Petang Khamis lalu, dalam perjalanan ke Perpustakaan Negara, tergerak saya untuk singgah ke laman Balai Seni Visual Negara bagi melihat sebuah rumah lama.
Last Thursday afternoon, on the way to the National Library, I was moved to stop by at the compound of the National Visual Arts Gallery to look at an old house.
Ia dialih daripada lokasi asal di Chow Kit tengah bandar raya Kuala Lumpur...
It was moved from its original location in Chow Kit at centre of Kuala Lumpur city...
Dibina tahun 1926 ia menjadi satu-satunya rumah tradisional kayu yang wujud di Chow Kit setelah kawasan itu dilanda kemodenan lalu semua bangunan sekeliling digantikan dengan rumah kedai batu.
Built in the year 1926 it was the only wooden traditional house which existed in Chow Kit when the area was faced with modernisation and so all buildings around were replaced with brick shophouse.
Buat suatu masa yang lama rumah ini diapit barisan rumah kedai batu ke kiri dan kanannya.
For a long period of time this house was flanked by rows of brick shophouse to its left and right.
Ini menyebabkannya ia dikenali sebagai rumah 'degil'...
This caused it to be known as the 'stubborn' house...
Cuma baru beberapa tahun lalu waris pemilik rumah setuju untuk menjual tanah asal rumah.
It was just a few years ago that the heir of the house owner consent to sell the house' original land.
Kerajaan pula berusaha untuk mengalihnya ke sini agar tidak hilang ditelan zaman.
The government in turn strove to relocate it here so that it will not be lost in the pages of history.