“full house”
This picture was taken from the ACS centenary magazine, probably before the start of the school play. We thank our donor Ong Su-Ming.
March 2023
Market Street, 1919
We thank Chee Ong Ngai for this picture, which is part of a postcard. Here we have Market Street, from Court House Road. You can also see FMS Hotel.
Incidentally, we have this postcard in our collection (along with a little history to it).
Federation Armed Forces
We have here an example of uniforms worn by the Federation Armed Forces. From left to right: Walking-out Dress, Ceremonial No.3 Dress, and Battle Order Dress.
We thank Ipoh Remembered for sharing this photo with us.
Perak Academy Talk – “Perak Royalty & Nobility – Its History, Succession, Etiquette and Decorations”
Mark your calendars. Perak Academy will be hosting a talk on The Perak Royalty & Nobility, on 20th March 2023.
The talk will be at 8pm, at Mamut Meeting Room (1 Jalan Lasam, 30350, Ipoh).
Light refreshments will be served at 7pm.
For more information, call Perak Academy at 016-412 3742
or email contact@perakacademy.com
February 2023
Advertising…back then
When was the last time you saw such an advertisement? I for one have never come across such creativity!
We thank Chee Ong Ngai for this picture.
Off to the movies!
Some of you may already recognise this at the Rex Cinema, in Kampar. We thank Chee Ong Ngai for sharing this picture with us.
A Wrestling Match?
Here’s another rare find from Chee Ong Ngai. This is said to be Sikhs (from the Perak Armed Police) engaged in a game of wrestling.
December 2022
‘Mysterious’ mansion
We thank Harvant Lisa Harper for sharing this picture with us. She also had this to say:
This is the army regimen house by the Ipoh Specialist Center. It was at one time occupied by the British. My dad was the guard there. Then the Japanese took over. Before they got there, he told me that he destroyed all the crystals that the British left behind so the Japanese could not hear what the British were talking about and also hid a pistol that was left behind.
Just in case you’re wondering if this building still exists….we do have a more recent picture of it here.
November 2022
Guess Who?
Does he look familiar? No? What if I told you there’s a building named after him, along Dairy Road (now known as Jalan Raja Musa Mahadi)?
In case you’re still puzzled, this gentleman is none other than Prof Dato’ (Dr) Ungku Omar bin Ahmad. We don’t know much about his personal life. However, thanks to Prof Dr Zainur Rashid Zainuddin, we do have a short summary of his contribution towards the local medical field.
Restored!
This house (in Pasir Salak, Perak) was said to be built in the 1980s, to resemble the house of the late Dato Maharajalela. It later fell into a sorry state (as seen above).
But, the good news is……it was later restored!
If anyone could shed more light on this restoration project, we’d love to hear from you.
We thank Tomb Raider Hunter for these pictures 🙂
Oath of Secrecy
With the Malaysian General Elections just around the corner, here’s another interesting find (from the family of the late Ali Pitchay): an Oath of Secrecy, taken by election candidates!
Keeping the streets clean
What’s this funny looking contraption, you ask? Why, it’s a one-man battery-operated street cleansing vehicle!
Back in the 1960’s Ipoh had a well deserved reputation of being the cleanest town in the Federation of Malaya….
…still in the Elections Mood…
Do you remember that time when UMNO and MCA contemplated a “grand alliance”, to contest in the Town Council Elections in Perak? Well, this article might refresh your memory…
October 2022
Going to the Polls
For those of you who haven’t been following the news lately, Malaysia will be going to the polls on the 19th of November 2022.
That being said, here’s a sample of a Pre Independence Election poster!
We thank the family of the late Mohd Ali bin Pitchay, for sharing this rare find with us.
“Landmark Rescued”
We usually hear about historical landmarks being torn down to make way for modern structures. Here’s an old article about a famous landmark in Taiping…which was rescued!
Famous Names (17)
First he practised medicine in Penang before he moved to Ipoh in 1912, becoming the first Asian with a Western medical degree in Perak. His new clinic was at Tatlock Street; two decades later, a new central market was built in the area, which helps explain why Tatlock Street is now called Hala Pasar Baru.
He then served the Kinta Sanitary Board (the precursor of Ipoh Municipal Council) before he joined the Perak Chinese Maternity Hospital as Medical Superintendent in 1922. He held that post for over thirty years and was the driving force in obtaining funds and government approval for establishing the new Perak Chinese Maternity Hospital at its present site in Jalan Kampar in 1937. (read more here)
Yes, we’re talking about Dato Dr Khong Kam Tak, CBE, JP.
An Interesting School Trip
Is it a bird…is it a plane…..? No, they are most likely staring at the Birch Clock Tower.
The gentleman (holding some papers) is none other than Rev J Appaduray. The boys in the background are students from St Michael’s Insitution.
Here’s another picture of the group:
(read the full story here)
Learning ‘Nipponese’…
This was an interesting find – learning Japanese (or, Nipponese) via a booklet. It came with Romanised Malay translation too. Does anyone remember such a book?
September 2022
QSL Cards?
During the early days of radio broadcasting, the ability for a radio set to receive distant signals was a source of pride for many consumers and hobbyists. Listeners would mail “reception reports” to radio broadcasting stations in hopes of getting a written letter to officially verify they had heard a distant station. As the volume of reception reports increased, stations took to sending post cards containing a brief form that acknowledged reception. Collecting these cards became popular with radio listeners in the 1920s and 1930s, and reception reports were often used by early broadcasters to gauge the effectiveness of their transmissions.
The concept of sending a post card to verify reception of a station (and later two-way contact between them) may have been independently invented several times. The earliest reference seems to be a card sent in 1916 from 8VX in Buffalo, New York to 3TQ in Philadelphia, (in those days ITU prefixes were not used). The standardized card with callsign, freqPennsylvania uency, date, etc. may have been developed in 1919 by C.D. Hoffman, 8UX, in Akron, Ohio. In Europe, W.E.F. “Bill” Corsham, 2UV, first used a QSL when operating from Harlesden, England in 1922. [Wikipedia]
This card was produced by Sergeant Leese to mark the 300th anniversary of his regiment which was celebrated in Ipoh. A member of the Malayan Amateur Radio Transmitters Society the card records his contact with call-sign MP4BDC at 2000 on 1st October 1961.
August 2022
Railway Police?
This is a Federated Malay States Gilt Railway Police Cap Badge; a five–pointed star shaped with ‘F M S Railway Police’ between two circles and surrounding a tiger in centre.
Have you seen a badge like this before?
Japanese HQ at Anderson School?
This photograph shows Fujiwara Iwaichi with Captain M. Akram, adjutant to General Mohan Singh, at Fujiwara Kikan headquarters at the Anderson School, Ipoh, on 5th January 1942.
The military headquarters was established by Fujiwara Kikan, the military intelligence agency, on New Year’s Day 1942. The building also served as the headquarters of Indian Independence League (IIL), the Indian National Army (INA), the Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM), and the Sumatran Youth Association.
A year…after WW 1
This photograph reproduced from ‘Imperial Patriot’, shows a ceremony at the Ipoh Club to mark the first anniversary of declaration of World War I on 4 August 1915.
Goodbye to a Legend
source: BWF Virtual Museum
With a heavy heart, we say goodbye to Dato’ Ng Boon Bee DPTJ AMN. He was a Malaysian badminton player, whose success in doubles earned him recognition as one of greatest doubles players in badminton history.
Ng Boon Bee is probably the finest sportsman to come out of SMI, being one of the stars of the Malaysian Badminton team from 1960 onwards.
Some of you may remember that year, when the Thomas Cup was paraded through SMI.
In partnership with Tan Yee Khan and later P Gunalan, he won doubles titles in all the big national and international tournaments, including the All England Doubles title twice and the Malaysian title six times.
Our condolences to his family, as well as his ‘family’ in the sporting arena.
July 2022
Becoming a Citizen
This particular document is a certificate of Registration which declares that from the 22nd of August 1958 onwards, Madam Ong would be a citizen of the Federation of Malaya under Article 17. The officer which signed this certificate on behalf of the registration authority was H. Perera as stated in the document. (more details here)
Coming to a theatre near you!
The month of August is usually known as “bulan Merdeka” (Merdeka/Independence Month). But did you also know that the earliest cinematograph first came to Ipoh in August 1906?
Initially the cinematograph market was monopolized by one company, the Matsuo Japanese Cinematograph Company, who used to hold nightly shows in a tent for 7-weeks running, moving from city to city. The following year however, he had competition in the form of 3 other cinematograph companies, each employing different novelties to attract crowds. (read more here)
The First Battalion Perak Sikhs
The photograph actually shows the ‘First Battalion Perak Sikhs’, the armed military arm of the Perak Police Force.
The Battalion had its roots in the ‘Perak Armed Force’ which was a mix of races (Sikhs, Punjabi, Malays and Chinese), first commanded by Captain Swinburne and from 1879 by Major R S F Walker CMG. The ‘Armed Force’ was disbanded in early 1884 and ‘The First Battalion Perak Sikhs’, was established on 15 May 1884 to replace them. (read more here)
Ahmad Noor @ Halaloedin Hamzah
Have you heard of Ahmad Noor? Perhaps you knew him as Halaloedin Hamzah?
He was a Mandailing from the Dutch East Indies who free-lanced for Kompas in the early days of his career. He fled and sought refuge in Malaya, when the Dutch authorities cracked down on railway strikers in 1929, in which he was involved, and staged a mass arrest. He later changed his name to Ahmad Noor Abdul Shukor, and had a short stint with Saudara in Penang. (read more here)
The picture (taken from the Kinta Valley book) isn’t that clear…but I believe Ahmad Noor is probably the gentleman standing in the middle.
June 2022
The Aeroplane Comes to Ipoh!
The people of Ipoh had an opportunity to witness an aeroplane for the first time on July 1 1911! G P Kuller – one of the earliest aviators – staged a 4-day flight exhibition in Ipoh.
Thousands congregated at the race course, with 150 Europeans occupying the 1st and 2nd class seats. The 3rd and 4th class ticket-holders were largely Asian, while an even larger crowd assembled outside on Tambun Road. (read more here)
Do you recall the first time you boarded a plane?
Gone…but not forgotten…
The Gurkhas from Nepal were an integral part of the British Army as they fought side by side during the difficult periods of Malayan history, which included conflict against the Japanese troops in World War Two, the communist insurgents in the emergency era and the Confrontation Period with Indonesia in Borneo.
Each year on the second Saturday in June, a remembrance service takes place at this well kept cemetery where around 100 Gurkhas (soldiers and families) are laid to rest. Of these, 28 were from the British’s Second Royal Rangers Regiment.
We thank Ramadas G. Retnam for sharing this picture with us.
An Ice Cream Seller
Here’s another picture which was featured in our Falim Exhibition, back in 2013.
This is said to be a Chinese ice cream seller. I wonder how he kept the ice cream cold…
May 2022
Celebration time!
Here’s another one from the Watson album. We were told that this was taken at the Ipoh Club.
Tee-time!
We thank Conrad Pregrave-Payne for the above picture. We believe that the gentleman in the dark suit is Sir R. G. Watson (Resident of Perak). The venue of course is the Kinta Club, which catered to both horse racing and golf.
Getting to know ‘Austin’
From the number plate, we can safely assume that this picture was taken before WW2.
I’ll leave this here for all the classic car lovers….
Silver Jubilee Medal
On this day in 1935, Towkay Leong Sin Nam was forwarded a medal – in commemoration of the Silver Jubilee of Their Majesties the late King George V and Queen Mary.
We thank Dr Leong Oon Keong (the grandson of Leong Sin Nam) for sharing these pictures with us.
April 2022
“balik kampong”
With Raya round the corner, many will be travelling back to their hometowns this year. Of course, such kampong houses (like the ones above) may no longer be around…but they were once a common sight.
Make Way!
No, this is not a scene from the floods 😉
It is in fact an entourage crossing the Perak River. This picture was taken in 1913, and can be found in the G.C.V.O. booklet. The booklet records the celebration week that to place to mark the award of the Sultan of Perak with the Royal Victorian Order (Grand Cross of the Victorian Order, or G.C.V.O.), which carries the title Sir.
The second elephant, the Sultan’s Elephant, carried Captain Oliver – who conveyed the Insignia to His Excellency the High Commissioner.
“Visit Malaya”
This is 1 of 4 of the hand painted posters, measuring 81cm x 100cm, produced in 1961 for the Visit Malaya in Orient promotion. Does anyone recall seeing any of these posters around the town in the 1960s?
A List of Monuments and Sites
We thank Philip LaBrooy for sharing the above article with us. Unfortunately, we’re not sure of the date of this article (nor the newspaper it was taken from). This is a list of historical buildings, monuments and sites compiled by the Museums Department.
Here’s a close-up of the Perak column:
A catalogue for dredges?
This picture is taken from a Werf Conrad Tin Dredges Catalogue. Here’s a close up of a dredge, showing the dredge buckets.
The picture below shows a dredge bucket, from two different angles.
170 years!
The above badge has the words “Christian Brothers’ Schools” and “Signum Fidei” clearly printed on it, one at the bottom of the badge and the other at the top. In between there is an image of Peninsula Malaysia as well as a figure of a Catholic Brother. At the top end of the image of Peninsula Malaysia the numbers “1852” can be seen while at the lower end the numbers “1952” are printed.
We’re featuring this badge, to commemorate 170 years of the La Salle Brothers‘ legacy 🙂
February 2022
Another British Resident of Perak
Here’s a picture of the Hon. Mr R. G. Watson, British Resident of Perak. This picture was taken from the G.C.V.O. Week booklet, published around 1914.
This booklet is an account of the celebrations at Kuala Kangsar from 21st-28th September 1913, to mark the presentation to His Highness the Sultan of Perak of the insignia of the G.C.V.O. (Grand Cross of the Victorian Order).
We thank Winson Saw for sharing this with us.
January 2022
Another fountain in Ipoh
We thank Anthony H S Law for sharing this picture on Facebook.
He also added: “Water Fountain …. This must be the forgotten Ipoh’s oldest, the rare and perhaps the only fountain of Ipoh city. Dated 1900 or 122 years old, the fountain was “PRESENTED BY LOW FOO ESQ TO THE IPOH HOSPITAL” Maker : Penang Foundry“.
Does anyone remember this fountain? Is it still around…somewhere in Ipoh?
‘rowing into town’
No, this is not a picture of the recent floods that hit us. This picture is actually from 1967, in Kuala Kangsar.
Can’t believe the water level rose that much….
Keeping it clean
The above picture shows the Ipoh Town Council’s new cleaning lorries. These lorries were used back in 1960s, of course. The advertisement below may give you a better view of them.
These pictures were taken from Ipoh: The Town that Tin Built (1962)
Happy Birthday!
They say it’s rude to ask a woman her age. This “lady” pictured above, however, is proud to announce her 115th birthday 🙂
Yes, Ipoh’s HIJ Convent is a hundred and fifteen years old today!
89 years ago…
…the Old Michaelian’s Association (OMA) was first formed. Yes, way back in 1933. The picture featured below, however, was taken a year later – on the occasion of the opening of the Association’s premises.
A 163-year wait…
New Sunday Times, February 8, 1987 – A London diary from Rehman Rashid – A book written by John Anderson the official translator to the British Government during the nineteenth century who was charged with forcing the official liaison between the Government and the Malay Kings. In the course of his duties, Mr. Anderson had access to all the treaties and documentation. He wrote this book including in it detailed transcriptions of all the treaties drawn up between his Government and the Sultans of Kedah, Perak, Selangor and Johore. He recorded the correspondence between the Sultan of Kedah and the lieges of Ava, Tavoy and Ligore – the warring Burmese and Siamese states whose eventual treaty would force Siam to invade Kedah. Mr. Anderson completed his work on September 11, 1824 and submitted the book to the Government printers – who wave immediately ordered to suppress its publications. His book was too critical of his superiors and his Government. Less than 100 copies were printed and John Anderson was left to drift quietly into historical oblivion. But he managed to dispatch one copy of his book as a matter of form to the Governor-General of India at the time, Lord Amhurst. As this was a special gift, an artist was commissioned to paint, as frontispiece to the book, a full-colour portrait of the exiled King of Kedah. This copy of Anderson’s book because of the inclusion of that unique portrait, has survived intact. Last October the copy turned up in the rare book collection of Sotheby’s, the London auctioneers. There it was sold to Mr. R. Gooch, and antiquarian book dealer in Sussex, for a hammer price of £5800. Including Sotheby’s commission, Mr Gooch paid a total of £6500 for it. For Malaysia, however, the value of the book could not easily be measured in any particular sum of money. Reading of Mr. Gooch’s purchase in the New Straits Times last October, a consortium of eminent Malaysians resolved to bring the book home. The transaction was concluded last January 26, and John Anderson’s work after 163 years, was on its way back to the land which inspired it. Tunku Abdul Rahman received the book yesterday as a birthday present. A long, long journey through history and time finally came full circle to its end.
Rather interesting story, isn’t it? I wonder what became of the book eventually…
December 2021
A PPP Membership Card
Here’s an interesting find – a membership card for the People’s Progressive Party!
Also note the signature of a VERY prominent historical figure….
Landslide at Cameron Highlands, 1956
According to the donors of this photograph; “18 December 1956, was a day of heavy rainfall all the way from Tapah to Cameron Highlands. As the 2 Troop C Squadron of the 15/19 The Kings Royal Hussars (TKRH) were heading up in a 12-truck convoy the troopers in the leading Saracen Armoured Personal Carrier came across a big fall. Three troopers disembarked from the Saracen to guide the convoy through; as this was being done another landslide started and hit the side of their vehicle which then fell into a 300 feet deep ravine“.
More of this story can be found here.
“Happy Birthday”
…well, belated birthday actually. Nevertheless, birthday greetings to St Michael’s Institution (SMI) – born on 4th December 1912.
Here’s a 1920s drawing of the school, which was in an old Malay bungalow.
November 2021
A Grand Opening
Here’s one from 1985, taken at the opening of Wisma Taiko in Ipoh. I’m sure many of you recognise the VIPs in this photo 🙂
The Royal Bodyguards
Did you know that the Perak Sultan once had bodyguards comprising members of the Mounted Police? Here’s an article from Harchand Singh Bedi, which appeared in The Star recently.
HRH Sultan Abdul Jalil, the Sultan of Perak, and his consort surrounded by their Sikh bodyguards comprising members of the Mounted Police from the Federated Malay States in the early 1900s.
Photo from Star Online
In the early 1880s, a small body of cavalry troops was established to suppress highway robberies, then of almost-daily occurrence in the pass between Taiping, Kamunting and Kinta. They guarded the pass at night; due to their vigilance, the dangers faced by travellers soon disappeared. The construction of the Taiping Kinta cart road and other roads in Kinta, telegraphs and railways, caused the troopers to be less necessary.
Following the formation of the Malay States Guides in 1896, the cavalry troop was separated and transferred from Taiping to Kuala Kangsar to form a royal bodyguard to escort His Highness, the Sultan of Perak. (read more here)
Armistice Day
Those of you who are familiar with Armistice Day (or Poppy Day) would know that it falls on the 11th of Nov.
The Armistice, an agreement to end the fighting of the First World War as a prelude to peace negotiations, began at 11am on 11 November 1918.
Armistice is Latin for to stand (still) arms.
As such, here is a close-up of the Cenotaph (War Memorial) at our very own Ipoh Railway Station.
As a tribute to the fallen, here’s an extract from that famous poem by John McCrae
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
This was 1878
Yes, you read that right. This was the view of the town, from the Old Residency.
October 2021
Ipoh’s Twin City
This year on 21st March 1989 marks another milestone in the history of Perak. It was the signing of the declaration to accord twin-city status to Ipoh and Fukuoka of Japan.
The declaration is expected to strengthen the bonds of friendship between Japan and Malaysia. It paves a new era of strong economic and industrial cooperation and social, cultural and youth exchanges.
The declaration of the twin-city status was signed by Datuk Bandar(the Mayor) Datuk Haji Umar Abu and Fukuoka Mayor Keiichi Kuwahara at a special function in Japan. It was witnessed by Perak Sultan, Sultan Azlan Shah, the Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ramli and top officials in the state. (read more here)
…when the ‘Sun’ set in Ipoh…
Dated 1st July 1983, this article mentions the Sun Cinema making its way for a skyscraper.
Do any of you remember that fateful day?
Famous Names (16)
At 21, he inherited his father’s estate. His enterprising approach and advantageous connections combined to bring him early and continued success as a miner. In 1898 he contributed $1000 to establish the Perak Mining and Planting Association. He developed eight mines in Kinta : two at Kampar, three in Gopeng, and one each at Papan, Tronoh and Chenderiang employing 8,000 coolies in total. The richest mines were at Kampar where lit by electricity the mining could continue day and night. He became very well established in Kampar as the leading towkay, became President of the Chinese Club, built a magnificent mansion and jointly with fellow miner Chung Thye Phin he establishing a Chinese Theatre. With this friend he also built a grand bungalow on Gopeng Road named Forest Lodge…(read more here)
I think that last sentence gave it away. Yes, folks. The gentleman above is none other than Eu Tong Sen himself 🙂
September 2021
The Perak Pioneer
The first issue came out on 4 July 1894; a quarto 4-page bi-weekly edition, which evolved into a 4-page folio journal. By 1 January 1901, the Pioneer was converted into a tri-weekly issue – which soon expanded into 6 pages. By 1 March 1905, this paper transformed in a daily paper. It had 8 pages, with daily service of Reuter’s telegrams and the latest news relating to the Federated Malay States and the Straits Settlements. (read more here)
The picture shows the 1st issue and the printing offices. The gentleman shown is none other than the proprietor – Syed Abdul Hassan Ibnay Burhan.
August 2021
The Perak State Council
In the early 1900s, these ten gentlemen formed the Perak State Council.
They were:
-
Raja Chulan bin ex-Sultan Abdullah
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Mr R. J. Wilkinson (Secretary of the Resident)
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Mr E. W. Birch, C.M.G. (British Resident)
-
Towkay Foo Choo Choon
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Mr C. W. H. Cochrane (Assistant Secretary to the Resident, Clerk to the Council)
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HH Sultan of Perak, Sir Idris Mersid-El-Aazam Shah, G.C.M.G. (President)
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Towkay Leong Fee
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Towkay Chung Thye Phin
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The Orang Kaya Kaya Sri Adika Raja Shahbandar Muda, Wan Muhammad Saleh, I.S.O.
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Towkay Heah Swee Lee
Looking Smart!
Here’s an early 1900s view – of what a policeman wore back then!
Too bad this picture is not in colour…
July 2021
The year was 1963
Here we have the Mercantile Bank building, all lit up for the big day back in 1963. I’m sure you history-buffs know WHAT the big event was 🙂
Photo courtesy of: Ruth Iversen Rollitt
May 2021
Back in 1988…
…Ipoh was declared a city! Here’s one memorable newspaper cutting of the celebrations. (more samples can be found here)
Believe it or not!
This photograph shows a view of the first timber building of the Anglo-Chinese School (Ipoh) at Lahat Road. Completed in May 1896.
Amazing, innit! 😉
April 2021
Meeting Royalty
This picture was taken four months after Malaya won the Thomas Cup, in 1949.
This is a tribute to the late HH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh – who is on the extreme left, shaking hands with the badminton heroes Chan Kon Leong, Yeoh Teck Chye and Teoh Seng Khoon.
March 2021
The 1st School Badge?
SMI’s badge had an excess of symbols: the Fleur di Lis of France, the Irish Shamrock, the British crown, the lamp of learning, a monogram of the school’s name, a Malaysian sunrise and the star is repeated. (read more here)
SMI students, past and present, we’d like to hear your thoughts! 🙂
January 2021
When ‘video phones’ were a fad…
Did any of you have such a phone? Of course today we have video calls via social media….but back then (early 1990s), this must have been quite a revolution 🙂
A little history lesson for you…
The Battle of Kampar broke out on the night of 29 December 1941, the day after the Japanese occupied Ipoh. The British battalion, under the inspiring leadership of Lt.Col. Morrison, defended the town very well, inflicting heavy losses on the Japanese. When New Year was ushered in, many soldiers, both Japanese and British, had been killed or wounded.
November 2020
Syonan Times
Have you heard of The Syonan Times? “Syonan” was the name given to Singapore by the Japanese (during the Japanese Occupation). The Syonan Times (printed in Singapore) acted as the local newspaper, and was also part of the psychological warfare the Japanese were using in Malaya.
Here’s a sample of one of their editions, from 1942, (courtesy of Philip LaBrooy):
“work in progress”
We were told that this building was along Togo Street. Our donor (Ruth Iversen Rollitt) also told us that this photograph dates back to 1933. Do you know what building this is? 🙂
A Royal book…
Have you ever owned such an exercise book – with British Royalty on the front cover? Personally, I’ve never seen one so unique. Was it common stationery back then…say in the early 1950s?
Incidentally, today also marks the 73rd wedding anniversary of HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Philip 🙂
UM’s 1st Medical Grads, 1969
SMI was proud when the first group of medical students to graduate from University of Malaya included five Michaelians. They are pictured above with another Old Michaelian, Mr Vincent Ooi Eu Sen FRCS, Head of Department of Ophthalmology at the University.
They are, from left to right:
Doctors Chin Kit Kong, Ooi Eng Aun, Chong Min Sin, Vincent Ooi Eu Sen, Thong Yee Heng, Chua Chin Tong.
145 years ago
Here’s a little history recap for you:
This grave is among one of seven Christian ones in Kampung Pisang, Pasir Panjang Ulu (in Perak). The cemetery is said to be within a placid jungle clearing against a backdrop of banana trees and thick foliage, close to the Perak River. (read more here).
October 2020
Famous Names (13)
He made the best use of his time in the colony by learning Cantonese, and later Mandarin and travelled extensively in China. He held a number of Senior posts in Hong Kong, British Guiana and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), before being appointed as Governor of the Straits Settlements and High Commissioner of the Federated Malay States in November 1929, taking up the appointment in February 1930, in place of Sir Hugh Clifford who had retired due to ill-health. (read more here)
Who’s our featured celebrity today? He is none other than Sir Cecil Clementi!
Dining at the…where?
The Ipoh Bodega was the first European restaurant to open in Ipoh. Its doors opened on the 6th August 1904. Initially catering mainly to the lunchtime crowd, it began serving dinner shortly after and a month later began to stay open until 11pm, with music to entertain the liquor-drinkers. The weather was the death of the restaurant though. Heavy rains in October resulted in the flooding of Belfield Street, the premise of Ipoh Bodega. Accessible only by sampan, Ipoh Bodega was nicknamed the Bog. Less than a month later it closed down and changed hands. The new proprietors faced a different but equally fatal quandary – the night-soil collection carts. These “honey carts” pulled up opposite the Bodega nightly between 8 and 9 pm to engage in their odoriferous task. Angry Ipohites urged for the collection hour to be pushed to midnight but to no avail. The Ipoh Bodega shut its doors for good in early 1905.
The above extract was taken from an article, from the Ipoh Echo (issue 021, 2006). Has anyone heard of The Bog? Where (in Ipoh) would it be….if it were still open today?
The ‘Super Spy’
Forget James Bond, here in Malaya we had a “super spy”. The photo isn’t all that clear (well, he was spy after all!), but you can more or less get a hint of what this spy looked like.
Based on a press cutting, he was known as: “A cunning triple agent who was feted by the British, the Japanese and the French, Lai Tek infiltrated the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) to become its secretary-general from 1938 till 1947. His duplicity was discovered in late 1945.”
How’s THAT for a spy? 🙂
September 2020
‘Ipoh Supermarket’
This ‘Ipoh Supermarket’ opened on 1st September 1960. Anyone remember where it was? Is it still there?
“going up?”
Here we have an article from The Malayan Tribune, dating back to 1945.
‘Discovering’ Perak…
Here’s your “homework” for today: Study these pictures carefully. How many of these places do you recognise?
Some clues can be found here. 😉
Famous Names (12)
This is part of a portrait picture of a gentleman who had the wellbeing of all people of all races at heart. This picture was taken from an article, which describes our ‘celebrity’ as “a good-hearted, unpretentious, scrupulous and honest man who led the Indians in the fight for an independent Malaya”.
I think our history buffs are already ‘yelling’ out the answer. Yes folks, this is none other than Tun V. T. Sambanthan 🙂
August 2020
Of Women and Merdeka…
Meeting of Kaum Ibu members in Ulu Selama, Perak (1958).
The confederation of Kumpulan Kaum Ibu into independent organisations later brought about the creation of Pergerakan Kaum Ibu UMNO (renamed Pergerakan Wanita) in 1949 when the party realised the importance of a permanent women’s auxiliary body. Its leader Puteh Mariah was a dedicated and feisty who took this body to greater heights and she fought for women’s rights thus creating new ventures for women in many areas.
Kaum Ibu also provided classes for betterment of its women and this resulted in some of them being appointed to senior party positions….(read more here)
Merdeka Day 1978, Ipoh
Our donor (Charlie Choong) took this photograph from the office of the late Dato K K Lim on 31 August 1978. What a view, eh? 🙂
Mass Indian Meeting?
Yes, there was a mass gathering in Ipoh back in 1942. According to the article, demonstrators numbering 17000 marched through the streets of the town carrying banners and shouting anti-British slogans….
Wonder what happened after that?
A Message from the High Commissioner of Malaya
Here’s a page from Dato Seri Yuen Yuet Leng’s album, showing a message from the then High Commissioner of Malaya, Sir Gerald Templer. This message was addressed to all police personnel in the country, back in 1952.
How’s that for a ‘blast from the past’ ? 😉
“New” building…
Believe it or not, this was the first church building for Our Lady Of Lourdes Church, Ipoh. This photo dates back to 1905.
Famous Names (11)
He had been part of the SMI family since 1939 and had helped to rescue vital equipment before the Japanese took over the school buildings. As a musician himself he gave personal encouragement to the Military and Cadet bands, as well as to stage productions. For more than 40 years, he served the students, the staff and the school with great respect, understanding and love.
The Michaelians are already grinning at this entry 🙂 Yes, boys (and girls), our featured celebrity is none other than Bro Ultan Paul!
June 2020
Express Mail
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!
VIP visit
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!).
The Perak Pioneer
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.
“a Christmas present”
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)
Robin Hood in Malaya?
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! 🙂
May 2020
Opening of the New Library
This photograph was taken during the official opening of the new ACS Library and wing, on 11 June 1955. The gentleman unveiling the tablet is said to be the Perak Deputy Menteri Besar. Does anyone know who he was?
Also in the photograph are: Methodist Bishop Raymond Archer (left) and school Principal Ralph Kesselring (right).
Special thanks to our donor – Ann Kesselring Hamon.
Unveiling the Cenotaph
The Cenotaph came into being as a memorial for those from Perak who died in World War 1. Initially planned to be erected shortly after the war ended in 1919, building was delayed; only to be unveiled in 1927 in a ceremony organised by ex-servicemen. We believe this photograph shows that unveiling ceremony on Armistice Day 1927.
Inside the SITC Dormitory
The Sultan Idris Training College (also known as SITC) was built in 1922. It was the first education training institution in Malaya. The above photo shows the inside of the SITC dormitory.
Any SITC alumni out there? We’d love to hear from you….
The Birch Club House
Have you heard of the Birch Club? The Birch Club was sited on Connolly Road, adjacent to the first railway station and the Government Rest House.
Anyone seen the inside of this building? Perhaps you have a picture or two?
….now where have I seen this building?
Those of you who’ve guessed it already know this to be part of the Elim Gospel Church. But what was this building used for?
April 2020
ANZAC Day!
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, and is commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year. It now more broadly commemorates all those who died and served in military operations for the country. The picture shows a remembrance parade in Ipoh, back in 1957.
A Grand Birthday…
Here we have a ceremony at the Ipoh Town Hall, to observe the Japanese Emperor’s birthday. It is said that Emperor Showa (better known as Hirohito) was born on 29 April 1901; and the Emperor’s Birthday celebrations are always carried out on the actual day of birth. We estimate this photograph was taken in the early 1940s.
On that note, we’d like to extend birthday greetings to all of you out there who are turning a year ‘younger’ this month of April 🙂
Famous Names (9)
- He was the vice-president of the Penang Anti-Opium Association in 1906, and played a key role in the first Anti-Opium Conference in Ipoh.
- Then, he started a small practise at 12 Brewster Road, and gave his support to the Perak Chinese Amateur Dramatic Association and the Ipoh library project.
Yes, our “celebrity” for today needs no further introduction. I’m sure some of you can easily recognise him from the photo too 😉
March 2020
Perak Mentri Besar gets a promotion!
Remember Mohamed Ghazali bin Haji Jawi? He took over as Mentri Besar of Perak back in August 1957 (after Dato Panglima Bukit Gantang resigned).
This newspaper cutting was taken from The Straits Times dated Tuesday, 1st of March 1960. According to the article, Mohamed Ghazali was appointed Malaya’s Ambassador to the UAE.
“Gone but never forgotten”
No, we’re not in a morbid mood this Friday. In fact, tomorrow (21st March) will mark 71 years since the burial of WW II heroine Sybil Kathigasu (nee Daly).
We have here a photograph taken at St Michael’s Church, way back in 1949. The hearse can be seen arriving at the tree-lined Church Road. Also note the crowds of well-wishers and altar boys lined up on both sides of the road.
…largest market in South East Asia?
This press cutting reported that on March 1st 1983, a new $14 million central market (Super Kinta), was expected to be fully opened for business. Also, this was said to be the largest in South-East Asia!
Something different…
Ever seen a photograph of Malayan Royalty with the Japanese Administration? We have a rare one here.
Here we have the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Abdul Aziz Mu’tassim Billah Shah, with the Officers of the Japanese Occupation at the Iskandariah Palace in Kuala Kangsar.
February 2020
A ‘First’ for Perak
Believe it or not, this was the first all-women Constable trainees who arrived in Ipoh back in 1957!
Guess who attended King Edward VII’s Coronation?
It was back in 1902 when these three gentleman attended the Coronation of King Edward VII, in London.
Who are they, you might ask? Well, they are (left to right): Sir Hugh Clifford, Sultan Idris Murshidul’adzam Shah (of Perak) and Raja Chulan (Raja Di-Hilir).
August 2019
All set for the ‘Big Day’
Hope everyone has their tickets. Oh, and remember to be there early. Where? Why at Merdeka Stadium of course!
Merdeka Clock Towers
There are many clock towers in and around the state of Perak. According to the above article from Vicinity Perak, Perak is home to three clock towers which were constructed to commemorate Independence Day. Where are these clock towers you say? Well, they can be found in Kampar (built in 1957), Parit (1959) and Sungai Siput (1960).
How many have YOU visited?
…all are welcome…
We were told by our donor (Alan Wanless) that this photo was taken in Sungai Siput. The picture shows some of the guests which attended a Merdeka Day celebration, back in 1957.
Among those in attendance was a cute doggy (bottom right) 🙂 😉
Merdeka Badge?
Did you own such a lapel badge? If yes, do you still have it?
July 2019
Feeling the ‘pinch’….
While we’re on the theme of occupation/workers in action, here’s a different scenario. These men were apparently victims of the economic slump back in the 1930s.
May 2019
What became of the Pedestrian Mall?
This news article (dated 10 June 1985) reported that the Ipoh Municipal Council planned to turn a length of Jalan Osborne into a pedestrian mall temporarily for three months. The mall will be a permanent feature only if there is not much objection from the traders. If made into a permanent feature, the mall will be re-surfaced with multi-coloured tiles.
Hmm….does anyone remember this plan taking form? Could this be the same area where the present “Gerbang Malam” is?
Fake $1 notes?
Some forged $1 notes were found in Perak back in 1960. Do you remember that incident?
13th May 1948
On this date, in 1948, the movie “The Boy with Green Hair” played at Ruby in Ipoh. Anyone watched this movie? Did Peter’s hair turn back to its original colour?
UPDATE: The year is in fact 1949, not 1948 as stated. 13th May back in 1948 was a Thursday, not a Friday; hence, with reference to the above movie poster the year should be 1949 instead.
A Protest in Grik
Where were you in May 1974? Do you remember an incident, whereby a hundred members of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) guerillas gathered and planted explosives which blew up earth-moving equipment along the East-West Highway at Grik, North Perak? Well, we’re not going to show you some graphic photos of what happened; instead, we have one of a protest which was held the following month…
Ipoh declared a Municipality
Did you know that Ipoh was declared a municipality back in 1962? And, that the official declaration of Ipoh’s status as a Municipality was officiated by the Sultan of Perak on the 31st May 1962, on the Ipoh Padang?
Well, now you know 😉 Here’s a picture (from Mohd Taib) showing an archway decorated to celebrate the occasion.
April 2019
Private Ferry?
We’ve heard of private planes, private yachts…what about private ferries?
There was once an article (back in 1960s) which talked about a road trip. It is said that while passing through Slim River (before heading towards Kampar), there is a branch road at Teluk Anson (not Teluk Intan). About 3 km upon taking this branch road, you would notice a sign which says “Tronoh Mines“. A private road would then lead you to the famous mines leased by none other than Towkay Foo Choo Choon. This private road eventually brings you to a small stream with a ferry – as seen in the picture below. (read more about this ferry here).
January 2019
A Day at the Races
In June 1957, there was the Perak Derby. Here are some photos (from Nick Band) which were taken at the Perak Turf Club. Anyone remember the Perak Derby?
November 2018
‘Remember me?’
courtesy of: Ann Kesselring Hamon
Remember this memorial? Any idea where in Ipoh Town it stood? Or…maybe you might know WHO built it?
October 2018
The (not so) New Village…
Left image: Simee New Village, 1951 (from the Kinta Valley Book) Right image: Simee today (picture from the Star, 12th October 2018)
How many of you out there lived / grew up in Simee? We’d love to hear some of your childhood adventures (or, misadventures…especially the funny ones 😉 ).
Maybe someone out there may also know HOW Simee got its name?
Abandoned building?
courtesy of Ann Kesselring Hamon
No, this was said to be the temporary building for the Anglo Chinese Girls’ School, back in the 1950s. For those of you who don’t know, Anglo Chinese Girls’ School (or ACGS Ipoh) later became Methodist Girls’ School (MGS). Of course, the MGS building now looks nothing like this one pictured above.
MGS Alumni, we’d love to hear from you! 🙂
Scenes from a parade
Many of you may have seen the Kuomintang Parade photos on our database. Here’s another one, from Ann Kesselring Hamon’s collection.
What’s so special about this, you ask? Well, it’s in colour!
ps: Recognise the street?
Sneak peek – inside the Kinta Kellas Estate bungalow
Hypothetical scenario: Imagine you’ve just inherited a LOT of money…and you’ve decided to build a beautiful mansion. Well, let us ‘help’ you with some interior decoration ideas 😀
We have here some photographs of what the inside of the Kinta Kellas Estate bungalow once looked like. Yes, this wooden bungalow once belonged to none other than William Kellie Smith – of the famous Kellie’s Castle.
courtesy of the Estate of William Kellie Smith
September 2018
Relaxing after a cricket game
courtesy of Ipoh Remembered
In the back row, right, is a gentleman by the name of Charles Green. History-buffs may tell you that ‘Greentown’ was named after him. This photograph was taken in 1902, after a cricket match. Do you recognise anyone else in this photograph?
August 2018
‘Visit Malaya’ poster
Yes, “Visit Malaya” posters existed back in 1961! Here’s one which some of you may have seen… (you can read more about this poster here).
A different kind of ‘banker’…
Chettiar (or Chetty) is a title used by various mercantile castes and social levels in South India – especially in the state of Tamil Nadu. They claim a legendary relationship with the Hindu God Murugan; according to the legend, Murugan married Valli (who was from a tribal group), hence her tribe was later called Chettyars – in order to restore Valli’s status as a consort to a god.
Interestingly, here in Ipoh there were more than 100 Chettiar families once. They were known as the Nattukottai Chettiar. These financiers were preferred to the usual bankers back in the day. On our database we have an interesting interview with the last of the Nattukottai Chettiars in Ipoh.
Here’s a picture of what may have been the inside of a Chettiar’s ‘office’…
from the book “Legends, Lessons and Love” by Jamilah Ariffin
July 2018
Taking the train…
Here’s a picture of the FMSR Locomotiv Class G.
The locomotive was built by R. Stephenson. It was placed in Perak Railway with the name FMSR 47 in July 1901. It was scrapped on November 1931. A series of 34 4-6-0 locomotives were built by Kitson (16), Hunslet (5), Neilson Reid & R. Stephenson.
And just for interest sake, here’s a picture of what the inside of a first class coach looked like 🙂
Travelling by gharry…
This coach was said to have ferried passengers between Taiping and Padang Rengas before the completion of the railway. And yes, this is a Kaulfuss postcard 🙂
Making way for development…
According to the article, many of the wooden houses in Greentown would have to make way for development. About 16 houses would be demolished and the area would then house the ‘new’ municipal council building (present Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh building). Anyone remembers the ‘new’ municipal council building?
June 2018
Famous Names (7)
Picture from Winson Saw, Penang
The picture is not that clear, but I’m sure you can more or less see what our featured celebrity looks like. Born in 1884, he joined the Malayan Civil Service as a cadet in 1907. In 1932 he was appointed British Resident of Selangor and the following year as British Resident of Perak, a post he held until 1939 when he returned to London as Head of the Malay States Information Agency. He is none other than Sir Geoffrey Edmund Cator, CMG.
And yes, the famed Cator Avenue was named after him 🙂
Sports Day, at the Anglo-Chinese Girls’ School
Yes, you read it right – Anglo-Chinese Girls’ School. Maybe you’re more familiar with its current name – Methodist Girls’ School (MGS).
Anyway, here is a nostalgic photograph taken during the sports day. The guest of honour is none other than Mrs Florence Kesselring.
photo courtesy of: Ann Hamon (nee Kesselring)
May 2018
Be Prepared!
No, we’re not trying to scare you 😉 Although not strictly a Psychological Warfare tool, like the air-dropped leaflets, this brochure certainly formed an early part of the psychological fight against the communists. For those of you who remember the Malayan Emergency, have you seen similar posters in and around your neighbourhood?
Election Results!
No, we’re not predicting the coming election results 😉
This is an article from 1963, from the Straits Times, which reported that PPP (People’s Progressive Party) retained Ipoh.
April 2018
Familiar faces?
As you can guess, the tall gentleman in the middle is none other than D R Seenivasagam. Do you recognise the others in this picture?
Then & Now – Ngah Ibrahim’s Fort
On the left is a picture of Ngah Ibrahim’s fort, which was built in 1865 (picture courtesy of Ipoh Remembered). On the right is a picture of the same building, taken in 2009 by Ian.
March 2018
bills, bills, bills…
How much did YOU pay for electricity back in 1977? Well, according to this bill (below) Madam Koo paid $ 4.67 (June-July 1977).
Imagine paying only this much today… 😉
(click to enlarge)
February 2018
Famous Names (6)
At 18 years old, this gentleman started working in a tin mine under the guidance of his uncle. Years later, using his accumulated savings, he managed to buy the Chung Thye Phin Villa and helped convert it into a private hospital. Ever the philanthropist, this same gentleman also set up Shen Jai High School. I think by now most of you would have guessed who I’m talking about (some may have even recognised him in this photograph!) This person is none other than Foo Nyit Kai (also known as Foo Yet Kai).
January 2018
144 years later…
…from tomorrow, anyway. Yes…tomorrow – 20th January – will mark 144 years since the Treaty of Pangkor was signed.
picture from: Twentieth Century Impressions of British Malaya
Unfortunately we do not have a photo of the Treaty signing. This photograph was taken on Pangkor Island, 9 months after the treaty was signed, in September 1875 when Sir William Jervois visited Perak. At that time Perak was already in the hands of J W W Birch, the First British Resident. This photo is therefore 143 years old.
In the photograph surrounding the seated Sir William Jervois, who was a military engineer and Governor General of the Crown Colonies of the Straits Settlements, are (from left to right): Dr A F Anderson, Captain W Innes, Major J F A McNair, Lt H E McCallum, W Knaggs (in a suit), J W W Birch (standing on the Governor’s left), Captain Speedy (on the steps and bearded), Frank Swettenham (nonchalantly leaning against the handrail).
“Care for a biscuit?”
This was not a posed photograph. In fact, this was a common scene during the Second World War – when expatriates stopped at the Ipoh Railway Station, on their way to Singapore. When Penang was invaded by the Japanese in 1941, all European Service Families had to be evacuated.
It may not be clear, due to the low resolution of the photograph, but did you notice the Huntley & Palmer biscuit tin?
December 2017
More Royal Visits!
courtesy of: Charlie Choong, Ipoh
This was not taken in Ipoh, but we thought of sharing this rare find with all of you. These photos were part of a series, taken back in 1956 (some were faded, some were damaged).
Here we have HRH the Duke of Edinburgh visiting a dredge in Jinjang. The gentleman in the dark sunglasses is George Seddon – the General Manager of Anglo-Oriental. We know the photos are not as clear as they should be, but can you recognise any of the other gentlemen?
November 2017
Opening of the Premier Store
Looks like the grand opening of a store in Ipoh. The back of these photographs say it’s the Premier Store, Ipoh (dated 11 Jan 1968). Any idea where in Ipoh this place was?
The gentleman cutting the ribbon is none other than Sultan Idris Al-Mutawakkil Alallahi Shah, and the lady beside him is his consort YTM Che Puan Negara Aminah. We thank our anonymous donor for sharing these photographs with us.
Pekan Getah?
Heard of a place called Pekan Getah? It is said to be about 2km from Tapah town. I’m sure some of you out there have a story or two to tell us about Pekan Getah. This photo shown above was probably taken in 1958, during the time the New Village was set up.
The Old Tenby School
Do you remember the old Tenby School building? The school once used the vicarage of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.
For those who are curious, you can visit the school’s current website here.
Then and Now – St Joseph School, Batu Gajah
The photo on the left was taken back in the 1940s, showing St Joseph School in Batu Gajah. The one on the right was taken from the Star Metro (dated 4 November 2017). This building was built as early as 1928, believe it or not. According to Star Metro, efforts are underway to restore this place…and hopefully gain Heritage Status! (Read the article here).
October 2017
Royal Visit to Ipoh
The year was 20 June 1962, when King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit arrived in Kuala Lumpur. This was part of their state long visit. On 24 June, the Royal couple stopped by Ipoh. (pictures below taken from New Sunday Times, 22 October 2017)
The King wearing his blue Royal Thai Air Force marshall uniform; the Queen wore an apple green Thai national dress.
The royal entourage leaves Ipoh for Penang.
“Kinta in Ipoh”
That’s what the caption of the photograph said. This is a rather interesting view of the Kinta River, with the houses on both sides of the bank. If you squint, you can see the bridge too. Which bridge this is, your guess is as good as mine 😉 Special thanks to the National Archives, UK, for this photograph.
UPDATE: We believe that the bridge in the background was the once wooden structure of the Hugh Low Bridge; therefore the village shown was most likely Kampong Laxamana.
Inside No. 3 Changkat Road, Batu Gajah
Here we have the living room of Charles Alma Baker’s residence (once upon a time) in Batu Gajah. This large space included a 12-seater dining table, several sofas and easy chairs, and Chinese antiques. The Master of this house and his guests were kept cool by a punkah. If you look closely, you’ll also notice a billiard table in the far end. How’s THIS for interior decoration ideas!
Famous Names (4)
Heard of the Grand Hotel? It opened on 16th December 1909 and was Ipoh’s first European style hotel. But who was the Founder of this hotel? None other than Mr Pierre Z Creet. Here he is pictured with his daughter, Mignon Betty, in the early 1940’s.
From the J. J. Series
This postcard, from the J. J. Series, shows Selibui Road in Ipoh. We believe the postcards from this series ranged from 1905 – 1910. From what we found out from the book ‘Perak Postcards: 1890s-1940s‘, this photo probably shows the early intake dam and waterworks in Selibin (Silibin today). To quote from the book: “Water supply to Ipoh was originally conveyed from Selibin (also spelt Selebin). The great want there [in Ipoh] at present is a good water supply. This can be met by bringing water in pipes from Selibin, a distance of some three miles, and the Datoh Penglima Kinta has offered to undertake the work“.
Anyone care to guess the exact date of this postcard?
September 2017
Have you heard of…
…the Ipoh Trade School? It was founded in 1930, to what we know. The initial intake was 25 young men of which 23 were Malays with 1 Chinese and 1 Indian. The Chief Instructor was transferred from the Federated Malay States Railways Central Workshops and his assistant from the Kuala Lumpur Trade School.
The students’ first task was to assist in the construction of the school building and installing machinery. Practical training took place on Albion and Thornycroft lorries of the Public Works Department Ipoh….(read more here).
Here’s a picture of the building.
Familiar School?
Have you heard of the Iskandar Shah School?
August 2017
The Federation Flag
Have you seen the Federation Flag? Do you remember what it looked like? We have one in our collection (see below)
Notice the difference between this flag and our present one?
What’s THIS?
Basket? Tray? Bowl? No…this is actually a shield! Yes, I kid you not…..see a picture of this item in use here!
“Hello? Is it me you’re looking for?”
Here’s another NST picture, showing the ‘hello girls’ (as they were called). These girls worked at the Ipoh Telephone Exchange once upon a time. Dewi (wearing a checkered dress), and her sister Jamilah (face towards to camera) both worked 6-hour shifts at the Exchange. This picture is dated 1st November 1953.
Collecting Rations
This NST picture shows people collecting their rice rations from one of the 19 distribution points in Sungai Siput. The gentleman in the foreground is See Khoon Lim, the then chairman of the local council; on his left is K. Sockalingam, then police chief of Sungai Siput. This picture is said to be dated 10 August 1958.
Famous Names (3)
Today’s famous person was also known as the ‘Protector of Chinese’. One of his main duties was to monitor the Chinese Secret Societies. The Protector also held the responsibility for the registration of Chinese brothels, the owner, the Mamasan and the working girls, and inspecting the premises to maintain laid down standards of hygiene and accommodation. Still wondering who this gentleman is? Let me put you out of your ‘misery’…he’s none other than Mr William Cowan!
July 2017
Ipoh Supreme Court
Here’s a fun fact: This building was opened by the British Resident of Perak, Mr R W Thomson, in 1928.
This building was also the 3rd Ipoh Court House (read about the others here).
A machine to clean knives!
Before the invention of stainless steel, knives were very hard to keep clean and shiny. If they got too wet, they would get rusty and water could leak down into the handles, which were made of wood or bone. After simply wiping the knives after use, Victorian maids would use this special knife-cleaning machine to polish them up…(read more here)
Yes, such a thing actually existed – see the picture below.
June 2017
New truck for the Teluk Anson Town Council
courtesy of Mohamad Sharizan
Here’s a question for our Teluk Anson readers: Do you remember when these trucks were first used?
For those of you who didn’t know, Teluk Anson (now known as Teluk Intan) was originally Teluk Mak Intan (Mak Intan Bay), named after a widowed trader (Mak Intan) who was trading across the Straits of Malacca. [you can read more about it here]
Heard of the Dingo Scout Car?
picture by: Alan Steel
The Dingo Scout Car was a light armoured car built in Australia during Second World War. They were produced by the Ford motor company during 1942. (read more here)
Have any of you seen one of these vehicles up close?
May 2017
Famous Names (2)
Today’s celebrity was born in 1880 in Fuzhou (Fujian Province, China). Considered to be one of the elite Chinese in Ipoh, he became the Secretary and Attorney of Towkay Foo Choo Choon. He was also very influential in the Perak Chamber of Commerce. In 1924 he joined the Kinta Sanitary Board; 3 years later he was awarded the ‘Justice of Peace’ for his services in the state of Perak.
Who is he? Well, let’s give out a final clue before I reveal his name!
He was the owner of the Ruby Theatre building, custom-built by him to be leased to the very experienced cinema manager, Ong Ee Lim.
Ah! I see some smiles and some heads nodding….yes, he is none other than Lau Ek Ching!
Have you seen…
…a British Army Field Phone, dating back to WW II? Well, feast your eyes on these pictures below!
Anyone remembers Brinsford Lodge?
Any Alumni from the Malayan Teachers’ College – Brinsford Lodge out there? If you’re reading this, do you recognise these gentlemen?
We thank Mohamad Sharizan for the above photograph.Famous Names
Our featured Celebrity was born in Wuhua, Guandong, China. He began as an apprentice in the Menglembu Tin Mines. His hard work eventually paid off when he could afford to run his own tin mines. He was also quite a philanthropist. Among his many good deeds include:
- Treasurer of Yuk Choy High School, and also donated 2 classrooms
- Treasurer of Perak Girls’ School
- Vice Chairman of the Perak Ka Yin Association (from 1952-1953)
- Hon. Chairman of the Ipoh Hakka (Khek) Association
In case you’re still wondering who this gentleman is, well let me put you out of your misery. He’s none other than Lee Kwee Foh!
Cheers to our brave Fire-fighters!
In 1893, an actual Merryweather was ordered from London and delivered to Ipoh. Horse-drawn and manned by Sikhs (under Police supervision), it was capable of pumping up to 600 gallons of water per minute. It was also said to be the fastest vehicle (at that time) in the country!
What does a Merryweather look like? Well, here’s a toy model to give you an idea:
In case you didn’t know, yesterday – 4th May – was Hari Bomba (Fire-fighters’ Day). Kudos to all our Heroes!!
March 2017
Batu Gajah Court House
picture source: Heritage Asia magazine, January-March 2007
The first headquarters of the British in Kinta was Kota Bharu, the lowest landing stage on the Kinta River, and also the river port for the important mining centre of Gopeng. However, Kota Bharu was so malarial that it had to be abandoned, and in 1884 the capital was shifted to Batu Gajah, the next landing stage.
February 2017
Were you there…?
….when the Royal Ipoh Club celebrated its 100 year anniversary?
It wasn’t that long ago – 1995 to be exact. I’m sure some of you members out there remember something….
January 2017
Chopsticks!
“Commonly made of bamboo, plastic, wood or stainless steel, Chopsticks were first used by the Chinese. This later spread to various parts of the world through cultural influence or through Chinese immigrant communities. How does one use chopsticks? Well, the lower chopstick is stationary, and rests at the base of the thumb, and between the ring finger and middle finger. The second chopstick is held like a pencil, using the tips of the thumb, index finger, and middle finger, and it is moved while eating, to pull food into the grasp of the chopsticks….” (Wikipedia)
Some of you may have seen this video, but since we’re still in the CNY mood…I thought I’d share it again with you!
A Different View of a Dredge
We thank Pat Price (from Sydney) for this picture. Price was formerly an engineer with Anglo-Oriental. This dredge was said to be in Kampong Gajah, Perak. Perhaps you’re wondering why the dredge buckets are all lined up on the extreme right. Back in 1976, one of the dredge buckets broke; hence, fixing the problem was quite a task for the engineers and the coolies.
Did you know…?
…that the YMCA Ipoh building used to be along Cockman Street? Check out the pictures below 🙂
Apparently, this premise later became the home for Lido Cinema. Does anyone remember this building?
Here’s a group photo of the YMCA members, taken outside the Cockman Street building.
November 2016
Exclusive Photos!
No, we’re not exposing any celebrity or political scandal 😉
Instead, we have here original press photographs from The Telegraph Newspapers Co. Ltd. These photos date back to 1950, during the fight against Communists.
Flight Lt. A J De Saville and co-pilot P3 W J Sullivan, flying over Ipoh just before the bombing run
A bomb aimer – M Thompson – on an R.A.A.F. Lincoln which raided Ipoh area
Wednesday Teaser…
We thought we’d tease you all today…with this little artifact. Do you know what this is? Apparently, it’s a ‘modesty cap’ for little boys? Don’t believe us, look at the photo below!
A Parade in Ipoh Town, 1947
From what we know, there was a parade in Ipoh town back in 1947 – in support of the Kuomintang. We believe the above picture (from Lay Jin Chew) was taken at the same parade, which ran through the streets of Ipoh. Can anyone guess which street this is? On that note, do you know what business Barlow & Co Ltd was?
October 2016
Here’s a ‘writing’ exercise for you…
Have you used these to write? Perhaps not…maybe your parents or grandparents did? Anyhow, these were what I would call the ‘early pencils’. And of course, you used them on slate boards (not paper, as they were rather costly back then). Incidentally, I looked up ‘slate pencils’ on YouTube…and to my surprise, there were many videos of people EATING slate pencils!
September 2016
‘Leaked’ Exam Paper…
…well, not really 😉
But do YOU remember what your examination paper looked like when you were in school? Here’s one from 1928, the English Grammar paper from Cambridge for the Junior Local Exam.
What kind of student were you back then:
a) the ever-ready student, eager to perform well?
b) the one who constantly burnt the midnight oil, and crammed as much as possible before the test?
c) the ‘gifted’ one who never really studied, but got top marks all the same?
d) the one who panicked and broke into a cold sweat before the exam, fearing the worst?
e) the one who was as cool as a cucumber?
August 2016
Meeting An Olympic Star!
I don’t know if any of you remember this, but back in 1955 we had a visit from a famous Olympian – Jesse Owen!
picture courtesy of: Dato Pu
Facing the camera, on the extreme left, is Mr Kandvanam. Next to him is Mr Bulwant Singh. Jesse Owen (winner of 4 gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics) is the gentleman in the checkered shirt.
ATTENTION!!
picture from: Rosemary Palmer
Remember the Home Guards? Here we have troop-in-training. The gentleman in white shorts is our donor’s father – M L Bernacchi. I’m sure some of you remember seeing the Home Guards on patrol, especially if you were one of those who lived in the New Villages during the Malayan Emergency.
July 2016
Name the street!
picture courtesy of: Harchand
Can anyone guess where this was taken? Maybe the shops look familiar…was this somewhere in Ipoh? Or could is be in another town in Perak?
Who Are They?
We received this photograph from Harchand (one of our Readers) some time ago. However, we do not know the names of these gentlemen. Do you recognise them? We were told that this photograph was taken somewhere in Perak (where in Perak, we haven’t the faintest idea 🙁 ).
Come on, History-buffs….put those thinking caps on!
UPDATE: Thanks to a link from Ngai, we now know that: the person making the announcement is John Gladwell (Officer Commanding the Kuala Lumpur Jungle Squad); also in the control room are Inspector Alma Singh (left) and Sub-Inspector Rustan Ali (holding a notebook). This picture was taken around 1958 – in the midst of the Malayan Emergency.
HIJ Convent School Badge
HIJ Convent girls, this one’s for YOU! Do you remember this badge? Did you have trouble remembering the lyrics of the school song? Do you recall the motto? Come on, girls…we want to hear from you 🙂
June 2016
More Mysteries For You!
This was sent to us via email from Ann & Mano. According to them, the owner of this driver’s license was an RAAF personnel, and would have worked on aircrafts almost daily. The Singapore-issued license (1955) is the picture on the left. The picture on the right, however, is a photo of a particular airplane attached to his driving license. Therein lies the mystery!
Was this a common feature for such licenses issued back then? Anyone care to shed some light on this?
May 2016
Fair Park, 1938
picture courtesy of: Ruth Iversen Rollitt
Remember these shop houses? Yes, this was Fair Park back in 1938. These shops were Iversen’s designs nonetheless. Sadly, they’re no more 🙁
Father of Modern Malaysian Education
Since it’s Teacher’s Day today, we decided to feature a very prominent figure in our education’s history – Aminuddin Baki. Born in Chemor, he began his early schooling at Chemor Malay School and later at Anderson School. During his school days, he participated in student organisations championing the lot of Malay students, as he felt the indifference shown by colonial authorities towards Malay education had brought about the backwardness and provincialism of the Malay community. He believed that education was the means to inculcate national aspirations and improve the economic prospects of the Malays…(read more here).
While we’re still on the topic of education and teachers, do you remember someone from your childhood who was a positive influence in your life? Do share your memories with us.
Tales from the Ho Yan Hor Museum grand opening…
On the morning of 30th April 2016, Treacher Street was all abuzz with activity. That day marked the grand opening of the Ho Yan Hor Museum – a museum which tells the story of Ho Kai Cheong, who began as an operator of a humble tea stall and later became a famous entrepreneur and philanthropist.
People from all walks of life were there, some even came from overseas. As can be seen from the picture, many were fascinated with our vehicle collection 🙂 We were happy to have helped in one way or another for the restoration of the Ho Yan Hor Museum. More about this event can be read at this link.
April 2016
The Bougainvillea Parade
click to enlarge
We mentioned the Bougainvillea Parade a long time ago on our blog. Here are MORE photos from that same parade, back in 2004. I don’t recall ever seeing these floats along Jalan Abdul Jalil….did any of the Greentown folk witness this back then?
March 2016
Do You See What I See?
Do you recognise these panels? They can be found on the four sides of the Birch Clock tower. Still wondering what I’m talking about? Well, the next time you pass by the clock tower, take a closer look 🙂
THE J W W BIRCH MEMORIAL CLOCK TOWER PANELS
The Growth of Civilization.
The following is a description of the figures represented in the painted panels:
PANELS A AND B: Prehistoric Times to the Time of Christ.
PANEL A NORTH.
The Stone Age – A Hunter.
A Fisherman.
A Woman spinning.
The Iron Age – Man and Woman.
The Early Eastern Peoples – A Nubian with gold and ivory.
A Chaldean Astrologer.
A Woman making pottery.
An Egyptian.
An Assyrian.
A Persian.
PANEL B WEST.
The Eastern Meditteranean – Judaism.
Moses.
David
A Phonecian.
A woman representing the Agean civilization.
The Far East – Confucius.
Buddha.
Lao Tzu.
Greece and Rome – A woman representing Greek Art.
Alexander the Great.
A Greek Philosopher.
Augustus.
PANELS C AND D – From the Time of Christ to the Present Day.
PANEL C SOUTH
The Byzantine Empire – Constantine the Great.
Islam – Mohammed (pbh).
The Age of Chivalry – A Crusader.
The Age of Faith – St. Clara.
Gothic Art – A Bishop with a model of a Cathedral.
The Renaissance – Science – Galileo.
Art – Michael Angelo.
Literature – Vittoria Colonna.
Enterprise – Columbus.
The Reformation – Luther.
The Elizabethan Age – Shakespeare.
PANEL D EAST – Modern Science, Art and Social Services.
Physics – Newton.
Medicine – Harvey.
The use of steam – Watt.
Easter Art – Embroiderer.
Music – Beethoven.
Engineering – Stephenson.
Photography – Daguerre.
Social Service – Miss Nightingale.
Natural Science – Darwin.
Electricity – Edison.
Humane Surgery – Lister.
February 2016
A Tribute To One Half Of The Dynamic Seenivasagam Duo
It was a solemn and heart-wrenching occasion, as the people of Ipoh (and even from others towns in Perak) came to pay their last respects to D R Seenivasagam. Some estimate the crowd of mourners to be well into the tens of thousands!
click to enlarge
We’d love to hear from anyone who witnessed this event – perhaps you could also tell us who these gentlemen (pictured above) are. I’m sure they must be some of the many VIPs who came to D R’s residence to pay their respects.
And just so you know we were not exaggerating about the funeral crowd, the picture below was taken during the street procession, which passed through Brewster Road.
January 2016
Team Perak XI, 1957
Back row, L-R: T.John, Foong Kam Choy, Ahmad Nazari Centre row, L-R: Chan Tuck Choy, R. Anthony, Wong Kim Seng Front row, L-R: Liew Fee Yuen, Loh Kam Fook, Ramadas Rao, Wong Kong Leong and Cheong Weng Leongsource: NSTP
Remember these young men? It was October 5th 1957 when this team – Perak XI – defeated Kelantan 6-1, before entering the finals of the Malaya Cup!
New ‘Rides’
source: Road to Nationhood, NSTP
In September 1955, the Malayan Traffic Policemen rode on new 120mph motorcycles. Here we have a group of them at the Ipoh Railway Station. Talk about ‘riding with style’ !
October 2015
Latest update – The Tanjung Tualang Dredge
This article was taken off today’s NST. We hope this project goes through as planned, if only to preserve this important piece of our history.
September 2015
Did you own a Ford V8?
The car-lovers out there are probably drooling over this beauty! Yes, it’s the two-seater Ford V8. We thank Sally Everist (our donor) who sent us this quite some time ago. This picture is part of the collection of the late J M Allison – who was killed by Communists, sparking the start of the Malayan Emergency. (The story can be found here)
August 2015
The School that Iversen designed
Any Sam Tet alumni reading this? Well, I’m sure you recognise this building. According to our donor, Ruth Iversen Rollitt, her late father – B M Iversen – designed it!
July 2015
Scenes from the 1928 Floods in Ipoh
source: Alexander
We received this photo from Alexandar, the curator of the Heritage Gallery of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes (OLOL), in Silibin. According to an article from the Straits Times, heavy rain caused the banks of the Pari River (or Sungei Pari, as it’s more popularly known as) to overflow. The flood occurred on a Thursday back in 1928. Shown in the above photo is the old wooden structure of Our Lady of Lourdes’ Church (before the new brick building came into being).
“20 cents to enter Jubilee Park” !
Ipoh-ites reminiscing the good ‘ol days when Jubilee Park was an entertainment hub – back in the 60s and 70s 🙂
Town Planning British Malaya, 1921-1929
This book provides a fresh perspective and deepens previous studies of his [Charles Compton Reade] town planning ideas…..Charles Reade’s obscure and unattributed position in the history of Malayan town planning is now accorded its due recognition…a pioneer and founder of the town planning service in British Malaya (1921-1929).
Here’s a book by Kamalruddin Shamsudin (KLDIN) who was the Deputy Director General of the Federal Department of Town and Country Planning in Malaysia (2006-2014). Since the 1990s, he has both written and given talks about Reade’s contributions to Malaya during the British Administration.
Tentatively, the launch date for this book will be on 15th August. The book will be available after this date, but details will be confirmed later. We’ll keep you updated!
June 2015
‘Monster’ of the Mines….
We thank Marea Smith (from Australia) for sending us this rare close up of a tin dredge. This photograph was taken at Kuala Kampar Tin fields, Malim Nawar.
A Familiar Street in Ipoh, 1932
special thanks to Ruth Iversen Rollitt
Believe it or not, this was what Ipoh looked like back in the 1930s. The area under construction is none other than the Mercantile Bank!
May 2015
Book Launch: Redoubtable Reformer – The Life and Times of Cheah Cheng Lim
Want to know MORE about Cheah Cheng Lim? Get his book now!
This book will be launched at the Flemington Hotel, in Taiping, on 15th May 2015.
Admission is free; however there is an optional dinner priced at RM 38 per pax.
For more information, contact Yeap Thean Eng (President of the Taiping Heritage Society) at 012-5382743
or, email Areca Books arecabooks@gmail.com
April 2015
Shadow Puppet
Wayang kulit is a unique form of theatre employing light and shadow. The puppets are crafted from buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. When held up behind a piece of white cloth, with an electric bulb or an oil lamp as the light source, shadows are cast on the screen. The plays are typically based on romantic tales, especially adaptations of the classic Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Some of the plays are also based on local happening or other local secular stories. It is up to the conductor or dalang or master puppeteer to decide his direction. (source: Wikipedia)
Thought we’d share this picture (taken from a calendar) with our dear Readers. Here you can see the Puppet Master in action, as he presents his story. From what I’ve read, this form of theatre has its roots in Java, Indonesia. This art caught on in Kelantan….did it ever take flight here in Perak? Wonder if our Arts experts know more….
Weng Hong & Co
Remember these insurance agents? They used to operate at No. 168, Brewster Road, Ipoh. Wonder what’s become of this business…
In Memory of the Fair Park Houses…
Picture from Ruth Iversen Rollitt
“Rental was $60 a month, a bargain in the immediate post-war years with the shortage of housing. Each house had 3 bedrooms upstairs; and downstairs. a living room, dining room, a modern flush toilet (very rare for Ipoh at that time), a small kitchen and backyard. There was a built-in wood fired stove….A concrete stairway near the front door took you up to the first floor bedrooms and bathroom. There was an under-stairs storage area and next to it the toilet. All the windows were of the steel casement type…..The houses were built in 1937 by Loke Wan Yatt….The architect was the well known Berthol M. Iversen.”
The extract above is taken from the book “Ipoh – My Home Town”. Remember these houses (picture above)? It’s a pity they’re gone now – demolition began in 2009, around the same time the Fair Park shop houses (across the road) were knocked down.
March 2015
The Malim Nawar Story Continues….
We’ve had such an overwhelming response on our previous posts about the Perak Hydro Plant at Malim Nawar, which led us to uploading this photo (see below).
click to enlarge
This photograph was sent to us via email from Richard Saxey. His father – Frederic James Saxey – was the Superintendent at the power plant back in the 1960s. We thank Richard for this photo (which is part of collection of photographs he sent us). Those of you who were part of the ‘Perak Hydro family’ may recognise these faces. Could we have some names please?
Book Launch: ‘Phoenix Rising – Pioneering Chinese Women of Malaysia’
“Through the centuries Chinese women have had to struggle under a load of injustices – denial of education, ineligibility to sit the civil service examinations and hold official posts, female infanticide, selling of daughters, concubinage, foot binding – just to name a few. They had largely remained silent because they did not have a voice. As China descended to abject poverty in the nineteenth century, the lot of Chinese women became even worse.”
This latest book by Dr Ho Tak Ming will be launched at the Symphony Suits on 21st March 2015, at 4pm.
Retail price of this book is RM 70, but you can buy it at RM 50 on launching day.
You will also get a chance to meet Prof Lynn Hollen Lees (from America) who incidentally wrote the foreword for this book.
A Funeral in Kuala Kangsar
These photographs are from Martin Allen. They were taken around 1938, during the funeral of the Sultan of Perak. Martin’s mother incidentally worked as a saleswoman at Whiteaway Laidlaw.
February 2015
Our Very First Flight Attendants!
We’re not pulling your legs, but the ladies in the photo are none other than the first flight attendants for Malayan Airways. We believe this to be the first successful batch of applicants, looking smart in their uniforms and all set for their duties 😉
Time for Comics!
Are you a fan of comics? Perhaps even an avid collector – especially of vintage editions? Do you remember Beano (picture above)?
I don’t recall Beano, but I do remember those Donald Duck comics (sponsored by Maggi, if I’m not mistaken). I also enjoy reading Marvel comics, but I’m not a collector. Nowadays, many famous comics have been turned into movies. The one above – Dennis the Menace – was also turned into a movie! I wonder when this trend (turning comics into live action movies) began….
Miner’s Arms
I remember eating at this place. I loved the interior decoration – which was made to resemble the inside of a mine (complete with dim lighting too!) It’s gone now, replaced with another cafe. Anyone know HOW Miner’s Arms began?
Meeting Your Idol?
As the caption states, the late P. Ramlee was in Ipoh back in 1965 for a fund raising show. Were any one of you lucky enough to meet him? Did anyone go to that particular show? I’m sure there must have been some ‘screaming fans’… 😉 Did anyone manage to get P. Ramlee’s autograph too?
January 2015
The Kesselring Methodist Girls’ School
Yes, this was once known as Kesselring Methodist Girls’ School – dedicated in memory of Ralph Kesselring, on the 10th of April 1968. It later became Methodist High School (MHS). It is now the home of Wesley Methodist School.
We’ve had ACS, Anderson, Convent, and other Alumni dropping us a line now and then….how about we here from some MHS Alumni?
A Famous Ipoh Icon?
picture courtesy of: Harold Sevanesam
No prizes for guessing WHERE this place is, but I’m sure some of you out there are grinning widely 😉
What I found rather interesting is the shape of the of the roof. Anyone know the architect who designed this?
Where are they going?
Our Donor (Mohd Taib) tells us that there are St Michael’s boys in the crowd. This is said to be part of a Chinese Funeral procession. Do you recognise the road they are walking along? What about the building in the background?
…some like it HOT, some like it COLD….
Ever use one of these? Some of you might have. I for one have never come across such a flask; the ones I’ve used didn’t have such a locking mechanism 😉
The one above even has a vent on top to adjust temperature. Wonder if it came in a variety of colours…..
The Lahat Roundabout
Yes, believe it or not…..this is the Lahat Roundabout, taken from the junction of Jalan Datoh. Can you spot any familiar landmarks? (click picture to enlarge)
December 2014
Presents, presents and MORE PRESENTS!
Just in case you didn’t know, today is Boxing Day – nothing to do with the actual sport, but rather it’s the day where gifts are exchanged and opened. In some countries, today is an official holiday too! The picture above, from Ruth Iversen Rollitt, was not taken on 26th December…but I think fits well with the idea of giving and receiving presents. Ruth tells us:
These pictures are from Christmas 1963 when Father Christmas visited the children at St Andrew’s Presbyterian church in Ipoh. Vivi Iversen (Per’s wife) and son are getting a gift from Santa….I am standing with little Donald in the middle, my mother is on the extreme left.
The Once Famous Hotel
advertisement courtesy of: Nicholas Jennings
Rotarians used to have their lunch at this place – every Wednesday, going by what the advertisement says. Did any of you have a chance to dine here (before it closed)?
From what we know, it had quite a bit of competition from the Station Hotel…
Holiday Ideas?
Don’t know where to go during this long break? How about Kellie’s Castle?
No, we’re not advertising for this place. Rather just showing you what this iconic landmark looked like – way back in 1957!
This is a photograph of Ho Hoo Wan with his siblings and friends, posing just outside the famed Batu Gajah castle. How many of you have visited this place? Has the place changed much since it was first opened to the public?
On that note, is this place really haunted…or is it just one of those myths? 😉
Brushing up on history…
The history-buffs out there would know this fact: that King Edward VIII ascended the throne of England in January 1936, after his father George V passed away. However, in November that same year, there was “a constitutional crisis” when Edward wanted to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson (a divorcee). Eventually on 11 December, Edward abdicated; and his brother Albert succeeded him, taking the name George VI. (more can be found here)
As seen in the main title British Popular Opinion Veers Towards King, this front page highlights the meeting between Prime Minister Baldwin and Britain’s ministers, as well as statements from Churchill, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Mrs Simpson herself; all these happened before the actual abdication.
The picture we have here (sent to us by Nicholas Jennings) is the front page of the Times of Malay, dating back to 7 December 1936 – four days after the death of the Times’ Editor – J A S Jennings. We thank Nicholas for this historic piece 🙂
Another Famous Landmark in Papan
A couple of months ago, one of our readers – Hasbi – sent us these pictures.
This grand old building is the Rumah Besar of none other than Raja Bilah.
The gentleman in the picture is Hasbi himself with his wife. They had visited Kak Saadiah – the maternal great grand daughter of Raja Bilah. She still lives in the restored, original family house behind Rumah Besar.
If you have not been to Papan this area is well worth a visit.
November 2014
More ‘gems’ from the past
The ‘experts in the kitchen’ are definitely familiar with Lyle’s Golden Syrup 🙂 It all started out in 1881, when Abram Lyle set up a sugar refinery on the banks of the Thames river. This company, named Abram Lyle & Sons, was run by Lyle and his three sons. Thus the story goes (more can be found here).
I wonder….how much did a 500g tin of syrup cost back then (and, how much does it cost now) ?
The Woes of Flooding…
In the early 1900s, floods in Ipoh were rather common – possibly due to the silting of rivers because of mining. Later, plans were made to straighten the sharp bends of the Kinta River and divert the River Choh. This would allow the waters to flow into the Pinji River instead of directly flowing into the Kinta River.
But Ipoh wasn’t the only town with flooding problems. At one time, Kuala Kangsar suffered from it too. Below is an aerial view of part of Kuala Kangsar town, way back in 1967.
picture from: Larry Sawyer
The ‘Original’ Swimming Club?
Nicholas Jennings sent us this – with the title Ipoh Swimming Club 1962 original.
Could this really be the original club – before the renovations took place? Also, notice the small balcony on the far left..could it be part of the dining area?
More Pictures from Malim Nawar
We’re glad to know that so many of you out there have been reconnecting with lost friends through our blog – especially on THIS topic about the Malim Nawar power plant!
So, here’s another picture (from Larry Sawyer), showing the plant in the background. If you recognise the people in the picture, do tell us who they are.
Note the flag on the car in the far right – any guesses as to what flag it is?
October 2014
For the Rotarians out there!
We’ve featured pictures and articles from various clubs and associations before. This time, we’d like to present (what we believe to be) a page from the Rotary Newsletter. The picture below is a close-up view of the Ipoh Branch meeting details.
Rotarians out there might recognise some of the names. We thank Nicholas Jennings for the picture.
Home Sweet Home
This is one of the many colonial-style bungalows which once stood proud against Batu Gajah’s landscape. Sadly, not many of them are still around today. This one, sent to us by Rosemary Palmer, has stood the test of time – and is still being used 😉
Jendarata, back in 1919
picture from: Ruth Iversen Rollitt
What I found interesting about this one is the local boy’s clothing – a pair of long pants, pulled up to his stomach 😉 This boy was probably one of the many children who ran around the estate back then. Wonder what’s become of him…..
Remember the ‘ol Typewriter?
With technology advancing everyday, I wonder how many of us can actually claim to have used a good old fashioned typewriter! This advertisement (sent to us by Nicholas Jennings) is for Royal Typewriters. Was this a very popular brand back then? Did any of you own one (or any other typewriter brand)? On that note, how much did a typewriter cost in those days?
The New Science Lab!
We received this from Daniel Doutriaux (part of a series of photographs from an album). These are the girls from Batu Gajah Convent – excited as they explore the new science lab. The year was 1956….do you recognise any of them in the photo? (Or, maybe YOU are in there?) We’d love to hear from the Convent Alumni 😉
Did You Own A Philco Radio?
advertisement courtesy of: Nicholas Jennings
Philco Radios were around as early as 1928. However, the company almost went bust and was later bought over by Ford Motor Company (in the 1960s). These radios must have had a special place in their owners hearts – Ron Ramirez even has a book dedicated to this radio! (more about Philco Radios)
Does anyone remember this radio brand? They also had an agent at No.41 Station Road, Ipoh. To those who STILL have them in your homes, do they still work?
Going for a drive…
Nicholas Jennings (our donor) tells us that: the boy standing on the running board is his uncle Nigel (the third son of J A S Jennings). At the wheel is Eric Jennings (the eldest son), and seated beside the driver is Rose Winnifred (Freda) Jennings. In the background is the family home (No. 50 Gopeng Road) – which Jennings called “Midhurst”. Can our car enthusiasts identify the model of the car?
Are these ACS boys?
We received the following email from Kong Khen:
“Recently, I found a class photograph of my dad taken in 1940. I’ve identified it as the remedial class of English lesson, from what was mentioned by my dad.
Could IPOHWORLD help to confirm if the teachers were from ACS school.
Dad mentioned that he attended English lesson on the top floor of Foong Seong Building- new town. However the location where the photo was taken seemed to be in a compound.
The photograph is in my blog.”
Can anyone help Kong Khen please? I’m sure there are some ACS Alumni out there who are in this photograph.
Have You Seen…
…the Papan Mosque? Initially I thought this was part of a typical kampung house, but was sorely mistaken! It is in fact a mosque. This Mandailing-styled mosque was built in 1888 by Raja Bilah. It was later restored and reconstructed by the National Museum (Muzium Negara) in 1999. Has anyone seen it?
The Kuala Kangsar Ferry
We thank Ruth Iversen Rollitt for this gem. We estimate the year was 1925 – yes, it was that long ago folks!
September 2014
A Bad Day for Perak Hydro!
Over many weeks Larry has sent us a host of photographs. So many that they will be a great addition to our database recording his childhood life and times with Perak Hydro in Batu Gajah. You have probably seen memories from him and his young friends on our blog where young friends from 50+years ago met again on ipohWorld’s World.
The above photo caught my eye and I wondered this was due to Communist activity (they often blew up trains) or whether it was a simple accident.
The other thing of interest is the excavator shovelling coal. Yes at one time we had coal fired power stations. Are there any left, and where did we get the coal? If you know then do let us know. I am sure that there are many young Malaysians who do not even know what coal is!
“Fly me to the Moon”
picture from: Larry Sawyer
I don’t remember this design on our Malaysian planes (long before my time anyway 😉 ) but I’m sure some of you out there do remember this. I’m curious to know what image that is – on the nose of the plane. Is it some kind of bird? Or just a random design?
Kuala Kangsar’s Famous Landmark?
I dare say that apart from the Ubudiah Mosque, the Royal Palace is the next famous landmark in Kuala Kangsar 😉 This picture here, courtesy of Ruth Iversen Rollitt, shows a different view of the palace – probably before the renovations were done. Could anyone help us with a rough date?
The Gopeng Pipeline
Ever wondered what happened to this famous Gopeng Landmark? Well, wonder no more! Thanks to our photographer Charlie, we have these pictures for your viewing pleasure! As the State Government once promised, a section of one of the pipes on its original structure has been saved and turned into a sort of a memorial to past technology and a symbol of Malaysia’s Heritage in the world-wide tin mining industry. 
And in case you were wondering about what the plaque says…
More information about the pipelines and their history may be found at
http://db.ipohworld.org/view.php?type=id&id=2849#search_form_wrapper.
Selamat Hari Malaysia!
From all of us to all of you – on this special day 16th September!
For the Anderson School Alumni
picture courtesy of Ruth Iversen RollittSome of you Anderson School Alumni may remember this building. The younger ones may have seen it in their school magazine. Well, this was once Anderson School – before the present building was built.
Another Day at the Market!
We don’t mean to confuse you again, but here’s another photo of a local market 😉 This one isn’t in Ipoh….it’s actually in Batu Gajah (according to our donor Wendy Lewis). Notice the shape of the roof – quite unique for a market building, don’t you think? Any Batu Gajah folks around? Perhaps they could tell us more.
A Resort in Pangkor
Wendy Lewis tells us that this holiday resort was in Pangkor Island. Back then (probably the 1950s) there was no air-condition – only fans and mosquito nets!
I wonder if this resort is still there….perhaps it has been upgraded with more modern facilities (besides air-condition, perhaps free wi-fi too?).
Any frequent visitors to Pangkor? Do share your experiences with us 🙂
August 2014
Something for the Local Philatelists
(courtesy of Larry Sawyer)
All you Philatelists out there may remember this First Day Cover (or even have it in your collection!). Yes, this one came out back in 1957 – when Malaya received her Independence.
Just wondering: were there OTHER such souvenirs made for this momentous occasion? (like mugs, badges, t-shirts, etc.)
Yes, it’s the House at Tiger Lane
I know we’ve featured this house before. But this photo (from Larry Sawyer) is a coloured version- yes, it’s the same beautiful house which is now (sadly) abandoned along Tiger Lane. The Sawyers lived here for a while, from what Larry told us.
Sungei Siput, 1966
The man wearing a hat is none other then the famous Dr Tweedie. The lady next to him is the wife of B M Iversen. This photograph was taken in 1966, in Sungei Siput. In the background you can see the beautiful hills of the Kinta Valley.
We thank Ruth Iversen Rollitt for this photograph.
Scenes from a Local Market
This is NOT in Ipoh, but do take note of the shape of the building – reminds me of our Ipoh New Market! We believe this to be part of the Taiping market. Dear Taiping-folks, has this place changed much over the years?
picture courtesy of Larry Sawyer
Another view of the Kuala Kangsar Floods
Larry Sawyer sent us this – showing part of Kuala Kangsar under water due to the floods. From similar photographs we have in our database, I’m guessing that this was taken around 1967. In the far end seems to be the famous clock tower, which is near the Kuala Kangsar Post Office.
[I can’t believe how high the water level is!]
Once Upon A Time in Pangkor
Larry Sawyer tells us: “Pangkor was our choice of holiday spots. This photo shows the boat landing at the island. The road across the other side was mud. The waterfront was reputed to have been a opium haven.”
Well, anyone from that side of Perak care to tell us more? I’m sure the jetty looks different now….don’t know if these old boats are still in use though 😉
Going Back in Time!
This is not an “artist’s impression”…it is the real thing 😉 This is indeed the Ruby Cinema – all done up for a recent advertisement by Petronas. For those of you who didn’t know, this is what the Ruby Cinema used to look like once upon a time. Also take note of the old movie posters along the side of the building.
Kuala Dipang, 1950s
Since we’ve had such a rousing discussion on the Malim Nawar post, here is yet another rare photograph from the years gone by 🙂
Our donor, Larry Sawyer, tells us that this was a pumping dredge at Kuala Dipang. The date is about 1950s. We’ve never seen a dredge like this before. Have you?
July 2014
A Bit of Nostalgia
Since Hari Raya is almost here, some of you might be thinking about your Kampong – this photo (from Michael Ho) may not depict your actual kampong, but I’m sure it may bring back some fond memories of life back then. For those of you non-city folks, what was life like back then in your little village?
‘Licence to Drive’
picture courtesy of Alison Cotterill (nee Caldwell)
Yes, this is a driver’s licence, issued by the Federation of Malaya Government (back then). I wonder when it changed from this little booklet to the present card we have today. Maybe some of you history-buffs could share your knowledge with us 😉
Sam Tet Group Photo
I’m just making a guess here – I think this picture was taken in the 1950s, but I could be wrong. Date aside, what we’d like to know is who are these people in the picture. If anyone can translate the words at the bottom, we’d love to hear from you.
click to enlarge
June 2014
Peel Avenue in Ipoh?
picture courtesy of: Michael Ho
That’s what the small signboard on the left (on the palm tree) says. We don’t know if this is Ipoh, but the car facing the camera is definitely from Perak. The number plate reads as A 9462.
Was there a Peel Avenue in Ipoh?
Have You Heard of ‘Animal Money’?
No, it’s not a fossil. This is an example of tin money – which was once the common currency used in this part of the world. We estimate this tin-gecko (above) was used in the mid 1800s. For those of you who didn’t know, a long time ago Malayan folks traded with tin money before coins and paper notes were available in the Federated Malay States. 🙂
Chung Thye Phin’s Rolls-Royce
picture and story from: Bonhams Auctioneers, UK
Yes, folks…this is indeed the Rolls-Royce 20hp Sports Tourer once owned by Chung Thye Phin!
Chung Thye Phin bought it way back in 1925. A year or so later, this same car was lent to the Duke of Gloucester when he was touring this side of the globe. Then around 1942 this beauty ended up in the hands of the Japanese. After the Japanese left, the British Military Administration (BMA) returned the car to Chung Thye Phin; it was then sold in 1946.
The Japanese Carbide Factory
Deep inside Kampung Tanjung Bangkung (Malim Nawar) was once a Japanese Carbide Factory. The picture above is that of the former guard house. It is said that the factory was part of a complex that manufactured armaments for the Japanese – which were then sent to Burma. All that remains of this factory now is the above guard post and one of the two chimneys (see pictures below).
The chimney is around 6m (at the base) and 3m (top), with 4 arches: of these, 2 are at the bottom for fire (note picture on the right) while the other 2 above are closed to form the kiln. We were told that after the Japanese surrendered in 1945, the communists supporters went to town defacing the Japanese artifacts – they even stole some of the building material for themselves.
We thank one of our friends – Harchand Singh Bedi – for taking us to this place. Incidentally, this former factory was featured in ASTRO’s History Channel (in the episode “Hidden Cities in Malaysia”) back in 2010.
‘Me and my Ride’ !
The AJS 350cc was my dad’s. This was taken back in 1956 and this time, the toddler is me! The photo was taken at the end of the block of houses in New Pasir Puteh where the Fabulous Thunderbirds were from as well.
We thank Mano for the picture and the above quote. I do wonder if anyone from Pasir Puteh remembers these houses or the bike…or even little Mano?
May 2014
SMI’s First School Badge?
That’s what we’d like to ask you experts out there – especially the St Michael’s Institute Alumni. Was this the First School Badge? Take a closer look (picture below).
So ‘experts’, what do YOU have to say? We’d love to hear from you 🙂
The Mixed Doubles Champions, 1964
We thank Angie Yeow for this “blast from the past”. This 1964 photo, taken at the Town Padang, shows Angie and Lee Hock Mee – the Municipal Sports champions for Badminton (mixed doubles). Of course, the gentleman presenting the award is none other than the late S P Seenivasagam.
A New Attraction – Old House Museum, Taiping
Situated at 2A Market Square, Taiping, this is the project of Tan Kok Siew (Kapitan Antiques) who has leased this old house and filled two floors with antiques and collectables from days gone by.
Entrance is RM5.00. The museum is opem every day from 10.00 am to 7.00 pm.
Apart from the items on display, the house itself is a treasure. Built in 1880 by Lim Ji You it was one of the earliest 3-storey homes in Taiping, if not the very first.
If you are withing striking distance, do go along and while you are there you might find a long forgotten memory in the antique shop just along the street.
Were You One of the Volunteer Policemen?
Chooi-Hoong Foong’s father was one of the Volunteer Police back in the 1950s (see picture below).
Do you recognise the handsome young men in the above photograph? Any former members of the force reading this, we’d love to hear from you – especially if you have the names of the gentlemen above 🙂
Simpang Pulai, 1930s
Yes, believe it or not THIS (picture below) was the Main Street of Simpang Pulai back in 1936! 🙂
(click to enlarge)
We thank our donor – Mohamad Sharizan bin Mohd. Supian – for this picture. The discoloration is probably due to water. The Chinese words roughly state that this was taken at the funeral of Mr Chan.
A Malay Funeral
Yes, this is indeed a Malay Funeral procession. This was taken, with kind permission, from the Imperial War Museum London. The photo was taken from a colour transparency, back in the 1950s. If you look closely you can see the Ipoh East Post Office in the background – that should give you a clue about the location.
We thank Mario Francis Armadass for giving us the link.
April 2014
Have you heard me ‘sing’ ?
Some of you may have met me before. Some of you may remember me ‘singing’ during the war. Some say my ‘voice’ made quite an impression on the young ones too!
For those of you who don’t me, I’m a WW2 Civil Defence Siren 😉
The Passing of a Famous Local Historian
![IMG_1997[1]](http://www.ipohworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/IMG_19971.jpg)
It is with sadness that we advise of the passing of Chye Kooi Loong who left this world on Wednesday 23 April 2014.
Chye Kooi Loong, is a renowned war historian and former Home Guard warden during the Malayan Emergency. He is a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE), awarded by the Queen of England.
Mr Chye spent seven years researching and documenting the Battle of Kampar (30 December 1941 – 2 January 1942), an engagement of the Malayan Campaign during World War II involving British and Indian troops from the 11th Indian Infantry Division and the Japanese 5th Division.
He fought long and hard to turn the famous Green Ridge, Kampar into a memorial to remember the great and ultimate sacrifices made in the defence of Malaya.
He will be sorely missed.
We pass our condolences to his family in their loss.
May he rest in Peace.
The funeral will take place at the Kampar crematorium at 11.00am tomorrow, Saturday 26 April.
The Japanese Barber
Did you know there was once a Japanese barber in Ipoh? I didn’t, but according to this early photo there was a “D. Wakaki Salon” along Hugh Low Street. Could anyone tell us MORE?
Did you see the Merdeka Float Parade?
From the pictures, we think that this float was one of the many at a Merdeka Parade back in 1967. Does anyone remember this parade? If you do, where was it held – at the Stadium, or along the main streets of the town?
Also notice the old Malay used in the description and the labels on the float.
A Day at the Ipoh Market
Take a good look the postcard below 😉
Could this be the old Ipoh Market? I’ve never seen the old market, but I know some of you out there remember what it looks like.
March 2014
More Tales from the ‘Ipoh East’ Post Office….
As mentioned previously, we have a postcard with ‘Ipoh East’ stamped on the top left corner.
The date is stated as 1934 – meaning the Post Office concerned has been around for some time. When did they close then?
The ‘Post Office’ Mystery!
According to Nick Band (our donor), the caption for this 1957 photograph reads as Post Office, Brewster Road, from the Eastern. If you zoom in on the ‘Pejabat Pos’ signage, the smaller street sign (left) reads as Cockman Street. THIS is what’s confused us 😉
Ipoh-experts out there, can you help us? Is this really the junction of Brewster Road and Cockman Street?
The MCA Membership Certificate – from IpohBornKid
This Malayan Chinese Association Membership Certificate was issued in 1961 and is now in the possession of IpohBornKid. The person who owned this card has passed on and she was a member of the Menglembu (a town adjacent to Ipoh) Branch. This card was issued in Kuala Lumpur at the MCA headquarters. There is much information on the card that is of historical significance. Readers may note the signature of the issuing person and the significance of the eleven sided yellow star. The cover is dark blue in colour.
I have also seen an Ox Head Party membership card issued in Penang which belonged to one of my relatives
In the first 4 years following Merdeka, the author was aware of a substantial number of Menglembu residents who belonged to the MCA. The Chinese politicians well known in Menglembu at that era was Leong Yew Koh, Yap Yin Fah and Chong Hong Chew as MCA people. Of course, the strong man of the People’s Progressive Party, DR Seenivasagam and his brother SP Seenivasagam were also on the scene.
The Coronation Lake Carnival
This barge won the 3rd prize in the competition. To what we know, this barge was decorated by the Royal Engineers. Do you remember this lake carnival?
February 2014
A Different View of a Dulang Washer
Most photographs of dulang washers show the ladies almost knee deep in water, while they rotate their dulangs. This photo here (from Alison Cotterill nee Caldwell) shows the dulang washer in a field instead! This area was probably near Kramat Tin (Bidor). Notice the 1 cubic ft box (bottom left), and the white bowl (above the large drum). Can onyone out there tell us what these items were for?
We thank Alison for this unique photograph.
Inside A Bungalow in Batu Gajah
This was among the lot sent to us from Nick Band. His father Albert Roy Band was part of the Malay Tin Dredge Co. in Batu Gajah. He had two stints there: 1954-57, where he stayed at Bungalow A11 & 1958-61, residing at Bungalow A13. As Nick explains, his father was known as ‘Roy’ and he was an Engineering Draughtsman. The woman in the photograph is Nick’s mother; standing next to her is the family pet Ginger.
January 2014
A Unique Dining Table
Ever come across an oval-shaped dining table? Well, this picture (from Sally Everist) shows the late John Allison‘s dining room. Unique isn’t it – since most homes have either long, rectangular tables or round tables in their dining rooms 🙂
The Tarcisian Convent Library, 1967
Calling all Tarcisian Convent (Ipoh) Girls! Remember what your school library looked liked in the 1960s? Well, here’s a little clue for you. I’m sure much of the interior has changed over the years. For the present generation of Tarcisian Girls, DO tell us about the ‘new additions’ to your school library 🙂
Cinema Seats!
Remember these seats? All you movie buffs out there, especially those who visited the old cinemas (not the modern cineplexes), I’m sure you’ll recall sitting on similar chairs.
The 12 Inf. Hairdresser!
We thank Graham Barton for sharing these pictures with us. Do you remember such Hairdressers? Do they still use those(ever sharp!) razors/blades and ‘Good Morning’ towels? Looking at these pictures, I couldn’t help but think about the famed Star Barber – who once ran their business at Belfield Street 🙂
On that note, how much would a standard haircut and shave cost today?
New Book, Road to Revolution
“Chan Sue Meng, the author of “Road to Revolution – Dr. Sun Yat Sen and His Comrades in Ipoh”, is the great-great-granddaughter of Lee Guan Swee, leader of the Tong Meng Hui (Chinese Revolutionary Alliance) in Ipoh, Malaya, during the 1911 Revolution. Two years ago, upon learning about the great deeds of her ancestor and portions of family memoirs, she decided to compile an annal of the activities of Dr. Sun and his revolutionaries in Ipoh, in an attempt to present the trail that was left behind by Dr. Sun and its impact on Ipoh.” – Wong Sin Kiong, Associate Professor, Department of Chinese Studies, National University of Singapore.
The above book can be purchased at the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall for $S 12.00 (RM 30.00). The book will probably be re-launched in Ipoh later.
Famous Names – Run Run Shaw
(Picture 1: Run Run Shaw)
(Picture 2: Runme Shaw)
We pay tribute to Run Run Shaw, of the famed Shaw Brothers, who passed away in Hong Kong yesterday.
The Shaw Organisation began in 1924, with operations in Singapore screening their own brand of silent movies. Frustrated by local distributors, they set up their own cinema, “The Empire”, to screen their movies. Led by brothers Run Run and Runme Shaw, they began to branch out into Malaysia building new cinemas and operating a mobile cinema for rural areas. However, it was only with the advent of sound that movies began to really launch themselves – by 1933 the Shaw’s had produced the Cantonese opera film ‘Normal Dragon’ which proved a breakthrough for them in both Singapore and Hong Kong. [more can be found at – http://www.hkcinema.co.uk/Articles/shawbronews.html ]
I’m sure many movie-lovers out there remember these famous brothers and their contribution to the cinematic industry. I was not born in that era, but from what I’ve read (and heard) the Shaw Brothers always had interesting ways of advertising the up-and-coming movies. (see sample below)
The Gunong Panjang Camp
We thank Alan Steel for this picture. It shows the camp and gates of the 12th Inf. at Gunong Panjang. I’m just making a guess and putting this location at Tambun Road (though I could be wrong). Is this place still called ‘Gunong Panjang’? Or, perhaps the camp has relocated? Hope those familiar with the area could help us out 😉
December 2013
Part 6, of Ipohbornkid’s series.
The long-awaited Part 6 of Ipohbornkid’s series! Happy Reading 😉
