Cu4

Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley

Situated in the lush Lenggong Valley, the property includes four archaeological sites in two clusters which span close
to 2 million years, one of the longest records of early man in a single locality, and the oldest outside the African
continent. It features open-air and cave sites with Palaeolithic tool workshops, evidence of early technology. The
number of sites found in the relatively contained area suggests the presence of a fairly large, semi-sedentary
population with cultural remains from the Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Metal ages.

Brief synthesis

The lush Lenggong Valley on the Malay Peninsula contains evidence in open-air and cave sites along the Perak River
spanning all the periods of hominid history outside Africa from 1.83 million to 1,700 years ago.

Undisturbed in situ Palaeolithic stone tool workshops are located on the shores of a paleolake and ancient river
gravel beds and dated in a long chronological sequence.

A Famosa (Malay: Kota A Famosa; "The Famous" in Portuguese) was a Portuguese fortress located in
Malacca, Malaysia. It is among the oldest surviving European architectural remains in Southeast Asia and the
Far East. The Porta de Santiago, a small gate house, is the only part of the fortress which still remains today.
The name is often mispronounced /eɪ/ Famosa, even among Malaysians, as though the Portuguese definite
article a were the English letter A. A more authentic pronunciation would be /ɑː/ Famosa.
History[edit]
In 1511, a Portuguese fleet arrived under the command of Afonso de Albuquerque. His forces attacked and
defeated the armies of the Malacca Sultanate. Moving quickly to consolidate his gains, Albuquerque had the
fortress built around a natural hill near the sea. Albuquerque believed that Malacca would become an important
port linking Portugal to the Spice Route in China. At this time other Portuguese were establishing outposts in
such places as Macau, China and Goa, India to create a string of friendly ports for ships heading to Ming China
and returning home to Portugal.

The fortress once consisted of long ramparts and four major towers. One was a four-story keep, while the others
held an ammunition storage room, the residence of the captain, and an officers' quarters. Most of the village
clustered in town houses inside the fortress walls. As Malacca's population expanded it outgrew the original fort
and extensions were added around 1586.

The fort changed hands in 1641 when the Dutch drove the Portuguese out of Malacca.[1] The Dutch renovated
the gate in 1670, which explains the logo "ANNO 1670" inscribed on the gate's arch. Above the arch is a bas-
relief logo of the Dutch East India Company.

The fortress changed hands again in the late 18th century when the Dutch handed it over to the British to
prevent it from falling into the hands of Napoleon's expansionist France. The English were wary of maintaining
the fortification and ordered its destruction in 1806. The fort was almost totally demolished but for the timely
intervention of Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore, who was sent on sick leave from Penang
to Malacca in 1807. It was Captain William Farquhar, tasked with the destruction of the fort and town, who
decided to save two of the gateways to the fort, including the Santiago Gate, as well as the stadthuys, church
and jail.
Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur
Lake Gardens, known officially as Perdana Botanical Gardens, is Kuala Lumpur's first large-scale
recreational park. Measuring 91.6 hectares, it is located in the heart of the city and established in 1888.[1]
Lake Gardens served as place of refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city during colonial times. It
contains large sculpted and manicured gardens and a host of attractions.
History[edit]
Old view of Lake Gardens with the governor's residence Carcosa Seri Negara on a hill in the background,
circa 1910
The colonial-era park was the brainchild of Alfred Venning, the British State Treasurer of Selangor in the
late 19th century. In 1888, Venning proposed that a botanical garden be built in the valley of Sungei Bras
Bras, and the British Resident Frank Swettenham agreed to the scheme and authorised a small grant from the
State funds for the garden. Venning laid out the plan for a park of 173 acres (700,000 m2) which included an
"experimental economic garden", cleared the area of scrubs and lalang, and planted ornamental flowering
trees and shrubs. The scheme attracted public support, and a leading figure of the Cantonese community,
Towkay Chow Ah Yeok, contributed a hundred chempaka and orange trees to the initial planting
programme in 1888. An ornamental lake was created by damming up Sungei Bras Bras, which was then
named Sydney Lake after Swettenham's wife (the lake is now known as Perdana Lake). The project took
nearly ten years to complete, but the garden was formally opened on 13 May 1889, just a year after work
began, by the Governor of the Straits Settlements, Sir Cecil Clementi Smith.[2]
The official residence of the then British government representative Frank Swettenham, now known as
Carcosa Seri Negara, was located atop a hill here. Venning also created a social club by the lake, the Lake
Club (now known as the Royal Lake Club), in 1890. The club, unlike the Selangor Club, was an exclusively
European club, and it would dominate the social scene for Europeans in Kuala Lumpur for over half a
century.[3][4] The Malaysian Houses of Parliament, which was built in 1963, is located on the northern
fringes of the park.[5]
Naming[edit]
The park was initially called Public Gardens but later renamed Lake Gardens. In 1975, it was renamed
Taman Tasik Perdana, or the Perdana Lake Gardens, by Tun Abdul Razak. On 28 June 2011, the gardens
were renamed again to Perdana Botanical Gardens by Dato' Sri Najib Razak in the first phase of turning the
park into a botanical garden.[6]
Location[edit]
The garden is located along Jalan Perdana or Venning Road. It is located near the National Museum of
Malaysia. The nearest public transportation hub within walking distance is Kuala Lumpur Sentral railway
station. Another option is to take the RapidKL bus B112 from Pasar Seni LRT station. This will drop you at
the National Museum which is at the edge of the park.
At the park, shuttle trams [7] are available daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (tickets: RM4 adults, RM2 children).
Visitors can also rent bicycles for RM3/30 mins. Guided walks [8] are provided free of charge on Sundays,
8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Places of interest[edit]
Among the tourist attractions located here are the National Monument, deer park, Hibiscus garden, Orchid
Garden, Kuala Lumpur Bird Park and Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park.[1] The Bird Park was opened in 1991,
and features more than 200 species of bird. It is billed as the world's largest covered bird park.[9]
Pesta Kaamatan ~
Festival Date: 30 &31 MAY 2012

In May, the people of Sabah celebrate their harvest season. Though mainly a festival of the
Kadazandusun,which makes up one third of the total population of the state, it is celebrated
by every Sabahan.
They give thanks to the gods and spirits for blessings and a good paddy harvest, asking for guidance;
they dance and eat and drink amidst much merrymaking! During this harvest festival, the Pesta
Ka'amatan, known locally as “Tadau Ka’amatan”, Sabah natives wear their traditional costumes and
enjoy a carnival-like atmosphere, which usually stretches from dawn to dawn. Tapai’, as their
homemade rice wine is called, is freely served during the festivities.

Although many young native Sabahans have been assimilated into urban settings, living and working
in the cities and towns, they return to their ancestral longhouses and villages to join in the annual
celebrations of their traditionally agricultural societies.

The origins of Ka'amatan, which means "after harvest", can be traced back to the animistic beliefs of
the Kadazandusun. The Kadazans believe in the worship of ancient gods and in the existence of the
five main spirits – Kinoingan (Almighty God and Creator), Rusad (Spirit of all living things other than
Man), Koududuvo (Spirit of the Living), Tombivo (ghostly Spirit of the Dead) and Rogon (evil Spirit).

According to popular belief, the spirit of the padi plant is said to be part of the Kinoingan commonly
known as the Bambaazon, who is revered as the overall creator, an omnipotent source of life and
existence. Thus the spirit of Bambaazon is revered in the rice plant, the rice grain and the cooked rice.
To the Kadazandusun, paddy is not only their staple food - it is also a sacred plant, a living symbol of
Kinoingan's love for his people. Many believe that “without rice, there is no life”.

Rituals performed during Ka'amatan are conducted by the much-respected Bobohizan or Bobolian, who
are High Priests and Priestesses. There are several major components that make up Ka'amatan. There
is the home coming of the Bambaazon, which is an integral part of the festival, thus ensure an
abundant harvest if it is invited to dwell in the best ears of paddy, which have been selected for the
next planting season.

Hari raya haji

Hari Raya Haji (which means “great day of the haj” in Malay), also known as Aidiladha (alternatively spelt as Eid al-
Adha or Eid Adha) or the Great Day of Sacrifice, is a Muslim festival that falls on the 10th day of Zulhijjah (the 12th
month in the Islamic calendar). The festival marks the end of the haj, which is the Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of
Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It also commemorates the willingness of the Islamic prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail
in an act of obedience to Allah (God). One of the main rituals of the festival is the korban, which involves the sacrificial
slaughtering of livestock. It is one of two major Muslim festivals in Singapore that are celebrated as public holidays
1

(the other being Hari Raya Puasa).

Background
Hari Raya Haji is celebrated to mark the end of the Muslim pilgrimage known as the haj. According to the fifth pillar of
Islam, all able-bodied Muslims who can afford to do so are obliged to undertake this pilgrimage at least once in their
lifetime. The haj retraces the journey of Prophet Muhammad’s pilgrimage to Mecca and must be undertaken during
2

Zulhijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. 3

The festival also commemorates the story of Ibrahim and his son Ismail, both of whom were said to have been guided
by Allah to build the Kaaba: a square stone building in the centre of the Great Mosque in Mecca that is considered by
Muslims to be their most holy site. It is in the direction of the Kabaa that all Muslims face during prayers.4

According to the story found in the Quran, Allah one day commanded Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail as a test of
his obedience. Just as Ibrahim was about to carry out this command, Allah intervened to stop him and allowed for the
sacrifice of a sheep in place of his son. Ibrahim’s exemplary act of sacrifice and obedience to Allah is commemorated
during Hari Raya Haji through the ritual of korban, which involves the sacrificial offering of livestock.
5

Rituals and practices

Fasting and prayers
Unlike during Ramadan when all Muslims are required to fast daily from sunrise to sunset for an entire month, fasting
for Hari Raya Haji is usually done on the eve of the festival (known as Wukuf) and is not compulsory. On the day of
the festival, Muslims first gather in mosques for congregational prayers before carrying out the korban ritual. 6
Wayang kulit
Wayang (Krama Javanese: Ringgit ꦫꦶꦁꦒꦶꦠ꧀ , "Shadow"), also known as Wajang, is a form of puppet
theatre art found in Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia,[1] wherein a dramatic story is told through
shadows thrown by puppets and sometimes combined with human characters.[2][3] The art form celebrates
the Indonesian culture and artistic talent; its origins are traced to the spread of Hinduism in the medieval era
and the arrival of leather-based puppet arts called Tholu bommalata from southern India.[2][4][5]
Wayang refers to the entire dramatic show. Sometimes the leather puppet itself is referred to as wayang.[6]
Performances of shadow puppet theatre are accompanied by a gamelan orchestra in Java, and by gender
wayang in Bali. The dramatic stories depict mythologies, such as episodes from the Hindu epics the
Ramayana, the Mahabharata as well as local adaptations of cultural legends.[2][3][5] Traditionally, a wayang
is played out in a ritualized midnight-to-dawn show by a dalang, an artist and spiritual leader; people watch
the show from both sides of the screen.[2][3]

Wayang (shadow puppets) from central Java, a scene from Irawan's Wedding, mid-20th century, University
of Hawaii Dept. of Theater and Dance

Wayang Purwa type, depicting five Pandawa, from left to right: Bimo, Arjuna, Yudhishthira, Nakula, and
Sahadewa at the Indonesia Museum in Jakarta.
Wayang kulit, or shadow puppets, are without a doubt the best known of the Indonesian wayang. Kulit
means skin, and refers to the leather construction of the puppets that are carefully chiselled with very fine
tools, supported with carefully shaped buffalo horn handles and control rods, and painted in beautiful hues,
including gold. The stories are usually drawn from the Hindu epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.[19].
There is a family of characters in Javanese wayang called Punakawan; they are sometimes referred to as
"clown-servants" because they normally are associated with the story's hero, and provide humorous and
philosophical interludes. Semar is actually the god of love, who has consented to live on earth to help
humans. He has three sons: Gareng (oldest ), Petruk, and Bagong (youngest son). These characters did not
originate in the Hindu epics, but were added later.[20] They provide something akin to a political cabaret,
dealing with gossip and contemporary affairs.
The puppet figures themselves vary from place to place. In Central Java the city of Surakarta (Solo) and city
of Yogyakarta have the most well-know wayang traditions, and the most commonly imitated style of
puppets. Regional styles of shadow puppets can also be found in Temanggung, West Java, Banyumas,
Cirebon, Semarang, and East Java. Bali wayang are more compact and naturalistic figures, and Lombok has
figures representing real people. Often modern-world objects as bicycles, automobiles, airplanes and ships
will be added for comic effect, but for the most part the traditional puppet designs have changed little in the
last 300 years.
Historically, the performance consisted of shadows cast by an oil lamp onto a cotton screen. Today, the
source of light used in wayang performance in Java is most often a halogen electric light, while Bali still
uses the traditional firelight. Some modern forms of wayang such as Wayang Sandosa (from BahaSA
iNDOneSiA, since it uses the national language of Indonesian instead of Javanese) created in the Art
Academy at Surakarta (STSI) employs theatrical spotlights, colored lights, contemporary music, and other
innovations.
Making a wayang kulit figure that is suitable for a performance involves hand work that takes several weeks,
with the artists working together in groups. They start from master models (typically on paper) which are
traced out onto skin or parchment, providing the figures with an outline and with indications of any holes
that will need to be cut (such as for the mouth or eyes). The figures are then smoothed, usually with a glass
bottle, and primed. The structure is inspected and eventually the details are worked through. A further
smoothing follows before individual painting, which is undertaken by yet another craftsman. Finally, the
movable parts (upper arms, lower arms with hands and the associated sticks for manipulation) mounted on
the body, which has a central staff by which it is held. A crew makes up to ten figures at a time, typically
completing that number over the course of a week. However, unfortunately there is not strong continuing
demand for the top skills of wayang craftspersons and the relatively few experts still skilled at the art
sometimes find it difficult to earn a satisfactory income.[21]
The painting of less expensive puppets is handled expediently with a spray technique, using templates, and
with a different person handling each color. Less expensive puppets, often sold to children during
performances, are sometimes made on cardboard instead of leather.

Flag of Malaysia
The flag of Malaysia, also known as the Stripes of Glory (Malay: Jalur Gemilang),[1] is composed of a field of
14 alternating red and white stripes along the fly and a blue canton bearing a crescent and a 14-point star known
as the Bintang Persekutuan (Federal Star). The 14 stripes, of equal width, represent the equal status in the
federation of the 14 member states and the federal territories, while the 14 points of the star represent the unity
between these entities.[2] The crescent represents Islam, the country's official religion; the blue canton
symbolises the unity of the Malaysian people; the yellow of the star and crescent is the royal colour of the Malay
rulers.[3]
In blazon, the Malaysian flag is described as: "A banner Gules, seven bars Argent; the canton Azure charged
with decrescent and mullet of fourteen points Or". This means "a red flag with seven horizontal white stripes; the
upper-left (hoist) quarter is blue with a yellow waning crescent (i.e. horns pointing to sinister) and a yellow 14-
pointed star".

The flag of Malaysia, which was first raised on 16 September 1963, originated from the flag of the Federation of
Malaya. Prior to the creation of the national flag, each state in Malaya had its own flag, many of which are
unchanged in design to this day.
The Malayan flag was approved by King George VI on 19 May 1950 and was first raised in front of Istana
Selangor on 26 May 1950. On 31 August 1957, it was raised upon independence at Merdeka Square in place of
the British Union Flag.

The Malayan flag was designed by Mohamed Hamzah, a 29-year-old architect working for the Public Works
Department (JKR) in Johor Baharu, Johore. He entered the Malayan flag design competition in 1947 with two
designs that he completed within two weeks. The first design was a green flag with blue kris in the middle,
surrounded by 15 white stars. The second design, which was among the three finalists, was similar to the
current flag but with a five-pointed star. It borrows major design elements from the East India Company flag,
notably the red and white stripes. The competition attracted 373 entries and voting was made by the general
public via post. Malayan senior statesman Dato' Onn Jaafar met with Mohamed Hamzah after he won the
competition and suggested that the star be changed to an 11-pointed one to represent all the Malayan states.

Mohamed Hamzah died just short of his 75th birthday on 13 February 1993 in Jalan Stulang Baru, Kampung
Melayu Majidee, Johor.

Modifications[edit]
Following the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963, the design of the Malayan flag was modified to
reflect and honour the new states in the federation.

Three additional stripes were added to the existing flag and the star was given 14 points to reflect the federation
of the original 11 states in Malaya plus Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore; the design remained the same even
after Singapore's expulsion from the federation two years later. When Kuala Lumpur was designated a Federal
Territory on 1 February 1974, the additional stripe and the point in the star were appropriated to represent this
new addition to the federation. Eventually, with the addition of two other federal territories, Labuan in 1984 and
Putrajaya in 2001, the fourteenth stripe and point in the star came to be associated with the federal government
in general.

In 1997, when Malaysians were invited to name the flag, then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohammad
picked the name Jalur Gemilang to project the country's onward drive towards continuous growth and success.

“Kain Sonket” is a hand woven traditional Malay fabric with gold and silver threads and
worn mainly during official functions and ceremonies.

Woven on a Malay frame loom, elaborate patterns are created by introducing extra gold or silver weft
threads with the use of a flat needle or cuban. The songket goes through eight stages before it
becomes a piece of fabric and it is still traditionally woven. As weavers are usually from rural areas, it
is not surprising to find that the motifs are patterned after local flora and fauna. These motifs are also
named after local Malay delicacies such as seri kaya, wajik, and the tepung talam, believed to be
favourites of royalty.

Exclusive songket requires between one and three months to complete, while ordinary songket only
takes about 3 days.
Men wore the songket fashioned into a destar or head-cloth. It was only later that Malay women
started wearing songket sarung in 'rolling waves; style with a baju kurung top. Today songket is a
popular choice for the Malay wedding costume and is often presented by the groom to the bride as one
of the wedding gifts. In order to preserve the original lustre and quality of the songket, a large cowry
shell known as genus is normally used to polish the cotton fabric or songket cloth before the telepuk
process is initiated.

Telepuk is another beautiful handicraft creation of the Malay society in the olden days. Composed of
golden lace, this fabric is used specially for official functions.
Songket is not meant just for the affluent as the fabric ranges from RM100, with the exclusive running
into several thousands of Ringgit.

Malaysian Batik is batik textile art of Malaysia, especially on the east coast of Malaysia (Kelantan, Terengganu
and Pahang). The most popular motifs are leaves and flowers. Malaysian batik depicting humans or animals are
rare because Islam norms forbid animal images as decoration. However, the butterfly theme is a common
exception. The Malaysian batik is also famous for its geometrical designs, such as spirals. The method of
Malaysian batik making is also quite different from those of Indonesian Javanese batik, the pattern is larger and
simpler, it seldom or never uses canting to create intricate patterns and rely heavily on brush painting method to
apply colours on fabrics. The colours also tend to be lighter and more vibrant than deep coloured Javanese
batik.

In line with the Malaysia concept, the Malaysian government is now endorsing Malaysian batik as a national
dress to every level of the general population, by having local designers to create new batik designs which
reflect the Malaysia idea.[1]
There are two main types of batik in Malaysia today; hand-painted and
block printed. These types differ in production techniques, motif and
aesthetic expression, and are often classified according to the tool that
has been used. The painter uses the canting, a small copper container
with one or more differently sized pipes.

The container is attached to a handle made of wood or bamboo. The canting is filled with molten wax
and used to trace the outlines of the pattern on the fabric.
The wax is usually composed of bee's wax, paraffin wax, resin, fat and a synthetic wax mixed together
in varying proportions. The mixing builds on individual experience and skill. Each component has
special qualities that affect the appearance of the finished textile. Bee's wax melts at a low
temperature, is flexible, attaches easily to the textile surface, and is easily removed.