BUGIS ARCHITECTURE

Have you ever wondered what influenced the Bugis architecture has in Malaysia? The architecture of
Bugis traditional houses in Malaysia were influenced by the culture, belief and past experience of the
Bugis people who had migrated from Sulawesi, Indonesia between 1825 and 1905. The Bugis who
migrated to Malaysia want to express their Bugis identity by building Bugis traditional houses that
were common in their homeland (Wan Hashimah, 2012). The Bugis traditional houses has been part
of Malaysia’s unique identity for many years but now there is a concern that has come to light. The
concern is that Bugis architecture is slowly decreasing in Malaysia and there are a number of reasons
why this is happening

First of all, to build a Bugis house is very expensive. The main material that is usually used to
build these houses is Teak wood which costs around RM 1200 to RM 8000 per log depending on the
weight and quality itself. Besides, having large space of land is a must to build these houses. Thus,
these two elements are very expensive. People who would like to sell the teak wood are required to
have a permit from Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities in order to chop down the
tree. Other than that, imported wood materials need to be imported by people who have the license
given by the Malaysian government and import tax as well as the cost of transporting the teak wood
are also expensive. All of this can add up to RM 800,000 depending on the size of the houses. In
conclusion, building a Bugis house is very costly.

Secondly, building a traditional Bugis house takes a long period of time to finish. Bugis
traditional house construction takes almost 3 to 5 months to finish, depending on the area and size
of the construction site (Harini,2022). Before the construction process of traditional Bugis houses
begin, they need to plan to ensure the construction process goes smoothly. This can help them to
understand and complete the house without any hiccups along the way. What makes these
traditional Bugis houses so unique is that they do not use any nails, instead they replace them with
wood or metal. This wood and metal beam will act as the support structure of the house. They will
slide the metal beams and wood together and form a bond between each and every piece of the
structure. In addition, Bugis traditional houses also have intricate wood carving designs which is
called “Ram Ram”. The design of the wood carving is unique and will not be the same with another
house. This wood carvings need precision and expertise in order to do it correctly and the wood
carving design can take weeks and sometimes even months to complete (Hafizah Iszahanid, 2016).
Due to all the requirement stated, the construction of Traditional Bugis houses take quite a long
time.

In this era of globalization, there are still some efforts to preserve this Bugis traditional
house to ensure their existence in Malaysia. Some communities and NGOs still maintain and
preserve traditional Bugis houses. Normally, communities in Sabah still construct their houses using
this unique and traditional architecture (Harini,2022). In addition, the Sabah Bugis Community
Association has taken serious action to preserve this traditional house. For them, maintaining and
safeguarding the Bugis traditional houses is a must for all communities not only for some individuals
and non -governmental organizations involved. Other than that, Perbadanan Adat Melayu dan
Warisan Negeri Selangor (PADAT) has also joined the effort to preserve Bugis traditional house in
Malaysia by buying and restoring a 100-year-old Bugis house in Selangor back in 2016 (Hafizah
Iszahanid,2016). Based on the evidence stated, we can conclude that there are still some measures
to protect the Bugis traditional houses in Malaysia.

In sum, the architecture of traditional Bugis houses is slowly declining in our modern society.
A Bugis home is costly to build. Besides that, Bugis traditional house also takes a long time to
construct. However, there are efforts by individuals and non-governmental organisations are still
maintaining and protecting Bugis traditional residences. The government should also play a role to
gazette the traditional Bugis house architecture as a building that needs to be preserved.

Reference:

1. (Perbadanan Adat Melayu dan Warisan Negeri Selangor- Preserve Bugis traditional houses in
Malaysia). (2016 August 1).
https://www.bharian.com.my/amp/bhplus-old/2016/08/178829/rumah-bugis-100-tahun-
dipulihara

2. (Bugis house characteristics-Bugis houses do not use any nails). (2016 August 20).
https://www.bharian.com.my/amp/bhplus-old/2016/08/184827/anak-dara-disembunyikan-
di-loteng-rumah

3. (Malaysian Timber Industry Board Official Portal- Teak wood price list). (2022 May 26).
https://www.mtib.gov.my/en/services/promotion/