Multiculturalism : the roots of Malaysian architecture and identity

Abstract

Many countries which were previously colonised by Western powers are actively in search for their own national identity to celebrate a newly independent political status. Malaysia is one of such countries. At the beginning, the Malay traditional architecture was influenced by Indian, Chinese, Arab and South-East Asian traders. The long colonisation period which began in 15th century saw the Europeans introduced western architecture into Malaysia right until independence in 1957. With the establishment of Malaysia in 1957, Malaysia has been influenced by the Modern and Post Modern movement during the 1950s until the 1980s. Later, the national identity was reinterpreted by growing emphasis on Traditional Malay and Islamic Architecture. These can be seen on public buildings such as the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), the Petronas Twin Towers and the new Prime Minister Office at Putrajaya, just to name a few. Being a Malaysian of Chinese ethnicity, I feel that interpreting "Malaysian Architecture" by drawing sources from traditional Malay and Islamic architecture is inadequate and subsequently played down the importance of other ethnic groups in Malaysia, especially when Malaysia declared herself to be a multi-racial nation. I also shared the concern of this topic and feel that there is a need to take a closer look at the following questions: