Help Rumah Pusaka Chow Kit rebuild Rumah Degil

Photo: Rumah Pusaka Chow Kit

Rumah Degil, the last remaining traditional Malay house that used to stand on Chow Kit road is under threat. After the land on which the house stood was sold, Rumah Pusaka Chow Kit – the heritage body involved in restoring the house – dismantled it in 2015 in hopes of rebuilding and restoring it as a creative commercial hub. But the plans fell through. At the moment, Rumah Pusaka Chow Kit is appealing to the public to save the house – they are looking for people who are interested in acquiring and rebuilding it, regardless of location.



The house was built in 1926 by Haji Jaafar Sutan Sinombar – a descendant of Sutan Puasa, a Mandailing who some historians believe is the founder of KL instead of Yap Ah Loy. It was once the stronghold for the Mandailing community in KL, and is the only remaining legacy of Sutan Puasa. The house earned its nickname – Rumah Degil, or The Stubborn House – after surviving the Japanese occupation, the communist insurgency and the rapid development around KL. After all that it has faced, let’s hope Rumah Degil will remain degil.

For more information, visit fb.com/rumahpusakachowkit.