Galeri Rumah Lat

“Visiting Rumah Datuk Lat in Batu Gajah, Perak, felt like a gentle walk down memory lane. We spent a happy, unhurried hour at the gallery, reminiscing about our childhood through Datuk Lat’s iconic drawings-smiling, laughing, and occasionally wincing at how painfully accurate (and timeless) his observations of Malaysian life remain. Each illustration felt deeply familiar, like flipping through old family albums or overhearing conversations we grew up with, all rendered in his unmistakable style and warm humour. One drawing, in particular, stood out. Back in school, “Galah Panjang” was called “balloon acha”. It instantly brought back memories of a former classmate who always stood with one leg out the classroom door, poised to sprint to the badminton courts the moment the recess bell rang. You would also find Tupperware food containers placed on the floor of the badminton courts as makeshift markers to reserve them. We also read one of Datuk Lat’s handwritten letters, where what we now write as “apa khabar?” appeared as “apa macam?”-a small but charming reminder of how language, too, evolves with time. What’s on display at Rumah Datuk Lat is only a fraction of what he has produced over the years, yet it is more than enough to evoke nostalgia and affection. Entry was free for us, as we were all senior citizens-a pleasant bonus. Our only real complaint came at the very end: the gift shop. After being so thoroughly charmed by the gallery, we couldn’t help wishing there were more fun, creative, and irresistible merchandise to take home as keepsakes. With such beloved and instantly recognisable artwork, it felt like a missed opportunity not to let visitors bring a little more of Datuk Lat’s magic home with them.”

“I first read Kampung Boy during my school holiday staying at my cousin's house. My dad introduced us to the content of the comic book and shared his own (my dad's) kampung boy experience which was exactly the same as the book drawn by Lat. From there, we grew our interest in kampung boy life and experiences. We tried some kampung boy toys which were handmade by my dad. I remembered one of them; my dad made his own kite using bamboo. My dad picked up some bamboo on our way back from Genting Highlands to KL. We loved flying kites from there. My dad 👨🏻 even made my younger brother 👦🏻 a cherry gun using Malaysia's local cherry fruit to shoot. Visiting the Galeri Rumah Lat brought my childhood memories flooding back and I missed those days being a young girl with my family members mimicking kampung boy toys and food. That's also when my dad introduced us to the legendary 'P.Ramlee' movies and songs. All the joget dad shared with us made all of us learn to dance 🪩 It's truly a Malaysian childhood memory lane which I shouldn't have missed." It sure brought back some awesome childhood memories 😄!”

“I was too young to realize that Lat was my superstar when I was a kid - same level with Awie wings and hetfield metallica 😁. When I first arrived this gallery, I entered the kampung house first and all sweet memories during 80s came back as if it happened yesterday. It felt comforting as I miss memories during childhood so much. I spent couple of hours there as the story of Lat are inspiring. I also hope to be able to buy books displayed in the gallery. The framed arts too, are precious piece by a highly talented artist like Lat. Guess I should contact Perak museum dept directly.”