A Bit of Heritage

This house belongs to our late grandfather, and it is dear to us simply because we were raised here.

Over the years the house has weathered significantly and we have done much restoration to it, in the hope that it’d be soundly restored. Though the general façade has changed many times – the main beams however, are about the only original material which, still remain. The beams are about 250 years old. Most of them are timbers of Cempedak and Tampines; trees, which were once common in Ubin.

The restoration effort was quite a task for us. To begin, all building materials were brought over from the mainland. We did the transportation stuff bit by bit. We then had to find the right carpenter for the job. We also faced assortment of related issues such as cost, time, personal sacrifices; all dealt within our pursuit to preserve this humble heritage.

We believe our efforts are rather pale in comparison to the past where our forefathers used the handy axe or machete to hew. We on the other hand, have a lot of help from relatives and modern amenities to complete the job. As such we’re just thankful that this house is still standing for all to appreciate, if only for impermanence before the next wave of modernity levels Ubin.

We also seek your kind awareness in maintaining the place by not littering or vandalizing the property, its surroundings and its sense of quietude. It is with this understanding that we invite you to the house to have a short rest or perform your solat [prayers]. Needless to say we welcome any considerate and civil visitors to our house. On that note, it is our pleasure to greet you ~

“Selamat datang dan jemput masuk.”