GAZETTE RUMAH MELAYU
This precious piece of architecture is fast disappearing
home). In Penang, one can find pockets of kampung along the Air Itam road leading to Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera) — Kampung Baru, Kampung Tengah and Kampung Melayu.
Malay kampung houses were present — in various forms, many of which can be categorised as embodying the Penang Malay architecture (some expressing a Jawi Pekan form) set against a somewhat urban environment. And much of the rumah Melayu can also be found elsewhere, in Balik Pulau and in various parts of Seberang Prai.
One also cannot help but consume the sights of the rumah Melayu, especially along the north-south trunk road, along Jasin and Alor Gajah, the Kelumpang-Tanjung Malim stretch, and the Tapah-Gopeng stretch.
We see them nestled in well manicured lawns. Many stand proud — evoking an art form of daily life and behaviour. Some are dilapidated, some abandoned for some reason, but still with a glint of their heyday.
The rumah Melayu, some in natural timber tones, and some painted in a variety of colours, are gems to see. These precious pieces of architecture are rapidly disappearing.
The rumah Melayu is a timber house raised on stilts. It is basically a post and lintel structure with wooden or bamboo walls and a thatched roof. Windows are plentiful, lining the walls and providing good ventilation and views for the house. There are large open interior spaces with minimal partitions. From a distance, the rumah Melayu seems to merge naturally with the environment.
According to Lim Jee Yuan (1987:20) in his The Malay House: Rediscovering Malaysia’s Indigenous Shelter System, the roof, which is large, dominates the low walls and the open stilted bottom of the house. The juxtaposition of the roof of the house with different sizes and at different orientations creates an interesting visual form.
The rumah Melayu is a clear expression of the way of life and culture of its users. It evokes the budi of its builders and its consumers. In its spaces, we find the essence of the budi, tangible in form. It gravitates towards the built environment. If the budi is the root paradigm in Malay science and knowledge, then the rumah Melayu is the quintessential genesis of tangible Malay knowledge. It evokes the jiwa (soul), rasa (feel) and rupa (form) and the expression of budi in Malay architecture.