Century-old monastery in PM's backyard faces demolition, monks appeal to Anwar

Century-old monastery in PM's backyard faces demolition, monks appeal to Anwar

Aina Fatihah Abdullah
Published: Aug 11, 2026 3:15 PM
Updated: 8:15 PM



A group of Buddhist monks from a monastery in Tambun, Perak, has appealed to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to help save the place of worship from demolition.

The monks from the Sakyamuni Caves Monastery at Gunung Kanthan, which is located in Anwar’s parliamentary constituency, urged the federal government to declare the monastery and the surrounding hillside a national heritage site to ensure their preservation.

Monks praying at the Sakyamuni Caves Monastery

“He (Anwar) can resolve this issue with the stroke of a pen because he is not only the Tambun MP, but also the prime minister.

“He has the power to declare that the monastery and this hillside area are a national heritage site,” their lawyer N Surendran told a press conference in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, today.

The monastery’s chief monk, Bhante Kusala, said applications for heritage status were made several times, to no avail.

The century-old Sakyamuni Caves Monastery is built into the limestone caves of Gunung Kanthan, part of the Kinta Valley National Geopark north of Ipoh, and has for years been at the centre of a dispute over quarrying activities in the area.

In September 2023, cement manufacturer Associated Pan Malaysia Cement Sdn Bhd reportedly won a court appeal to evict the monastery from the land.

Heritage and conservation groups have opposed its removal, citing the monastery’s cultural significance and Gunung Kanthan’s unique ecosystem, which is home to several endemic and critically endangered plant species.