Remember when the Perak Postal Service started a special express letter service between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur? It wasn’t that long ago; apparently, there were two dispatches daily (except Sunday and Public Holidays). And the letters would reach the SAME DAY!
Looks familiar? Well, this is called a straw boater. What’s even more interesting is, this hat was rather popular with none other than Chung Thye Phin (see picture below).
Back in 1952, Countess Mountbatten visited St Michael’s Institution. As President of the St John Ambulance Association in London she toured Malaya, visiting centres where St John Ambulance activities were organised. In this photograph, she’s addressing an assembly at the school hall – where she declared a half-holiday (much to the students delight!).
Have you heard of the Perak Pioneer? The first issue, a 4-page bi-weekly edition, came out in 1894. Soon, the paper gained popularity and it became an 8-page daily by 1905. Sadly, on the 18th anniversary of the paper, its editor wrote his last editorial.
Those of you familiar with Registered Mail may recognise this envelope.
We’ve heard of royalty having their own special vehicles (and customised number plates). Here we have another “royal mode of transport” – an elephant of the Sultan of Perak 🙂
Movement Control Orders are not new to this country, but in the past they have been limited to curfews. The earliest example we have is from the New Villages during the Emergency, when the residents were locked down for around 14 hours every night. Of course there was always ways ti get a permit to break the rules. Just like today.
This was 62 years ago. Who can share their memories with us.
We have here a Post Office Savings Bank of the Federation (Of Malaya), from 1958. Note the multilingual front page…
Yes, yes…I know it’s not Christmas. But here’s an interesting story which appeared in the Leader magazine.
“A week after her marriage in Singapore, Mrs Bloom found herself a captive of the Japanese. Then, thrown together in misery, Occidental, Chinese and Sikh found that prison bars could not confine the human spirit. In Britain on Christmas Day in 1949, it is good perhaps to reflect on another Christmas in a far-off land just six years ago ….” (read more here)
Here’s a rare find: note that the name and address of Mr & Mrs Baird are written in both English and Mandarin!
Perhaps someone out there knew the Bairds?
According to this bill, Mr. Chin paid the Board $70.00 for the usage of electricity.
How much is your bill this month? 😉
When the 1939-45 war in Europe ended, in which Police Lieutenant Dick Villiers had visited the continent more times than a peacetime tourist, he was dropped into Malaya as a member of Force 136. When the Japanese capitulated in 1945, Dick left the jungle in Lower Perak and by accident met the Loh family at Telok Anson (now Telok Intan). This was the beginning of an enduring friendship.
With nourishment in short supply at the end of the war, the Loh’s three month old daughter, Diane, was facing a bleak future. Dick began to feel peckish too when the army refused to put him on rations due to his ‘unofficial’ status. Similar situations had cropped up in Europe when he had ‘dropped in unannounced’ and so, like Robin Hood he solved the problem by using his special skills. (read more about his story here).
Yes, we had a ‘Robin Hood’ here in Malaya too! 🙂