Han Chin Pet Soo is open! Book now at www.ipohworld.org/reservation
Han Chin Pet Soo is open! Book now at www.ipohworld.org/reservation

May 2012

Are you “into” Martial Arts?

By |2012-05-26T08:39:19+08:00May 26th, 2012|Categories: About Us, Books, history, ipoh, Memories, People|Tags: , , , , |

Well there was one man at least in Ipoh who was very much into it, particularly ‘Kung Fu Karato’. He was known as Leong Fu and he lived at 119 Anderson Road, Ipoh. Not only was he into the art, he was the world champion, having fought in all parts of the Kung Fu world and beaten all comers. When he retired he did so as the unconquered champion of the Kung Fu world.

Subsequently in 1947 he produced a massive book describing the many moves that an exponent needs to learn. Here is the cover and a part of the title page of that book for your viewing.

This, truly a giant book, lent to us by Charlie,  measures 10 x 12 inches and is 2.25 inches thick, with hundreds of drawings of the different stances and moves needed tp be practiced. Despite its size, it sold all over the world as is shown in the last few pages by a wide range of letters and photographs of people who benefitted from the publication. Leong Fu clearly put Ipoh on the world map!

Now the question is how can we obtain a photograph of the King of Kung Fu Karato? Does anyone know his family or have a photo we could scan? We really need to feature Leong Fu on our history database as there is no doubt that he made history.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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January 2012

April 2011

New Book Hot Off the Press – “Tin Mining in Malaysia: the Osborne & Chappel Story.”

By |2011-04-17T17:10:18+08:00April 17th, 2011|Categories: Books, Heritage Books, Museums|Tags: , , , , , , |

“Tin Mining in Malaysia: the Osborne & Chappel Story” was launched today by YB Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen, Minister of Tourism Malaysia, in conjunction with the opening of Gopeng Museum’s second premises, the Heritage House, Gopeng. 

The book, written by David Palmer, who was part of O & C in Malaysia from 1960 until he retired, and Michael Joll, also an O & C employee for many years, covers tin mining in Malaysia over 200 years, with a short history of the mining industry from the early Colonial days until tin was no longer important in the 1990’s.

It also covers the span of O & C’s long and important involvement in the tin industry of the Kinta tin fields and the towns of Gopeng and Ipoh and tells what happened when the tin mines closed down.

For the technically minded a section of the book describes the various mining techniques.

With 352 pages, hard covered and featuring a wealth of original illustrations, the book is priced at RM100 / GBP20 (excluding packing and postage). It is available direct from the Gopeng Museum or can be ordered by email to mataniph@yahoo.com.

I have got my copy so make sure you get yours. It is good value and will make a darn good read as well as a definitive reference book for those who do not remember the tin mining heydays of the Kinta Valley.

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June 2010

Ipoh My Home Town

By |2010-10-12T22:31:40+08:00June 20th, 2010|Categories: Heritage Books, ipoh, Memories, People|Tags: , , , , , , |

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Above is the first draft cover of a new book that will be published as soon as we can fill the blank pages with your reminiscences of growing up in Ipoh. Text will be in the English language.

ipohWorld will take on the task of collating, editing and dealing with the publishing and printing aspects, but the contents must come from you, as I grew up in UK. Now of course we do have some excellent articles on this blog already but much more is needed if we are to be able to produce the quality book we seek.

We need much more about your schooldays, going to the movies (or storytellers street), Jubilee Park, the hawkers, the sounds they made (tock tock, ting ting etc), where they congregated (Convent rear entrance and Theatre Street for example), the food they sold (and more. Let us not forget the ice cream potong man and his gambling game, or the Milo man on his bicycle, the roti man and the Indian milk seller. Then of course there is home life, your parents, your neighbour’s profession, street games, rickshaws, trishaws, marketing with mum, local day trips, happy or sad times, festivals etc etc. Since I have lived in Ipoh I have heard so many stories and it is time you wrote them down for following generations. 

But please understand that the work must come from YOU. All races, creeds are welcome to take part as long as you spent some time in Ipoh and have a story to tell.

Every contributor who has a story published will be presented with a personal copy. WE look forward to your support.

Please send all articles and high resolution (600dpi is perfect) scanned photographs to us at info@ipohworld.org and don’t worry about your spelling or grammar, we can soon sort those out. But don’t forget, no contributions means no book! Articles may be between 500 and 1750 words and more than one article reflecting different aspects of your young life are welcome.

And please understand that regard to content and selection of stories, the Editor’s decision is FINAL.

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May 2010

Days Gone By: Growing Up in Penang

By |2010-05-19T08:13:52+08:00May 19th, 2010|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: , , , |

Written by Christine Wu Ramsay (the great granddaughter of Leong Fee), this book gives an account of the Leong Fee family – from the time Leong Fee, a poor Hakka migrant from China, rose from rags to riches; eventually becoming the owner of the famous Tambun Mines in Perak, and Vice-Consul of China in Penang.

The writer also talks about her life, being brought up by her grandparents and cared for by black-and-white amahs. With over a hundred photographs (from her family album), Ramsay recounts the “way of life and philosophy” of the olden days – before she left for Australia.

The book can be bought from: Perak Academy, Areca Books (the Publishers), and also from local book stores.
(ISBN 978-983-42834-6-9)

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December 2009

Malaya’s Secret Police!

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

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

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

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November 2009

Ipoh’s Wonders in Print!

By |2009-11-05T13:01:26+08:00November 5th, 2009|Categories: Books, Heritage Books, Natural Heritage|Tags: , , , , |

‘Limestone Hills & Caves of the Kinta Valley’ is the latest publication by the Malaysian Nature Society. Inside are astonishingly beautiful pictures by Cheang Kum Seng, paying tribute to Mother Nature. Written by SL Wong, this book is a “tribute to that rare beauty [limestone hills and caves]” and at the same time encourages the reader to preserve “our precious heritage”.

More information about the book can be obtained from:
Malaysia Nature Society
JKR 641 Jalan Kelantan
Bukit Persekutuan
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel : +603 – 2287 9422
Fax: +603 – 2287 8773
email: mns@mns.org.my

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June 2009

The Foochows of Sitiawan: A Historical Perspective

By |2009-06-11T13:56:56+08:00June 11th, 2009|Categories: Heritage Books|Tags: , , , , , |

 

Following on from my two previous posts about the Foochows of Sitiawan, here is the promised image of the book referred to.

Written by Shih Toong Siong, a descendant of those first immigrants the book tells the story of the Foochows since 1903. They were a ‘population transplant’, for a rice growing experiment, fully paid for by the British Colonial Administration and brokered by 3 Methodist Ministers known as ‘The Pioneers’. The scheme was a failure, but they were saved by the boom in rubber which they were able to grow successfully on their ‘Chinese Only’ land given to them by the government. The book endeavours to establish the very beginnings of the various schools, towns and churches of today’s Sitiawan.

There is also a fascinating section about a young schoolboy Ong Boon Hua, better known today as Chin Peng.

The ISBN is 983-41824-0-6 and it retails at RM49.00

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April 2009

Images 1909 to 2009 – The Centennial Anniversary Anderson School

By |2009-04-01T02:49:46+08:00April 1st, 2009|Categories: Heritage Books|Tags: , , , , |

Just published, this book includes a history of the school, recollections of years gone by and some thoughts on the way ahead for the next century. It is available from the Old Andersonians Association who can be contacted via the Old Andersonians Club, Ipoh. It is priced at RM130. The scan does not do justice to the cover which is actually much nicer than shown with the lettering blocked in gold. My scanner apologises for the poor result.

Should you need any contact details etc please ask via this blog.

Happy reading!

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Faces of Courage – The Story of Sybil Kathigasu GM

By |2009-04-01T02:35:10+08:00April 1st, 2009|Categories: Heritage Books|Tags: , , , , , , |

Published by Media Masters, Singapore and Authored by Sybil Kathigasu, Chin Peng and Ian Ward and Norma Miraflor, Faces of Courage stands as the first in-depth study of Malaya’s legendary war-time heroine, Sybil Kathigasu, and the impact her dauntless decisions and actions had on the members of her immediate family.

An essential aspect of this book is the personalized historical background and insight on the Japanese occupation era provided by former Secretary General of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), Chin Peng. It was Sybil’s association with the Perak People’s Anti-Japanese Army (PPAJA) – the communist-controlled guerilla organization in which Chin Peng played such a leading role – that provided the very foundation on which the Kathigasu legend eventually emerged and flourished.

Faces of Courage throws fresh light on a quite extraordinary story that became caught in a politically-induced, post-World War II time warp.

Sybil’s book, No Dram of Mercy, in which she recounts her horrific experiences as a prisoner of the Japanese Kempeitai, was completed several months before her death in June, 1948. But the manuscript was withheld from publication until 1954. British colonial interests deemed nothing good should be said about the communists in Malaya while Commonwealth forces still struggled to gain supremacy in the bitter jungle war known as the Malayan Emergency.

So often the cursory re-telling of legendary tales creates ill-conceived myths. The Sybil Kathigasu story is a case in point. And here the effect has only been compounded by Britain’s original propaganda ploy.

Faces of Courage is a book within a book. Sybil’s personal record, No Dram of Mercy, constitutes the opening section of this three-part volume. As such it provides a ready reference point for the revealing research, observations and reflections that follow.  

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March 2009

Postcards from a Foreign Country

By |2009-03-13T03:03:25+08:00March 13th, 2009|Categories: Heritage Books|Tags: , , |

This newly published book tells stories about Ipoh around 1957 and Merdeka when Malaya was in a time of change with the British on their way out and Malayans ruling their own country for the first time.

Consequently the Colonisers and the Colonised had to come to terms with their new relationship. Similarly the citizens of this new country had to adjust to the new reality and their relationsghip with each other.

Although the stories are fictional, the author was an Ipoh boy and the places are real. No doubt therefore the stories are actually based on his time here and make interesting reading. For all Ipohites who treasure their past here, we recommend this book.

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