Malay House,Kuala Lumpur (Rumah Penghulu)

Location: Kuala Lumpur

Location Info

Address: No. 2, Jalan Stonor,
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Office Number: +603 2144 9273
Fax Number: +603 2380 0069
Opening Hours: 10.00hrs to 16:00 hrs
Daily from Monday-Friday (Weekdays)
Admission: RM5

District » City Centre

Location

The Malay House or more commonly known as Rumah Penghulu by the locals is a traditional Malay house which is built on stilts, originated from Kampung Sungai Kechil in the small town of Kedah. The house was bought over by the Heritage of Malaysia Trust and was restored to its former glory when it was moved to Kuala Lumpur, near the Bukit Bintang area.

Overview

Kuala Lumpur is a city full of modern and sophisticated skyscrapers. The reason why the Heritage Trust of Malaysia took the trouble to relocate the house of Penghulu Abu Seman bin Nayan to the heart of the city center is to preserve and to expose traditional Malay houses which are rare in the city now. Penghulu Abu Seman was the head of the village in the state of Kedah. Back in 1924, the Penghulu bought the core building of the house which was initially built in 1916. He relocated it and added onto it in the 1930s.

After the Penghulu passed on, the house was inherited by this son, Ibrahim bin Abu Seman. After Ibrahim passed on, the house was left unoccupied. The Heritage of Malaysia Trust discovered the house and bought it from Ibrahim's heir. The house was then carefully disassembled and relocated in Kuala Lumpur. To get to the Malay house, it is just a short walk from the Bukit Bintang area which is one of the most visited parts of Kuala Lumpur. For Rm10, you will be able to get a guided tour around the house in order to learn more of the history of the house. Around the Malay house is also the Jade Museum Kuala Lumpur where you can feast your eyes on some beautiful jades.

At the Jade Museum, you can purchase some jades as souvenirs. There are also workshops going on at the museum where you can learn about jades and how it is cut and so on. There are still so much more to explore especially around the Bukit Bintang area. Do consider staying an extra day or two to fully visit the area. Hotels in Kuala Lumpur are plentiful such as the Crown Plaza Mutiara Kuala Lumpur and the Royale Chulan Hotel which are located in the heart of Bukit Bintang.

Transport

If you are already staying at a hotel in Bukit Bintang, there is no need for transport. The easiest way to get to the Malay house is via taxi but you can also get on a monorail and stop at the Bukit Bintang Monorail Station.