Developing maintenance strategy framework for Masjid Kariah in Kelantan State, Malaysia

Masjid kariah in Kelantan are community-managed facilities that support worship and wider social functions, yet their maintenance practices often remain reactive, fragmented, and weakly linked to systematic planning and measurable performance. This study aimed to develop a performance-based maintenance planning framework for Masjid kariah in Kelantan State, Malaysia by integrating maintenance strategy criteria with maintenance performance measurement dimensions grounded in recognised maintenance and facility management standards. An exploratory sequential mixed- method design was adopted. First, a critical literature review was undertaken to establish the conceptual basis and initial constructs. Second, a two-round Delphi process was conducted to refine and validate the maintenance constructs, dimensions, and indicators. Third, the refined instrument was empirically tested through a structured questionnaire survey administered to committee members of Masjid kariah in Kelantan, followed by measurement validation and hypothesis testing using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Finally, the proposed framework was independently reviewed by a separate expert panel to assess its practical applicability and contextual fit. The findings confirm that Masjid kariah Maintenance Planning (MKMP) can be represented through three Maintenance Strategy Criteria (MSC), namely Planned Preventive Maintenance (PPM), Planned Corrective Maintenance (PCM), and Unplanned Maintenance (UM), influenced by seven Maintenance Performance Measurement (MPM) dimensions. The PLS-SEM results identify Planning and Scheduling, Resource Allocation, Assessment, and Service Quality as the principal operational drivers shaping maintenance planning decisions. These findings indicate that stronger work programming, resource readiness, routine assessment, and service verification can increase planned maintenance practices and reduce reliance on unplanned, complaint-driven repairs. Although Organisation Management, Financial Provision, and Safety and Health show weaker direct effects in the structural model, expert validation confirms their continuing importance as contextual enablers that govern feasibility, continuity, accountability, and safety assurance. Based on the integration of empirical modelling and expert review, the study proposes a refined maintenance planning framework that retains the validated constructs while strengthening their practical operationalisation for Masjid kariah committees. The refined framework distinguishes between operational drivers and contextual enablers and is supported by implementation mechanisms and control measures such as periodic AJK sharing sessions and basic training, a dedicated maintenance fund with cost-control measures, tiered procurement procedures, safety-critical prioritisation, and post-work verification practices. Overall, the study contributes a validated and practice-oriented framework that can guide mosque committees, religious authorities, and supporting technical agencies in institutionalising more systematic, transparent, and sustainable maintenance planning for Masjid kariah in Kelantan.