Trips Office Matters |
| PRESS STATEMENT: COLISEUM CINEMA 14 August 2006 It is commendable that the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage has recently agreed to meet with the owner of the Coliseum Cinema over his Ministry’s action to acquire this property and turn it into a national heritage centre.
While it is unclear from press reports how the Ministry intends to use such a centre, it is, however, clear from the spontaneous outcry over the cinema’s fate that public opinion is overwhelmingly in support of retaining the Coliseum Cinema as a living heritage site, continuing its original function which it has held for the past 85 years.
Clearly, the Coliseum Cinema is highly valued not just by the Kuala Lumpur community; it also holds memories for many Malaysians from all walks of life. It remains one of the few traditional cinemas left standing in Kuala Lumpur, and indeed in the country, where numerous cinemas have been either torn down or adapted for new uses, e.g. as furniture stores or warehouses.
Not only is the Coliseum Cinema one of the few remaining historical buildings of its kind, it is also embedded within a lively cultural and social setting of which it is an integral part. For these reasons, Badan Warisan Malaysia believes it should be acknowledged as a national heritage treasure. Heritage conservation has to do with sustainability — the vibrant use of historical buildings and sites, and ideally, the retention of their traditional uses. We understand that the family who built the Coliseum Cinema in 1920-21 continues to run it as an economically viable movie theatre. Surely then, we should be celebrating the cinema’s sustainability as it continues to serve its community on a daily basis, rather than anticipating its demise or its potential redevelopment.
Heritage has to do with the collective memory that places hold for people, the intangible values that are embedded in the building and its history. No longer is conservation purely an exercise in retaining physical fabric; more and more, it is concerned with maintaining the "soul" of a place. The “soul” of the Coliseum Cinema is intact and healthy — a fact reinforced by the response from the Malaysian public, who normally may not be compelled to react to planned changes to historic sites. Such a response from ordinary people who care about their common heritage is an expression of their attachment to the historic landmarks of their city and their country. Is this not something the government should treasure, something we all should take cognisance of?
There are many other buildings, including cinemas, of similar design and capacity and in a similar location, which are not in use or have been put to other uses; could not one of these instead be adapted into a national heritage centre? In fact, throughout Malaysia, many owners of dilapidated historical buildings are either not willing or not financially able to upkeep and preserve them. These are the heritage buildings desperately in need of intervention from the government. The government funds needed for acquiring the Coliseum Cinema, and for compensating the owners for terminating a thriving business, may represent a huge opportunity cost that could be going instead into saving scores of other heritage buildings urgently needing assistance.
Moreover, the government’s move to acquire a heritage building from a private owner who has both preserved the building and maintained its original use may send the wrong message to other owners of heritage buildings. Badan Warisan is gravely concerned that the intended Coliseum acquisition may cause many owners to rush to redevelop and demolish their heritage buildings in order to pre-empt forcible acquisition by the government.
If the government’s concern is to ensure the future preservation of the Coliseum, there are other mechanisms that can be employed other than acquisition. What better testimony to good planning and management of a city’s heritage assets than for the building to be gazetted under the Kuala Lumpur Local Plan which is currently in the process of being drawn up. If the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage is concerned that the owner of the Coliseum Cinema may one day apply for development of the site, then surely gazettal under Section 67 (2) — Declaration of National Heritage — and/or Section 24 — Designation of heritage site — of the National Heritage Act 2005 should be instituted to further enhance the level of protection for this building.
The Coliseum Cinema is an icon from the past that exists in the present and should be handed down to future generations. Why destroy the very icons that exemplify the continuity of everyday life, which celebrate our common cultural heritage? And just as importantly, why terminate a beloved gathering place for the local community?
Elizabeth Cardosa
Executive Director
Badan Warisan Malaysia
2 Jalan Stonor
50450 Kuala Lumpur Brief backgroundLocation: Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur
Area: 5 Lots: 33471 to 33474 & 33484, totalling 821m2 (8,838 sf)
Owner: Khor Joo Saik Sdn Bhd
The Coliseum Cinema at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman was built in 1920-21 by the Chua family, at that time led by Chua Cheng Bok. Adjacent to it, the family built the Coliseum Café and Hotel, which are still operational.
The building was one of the earliest cinemas in Kuala Lumpur and has been continuously operated as a cinema hall, with only a break during the Japanese Occupation during World War II.
With the advent of home video and cineplexes in the 1990s, all of the cinemas in Kuala Lumpur have been either demolished or extensively renovated and converted to other uses. Today, the Coliseum is one of the last remaining cinema halls in Kuala Lumpur. It is the oldest cinema still in operation in the city, having been opened on 15 July 1921.
The family has maintained the original character and features of the cinema building, as well as the hotel and café.
Currently showing mainly Tamil films, the Coliseum Cinema and its neighbourhood is a vibrant gathering place and recreational venue for the Indian community. The cinema has a capacity of 828 seats and runs about 4 shows a day. In recent years, attendance on weekdays has stood at a minimum of 400 people per day, while on weekends the daily attendance runs from at least 800 to well over 1,000 people. When very popular movies are shown, the cinema has served over 3,000 people a day, as on many occasions last year.
After the death of Chua Cheng Bok in 1940, the cinema and hotel was administered by his estate. From 1947, Madam Khor Joo Saik, the daughter-in-law of Chua Cheng Tuan (elder brother of Chua Cheng Bok), managed the cinema. In 1973 she bought the cinema and hotel from the estate of Chua Cheng Bok. Madam Khor’s son, Dr Chua Seong Siew, and daughter-in-law, Madam Chin Khuan Imm, run the cinema today. (The hotel and café is run by a separate operator).
On 14 July 2006, Dr Chua was served official notice by the Federal Land Office that the 5 lots of land on which the Coliseum Cinema stands shall be acquired for the purposes of the “project site for the National Heritage Centre”. The Land Office has set 17 August 2006 for an enquiry to determine the compensation for the acquisition.
Dr Chua has submitted an appeal to the Minister of Culture, Arts & Heritage to reconsider the decision to acquire the land and the Coliseum Cinema. Dr Chua has asserted in his appeal that he and his family are committed to caring for and preserving the historical cinema building in its present state and to continue to run the cinema business at the Coliseum as they have done for the past 85 years.
At 3.00 pm on 8 August 2006, the Land Office served the owner with a notice Form J to vacate the premises within 30 days as it is taking urgent possession under Section 20. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage was reported in the press on 9 August 2006 as having invited Dr Chua to a meeting to discuss this matter.
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