Latest Event Updates
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.
Kampong Bharu Walk
Organised by Badan Warisan Malaysia
Date : 8 February 2025
Time : 10.00am -12.00pm
Meeting Point : To be confirmed
Fee : RM 50 (Exclusive to BWM members)
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.
BWM Talk Series: Kampong Bharu KL: Unsung Past, Uncapped Present, Unclear Future by Ar. Najib Ariffin
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Organised by Badan Warisan Malaysia
Kampong Bharu KL: Unsung Past, Uncapped Present, Unclear Future
Date : 25 January 2025
Time : 10.30 am
Location : Badan Warisan Heritage Centre, No. 2 Jalan Stonor, Kuala Lumpur
Light refreshments will be served.
Click HERE to register.
About the Talk
Pretty much all KL-ites know Kampung Bharu, but most don’t realise that it is one of the most unique places in any Southeast Asian capital; an over 120-year-old Malay Agricultural Settlement that’s now a ‘crater’ of low-rise mixed residential buildings plus popular eateries and shops, all surrounded completely by skyscrapers including the Petronas Twins, and where you can find the last of the traditional Malay family timber houses in the city. For now it’s still a surviving repository of history, lifestyle and architecture, but it may not be long before re-development makes them all disappear. This talk explores what made Kampong Bharu unique, why is it important, and what next?
About the Speaker
Ahmad Najib Ariffin or Nadge is a man of many interests. Born in Kuala Lumpur on the eve of 1967, he was raised in Europe, Singapore and elsewhere, and speaks 7 languages. One of his first professional interests was in architectural history and cultural heritage, which were stirred when studying Building Sciences and Architecture across the USA, also in Italy and Turkey, earning Degrees in each field. His personal interest in heritage and history were then raised when he discovered that his father descends from Javanese kings who built the great Borobudur and Prambanan temples, while his maternal grandmother was a lesser princess of the Qing Dynasty. He left full-time architectural practice in 1996 to pursue consultancy work under his own research academy, NADGE. He has since travelled the world including presenting research papers at LVDM-Naples, Italy; DoCoMoMo-Tokyo and Xi’an, China where he was conferred the L’Union Internationale des Architectes Heritage Award. His passion and knowledge keep him free being a salaryman, even though he lives like the proverbial penniless prince.
Season’s Greetings 2024
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As we approach the festive season, we would like to extend our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. May this season bring joy, peace, and cherished moments with family and friends!
We are excited to share that we have already begun planning a fantastic lineup of events for next year. Check out the latest list on our website. Be sure to mark your calendars—we can’t wait to see you at our events!
Please note that our office, Badan Warisan Heritage Centre, Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman and Chen Voon Fee Resource Centre will be closed from 24 December 2024 to 1 January 2025 for the year-end break. We will resume operations on 2 January 2025.
Thank you for your support throughout the year, and we look forward to an inspiring 2025 together!
BWM Talk Series: Reimagining Spaces: Studio Bikin’s Journey in Adaptive Reuse
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Organised by Badan Warisan Malaysia
Date : Saturday, 11 January 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:
Over the last 12 years of practice, Studio Bikin has organically designed and executed many adaptive re-use projects in Malaysia, consistently striving to contribute to delivering exceptional projects that leave a lasting impact by challenging the ordinary and reshaping the possible. They will summarise their design approach and some of the key projects over the years and focus on sharing two of the more recent projects: Else Kuala Lumpur, a boutique hotel on Jalan Tun HS Lee Kuala Lumpur, and Pasar Besar, an interior fit out for a Malaysian supermarket and food hall within the historic Central Market Kuala Lumpur.
Speakers:
Adela Askandar received her BA and Masters in Architecture from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, in 2000, after which she trained at Lisa Shell design, an architectural practice in London for 2 years and gained her RIBA license. She joined Unit One design consultancy in Kuala Lumpur, where she led projects including the Leisure FarmVillas (winner, WAN international residential awards 2009), and Love Lane (winner PAM award 2006 for Adaptive Reuse). She also enjoyed collaborations with other creatives that allow further nurturing of ideas – this culminated in her curation of ‘Processing the City’, an exhibition that focused on artists and architects’ observations and interpretations of the Kuala Lumpur, held at the Central Market Annexe Gallery in September 2007. In 2008 she gained experience in the education sector at TP Bennet Architects, London, working on a project under the ‘Building Schools for the Future’ program. Adela also taught alongside practice and enjoyed collaborations with other designers, including Farah, which culminated in them formally setting up Studio Bikin (‘Make’ Studio) in 2012. She is interested in how architecture and design can transform and improve the urban and rural human experience whilst solving the commercial realities, some of which is reflected in the endeavors of Bikin’s projects through activating forgotten buildings and interstitial urban spaces. The Studio’s collaborative approach in achieving the client’s goals often contributes to a more dynamic, meaningful result spanning cultural, community-based, as well as commercial projects.
Farah Azizan (born in Penang) obtained her BA in architecture at Nottingham University, UK and pursued her diploma in architecture at the Architecture Association, London. Upon graduating in 2004, she worked part-time for Tonkin Liu Architects, returned to Kuala Lumpur and joined Seksan Design, where she practiced landscape and architectural design for 6 years. There she expanded her design skills as a designer, consistently blending art, architecture, and landscape into the projects she led. In 2012, she set up Studio Bikin with Adela Askandar a multi-disciplinary studio practice that is passionate about design and assumes a very hands-on approach on all their projects, valuing craftsmanship, detail, and sensitivity towards the context and environment within which they build. Her intuitive grasp of spatial dynamics and aesthetics allows her to orchestrate environments that resonate deeply with human emotions. Under Farah and Adela’s directorship, they foster an environment of collaboration and relentless curiosity by crafting immersive narratives that resonate in response to the client’s brief. Having a strong foundation in architectural principles and a dedication to creating functional yet visually captivating spaces, the studio has consistently contributed to delivering exceptional projects that leave a lasting impact by challenging the ordinary and reshaping the possible. Key projects led by Farah include Else Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh Hotel, Pasar Besar, BIG Supermarkets, Monterez House, Kong Heng Villas, APW, Hit & Mrs.
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