The Malay Community Dilemmas in the New Urban World

Abstract

During the transition from an agricultural to an industrial economy, Malaysia has experienced rapid urbanisation. Urbanisation and modernisation invariably result in profound social and economic transformations. The rapid increase in the number of cities and urban centres brought about by economic growth led to the suburbanisation of large cities. This study provides the most recent research findings regarding the threat of urbanisation and the chronology of the destruction of Malay settlements in Kota Bharu. This scenario highlights the phenomenon of Malay settlements being subjected to physical planning emphasis in order to promote sustainable cities in the future. This study seeks to address the following issues: What effect does urbanisation have on the Malay settlement in Kota Bharu? What should the Malay settlements prioritise in order to develop the urban economy? How can urban planning encourage the Malay population to remain in the city? This paper answers these questions from the perspective of conservation of Malay communities by combining a questionnaire from 350 respondents in Malay settlements with mapping and a chronological line of Malay settlement destruction.