The Final Moments of The Bok House
The Bok House (virtualtourist.com)
From Virtualtourist.com, Kuala Lumpur Off the Beaten Path Tips(info contributed by users, Web2.0 rocks!):
Once upon a time in KL, there was a mansion in Jalan Ampang belongs to a wealthy man whose daughter was so deep in love with a less wealthy man – a bicylce trader. Obviously, the love affairs is not being approved by the girl’s family and the marriage proposal from the bicycle trader was rejected and she was later married to someone else.
Heart broken, the bicycle trader worked hard to prove that the girl’s family was wrong in rejecting him. He worked really really hard to prove himself, hard enough until he managed to build and own another mansion just accross the street from the mansion where the girl’s family live.
The mansion is still standing until today and known to the locals as “The Bok House”. Though it is no longer occupied and has been dwarfed by other skycrapers around it, it is still standing as prove of a man’s undying love to a woman eventhough the other mansion accross the street has since been demolished.
Take a peek at the mansion from its outside if you happened to be in KL. Located just about 100 meter from the Petronas Towers, it is probably the closest answer that KL has for the Taj Mahal.
Unfortunately, the following pictures show the state of “The Bok House” at 3pm 17 December 2006. It will be completely gone when you are reading this. It was really sad that the Queen and I had to witness the final moments of the historical building… another piece of KL history erased right in front of our eyes.
The second before the front facade being demolished.
Perhaps the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage should adopt the slogan above instead of saying we can’t do much because it is a private property…
In Europe, they try to build the building like those historical sturcture even build the road like those old days. They appreciate their heritage and the old days culture. They feel pround of it, although they can build high and modern building.
soon we will have to bring our friends from oversea or our kid to museum to see those so called “herritage” properties. When they ask, can we have a look at the real one? Then we answer them, sorry, it already history. That is why we only put the photo in museum. We have nothing to show you except the photo in the museum.
Then, what kinds of building or landmark you have??? ohhh… we only have Twin Tower and KL Tower…. then your friends may say, our this kind of tower we can find it anywhere in the world.. what so special ah???
what we should tell them??? xxx%$£@!&*^&%
you can say: stop asking ask so much question, if not I ask “mata” to catch you.
aiyah, the house used to belong to a chinese.. Guess the overzealous nationalist wants to erase whatever Chinese cultural heritage that is left in the city and replace them with superficial ‘modern’ structure.
Besides, it a lousy excuse to say the owner’s of the building weren’t bothered to restore it and they (the authorities) have no jurisdiction over that. In some developed countries, the city council actually make it mandatory for the heritage building owners to maintain the facade and architecture.
firstly, i am very sad …….. and not understand what in our local authority mind, when their approved to demolished one of the prominet landmark in jalan ampang. As interior designer we can see this Bok’s House actually one of our national herritage building that they must preserved. Anyway is too late for us to do anything but I hope other historical building need to conserve for next generation to look, study and appreciate.
Any new development please refer to right people before proceeding next action.