Malaysia isn’t a country one associates with old churches. After all, it’s a majority Muslim country.
Yet, as a past installment of this column detailed, Malaysia is home to a surprising number of interesting churches — Anglican and Roman Catholic alike.
These legacies of colonialism, particularly British colonialism, can be found throughout the country. In particular, the Anglican cathedral in the Malaysian capital offers a unique glimpse into life when the sun never set on the British Empire.
The Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin was designed by architect A.C. Norman in the style of Gothic Revival, specifically Early English, and built in 1894 to replace a circa 1887 wooden edifice. It only became the episcopal see of the Anglican bishop of West Malaysia in 1970, when the bishopric was carved out of Diocese of Singapore.
While the nave was extended in the 1950s, the late Victorian-era core retains its prominence. So much so that a visitor would be forgiven if they thought they were in England.
The interior is simple. The only decoration is monuments and plaques memorializing long-forgotten names — almost exclusively of British origin — adorning the white plaster walls.
As with churches in Hong Kong, Singapore and the West Indies, the only concessions to Malaysia’s hot and humid climate are modern-day electric fans and doorways installed in gothicky-looking window openings, the latter of which is also seen in two 19th century Anglican churches on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The chancel and high altar are divided…
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