Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman (The Penghulu Abu Seman House)

Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman is a traditional Malay wooden house at Badan Warisan Malaysia on Jalan Stonor, Kuala Lumpur. Originally built in Bandar Baharu, Kedah, it belonged to village headman Penghulu Abu Seman and was moved to the city in 1996. A guided tour explains the house’s history and Malay domestic life, with details such as its squared columns, modular kitchen and ventilation system. The visit also includes a 20-minute video about the relocation, making this a useful stop if you want a closer look at traditional architecture and heritage.

A Kedah house in central Kuala Lumpur

Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman began in Bandar Baharu, Kedah, where it belonged to Penghulu Abu Seman bin Nayan, a local headman. The timber house was later relocated to Kuala Lumpur by Badan Warisan Malaysia, a heritage preservation organisation. A video shown as part of the visit explains how the move was carried out.

The house sits at Badan Warisan Malaysia on Jalan Stonor, amid Kuala Lumpur’s high-rise buildings. Its setting gives visitors a chance to see traditional Malay domestic architecture within the modern city.

Details of traditional Malay architecture

The house is built from wood and raised on stilts. Inside and around it, the guided tour draws attention to practical design choices, including squared columns, a modular kitchen and a ventilation system adapted to the local environment.

The tour also places the building in the context of Malay culture, household life and family traditions. Its former role as the home of a village headman offers a window into how prominent figures lived in an earlier period.