Monks at the Sakyamuni Caves Monastery in Perak are appealing directly to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to save their century-old sanctuary from demolition as quarrying continues around the limestone hill. The monastery sits at Gunung Kanthan in Kinta Valley, within Anwar’s Tambun parliamentary constituency. The monks are asking the government to declare the monastery and its surrounding hillside a national heritage site, according to Malaysiakini.
Monastery Faces Eviction
The appeal comes after years of legal and conservation efforts to protect the site. Heritage and conservation groups have opposed cement manufacturer Associated Pan Malaysia Cement (APMC) Sdn Bhd’s legal attempt to evict the monastery, saying its removal would erase an important part of the area’s cultural history. They have also raised concerns over endangered species living on the limestone hill.
The hill is among the last 12 remaining limestone hills in the Kinta Valley National Geopark, according to FMT. It supports several endangered species, including bent-toed geckos, snow-white orchids and tiny snails. Conservation concerns have grown as quarrying has already changed much of the landscape. By the time APMC’s legal appeal was concluded, around 80% of the hill had reportedly been cleared for quarrying.
The dispute intensified in 2023, when APMC won an appeal at the Court of Appeal allowing it to evict squatters from the land at Lot No. 46497 in Hulu Kinta. The company said it had obtained a 146.4-hectare lease from the Perak state government for quarrying activities. The monastery’s continued presence has since become the focus of a wider dispute involving land rights, heritage protection and conservation.
Lawyers Urge Anwar To Intervene
In their latest effort, the monks have turned to Anwar through their lawyer, N Surendran, asking him to approve heritage protection for the monastery and the surrounding hillside. Previous applications to secure protection for the site have not produced the outcome the monks were seeking.
Surendran said Anwar had the authority to address the issue because he holds two positions that place him directly in the matter: prime minister and Tambun MP. “He has the power to declare that the monastery and this hillside area are a national heritage site,” Malaysiakini quoted Surendran as saying on Tuesday, 11 August.
A Century Of Spiritual History
The monastery’s history stretches back more than 100 years to Great Master Lao Shi Fu, a Thudong, or ascetic, monk from Thailand who travelled through the mountains and caves of northern Malaya for meditation retreats. His connection with Gunung Kanthan eventually led to the establishment of the monastery as a place for meditation, rest and spiritual practice.
According to a 2023 report by Buddhist Channel, monastery abbot Dr Chiong Sai Tin said Great Master Lao envisioned the monastery during a deep meditation session before establishing it at the site. Over the years, the sanctuary attracted monks from different countries who travelled there for meditation. The monastery now has two main shrine halls: an upper cave used as living quarters and a meditation area, and a lower cave where devotees gather for prayers and chanting. Its long history has also brought the monastery into close contact with the surrounding community, with some devotees later choosing to become monks themselves.
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