The birdhouses of Pekeliling

In 2005, when it was announced that the historical and iconic Pekeliling Flats in Kuala Lumpur would be demolished to make way for development, I knew I had to document it before it was all gone. Hence, I whipped out my video camera and decided to produce a short documentary film about the flats and its people.

Built between 1964 and 1964, it consists of 11 blocks. The first stage of demolition actually began in 2006 and the last stage has begun today. The entire cluster of buildings is estimated to be entirely gone in 2015. The former residents have been relocated to several low-cost residential areas around the fringes of the city.

The demolition of the Pekeliling Flats invokes half-hearted feelings for many KL-ites because it has been a part of the city’s skyline for so long and many local KL-ites have gone through the halls and lifts, growing up in a community that was very kampong-like, yet very urban.