Malayan new villages: re-imaging the better way of life

With the disaster in the living environment resulting from Industrial revolution in the 18th and 19th century, the sustainable living concept aiming to create a self-sufficient and aesthetically pleasing community was first introduced by Ebenezer Howard in 1898 in the publication "Tomorrow: A Peaceful Path to Real Reform". With the concept first implemented in Letchworth Garden Suburb (1903) and Welwyn Garden City (1920), near London. This Garden City schemes have influenced new settlements across the world, from the Letchworth Garden Suburb (1903) and Welwyn Garden City (1920), near London to new towns in America, post war UK, new settlements across Europe including MENA cities, Australia and in new town and new villages in Malaya. As Malaya under British administrative, the garden city concept first introduced in the 1920s with schemes developed in Selangor then across various states during the 'Emergency' in Malaya. Mass population of approximately 500,000 people in the rural area were resettled in the newly planned villages with aim to better protect, monitor and control. The paper scrutinizes on these New Villages that were planned during the Malayan's Emergency with the aim to provide safer and better living environment that is self-sustained: a place to live, work, study, farms and leisure. The study examining planned villages across various States in 3 main stages: first understand the boundary and layout planning of these villages under different states, then arrange for physical visit with occasionally non- structure interview with the local, and followed by comparative analysis. The Malayan New Villages may be good exemplars of disaster and conflict resilient heritage. The built form reflecting the socio-cultural of the communities at the time, with socio-events reflecting the communities’ beliefs. However, the built structure likely be adopting concept of continually upgrade that follow the socio-economic development. Therefore, argument within this study on what to preserve, tangible or intangible heritage especially with cases of total rebuilding of villages and restructured of the communities. The discourse and analysis on these models may provide insight on resilience strategies in safeguarding cultural heritage and suggest guidelines beyond the Venice Charter.