December 2009 - IpohWorld's World

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December 2009

SMI – A Page from the Past!

By felicia|2009-12-30T02:26:31+08:00December 30th, 2009|Categories: Identify Photographs, ipoh, Memories, People|Tags: Bro Pius, Bro Vincent, La Salle Brothers, SMI|

With a little prompting from Ignatius Chiew, we’ve decided to publish this class photograph from one of Ipoh’s famous boys’ school – St Michael’s Institution.

Again, we are not too familiar with the year or the people. But from what we know, seated in the front (from left to right) are:
the late Mr. Julianose (2nd from left), the late Mr. Lee Guan Meng, Bro. Vincent, Bro Pius (Director), the late Mr. Lim Kean Hooi (3rd from right), and Mrs. Ooi Eu Chong (extreme right).

Anyone remember the rest (teachers and/or students)? We would be pleased to hear from you. Nothing like reminiscing about ones school days!

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Malaya’s Secret Police!

By felicia|2009-12-28T08:25:36+08:00December 28th, 2009|Categories: Books, Heritage Books|Tags: book, history, Malaya Emergency|

This book by Leon Comber is an analyses of the pivotal role of the Malayan Police’s Special Branch, during the Malayan Emergency. Dr Comber, an Honarary Research Fellow at Monash Asia Institute (Monash University, Melbourne), shows how the Special Branch was organised and how it worked in terms of security during the Emergency. It is said to be an interesting read, especially in learning from the “lessons” of “counterinsurgency operations”.

Our copy was purchased at RM 72, at the MPH bookstore.
ISBN number: 978-981-230-815-3

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2010

By admin|2009-12-24T01:30:09+08:00December 24th, 2009|Categories: About Us|Tags: greeting|

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Here’s Wishing You All Seasonal Greetings for Christmas and the New Year

By ika|2009-12-22T02:08:24+08:00December 22nd, 2009|Categories: Memories, People|Tags: Christmas, cobbler, traditional trades|

Traditional trades are fast disappearing and although the cobbler is perhaps not in the same heritage league as the tinsmith, the silversmith, the blacksmith, the chick blind maker, the sign carver and the like, he has been an important part of local life ever since we wore shoes, which for many in the Kinta Valley was not actually more than 70 or so years ago.

Nonetheless this old gentleman from Teluk Intan has obviously been in this one shop for a lifetime and although it has nothing to do with Christmas, the picture gives me that same feeling as some of the old drawings from the classic Charles Dickens books like “A Christmas Carol” and the ghosts of years past. For surely among all the clutter in the shop there must be some ghosts of the past in the form of discarded shoes, forgotten bags and more.

So with this picture in mind, we at ipohworld.org would like to wish you all the happiest of holidays over the Christmas season and all the very best for 2010. We shall be taking a short break from writing from today, but will be back with you next week. However, don’t stop writing to us for we shall still be reading your comments every day.

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The Ipoh Echo Bumper Issue is Out Today

By ika|2009-12-21T10:52:06+08:00December 21st, 2009|Categories: Memories|Tags: heritage, Ipoh Echo, Tin Dredge|

Yes the Bumper issue No 88 hit the newstands and free outlets today. The biggest paper they have produced so far it is full of local interest: from making a movie in Papan, Christmas cheer, plagiarism, outdoor pursuits, community news and much more.

But one article relating to heritage that caught our attention was about the old tin dredge and its future. The dredge is sinking and as every day passes it further deteriorates. To get it back to a level suitable for tourism will cost hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of RM. Should this money be spent? Who should pay? What should be done?

Why not read the article yourselves either at page 4 of Isue 88 or at http://ipohecho.com.my/v2/category/commentary/thinking-aloud/ and let us, or the Echo know your views. But at the same time don’t forget to read the other 19 pages, they are full of local interest. It is your community newspaper so enjoy it.

The dredge leaning over at an angle approaching 20 degrees

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Wah! Another New Ipoh Heritage Trail Map

By ika|2009-12-21T10:54:58+08:00December 21st, 2009|Categories: Ipoh Town|Tags: heritage trail, Ipoh Town, Old Town|

Yes there really is another new heritage trail map for Ipoh, this one taking in both Old and New Town streets and 60 heritage buildings as well as giving a brief history of the city from 1873 to 1941. There is also a section on Ipoh’s famous foods, some notes on the Malay Enclave and “How to Script a Trip” a suggestion of how to enjoy two days in Ipoh. It is entitled “Ipoh: the sentimental side.”

You will recall that the last new map, featuring Old Town, which became available just a few weeks ago was sponsored by a local benefactor. This latest edition to the tourist’s armoury is produced under the umbrella of the Office of the Menteri Besar, Perak, via “The Soul of Ipoh Project” by the Perakean League and supported by The Lost World of Tambun, The Syuen Hotel, Ngan Yin (the Peanut People), Morubina (The Riverside Hotel and Project) and Foh San. Unlike the earlier version, this latest map costs RM5 and we bought it at the Canning Garden Newsagent cum bookshop. Well produced it is worth the money.

If I may I will finish with the quotation provided on the map,

“A large part of Ipoh’s story lies in its ancient buildings, walkways, alleys, road corners of the old town and new town of the city. By truly understanding the city’s heritage is one of the best ways for its survival of the most natural. May the soul of Ipoh continue to live for many generations to come.”

I just hope they mean it!

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But There’s No Mystery About This Man’s Pride in his Heritage.

By ika|2009-12-20T08:32:40+08:00December 20th, 2009|Categories: Memories|Tags: Gopeng, heritage, Kampong House, Restoration|

Not only did our owner of the missing house care for the building itself, but just look at these photographs. He carefully saved everything that was there and after restoring his old home, he faithfully replaced the contents. That’s dedication, but more importantly it is “Pride in One’s Heritage”.

Family photographs on the wall, books and ornaments neatly blending with period furniture and a modern (ish) desk lamp.

What a great place to come home to after a week of pressure in Kuala Lumpur!

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The Mystery of the Missing House

By ika|2009-12-19T02:13:40+08:00December 19th, 2009|Categories: Memories|Tags: Gopeng, Kampong House, Restoration|

As you can see from the picture there is a set of traditional steps leading to the front of a Kampung House that is not there! Then at the back is a small building, clearly the kitchen of the missing house. So what happened? Well do you see the yellow house behind the trees? That is the house that used to fill the space between steps and kitchen. Today it looks like this.

Yes, the whole house, lock, stock and barrel was taken to pieces, each piece numbered, recorded and where necessary carefully restored and then rebuilt further away from the road. It cost a small fortune to do this, but the owner, an architect and descendant of the original owner thought that at whatever cost his family home was worth saving. What a great example to set to our people who own similar homes that are simply left to rot. They wouldn’t need to go this far, but with some TLC (tender, loving care) they could keep their ancestors homes together, couldn’t they? Many would make perfect country retreats from our bustling, polluted cities, either for the family or as homestays. Think about it!

Mystery solved!

Some internal pictures of the house will be posted tomorrow.

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Inside the Court House, but not on Trial

By ika|2009-12-17T07:50:54+08:00December 17th, 2009|Categories: Memories|Tags: Courthouse, teluk anson, Teluk Intan|

Above each of the windows inside the Old Teluk Anson Courthouse there are plaster mouldings which alternate around the building. One like this and ……….

………one like this. Please excuse the cobwebs, spiders have no respect for the law!

Another interesting feature is the rainwater system, installed in 1949 which runs INSIDE the building!

The remainder of the inside of the building was not worth a photograph and so to finish this tour as, all too often, we have all seen rubbish on a floor before, here is a full-face shot of the front portion above that awful sign.

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Mr Lip Po’s First Car!

By felicia|2009-12-16T05:13:33+08:00December 16th, 2009|Categories: ipoh, Memories, People|Tags: flowers, Interflora, ipoh, nursery, trees|

Lip Po left China, with a Catholic priest, and came to Malaya at the age of 5 in 1877. Having completed his education, he later went into mining. He however lost his mine in Falim and then ventured into selling cold drinks on the street. With that, he saved up some money and bought a 10-acre plot of land – which became Po Garden.

Po Garden, with its many fruit trees and flowers, eventually became the first organisation to have worked with Interflora. Here is a picture of Mr Lip Po with his first car, probably in the 1920s. Next to him in the car is one of his sons – all his 5 sons studied at St Michaels Institution; hence, Lip Po was one of the major donors for the 1939 extension done in the school.

I’m sure some of you out there remember Po Garden, located just beside the Main Convent. During my Primary years at the Main Convent, I would sometimes walk along Po Garden Lane (between the nursery and the Convent) and admire those shady trees. Now that the nursery has moved, the land which once stretched from Brewster Road all the way back towards Syuen Hotel has been (sadly) abandoned.

The company Po Garden still exists in the Cameron Highlands.

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Buy One, Free One – Courthouse and Church

By ika|2009-12-13T07:39:36+08:00December 13th, 2009|Categories: Memories, Museums|Tags: church, Courthouse, heritage, teluk anson, Teluk Intan|

This old photograph shows the first courthouse in Teluk Anson (Teluk Intan), built in the late 1870’s or very early 1880’s. It also doubled up on a Sunday as the Anglican Church for there was not one available in the district. However, the hard wooden benches suitable for a court house were just too uncomfortable as church pews and that certainly did not encourage the God-fearing parishioners to attend the Sunday service, for they were more used to the comfortable and relaxing pews of Old England.

Consequently the Society for the Propogation of the Gospel set about raising funds for a proper church and in 1910 the first Anglican church of Teluk Anson was completed – we are sure with comfortable pews!

The courthouse then continued solely in its primary role until the new courthouse was built in 1983. The Sultan of Perak opened the new building in April 1986, some 100 years after the original one was built.

This second photograph shows the building recently. Despite the offensive looking sign, it is not actually in use and apart from the odd cheap sale that takes place there it is effectively abandoned and fast deteriorating. Now we are well aware that this and the Old Police Station carry the stigma of being “British built”, but how can the council and residents of Teluk Intan let buildings like them just rot away, rather than turn them into something useful for the people, education, or even a museum. Have they no pride in their heritage?

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….they say the pretty girls come from Ipoh!

By felicia|2009-12-11T02:48:47+08:00December 11th, 2009|Categories: Identify Photographs, Ipoh Town, What is it?|Tags: Belfield Street, HSBC bank, ipoh|

This lovely lass is said to be seated at the balcony of an old shop house in Ipoh. We’re not sure where about this place is, so some help would be nice. According to the kind soul who gave us the picture, one of the buildings in the background is the HSBC bank – which is along Belfield Street, in Old Town.

Anyone out there with more ideas / thoughts ?

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A Visit to Teluk Mak Intan or Mak Intan’s Bay

By ika|2009-12-08T09:52:38+08:00December 8th, 2009|Categories: Memories|Tags: Police, teluk anson, Teluk Intan|

This photo was taken in 2006 on a visit Teluk Intan originally called Teluk Mak Intan, after a well-to-do Mandailing woman who is believed to have been in trading across the Straits of Malacca, although some will say she was actually a pirate. It shows the old Balai Polis or Police Station which being unused was in a state of serious disrepair. What we don’t know is whether it is still there as we have not been that way lately. Please let us know.

Teluk Intan was of course renamed by the British under the administration of the third British Resident Hugh Low (1877 to 1889), as Teluk Anson, in honour of General Anson who drew the first plans of the town and secondly, as he said, Telok Ma’ Hitam (as the British called Teluk Mak Intan ) was too long! It was the Sultan of Perak in 1982 that changed the name back, but dropped the ‘Mak’.

Hugh Low was also responsible for the Police Staion when he proposed “The Customs House, the Court House, landing jetty and Chief Police Station should be put there at once. I will send the plan and write on the subject to Singapore as soon as I can…”. Consequently the area around the Polce Station would have been the original town, rather than where most of it is today.

What a shame no one has found a use for this old building, or have they?

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A Fascinating Old Photo from Perak

By ika|2009-12-06T02:03:48+08:00December 6th, 2009|Categories: Identify Photographs, People|Tags: Mystery|

This was found among a whole lot of scans sent to us. All the others were of Perak in modern times, but this one is clearly not modern. But the question is who are they?

We would welcome your ideas.

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School Trip!

By felicia|2009-12-06T02:05:49+08:00December 4th, 2009|Categories: Identify Photographs, ipoh, Memories|Tags: Convent of the Infant Jesus, Ipoh Town, Main Convent, School|

Here we have a ‘friendly’ bus – ferrying the children around and also joining them on school trips. This picture was taken from the Main Convent Centenary Magazine. Judging by the number plate (AA 5084) and from the wordings in the magazine, we think this picture was probably taken around the year 1957.

Anyone out there been on such a bus before? Do let us know – especially if you were a ‘product’ of Main Convent, Ipoh!

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Soya Sauce the Traditional Way

By ika|2009-12-02T00:55:29+08:00December 2nd, 2009|Categories: Museums, People|Tags: Gopeng, heritage, Soya sauce|

This little environmentally friendly Soya sauce factory lies just behind the police station in Gopeng. Here the elderly couple have been producing thick and thin sauce and fermented bean paste for most of their lives, but sadly have no children to take over this thriving business. However, there is hope that it will continue as a neice has recently joined them although when asked if she planned to continue the business, she was noncommittal.

Clearly another Gopeng tourist attraction (Gopeng seems to be doing well in this area) as well as a valuable asset to the community, one hopes that she will carry on the business which is effectively, already a working museum.

Above I mentioned ‘environmentally friendly” and that is because one can see at a glance that there are no waste products lying around polluting our world like most factories do. Secondly their bottles are carefully collected (discarded second hand sauce bottles from a multi-national company) and instead of wastefully being thrown away, they are thoroughly washed by the same small team of two (now three) and reused for their products, without unnecessasary paper labels. Sure, they do use a wood fire to boil up the beans, but only common wood not that from the rainforest which so many people are exploiting to line their own pockets.

If you have not found this little heritage gem then do make a point of visiting if you are in the area – and while you are there buy some sauce – you will not get better.

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