People

We thank Chee Ong Ngai for this picture of Sir George Maxwell. In case you were wondering, Maxwell Road was not named after him; it was named after his brother Eric.

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.

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.

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.

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 🙂

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!

• 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 😉