Safeguarding Natural and Cultural Heritage - Malaysia Journal of ...

54 Suriati Ghazali
surrounding the village – the National Park and the sea – are important elements in attracting
tourists to the village. The cultural elements meanwhile – such as traditional fishing and
making salted fish – which are also environmental-based, offer additional attraction for the
villagers to manage the Homestay.
Fatimah (53), a Homestay entrepreneur said that by getting involved in the Homestay
business she can get an additional income of RM300 per month. Even though this is considered
small compared to her main income of selling cooked food, this is not of her concern. She
recognised the importance of cultural heritage in building local identity and community
sustainability. Fatimah said: “Our country is rich in culture and tradition. Our fishing village
has its own identity. It is important to retain cultural traits of the fishing village, so that our
younger generations can feel that they are from the fishing community. Development and
modernization is everywhere and the younger generations might not know their own culture
and heritage without such programmes as Homestay”.
Fatimah’s contribution in promoting and safeguarding cultural and natural heritage is
important. She cooks traditional food to tourists, especially when her husband, Ismail (60s) a
traditional fisherman, catches prawn and crabs from the sea. Because prawns and crabs are
expensive they are considered as a delicacy, and in giving her guests this food Fatimah is able
to ameliorate her Homestay business. At the same time she is reaffirming authentic elements in
local foods that should be appreciated both by the local people and tourists.
Ismail meanwhile safeguards cultural and natural heritage in many ways: being traditional
fisherman; bringing sea produces for Fatimah to cook, and entertains guests by taking them in
his boat to places around Teluk Bahang, including the National Park. This has augmented the
attractiveness of Fatimah’s Homestay for tourists, making her the most popular choice. As
Ismail commented, “since now she (Fatimah) always has guests, and her guests wanted to have
the experience of fishing in the sea, so I take them with me”.
Even though traditional fishermen in Teluk Bahang complain about the diminishing stocks
of fish, Fatimah’s fourth son (Iskandar, 27), desires to become a fisherman. He goes fishing
with his father almost every day and, when there is demand, takes tourists out on the fishing
boat. According to Iskandar, he has been going out fishing with his father or neighbours since
he was a school boy. Iskandar’s sentiments illustrate the affective bond between people and
their place. People’s relation with nature, their geographical behaviour as well as their feelings
and ideas with regard the place, appear to have an effect upon the differences in the ways that
they perceive and attach to the place (Tuan 1974). Meanwhile the Homestay programme to a
certain extent put the emphasis on authentic cultural experiences for the purposes of tourism.
This has encourage the continuation of traditional economic activities such as fishing, which
can lead to a re-affirmation of community pride in one’s history and culture (Chhabra et al.
2003; Greffe 2004; Lane & Waitt 2001).
Another interviewee, Liza (36), also contributes to Homestay activities. She guides tourists
in activities such as jungle trekking and swimming in the river. She is personally interested in
the Homestay programme because she enjoys meeting people from other places. She
commented: “They (the tourists) will know and learn our culture and heritage, and we also will
have the opportunity to know and learn their culture through our interaction during their stay”.
She believes that young people should continue to learn about and sustain their traditions so
that the authentic aspects of the culture will not completely disappear in the midst of a new and
popular culture today.
As well as these tourist-related cultural activities, the traditional processing of food also
has an important role to play in the life of Malaysian fishing villages (Firth 1966; Carsten 1987,
1989). In Teluk Bahang traditional food processes involve salting and drying fish, work that is
usually undertaken by women. However informants reported that the number of villagers
involved in food processing activities such as these has decreased significantly over the last 20
years as a result of the reduced number of fishermen in the village.
Malaysian Journal of Environmental Management 12(1) (2011): 47-58