The air at the foot of Gunung Kanthan, Tambun, Perak is cool and pleasant, accompanied by the chirping of birds and the sounds of insects amid the greenery surrounding the century-old Sakyamuni Caves Monastery.

However, the area is no longer easily accessible, with an auxiliary police booth at the monastery’s main entrance controlling the entry and exit of visitors, who are greeted by signs declaring the Buddhist sanctuary as “private property”.

A volunteer...