The legacy of Dewan Tunku Canselor
By Zuraini Md Ali
In the quiet hours before dawn on 29 June 2001, fire engulfed one of Malaysia’s most iconic academic landmarks: Dewan Tunku Canselor (DTC) at Universiti Malaya. By sunrise, nearly 90% of its roof structure was destroyed. The flames didn’t just consume concrete and steel, they threatened to erase decades of academic pride, cultural memory, and a symbol of national modernity.
What was once the ceremonial and cultural heart of Malaysia’s oldest university now stood in ashes.
But what followed was not defeat, it was determination. As discussions unfolded in the aftermath, the university was faced with a difficult choice: should DTC be demolished and replaced, or restored and preserved?
The decision made by the university’s top management at the time, including the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dato’ Dr. Anuar Zaini Md. Zain, was bold and profound. Rather than demolish, they chose to restore DTC to its original design. This was not just a technical decision—it was a gesture of deep respect for memory, identity, and continuity. It was a commitment to honour the generations who had walked its halls, stood on its stage, and filled its space with knowledge, art, and celebration.
Constructed in 1965 and officially opened by Malaysia’s first Prime Minister and UM’s first Chancellor, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, DTC was a statement of architectural ambition. Designed by Dato’ Kington Loo and Chris Bailey of BEP Arkitek, the building was a product of the Modernist and Brutalist movements. Its exposed concrete, sweeping spiral staircases, and sculptural form were inspired by Le Corbusier, making DTC one of the earliest buildings in Malaysia to embody architectural honesty, where form follows function, expressive yet unadorned.
For decades, DTC was more than just a hall. It was the stage of convocation ceremonies, cultural festivals, debates, concerts, and theatre performances. It was where students became graduates, where ideas were tested, where communities gathered. Even the stage itself—originally a donation from the British Council for a ballet performance—carried its own story of evolving cultural significance.
When the fire struck, I had just begun my journey as a lecturer at the Faculty of Built Environment. Alongside senior academics including Prof. Emeritus Ezrin Arbi, Prof. Emeritus Hamzah A. Rahman, and the late Associate Prof. Ar. Saari Omar, we volunteered to support the conservation and reconstruction process. Together with the appointed architect, Mas Othman Associates, DPi Konsult (Structural Engineers Consultant) and dedicated contractors, we took on the responsibility of not merely rebuilding a structure but safeguarding a symbol of nation pride.
The challenges were immense. Restoring DTC meant ensuring that its original character and architectural essence were preserved—while updating it for modern safety standards and long-term resilience. The university community, alumni, and members of the public rallied behind the cause, contributing through the DTC Reconstruction Fund launched in collaboration with the New Straits Times. In just over four months, the hall was brought back—faithful to its spirit, but stronger for the future. The entire restoration took about nine months. Only one convocation ceremony was missed.
In 2008, Dewan Tunku Canselor was officially listed under Malaysia’s National Heritage Act 2005, an effort by the Prof. Yahaya Ahmad who was the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of National Heritage at that time. It remains capable of hosting over 3,000 people, still echoing with the footsteps, applause, and aspirations of every new generation that passes through its doors.
Yet like all stories of restoration, this one risks being forgotten.
Many today may not realise what DTC endured, or the choice Universiti Malaya made to preserve, rather than replace. But that choice matters—because heritage is not only found in ancient temples, colonial facades, or pre-war shophouses. Heritage is the twentieth century modern heritage buildings. It includes post-independence civic buildings, public universities, and places that have shaped the nation’s intellectual and cultural life.
The fire of 2001 may have scorched DTC’s roof, but it also revealed something greater: our collective commitment to memory, identity, and care. When we chose to restore DTC, we affirmed that history does not only live in the distant past—it lives in the structures we choose to keep standing.
Sr Dr. Zuraini Md Ali is an Associate Professor at the Department of Building Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya, and a registered Conservator with the Department of National Heritage, Malaysia.