BWM Talk Series: From Land to Legacy

Posted on October 22, 2025

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Date : 1 November 2025
Time : 10.30 am
Location : Badan Warisan Heritage Centre, No. 2 Jalan Stonor, Kuala Lumpur
Fee : RM30 per person (non-members), Free for BWM members
Light refreshments will be served.

Click HERE to register.

About The Talk
Sentosa Janda Baik was founded by two eccentric souls, Kamarul and Frances, who built the property’s gardens and homes from imagination and heart, a lifelong act of love to preserve Malaysian culture through nature, art, heritage and shared community.

The property was never built with profit in mind. From the start, our journey with Sentosa Janda Baik has been about staying true to what this space was always meant to be, meaningful, rooted, real, and a place where people could come to learn something new.

For us at Sentosa, it was never about changing what was originally built but about continuing the vision and making it more vivid and accessible to all. We refined what was already there, improving the gardens, restoring the houses, and shaping the property so it could welcome everyone, regardless of ability. Small comforts like a new pool and jacuzzi have been added to Rumah Sentosa, not to alter our kampung house’s essence, but to make it comfortable for the modern world.

Our work at Sentosa has always been guided by a deep sense of purpose, keeping the spirit of our family’s estate alive while opening it up for others to experience and learn from.

Through this talk, Omar Ariff reflects on how Sentosa Janda Baik continues to grow as a living space for Malaysian heritage. He shares the ways we have chosen to preserve culture through connection. Every part of Sentosa carries an intention to teach, to spark curiosity, and to remind visitors that culture is not just something to be seen, but something to be lived and shared.

About The Speaker
Omar Ariff is a self-taught photographer and diver whose work is rooted in curiosity, observation, and a deep respect for nature. His journey began beneath the surface as a licensed diving instructor, where he first discovered his love for photography through capturing the quiet beauty of marine life. Over time, his lens moved from the ocean to the land, documenting people, places, and cultures that tell stories of connection and heritage.

He has travelled widely across the world, from Africa and Russia to China, Europe, and Southeast Asia, photographing landscapes and everyday lives that reflect the beauty and diversity of human experience. These journeys strengthened his urge to share stories, to teach, and to create spaces where learning and community come together.

At Sentosa Janda Baik, Omar and his family continue their legacy of preservation and storytelling. Through their work, they have shaped the estate into a living space for Malaysian heritage, a place where nature, art and culture meet, and where people can experience what it truly means to connect with place and story.