Feb – 2022 – A Walking Tour of Kampong Bharu
Kampung in the City There is a perception that a visitor knows your “backyard” better than you do. We are so caught up with our daily schedules and chores that we never seem to have time to explore what’s around us, knowing that there is always “tomorrow”. I’ve often driven through Kampong Bharu as […]
Feb – 2022 – A Taste of Chinese New Year
A Taste of Chinese New Year As the Chinese calendar is a lunar one, Chinese New Year (CNY) day occurs near the end of January until mid February in the solar calendar. The months of January till February are usually hot and dry months in the western part of Peninsular Malaysia, but 2022 […]
Jan. 2022 – Orang Asli, First on the Land, last in the Plan
An online talk given by Dr Colin Nicholas to MCG members on January 12, 2022. Dr Colin Nicholas has long been involved in the protection of the Orang Asli. In 1989, he founded the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC), a volunteer-run organization which he has been coordinating ever since. He has also acted as […]
Nov. 2021 – An Introduction to Malay Textiles
No matter how many bolts of batiks I’ve seen, I gain immense pleasure from browsing a bustling Malaysian market stall or a well stocked fabric store here in KL. Traditional batiks or contemporary vibrant designs, all of them have the same effect on me, I can’t resist them! Equally, fabric printing techniques, woven Malay […]
Feb 2020 – Traditional Malay Kampung Houses
Lecture on Traditional Malay Kampung Housesby Ar. Ahmad Najib Ariffin Our speaker – affectionately called Nadge – is a man of many talents. Not only is he a Professional Architect but also a writer, speaker, tourist guide, traveller with interests spanning heritage, culture, archeology, history and we discovered that morning that he is also an […]
Jan 2020 – Chinese New Year Walk
Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown district has a lot of historic charm and offers visitors temples, shopping and eating. Our Chinese New Year Chinatown walk started at the Central Market. The Central Market is housed in an art-deco building with historical value. It was built in 1888 as a wet market and is now a popular location […]
Dec 2019 – Guided Tour of Rimba Ilmu Botanic Garden Kuala Lumpur
Tuesday, 10th Dec 2019 This is my second trip with MCG and as with the first trip to ISTAC I have been surprised to find such treasures on my doorstep. Rimba Ilmu means “The Forest of Knowledge” and was established in 1974 covering an area of 80 hectares. The gardens have been designated a Natural […]
Nov 2019 – Visit to ISTAC
Visit to ISTAC 20th November 2019 Personal account by Cheryl Brophy-Chan On the day, I remember driving up a concealed slope towards an Islamic arched, canopied doorway. I stepped out of the car, climbed a few steps and approached what seemed like a huge medieval wooden door. As it opened, my eyes widen in astonishment, […]
Nov 2019 – A HISTORY OF KUALA LUMPUR THROUGH ITS STREET NAMES
A talk by MARIANA ISA and MAGANJEET KAUR Nowadays Kuala Lumpur appears to be a modern city with shiny high-rise buildings and wide roads, one upon the other, along with day and night bustling activities. In between all these new urban constructions the historical buildings of the city are in steep decline. Therefore, among all these […]
October 2019 – Cultural Revitalization/Kuda Kepang
Malaysia has a rich musical folklore heritage in which drama, folk dance, mime puppetry and narrative have been cultivated for centuries. A miscellany of Demi-gods, warriors, princes, princesses, heroes, heroines and mystical spirits interlace. Much of this influence arrived into the rural areas of Malaysia via the Royal Courts of Java, Indonesia, or through various […]