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An Article From Vicinity Perak - Rumah Kutai, The Kutai House Of Perak In Kuala Kangsar - Volume 2 Issue 9, September 2006 - Part 1
Rumah Kutai or Kutai House is a traditional type of Malay house that is indigenous to Perak, and has been in existence since the 1800s, hence the name ‘Kutai’ which means old or ancient.
These houses can be found mainly along the Perak river in three districts; Kuala Kangsar, Perak Tengah, and Pasir Salak.
First built more than 200 years ago, every Kutai house must face the river and the construction, site, size, and, layout of the house must adhere strictly to the Undang – Undang 99. The traditional Kutai house consists of just one core structure called the rumah ibu (main house). The floor of the house is raised to about two metres from the ground and is usually made of wood from the Ficus plant species. There are gaps of about 2cm at the floor so that the house does not float away in the event of flood. The house sits on 12 or 16 main pillars called tiang seri or tiang adapt which are made of cengal, merbau, or damar wood and come in different shapes; round, square, or octagonal.
The interesting thing about Kutai house is that the pillars are not planted into the ground but just laid onto a base made of cut stone, bricks, or concrete. With pillars that are placed onto a base, not cemented or nailed, it is very amazing that these houses can still stand tall after so many years. The Kutai house was built so that the structure could be lifted en masse and moved to another area. Originally, the house has a long and high roof that is made of sago (rumbia) or nipah palm. Nowadays, many Rumah Kutai owners have replaced the palm roof with zinc roofing as it is easier to maintain. The walls in the meantime are made of either strips of plants (bamboo or kelarai) or from timber panpelled planks which sometimes include carvings.
The traditional Rumah Kutai has two entrances, one for male and the other for females. The sliding doors are made low so that the guest will has to bow when he enters the house as a sign of respect to the house owner. These traditional houses are fast disappearing as they are exposed to extreme weather, termites and high cost of maintenance.
To go to Part 2, click here.