PETALING JAYA: An architect has warned of a further loss of heritage buildings unless Malaysians raise their awareness of the importance of preserving such structures.

Ahmad Najib Ariffin, one of the co-chairmen of the Malaysian Institute of Architects’ Heritage Conservation Committee, said he was disappointed that the government, industries, local communities as well as the general public had shown little concern over the planned demolition of such iconic structures as the A&W drive-in restaurant in Petaling Jaya and the Ampang Park Shopping Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

He told FMT he saw such unconcern as a failure to appreciate the contribution of such structures to the human sense of place, time and community.

Referring to a proposal to redevelop an old row of colonial-era buildings along Jalan Raja Chulan into high rise buildings, he said this would cause the loss of an even older heritage.

He urged Malaysians to think like the Japanese, saying they knew how to find a good balance between conserving physical heritage and allowing new development to take place in the interest of generating economic activities.

“We are still too focused on looking at physical development or redevelopment as the measure of progress,” he added.

He also warned that the tourism industry might suffer if Malaysia continued to demolish meaningful old buildings.

“We may end up having nothing left for tourists to see except new concrete and glass boxes, which are already common elsewhere,” he said. “Tourists might not even want to come here because there’s nothing of our heritage left that is worth seeing.”

He said the A&W restaurant held a sentimental value shared by countless people who had patronised it since it opened in 1965.

“We’re not speaking only of its value as an early modern architectural icon, but also of that element in it that brings people together through their collective experiences and thoughts,” he said.

“In a way, the A&W drive-in was a symbol of transition and transformation from an old to a new Malaysian society.”

He acknowledged the need for progress and development, but he said planners should see whether new buildings could be built “without touching the heritage that needs to be preserved for posterity”.

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