Ki-OilPainting: Rumah Demang Abdul Ghani, Merlimau #4
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| genre: heritage title: Rumah Demang Abdul Ghani #4 medium: oil-painting on canvas measure: 36" × 48" year: 2020 price: myr 25,000.00 |
The age of this house is almost two centuries old. It was built in 1831 and later modified in 1915 as it is now. It is on the land area of 1,350 square meters including the garden. It cost was MYR 23,000.00 at that time and had been taking time for two years to be completed. The location of this house is in Merlimau. It is in the Jasin District of Malacca. Melimau is a little town near the junction of a main road. It is about 22 kilometers from Malacca city leading to Muar. Those who are arriving in Merlimau town will take approximately 10 minutes walk toward this house. It located near the road and car can reach up near the stairs.
Demang Haji Abdul Ghani built this house. "Demang" means a headman to a territory. He was the Demang appointed by British for administering the Merlimau area. He built this house during his duty as a Demang. The homeowner was then replaced by his son Penghulu Md Natar and later to his grandson. "Penghulu" means a chief of a village or chieftain. Now, the devisor of this house is Rizal Md. Ramli, Md. Natar's grandson.
Who was Demang Haji Abdul Ghani? Demang Haji Abdul Ghani bin Abdul Majid was a dignitary in this area. British Commissioner of Malacca appointed him. It was to perform the administration. He built this house as administrative office to assist administration in Jasin District. His main task was to collect taxes, especially on crops such as rice, coconuts and fruits; resolve minor civil and criminal proceedings, that is, brawls in the village, girls fled, girls abducted, stealing and rhubarb, mother losing her child; to align the business of agriculture especially to have the paddy fields; working collaboratively; and so on. This house was the place for discussing and resolving the cases.
The architectural: We can clearly see some influences in the architecture. This house is based on form and structure of the Malacca Malay house mix with the small gable with hip-roof and gable-roof structure (kerangkabumbung perabung-limas dan tebar-layarkecil), house of Johore-Riau-Lingga. A littleof China's style and West's style are quite seen.
• Something needs to be explained about the construction method for this Malacca house that combined with Johore-Riau-Lingga architecture especially at the Main Home (Rumah Ibu) which was constructed of wood, was not found any metal spikes.
• The house was constructed by Malay and Chinese craftsmen. While Malay craftsmen were constructing most parts of the house which concerning the wood material work, Chinese workmanship had beenconducting on the stonework and cement-concrete work, particularly related to the construction of stairs, footings, platforms and kitchen. They had the high proficiency.
• Almost all parts of this house except the roof materials are constructed with wood, stone and cement-concrete. Wood is the most widely used.
There are too many carvings with the flora and fauna motifs. There are also elements of Tulips flowers, Lotus flowers, Ferns and others that could enhance beauty for the house. All porches, columns in the porches and the decorative pillar are carved that have certain patterns. Choosing of colors are exciting colors and remain for so long.
The structural: The layout of this house is divided to a number of elements, spaces and rooms. They were Pride on The Stone Staircase (Kebanggaan pada Tangga Batu), Porch (Anjung), Main Home (Rumah Ibu), Platform (Pelantar), Home of Kitchen (Rumah Dapur) and Kitchen for Cooking (Dapur Masak). Every part of them has its own function:
• Pride on The Stone Staircase (Kebanggaan pada Tangga Batu): Construction material they chose to build this staircase is the stone. The staircase is carved, completes with marble decoration and tilesselection. It is among the most beautiful stone staircase to the present. This staircase is the pride in Malaccan. The staircase expands from top treads to bottom treads, as if to greet "Welcome" to anyone. The open staircase is smiling, as if says "Hello" to all. It may as understanding.
• In front of nearby "pride on the stone staircase", there were two water tubs used for ablution and to wash their feet before getting into the house. As known, the olden days people only barefoot anywhere.
• The Porch (Anjung) is the Johor-Riau-Lingga architectural. This place was used for administration, discussion and problem resolution. In the porch, there are many long benches shaped chairs-like in around the place. This situation enabled the British officers who visited this house that usually wearing trousers and uniforms could not be sitting in cross-legged, could talk and relax comfortably when they sat on the benches.
• There are three sections within the Main Home (Rumah Ibu): They were the bedroom, the hall and the attic.
1) The bedroom was the place of Demang's bed or used as a sleeping room for the bridal couple when a wedding was taking place.
2) The central space (Ruang Tengah) is a hall. It was for reception or wedding. Here, there was an eternal bridal dais to a bride ofDemang family.
3) The attic (Loteng) was used for virgins' room, and room to keep the property or treasures belong to Demang family. If someone wants to get up into the attic must via the specific ladder.
The platform (Pelantar): It was used for drying rice, cakes, fishes and others. It also used to prepare meals at certain ceremonies. In the place, there is a Stone Well and the water in it was used for drinking and daily needs.
• The Home of Kitchen (Rumah Dapur) is the architectural of Malacca House. The kitchen home was for family utility especially to mothers. It used to provide foods, converse, entertainment and at night to sleep. Previously, the Malay houses of which in Malaysia peninsular, men and women separated in some places. Usually the men would gather in the porch.
• The Kitchen for Cooking (Dapur Masak): The stoves used for cooking were the most important element in the place. If we could see, this place was a very large kitchen. It is caused, this place often used to provide the repasts, as meal to embody the friendship. Moreover, the visitors who attended here might be to have meals because there were no stalls or restaurants such nowadays.
Demang Haji Abdul Ghani is dead. Now, he is "Gemullah". The Merlimau house which has ever been owned by him is unique.Demang left something very valuable for us to be contemplated. It is our heritage. Therefore, we Malaysian nowadays should look, maintain and preserve on our heritages. Also, have to take any benefits and lessons of every occurrence and every existence on our heritages. Our heritages are we. Someone said, "Our heritages are ourpolitical in the past." Someone questioned that how and why they be realized.
In 2007, the house has been restored by The Department of National Heritage (Jabatan Warisan Negara) with cost was about MYR 1.8 million.
This article is a re-arrangement as deemed appropriate. Resources obtained from some articles available in Malay language in earlier reference. Among them were retrieved and collected from websites through notes in Malay language, information gotten from the papers of Malay's architectural, the book of Malay's historical, and I myself had visited and could look at this house in many years ago. Then, I wrote and commented on this subject. Maybe many matters are misunderstood easily via this article. Such is not my intent. If so, I apologize.