Heritage Horror
I am sure that all Kinta Valley readers will recognise this bit of heritage that has become a potential horror so close to the Ipoh – Gopeng Trunk Road. Yes, it is Kampong Kepayang and the road is indeed the Gopeng Road up and down which traffic thunders daily. What is more these buildings and several others in the row are in danger of falling into the road and killing some passing motorist (shades of Fair Park’s recent tragedy).
Now this is not a new situation and the photograph was taken some two years ago, but passing the site yesterday and with the Fair Park incident in mind, I noticed that the situation was much the same as it was when the photograph was taken, although of course inevitable further deterioration has taken place.
This little Kampung, two rows of houses close to the road (and in which some families still live), with an old traditional mosque at one end, could have been a nice little heritage enclave . Making it such has been talked about many times by those in authority, but as usual nothing happened. Of course it would have needed to be pedestrianised with a by-pass and that would have been costly, but looking at how much gets spent on trivia, it would not have been wasted.
But what about today, clearly there are only two options – Save it or Destroy it. What do you think should be the way ahead? Whatever is decided it must be done quickly to prevent another disaster.
This really is a horror! How shocking it is to see how dangerously this has been ignored. Don’t we have some laws about such things?
this area were consider as a part of ipoh which is a small town was be the famous place for them those day.The road and the small road were under name “first street”,”second street” along the corner.and there was a road sign name ‘main rD_” were stick on the pillar in part of the building.
ika, I am concerned that you have not recieved the photographs I have sent you,as yet.14 days,tomorrow seems,to me,to be a long time,even by Snail Mail Standards.Plse let me know and I will chase it up from my end to-morrow.
Regards Jim
Hi Jim,
They arrived safely yesterday, but as I was in KL I did not get it until today. Thanks for sending them, Two questions, do you want them sent back to Reigate Street and what date were they taken please.
Thanks for helping.
ika,Cheers mate,I was getting worried.A check of my Passport indicates the pictures were taken in 2003,should you choose to use them,now or at a later date,or in fact at all,is your choice.You may keep them,I tried,in vain,to contact any descendants of the Australian Civilian buried at Batu Gajah and the Green Howard.But I think,sadly,it,s long ago and far away for some.Your Society helps to preserve everyones History,not just Ipoh’s.If I find anymore photographs that maybe of interest I’ll let you know.
Regards Jim
If I recall, this incident is a lorry crashing into this shophouse. The tenants here are mostly aged seniors. Upon their demise, nobody assumes responsibility for their upkeep. It is left to rot.
The roads have also be widened and practically at their doorstep. I experienced visiting one of this shophouse. The whole building shuddered and shook with every passing vehicle. Picture a prime-mower with its cargo container load passing, i felt like running out of there. Some of these shophouses have their own wells to draw water. Maybe not as drinking water, but I suspect it may be more nutritious coming from the underwater streams from the lime stone hills nearby? Someone from Nature Society could elaborate better, i hope.
their own wells? that’s interesting….
Addy, the shophouse you visited…are the owners still there?
I will have to check if they still are.
I think that the first block on the left as you head towards Gopeng, still has tenants living there. There may also be one left on the right.
The old mosque is still in regular use.
There are wells in all the shophouses in Kampong Kepayang. Most similar houses built around the turn of the last century in towns like Gopeng, Kampar, Papan, Batu Gajah etc will also have wells. When most towns got piped water supply, houseowners would fill in the wells, except Kampong Kepayang. I don’t know why, but I do know that people in Kampar Town were still digging wells at the back of their property up to the eighties, to extract tin ore!! Illegally though. There is always talk with regards to old mining towns throughout the Kinta Valley whether to relocate them and to mine the land they sit on. It’s just the consideration of the price of tin against the cost of relocation. The price of tin has spiraled up in recent years, but so has the cost of property and mining, so the status quo remains, for now!