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Letter From Pahang
‘They’re scared to stay’: Some turn old Malay houses into welcoming resorts
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The White Gallery at Sentosa Janda Baik features owner Omar Ariff’s collection of keris or Malay daggers from all over the Malay archipelago.
ST PHOTO: HADI AZMI
PAHANG – Traditional Malay houses – made of wood and raised on stilts for flood protection and ventilation and featuring ornate carvings – are becoming an increasingly rare sight across Malaysia as owners opt for newer bricks-and-mortar homes with modern creature comforts.
Even in the country’s rural areas, many of those homes are left to the elements as the families they sheltered move to the cities in search of better opportunities.
