travel
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.
BWM Talk Series: If the Sky were to Fall . . . Unveiling hidden facts and forgotten history by Dr. Gary Lit Ying Loong
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Organised by Badan Warisan Malaysia
Date : Saturday, 23 November 2024
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
Through his “ground up” approach, Gary Lit will retrace and rediscover the untold stories and hidden facts in our national narrative. In his retelling of history, he interrogates the official narrative and exposes the myths and mysteries involved in this dark and dangerous period of our nation. This empowers the reimagining and promotes the reawakening of our interest in some of the most tumultuous and contentious events in our nation’s history. Among others, the speaker will be sharing his research on the under-estimated and under-appreciated role of the fifth column during the war and the secret operational base and details of Lim Bo Seng and his Force 136 agents. He will also enlighten us on how geography has shaped history and vice-versa, especially in his own Kinta Valley, a hotbed of guerrilla activities both during WW2 and Emergency war. The speaker has conducted successful seminars with many universities and schools in Australia, Malaysia and Singapore. Another series of seminars and lectures are being planned with the universities in Britain soon.
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: Penang Heritage Food & Traditional Objects Used for Cooking by Dr. Ong Jin Teong
Organised by Badan Warisan Malaysia.
BWM Talk Series Details
Date: Saturday, 17 August 2024
Time: 2:30 PM (Kuala Lumpur, GMT+8)
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.
Program:
2.00pm : Registration
2.30pm : Talk
3.15pm : Q&A session
3.30pm : Refreshments
Book signing
4.00pm : End of program
About the Talk
Dr. Ong Jin Teong will talk about Penang heritage food from a Nonya/Baba perspective, particularly regarding the predominantly Malay and Hokkien influences on Penang heritage food. He will also cover the South Indian and Thai influences, which distinguish Penang food from the Nonya food found in Melaka and Singapore. He will share insights on the Thai, Hainanese and English influences on Penang heritage food as well as explain the background and origins of the traditional Nonya dishes.
Jin Teong’s talk topics will include kuihs and food prepared using traditional utensils used for cooking. He will explain the rationale for his third book and provide brief highlights from main chapters of “THE TASTES OF HOME – Easy-to-Cook Dishes from Singapore and Malaysia”.
About the Speaker
Dr. Ong Jin Teong was born and raised in a Penang Nonya family. He was encouraged by his mother to cook at an early age. After obtaining his PhD from Imperial College, he joined Cable & Wireless, an international telecommunications company in London. He then moved to Singapore where he was a University professor specialising in wireless communications and systems. After his retirement from the Nanyang Technological University’s College of Engineering – Electrical Engineering, he continued to act as a consultant in wireless engineering and added another field of consultancy – Nonya Heritage food including Nonya cuisine.
He has extensively researched Penang and Nonya cuisines and is a sought-after authority on the subjects. He lectures, photographs, runs the occasional supper club and conducts classes on cooking and heritage related to food.
Jin Teong is the author of “NONYA HERITAGE KITCHEN: Origins, Utensils and Recipes” and “PENANG HERITAGE FOOD: Yesterday’s Recipes for Today’s Cook”. Both books won the Best Culinary History national award at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. “NONYA HERITAGE KITCHEN” then went on to win the Best in the World Award in the final round in May 2017 at Yantai, China. “THE TASTES OF HOME – Easy-to-Cook Dishes from Singapore and Malaysia” is his latest book.
BWM Talk Series: The Birth and Early Years of Badan Warisan Malaysia by Datin Waveney Jenkins
Badan Warisan Malaysia is delighted to organise a talk entitled ‘The Birth and Early Years of Badan Warisan Malaysia’ by our Life Member, Datin Waveney Jenkins. Datin Waveney is very committed in the preservation of Malaysia’s built heritage and has been instrumental in the BWM’s early work and formation where she was on board as a Council Member until 1995, and as Honorary Council Member from 1996 to 2013.
She is currently visiting Malaysia from Europe and we are happy to have this opportunity for her to share her stories on how Badan Warisan Malaysia came to be, including anecdotes about founder members and the groundbreaking work that were done in early days.
Date: 24 February 2024, Saturday
Time: 10.00AM
Venue: Badan Warisan Heritage Centre, No. 2 Jalan Stonor, Kuala Lumpur
Fee: RM30 for Non-Member, FREE for BWM Member
The in-person talk will be held at Badan Warisan Heritage Centre. Please register in advance via the online form HERE to secure your seats for this event.
BWM Talk Series: Community Engagement Programmes in the Conservation of Heritage Buildings in Sarawak, Malaysia by Professor Dr. A Ghafar Bin Ahmad.
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Badan Warisan Malaysia is pleased to kick start our events this year with our BWM Talk Series on the topic, “Community Engagement Programmes in the Conservation of Heritage Buildings in Sarawak, Malaysia” by Professor Dr. A Ghafar Bin Ahmad.
Date: 20 January 2024
Time: 4.00PM
Venue: Virtual via Zoom Webinar
Click HERE to register!
About The Talk
Sarawak has more than 15 forts built during the Brooke administration over the period of 100 years. Under the (then) Antiquities Ordinance 1958 and the Sarawak Cultural Heritage Ordinance 1993, these heritage forts have been gazetted and conserved by the Sarawak Museum Department in lieu of heritage values for future generations. Under the Eleventh Malaysia Plan (2016-2020), the Government of Malaysia through the Sarawak State Government and related government agencies including Sarawak Museum Department and Sarawak Public Works Department has allocated an amount of RM25 million to restore five colonial forts in Sarawak including Fort Emma (located in Kanowit), Fort Hose (Marudi), Fort Lili (Betong), Fort Brooke (Julau) and Fort Sylvia (Kapit). Accordingly, under the provisional sum of the project contract, Fort Emma received an allocation of RM45,000, Fort Hose RM35,000 and Fort Lili RM20,000 to conduct community engagement programmes with the local folks including ritual ceremonies, workshops, dialogues, site visits, public awareness and publicity.
Community engagement programme is a vital component in any heritage building conservation project because it allows the local communities to garner a deeper understanding of the significance of their cultural heritage; to encourage and facilitate community insights, views and feedbacks about the current project; and to nurture trust and foster relationships among the various stakeholders. This talk focuses on the community engagement programmes conducted during the conservation projects of three selected heritage forts of Fort Emma, Fort Lili and Fort Hose in Sarawak.
About The Speaker
Dr. A Ghafar Ahmad is a professor at the School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. He obtained his Doctor of Philosophy (Building Conservation) from the University of Sheffield, UK, Master of Architecture (Urban Design) from Kent State University, Ohio, USA; and Bachelor of Science (Architecture) from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA. He is a registered conservator under the Department of National Heritage (JWN); and an Honorary Curator (Building Conservation) for the Sarawak Museum Department. He is also a member of the National Heritage Council, ICOMOS Malaysia, National Heritage Council, and Chairman of the Architectural Heritage and Landscape Committee (under JWN). He was the International Correspondent from Malaysia for Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU), Nara, Japan (2008-2022) and Penang Technical Review Panel (2010-2022).
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