150 People Moved A 6-Tonne Wooden House To Preserve It For Future Generations
The house will be turned into a tourist attraction in the village.
By Katrina Khairul Azman — 16 Jul 2018, 01:06 PM
On Saturday, 14 July, an 80-year-old house weighing six metric tonnes was succesfully lifted and moved by 150 people
According to New Straits Times, the house in Kampung Labu Kubung, Kuala Kangsar is made of cengal and merbau wood and measures 8 x 6.7 metres.
Padang Rengas parliamentary member Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz revealed that, "Originally, we planned to dismantle the house and assemble it back when it reaches the new location, but the idea of carrying the house came up. So, we decided to go with it," Bernama reported.
Inch by inch, the group paced themselves in carrying the house 150 metres from its original location in Dataran Badang
The endeavour first seemed impossible as the wooden house could not be lifted by 110 villagers and students from Universiti Sultan Azlan Shah (USAS) and Universiti Teknology Petronas (UTP).
However, when 40 students from a nearby Thai Islamic religious school joined in the efforts, the group not only managed to lift the house but also relocate it, New Straits Times reported.
UTP student Sayed Muslim Jameel said that, "I was shocked to see the villagers, lifting the house on their shoulders, because it is not easy to move something so heavy. It needs a lot of strength and energy."
"It is a proud moment to see how their hard work and teamwork managed to move the house to its new location," he added.
In a video by Bernama, the villagers and students can be seen cheering each other on and taking turns lifting the house.
The house, which has been vacant since its owner Rokiah Salim passed away in the late 80s, will be turned into a cultural gallery
Coordinator of the 'Mengusung Rumah Lama' (lifting old houses) programme Meor Samsudin Abu Hassan said that the house should be preserved as a tourist attraction in the village as its traditional architecture is still in excellent condition.
Rokiah's granddaughter Ruzimah Abdul Rahman, who was born in the house, told Bernama that, "My family and I agreed with the idea of moving and preserving the house for the new generation to see."
"I hope the house will be restored properly so my children, grandchildren and I will still be able to see it in the future," she said, according to New Straits Times.