4.

0 Identify and explain TWO examples of colonial heritage in Malaysia

Even though Malaysia has long gained its independence, the remains of its colonial

architecture, particularly from the Portuguese, Dutch and British occupations can still

be found in some major cities. The Portuguese and Dutch architecture are mostly

found in Malacca, Perak, Penang and Kuala Lumpur (Ghafar Bin Ahmad, 1994).

In addition, Malaysia has many heritage buildings and it is rich in culture and

their own heritage. There are many heritage sites with active conservation projects

such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Melaka. In 2005, the Malaysian Government

established the National Heritage Act 2005 which was formerly known as the Antiquity

Act 1976 to consolidate all efforts in conserving tangible heritage such as buildings.

Many heritage buildings in Malaysia went through a lot of process, which can be

termed as adaptive reuse.

Furthermore, heritage is a value that can be handed down the generations. It

could be in the form of customs, culture, locality, buildings, archives and manuscripts.

They represent a bygone era, and the innate characteristic and values of a society

and nation. Heritage buildings are a good example of this as they exude unique

architectural, aesthetic, political and social features of a different time. These heritage

buildings exude their own emotions through their unique historical identity. Hence, the

conservation of heritage buildings is pertinent, especially in enhancing the society’s

knowledge on history (Robiah Abdul Rashid, 2016).

In this assignment we will see and discuss two example of colonial heritage in

Malaysia which are Kellie's Castle, Perak and Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. This two

building very related to colonial heritage.

Kellie's Castle, Perak

Figure 1 : Kellie's Castle, Perak

Based on Nandini Balakrishnan (2015), Kellie's Castle also known as Kellie's

Folly is a castle located in Batu Gajah, Kinta District, Perak, Malaysia. It was built by

a Scottish planter his name called William Kellie Smith from a little town in Scotland.

He built the building for his beloved wife and the building structure same reason point

like Shah Jahan,Taj Mahal which is a symbol of love. But the love of the stories was

different. In celebration, Smith began planning the construction of a huge castle.

Kellie’s Castle build incorporated much of the elements from hindu religion and

India. Bricks and tiles were imported from India. He even enlisted the help of 70 Indian

workers from Madras of South India as skilled labour for the construction of the

mansion. Many of the workers contracted the Spanish Flu and died in the early 1920s.

A temple was built 1500 m from the castle for the deity Mariamman. Furthermore,

some say it was to protect those who lived on the property. Than, Kellie had it built as

a way to thank Mariamman for granting his wish to have a son. However, the temple

still stands and many continue to worship in it. The first elevator in Malaysia is located

in Kellie's Castle. It travels from the roof down to the underground tunnels. He also

planned to build an indoor tennis court. The rooftop was reserved for a courtyard for

parties.
In the end, Kellie's Castle was never completed. Anthony Kellie Smith was killed in

World War II. Helen never returned to Kellie's Castle. The only thing left of the first

home is the covered walkway, an open courtyard and part of a crumbling wall. Kellie's

Castle has been refurbished and appears as if it has never been touched.

Kuala Lumpur Railway Station

Figure 2 : Kuala Lumpur Railway Station

Based
Kkk on Malaysia vacation guide, the Malayan Railway Station is a heritage

building which was gazetted as a national heritage in 2007 by the Department of

National Heritage because of its unique architecture elements. Located along Jalan

Sultan Hishamuddin, or formerly known as Victory Avenue, this building is the main

rail service office for the Federated Malay States Railway (FMSR) and the Malayan

Railway (KTM), before it was transferred to the Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station in 2001.

This building is fully owned by the the Malayan Railway Corporation, also known as

Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB), and is partially rented to Hotel Heritage for

accommodation services.

Based on Nandini Balakrishnan (2015), the station was built by the Federated

Malay States Public Works Department (Federated Malay State Railway, FMSR). The

Malayan Railway Station (KTMB) is the third station built, at the exact same location.

The first station was built in 1886 in conjunction with the opening of the railway
between Klang and Kuala Lumpur which is located at the northern component of the

existing building. It was known as “Residency Station” because of its location in the

vicinity of the British Residence. The building’s roof was built using sago palms and

the walls were constructed with wood and bricks. It was utilized for 6 years until traffic

demand and trade increased, the building was then extended. The second station was

built at the same location as the first station in 1892. The building materials were

stones, bricks and roof tiles. The design of the building is similar to other government

buildings at that time and was used for 15 years. The need to build a third station

(which is the current station building) was carry out in 1906 when the building was

constructed and built. The architect who was responsible was Arthur Bennison

Hubback which at that time was the Assistant to the Director of Architecture

Department of Public Works

Moreover, most heritage buildings in Kuala Lumpur are located in prime

locations where the land fetches a hefty premium. This poses a challenge to the

owners and developers who view the locations as a goldmine as they could provide

lucrative returns through redevelopment.

REFERENCE
Ming Teoh. (2018). Kellie’s castle in Perak. Retrieved May 13, 2018, from
https://www.pressreader.com/malaysia/the-star-malaysia-
star2/20180215/281676845377785
Dr Robiah Abdul Rashid (2016, September 3). Preserving our heritage. New Straits
Times. Retrieved from
https://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/09/170483/preserving-our-heritage
Balakrishnan. N. (2015). Retrieved May 12, 2018, from
http://says.com/my/lifestyle/most-beautiful-colonial-buildings-in-malaysia
Kuala Lumpur Railway Station (2017). Retrieved may 13, 2018 from
https://www.malaysiavacationguide.com/kuala-lumpur-railway-station.html