Beyond monuments: Keeping heritage alive in daily life

AS World Heritage Day comes around each year, it invites us to look beyond the beauty of monuments, buildings and historic sites, and to ask a deeper question: what truly makes heritage worth protecting?

The answer lies not only in stone, timber and brick, but also in the living traditions, values and memories that shape our shared identity.

This year, the reflections of Syawal offer a timely lens through which to understand heritage more fully. Though the festive period has passed, its spirit lingers in the way families gather, in the warmth of forgiveness exchanged, and in customs quietly carried from one generation to the next.

In this sense, Syawal is more than a celebration; it is a reminder that heritage is not only inherited, but actively sustained.

World Heritage Day often draws attention to iconic places such as historic mosques, royal palaces, colonial landmarks and old city centres.

These sites matter. They are tangible records of history, architecture and nationhood, reflecting the craftsmanship and cultural exchange that shaped our built environment.

Yet heritage is never limited to what can be seen.

Equally important is the intangible heritage embedded in daily life. It is found in the practice of visiting relatives during Syawal, the act of seeking forgiveness, the preparation of traditional food, the use of courteous language, and the sharing of stories across generations. These are not minor details; they are the threads that hold communities together.

Without them, heritage is incomplete.

What makes intangible heritage powerful is that it is experienced rather than observed. It is passed on through participation.

A grandmother teaching her grandchild to fold ketupat, a parent explaining the meaning behind a family tradition, or relatives preparing for an open house together—these are acts of cultural transmission. They may appear ordinary, but they sustain continuity.

In today’s fast-moving world, however, these practices face new pressures. Urban lifestyles, digital habits and shifting social patterns have changed how people celebrate and connect.

Open houses are often more hurried. Greetings are sent through messaging apps. Images travel faster than the stories behind them.

Convenience has brought efficiency, but it can also dilute meaning.

This is not a story of disappearance, but of adaptation.

Across Malaysia and beyond, younger generations are using digital platforms to keep heritage alive in new ways. They share family recipes, document oral histories, reinterpret traditional attire and showcase cultural practices online.

Social media, often criticised for shortening attention spans, can also expand cultural visibility.

A short video of a traditional dish being prepared may spark curiosity. A post about a family ritual may encourage reflection. A photograph of a heritage site visited during the festive season may renew appreciation for place and memory.

This is where World Heritage Day becomes especially meaningful. It reminds us that heritage is not static or confined to the past. It is dynamic, evolving and responsive to change. The challenge is not simply to preserve heritage in its original form, but to ensure that its values endure.

(Image: Unsplash/ Muhammad Faiz Zulkeflee)

Heritage is deeply connected to how people live. It shapes how we greet one another, how we welcome guests, how we honour elders, and how we remember those who came before us. It informs our sense of belonging and provides a moral and cultural compass.

When these values are nurtured, heritage becomes more than a record of history. It becomes a way of life. World Heritage Day, therefore, should not only be a moment for reflection, but also for action.

It calls on individuals to consider the everyday choices that sustain heritage: listening to family stories, teaching younger generations the meaning behind traditions, and continuing practices that carry cultural significance.

In a rapidly changing world, these choices matter. They ensure that heritage remains relevant, resilient and rooted in lived experience.

As the echoes of Syawal fade and World Heritage Day prompts reflection, one message stands clear: heritage lives not only in buildings, but in people. It exists in language, customs, values and the bonds that connect generations.

To protect heritage is not only to conserve the past. It is to sustain a living culture that continues to shape who we are.

Because in the end, heritage is not just what we inherit. It is what we choose to keep alive. 

Assoc. Prof. Sr Dr. Zuraini Md Ali is from the Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur while Asst. Prof. Datin Dr Nor Hayati Hussain is from the School of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT).

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.

- Focus Malaysia

One roof, two systems: Can Malaysia fix its pre-university trust deficit?

 

Letter to Editor

THE government’s proposal to place Form Six (STPM) and matriculation under the Higher Education Ministry appears, on the surface, to be a long-overdue step towards streamlining Malaysia’s pre-university system.

For decades, the system has been divided not only structurally, but also in public perception. STPM is widely regarded as academically rigorous but slow-paced, while matriculation is often seen as faster but subject to perceptions of preferential access.

Bringing both programmes under a single administrative roof suggests efficiency and coherence. However, structural alignment alone will not resolve the deeper issue if public trust remains fragile.

The central question remains: how can a streamlined system succeed if perceptions of fairness in university admissions remain unresolved?

The government’s intent is not in dispute. A unified oversight structure could help standardise curricula, improve resource allocation and clarify university entry pathways.

It could also enhance the standing of STPM, which is often undervalued despite its strong academic recognition both locally and internationally.

However, concerns persist that administrative reform alone will not change student behaviour or public perception.

If matriculation continues to be viewed as offering a more direct or predictable pathway into public universities, high-performing students may still gravitate towards it, regardless of structural changes.

At the heart of the issue is fairness in admissions. Malaysia’s quota-based system was introduced in response to historical inequalities and has played a significant role in national development.

However, policies designed for a different era may require recalibration as society evolves.

Today’s Malaysia is more urbanised, more educated and more interconnected than in the past. In this context, perceptions of unequal opportunity can weaken trust, particularly among high-achieving students who question how university placements are determined.

The concern is not simply about policy design, but about confidence in the system. When students believe that outcomes are influenced more by background than performance, motivation and trust in institutions may erode over time.

If STPM and matriculation are to function effectively under a single administrative structure, admissions policies must be transparent and clearly communicated.

The criteria for university entry, including academic performance, co-curricular achievement and other relevant factors, should be clearly defined and consistently applied.

There is also growing discussion around shifting towards a more needs-based approach, rather than rigid structural categorisation. However, any reform in this direction would require careful design to ensure both fairness and public acceptance.

A well-known principle often cited in discussions of justice states that fairness is not only about treating people equally, but about ensuring that systems are perceived as legitimate and equitable in practice. In education, this means building policies that are not only fair in intent, but also trusted in execution.

If implemented effectively, the “one roof” initiative could represent more than administrative consolidation. It could serve as an opportunity to strengthen confidence in Malaysia’s education system.

However, if underlying concerns about fairness are not addressed, structural reform alone risks simply relocating old perceptions into a new framework.

Ultimately, the success of this policy will depend not on administrative alignment, but on public trust. Malaysians are not opposed to fairness in education. The real question is whether the system can convincingly demonstrate it.

Malaysia now stands at a policy crossroads: align structure without addressing perception, or reform both structure and trust together. Only the latter is likely to endure. 

KT Maran
Seremban, Negri Sembilan

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT. 

- Focus Malaysia.

Not drunk, but dangerous: Drugged driver caught like a fish in a barrel

 

EVEN IN the best of conditions, driving requires a good deal of concentration and judgement.

Traffic rules, split second decisions and estimation make up part and parcel of not crashing one’s car into a tree, or even worse, some other innocent soul.

That said, it is unthinkable for any rational mind to even think of going behind the wheels if they are not in the right mental state.

This statement undoubtedly reminds us of the horrific accident in Klang that gripped the nation.

In the video, a father who was riding a motorcycle was flung up into the air after a drunk, drug-infused driver rammed into him.

We suppose Malaysians should take a lesson from the incident but it appears many of us have short memories, or is it apathy? 

Take it from this recent video post on X where a man is recorded in his car, twisting about under the influence of drugs. 

From the video, it was obvious he couldn’t even control his own body. So what business does he have, operating a vehicle? 

In such a state, he is more murderer than driver. The conversation in the video also informed that the man was just involved in an accident which is unsurprising.

Apparently the victim was a lady, who wasn’t captured in the video. No information was provided about her condition but we can only hope she got away from this incident unharmed. 

But at least the junkie was honest when questioned, stating that he took “batu” and was sorry about it. Note that “batu” meant Ice, or Meth in the local term. 

Netizen @CikguBesor who followed the story added in the comment section that the junkie also wetted his pants.

“Is it like this when people take meth? I have never seen it,” said @giizibee.

But @RajaHaziq213 was sceptical, stating that the man must have taken some shrooms. According to him, people don’t behave in such a manner when they consume Meth.

A quick search on the internet, however, reinforces the fact that the junkie in the video had in fact taken Meth. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, short term users may experience a temporary boost in energy, reduced fatigue and suppressed appetite.

But these effects are often accompanied by harmful symptoms such as elevated heart rate, high blood pressure, hyperthermia, anxiety, irritability and sleep deprivation.

Medical experts further warned that meth can also trigger behavioural changes including aggression, impulsivity, paranoia and poor decision-making, increasing the risk of accidents, violence and unsafe behaviour.

Hopefully, the junkie in the video loses his driving license so he could better appreciate the quality public transports provided in Malaysia.

Either that or we can prepare a body bag and expect the worst.— Focus Malaysia