MOST people have a general idea about houses or dwellings, but the traditional Malay house is a separate subject in itself. Many do not know much about the history of Malay houses, the various shapes and forms these houses take, and the way in which they hove evolved and changed over time. For those of us who are not specialists in the field of architecture, it is difficult to differentiate among houses from the Malay states of Perlis, Kedah or Perak. The publication of The Traditional Malay House, which is indeed a timely publication tracingg, in a simple manner, the origins and historical development of the various houses found in the country, from the past, up to the present day. Because of the rapid replacement of the traditional Malay house by modem buildings, such documentation of findings on Malay houses is imperative if this precious heritage of the Malays is to be preserved for posterity.
