Family says goodbye to century-old house after court dismisses final appeal

The 106-year-old bungalow in Rawang, Malaysia, built in 1920 by Berjuntai Tin Dredging Bhd, has faced demolition after a court dismissed the final appeal of its owner, Maljindar Singh Sidhu Brar. Known as Jimmy, the 65-year resident of the home spent over two decades trying to save it from being taken away. On August 18, the Court of Appeal ruled that he had no rights to the property, prompting the family to vacate the Sino-Malay-Palladian house.

Despite knowing the house would be demolished, Jimmy expressed sorrow over losing the family rooms and pillars. He poured over a million ringgit on legal fees during the dispute, which began in 1967 when the family attempted to acquire the land from the Gombak land office but received no response. The mining lease for the land was granted to two cement manufacturers by the 1980s, leaving the family frustrated.

They had to apply seven times to acquire the land, with each application denied due to the existing mining lease. The lease was renewed for another 20 years in early 2025, giving the authorities further justification to demolish the family home.