The Nail-less Mansion in Beruas
On April 16, 2017, which was last Sunday, our orangperak.com #jejaksejarah crew (tracking Perak's hidden history) went to Beruas to see what interesting history there is to uncover and share with the loyal readers of orangperak.com.
Early last Sunday morning, the orangperak.com editor awaited the arrival of independent cycling history trackers who came from Kapar, Selangor to join in this search. They are a married couple we know as Wak Abdul Rahim and his wife, Kak Ija Zahri. Their experience in searching for hidden history is undeniable, and we took this opportunity to collaborate in unraveling the mysteries in Beruas.
old mansion built without nails in Beruas
For this article, we will tell you about the mansion that can be seen when passing through the town of Beruas. It is located right in front of Sekolah Kebangsaan Beruas, across the road. For your information, the mansion is said to be over 100 years old and belonged to a wealthy person in Beruas at the end of the 19th century.
the condition inside this mansion
Our editor interviewed residents living as tenants behind this house and we obtained a lot of useful information. According to the interview, the original owner of the house was Haji Abdul Wahid, who had 16 children and was said to be the wealthiest and most respected person in Beruas.
pictures from an old album in this mansion
Haji Abdul Wahid, who was very wealthy at the time, was said to be involved in the tin trade, owned a rice milling factory, and also dealt in rubber. His wealth at the time was such that he could afford to buy slaves from Arabia after returning from his pilgrimage in Mecca.
wak abdul rahim checking the documents left behind
It is believed that the mansion is over 100 years old, as according to local residents, the age of this mansion is older than Sekolah Gangga, which is over 100 years old and located not far from this mansion.
Wak Abdul Rahim and his wife Kak Ija Zahri interviewing a neighbor next to this mansion
So, a rough conclusion can be drawn from these statements. What is interesting about this house is that it does not use any nails to connect the wood; instead, it uses wooden pegs throughout.
documents and receipts kept in this mansion
In the mid-20th century, the mansion was occupied by one of his children named Mansur Bin Abdul Wahid along with his wife, Hidan Binti Kongar. It is believed that he continued his father's business in tin trading, rubber trading, rice milling, and the newly emerging palm oil trade, which was becoming popular in Malaysia at the time. We obtained this information based on purchase receipts left inside the mansion.
remains of the rice mill site behind this mansion
We also searched for the remains of the rice mill site said to be located behind this mansion, and we successfully found it. To this day, iron piles from the factory site can still be found there. From these iron piles, we can visualize the location of the rice mill and imagine how grand the Malay economy in Beruas was in the past.
the last calendar page hanging in the living room
From the calendar hanging in the living room, it shows October 1997. It is believed that this was the last month and year the mansion in Beruas was inhabited. According to local residents, the heirs are now very wealthy, with some even holding the title of Tan Sri. Some heirs are said to frequently return to Beruas to hold thanksgiving ceremonies and feasts to commemorate their roots.
receipts for tin, rubber, rice, and other trades from the 1950s to the 1970s
Currently, this mansion is said to be owned by a historical association, though we cannot confirm this as there are no reliable sources we could find to verify it. What is important is that Beruas was certainly economically grand within the state of Perak in the past, and today it is rich with hidden history involving the ancient Kingdom of Gangga Negara.
