Authentic Minangkabau House Rembau, Negeri Sembilan

Rembau is a small town with a population of about fifty thousand who mostly migrated from Sumatra at some point in history. This migration must have brought many cultures from Sumatra to Rembau including its architecture. As a first time visitor, I could not help noticing unique houses with upward curving roofs which resembled buffalo horns. Were they designed as such for strength against strong winds? Or was it for better ventilation? Many questions on my mind had to be quickly answered during my short visit here in Rembau. Most of the minangkabau houses I saw were old looking with the typical dark stains of diesel oil for the treatment of wood against termite attack, a method that was used in the tropics for ages. Unfortunately, not all the minangkabau houses were occupied. Where the houses were empty, we stopped the car by the roadside to admire or take photos. Sensing our keen interest, Mei Er’s brother in law Tee Chee Siong made a few phone calls to help organize a visit to his friend’s minangkabau house. As a hardware dealer in Rembau he sure had many close local friends to turn to where we needed help. Tee reminded us that minangkabau houses were built in the era where nail, bolt and nut were hard to come by. Hence, builders or carpenters had to rely on ancient carpentry techniques. Posts, beams and planks were held together by simple joints, pegs, dowels and wedges which I believe should survive better in tremors and mild earthquakes. After Mr Tee’s call to his friend Mr Zainal, we headed for Zainal’s house with much anticipation and appreciation. Built in 1934 by the grandfather of his wife Madame Timah, it was perhaps the best preserved minangkabau house of Rembau. It had a fresh coat of chocolate brown paint. Except for its new asbestos roof, everything else was still in the glory of its antiquity. Wooden shingled roof would have been too much to ask for a house built in 1934. When we arrived, Zainal was busy with his electric grass cutter. Maintaining this two acre compound must have been a fulltime job. Surrounding the house were lots of potted plants and flowers. To the left was a beautiful orchid garden to greet visitors. Adjoining the back of the minangkabau house was the new extension concrete house. Such a great idea to increase accommodation without having to dismantle the old. I wish the Ibans of Sarawak learn from Mr Zainal that old longhouses need not be dismantled to make way for new housing. They can coexist and it can be a beautiful and unique combo. Perhaps, this idea can be applied In the district of Betong Sarawak where many residents of traditional longhouses had planned (or some have already done so) to build their modern concrete longhouses over the old lot after dismantling. It is sad indeed to see the Iban heritage slowly vanishing from Sarawak when it can be avoided had the government chosen to intervene. Coming back to the story of Zainal, we were so fortunate to be allowed to have a tour of the inside of his house including the attic. The main area was mostly converted into a sitting room for guests as they already have the adjoining concrete house as bedrooms, dining room and kitchen. After Zainal opened the main door and windows the whole interior lighted up and ventilation was good. The fragrance of the freshly cut grass drifted in reminiscent of my childhood days when I had to trim my kampung house garden with a tiny sickle. It would have been a great idea if he had converted one of the rooms for homestay business. The interior was mostly decorated with Malay traditional artifacts. Foreign tourists as well as locals would love the feel of living in an authentic Malay kampung house and perhaps throw in a short course on orchid farming and farm fresh chicken for dinner. Zainal and Timah had them all here in this west Sumatran abode just waiting for tourism to find them. Online platforms have made launching tourism products so easy and hassle free. A big thank you to Tee Chee Siong, Zainal and his wife Timah for allowing us to peek into their beautiful house, especially the flower garden. #BombasticBorneo #婆罗洲游踪 #MinangkabauHouse

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