Event Summary: History In Every Corner
Reimagine Sentul’s first event sparked community connections, history sharing, and new ideas for a vibrant neighborhood future.
Launching a Platform for Community Collaboration
Reimagine Sentul began with a strong belief that the Sentul community holds great potential for exciting collaborations. All it needed was a platform to gather, connect, and co-create initiatives that serve the wider community.
Our inaugural program on 2 Aug 2025 marked the launch of this social experiment. The event saw an encouraging turnout of 29 people from diverse backgrounds—those living, working, or simply invested in Sentul’s liveability.
After a brief introduction to Reimagine Sentul’s purpose by Adeline Chua, representing the current volunteer team, the event officially began.
Joelynn Chin of Sentul Then and Now, one of our event’s speakers, started the event with an engaging icebreaker. Three long-time Sentul residents were selected as anchors, while participants rotated in groups to speak with them, asking about life in Sentul. Our longest-standing anchor has lived in Sentul her entire life—from childhood through her retirement.
Stories, Exploration, and Community Connections
Our first speaker, architectural designer, educator, and podcaster Gary Yeow, shared his documentation of his wife’s hometown, Teluk Intan, focusing on its modernist building facades. Through literature review, photography, and observation, Gary uncovered an understanding of the town’s history and aspirations, demonstrating how architecture can connect us to a place’s past, present, and future.
He also brought a curated book corner from his personal collection, exploring the history of places gathered through various research methodologies. The selection included local titles like E9A Architecture’s Between Rail and River, Notes in Time on Kluang and Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities. Interestingly, Aiman Mos Johari, photographer for Between Rail and River was amongst the participants of our event.
Next, Joelynn Chin captured the room’s attention with a brief history of Sentul, highlighting the diverse ways this history was documented by Sentul Then & Now—from community-sourced oral histories and old photographs to archival records. Their efforts have been truly commendable, especially given the group's formation only two years ago. She shared how documenting the town’s stories has infused the lives of its members with meaningful connection to Sentul’s places and people.
This was followed by a moderated Q&A session, where both speakers shared their motivations and the impacts their projects have had on the community.
Interactive Community Walk and Feedback
In an activity facilitated by Adeline, participants were divided into small groups to explore the street outside the venue—Jalan Kovil Hilir. They spent 15 minutes strolling the 500-meter street, photographing anything that caught their interest and learning more about it. Upon regrouping, they shared their photos with everyone.
This exercise in cultivating everyday curiosity revealed how anyone can deepen their connection with Sentul, a culturally rich town. Photos captured a range of subjects—from native trees and imported tea-drinking customs to interstate waterways linking the Klang Valley.
Before the program concluded, participants completed a feedback form designed not only to improve future event planning but more importantly to enhance Reimagine Sentul’s role as a collective serving the community. Already, three initiative ideas were beginning to take shape as the group adjourned to a nearby restaurant for dinner.
Looking Ahead: Next Program on Safer Streets
Reimagine Sentul’s next program will focus on the topic of Safer Streets. It is scheduled for Saturday, 20 Sep 2025, from 4:00 to 6:30 pm. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates.
Report by Adeline Chua
Photos by CC Tang & the community
Find Out About Our Upcoming Programmes
