2020 Events
Latest Update
Memory, Identity & Heritage: The Architecture of Malaysia's Mission Schools by Dr. Keith Tan Kay Hin
19 December, 2020 | Zoom Webinar | 11:00-13:00
As custodians of several of the earliest surviving buildings in the old urban centres of Malaysia’s major towns and cities, the buildings of the Mission Institutes of Malaysia represent a timeline of architecture that links the 19th and 20th centuries, whose echoes still reflect on the changed society and nation that we are in the 21st century. This talk about memory, identity and heritage will reflect on the intangible heritage of the mission schools, and how these were in turn, made tangible by the buildings left behind by the missionaries whose impact on Malaysian education was strongly felt throughout most of the last century. It will be a discussion covering historiographical context, socio-political change and architectural conservation which will be of special interest to members of society interested in national or regional identity and how these are reflected in heritage and architecture.
Dr. Keith Tan is a Senior Lecturer at Taylor’s University’s School of Architecture, Building & Design. Before venturing into academia, the University of Nottingham graduate practiced in the construction industry both in the UK and Malaysia. He completed a PhD titled ‘Heritage Re-construction and Tourism: The Multiple Narratives of Malaysia’s Mission Schools’ in 2017. The proud Johanian has also authored two books on the architecture of Malaysia’s La Salle and IJ Convent Mission Schools: Mission Pioneers of Malaya (2015) and Mission Schools of Malaya (2011).
Incentives for Conserving Traditional Settlements: The Case of Malaysia, Japan and South Korea by Dr. Indera Syahrul Mat Radzuan
11 July, 2020 | Zoom Webinar | 15:00-17:00
Dr. Indera Syahrul Mat Radzuan will be presenting his findings on a variety of incentive programmes that have been formulated by national authorities in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea for the conservation of cultural heritage, covering 9 traditional settlement sites located in those three countries. As a practicing social scientist and educator, Dr. Indera's papers and lectures are largely related to urban planning, cultural heritage, housing, environmental management, innovative urban policy and incentive system for traditional settlements.
This is the first of the HOKDULU Talks series organised by ICOMOS Malaysia Emerging Professionals in collaboration with Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia; supported by Rumah Tangsi.
Analysing the Character of Cities: How to do it Right
SWOT Analysis Workshop
15 Oct, 2019 | Menara DBKL 1 | 09:00-16:30
Organised by Green Cities & Construction Research Group (UTMKL) in collaboration with ICOMOS Malaysia and KUL Design (DBKL).
World Heritage Day Open Debate
Apr 20, 2019 | Badan Warisan Malaysia, No. 2 Jalan Stonor | 16:00-18:00
As the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur sets the benchmark for urban development. Still, there are a lot more to be done for its heritage assets. Are they relevant? Do we care? What is the best way forward? Lend your thoughts on The Future of KL's Heritage at ICOMOS Malaysia’s World Heritage Day Open Debate.
An appointed provocateur (Dato’ Ar. Hajeedar Abdul Majid) will be given 10-15 minutes to instigate the arguments, leaving the subject open to the floor for a casual debate. Although we may not be in time to end the session with a conclusion, a healthy discourse is what we need to stimulate further thoughts on Kuala Lumpur's future.
ICOMOS Malaysia believes that participants are capable of fact-based, logical discussion of the issue without use of any abusive language and without dependence on informal or formal fallacies.
Artifacts Beneath Your Streets
February 23, 2019
Time: 10:30-13:00
Venue: Tun Tan Cheng Lock Centre, No. 54-56 Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Banda Hilir, Melaka
Organised by ICOMOS Malaysia & ICOMOS Singapore
Supported by Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia & NUS Tun Tan Cheng Lock Centre
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Session 01
Port Settlements & Urbanisation: Historical Archaeology in the Malay Archipelago by Lim Chen Sian
In popular imagination, archaeology is typified by dust-covered individuals excavating for wondrous artifacts from lost civilizations hidden in the jungle or desert. While certainly not factually incorrect, it is a somewhat romantic portrayal of the work and people. Increasingly, archaeologists can be encountered quietly excavating in the city center or a suburban neighborhood nearby. Archaeology is the study of past societies, and the archaeology of urbanization and modern settlements are some of the many themes of research.
Archaeological investigations of port settlements such as Melaka and Singapore are still underexplored and much can be told from the material cultural remains that lay unobtrusively around us. Melaka and Singapore are prominent examples of the long history and evolution of harbors and cities in island Southeast Asia over the past millennium. What does the archaeology of downtown Singapore and Melaka and other port settlements in the Malay Archipelago reveal? What connects these seemingly disparate polities?
This talk looks at how archaeologists study and interpret the distant and more recent past of port settlements, and how the specialized sub-field of historical archaeology is making inroads unveiling new dimensions to our understanding.
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Session 02
Ruination in the City: Challenges in Malaysian Urban Archaeology by Shaiful Shahidan
Urban development in Malaysia frequently ignores or relinquishes the need for saving and safeguarding the history of a place. A constant “collision” between conservation values and the need for development, present a continuous challenge in the field of urban archaeology and heritage conservation in Malaysia, as reflected by few cases in the recent past. What are the factors that cause this collision? What is the best approach to balance the development needs and sustainability of heritage within the city? Nonetheless, in recent years, there has been a considerable change in the urban areas, especially among the stakeholders and the public, with increasing mindfulness regarding the preservation and conservation of heritage.
This presentation will feature a problem encountered in archaeological works in urban areas as well as its future sustainability. It will also discuss on few approaches of bringing the local community together to conserve and preserve their heritage, in both urban and semi-urban setting.
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Profile of Speakers
Lim Chen Sian is the Vice President of ICOMOS Singapore, and an Associate Fellow at the Archaeology Unit, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore. He is a historical archaeologist interested in the transitional period between pre-and-post European contact in Southeast Asia and the development of port settlements, military fortifications, and the material culture of trade. He has excavated in Central America, Burma, Egypt, Java, Kampuchea, Malay Peninsula, and Sumatra. He has been involved in Singapore archaeology since 2002. As of 2006 he led all the major archaeological investigations in the country, and works extensively on lobbying for legislative changes pertaining to the necessity for impact assessments, protection of archaeological sites, and artifact ownership.
Shaiful Shahidan is a Council Member of ICOMOS Malaysia, as well as an ASTS Fellow at the Centre for Global Archaeological Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia. He was a recipient of the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship under European Commission and has spent several years of training in field archaeology in Europe and Southeast Asia. He was also one of the expert panels for the Lenggong Valley dossier preparation, before its inscription into the UNESCO World Heritage Site. For the past 15 years, he has been involved in archaeological research in Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia, covering extensive research and analysis. His current work focuses on field archaeological project in key sites within the Georgetown World Heritage Sites.
World Heritage Day Open Debate
10 years into the Listing of Melaka & George Town as World Heritage Sites: The Good, The Bad & The Unintended
Apr 28, 2018 | Badan Warisan Malaysia, 2 Jalan Stonor | Organised by ICOMOS Malaysia | Supported by Badan Warisan Malaysia & Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia | Free Admission (Limited Seating) | Email admin@icomos-malaysia.org to register.
The Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca, Melaka & George Town, have transformed in so many aspects since their
inauguration in 2008 as a World Heritage Site. Much has been done, but in some cases, perhaps a bit too much? How has the listing impact these two towns in the past decade, really? Are these cities on the right track? How has the World Heritage Site status help us? Lend your thoughts on this matter at ICOMOS Malaysia’s World Heritage Day Open Debate.
An appointed provocateur (Prof. Dr. Shuhana Shamsuddin) will be given 10-15 minutes to instigate the arguments, leaving the subject open to the floor for a casual debate. Although we may not be in time to end the session with a conclusion, a healthy discourse is what we need to stimulate further thoughts on the listing of world heritage sites in the country.
ICOMOS Malaysia believes that participants are capable of fact-based, logical discussion of the issue without use of any abusive language and without dependence on informal or formal fallacies.
Program:
14:00 Opening Remarks
14:15 Provocation by Prof. Dr. Shuhana Shamsuddin
14:30 Open debate session
16:00 End of session & conclusion (if any)
ICOMOS Malaysia Children Art Competition 2018
Apr 15, 2018 | Taman Bunga Merdeka (next to Menara Taming Sari), Melaka | 7.45am-1.00pm | Organised by Kerajaan Negeri Melaka, Majlis Bandaraya Melaka Bersejarah & ICOMOS Malaysia
The annual competition this year is held in conjunction with International Day for Monuments and Sites and Melaka's 15th year as a Historical City.
Urban Culture & Heritage Partnerships towards Achieving the UN SDGs & NUA
Feb 11, 2018 | 0900-1100 | WUF9 @ KL Convention Centre | Room 304 | Organised by WUF9 & ICOMOS | For Registered WUF9 Attendees Only | Watch Snippets Here
Urban culture is a driver of change. Urban heritage is an asset for socio economic development. Landscape heritage is a resource for territorial development. Metropolis is a heritage for the 21st century. How can urban culture and heritage foster the implementation of the NUA and SDGs? How can international networks on Culture, Heritage, Landscape, Cities and Planning take the lead to deliver adequate guidelines and support for localizing Goal 11.4 through operational projects? How could the international experiences on heritage, landscape and culture be mobilized to develop new tools and innovation for urban management? How are culture and heritage enablers for social inclusiveness, economic development and environmental sustainability?
Pilot: Mr Eric Huybrechts, IAU/MTPA, ICOMOS, ISOCARP
Speakers:
Mrs Montira Unakul, UNESCO-Asia
Mr Jahyun Jang (South Korea), Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) Mr Claus-Peter Echter, Europa Nostra
Mrs Firdaous Oussidhoum, UCLG
Culture, Nature, Heritage, Cities: Case Studies on Localizing the SDGs
Feb 10, 2018 | 1700-1800 | WUF9@KL Convention Centre | Room 403 | Organised by WUF9 & ICOMOS | For Registered WUF9 Attendees Only | Watch Snippets Here
This World Urban Forum 9 side event will feature several presentations of best-practice from local governments and private organizations in how culture and heritage are harnessed to achieve sustainable urbanism, informing some of the many ways that the protection and valorization of cultural heritage, integrated with natural heritage, serve to achieve the SDGs and the New Urban Agenda. The vital role of heritage in sustainable development is expressed most explicitly in Target 11.4 for 'strengthening efforts to protect and safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage' under the Urban Goal (SDG11) to make cities safe, resilient, inclusive and sustainable, and implicitly in many other SDGs, notably on cultural tourism and creative industries (8.3, 8.9, 12b, 14.1, 14.7 and 15), on the natural environment (13, 14 and 15) and on peace and governance (16 and 17). Furthermore, the inherent links of culture, cultural and natural heritage, creative industries, sustainable tourism and related concepts are expressed in the New Urban Agenda in numerous sections (particularly no. 10, 38, 97, 124 and 125, as well as no. 26, 34, 37, 45 and 60). Successful implementation of both the SDGs and NUA rely on key element of 'localization', i.e. connecting and empowering the full range of actors and stakeholders, from the highest policy level to the smallest communities and individuals acting at the grassroots level. Localization is also a key approach for connecting best practices on the ground with the global reporting processes of the UN. The event will provide a platform to see how local actions position themselves vis a vis the SDGs and NUA, contributing to the horizontal and vertical connections of policy and localized implementation. Examples will cover some economic indicators, community-based information tools and local government strategies for protecting the cultural and natural heritage assets of cities and harnessing them for socio-economic development.
Metropolitan Heritage: Leveraging the Power of Rediscovering and Reusing our Urban Assets
Feb 10, 2018 | 1030-1130 | ThinkCity, No. 2 Jalan Hang Kasturi, KL | Organised by ThinkCity & ICOMOS | Free Admission
Metropolitan areas, while under the pressure of over-development, overpopulation and the impacts of disasters and conflicts, also derive their power and attraction from their multi-layered heritage, giving them their unique identity and sense of place. Metropolitan landmarks (e.g. Eiffel tower, Sydney Opera House, Petronas Towers), large public space grids (e.g. historic boulevards), landscape elements (e.g. rivers, mountains), archaeological sites and multi-cultural, intangible dimensions of urban culture (e.g. food, music) can help reshape and revitalize the city through dynamics supported by bottom-up culture and heritage projects. This panel will present some cases and socio-economic tools to leverage metropolitan heritage as a structural tool for reshaping cities and a key aspect of urban sustainability.
Panel Moderator: Dr.-Ing. Claus-Peter Echter, Secretary General ICOMOS ISC CIVVIH
Speakers:
1. Shaiful Shahidan: Ruins and Fragments: Archaeology in Urban Malaysia
2. Eric Huybrechts: Metropolitan Heritage as a Driver for City Planning
3. Donovan Rypkema: The Economic Case for Reusing Old Buildings to Renew the Compact City
4. Jeff Soule: Incentives and Legislative Tools to Leverage Metropolitan Heritage
5. Ester van Steekelenburg: Rediscovering Urban Heritage through Community-based Online Tools
Singapore Botanic Gardens and its Journey to World Heritage
July 12, 2025
8 Sept 2018