Page 86 - A Study of Traditional Chinese Religions in Malaysia: The Decline and the Path Towards Revitalization

5.5 Responding To the Issue of Converting Out - Revitalization

In order to respond to the issue of converting out, TCR organizations play an important role.
The TCR organization should lead and formulate ways to promote TCR as the primary

method to manage the issue of converting out. However, based on observations made
throughout this research, not all TCR organizations have such capacity. In order to carry out
efforts to revitalize TCR, a TCR organization must have the following features before

embarking on efforts to revive their religions:

a. Ability to plan – present and future
b. Presence of human resource and a structured organization

c. Activities that are able to attract and sustain believers
d. Intention to promote the religion

e. Financial capacity
Based on the feedback received from the discussions with TCR organization leaders,
their organizations can be categorized into two categories:

5.5.1 Conventional TCR organization

Revitalizing a religion is a complicated process. To initiate such a movement, a TCR
organization must have the motivation and resources to do so. They must have the intention

to do so while at the same time embarking on projects that require them to generate fundings
and activities that suit their mission. However, based on the data collected, some TCR

organizations do not have the capacity to do so. They are either not motivated to develop
their organizations or they do not have the resources to do so. Consequently, these
limitations have constrained their organizations activities. Most of their activities replicate the

activities of their predecessors. As such, this research categorizes such TCR organizations
as conventional organizations. The following points described their characteristics:

5.5.1.1 Absence of visible plans for the present and future developments. In terms of planning,
this group of TCR organizations have no visible plan. Their current plans are mostly about

handling day-to-day matters. As mentioned by Mr JW, “We do not have a plan for the future.
Currently, our plans are to solve daily maintenance issues. We will only look into the future
when the current issues are resolved.” Mr LG highlighted a similar view. He said, “We are

aware. To promote our religion the solution is education. But the fact is, we do not have any
strategies and plans to do so”.

5.5.1.2 Limited human resources and structured organization. The conventional TCR

organizations do not have sufficient human and structural resources. According to Mr TH,

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