Kampung Mizan Initiative

The Mizan Narrative

The development and dissemination of the Mizan narrative are the highest priorities for the success of the Mizan initiative. The Mizan narrative needs to be communicated right across the Muslim world and beyond. The most effective means of communication need to be employed.  We propose that it should be realized as a film and a book, and possibly a travelling exhibition.

The KAMPUNG (Village)

The research team adopts an exploratory discourse on the concept of kampung (village) where at the outset, it acknowledges that existing leadership training modules have failed to account for the social cultural perspectives of leading and leadership. Such shortcomings could have been addressed by revisiting the facets of collectivism, harmony and religion entailed in the invocation of the concept of kampung. The research seeks to reclaim the noble values encompassed in the concept of kampung through the narrative of ‘balik kampung’, where the beauty of the values of close-knitted family, filial piety, courtesy, integrity, tolerance and, more importantly, moderation are immortalised.

The concept of kampung is expounded further through a conceptual framework that positions kampung within an overarching umbrella of what is known as culture. The research critically analyses the complex and interactional dynamics of the building concepts from which a culture is said to have emerged. A holistic understanding of the building concepts of ‘adat’ and ‘rukun’ that personify ‘budi’ as ingrained in the concept of ‘rasa’ and yet grounded in concepts of ‘akar’, ‘iman’, and ‘ilmu’, illustrates the substantive and implicit dimensions of kampung. Such understanding enables the synthesis of noble values inherent in the concept of kampung that are still relevant today, and the subsequent reclaiming of these values in the training of leaders.

Hence, in order to bridge noble values and the training of leaders, the research team recognizes the need to inquire into where we come from, who we are etc. – through the different levels of narration, shrouding the abstract concept of kampung as embedded in our subconscious. Conscious efforts are exerted to understand the choices and preferences entrenched within us that form our ‘jati diri’ (self). This intellectual exercise is fundamental in ensuring that the mental framework of a leader as an ‘agent of change’ is capable of embracing values that are close to our hearts– values which stand immutable despite the passage of time – and yet, are dynamic, flexible and resilient enough to meet the modern standards of good governance. In this context, kampung at a metaphysical level, is hailed as the domicile of change.

Sub-Projects under Kampung Mizan Initiative:

1. The Future of Kampong Bharu, Kuala Lumpur: Reclaiming Values, Culture and Heritage of Malay Village for Sustainable Development. (Project Leader: Dr suria Hani Abdul Rahman)
2. Exploring cultural heritage and nutritional values of food in Kampong Bharu. (Project Leader: Assoc. Prof. Dr Norsham Juliana Nordin)
3. Pembangunan Model Pembangunan Masyarakat berteraskan Mizan. (Project Leader : Prof. Dr. Azman Abd Rahman)
4. Sustainable Socio-Cultural Teacher Education Framework for Indigenous Peoples in Malaysia. (Project Leader: Assoc Prof Dr Fariza Puteh Behak)
5. Mizan and Socio-Economic Development: A Focus on Rural Economy and Kampung’s Cooperatives. (Project Leader: Assoc. Prof. Dr Ummi Salwa Ahmad Bustamam)
6. Enhancing Oral Health-Related Quality of Life of Villagers in Selected Districts of Negeri Sembilan in The Context of Kampung Mizan. (Project Leader: Emeritus Prof. Dato’ Dr Wan Mohd Nasir Wan Othman)
7. Sustainability of Health Enhancing Activities to Prevent Non-Communicable Diseases and Preservation of Health Among Selected Communities in Negeri Sembilan. (Project Leader: Assoc Prof. Dr Mohd Dzulkhairi Mohd Rani)
8. Customary Land of The Orang Asli in Negeri Sembilan. (Project Leader: Assoc. Prof. Dr Izawati Wook)
9. Al-Mizan Conceptual Village. (Project Leader: Assoc. Prof. Ar Dr Fadli Arabi)