Renewed activity to save Gunung Kanthan

I haven't seen any media reports on trying to save Gunung Kanthan since 2024. Then in August 2026 campaigners had a few articles published.

Malaysiakini 11 Aug 2026 "Century-old monastery in PM's backyard faces demolition, monks appeal to Anwar".

Says.com 12 Aug "Monks Appeal To PM Anwar To Save Century-Old Monastery In Perak Cave From Demolition

FMT 14 Aug "Groups renew call to save Gunung Kanthan from quarrying". The photo in the article shows the shocking destruction of the hill, And the quarrying seems to be so close to the Sakyamuni monastery.

Ipoh Echo 14 Aug "NGOs urge state authorities to preserve Gunung Kanthan". 

Malaysiakini 14 Aug "Protect Gunung Kanthan's unique biodiversity, NGOs urge Perak govt". 

Malaysiakini 18 Aug "'Not just a monastery', says head monk of Tambun spiritual site facing demolition".

Malaysiakini 18 Aug " ‘Ini Tuhan kasi’ - kenapa sukar buat sami pindah dari Gunung Kanthan / 'This is God's gift' - why it's difficult for monks to move from Mount Kanthan".

Malaysiakini 20 Aug "Comment | Gunung Kanthan: Facts behind the recent news".

The Malay Mail 18 August  "How much of Malaysia must we destroy before we call it heritage? — Khoo Ying Hooi". The articles talks about general heritage but specifically mentions the Sakyamuni Caves Monastery at Gunung Kanthan. It says : "The controversy surrounding the century-old Sakyamuni Caves Monastery at Gunung Kanthan in Perak is not simply about one religious site. Rather, it is about the way we repeatedly reduce heritage to a dispute over land ownership, quarrying rights, development plans and economic value, as though history itself is somehow less significant because it cannot be calculated in ringgit per square foot.

The monastery has existed there for generations, while the limestone hill itself carries geological and ecological significance that predates the Malaysian state by an unimaginable span of time. It is a place where religious practice, community memory, biodiversity and local history meet. Yet here we are again, debating how much of it can be sacrificed in the name of development."

It goes on to talk about other sites that are being lost. It goes on to say :

"Gunung Kanthan makes the issue even more serious because some destruction cannot be disguised as redevelopment and later repaired. Limestone formations created over millions of years do not grow back. Rare ecosystems do not reappear because we suddenly discover their value after quarrying is completed. A century of spiritual life connected to a particular cave cannot simply be moved somewhere else. Places accumulate memory through time. Their meaning comes partly from being where they are."

The Buddhist Channel 4 Oct 2026 published a detailed page on Gunung Kanthan and the monastery with a chronology of events, and 2 videos, one on the 100 years of the monastery and the other on a petition to save it.

Kampar tin mining museum

In 2013 I went to the Kampar tin mining museum and now in 2025 realise I didn't do a blog on it!

The Kinta Tin Mining (Gravel Pump) Museum is located in Kampar in Perak, Malaysia.

I'm too lazy to post photos now, so will just add an article I wrote at the time. It was published in The Star, 23 Nov 2013.

Back-breaking work: Life-sized models of yesteryear’s tin miners using manual methods to obtain the precious ore, at the Kinta Tin Mining Museum.

Located in Kampar, Perak, is a fascinating museum of tin mining artifacts where

one of the exhibits on display dates back 6,500 years!

THE two security guards welcomed me as I walked into the Kinta Mining Kongsi

and handed me a ticket. I knew that admission was free, so I was a bit surprised

to receive a ticket. I had entered the Kinta Tin Mining Museum. Located in Kampar,

Perak, this one-year-old museum is a wonderful display of artifacts and relics from

the days of tin mining.

I know for many Malaysians, learning about tin mining (gravel pump) at school

was probably one of those dull subjects that held little interest for a child. But for

me, a foreigner in Malaysia, I am fascinated by the subject and love any

opportunity to learn more about the bygone days of the tin mining industry. I

guess this is related to my love of caves, although, of course, mines are manmade

whereas caves are totally natural.

Assorted heavy machinery is utilised in tin mining.

As I walked into the outdoor compound, I noticed a couple of people in the corner.

I was quite glad I wasn’t the only visitor on a Monday morning. I was soon

absorbed looking at the first display of a palong (where the tin is separated from

the sludge). However, I was a bit puzzled when I glanced over and realised that the

figures hadn’t moved. I looked again, and the penny dropped. They weren’t people,

but life-sized models of tin miners.

Apart from the display of actual machines and equipment, the museum has

incorporated many such figures to show the various jobs done by tin miners.

These include two female dulang (manual separation of the tin ore using a pan)

washers and a group of men moving stones and operating a gravel pump. In fact,

there were several more of these figures in the outdoor exhibition area. It is a

commendable tribute to the men and women who sweated and toiled in this

industry.

The sun was beating down during my visit, adding to the atmosphere as I could

imagine the tin miners being out in similar conditions during their working day.

They would have had to endure all the elements – hot sun, rain and high humidity.

I was glad I was only walking around, not actually having to do any work.

Imagine the sun beating down while the miner is toiling away.

From the palong area, I had a look at the large machinery that included generators,

engines and pumps, as well as huge buckets from a dredge.

The next group of life-sized models puzzled me as there were no labels and I

wasn’t sure what they were doing. They seemed to be pounding poles into the

ground which I assume is a vital process in the tin extraction process, but I

couldn’t be sure! However, I found out later in the exhibition that they were

“prospecting”.

Generally, the exhibits were adequately labelled, although some could do with

more explanation.

I’ve been lucky enough in the past to visit operational open-cast tin mines in Perak,

so I have first-hand knowledge of how tin is extracted. Names such as gravel

pump, palong, sluice and pig basket are familiar to me. So, it was good to see

examples of these on display, as well as an old tractor and lorry.

I then moved into the coolness of the exhibition hall which is divided into two large

rooms. The first one I entered has two floors. Lots of old photos and small tools

can be found downstairs, as well as tableaux representing a kitchen and dining

area and also a shop for trading tin.

The entrance to the one-year-old museum that was set up in October last year by Tan Sri Hew See Tong, a former tin miner.

 

In the middle of the hall is a collection of large tree trunks. I thought they were for

decoration until I read they are actually part of a fossilised tree trunk named “The

Star”. This was discovered about 1978 in the nearby Batu Karang tin mine. It was

ignored, along with several other fossilised trunks for 30 years. Then “The Star”

found a new home in the museum and a piece was sent to the USA for radiocarbon 

dating – it proved to be around 6,500 years old and is so well preserved, having 

been buried in sediments for all that time. The Forest Research Institute of Malaysia 

(FRIM) identified it as a chengal tree.

The space upstairs is devoted mostly to documents and charts relating to mining

and geology. The earliest records of the Malaysian tin industry are dated 1851,

when tin production was far higher than that of both Indonesia and Thailand

combined.

I moved into the next gallery where I saw, on display in the centre, a model of Larut, 

a pet elephant belonging to Long Ja’afar in the 1800s. The story goes that

the elephant had stumbled on tin deposits near Taiping (later named Larut).

Other exhibits display the uses of tin and associated products, and there are

replicas of methods of hand-digging and mining as well as more models of dulang

washers and newly arrived Chinese labourers from the 1860s.

There are a couple of large models of open-cast mines, and buttons you can press

to light up various items of machinery. It was a pleasure to find that the lights

worked, as so often in museums you press a button and nothing happens.

Obviously, this museum is better maintained than some others!

Admission to the museum is free. However, those who wish to donate towards its upkeep may do so.

I was interested in seeing the old photos of various tin mines and their workings.

They brought back memories of the two mines I visited years ago. I realised that

there wasn’t much mention of tin dredges, although of course it would be

impossible to display much from these giants, apart from the buckets. Also the

Kinta Tin Mining Museum is mainly devoted to the gravel pump method.

The museum opened just a year ago, at the end of October 2012. It is the first of

its kind in the country and was set up by Tan Sri Hew See Tong, a former tin miner

from 1949-1989.

It is great that entry is free although I feel most people would be willing to pay an

admission fee, especially considering the exhibition halls have to be kept cool for

the visitors. There are donation boxes in the main halls so I hope visitors will be

generous and give some money.

I found the museum to be quite fascinating and spent an hour there, absorbed in

looking at the displays and thinking of how hard the miners worked to produce the

tin that we take for granted.

The museum is definitely worthy of a visit and should be of interest to children as

well as adults. It is a fun way to remind and teach people of the heyday of tin

mining in Perak and one of Malaysia’s most important industries.

**

Malaysian Biospeleological Bibliography - new book

My new book, published May 2025 -

 

Malaysian Biospeleological Bibliography (up to 2024)

50 pp. Published by BHB, Berlin 2025.

This volume features over 1,100 entries with short annotations as well as a general overview on the cave fauna of Malaysia. It is the only existing compilation of all sources on the Malaysian biospeleology and intends to support biodiversity exploration and conservation.

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To buy , contact me or contact Berliner Höhlenkundliche Berichte (BHB) in Germany, click on 2025 and then Vol 91. 

Singapore cave restaurant and karst walk

Singapore has no natural caves but a man made cave restaurant is opening in 2025. When I first saw the news I thought about the fiasco with the Lepak Cave restaurant at Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia. See my website for articles on Lepak Cave. 

However the Singapore cave restaurant is entirely manmade, so no damage will be done to a natural cave! 

Rainforest Wild Asia will be Singapore’s fifth zoological park, set to launch on March 12, 2025. It is located at Mandai Wildlife Reserve. See Time Out 7 Nov 2024.

It has 8 distinct zones including a subterranean labyrinth of walk-through cave chambers. The park includes iconic animal species from the region as well as trees and shrubs. One zone is The Karsts, jagged limestone formations that rise above the canopy, providing a stunning backdrop as primates swing through the environment. You can trek along the Karst Loop and go up the elevated Karst Lookout platform. An Adventure activity is to scale the karst along a guided via ferrata path.

Photograph: Time Out Singapore

The final zone is The Cavern. The Cavern, a 220-metre air-conditioned cave route inspired by the Mulu Caves in Sarawak, Malaysia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s one of Southeast Asia’s largest and most intricate cave systems. It was made possible through a collaboration with Sarawak Forestry Department. As you venture through the darkness, keep an eye out for some fascinating creatures including Madagascar hissing cockroaches, Soro brook carp, blind cave fish, cave racers, and Asian black scorpions.

Photograph: Mandai Wildlife Group

There are Cavern Ranger Talks. Also the Adventure activity: Wild Cavern Adventure explores the nooks and crannies of the cave where you’ll squeeze through tight spaces and navigate narrow tunnels. The Adventure Plus experiences - Critter Crawl - a 20-minute adventure. Armed with just a dim headlamp, a small group will navigate a 60-metre cave tunnel, discovering impressive stalactites, stalagmites, rock formations, and fossil imprints along the way. Booking is required.

photo Photograph: Mandai Wildlife Group

Photograph: Mandai Wildlife Group. Time Out 12 Feb

The restaurant

Singapore's first and only cave-dining experience, The Cavern, is operated by Tung Lok Group. The restaurant offers hearty grilled meats, vibrant shared platters, and a tempting mix of signature cocktails and craft beverages. And fret not, The Cavern is open to the public and accessible without entering Rainforest Wild Asia. This this unique new restaurant in Singapore is modelled after Sarawak’s Mulu Caves.

See Time Out, 12 Feb 2025.

Photograph: Cavern Restaurant

Photograph: Cavern Restaurant

Photograph: Cavern Restaurant

Inauguration of Leang-Leang Archaeological Park, Sulawesi

 VOI - Waktunya Merevolusi Pemberitaan 14 Jan 2025 had this article "Symbol Of World's Oldest Civilization In The Archipelago, Minister Fadli Zon Inaugurates Leang-Leang Archaeological Park". 

"The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Fadli Zon, inaugurated the Leang-Leang Archological Park and the Prehistoric Image Information Center in the Maros-Pangkep karst area, South Sulawesi. This inauguration is a symbol of the Ministry of Culture's commitment to preserving cultural heritage, as well as affirming the position of the archipelago as the center of the oldest civilization in the world."

See article to read more.

Panching snail featured in book on extinction

" Lost Wonders: 10 Tales of Extinction from the 21st Century" by Tom Lathan et al was published by Picador in Sept 2024. It features 10 species that have become extinct since the turn on the 21st century. And one of those species is the Bukit Panching snail, from Pahang, Malaysia.

See more here.

Mulu ISCA conference 2024

 

The 2024 International Show Cave Association Conference will be held in Mulu National Park, 28 September – 6 October. There will be pre- and post conference activities and trips. See more on ISCA  Vol 24 July-Aug newsletter and Vol 25 Sept-Oct newsletter. This will be the first ISCA conference in SE Asia.

See more on ISCA.

And see Archives 2024 on my webpage for media links.

Sinkhole in Kuala Lumpur 2024

On 23 Aug 2024 an 8 m deep sinkhole suddenly opened in Jalan Masjid India, in Kuala Lumpur. A visitor from India fell in. A major search and rescue operation began but still hadn't found her 6 days later. The Fire and Rescue Department's scuba unit were involved.

Photo from The Star 26 Aug - 

27 Aug sniffer dogs were used to try and find the victim. "Two English Springer Spaniel dogs are being brought in to assist in locating the victim due to their excellent detection capabilities in the water.". And four people from Indian NGOs conducted religious rites to aid the search in finding the victim. Yellow chrysanthemums will be released into the river as a form of offering to the victim (The Sun 28 Aug). 

Meanwhile another sinkhole opened early on 28 Aug, about 50 m from the first one.

On 30 Aug, the 8th day, the efforts were to clear a backlog or 15-metre blockage. Later the search at the sinkhole was halted but will continue at the Pantai Dalam IWK sewage plant.

The search for the victim was called off on the 9th day, Sat 31 Aug 2024, The Star report. 

Niah Cave now a World Heritage Site

 In July 2024 the Niah Caves Complex in Sarawak, Malaysia, was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site. See UNESCO page. 

There were many reports in the media. See my blog for links to some of them.

Gunung Kanthan monastery petition video

 Gunung Kanthan's Last Defence : Save the Monastery, Save Gunung Kanthan (For Petition).

The video has been reloaded on youtube and can be seen here.

Sulawesi rock art older than previously thought

Some very exciting news about cave art was released in early July 2024. An article in Nature, 03 July 2024, about the cave art at Maros-Pangkep, Sulawesi, Indonesia. It has been re-dated using laser-ablation U-series imaging, giving a result of over 51,200 years. So this makes it the oldest known narrative rock art showing human-animal interactions. This predates similar European art. 

Previous dating was based on solution uranium-series (U-series) analysis of calcite deposits overlying rock art in the limestone caves of Maros-Pangkep. There a hunting scene from Leang Bulu’ Sipong 4, was originally dated using the previous approach to a minimum of 43,900 years ago. The new technique gives a minimum age of 50.2 ± 2.2 ka, so is at least 4,040 years older than thought.

Also "a newly described cave art scene at Leang Karampuang. Painted at least 51,200 years ago, this narrative composition, which depicts human-like figures interacting with a pig, is now the earliest known surviving example of representational art, and visual storytelling, in the world."

*

See my other blogs on Indonesian rock art

Oldest cave art again found in Indonesia        Jan 2021

Sulawesi cave paintings now older than first thought   Oct 2014

Cave of Hands, Leang Leang, Maros, Sulawesi   Nov 2011

*

For a long list of media references to the new dating, see SEAArch .

Cave racers mating

In 2000, in Dark Cave at Batu Caves in Malaysia, I saw 3 cave racers mating.  I put some photos on my cave website -

The cave racer used to be classed as Elaphe taeniura but is now known as Orthriophis taeniurus. It inhabits limestone caves all over Asia ranging from China, down through the Asian mainland to Malaysia and Borneo. It is commonly seen in caves. There are around 10 species.

I wrote a note on the mating racers in The Malaysian Naturalist, 2002, Dec, 56(2)8 -

In 2023, on 25 Oct The Thaiger (in Thailand) published this article "Explorers ‘rattled’ with excitement as rare Blue-tailed Cave Racer snakes spotted mating in Krabi". It records two Blue-tailed Cave Racer snakes mating in a cave in Ao Luek district, in Krabi province, in southern Thailand. 

The article describes these snakes as endangered and a rare protected species listed in CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). However when I looked on CITES, Elaphe taeniura is not listed in the CITES Appendices, nor are other species of Elaphe genus. Orthriophis taeniurus is not mentioned either.

Malaysian Cave Bibliography - up to 2023

 

The latest edition of my Malaysian Cave Bibliography has just been published, and includes references up to 2023.

Published April 2024 by Berliner Höhlenkundliche Berichte (BHB), Vol 89. 247 pp.

It contains about 6170 references to Malaysian caves and karst, dating from the 1700s to 2023. In addition there is an extensive newspaper biblio covering 1911 – 2023.

See more on my caving website, and also the BHB page, under publications.

Book costs 15 US$ / 15 £ / 15 € plus shipping and can be ordered directly from the BHB page, or contact me for details.

Kanthan Sakyamuni Caves Monastery & other cave temples protection

Some months after the change.org petition to save the Sakyamuni Caves Monastery at Gunung Kanthan, there is finally some good news. This applies not only to the Kanthan monastery, but also to other cave temples and religious sites in general.

On 27 January 2024, change.org issued an update "A Commitment to Protecting Sacred Sites: Prime Minister's Pledge to Safeguard Religious Monasteries".

There is a link to this Facebook page -

And this leads to the next link -

It is encouraging news. Let's see what happens as a result.

There was a further update on 21 Feb in FMT "Century-old monastery seeks to nullify company’s land lease extension". This was also shown on change.org on 22 Feb "LATEST FMT NEWS : Century-old monastery seeks to nullify company’s land lease extension". 

The Edge 28 Feb "Old Perak monastery fails to set aside APMC's eviction notice".

Change.org update 28 Feb "Sakyamuni Caves Monastery Gunung Kanthan" . Latest news : The Edge.

Meanwhile The Star 28 Feb had this article about cave temples in Perak - "Limestone cave temples to stay, says Perak exco".

Chinaraj Cave monastery aka Thai Monk Cave, Gng Lanno

Thai Monk Cave at Gunung Lanno is now known as Chinaraj Cave monastery. It is located at ground level on the southwest side of Gunung Lanno in Perak, not far from Kong Fook Ngam temple. 

I first visited in May 1996. At that time it had a concrete path leading up to it and inside the cave. But about 10 m in there was a locked gate and we could see the cave continuing. There was a store room. To the right was a series of cement tanks/gours and a passage to another entrance. The cave is by a bend in the Sungai Raia. 

My next visit was May 1999. The cave had been developed since my first visit. Half a dozen cars were parked inside the first chamber of the cave. A concrete walkway with electric lights goes through to a wang, with a pond. A new "temple" has been established - more of a meditation place for the monk.

Next visit was July 2001, on a recce for the 2001 Gunung Lanno expedition. The gate was locked but a man was inside and let us in when we spoke to him. The place is only open on Sundays when people come to the monk, although people look after him during the week. He lives alone, from Thailand. We went through to the house and pond. Lots of catfish and they aerate the pond. It is a long distance to the opposite side of the wang. There is a pond and swamp outside the front of the cave. After this visit I named the cave as Thai Monk and gave it the register number of Prk 18/07.

The Gunung Lanno expedition took place in November 2001. We were unable to survey the cave as we couldn't get access. However a nearby cave was surveyed, Gua Kera Mati aka Dead Monkey Cave, Prk 18/32, and this was found to connect into Thai Monk Cave.

During the expedition, we were able to hire a 4-seater plane and fly around Gunung Lanno. From the plane we could clearly see the flooded wang of Thai Monk Cave. 

2001 views -

Sg Raia outside the cave

My next visit was in May 2014. A building had been constructed inside the cliff and the swamp is part of the garden. There is an ornate metal fence outside. 

The Sungai Raia

The track that leads further around the hill was closed off by a large gate by the temple -

Now (2024) the cave is known as Chinaraj Cave monastery - a Buddhist temple, Tokong Siam. I don't know when this was established. In Feb 2022 The Star referred to it as Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Chinaraj. It was one of 19 caves in the Kinta Valley to receive an eviction notice, to vacate in 30 days. However a few days later the notices were revoked. 

According to Google Maps, the temple is open mornings and evenings. There are hundreds of photos on the page. 

Cave location 4°31'8.12" N 101° 8'18.01"E.

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See my Cave Register .

Bat Cave, Phnom Sampeu, Battambang, Cambodia

In  2008 on the caving expedition to Cambodia, we spent time exploring and surveying caves in the Battambang area. The best known hill is Phnom Sampov (Sampeu). Phnom Sampeu is the famous hill which contains the killing caves and is on the tourist itinerary. It is a striking limestone outcrop with a wat on top.

Towards the end of a day spent surveying caves on the hill, we descended and had a look at the northern side, which is on the opposite side to the killing caves. Here we saw Bat Cave. 

 

In our reports, we called the cave La Ang Pracheu. Our description (from BHB 34) -  "Called “PSW4 (Million Bat Cave) by Herries (2006a). This cave is located at the base of Phnom Sampeu near to where an 18 m high Buddha is currently being carved out of the rock face. A steep 15 m climb is needed to reach the large cave mouth. However, a strong stench  of bat guano and the noise of the large bat colony successfully keeps explorers out of  the cave, which consequently remains unsurveyed."

Apparently the bats of Bat Cave have become a tourist attraction. The Khmer Times, 7 Jan 2004 has an article "Phnom Sampov bat cave attracting more tourists".  The article says that during the last months of 2023, more national and international tourists flocked to visit Phnom Sampov (Sampov mountain) bat cave in Battambang province. It goes on to say -

And a photo taken from the Khmer Times, AKP -

There are lots of photos of the bat flight on Trip Advisor.

To the right of Bat Cave, a large statue is being constructed (2008) -

I had seen the statue on a visit in 2004. In my diary, 4 Sept 2004, after visiting the caves up on the hill, I wrote "We began the long descent to the car park, using the 700 (?) stairs. This killed my poor knees. I went to look at the cliff face where they are just starting to carve a 38 m high Buddha. The mural will be 120 m long and will take 7 years to complete. Quite a feat. I had to give a donation. Women were manually breaking stones.

In 2008 I wrote in my diary "Bat Cave, this has the large entrance and is to the right of the new Buddha they are carving. There has not been much progress on this since my 2004 visit."

I googled the statue and 

Exclusive Cambodia Travel

Ret Bopha

There are hundreds more photos on the internet, especially on Google Maps, under Bat Cave Phnom Sampov.

References :

Berliner Höhlenkundliche Berichte BHB 34 (2009) Cambodia (Battambang) and its replacement BHB 77 (2019) Cambodia 1995/96–2017.

Herries, A. (2006a): Battambang Karst, North West Cambodia. – unpublished report, 11 p.

Herries, A. (2006b) Explorations in Cambodian Karst. Battambang Province, North West Cambodia. – SUSS Bull., 46 (2), 8-13; Sydney.

And my 2008 blog, Battambang Caves 1 - Phnom Sampeu 2008