RM250mil Civilisation Park: Still under construction
UPDATED @ FRI - Feb 22, 2008 12.32AM ****MORE PHOTOS ADDED!!!****Was too busy earlier. Enjoy!
Hmmm. So the hyped up Civilisation Park (Taman Tamadun Islam) is quite picturesque. Even under construction. Set on Pulau Wan Man by the river, it’s ideal for a leisurely morning walk.
Bernama reported: “The TTI, built on a 23-hectare site at Pulau Wan Man, here, has 21 replicas of famous Islamic monuments from all over the world including the Al-Hambra (Spain), Al Sakhra Dome Mosque (Jerusalem in Palestine), and the Kaylan Tower (Uzbekistan). Built at a cost of RM249.3 million, the TTI is expected to draw more tourists to the state.”
Big question. Has Islamic civilisation been reduced to an entertainment theme park? Amid the replicas of the “famous Islamic monuments” are funfair rides like a ferris wheel and carousel. But it’s no Disneyland which is an escapist’s paradise with its made-believe world and plethora of engaging rides. Here, it’s replicas of buildings, kinda like Legoland, except Legoland is cool to people who like Lego, like me. A security guard also complained about having entertainment concerts to launch an Islamic park. He said: “Macam salah nombor . Jika stadium, ok-lah. Tapi ni agama kan? (Wrong number. If it’s the stadium, then (a concert) is ok. But this is about religion, right?)”
The main attraction is Kristal (Crystal) Mosque. Zainul Arifin wrote in the New Straits Times:
But it is Masjid Kristal, the park’s crowning glory, that is likely to be fodder in this year’s election. It cost between RM200 million and RM1 billion, depending on whom you ask and what his agenda is.
It must be noted that the crystal mosque suffered from bad public relations even before it was built, when it began to be referred as Masjid Kristal. Crystal denotes luxury and grandiosity, when it could not be crystal, but glass that would serve as its walls and domes.
But that is moot now as many of us are imagining the cut and clarity of Bohemian crystals glittering in Sungai Terengganu.
Instinctively, most of us would think that it is such an ostentatious investment, excesses detached from reality. Many feel Terengganu needs many more things than a crystal mosque.
Suspending my cynicism, I believe that the crystal mosque and the Islamic Civilisation park could work, and pay off.
Just as the Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Sepang F1 racing circuit, KL International Airport, Stadium Merdeka, North-South Expressway and Penang Bridge were ridiculed and politicised, and doomed to be failure by public opinion before their construction, the park and its crystal, or glass, mosque could be a plus for Terengganu.
This is the photo on the paper’s website.
Wow. Looks grand right? Makes you think it’s like the Shah Alam mosque or the National Mosque right? Well, photos can be deceiving. It’s rather small, about the size of three to four terrace houses. Not even as big as the Bangsar Mosque.
Also, Bernama claimed that it’s built on a 23-hectare (about 56-acre) site. WOW. Sounds grand again. Does that include the river? It’s definitely not as big as Disneyland in Tokyo which is about 114 acres. I really don’t think the park is about half the size of Disneyland unless it includes some parts outside the actual theme park, like roads and carpark. Maybe it is. I walked around the park in about 30minutes. Disneyland takes some time. The National Mosque allegedly sits on 13 acres of land. I walked kinda fast. So maybe that’s why.
Did I mention it’s also still under construction?
Check out my photos.
Welcome…
The road to civilisation….
The GRAND ENTRANCE to Taman Tamadun Islam….Civilisation Park…in the background…
Kristal Mosque in the background, that’s probably the most complete part of the “theme park”…
Ze mosque….
More of ze mosque…..
Looking at the park from Kristal Mosque behind me
Further down the waterfront walkway…..I think this is some sort of convention centre or something….Is this all Badawi can come up with as “civilisation”?
As a commenter asks, “Mimaland?” I ask, “Genting Highlands or Islamic Civilisation?”
OOooooooOOOOooooo…Rush, rush, rush…..Nomination Day on Sunday, better not disappoint the rakyat…Will people be so easily fooled by this BIG, GLORIFIED PLAYGROUND?
My handbag on the right…to show the scale of replicas….. These are the doors of the above replica….My handbag is about the size of a roti canai….not tosei ok….roti canai…..
However, a handful of visitors were spotted this morning at about 8.30am. A couple at the entrance seemed confused that along the road to the park, construction work were still being carried out. There were also a few (like five to ten) people inside Kristal Mosque. And about two to three on Wednesday morning for the early prayer.
I am gonna visit the floating mosque later today……if all goes well. I kinda wanna just hang around the waterfront…And eat more yummy local food…..
Ayah Pin’s skykingdom lookalike.
You’re absolutely right!
The whole park would be managed then no other …… Patrick Badawi!
Jed’s handbag reminds me of something
Has Jed taken a bite on the “eat me” cookie like Alice in Wonderland at a Birthday Tea Party and grown bigger or has the world shrunk while the the contactor’s, architect’s and others pocket expanded?
I dare dream the crystal mosque will crash and put BN forever to shame, as the waste-r of people tax money on grandiose and totally unnecessary stuff..
i dont understand how our leaders could splash the people’s money on such a project and still able to sleep well at nite when it could be well spent on wellfare of the people especially the poor and the needy.
i pray these kind of leaders will have throat, stomach or liver cancer as soon as possible - deserving punishment for the heartless leeches!
With outdated rides like those portrayed in you photos, I reckon the attraction will soon be reduced to another Mimaland or Johor safari park.
Omigosh….wits0, you are right. It is really Alice in Wonderland!
Civilisation Park?
So does that mean we will be able to walk around it after sunset without fear of mugging/rape/murder by uncivilised folks?
Definitely looking forward to it!
[...] RM250mil Civilisation Park: Still under construction UPDATED @ FRI - Feb 22, 2008 12.32AM ****MORE PHOTOS ADDED!!!****Was too busy earlier. Enjoy! [...]
Nothing says Islam like crass commercialism and exploitation. Weeeeeeeeeeh!
Great photos Jed. You rock!
they could have use that amount of money to build a REAL disneyland instead
ferron, maybe u will find yourself the characters of aladin or saladin at that islamic park.
In a way, its good for tourist attraction. In the other way, is all the funding fully used in this park? I reckon how many percents of the budget being pocketed into the pillows of the people who involved in this project. sign….
Who can denied the UMNO’S are very very good….wasting the rakyat money and along
the way enriching themselves.
50 years of UMNO cultures.
So this is what the politicians perceive as ‘civilisation’, but you know what? Malaysians or the Malay love this kind of thing. Just like Mawi and Siti NurHaliza in the music business, the UMNO government is relentless in their campaign to help the Malay find the ideal ‘halal’ entertainment and pastime. This will help to alleviate their guilt when pursuing leisure, which to the extremist Muslim is haram. I’m sure (I’m a cynic) that un-married Muslim couples will find this place the perfect dating spot …Just when you are feeling a bit ‘naughty’ the miniature Islamic architectures will remind you to mind your hands, I mean manners.
[...] Some locals that I spoke to sounded quite proud of their new glorified playground and the tiny Crystal Mosque. I guess they’ve not seen others. If they only knew how they’ve been shortchanged by [...]
Ayah Pin’s skykingdom is more original and harmless.
Wow!!!…here we go again…milking the holy cow!!!! I dare say is a kick back project for short changing the rakyat.
Malaysia really is a land full of apportunities. Definitely a get rich quick scheme for the well connected cronies. Religion is use as an excuse to dube the simple minded rural folks.
Ayah Pin’s ideology was more harmless and not exclusive in tone. That was why it attracted even nons. By the looks of it, he had a Mystic experience and tried to interpret that experience(of Reality) within the context of his root belief, the only one which he was familiar with. But that Creed is thoroughly politically strangulated, absolutely purist and therefore cannot allow any improvement.
Thank you, thank you Jed, for the real picture of Terengganu. You should have seen what the mainstream media has been portraying, endlessly and every single day without fail on how fabulous this so -called park is…
BN, well-known in wasting our, Malaysian’s money. Worst than ayah pin or Rasul Melayu, these type of ideology. Ok, let’s vote again for BN (barang naik)
nice, eye-opening pictures. Thanks, Jed.
1. Terengganu people stupid for not doing anything, and let their leaders waste money
2. Terengganu state and especially the State Economic Development Unit is full of corruption, wait until they broke into pieces.
3. The Agong is also stupid, sit on the comfortable chair and doing nothin’, letting their people go down. Malaysia agong never had an education, never passed any exams, and such an idiot. Why Malaysians idolized uneducated and untalented people?
4. If we trace the kesultanan melayu, the Malaysian Agong was a Hindu, and how in the world he is a representative of a muslim God (ALLAH)? If we say he is the representative of a Hindu God than it is more like it! So…our Kings are NOT representative of any Islamic God, its just created. He cannot protect us,
we made the law and we put him on the throne, why in the world that we the Malaysians do that?
Sorry Malaysisan are idot in many ways.
The same like if we ask the malays why you stay away from dogs,..najis is not the answer, many says I do not know! Huh?? also issues like covering womans hair…tak ketengah tak ketepi, minum arak tak boleh, tapi jual arak boleh…
and NOW THE CRYSTAL MOSQUE IS IN THE DARK…NO MORE BUDGET FOR LIGHTING…..check out Hamadiah Mosque in Syria and ask yourself why the mosque is 24 hrs civilized? That is called Civilization.
[...] 2. Spent a billion ringgit on Monsoon Cup and Crystal Mosque. [...]