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Sustainable Issues in Building Operations and Maintenance of Religious Schools in Malaysia

In Malaysia, Sekolah Agama Rakyat (SAR) (Community Religious Schools), Sekolah Agama Negeri (SAN) (State Religious Schools), Madrasahs and Pondoks are the Islamic Education Institutions that were established since the arrival of Islam in Tanah Melayu. Normally, these schools are built on lands donated in a perpetual manner for charitable purposes under the administration of State Islamic Religious Councils (SIRCs). The establishment of these institutions has played significant roles in the socio-economic development of the Muslim community in Malaysia. Unfortunately, numerous studies have highlighted various issues including on the maintenance management practices towards the sustainable aspects of these school buildings. Large numbers of school buildings are ill-managed and are deprived of basic repairs or maintenance. This research first identified the related factors through a review of current literature in established journals, articles and books in order to interpret the sustainable issues from a global perspective. The literature identifies five issues that impede the effective and efficient maintenance management of religious schools towards sustainable practices including the aspects of financial, information management, specialists, administration and marketing. Questionnaire surveys were distributed to relevant respondents involved in the administration and management of religious school buildings in Malaysia. Frequency and criticality index calculations were carried out to rank the factors according to levels of criticality. The findings indicate that managerial problems, especially on knowledge and expertise among school administrators, are the main barriers hindering effective and efficient management of these religious schools. The authorities ought to prioritize these issues to ensure the sustainability of the delivery of the waqf educational system. Success in overcoming this problem is crucial in supporting the Transformation Plan for Waqf Property Development set out by the government.