Suluh Budiman Building | A heritage building that turns 100 years old this year

Suluh Budiman Building, UPSI, Tanjung Malim

I was so glad to see a 100-year-old heritage building named Suluh Budiman Building well preserved through adaptive reuse.  The historic building now serves as the National Education Museum located on the campus of the Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI) in Tanjung Malim, Perak. Tanjung Malim is a rapidly developing town located about 84km or one-hour drive north of Kuala Lumpur.

The Suluh Budiman Building was originally the main building of the then Sultan Idris Training College (SITC) when it was declared officially open on 29 November 1922 by the Chief Secretary of Federated Malay States (FMS), Mr. WG Maxwell who symbolically opened the gates with a silver key during the ceremony. The official opening ceremony was attended by the Sultan of Perak, and many other dignitaries. 

The training college was established to provide training for Malay teachers from all over Malaya. The College owes its inception to a proposal put forward by Dr. Winstedt, Assistant Director of Education for Straits Settlement and Federated Malay States in his report published in 1917 on Vernacular and Industrial Education in the Netherland East Indies and the Philippines.  The proposal was submitted to a Conference of Residents held on 10 May 1917 which received immediate approval.  Later the High Commissioner, Sir Arthur Henderson Young, approved the proposal to name the College "The Sultan Idris Training College for Malay Teachers" on 26 May 1917 and the assent of His Highness the late Sultan Abdul Jalil, the Sultan of Perak, was obtained.

The college was named after Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah who took a great interest in the education of the Malays in the country and for his contribution. Sultan Idris sadly passed away one year before the approval to set up this college was granted in 1917.

Suluh Budiman UPSI, Tanjung Malim

The Suluh Budiman Building was designed by the colonial government architect, Leofric Kesteven.  Kesteven was also reported to have been responsible for the design of the Sultan Sulaiman Royal Mosque, the Sulaiman Building and Convent Bukit Nanas school in Kuala Lumpur.

The Suluh Budiman Building's stunning design featured striking medieval Dutch-Gothic architectural style. The design was said to have been inspired by the Notre-Dame Church in Paris, France, and the Salisbury Cathedran, England.  The construction was the result of the concerted efforts of skilled Javanese craftsmen and countless Chinese labourers which completed the structure within three years.

Before the construction of the building, a piece of land in Tanjung Malim measuring 63 acres was procured at the cost of $49,000 Straits Dollars and the construction started in August 1919.  The construction of the building was completed in June 1922. The total cost of setting up the college including its construction was reported to have amounted to $825,000 Straits Dollars.  

The Suluh Budiman Building had the floor area of 3,239 square meter. The upper floor of this building had the SITC main administration centre including the principal's office, staff room, meeting room, general office comprising office and library. While the ground floor consisted of classrooms and a main hall for the monthly assembly and college official functions. The handsome building fronted on to the vast field used by students for sports and other events.

The pediment with Dutch-Gothic style

 

The Suluh Budiman Building was gazetted as a National Heritage Building in 2009 under the National Heritage Act 2005.  Not long after being recognised as a National Heritage Building, work started in August 2009 aimed at preserving and subsequently turning this handsome building into the National Education Museum at the cost of RM9.8 million. It was a great effort in honouring this historic building befitting its status.

The National Education Museum was officially opened on 19 July 2011by none other than the UPSI's chancellor at that time, Her Majesty Raja Permaisuri Perak (the State of Perak Queen) Tuanku Bainun.

The museum contained one thematic exhibition space and 21 permanent exhibition spaces. Among its permanent collections are:

• Civil war cannon - a souvenir from Kampunt Kubu Headman during the opening ceremony of SITC
• Textbooks
• Classroom equipment
• Badges
• School attire
• Other related artifacts and collections related to education

The National Education Museum, UPSI, Tanjung Malim.

Inside the hall of Suluh Budiman Building in yesteryear - Picture by Alan Teh Leam Seng (Image is reproduced from NST without permission but on the principle of fair use)

Students began using the main building of the Sultan Idris Training College after it was declared open in 1922. (Image is reproduced from NST without permission but on the principle of fair use)

The south wing of the Suluh Budiman Building

The main entrance

 

REFERENCES:

A century of academic excellence. (2022, March 14). New Straits Times. Retrieved from https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/03/779772/century-academic-excellence

Malay Education. (1922, December 7). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (Weekly). Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg

Portolés, J.B. (2018, July 6). National Education Museum, Malaysia. Culture360.ASEF.org. https://culture360.asef.org/resources/national-education-museum-malaysia/

UPSI gets new museum. (2011, July 20). The Star. Retrieved from https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2011/07/20/upsi-gets-new-museum/