Teratak Za'ba — Attraction in Negeri Sembilan

A Visit to Rumah Za’ba – Rediscovering a Forgotten Giant

Our USM road trip 2.0 through Negeri Sembilan led us, three former college-mates, to a quiet yet historically significant site — Rumah Za’ba in Batu Kikir, Jempol. At first glance, the traditional wooden house stood humbly amidst its village setting, raised on stilts with carved details that spoke of Negeri Sembilan’s heritage. It was not a grand palace or monument, but within its walls lived the legacy of a man who shaped the intellectual foundation of the Malays — Tan Sri Zainal Abidin Ahmad, better known as Za’ba.

Like most Malaysians, we had learned about Za’ba during our school years. His name appeared in history books, his writings briefly quoted, his title of “linguist and reformer” mentioned. Back then, it felt like distant information, something memorized for exams rather than truly understood. But standing in his birthplace, walking on the very floors where he grew up, our perspective shifted.

Inside the house-turned-gallery, we found displays of his writings, manuscripts, and quotes. One of them struck us deeply:

“Bahawasanya jika tiada pelajaran, nescaya tiadalah jalan bagi mereka itu hendak terlepas keluar daripada kepapaan perangai dan kepapaan alat-alat otak.”

(Without education, there is no way for people to escape the poverty of character and the poverty of the mind.)

It was here that Za’ba’s true importance dawned on us. He was not merely a figure in textbooks — he was a reformist who fought ignorance with education, a nationalist who uplifted the Malay spirit, and an intellectual whose grammar reforms laid the foundation for modern Malay language. His struggle was not on the battlefield but in the classroom, in the press, and in the minds of his people.

As we reflected, we realized that men like Za’ba and other nationalists prepared the soil for independence. They gave Malays the intellectual tools, the confidence, and the vision to rise as a nation. Visiting this house made us respect not only Za’ba, but also the countless others who fought — in their own ways — for the freedom we enjoy today.

Leaving Rumah Za’ba, the three of us agreed that this road trip had given us more than sightseeing memories. It gave us a renewed sense of respect for our forefathers, a reminder that education is liberation, and an appreciation for the quiet strength of those who built our nation not with weapons, but with...

His name is Zainal Abidin Bin Ahmad or known as Za'ba. He was born in 1895 in a remote village located in Batu Kikir, Jempol Negeri Sembilan. He also comes from a strongly religious family. Therefore, it is not surprising that he learned to finish the Quran, memorize Surah Yassin and berzanji when he was seven years old. He set foot in school at the age of 12 at Batu Kikir Melayu School and then he switched to Linggi Melayu School to further study Arabic and Islam. He continued his studies at the Institute of St. Paul Seremban and was the first Malay to sit for the Cambridge Senior examination and passed the examination in 1915. He is a person who likes to read and has a talent in writing. Most of his writings appeared in local newspapers and magazines such as Utusan Melayu, Lembaga Melayu, Penagisu and Pakar Magalah. He has published a series of monographs in Malay, including Bahasa Pelita, and Ilmu Mengarang. His other writings include Shakespeare's stories at Gudang...

Batu Kikir is also known as the birthplace of Pendita Za'aba (Zainal Abidin Ahmad), a renowned intellectual and wordsmith in Malaysia. He is the first and only 'Pendita' in the country. In Batu Kikir, a museum dedicated to the legacy of Pendita Za'aba has been built by the Negeri Sembilan government and is open to the public. Known as Teratak Za'aba, the traditional kampung-house structure was constructed at Za'aba's birthplace, Bukit Kerdas...