Azim (right) and Baharuddin explaining an artist’s impression of the mosque.
A MALAYSIAN architectural firm is undertaking a conservation project to restore a 105-year-old mosque in Kampung Gajah, Perak.
ATSA Architects Sdn Bhd will restore the Kampung Teluk Memali mosque, which had been abandoned for the past 20 years, as part of its corporate social responsibility programme.
The mosque was built in 1910 along the banks of Sungai Perak.
The firm is working with renowned architect Datuk Baharuddin Abu Kassim, who was the architect of the National Mosque and Politeknik Ungku Omar, Ipoh.
The mosque will be located to its new site in Taman Bougainville in Ipoh.
ATSA Architects chief executive officer Azim A. Aziz said he was eager to restore the mosque especially because of its significant Islamic architectural features.
“The mosque has great Mandailing, colonial and local Chinese influences. It is similar to the design of the mosque in Papan, Perak, that was built in 1888,” he said.
Azim said it was important to save the mosque for future architectural reference material.
“We do not build mosques like these anymore. The carvings and the wood used are of high quality and had lasted for very long,” he said.
He added that there were many century-old, unused historical mosques in Perak and other parts of peninsular Malaysia.
“Instead of building new mosques, we should preserve the older ones along with its rich architectural history,” he said, hoping to obtain a heritage status for the mosque.
The restoration and relocation work would involve dismantling the mosque building and refitting it on a 0.2ha site.
The whole exercise, to take 10 months and is estimated to cost RM500,000.
A fundraising drive is being run to meet the project’s expenses. The firm has already raised some funds to begin the project and is hoping the public would contribute as well.
For details, call 018-397 3535 (Haziq) or visit www.memalimosque.com.my or email masjid@memalimosque.com.my
