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BWM Talk Series: ‘The Restoration of Rumah 1916′ by Dato’ Zahim Albakri
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Organised by Badan Warisan Malaysia.
Date : 9 August 2025
Time : 10.30 am (fully booked), new slot added: 2.00pm
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
This presentation traces the personal journey of Dato’ Zahim Albakri, Deputy President of Badan Warisan Malaysia and an award-winning actor dan director, to restore Rumah 1916, the century-old family home of his great grandparents, Toh Seri Amar DiRaja Haji Sulaiman and Datin Hajjah Andak Jijah, in Batu Gajah, Perak Darul Ridzuan. Known as the Royal English School Batu Gajah since it became the home of the educational institution in 1970, Rumah 1916 was inherited by Dato’ Zahim and his siblings from their father, renowned Malaysian architect the late Dato’ Ikmal Hisham Albakri through his mother, Datin Seri Puteh Sawifah binti Haji Sulaiman. After many earlier attempts to conserve the heritage building, restoration work on Rumah 1916 began in early 2024 and is now in its last stages before completion. Dato’ Zahim will take you through the history of his family and Batu Gajah as well as the process of the restoration of this unique example of Malaysia’s built heritage.
About the Speaker
Dato’ Zahim Albakri is an award-winning actor, theatre and film director, and the artistic director of Dramalab. A founding member of Instant Café Theatre, he has worked across stage, screen, and television for over two decades. His acting accolades include Best Actor (Anugerah Skrin, Odissi) and Best Solo Performance (Boh Cameronian, The Smell of Language). As a director, he’s helmed acclaimed productions like Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical, Gold Rain & Hailstones, and Spilt Gravy on Rice, winning multiple Boh Cameronian and National Arts Awards. He directed the film adaptation of Spilt Gravy, which won Best Film at FFM 2022. Zahim is a life member and currently Deputy President of Badan Warisan Malaysia.
BWM Talk Series: ‘SENTUL GEMS” – Hidden Treasure of the East’ by Gunasegaran Ramachandran
Organised by Badan Warisan Malaysia
Date: 19 July 2025
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
The Central Workshops, located in Sentul of the Federated Malay States Railways (FMSR) was initially set up by the Colonial British Administration in 1905 as a stand-alone “One-stop Centre” to provide the engineering support to keep the railways as a well-oiled mode of transport to transport the raw materials that Malaya produced i.e. rubber and tin via the ports of the Straits Settlement (primarily Singapore and Penang) to the epicenter of the Empire – London, England to produce the goods and services that can be re-exported to the colonies to sustain the Empire.
Fast Forward to circa 1997, the 4pm siren sounded, and the tradesmen and staff started to leave the workshop that had provided the support for the Malayan railways to run its system smoothly with minimal interruptions (except for the war years) for the better part of 90 years of the 20th century. The doors finally closed at the workshops, and an eerie silence pervades the environs of the complex today.
Gunasegaran will share content from his book to document the various “shops” that constituted the workshop, so that future generations would know about the importance and historical value of the site, and its contribution to the economic development of Colonial Malaya and subsequently the Federation of Malaysia. The evolution of Sentul as a Railway town for the better part of the 20th century was because of the existence of the workshop.
About The Speaker
The author was born in Sentul in 1954 to a second generation railway family, his father and grandfather worked in the Railway workshop complex in Sentul. He completed his early education in La Salle Sentul and left to the UK in 1972, then graduated with a Chemical Engineering degree in 1978 at the University of Bradford in West Yorkshire, UK. He subsequently worked in the field of Industrial Water and process treatment in the downstream sector of the Oil, Gas and Power industries in the UK, Saudi Arabia, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and East Asia that spanned 40 years. He retired in 2020 and keeps busy volunteering for two charities. For relaxation, he enjoys a game of golf regularly. He is married to Rani, has two daughters – Suba and Veenah – and resides in Petaling Jaya.
BWM Talk Series: ‘Niah Cave Heritage – A Perspective from Ancient Fauna’ by Lim Tze Tshen
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Organised by Badan Warisan Malaysia.
Date: 12 July 2025
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
Archaeological exploration and excavations at Niah cave since the 1950s by teams of researchers from Sarawak Museum, in collaboration with other institutions, have not only revealed undisputed skeletal and material cultural evidence of the earliest presence of modern humans (Homo sapiens) known in Borneo and Malaysia, but have also recovered substantial amounts of non-human animal remains from the archaeological deposits inside the cave. These ancient animal remains that are associated with prehistoric humans and their daily activities are an integral part of the archaeological sites at Niah. They enrich the archaeological interpretation of the sites through an additional human-animal dimension stretching back in time to at least 45,000 years ago. Moreover, they provide us with a unique opportunity to understand faunal changes in prehistoric Borneo in response to environmental and anthropogenic influences. This talk, aimed at the general public, will trail the fascinating early history of archaeological research at Niah, with particular focus on the various milestones of achievement that continuously redefine our knowledge concerning Borneo biodiversity heritage. Draws heavily on the many important archaeological faunal specimens recently repatriated from Leiden-Cambridge to Sarawak in 2022/23 and some of the remarkable historical documents in the archives of Sarawak Museum Department, the speaker will lead the audience into the deeper prehistoric world of Malaysia’s latest UNESCO World Heritage Site.
About The Speaker
By profession, Lim Tze Tshen is a zooarchaeologist and vertebrate palaeontologist specializes in the study of fossil mammals, especially elephants and primates. He studied zooarchaeology and received his Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree from the Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge in 2018. From 2019 to 2020, he was a research fellow and guest curator of the Sarawak Museum Campus Project, Kuching, where he worked on the rich ancient animal remains recovered from excavations at Niah archaeological sites. Before that, as a research associate at the Zoology Museum, Universiti Malaya, he was responsible for curating one of the most important and comprehensive animal bones collections in the country. The opportunity allowed him to conduct scientific research based on the collections kept in several museums across Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah. Besides that, he also actively engages in limestone hills and caves biodiversity conservation, mainly through a series of field surveys conducted together with research teams from the Geology Department and the Institute of Biological Sciences of University Malaya, as well as with professional experts from the Malaysian Cave and Karst Conservancy and other grassroots NGOs. Combining prehistoric sites exploration in the field and collection-based studies in museums, his current research topics focus on the evolutionary history of ancient mammal faunas of southeast Asia and its bearing on modern-day biodiversity conservation. A founding and committee member of the Malaysian Biodiversity Collections Society, he is also the honorary secretary of the Friends of Sarawak Museum, an NGO dedicated to promoting the appreciation of Sarawak’s heritage through its museums.
BWM SUMMER SALE 2025
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Our Summer Sale is Back at BWM!
We’re pleased to organise another round of our Summer Sale, featuring a curated selection of new and preloved items, unique artisan goods, and hidden treasures waiting to be discovered!
Come and support us!
Date: 17 May 2025
Time: 10AM – 5PM
Venue: Badan Warisan Heritage Centre, No. 2 Jalan Stonor, Kuala Lumpur
Admission: RM10 per person. #ShopForAGoodCause
#Preloved #newcollections
BWM Talk Series: The Trials and Tribulations of the residents of Kinta Valley during the Japanese Occupation and Emergency period- Recollections, Reflections and Retrospection by Professor Dr. Gary Lit Ying Loong
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Organised by Badan Warisan Malaysia.
Date : 10 May 2025
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
Given the location of the Force 136 and MPAJA camp at Bidor Peak, Kinta Valley was the most active in anti-Japanese activities during the war. As a result, Bidor and the surrounding towns in Kinta Valley bore the brunt of Japanese atrocities and brutalities. Thanks to the legacy of the Japanese Occupation, the struggles and sacrifices of the Kinta Valley folks continued through the dark and dangerous years of the Emergency war. Through his “ground-up” approach, the speaker will retrace and recover the untold stories and hidden facts relating to the most tumultuous period of the nation’s history. In his retelling of history, he interrogates the “top-down” narrative and exposes the myths and mysteries involved in this tumultuous period of our nation. As with the first talk, the speaker will be sharing some fascinating facts and intriguing details.
About The Speaker
Born in Kampar, Perak in 1959, Gary Lit Ying Loong pursued his university studies at the National University of Singapore under the prestigious Public Service Commission scholarship. For his post-graduate studies, he obtained both his master degrees in the UK and completed his PhD with the University of Melbourne in Australia.
A retired academician from Nanyang Technological University, Gary Lit is director of GL Academy and Consultancy in Singapore as well as a visiting professor to some National Universities in Asia and Europe. He is also a regular contributor to both the Star and New Sunday Times newspaper as well as a popular guide for a series of successful heritage tours around Kinta Valley. His book “If the Sky were to Fall . . .” is a bottom-up inter-generational story of trials and tribulations facing the common folks during and after the wars in the Kinta Valley. It was ranked among “Top Ten” in Malaysia for 2023 and is still on the “Best-Seller” list in Kinokuniya at KLCC after two years.
BWM Talk Series: Melaka’s UNESCO Listing At Risk? by Serge Jardin
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Organised by Badan Warisan Malaysia
Date : 24 May 2025
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
Join us as Serge takes us on a personal journey through two field studies: an occupational typology of Jonker Walk from 1994 to 2025 and an analysis of public information boards designed for tourists. He will examine the transformation of Jonker Walk from a vibrant historic enclave to a site increasingly shaped by mass tourism, highlighting the shift from its recognition as a World Heritage Site to its commercialization in line with World Tourism Day. Serge will explore the rapid erosion of Old Melaka’s social fabric, questioning whether the current trajectory endangers its heritage status. With parallels drawn to George Town, he will address possible future scenarios— will Melaka be in the UNESCO’s Danger List or even face delisting? This talk invites reflection on the challenges of heritage conservation in the face of relentless tourism-driven change.
About The Speaker
Serge Jardin is a memory smuggler. He was born in France, Centre-Val de Loire Region. He holds a Master degree in History from University of Paris and a Bachelor degree in Geography from University of Orléans.
After a stint as a teacher, he discovered the tourism industry, and travelled extensively around the world. In Malaysia for almost forty years, he worked as tour leader, tourist guide, travel agent and hotelier. Married to a Melakan, he is today living in old Melaka.
Serge had written and published the following books:
2010: Rêver Malacca
2013: Malaisie, un certain regard, with Sylvie Gradeler
2014: Malacca Style, with a Melakan photographer, Tham Ze Hoe
2021: Diary of a French Missionary, Penang during the Japanese Occupation.
2023: French Memories of Malaysia, Literary Excursions and Fortuitous Encounters
2024: Jean Guidon de Chambelle, Voyage to the Great Indies (1644-1651) (an., ed., tr.)
Today, he is busy with Factual Accuracy of Melaka History and Setting the Records Straight.
BWM Talk Series: Place-Making For Unprotected Green Spaces by Dr. Michal Switalski
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Organised by Badan Warisan Malaysia
Date : Saturday, 22 March 2025
Time : 10.30AM
Venue : 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
The trade-off between urban development and safe-guarding our natural and cultural heritage is a challenge faced across all corners of the globe, yet requires local and context specific solutions. In this talk, Dr Michal Switalski will introduce place-making (through the lenses of theory, research and practice) as a way of transitioning from trade-offs to synergies for sustainable transformations.
About The Speaker
Dr. Michal Switalski is a staff member of the Professorship for Landscape and Environmental Planning at ETH Zürich. His research interests include the relevance of people-place relationships for landscape planning, the rural-urban continuum and peri-urban areas, land systems modelling with a focus on integrating qualitative features within quantitative frameworks, and landscape aesthetics and preferences.
He is involved in the GLOBESCAPE research project, that will contribute to a next generation of tools and methods to foster the development of resilient landscapes; this is in response to urbanization that threatens landscape diversity and brings along new social and environmental problems.
Kampong Bharu Walk
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Due to the overwhelming response to our last walk, we’re excited to organise another session of the Kampong Bharu Walk, open to both members and non-members.
Organised by Badan Warisan Malaysia
Date : 12 April 2025
Time : 10.00am -12.00pm
Meeting Point : To be confirmed
Fee : RM 50 (BWM members) or RM100 (non member)
Limited to 15 pax
Click HERE to register.
About The Walk
This walk brings alive the area’s historical narratives, tracing its origins as a group of older Malay villages amalgamated into the Malay Agricultural Settlement, and its transformation over the years. Ar. Nadge Ariffin will share insights into Kampong Bharu’s role in Kuala Lumpur’s urban development and how it continues to (precariously) balance modernisation with the preservation of its cultural identity. This walk promises to be an engaging journey through the past, present and future of one of the city’s most iconic neighborhoods.
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BWM Members’ Trip: Heritage Jaunt to Penang
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Badan Warisan Malaysia has organised a Members’ Trip to George Town, Penang, a UNESCO Heritage Site, and we are pleased to curate a special itinerary for heritage lovers to sample this island’s charms. This trip includes visiting several heritage sites such as one of the oldest Anglican churches in Southeast Asia, the largest & oldest fort in Malaysia, and VIP access to a heritage mansion on Millionaire’s Row. Members will also learn about two unique conservation projects from renowned experts at Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and Fort Cornwallis, as well as savour culinary delights.
Trip Highlights:
- Guided tour at the iconic Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, also known as The Blue Mansion, with a talk on heritage conservation by Professor Ar. Laurence Loh, past president of Badan Warisan Malaysia.
- Site visit to learn about the conservation and restoration project of Fort Cornwallis that was implemented by George Town Conservation and Development Corporation (GTCDC), a partnership between Penang Chief Minister Incorporated and Think City with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture as the technical advisor. This guided tour will be led by Conservation Architect Francesco Siravo and Master Builder Giovanni Santo, both of whom have extensive international experience in heritage site conservation.
- Special visit and access within Pro Cathedral of St. George the Martyr and the Homestead.
- Lunch at Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery, a Michelin star restaurant for authentic Nyonya cuisine. Buffet dinner at Mangga, a café at The Blue Mansion.
Proposed Itinerary
Friday, 21 February 2025
| Time | Activities |
| 7.30am | Meet at KL Sentral. Travel by train (08.05am) |
| 12.10pm | Arrive in Butterworth, Penang |
| 1.30pm | Check-in SAVV Hotel in George Town |
| 3.30pm | Guided Tour at Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion |
| Heritage Talk by Professor Ar. Laurence Loh | |
| 6.00pm | Dinner at Mangga |
Saturday, 22 February 2025
| Time | Activities |
| 7.00am | Guided Tour at Fort Cornwallis |
| 8.30am | Breakfast |
| 9.30am | Visit to Pro Cathedral of St. George the Martyr |
| 10.00am | Visit to Homestead Heritage Mansion |
| 12.30pm | Lunch at Auntie Gaik Lean’s (Michelin Star Nyonya Restaurant) |
| 4.00pm | Train from Penang to KL |
| 8.10pm | Arrive in KL Sentral |
Fee per person (Twin sharing basis):
Programs, Transport, Hotel & Meals
- Member RM 950
- Non Member RM 1,200
Programs & Meals for Penang portion only, excluding Transport and Hotel (*Subject to availability)
- Member RM 480
- Non Member RM 650
*Please contact Syuhada at syuhada@badanwarisan.org.my if you are interested in joining us for selected activities in Penang. Do not pay deposit until confirmation is made.
Click HERE to register.
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