The
site, Tanjung Sabtu is located within the Kuala Terengganu area which in Malay
means the estuary of Terengganu. Similar to ancient settlements, the settlement
of Kuala Terengganu is sporadic but focused around rivers and the sea (Mohamad,
1996). In the 18th century, Kuala Terengganu, a small town was
described by Chinese merchants as a town with a thousand scattered houses. The
population of the town at that time encompassed Malays and Chinese that were
engaged in fishing, agriculture and trading (Yow, 2013).
From the historical river mouth, the town grew
larger and in 1950 the Kuala Terengganu Town Board carried out the process of town
planning according to the Town Board Enactment of 1930, similar to many other
town at that time (Lee, 1991). However, when looking at the town planning of
Tanjung Sabtu, it is clear that it still follows the traditional village
planning that most likely was set prior to any official town planning.
In recent times, major education institutes have
established their campuses in Kuala Terengganu, bringing in a larger youth
population from other parts of Malaysia. However, there is currently no
interactions between the university students to areas such as Tanjung Sabtu.
Another introduction of outside population is through tourism, which is
abundant in Kuala Terengganu. Kuala Terengganu is currently planning to construct
the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project that would be set up by 2024 and with
it bring in more local and foreign tourist to the area. Additionally, Kuala
Terengganu is the first city in the East Coast to have a public bicycle-sharing
system, OBike, that was provided by a Singaporean operator. Yet, Pura Tanjung
Sabtu is not listed on any tourism websites and is somewhat of a hidden gem to
local and foreign tourist and this has limited the resources put in to maintain
the architecture of the palace. Furthermore, while there are public transports
such as buses, taxi, a limited tourist bus, however, the public transport only
covers three lines in and out of the city and does not provide access to people
up to the site in Tanjung Sabtu. The only access that leads directly to the
site is the river and there are boats that serve as water taxis popularly known
as bot penanmbang. It is actually the easiest and shortest way to the city and
acts as a direct link from the city to the site.The economy of Kuala Terengganu encompasses small-scale manufacturing industries such as local food industries, agriculture, traditional textile making and craft factories that are centred on villages such as Tanjung Sabtu. However, larger industries exist in Chendering and Gong Badak that produce timber products and bricks that can easily influence the change of building material from timber constructions to brick within villages as well, slowly phasing out traditional wooden structures.
To revitalise Tanjung Sabtu, several larger steps can be made in the city to bring life to the quiet isolated site. Firstly, the community centre designed on the site could work with the universities to engage in workshops or conferences for batik crafting that will allow university students to mingle with the local community. Furthermore, public transportation such as busses and taxi’s can have a specific stop at the site to allow easy access to Tanjung Sabtu. The site can also have designated and designed boat and bicycle parking bays to allow people to enjoy coming to Tanjung Sabtu through water or land. Focus on the Pura will also help locals to not only appreciate the old structure but understand that preserving its craftsmanship ties the present to the history of Terengganu. By working with the larger city context, Tanjung Sabtu could be revitalised and become the home to learning and loving everything that makes Terengganu unique.
Reference
Kesultanan Tranung. Published 6th February 2019. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com /KesultananTranung/posts/peta-sejarah-peta-trengganu-dari-pihak-jepun-1938deskripsi-memaparkan-negeri-tre/2228398110813267/ Retrieved on 16th March 2020.
Mohamad, M. (1996). The
Malay Handloom Weavers: A Study of the Rise and Decline of Traditional
Manufacture. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 89–95.
Lee, L.M. (1991). Town
Planning Law in Malaysia. Habitat International, 15(4), 109-114. Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/019739759190049Q Retrieved
on 15th March 2020.
Rileklah. (2019). Pura
Tanjung Sabtu - Bangunan Warisan Kesultanan Terengganu Berusia Beratus Tahun.
Retrieved from https://rileklah.com/panas/pura-tanjung-sabtu-bangunan-warisan-kesultanan-terengganu-berusia-beratus-tahun
Retrieved on 15th March 2020.
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