Aspects of Privacy in Muslim Malay Traditional Dwelling Interiors in Melaka

The Malay traditional dwelling (MTD) in Melaka demonstrated the Malay cultural norms, religious beliefs and the basic requirements of privacy in Islam. Privacy needs of the family members and the non-mahram visitor is determinant for designing the space planning in MTD. Different types of dwelling size were selected in order to investigate the concept of privacy. Research methodology was designed on occupant observation, layout plan measurement and in-depth interviews. The results affect the privacy provisions and behaviours of MTD occupants. Moreover, these findings assist to produce new design recommendations of layout plans, to achieve the privacy level from Islamic perspective.