Malaysian couple saves and transforms 120-year-old heritage building in Ipoh

The restored louvred windows on the upper floor of the Arlene Terrace. Photos: Made In Ipoh

Timing determines a lot of the things that happen in our life, and that could not be truer for chartered accountant and corporate advisor Michael Chan.

One day in March 2012, Chan and his wife Arlene were walking along the verandahs of Jalan Pasar (formerly known as Market Street) in Ipoh, Perak, when an intriguing colonial shophouse situated opposite the street caught their eyes.