r/malayanarchitecture

The bloody event of 13th May 1969 has left a deep scar in Malaysian history, with many people still remembering the day. With chaos spreading across Kuala Lumpur at the time, cinemas specifically played an integral part in the story, being sites which saw Malaysian blood being spilled by their fellow countrymen. The most prominent cinemas that saw the most violence were REX, Capitol and Federal cinemas, though several others like Cathay and Alhambra were also involved. Here I have compiled several accounts of attacks and the fear that was experienced at these cinema complexes.

"Thus, at about the time that violence broke out in Kampong Bharu. Secret society agents were ready for action, leading forays into Malay kampongs and attacking Malays in China town areas. The first show at the Rex Cinema, Jalan Sultan was stopped when secret society agents broke into the hall. They singled out Malays trapped among the audience and attacked them. At the Federal Cinema near Jalan Chow Kit. secret society members waited for Malays at the exits of the hall at the end of the first show. At about 8.23 p.m. A.S.P. Tham Kong Weng and Troop 5C of the FRU encountered and dispersed about one thousand armed Chinese rioters in the vicinity of the Capitol Theatre in Jalan Raja Laut. They also rescued and sent to hospital several injured Malays in the area."

(https://peristiwa13mei.blogspot.com/2013/07/may-13-may-13-tragedy.html)

"Mom heard from one of the neighbours that a massive bloodshed had broken out at Tai Wa cinema (the old Cathay cinema along Jalan Pudu, now an empty lot with a bus station). There were scores of people inside the cinema, watching a just up-on-the-screen new movie. Suddenly, they were ambushed and attacked. They couldn’t escape. Scores were dead.

Some of the Chinese gangsters who were around managed to gather some people, and tried to save as many people as possible. There were also some Malays locals around who helped out, trying to pull away people and hide them — in drains, inside shops, anywhere. Anywhere they could. The slashing group soon backed off and moved back towards Puduraya. Mom also heard that many Malays were also hurt."

(https://www.loyarburok.com/2011/05/13/may-13-a-recollection/)

An eyewitness account on the event at Capitol Theatre

(https://youtu.be/rHrd4t9Rze0?si=IT2bB1l00bE2BB36)

"Three teenagers’ plot to sneak out past curfew on 13 May, and they arrived at REX CINEMA regardless of the gossip in the neighbourhood after the election. Heated racial riots broke out in the city while the movie was playing. Chinese gangsters broke into the cinema as the screen flashed “DARURAT”, emergency. 

Pulled back into reality, with terrifying screams followed by a gunshot. Threatened by machetes, victims would helplessly use their arms to protect vital organs. Adjacent to others, climbing over those blood stained cinema seats like terrified animals being massacred in a dark cave. They were very fortunate to be alive indeed.

Unfortunately, this very experience left one of them with a lifelong mental illness. Such traumatization cost his ability to communicate. To the family, his condition was the reminder of that very gloomy day."

(https://www.naibnb.com/blog/the-13-may-incident-at-rexkl-kuala-lumpur)

"On 13 May 1969, Johan Fernandez went to the cinema after work. It was a Tuesday afternoon and Rachel, Rachel, directed by Paul Newman and starring Joanne Woodward, was playing at the Rex in the centre of Kuala Lumpur. 

Not long after it started, the movie suddenly stopped and the word ‘Darurat’ (‘Emergency’) flashed up on screen. Cinema patrons tried to leave but couldn’t—the doors had been closed by the staff. On the other side, a mob was gathering. Eventually, they broke through and some 100 Chinese men flooded into the hall. Their target? The cinema’s Malay patrons. 

Caught up in the confusion, all Fernandez knew was that something bad was happening. He followed the crowd as they retreated to the toilets. Then, not wanting to risk getting trapped there he decided to chance his way out. He was Indian, and this confused the men he ran into; they couldn’t decide what to do with him. The confusion bought him enough time and he slipped out. He spent the next few days at a police station waiting out the conflict that had erupted around him."

(https://www.liminalmag.com/haunt/movies) 

The interview of which can be found here:

(https://youtu.be/oc3hyRDM08U?si=S_wmRLb_5qVWj2ah)

I also highly recommend reading Malaysiakini's article on the May 13th riots.

(https://pages.malaysiakini.com/may13/en/)

If you have any similar stories you would like to share, feel free to do so in a respectful manner.

Do tell if you have more info on any of these, or if you have any other old markets that you know of!

https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2026/05/04/new-118-mall-confirms-august-launch-reveals-tenant-list/218705

Image source

This stunning Malay kampung house is known as Surau Lama Kubang Semang or Surau Tuan Guru Haji Mahmud Taib a was one of the many Islamic institutions in Penang established in the beginning of the 20th century. Located in Kubang Semang, Bukit Mertajam, the surau was initially founded by Tuan Haji Mahmud Ali, the father of Tuan Guru Haji Mahmud Taib in 1910. According to its history, Haji Mahmud Ali migrated from Patani to Seberang Perai and then settled in Kubang Semang by opening a sirih (betel nut) orchard and selling them in Pekan Penanti. With the proceeds of his business, he is said to have collected money to go to Mecca to take his son who was at that time studying religion in the Holy Land to be brought back to his homeland to become a religious teacher in a surau established in Kubang Semang which began in 1920. (Source)

As the surau began its operations, many parents sent their children to study here, including the children of the richest coconut plantation owners from all over Kedah, Perak and around Penang. According to an account by Haji Ismail Bin Md Zain, in the past, the richest coconut plantation owners sent their children here by boarding a large boat known as a 'sampan sayur’, or vegetable sampans. They sailed from Kuala Selangor and Bagan Datoh to Seberang Perai via Sungai Perai and then along Sungai Derhaka in Permatang Pauh before arriving here via Sungai Kubang Semang or better known as Ban Busuk. In the past, Ban Busuk was a large river, many boats and ships entered through this river to deliver goods to Penanti and Bukit Mertajam. (Source)

The students sent to this study center used to consist of children with learning and behavioral problems that were difficult for their own parents to control. Through the efforts and hopes of sending their children here, parents hope that a change can be made by Tuan Guru Haji Mahmud Taib to teach and guide their children to become pious and knowledgeable in religious fields one day. Most parents will not come back to visit their children for a long time after sending them here, and instead only sending money and necessities through a third party until their children graduate. (Source)

Among the earliest students of Tuan Guru Haji Mahmud Taib was Tuan Haji Mansur Bin Haji Hasan who comes from Bayan Lepas, Penang. He was the only student of Chinese descent sent by his father, Haji Hasan Kwantung, who came from China. In addition, Haji Mansur was also a committee member involved in the founding meeting of the All-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) held in 1951 at the Bagan Malay Club, Butterworth, Seberang Perai, Penang. Many of the former students here returned to their hometowns to open religious study centers, such as Tuan Guru Haji Mohammad Amin who opened a Pondok school in Jeram, Selangor in the 1940s. There were also former students who did not return to their hometowns but instead settled in Kubang Semang to become religious teachers who taught in schools, mosques and suraus around Penang. (Source)

This surau was originally built by a famous carpenter and sculptor from Seberang Perai named Haji Mohamed Sopian Bin Haji Abdul Wahab (spelling may vary) and was assisted by his two sons named Zainal Abidin and Ismail who came from Penanti, Bukit Mertajam. After several years of the construction of the Tuan Guru Haji Mahmud Taib surau, Haji Mohamed Sopian is said to have been summoned to the 33rd Sultan of Perak, Paduka Seri Sultan Idris al-Mutawakkil Alallahi Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar Shah, to ask him to build the Istana Kayangan in Kuala Kangsar in 1926. Two years later, Haji Mahamed Sopian was also offered by Datoh Panglima Kinta Che Wan Mohamed Yusuf to build a mosque pulpit decorated with carvings of ‘bunga tanjung’ (Spanish cherry) symbolizing prosperity engraved in the Panglima Kinta Mosque, Ipoh, Perak in 1928. (Source)

Surau Tuan Guru Haji Mahmud Taib possessed a lot of intricate Malay carving courtesy of Tukang Sopian. The main ‘tiang seri’ (central pillar) divided the space into two areas for male and female worshippers. The head and body of 'tiang seri’ was carved with a ‘kiambang (water lettuce) motif’, representing the religion of Islam. The mihrab has intricate carvings and oval glass ornament with two different colours, blue from the outside and red on the inside, emphasizing the mihrab’s significance. The ceiling was made with bamboo weaving technique, woven into a checkered, diamond-shaped pattern known as 'kelarai motif', which also saw usage in Istana Kenangan. The window and wall panels consist of 38 different intricate ornamentations such as ‘bunga roda (not sure what this translates to, maybe Hura crepitans?), bunga pepulut (caesarweed), bunga telepok (water lily), bunga melur (jasmine), bunga teratai (lotus) and daun sesayap (winged leaf)' (Source).

The surau saw a period of abandonment, with only light maintenance by the locals. However in 2023, Yayasan Islam Pulau Pinang (YIPP) had cooperated with its owner to conduct Secondary-level KAFA classes every Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays in the surau (Source). In addition to that, Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) announced on 22nd February 2025 that it will restore the surau through its Heritage, Tourism and Arts Unit, established in 2019. The announcement was made during an outreach session for restoring the surau by the secretary of MBSP, Mohd. Ibrahim Md. Nor (Source). With this, it is hoped that the building will survive for generations to come, as it is one of only few remnants of Malay craftsmanship in Seberang Perai.

Located in Kampung Sialang, Tangkak, the Rumah Helang, or Eagle's Mansion was a beautiful mansion was built in 1909 and was owned likely by a man named Hj Yaacob bin Hj Mokmin (Source). Despite the name Sialang is close enough to the word Helang, the building and its association with eagles has no connection whatsoever to the history of the village itself although it was still a landmark of the village. The house was named as such due to its most prominent feature, an eagle statue perched on top of the roof of the house. In addition to that, the house was built in seemingly unplastered bricks, which is quite rare compared with other Anglo-Malay mansions and is a lot more similar to Kellie's Castle, which could explain its more Indo-Saracenic look with the rounded horseshoe arches and Mughal columns. According to the ex-village chief, En. Hassan Ali, Rumah Helang was built as such due to its owner's tendency of visiting Siak in Indonesia, and he tried to replicate the features on the Siak Sri Inderapura Palace that has decorative eagles as finials. However, the mansion has been demolished in 2013, and its past location is unknown. Source. Source.

no idea where it was in Raub but it looks very Mock-Tudor as is popular at the time especially in areas around Pahang

Accelerating the pace of conservation works on the heritage building in preparation for our forthcoming museum project. Current phase of the restoration programme encompasses the systematic removal of invasive vegetation, careful hacking and removal of deteriorated plaster, followed by the reapplication of traditional lime plaster in accordance with conservation best practices.

Works also include the meticulous restoration of façade relief elements, alongside the reinstatement and selective gilding of ornamental details to enhance both architectural integrity and historical authenticity. Source.

i wonder what's happening there...