DO YOU KNOW...
ONCE a filthy river filled with trash, the Melaka river has gone through a clean-up, thanks to a project by the Danish Cooperation for Environment and Development, a non-profit organisation.
The clean-up, which began in January 1996 with a grant of
RM12 million, was divided into two phases: The first lasted for six months to identify the nature of the problem,followed by a two-year phase to collect data to formulate action plans.
The local government, inspired by the river concept in St Antonio River Walk in Texas, US spent RM300 million to beautify the river. this bottle when I was small,” she says as she carefully takes it out of the glass cabinet and places it in front of us.
Except for the yellowing pacifier, the bottle looks new, as if just bought from a store.
Next, Aminah shows us the correct way to wear the sarung typically worn by men and women in Southeast Asia.
In Malaysia, the sarung is worn during prayers, leisure or simply to enjoy the comfort of the wear.
We are invited to explore Aminah’s home, which has two entrances. The main entrance is for visitors and its male residents, while the back entrance is used by women and children. The house is divided into three areas: serambi (verandah), rumah ibu (main area) and dapur (kitchen).
Some houses have anjung and passageways. Anjung is a covered porch used as a relaxation area for the family and to receive guests. The passageway known as selang in the old days. Kampung Morten
links the main house to the kitchen, and in case of fire, it provides an effective escape route. The house is usually built on wooden posts to protect against wild animals, floods as well to provide ventilation.
No tour in Kampung Morten is complete without visiting Villa Sentosa, dubbed The Living Museum by many tourists.
It was built in 1920 by the late Othman, the same man who contributed to the founding of the village but it wasn’t until Hashim Abdul Ghani, who took over the house, that extensive renovation was done to the house. It was officially turned into a museum on Dec 11, 1991.
Since then, nine generations of Othman’s descendents have stayed in this house. Villa Sentosa has a unique interior apart from a collection of Malay traditional wear, musical instruments and antique furniture. Entrance to Villa Sentosa is by donation.
All the 96 houses in Kampung Morten