Sharifah Rohayah Sheikh Dawood

Untangling the spaces of high technology in Malaysia

Designated high-tech spaces such as science and high-technology parks have come to the fore as vehicles for promoting local and regional economic development in many nations. The evidence of their efficacy is mixed and reflects contradictions in the roles they are asked to perform in the service of national economic modernization. Indeed, in this respect and in many instances, their value may be largely political and rhetorical. Malaysia is a case in point and one we focus on in this paper, where we discuss the contribution of high-tech spaces—Kulim High-Tech Park, Technology Park Malaysia, BioXCell, and the multimedia supercorridor—to the political economy of economic modernization. Drawing on original interview material, we highlight the tangled intraterritorial and extraterritorial geographies in which these privileged high-tech spaces are positioned.

Urban Kampongs and contesting space in a modernizing Island city of George Town, Penang

Abstract Urban areas including island cities are popularly viewed as “sites of conflicts” or “contested space” between groups of people with divergent motives in the city. Due to intense globalization and modernization, some places are becoming isolated and gradually disappearing, especially the villages. One of the traditional villages in George Town, Penang that is struggling and challenged against contested urban space is the Dodol Village (Kampong Dodol). This paper intends to address the declining identity of Kampong Dodol. While we must consider the need for spaces of development, an integrated approach towards sustainable urban development with a view on village heritage is crucial and valuable. The study focuses on people’s views on sense of place, its heritage value and sustainable livelihood, which influence their opinion on how the village should be preserved. Based on questionnaire survey and face-to-face interview, it discusses the importance of place identity in creating an affect on current experiences living in a village that is gradually deteriorating in favor of a bustling island city. The research summarizes an important contribution towards preservation of village identity in a city as a heritage value that can be sustained for the generations to come.Urban areas including island cities are popularly viewed as “sites of conflicts” or “contested space” between groups of people with divergent motives in the city. Due to intense globalization and m...

How possible is a creative city in Penang? An analysis of architects’ perceptions about creativity and quality of place

ABSTRACT The emergence of the creative cities/creative economies notion has re-visited the role of place and given this concept a new lease of life. Widely contested though, urban policy-makers in both developed and developing countries alike are planning and transforming their cities to become a Creative City. A Creative City harnesses on both its culture and economic prowess found in its urban locale as well as the creativity of the people who choose to live in them. This paper examines the possibility of the island-state of Penang to be a Creative City by looking specifically at the architecture industry, which is a sub-sector within the creative industry realm. The paper discusses the findings based on a survey and several interviews of 35 architectural firms in Penang. As suggested in the findings, Penang is still not ready in terms of talent, amenities and leadership to steer the city on its path to be a Creative City. More pertinently, this paper highlights the need to push and uplift the citys creativity level from currently ‘medium’ to a higher level to withstand global competition for talent and capital.