Malaysian Arts Heritage At Oxford Centre For Islamic Studies

From Normalazwa Jamaluddin OXFORD, Nov 1 (Bernama) -- Malaysian arts heritage will become a permanent feature at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS), an independent centre of the University of Oxford, through the construction of the RM12 million (US$3.85 million) Malaysian Auditorium. Information, Communications and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim said the auditorium, a project which takes four years to complete, involved the use of intricate wood carvings in its interior design. "I'm proud that the project is now almost complete except for minor adjustments which the contractor needs to make," he told Bernama and RTM after visiting the centre here on Monday. Rais is here to attend the London Conference on Cyberspace which started Tuesday. Present were the Bursar at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Dr Basil Mustafa, and Chulan Construction Sdn Bhd managing director Abdul Rahman Zaharin. Rais mooted the project five years ago. Among features at the auditorium was the Terengganu's Bakawali wood carving arts by renowned carver Norhaiza Noordin. Among those who had visited the centre were Prime Minister Najib Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin. Expressing satisfaction at how the project turned out, Rais said the project exemplifies the cooperation between Malaysia and OCIS. The auditorium, expected to be operational in a year, can accommodate 500 to 600 people at a time. "This is a tremendous testimonial to the artisans involved and will be a source of continuous inspiration here," he said. Meanwhile, Dr Basil said the building had been winning praise from those who had seen it, particularly the quality of carving and the workmanship in the auditorium. He said the auditorium would remain a symbol of Malaysian workmanship at Oxford for generations to come. "We feel delighted, privileged and honoured to have this. We are grateful for the generosity of the Malaysian government to make this possible," he said. -- BERNAMA