The land belonged to his mother, Che Manjalara. She gave it to Tunku and he built this house at a cost of 20K.... It was a place he frequented often and he would hold meetings there with his peers such as Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Tan Sri Khir Johari to name a few. It was a place for him to relax and at the same time plan his strategies for the early general elections. Also this was where he met with the Indonesians during the Konfrantasi of the 60s. And here also he would come for peace and quiet to write the scripts for the movies 'Raja Bersiong' and 'Mahsuri'. It's a nice place, partly because the National Archives has done a wonderful job preserving it. The sprawling grounds are very well kept.
There is this little pondok right outside the house, surrounded by lush greenery. 
At the side of the house, this really beautiful tree sits by the little man-made pond. It must be really old and must have seen many eventful decisions of the country made here and heard many secrets, state and personal.
The front view of the house...a mix of old Malay architecture and also the western mansions of that particular age, reflected in the mix of brick and wood used in its construction.
An interesting exhibit in the grounds is Tunku's boat which he named Sri Banang. He would often take a cruise down the river in this boat. After health reasons prevented him from taking further cruises, he presented this to the National Archives for preservation.
There is a river at the back of the house... in the feudal setting, houses were often built beside or near the river so that people could move easily on the river. It was an age when the waterways were the highways of the day. Trade and commerce flourished where the rivers went. Back in Tunku's day, the mindset hadn't changed very much. The river was still the choice place to build one's abode. These days to stay near the river means your house will be among the first to be flooded...even when there is no rain!The river was rather clean too. I was told by a friend whose mother is in her 80s now that in her teens, the water in the river was clean and clear. These days, pollution coupled with logging and development upstream have all contributed a murky and brownish colour to the water. And it's not uncommon sight to see plastic bags, sofa sets floating in the river. Tis a sad state.
Anyway, this was an interesting and pleasant discovery...
1 comment:
Hi there! I didn't know there's such a place. Just moved back to Alor Star after so many years in KL. This is helpful..Thanks!
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