Conservation Forensics : Decoding Historical Past of 135 - Year - Old Istana Warisan Datuk Pengiran Haji Matusin in Lawas, Sarawak

Yon Syafni, Samat and Mohd. Anis Yaziq, Alimin and Atta Idrawani, Zaini and Awang Hasim, Awang Sulong and Anis Farahin, Faisal and Megat Mohd Hilman Zamir, Zamri (2025) Conservation Forensics : Decoding Historical Past of 135 - Year - Old Istana Warisan Datuk Pengiran Haji Matusin in Lawas, Sarawak. [Poster]

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Abstract

The Istana Warisan in Kampung Dato’, Kuala Lawas, is the last remaining heritage structure in Lawas, Sarawak, believed to have been built in 1889 on the banks of Sungai Merapok. This historic building, originally owned by Pengiran Haji Matusin (1870-1952) bin Pengiran Abu Bakar - the fourth descendant of Sultan Umar Ali Saifudin 1 (1740-1795), showcases a typical Malay house typology usually found along the Sarawak River; an elevated wooden structure with a limas roof sitting on stone columns. While local tradition claims the istana was originally an ‘istana hinggap’, or stopover for officials en route to Brunei, conflicting accounts suggest it served as the kitchen of a larger palace complex, known as ‘balairung seri’ (audience hall). Current occupants, however, maintain that it has always functioned as the main house (rumah ibu). With no surviving pictorial or written records, this historically significant building, linked to the Bruneian Sultanate, faces the risk of alteration without a proper understanding of its cultural and architectural importance. This study employs the ‘conservation forensics’ approach to decode the building’s sociocultural history by examining its remaining architectural components. Through archival research, interviews and detailed measurements, evidence suggests the structure may have been repurposed as the main house following the destruction of the larger complex. Unexpected findings, such as the odd-numbered spatial proportions, highlight the unique building construction tradition of the late 1880s in Lawas. These discoveries underscore the value of conservation forensics in revealing the untold stories behind heritage structures, much like archaeology uncovers hidden histories in buried remnants.

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