Kamarudin Ngah

Negotiation of identity and internal contradictions: the Terengganu and Kelantan Peranakan Chinese foodways compared

This study explores the Terengganu and Kelantan Peranakan Chinese foodways with special reference to two types of foods: daily and ancestral prayer foods. The principal focus is to illustrate the negotiation of identity through foodways as well as internal contradictions arising from this process of identity negotiation. These two groups of Peranakan Chinese are largely the product of acculturation by the local Malays through socio-cultural interactions, though the Kelantan Peranakan Chinese are also acculturated by the local Thai community. Their daily and ancestral prayer foods display contrasting identities that stem from the negotiating of their acculturated and primordial identities. The former displays a strong local cultural influence, while the latter displays a strong Chinese cultural influence. However, despite the pervasive influence of localisation in their daily foods, elements of hybridisation are visible in some occasionally prepared food items. Meanwhile, localised and hybrid food items are included in their ancestral prayer foods, which are supposed to express their primordial Chinese identity. These internal contractions illustrate the complexity of the negotiation of identity through foodways within a cross-cultural context.

Identity maintenance and identity shift: the case of the Tirok Chinese Peranakan in Terengganu

This paper examines the state of identity maintenance and identity shift among the Tirok Chinese Peranakan in Terengganu who are an acculturated rural Chinese community in a Malay populated area. The current older generation still maintains the Peranakan identity, featuring strong Malay cultural influence. Their acculturation by the larger Malay community could be attributed to the combination of three factors: confinement to a Malay environment, common schooling with the local Malays and strong Sino-Malay ties. Malay cultural influence is most evident in their spoken language, building architecture, dressing style, cuisine, eating habits and female inheritance rights. However, amidst acculturation, they still maintain a strong Chinese identity that has been manifested through their observance of Chinese religious and cultural practices, their usage of the Chinese dialect as the home language, their preference for wearing Chinese-style attire in public and their preference for intra-ethnic marriages. But the Peranakan identity has been eroded over the years. There is a noticeable identity shift among the current younger generation as new intervening socio-cultural factors have reduced their interactions with the local Malays and heightened their Chinese identity. The degree of identity shift, however, differs between the current second and third generations and also between those who have moved to town and those who remain in Tirok.

Maintenance and propagation of Chinese culture in a Malay state: the roles of the Chinese associations in Kuala Terengganu

This paper surveys the roles of seven Chinese associations in Kuala Terengganu in maintaining and propagating Chinese culture within a Malay state. These associations have played significant roles in maintaining and propagating Chinese culture as far as the range of cultural activities hosted by them is concerned. There is also a reasonable level of state cultural leadership, though lacking in certain areas. But the small population and the outflow of the younger generation have presented a host of problems to the Chinese associations with regard to the required critical mass, pool of talent, injection of ideas and second-tier leadership. The lack of financial support is yet another problem arising from the peripheral role of the Chinese in the state economy and their small numbers. Meanwhile, leaders of the Chinese associations exercise restraint so as not to infringe on Malay religious sensitivity when hosting outdoor cultural activities during the Muslim ritual periods. They also exhibit a high degree of tolerance towards Islamisation programmes undertaken by the state as long as these programmes do not encroach into their private socio-cultural domains. Despite their small population, the Chinese in Kuala Terengganu are a politically significant minority as a result of the political outbidding among the Malays. Leaders of the Chinese associations have benefited from such a position in resolving certain long-standing cultural issues.

Formation and negotiation of identity: the case of the Kelantan Kampung Pasir Parit Peranakan Chinese

This article examines the formation and negotiation of identity among the Kampung Pasir Parit Peranakan Chinese, a unique sub-ethnic group of acculturated Chinese in Kelantan. Apart from their original Chinese identity, the Kampung Pasir Parit Peranakan Chinese have also adopted two additional identities, namely Malay and Siamese identities. Intermarriage with Siamese women in the early years is the main reason for the adoption of the Siamese identity, while regular social interactions with the local Malays have led to the adoption of a Malay identity. Thus, the identity of the Kampung Pasir Parit Peranakan Chinese comprises three contrasting components. Given such a complex identity, there is always a need for the Kampung Pasir Parit Peranakan Chinese to negotiate their identities to avoid any identity crisis. This negotiation of identity is at times demonstrated by the co-existence of identities and at times the clear demarcation of identities to fulfil different situational needs.

The process of decision- making among councillors at local government level: A case study at Kuantan Municipal Council

The study of power relationships in urban planning has tended to focus on a narrow definition of power rather than using power as the central concept in the explanation of decision-making process and formulation of planning policies. Even though very few studies of local government councillors are available there is little doubt that more is known about the roles, values and attitudes of elected members than about any other component of local government. The processes being investigated in this study are based on conceptual framework and theoretical approaches of decision-making, and attempts to look at the present practices, by interviewing a group of Councillors from Kuantan Municipality Council. Specifically, it attempts to understand the role of Councillors in the local government system and factors influence them in making the right decision. The new factors that developed from this study would contribute to the formulation of a new framework of decision-making. The findings presented are derived from those meeting and support by input from other parties such as politicians, planners and academicians. The interpretation of Councillors respond to certain questions was descriptively analysed. One striking conclusion that can be derived from the findings is that Councillors have no clear guidelines in order to assist them making a right decision on the councils matter. By using the new process that based on the 13 factors as decision-guidelines, they believed and agreed that will make their decisions fundamentally more accurate and focused. In future research, improvements that could be applied by councillors in ensuring the current process of decision-making at the local government level more inclusive and effective by enhancing the role of Councillors and strengthening strategic partnerships by collaborating with other focus groups.