Latest Event Updates
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faunal specimens recently repatriated from Leiden-Cambridge to Sarawak in 2022/23 and some of the remarkable historical documents in the archives of Sarawak Museum Department, the speaker will lead the audience into the deeper prehistoric world of Malaysia’s latest UNESCO World Heritage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.
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.
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