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Conclusions

Unregulated modernization poses a threat to the long-term sustainability of the local community's
social capital. This study suggests that protecting social spaces is crucial for maintaining social capital,
particularly in traditional settlements. This study has demonstrated the effective implementation of social
capital among the individuals involved through a range of activities aimed at preserving their social spaces.
The local communities develop diverse support network configurations for particular objectives based on
their purposes as the results of their indigenous wisdom practices. This practice portrays their rooted
knowledge and culture to develop decisions in various perspectives of their lives. Therefore, each of the
three forms of social capital—bonding, bridging, and linking—emerged to serve distinct purposes in
support of the effort to preserve the traditional settlement. The presence of various social spaces, such as
the house compound, jetty, riverside and warung accommodates these social interactions and
collaborations. This study also demonstrates how the existence and configuration of social spaces inside a
traditional settlement can be seen as a manifestation of the indigenous wisdom and customs of past
inhabitants in preserving their social sustainability.

Undoubtedly, social spaces have their own influence as they promote the engagement of all actors
through a variety of daily, seasonal and annual activities, resulting in the establishment of social capital
values such as understanding, tolerance, reciprocity and trust. The acknowledgment of social capital
values is therefore of utmost importance since it will lead to greater participation and involvement from
all parties in the process of preserving traditional settlement. Finally, this study suggests that preservation
efforts focused on social spaces are intended to provide thoughts and efforts regarding the importance of
fostering social capital sustainability in traditional settlements, hence portraying the distinctive local
identity.

Acknowledgement

This study was funded by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) under DCP Research Grant:
2017-008/4. The authors would like to express the sincere gratitude to all parties who contributed to the
success of this study, especially to Terengganu State Museum, Duyong Art Gallery (DAG) and local people
of Kampung Pulau Duyong for the cooperation throughout the data collection for this study.

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