal point in the making of the City concept at Kota Bharu, Kelantan without mimicking from other countries. Specifically, there should be an aim to develop criteria for the listing of culturally significant landscapes. (a) decoration of the building wall and structure (b) Proposed archway design at Jalan Pengkalan Chepa (c) Proposed archway design at Jalan Kuala Krai Fig. 9 (a-c) Illustration of design guidelines [9], [11]. Here, the building structure, building facade and the archway are based on the designs for Malay Kelantan architecture, especially about style and roof beams. At the same time, elements of design can be seen in making design patterns and landscape hard floor. VII. CONCLUSION In conclusion, there are several issues in the Kelantan Malay cultural landscape that need to address. The overarching agenda is for designers seek ways of developing a new landscape that will respect the authenticity of the host culture. The concern is how to maintain identity in the face of powerful external drivers. It found that the drivers are both commercial and cultural, and reflect both widespread processes of globalisation in urban development, and more specifically religious influences. The effects of globalisation, Islamisation and regionalism bear upon the making of the city of Kota Bharu and need to be balanced with approaches that ensure the Kelantan Malay cultural landscape remains prominent. Moreover, the state government, under the Party of Malaysia (PAS), has adopted the slogan of "Developing with Islam" and transformed Kelantan to be a more state than the rest of the region in Malaysia. Since 1990 until the present, there have been many changes in Kelantan to establish an way of life and introduce laws. Some of the issues were quite controversial, but for the purpose of promoting an law, they have been implemented. Hence, Kelantan has been labelled as a "Mecca Corridor" for its appearance and influences on people's lives. ACKNOWLEDGMENT We would like to express our gratitude to the Research Management and Innovation Centre (RMIC), Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Tanjung Malim, Perak (UPSI) for granting full trust to us and providing adequate provision for this research. Special thanks to our department, Department of Art and Design, Faculty of Art, Computing and Creative Industry, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Tanjung Malim, Perak (UPSI) for the invaluable support during the research period. REFERENCES [1] GIS Lab, Geography Department, Faculty of Humanities, Kompleks Malim Sarjana, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Tanjong Malim, Perak. [2] (Access on 28 January 2015). [3] UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape Definitions in International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) [Online] Available at: (Access on 28 January 2015). [4] Rubenstein, J.M. The cultural landscape: An introduction to human geography, 2 nd Edition, 1989, Merill Publishing Company, Ohio. [5] Paul Selman, Landscape as integrating frameworks for human, environmental and policy processes - Resilience and the cultural landscape: understanding and managing change in the human - shaped environment, Cambridge University press, 2012, p. 29. [6] Nasir, A.H. Guide to historical sites Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur: Department, 1 st Ed [7] MPKB-BI.(2002) Kota Bharu Landscape Master Plan Report. [8] MPKB-BI.(2006a) Kota Bharu Municipal Council- City Master Plan Report. [9] MPKB-BI.(2006b) Kota Bharu Municipal Council- City Action Plan and Design Guidelines Report. [10] Ahmad, K.B. An Overview of Architectural Education in the Contemporary Muslim World. In: Petruccioli, A. & Pirani, K.K., Understanding Architecture, Oxon: Rutledge Curzon, 2002, p

7 [11] Mohammad Rusdi Mohd Nasir, A study of the Kelantan Malay cultural landscape: Recent trends and future prospects (PhD research), University of Sheffield, [12] Francis, M. A. Case Study Method for Landscape Architecture. Landscape Journal 20: 1-01, p