Are you a fan of Lat’s ‘Kampung Boy’ graphic novel?
Or have you watched the animated television series as a child and wished you could visit Mat, his sister Ana, and play with his friends Bo and Tak?
Photo via Malay Mail
Well, that dream might just come true as you may get to visit Lat’s Kampung Boy house in Perak soon!
Rumah Lat Dan Galeri, located in the outskirts of Ipoh, will offer visitors a glimpse into the life of renowned Malaysian cartoonist Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid, better known as Lat.
The idea of Kampung Boy was first published in 1979, from Lat’s travels to the United States when he realised that not many people knew about Malaysia. Inspired by his own childhood, Kampung Boy tells the story of a boy, who lives in a typical Malaysian kampung.
The actual house that was located in Batu Gajah, Perak is now long gone, but a reconstructive version - which is located just 30 minutes away from the village where Lat grew up will be open to the public later this year.
Photo via mStar
According to The Star, Lat is looking forward to having visitors come to Rumah Lat, describing it as a very personal project which has been supported by the Perak state government, “I drew the house from memory for The Kampung Boy.”
“When you are nine, you remember every single detail and I have very fond memories from those times. There was no electricity and no water, but to a kid, it was a big treat to grow up in the kampung,” he said.
The house is complete with various furniture, mostly from the pre-World War II era which includes a dressing table, a set of table and chairs which Lat described to be so heavy that you need two people to lift each one, a framed mirror, a clothes rack and a cupboard that Lat remembered from his childhood.
We can’t wait until this MCO is lifted so we can visit Mat’s home, and pretend we’re picking durians in the afternoon and have ais kacang when the weather gets too hot!
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
