Month: December 2025
Preloved Clothes Fair
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Refresh your wardrobe sustainably at our Preloved Clothes Fair.
Join us on Friday & Saturday, 16–17 January 2026, from 10.00am to 5.00pm at the Badan Warisan Heritage Centre.
Discover quality pre-loved clothing while supporting Badan Warisan Malaysia’s work in heritage conservation.
Entry: RM10 (free for children below 12 years old)
#preloved #handpicked #thrifting
2025 Season’s Greetings
As we approach the end of the year, we would also like to take this opportunity to thank our members, donors, volunteers, and friends for your continued support throughout 2025. Your encouragement and commitment play an important role in sustaining our work in heritage advocacy and conservation.
Please note that our Heritage Centre will be closed during the year-end break. We look forward to welcoming you again in the new year.
Season’s greetings and best wishes for the year ahead. Terima Kasih for your continued support!
BWM Talk Series : Reincarnation of Johor Bahru Prison
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Organised by Badan Warisan Malaysia
Session 1: Identity Reinterpretation of Johor Bahru Prison as a Difficult Heritage Site
Session 2: The Journey of KotaJail
Date : 24 January 2026 (Saturday)
Time : 10.30am
Location : Badan Warisan Heritage Centre, No. 2 Jalan Stonor, Kuala Lumpur
Fee: RM20 per person (non-members), Free for BWM members
Light refreshments will be served.
Click HERE to register.
About the Talk
“Difficult heritage” refers to sites or buildings that are challenging to preserve due to their complex cultural, social, and historical significance, or the sensitive issues they represent. These sites often involve polarizing themes with negative connotations that can spark public debate and opposition, especially when they relate to trauma, death, war, or tragedy.
A prominent example of “difficult heritage” in the Malaysian context is the Johor Bahru Prison, built in 1883. The site has witnessed the development of the modern Johor administration, the World Wars, the Japanese Occupation, the formation of Malaya, post-independence eras, and eventually its closure in 2005. In the case of difficult heritage buildings specifically, demolition has often been seen as the easiest option, as places associated with national or communal trauma can be distressing and are sometimes perceived as things better forgotten.
Through these two consecutive talk sessions, Muhammad Khusairi will invite the audience to explore the thought processes, philosophical concepts, conflicting opinions, and global perspectives surrounding how “difficult heritage” is often overlooked and gradually forgotten. Together with Zul Abas, they will share the journey of transforming the abandoned Johor Bahru Prison into what is now known as KotaJail, Johor Bahru’s first heritage prison.
About the Speakers
Muhammad Khusairi is a practicing architect and a PhD researcher in the built environment, specializing in heritage and conservation. His interest in the concept of “difficult heritage” began during his Master’s research at Universiti Malaya in 2022, where he explored sustainable adaptive reuse strategies for such heritage sites, using the then-abandoned Johor Bahru Prison as his case study. In early 2025, through mutual acquaintances, Muhammad Khusairi connected with Zul Abas, a former power plant engineer who has been running a creative agency under the JOHO brand in Johor Bahru since 2009, focusing on Johor’s potential in art, creativity, and tourism. Sharing a common vision for heritage preservation, they began collaborating to rethink the future of Johor Bahru Prison, now known as KotaJail. Their collaboration aims to shape a thoughtful direction for the conservation of the prison complex, ensuring its historical identity is preserved while embracing meaningful, community-driven reuse.
BWM Talk Series : Folklore Lives: The Soul, Story, and Spirit of Our People by Ninot Aziz
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Organised by Badan Warisan Malaysia
Date : 10 January 2026 (Saturday)
Time : 10.30 am
Location : Badan Warisan Heritage Centre, No. 2 Jalan Stonor, Kuala Lumpur
Fee: RM20 per person (non-members), Free for BWM members
Light refreshments will be served.
Click HERE to register.
About the Talk
In a time of rapid change, folklore stands as the living memory of a people — holding within it the soul of the Malays, the Kadazan, the Iban, and all indigenous voices of Malaysia. These are not mere tales from the past, but vessels of priceless, untapped knowledge — rich with cultural identity, ancestral wisdom, and values that shaped our land.
This talk explores why oral traditions must be honoured and safeguarded, not only as cultural artefacts but as living legacies vital to Malaysia’s dignity, diversity, and future.
About the Speaker
Ninot Aziz is a Malaysian award winning author, poet, and cultural advocate celebrated as Srikandi Kesusasteraan or the Hikayat Lady for reviving Malay legends and oral traditions. With over 50 titles penned, the Hikayat Fandom Founder and President of PERSALINA is renowned for her international collaboration. With works translated to Italian, German and more recently Persian, her poetry and book DRAGONLORE, part of NASA’s Lunar Codex, now rests on the Moon – a tribute to the enduring spirit of the Malay world.
The Official Launch of Heritage Kampung Garden in the City
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On 30 November 2025, we shared a meaningful morning at the Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman as Badan Warisan Malaysia officially launched the Heritage Kampung Garden in the City. Officiated by the YBrs Puan Hanum Ain Binti Zainal, Director, Project Implementation & Building Maintenance Department, DBKL. The event highlighted the transformation of this hidden heritage gem into a vibrant urban oasis in the heart of KLCC.
Badan Warisan Malaysia extends our warmest appreciation to SLB as a Legacy Sponsor. Their commitment to the environment supported the development of our production garden around our Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman, strengthening the revitalized larger heritage garden’s biodiversity and long-term sustainability. A special thank you also to Inchscape, our landscape architect and Legacy Sponsor, whose creativity shaped every path, planting layer and viewpoint in the Heritage Kampung Garden in the City. Inch Lim’s thoughtful design has transformed the grounds of Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman into a calm and peaceful, inviting space that feels both traditional and contemporary. Finally, we appreciate the support of Yayasan Hasanah, our Eco Sponsor, whose support enabled us to kickstart our journey to develop the Heritage Kampung Garden in the City.
The newly revitalised garden that surrounds the Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman at No. 2 Jalan Stonor is now officially open! Complete with colourful plantings, a tiered pond and bridge, and a production garden of traditional medicinal plants, this garden not only enriches the site’s heritage value, but also supports BWM’s cultural and educational outreach. Free to visit during BWM’s operating hours, the garden invites everyone to explore, learn, and enjoy this one-of-a-kind green space in central KL.
Visitors may also plan their visit to coincide with our guided tour of Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman, available daily at 11.00am and 3.00pm. Guided tours are complimentary for Badan Warisan Malaysia members, as well as members of National Trusts within the International National Trusts Organisation (INTO) network. Click HERE for more information on the INTO Places Scheme.
#INTOPlaces
Council 2026
We are pleased to have held our 42nd Annual General Meeting today, 6 December 2025.
We are delighted to have Rob Morris re-elected as our Honorary Treasurer and Datuk TPr. Ismail Ibrahim re-elected as Council Member.
This year, we bid farewell and extend our heartfelt thanks to our retiring Council Members – Ar. Anand Krishnan, Habsah Abang Saufi, Johan Razak, and Datin TPr. Noraida Saludin. We also express our deep appreciation to our long-standing Vice President, Dato’ Zahim Albakri. We thank them for their dedication and support throughout their tenure, which strengthened our organisation and mission.
Thank you to all who attended, we’re happy to enjoy another opportunity to catch up and reconnect.
As we move forward, we remain committed to champion built heritage, fostering awareness, increasing our education efforts and outreach on heritage so that our architectural legacy continues to inspire future generations.
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