Traditional Malay House- Rumah Pak Abu Seman

A little bird told me.....

There are plenty of quaint malay houses around Malaysia that captures the imagination of foreigners. To many of us Malaysian city folks, a malay kampung house is just a humble wooden abode of yesteryears.

There is much thought and creativivity spent in building the house the way it is and one of the best place for city folks in Kuala Lumpur to view it, is in the compound of Badan Warisan Msia located at Jln Stonor, which is about a stone's throw away from our Craft Cultural Complex.

The house that is being refered to is the Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman (RPAS) built in the early 20th century. It was home to penghulu ( Headman) Abu Seman Nayan of Kampong Sungai Kecil, a village in Bagan Samak, Bandar Baru, Kedah.

Badan Warisan Msia, stumbled upon this beautiful piece of architecture in a dilapidated state in 1996. With the aim of restoring it to its former glory, BWM brought it to Kuala Lumpur. It was literally moved to its present location, because like almost all traditional Malay dwellings, they are designed to be movable.

It was dismantled bit by bit and relocated from Kedah to Jalan Stonor in 1996, where it was eventually conserved in its original condition.

The main portion of the house, known as the rumah ibu, was originally built for a Tok Taib of Kampung Paya Takong.

After his passing, Abu Seman bought the structure, dismantled it and relocated it to Kampung Sungai Kechil in 1924. In view of his position as headman, the house was gradually extended to include the ruang makan/dapur (dining and kitchen areas) and later the balai which housed Abu Seman's office. Upon his death, Abu Seman's son Ibrahim inherited the house and title. However, as Ibrahim had no son to succeed him upon his death, the house was left vacant.

A traditional malay house is designed to provide either shelter or protection for its occupants. They are built on stilts to shield occupants from floods, the threat of wild animals and to provide ventilation as air circulates through the floor boards and into the house and out from the roof.

The deep eaves gives shade to the windows, while the clay tiles, which although not typical of most old Malay houses(attap being the more afffordable alternative), absorb water when it rains, and helps to cool the house. The carved wooden panels and windows all around the house also provide good ventilation.

The rumah ibu, is higher than the rumah tengah or the balai, reflecting the hierarchical concept in Malay society. The crescent moon and star which are carved on the front gable of the house indicates that the property belongs to a Muslim. Even the carvings on the wooden panels are floral or abstract because in Islam, living creatures are not shown.

The arch at the entrance of the house is low so that guests will have to bow as they entered the house. Its a sign of respect.

Old malay houses are usually also devoid of bulky living or dining room furniture because all the spaces in the house are multi-functional , with occupants entertaining guests, and praying, eating and sleeping there.

The main portion of the house is called rumah ibu, because in the old days, the matriarch of the family, with the assistance of a bomoh, would perform a ritual to determine the location of the tiang seri or main pillar of the house.

During the relocation process, an old coin dated 1916 was found under this main column, perhaps indicating that the rumah ibu was originally built around that time.

The Rumah Pak Abu Seman has been open to the public since Nov 1997 and guided tours are conducted twice a day at 11am and 3pm except Sundays and public holidays. Entry is by a minimum RM10 donation per person.

Ref: NST jUN 25 2009