Rumah Kutai

Raja Khalidatul Asrin 
12 / 5 /16
Kampung Gajah.

There are moments when people forget their roots which is a crying shame because our ancestors have left behind so much beauty to be unfold.

Rumah Kutai which can only be found in Perak is one good example and the management of iGrow has done a good job by showcasing it and their desa warisan is an eye opener.

There are two rumah Kutai at the desa warisan iGrow. One has become a home for the management and another one is a show house.Kutai means old,though some believe that is an Achinese word.The oldest Rumah Kutai in Perak is about 200 years old and is still standing strong in Pasir Salak.It is said that the house was built in 1800 by Penghulu Anjang Padam Pelita.

The Rumah Kutai at iGrow is 150 years old and it was left behind in a  village about 5 km from the desa warisan complex."We bought it from the ancestors of the house and we rebuild it at our place in order to preserve our heritage.Everything about the house is as it was.Nothing was removed or changed. " said Nordin Abdul Malik, Executive Chairman for iGrow.

The house is made from bamboo and tepas and  are pegged together without using nails. Inside the house is just like how it was.Walking up the tiny stairs and stepping inside seems magical.The kitchen with the wooden stove and everything seems surreal.

The complex are used by students of architecture from Uitm and other universities to study the structure of the old house.

The other rumah Kutai  is used for students to spend the night so as to let them get the feel."The students were taken back on a journey back to their grandparents era.They love the idea of sleeping on  matresses on the floor in a group." he said.

"When we dismantled the house to move it to our complex we found a shilling dated from 1870 underneath the pole of the house.That was their identity so to speak and that's how we know their age."said Nordin

The chalets at the complex are made of woods that are more than a hundred years old and they try their best to preserve the Malay heritage for the new generation.It is also part of   a history lesson for students that goes to iGrow.

"The woods that are used for the chalets were taken from Bukit Tunggal a long time ago.Back then the woods were down by buffaloes. "he said

The chalets are simple kampung style,with wooden floor and a double bed and a single bed.It is really a Malay heritage sort of place.The guest will be shown around by the students.Food are served by students too.

There are about 400 students at iGrow and they learned about culture and hospitality.  Some of the students are from Sabah and Sarawak and so tourist gets to see the traditional dance from Sabah and Sarawak which is very impressive. The students are mostly  from form four and above that has taken lessons in vocational studies.

The farms at iGrow have herds of goats and of course they are surrounded by palm oil trees.Everything  about the place is naturally beautiful and the chalets and 'rumah Kutai ' are true Malaysian identity . International tourist should visit and stay in this place in order to get to know and learn Malaysian culture.

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Guangzhou in my mind

Today my article on the cancer forum which I attended was published in the papers.Although it was not as detailed as I wrote,yea they had to edit it because of space constraint,the message was clear.

I went to Guangzhou for the first time on the 1st July.I was sponsored by the Fuda Hospital of China as a journalist to write about their world forum on the latest treatment for the big C.

I love Guangzhou.The people are nice and contrary to what people say,it is a clean city.Maybe I was lucky cos where I stayed was the new city area.Tianhe area.The hotel was a 5 star hotel called Soluxe and my room was on the 36th floor.It faces the lake of the Tianhe park which was right beside the hotel.

Ofcos it was all about work.most of the time we were at the hospital for talks and all.But the Chinese treated us so well.Took us on the pearl river cruise at night and they even gave us shopping money.

The best part for me was the fact that I had the room all to myself.No sharing and it was a plush room.As an introvert i welcomed the privacy.

4 nights in Guangzhou and I still think about the city with fondness.To be able to go there was a gift from God and I will always remember that things cant be bad all the time for us.To think that I have been down and out,God lifts me up and gave me hope.

Sarang Paloh

Raja Khalidatul
Ipoh

What does staying in a hotel of a heritage building and that was once a pawnshop sounds?Interesting of course because it is one of a kind and rare in Perak.

The road used to be known as Hugh Low Street but now it is called Jalan Sultan Iskandar.There was a popular goldsmith shop beside a bank that was first known as Bank of Malaya and was founded by Leong Sin Nam in 1920s.Due to the recession it was liquidated  and was then bought over by  the Oversea Banking Chinese Corporation. (OCBC).This iconic building has withstood the test of time and the world war.It is a testament to the wealth derived from tin mining of the local Chinese tycoons.

"This hotel used to be a goldsmith  which later turned to a pawnshop and our event hall used to be the bank." said Peggy Lim.She was talking about the heritage hotel that belongs to her family.It is called "Sarang Paloh."

Peggy,27 may be considered as the new kid on the block for hotel players but she certainly knows what she wants.She did not change the facade of the hotel,the name of the goldsmith shop is still there.The beauty of the hotel is the fact that it maintains its looks and yet is modern enough to make the guest comfortable.It is not a replica of Bali or Thai nor is it of the Baba and Nyonya style.It is just plain Ipoh Chinese style during the 60s.

The buildings were restored using recycled timber and it has not lost its charm.The facade of the event hall is still very much the Gatsby style which reminds us that Perak was a colony of the 'orang puteh'

The concept  of the hotel is truly unique.Using the theme of minimalism, they use only simple Chinese style chairs and a Chinese antique reception desk.This ex goldsmith shop is approximately 100 years old and it's equipment are on display  in the lobby.

There are eleven rooms and each room are decorated differently.It is very inviting and cosy and you know that they did the hotel with passion.The floors are made of wood and nostalgia hits me as I walked up the stairs.The stairs are spiral  and I remembered my childhood days..Old buildings does that to me.The three old buildings that are now the hotel,event hall and a kopitiam are connected through a side door which was originally there.

Why is it called Sarang Paloh?

The name Sarang  Paloh  is a tribute to the history of the town and its people.Ipoh used to be known as Paloh.The origin of this name is symbolic reference to the dams that were constructed along the Kinta river for fishing purpose.These dams were referred to as Pa-lo in the Cantonese dialect.
"My grandmother still call Ipoh especially this old town area Paloh so we decided to use that name.Sarang means nest in Malay and since my father travels all the time,he would come back to his nest,added Peggy with a laugh.

Ipoh is proud to have hotels like 'Sarang Paloh' because it still preserves it's heritage.This hotel has a lovely indoor garden with water features. "My mother did the garden," says Peggy.Some rooms have the old wooden window that opens to the sight of the garden.All the furniture are simple antiques that are preloved from local Perakians.One has to see for oneself to truly appreciate the concept.

They don't serve food because the hotel is situated where all the food joints are close by.Infact the Lim family also have a kopitiam called Lim Kopi beside the event hall.So eating is not a problem.

The young Peggy Lim is also being help by Paulynn and Sharon who have years of experience in the hospitality industry and Peggy's mother also help with the management.The hotel is not a back packer hotel..It is for the middle income people ,she said.

For those who want to stay in a reasonable price yet pretty hotel,this is the place for you.

The Keris

We seems to be chasing the unknown, the latest technology and everything futuristic that we have forgotten about our past glories which are our heritage and legacy.

Dr.Fawazul Khair Ibrahim,58 who is a senior lecturer at the the faculty of built environment, University Technology Mara and holds a PhD in topology hulu keris hilt (dagger ) held a campaign with a theme called 'one house,one keris' for he fear that this Malay heritage may come to the point of extinction if the elderly neglects it."If we do not champion our own legacy,then who will?" said Fawazul or Prof (I call him prof)."To me,the keris is our legacy" he continued and should be valued by the Malays.

Fawazur who is also an artist hope that his campaign which he does through his art work will make the society realize that the subject of keris (dagger) is not just a symbol to be be used during convocation and installation of the Sultans.It is a legacy for all Malays and we should keep this legacy alive.With that in mind,it will also help the few remaining 'tukang keris' to heighten their unique profession and perhaps pass down their knowledge to others.

"I am not a "tukang keris" therefore I paint and draw the hulu keris tajung as a subject matter hoping that my drawings and art will attract the younger generation to the keris." he said

In ancient days,the keris was said to have supernatural power.They can fly out from their sheath and kill their enemy.Some can even kill their enemy by shoving the dagger into the footsteps of the enemy.These are just myth and folklore. Myths are meant to entertain the listeners.

Abdul Mazin Abdul Jamal is a professional keris maker.He is 65 and he belongs to the fourth generation of the 'tukang keris' (keris maker )He resides in Padang Changkat ,Kuala Kangsar.

"Long ago the Malays in the Peninsular  used spears (lembing)till one day a woman decided to shorten the spear and turned it into a dagger called 'keris' so that the women of that era could hide it in their 'sanggul'(hair bun)."said Mazin . According to prof,this is subjective because it is not written in any book.

The keris is a double edge blade and there are straight blade and curved blades.Everything about the keris has  meanings.There are three types of keris,that is the 'keris anak alang' 'keris Sempana' and the keris hukum.We do not have to delve deep into the names unless one is going to pursue a PhD in this field.

The beauty of the keris lies at the hilt (hulu) because of the intricate carving and decorations. Look at how beautiful the "Taming Sari " is . This keris was presented to Hang Tuah by the Sultan of Malacca and it was a powerful dagger.Many stories were told about the Taming Sari but it is now part of the royal regalia of the Perak Sultanate. How it came to Perak remains a mystery. The logical explanation would be because of Sultan Muzaffar Shah, the first Sultan of Perak. Since he was from Malacca,it must have been brought along by him.

Legend has it that the 'Taming Sari 'was thrown into the sea by Hang Tuah because he killed his best friend Hang Jebat with that keris and somehow when Sultan Muzaffar reach Beting Beras Basah in Perak,it appeared,floating beside his ship.So that was how Sultan Muzaffar got the most talked about dagger in Malaysia. Then again it is a legend so lets leave it as it is.

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Ho Yan Hor

The Ho Yan Hor tea museum which is located at Jalan bukit timah right beside Han Chin Pet Soo museum was built to honour the man  called Dr.Ho Kai Cheong.His father was Ho Sin Leong from China and he came to Malaya and was stationed  in Kati,Kuala Kangsar. 

Therefore Dr.Ho was the first Chinese to be born in Kati. His father runs a kopitiam and that was how he cultivated his interest in tea making.

The museum was the orginal home of Dr Ho who initially rented a room for his family in 1941.After his success, he bought the building and the rest is history.

From the Ho Yan Hor herbal tea business, Ho set up the Ho Yan Hor Medical Hall, later renamed as Ho Yan Hor Sdn Bhd.
Today, it is known as Hovid Bhd, a public listed company.

"At the age of eight his father took him back to China and after six years he returned to Malaya.At 14 he decided to venture on his own telling his father that he no longer wants to work in the kopitiam. "said Ng Chen Yuan, the museum manager.

So he found a job in a Chinese medical hall."He was hardworking and was an avid reader.He learned about Chinese medicine through his books ."

" He managed to open a medical hall at the age of 17 and runs it for a year after which he was called  back to China to join the army .Later he went to Hong Kong and took up medicine at Canton University and graduated in 1940."said Ng.

He came back to Malaya and became a Chinese physician in Malim Nawar. Not long after his stint as a physician, he was caught by the Japanese because they thought that he was a spy for the British. He pleaded stubbornly to the Japanese saying "I am a doctor, not a spy  and my job is to treat the people." So by luck,he was set free.

He ran off to a Malay village and started planting padi in order to hide from the Japanese. He moved to Ipoh after the war and met his wife.At this point,he was totally broke but he had a mentor .

The mentor adviced him to sell his herbal tea on a small scale. With four dollars in his pocket, he started brewing his first pot of tea.Ho sold his tea within an hour.So happy he was, that he started his tea business from 5pm to 10pm and everyday he sold 1,200 cups. Lady luck was on his side and he started making money .Every night his hand shook while counting his money.

Ho was also known as a cycling entrepreneur.He cycled all over  Malaya to sell his tea and it took him three weeks to reach Kuala Lumpur with blisters all over.He made it and took half a year to get back home.

In 1948 he bought his first car, and in 1951 he bought his first Ho Yan Hor van for his business.

The museum shares the amazing stories of the founder and provides the discovery of the origins and evolution of the heritage herbal tea, including the 24 herbs used by Dr Ho to make his herbal Ho yan hor tea.

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