Old Malay mansion restored in the heart of KL
KUALA LUMPUR: Surrounded by skyscrapers, visitors and tourists may find it hard to catch a glimpse of a traditional Malay house in the middle of the city centre.
But if they look closely enough, they'll find a unique Malay house with traditional architecture – hidden among the skyscrapers – right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
The beautifully restored traditional house known as Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman is located in Jalan Stonor, facing the Royale Chulan Hotel.
Badan Warisan Malaysia communications manager Melanie Anthony said the house, which was built circa 1910, was the residence of former village head Abu Seman Nayan in Kampung Sungai Kecil, Bagan Samak, Kedah.
“The house was later abandoned as there was no next-of-kin to claim the property. It was recovered in 1995 and we took the initiative to restore and move it here.
“The effort to restore and reconstruct the house took about oneand-a-half years,” she said.
Anthony said the restoration was not an easy task and needed a high level of expertise because it had the combined elements of old Kedah, Perak, Thai and Chinese architecture and civilisation.
“The architecture reflected so much of Penghulu Abu Seman, a rich and powerful leader of his time. This was based on the wood carving and the clay roofing, which put it in a class of its own.
“Another element that made it different was it had a hall for administration purposes and meetings with villagers,” she said.
Apart from that, the original colour was also preserved while the interior design was given a traditional touch to enable visitors to get a feel of traditional Malay life.
“We hope this effort will help preserve our national heritage and history,” she said, adding that the house had also become a preferred venue for wedding receptions and photo shoots.
An hour-long guided tour is available at 11am and 3pm daily except Sundays and public holidays.