Vacation In Malaysia

Muar-Food

2009-04-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

MUAR

So sorry for this late new post,this is due to my exam recently.
Here are some food that i have during my trip to Muar, Johor.

Location : 2nd road of Muar aka 二马路
Detail : This very stall starts operating only on 3am
everyday...Well, there is no mistake, is 3 in morning!!
This stall is operated by 2 aunties only.
Specialty: Laksa and Chicken

Here is the picture of Laksa from the stall mentioned above.
Not really clear due to weak lighting....

Another nice place that you can obtain nice and fresh seafoods in Muar. The location of the stall is Parit Roast Fish, Muar. This stall is just besides a fishers' village in Muar.

Fried Sotong(Squid).. (炸乌贼)

Taufu on Sizzling Plate.. (招牌豆腐)

Nyonya Chicken.. (娘惹鸡)

Asam fish.. (亚参鱼) . This is the signature dish. It tasted really good.

Ipoh-Food(2)

2009-03-13T03:09:00.000-07:00

Restaurant Lou Wong( IPOH )

Ipoh is very famous with its beansprout. Restaurant Lou Wong, is the place to go for beansprout ipoh kuey teow. This corner shop is most famous for its steamed chicken and beansprout dishes that come with a bowl of piping hot kuey teow soup. Although there are few stalls selling the same menu along the street, locals tend to make a beeline for this place.

Restaurant Lou Wong

This is the front view of the restaurant. Normally, you can see the crowd lining up in front of the stall every evening waiting their turns to enjoy their food in this restaurant.

Beansprout And Chicken

These are the famous dishes from the restaurant.

Beansprout With Plain Rice

Just a normal plain rice plus a dish of beansprout can make a wonderful combination.

Beansprout With Kuey Teow

This is another splendid combination you can have in the restaurant.

My trip to Muar,Johor

2009-03-13T00:19:00.000-07:00

MUAR

So sorry for changing place all of a sudden. This is because i had gone for a 2 days trip in Muar, Johor last weekend.

Getting To Muar (Location)

If you're driving from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia on the North-South Expressway (NSE), take the Tangkak exit (Interchange 235) and drive on past Sg. Mati and Parit Bunga (on highway 23 and 5). Muar town is just roughly 27km from the Tangkak exit.

MASJID SULTAN IBRAHIM

The Masjid Sultan Ibrahim, one of the beautiful building in Muar. This historical mosque was built in 1927 and officially opened on 1930. This mosque has become one of the most recogniseable landmark of Muar.

JALAN HAJI ABU (Hungry Lane)

This is one of the main street in Muar. Lots of foodstalls there right?

Jambatan Sultan Ismail

One of the landmark you may see in Muar. The bridge was officially opened on 15 April 1967, linking Muar town and Tanjung Agas residential and industrial area in the other side of the river.

One of a great temple in Muar that i drop by when im in Muar.

Here are some pictures of night view of Muar i took with my coursemate's Canon 400D...

This is the night view of Masjid Sultan Ibrahim, very nice right?

Secondly, this is the night view of Jambatan Sultan Ismail.

Next will be the Muar Trader Hotel which is one of the tallest hotel in Muar.

These are picture of a garden in Muar. Local people will name this garden as Tanjung, and this garden is just beside of the Muar River. You can get great night view of Muar from this place.

Ipoh-Food(1)

2009-03-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

Foh San Restaurant

These are the frontier view of the Foh San restaurant. A very famous Dim Sum restaurant in ipoh.

The whole restaurant is full with crowd also.
You may see numerous people enjoying their foods and at the same moment a lot of them waiting their turns to enjoy the food.

Some delicacy food that you may obtain in this restaurant.

The delicious Tan Tart ( Egg tart )

Siu Mai ( Mini Chinese Dumpling )

Char siu bau ( Barbecue Pork Bun )

Chee Cheong Fun( Rice Noodle Roll )

Loh Mei Kai ( Glutinous Rice With Chicken)

Yu Dan ( Fish Ball )

Ipoh-Perak Cave Temple

2009-03-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

Perak Cave Temple

PERAK CAVE TEMPLE

The next destination will be the Perak Cave Temple in Ipoh.

This cave is just located on the side of the main road, there is no way u could miss this tourist spot. If you happen to drive from Ipoh Town or exiting from the North-South Expressway (PLUS) through Sungai Siput exit, you will find this temple on your right hand side after short driving journey from the highway exit. The signboard in the picture will be the very first thing you see.

Here is the frontier view of the cave. It is a fantastic buildings built which more like part of the mount.

During weekend, you may see lots of visitor gathered at the cave.

A Guan Yin statue standing right in the middle of the lotus pond. Perhaps not the lotus. The pond used to have plenty of lotus, but now seems like all the plants are wiped out.

A 40 foot height Buddha statue sit comfortably inside the cave entrance.

The Four Guardian Goddess are guarding the both sides of the Buddha.

There are many other goddess statues inside the cavern. Prayers and visitor can walk around the cavern and putting up joss sticks onto each of the statues.

There is a path at the end of the cavern which connect to the back of the hill and visitors are allowed to climb up to the top of the hill. Before reaching the top, there are approx. 450 staircases awaits you.

At the back of the hill, there are a few small huts builts for relaxation purposes. Climbing up will be really exhausting.

There is a little monastery structure behind the hill. But it seems like has been abandoned for quite some times already.

A little resting hut on the peak of hill. Visitors may relax and enjoy the scenery of Ipoh.

Ipoh-Lost World in Tambun

2009-03-07T00:35:00.000-08:00

The latest attraction from ipoh will be the Lost World, a new water theme park in Perak set to provide you a fun-filled adventure for friends and family! Nestled among lush greenery and limestone hills, the Lost World has a host of exciting activities to keep you coming back for more.

This is the main entrance to the Lost World. Normally, you may see numerous peoples lining up at this entrance waiting for their turns to have fun in the Lost World.

These are some figure sculptures that you can see in Lost World, Tambun.

Here are some exciting activities waiting for you at Lost World, Tambun.

TAMBUN HOT SPRINGS

Rest, rejuvenate and soak yourself in the warm pools fed by 100 percent natural spring water. Rich in minerals, the waters are believed to have healing effects that will enhance your body's overall health.

ADVENTURE RIVER

Malaysia's longest water park river rides takes you on a relaxing and pleasant cruise on floats pass architectural landscapes on the park. It even has a wave generator to provide some fancy waves to the river flow so keep your hands on your tube!!

JUNGLE WAVE BAY

At the heart of every water park there is a wave pool - fun for everyone and relaxing for those who want their fill of thrills!

CLIFF RACERS

Sail through the jungle canopy in an old mine cart after a drop from dizzying heights; just like in the Wild Wild West movies!

TUBE RAIDERS

Plummer down gigantic tubes that twist and turn for a real high-speed adventure!

EXPLORE BAY

The children will love this section specially made for them! Watch them play among water curtains, fountains, tipping mine buckets and shoot down super slides!

TIGER VALLEY

See real-life majestic tigers roam free in a natural enclosure and stare in awe at their fearsome stature!

THEMEPARK

This is a perfect place for those who do not want their clothes to get soaked. Children and adults may have fun here together as well.

Perak-Ipoh(intro)

2009-02-28T23:51:00.000-08:00

IPOH

Early Beginnings

Legend goes, a long time ago when men were chivalrous and jungles were lush, an Admiral and his trusted men sailed from Sumatera traversing the Straits of Malacca into the Golden Kersonese. They scaled up the Kinta River, following their instincts and the liquid path the river offered. There was plenty of fish from the river to feed upon, and the jungle dwellers entertained these seafaring men with their forest calls, their melodious twitterings and barblings. Alas, the expedition had to end for the sailors had then reached a point where their vessel could no longer venture and the river would no longer allow them to navigate.

It was also a magical time where genies spoke, the orang kayangans (fairy-like beings) roamed and foresightedness of sorcerers revered. And so it was told a genie commanded that the district be named Kulop Kinta. And long after the expedition, where villages opened and communities flourished, the Admiral decided to make this his home, and he then assumed the royal post of Dato' Panglima Kinta.

"The Town that Tin Built"

Tin was transported in these to the smelting plant

It may very well be so, but curious enough Ipoh was never in the true sense a mining town.

It was marked in an English map, in 1880 as "Epu". And later in 1884, a French tin prospector described Ipoh as a Malay kampung. And not far from the truth it was. Ipoh was pioneered by the Malays who were attracted to the mining activities surrounding it. Back then, tin mining were very much in the hands of a Malay Chief, Dato' Panglima Kinta.

It was just its good fortune that Ipoh is located in the center of the tin mining area, the Kinta Valley. The lure of prosperity promised by prospecting tin was irresistible, tempting, almost seductive. And it was because of this that Ipoh saw a steady emigration of the Chinese. At first they came in small numbers, and by 1888 the Chinese population had swelled up to 38,000! From a mere frontier town, Ipoh became the center for tin collection and smelting.

All About Ipoh

The Orang Asli call it Upas, and use its sap to coat the tips of the darts of their blowpipes. Others call the tree Ipoh. And this was the name that the people had chosen to call the town. In those days, Ipoh trees were found everywhere, in abundance. And for this reason we should be alarmed if not ashamed, that there are only two of these trees left!! One is standing in front of the Ipoh Train Station, and the other can be found in Taman D.R. Seenivasagam.

The Kinta River basically runs through the middle of the town. In 1892, a great fire gutted the East part of Ipoh. The town had to be rebuild, looking all new and grand, and rightfully so, it became to be known as "New Town". The reconstruction of the New Town also made way to deliberate town planning. And this explains why buildings file along roads that are set into systematic grids.

Another curious fact about Ipoh is that, although it was a rich town, it was not the original administrative centre of Perak. Even more curious, it was not the British, but the Japanese that provided the turning point for Ipoh. During their occupation of Malaya in 1941, the Japanese Imperial Army transferred all administrative concerns from Batu Gajah and Taiping to Ipoh. Funny enough, the British actually endorsed this arrangement when they returned to power, and continued to retain Ipoh as Perak's administrative centre.

The Perak Museum

Let's begin our journey at a place which will reveal all you want to know about the history of (mostly) Ipoh. The Perak Museum was erected in 1926 by a rich and successful tin miner called Foo Choong Kit. Back then, he built it for his own private domain, and it was told that once forty people were counted to be living in this house. The house did not stay long with the family. In 1950 it was sold to the Perak Government which utilised these premises to house the administrative centre of its Department of Works. It was not until 1992 that this building finally graduated to become a museum.

Have a browse through the museum. You can begin your tour by learning about the early history of Perak. Here you will be introduced to the many characters that moulded the state. Get to know all the important who's who. Find out who Hugh Low was, and what Swettenham achieved, or whether Clarke made any difference in his policies. There are plenty of pictures of British administrators and rulers who played enormously significant role in the building of Perak and Malaya..

If you are interested in architecture and would like to tour the town later, there is a room which enlightens you with a pictorial guide of most of the important and beautiful colonial buildings in Perak. This may help you later to identify the various buildings in town.

The museum also displays other historical facets, and in particular tin mining and various other industrial and commercial activities that are of importance to Perak.

St Michael's School(Institution)

Perhaps the grandest and biggest of all the old colonial buildings in Ipoh is the St Michael's School. The St Michael's school was opened by a group of La Salle Brothers in 1912. Fitting to its name and the mission of its founders, St. Michael's was one of the more prestigious Christian missionary schools in Perak. And because appearance tells a lot about an institution, St Michael's architecture and façade are reminiscence of a true Christian masterpiece. The architecture is absolutely brilliant. You can't get enough from appreciating the carefully decorated gables and the lovely wide arched verandahs that run the entire length of the school. Right in front of it stretches the school green. If you're lucky, you may spot the school band marching up and down the field playing some musical score in their full regalia.

Even the Japanese army could not stay away from St Michael's. During the Japanese occupation, this army converted the school for its centre of administration for the state of Perak.

Town Hall

This is one of Ipoh's architectural wonders that boasts of neo-classical architecture, a design so popular in the early 1900s. The Town Hall exhibits a great marriage between renaissance and roman architectural features. Construction began in 1913, and was finally completed in 1917. Throughout the century, the Town Hall have seen many people from various backgrounds and expertise utilising, and walking up and down, its hallways. This building has also served as a Post Office, and was once the District Police headquarters in 1948.

The Padang

Padang is the Malay word for 'field', and this is exactly what it is - which is also exactly where pale British males marched into the field with their starched white cricket ensemble to hit a wicket or two, running every now and then out of the field to catch several gulps of the most refreshingly cool beer. At other times, the same men could also be seen kicking around this Padang attempting to score a few goals in a game of soccer.

Once plentiful , now found only scattered in old gardens and botanical gardens - remember these found as fillers for 'five stones' ?

Ipoh has left the Padang unscathed, together with the beautiful casuarina trees that has been encircling the field for almost a century now. Much time has passed, people had come and gone, and old generations have made way for the new. But, Ipoh realises that this does not necessarily mean that traditions need be forgotten. Today, we still see people running about the grounds; whitemen they are not, but happy locals spending quality time with their family members.

Royal Ipoh Club

And what's the use of a Padang without a Club? Planters, tin miners and administrators patronised this black and white Tudor style clubhouse. While the athletic ones trampled about under the scorching hot sun, the more stationary ones worked their lazy muscles trying hard to keep their cigars in between their fingers while downing their whisky.

FMS Bar and Restaurant

FMS stands for "Federated Malay States", which was basically created to lump all the Malay states which fall under British administration under one union. And Perak happened to be one of them. Although the building was built at the turn of the century, it was only in 1906 that they proclaimed it to be bar and restaurant. Both bar and restaurant (together with its antique décor) have managed to survive the ravages of time, and is believed to be Malaysia's oldest functioning Bar!!

Planters and merchants used to frequent the Bar. Located just opposite the Padang, our jovial sportsmen would quite happily mosey along to the FMS Bar after their match, or maybe for some, after their first round of drinks at the Royal Ipoh Club.

The FMS Bar and Restaurant remains to be quite popular; however, time has altered the culinary preferences here. This would certainly be quite an experience, and not at all out of character; even if you take into account that you're inhaling the savoury aroma of your Szechuan Prawns while slurping in your Belacan Kangkong, right under the shelter of this exceptionaly British institution.

Birch Memorial, The Clock Tower

Secluded and hidden it is. And for good reason of course. JWW Birch was an unpopular character who was appointed as Perak's First British Resident. He was arrogant and showed no sensitivity towards local customs, religion and nuances. He did not think much of the Malays. Likewise the feeling, too, was mutual amongst the Malays, especially the royalty. It wasn't surprising at all that he was eventually assassinated by the Malays, headed by a chieftain called Dato' Sago. Call it mere coincidence or downright contemptuous, Birch's memorial is strategically located directly opposite a mosque and cramped behind Jalan Dato' Sagor. Even after his death, he is still surrounded by scorn and derision from the Malays.

For whatever Birch was to the Malays, the British made him a hero. On all four sides of the monument, colourful murals depicting various 18th Century professions of men decorate it. There, they also erected a bronze bust of their Mr. Birch. And so, the Clock Tower is quite a fine monument; even now, despite the absence of the presence of the bronze sculpture of Birch (which someone had so nicely removed). Isn't this just telling! Nobody wanted him and they still don't want him here. Oh, poor Mr. Birch.

Ipoh Railway Station

Some call it the Taj Mahal of Ipoh! No doubt that it has nothing to do with employing South Indian labourers in its construction, but truly because of its majestical neo-classical architecture. Its magnificent domes and almost perfect arches are reminiscent of those found in a Moorish palace, a design much favoured by AB Hubback, the same man who designed the Train Station in Kuala Lumpur.

Built in the height of the tin mining industry, the station was an important feature for the colonials in transporting Kinta Valley's valuable mineral. Regrettably today, the station appears to be suffering a grim and humbling existence. The ground floor is now segmented, giving space to house massage parlours. Wires crisscross the section and signs bearing the word "URUT" spread wide above the crude crass cubicles. Every night a market sprouts within the compounds of the Train Station. Loud blaring music and the inconsiderate throttling sounds of motorbikes choke the now long gone serenity. And the landscaping….? "What about the landscape?", these people would probably indignantly throw back the question at you.

AB Hubback would weep to witness this inconsiderate demeanour. It is hard to imagine that this was once a place so important, a mark of architectural accomplishment and commercial supremacy. But then again, these are hardly people who would care to appreciate its architecture with awe and admiration, nor respect its historical significance to shaping Ipoh to what it is today. It makes no sense to them to have anything more than just a commercial attachment to the station. Trapped in their single self-seeking objective to make money, conserving this historical building bears no relevance at all to their prosperity or survival. For what is pride for one's own history if there is so much more to be gained now today for the material wealth of tomorrow?

Above the train station, on the second and third floors resides the Station Hotel, also known as The Majestic Hotel. Take the ancient lift up to the main lobby, and it will take you back in time. In the early 1900s, the hotel boasted off 'first class accommodation' and 'excellent cuisine'. A 200m long verandah runs the length of the building. During those days, planters planted themselves in rattan chairs, the smoke from their pipes whiffed away in clumps of tiny clouds trying to ascend all the way up to the high ceilings. Ceiling fans swirled rhythmically all day long to cool the consistently sweating masters. A cosy bar satisfied the liquid needs of its thirsty patrons..

But today the hotel is not looking quite all that chirpy and healthy. It bears a tired face and a physique that is rather run down. The walls suffer a degrading presence, stained by markings in the colour of soot. Its white paint is peeling off in flakes. Unlike the verandahs, the rooms are not crowned with the same high ceilings. Much of their ceiling space is seized to accommodate ventilation ducts and air-conditioning piping, sloppily hidden by cheap gypsum ceiling. And it is because of this too that when you enter the rooms, you are greeted by the smell of damp and must. Dream not of diving into a huge plush comfortable Victorian style bed, but instead pretend to be contented with the three beds that consume most of the space of the shoebox shaped room. Perfect for families who want to save on hotel rates. Disappointing for those dreaming of reliving the luxury of the "first class accommodation" of the early 1900s.

But this is the 21st century, cast away your dreamy imaginations of colonial splendour. Today the Hotel serves a better purpose (?) by providing clean rooms at attractively competitive rates. You can start your day with a hearty breakfast consisting of toast, fried eggs and sausages (the cost of which is already covered in the room rates). One huge plus point which plants a smile on your face is the contagious smiles of the hotel staff who are also ever so helpful.

So, it is not all that bad and it is quite a relief to see much of the façade still remains and fittings still in tact. The banisters and wooden stairs stand firm and proud in their original places, and the slow iron elevator makes the journey up to the third floor charmingly pleasant. So, when you storm along the verandah, stomping on those cool and carefully laid tiles, try and show a little more care and look down. For these are the same tiles on which, a long time ago, haughty Victorian ladies carefully and gracefully walked upon. Look up, and you will see that the fans are there still, together with the ornate iron engravings proudly wrapping their bases. Look beyond the verandah and out into the far horizons, you will see Ipoh and its rolling hills staring back at you with the same beseeching scrutiny they gave the colonials a hundred years ago.

Perak(3)-The Royal Town(Kuala Kangsar)

2009-02-12T23:55:00.000-08:00

Kuala Kangsar

Istana Iskandariah, the royal palace where reigning head of state,Sultan Azlan Shah resides

Comfortably cradled in a crook of Perak River, Kuala Kangsar is a well preserved Royal Town where its serenity and its well-maintained old palaces are worth a mention.

This place must have had a strange effect on Sultan Yusuf Sharifuddin Mudzaffar Shah of Perak who ruled from 1877 to 1887. Unlike many rulers who protected their royal places and strongholds by selecting their vantage points carefully where they could detect enemy approach from afar, the Sultan had his first royal palace built beside the riverbank. He then named it 'Istana Sri Sayong'.Apart from being exposed to the impending threat of invasion, the other problem was the force of monsoon seasons, which led to numerous flooding as water gushed down from the jungles above through the many tributaries. The name Kuala Kangsar is believed to be derived from 'Kuala Karong-Sa', which means '99 small tributaries flowing into the Perak River'.

One flooding was so severe, it almost swept the palace away. Finally, after the Big Flood or Air Bah in 1926, it was decided to move the place further up onto the knoll where stands th

e current Royal Palace named Istana Iskandariah with its Art-Deco architecture, a rare but significant piece of architectural milestone in Malaysia.

Kuala Kangsar today has spread across the gentle undulating lands along the bank to accommodate the growing community but its core and historical part of town still sits quietly on the high grounds by the bend of the river. A familiar structure of a royal town, the royal palace is usually the centre of the town where subjects would later build their homes around, close to the palace. Presumably, many of the subjects that served the courts and the Sultan would have had to be nearby in any event for emergencies etc.

The Ubudiah Mosque

In the old part of Kuala Kangsar however, the roads are narrow and pleasant and great for a stroll as it winds round the grassy knoll. One of the more dominant architecture d

uring the colonial era in the area is the Ubudiah Mosque. Sultan Idris, (1887 - 1916) the ruler then and a close friend of the British resident, Sir Hugh Low, laid the foundation of the mosque in 1913. Unfortunately, the mosque's completion was delayed due to World War 1 and an incident that involved a couple of royal elephants who ran amok in the grounds, ruining the especially imported Italian marbled floor. Sultan Idris' successor, Sultan Abdul Jalil officiated this Moorish-styled mosque for it was only completed a year after his death. Beside the mosque is the royal mausoleum, the resting place of Perak rulers since the mid-18th century.

The Oldest Rubber Trees

You can see this rubber tree at the Kuala Kangsar's

District Office compound, east of the Pavilion Square Tower.In additions, this rubber tree is one of two of the oldest rubber trees in Peninsula that have survived the years. Sir Hugh Low, the British Resident of Perak of that time, encouraged the growth of rubber trees as the car industry expanded rapidly in the west. Soon jungles were converted into plantations, and many areas that were once virgin forests were open for commercial use. Hugh Low planted a number of rubber trees in his garden in Kuala Kangsar. Another old rubber tree from those experimental days stands by the district office in town at the intersection of Jalan Raja Chulan and Jalan Tun Abdul Razak. However, the trees don't look too well, perhaps having been hemmed in by the expansion of roads and tarring of the ground around it.

Istana Kenangan / Royal Museum

Very close by to Istana Iskandariah and farther eastis the Istana Kenangan. It was planned and built in 1926 after the great floods of 1926. Shaped like a sword, the entire palace was built without a blueprint and not a single nail was used. The walls are made of woven sliced bamboo, and patterned in diamond motifs called the 'kelarai'. The roof is in the shape of the 5 rid

ges of a traditional Malay house and the ridge of a row of bananas - known as 'perabung 5 and perabung pisang sesikat'. The palace was completed in 1931 and set up as a temporary residence for Sultan Iskandar Shah (1918 - 1938, the 30th Sultan of Perak) while the original royal palace or istana negara was being torn down for the new Istana Iskandariah. This beautiful building is full of character and features traditional Malay architecture, which fortunately, has become the Museum Di Raja, or Royal musuem. Displays focuses on the state's history and the Perak royal family.

Malay College

Another institution of significance, which has put Kuala Kangsar on the map, is the renowned 'Malay College'. Opened in 1905, Malay College was the training grounds for hundreds of boys from royal and aristocratic families. Sultan Idris who ruled from 1887 to 1916 took a keen interest in education and he was instrumental in the development of the college that provided boys with British public school education, preparing them with a career path in the Malay Admistrative Service. Not unlike schools like Eton and Harrow in England, these schools create strong bonding amongst the boys also known as the 'old boys' network' which continues way past graduation. For this, the college also acquired another name among the Malays - Bab ud-Darajat or the 'Gateway to high ranking'! The Malay College remains a centre of academic excellence.

The Pavilion Square Tower

Just across the road from the playing fields of the Malay College, sits the Pavilion Square Tower. Built in 1930, this small pavilion of 3 tiers was designed for the Royal families and dignitaries to watch polo matches nearby in comfort. However, the structure is not safe for public use.

Perak(2)-Kellie's Castle

2009-02-05T22:17:00.000-08:00

Kellie's Castle

Screams from a newborn baby echoed through the corridors of a small farmhouse, one spring day in the year 1870. A healthy baby boy was born into the Easter Kellas estate to the Smith family and was christened William Smith. The golden years of the Victorian Era was at its peak. The British empire was secured spanning from the New World to India and into South East Asia.

William Smith grew up in a small farm close to Dallas on the Moray Firth in Scotland. As the Victoria era blossomed for a new class of elite, spearheaded by innovative technology and inventions - the working class were pushed harder into poverty and frustrations. Perhaps it was the drive to escape from the droll of intense poverty that sent William Smith to far off lands looking for chances.

Young William Smith who later called himself William Kellie Smith, (Kellie being his mother's maiden name) left his farm in Dallas in search of the rich life he dream. It is not known when Smith arrived in Malaya nor do we know why he chose to explore opportunities in Malaya. However, the young, amicable man of 6ft 3ins in height was accepted into the community with ease.

An old bridge suspended over the Kinta River where William Kellie Smith would have driven his many imported automobiles through into the driveway, and up to the house

In a small working community of planters, miners, Smith found business opportunities readily available. Having bounced around on a few successful and unsuccessful ventures, he finally had a great windfall working with a rubber planter named Alma Baker. Alma Baker had obtained a few government contracts to make roads in South Perak. William Smith snapped up his invitation to work together and made a huge profit from these projects. With the money, he purchased 900acres of land just south of Ipoh and cleared the jungle for his rubber plantation and homely estate. He named this estate, Kinta Kellas - Kellas in memory of his family farm back in Scotland and Kinta being the area of the large basin in where the estate is situated

The moorish styled building still stands not a bit scratched from the day it was left abandoned in 1926

With his empire falling into place as planned, William Kellie Smith formed a London-based company. He was then appointed manager of the estate and was paid a handsome salary by the London Board. Rubber being in demand in the early years , he made a fortune. Running in parallel with the demands of raw materials to fuel the new industrial boom, he further amassed more wealth as larger dividends were paid out to him by his London based company.

In 1909/1910 he built a Moorish styled manor for himself, his wife Agnes Smith and their first child, Helen Agnes. The manor sat on a little knoll just by the bend of the Kinta River(Sungai Kinta), commanding a clear, unobstructed view of the Kinta Valley. Its grounds were groomed into pockets of lush gardens, open spaces, lawns and a lake - added to complete the estate ambience. In Britain during the Victorian era, many young, rich, enterprising men took to buying old manor houses, castles and estates to accentuate their stature in the social circles and for a long period, such activities were well accepted.

Perhaps it was this influence, perhaps it was the birth of his son that niggled him into building a larger more stately home. Construction of the new manor began somewhere after the birth of his son Anthony in 1915. Not much of the first home is left today, apart from the covered walkway, an open courtyard and part of a crumbling wall. The 'new' section of the stately home was to be an extension to the existing home, hence there isn't a kitchen nor a servants' quarters to be found. Many estate homes in the early years were designed so that the servants' quarters, utility rooms and kitchens were housed in an annexe and connected only by a covered walkpath to ensure no disturbances.

This new wing was to take 10years to build. Smith had employed an Indian taskforce to work on the construction. However, in the early 1920's, an epidemic of 'Spanish Flu' broke out and many of his estate workers including those working on the construction died after a short period of illness. The heads of his workforce requested that they build a temple for the deity Mariamman to ask forgiveness and protection for the people living on the estate. Smith agreed and had all his people feverishly working on the temple which was completed in a short time. The temple was built some 1500m from Smith's home. Today, the local community still pays homage to their gods at the temple. A little statuette of Kellie Smith stands alongside the deities on the roof of the temple probably watching over his little estate and the descendants of those that have worked and looked after him in the years when he was Sahib of the Kinta Estate.

The open courtyard and the remains of the passageways indicates the foundations of the old wing. The Museum of Antiquities took on the project to refurbish parts of the Castle especially the old wing by replastering the walls and laying floor tiles.

After the completion of the temple, everything returned to its normal state of affairs and work was diverted back to the construction of the manor house. In 1926, together with his daughter, William Kellie Smith made a trip home to Britain.The reasons for his trip is unclear but it is believed that they were to return to England for a short reunion with his wife and son. It is believed that Anthony was sent home to continue his education and Agnes had accompanied him. Back in Europe,William Kellie Smith was believed to have made a detour trip to Lisbon, Portugal to collect a lift (elevator) which he had ordered for the manor. Unfortunately, Smith never made it back to Malaya. In December 1926, Smith succumbed to a bout of pneumonia and passed away in Lisbon. He was buried at the British Cemetery.Agnes sold her interest in the Kellas Estate and Smith's distrought family never returned to Malaya.

Anthony Kellie Smith was killed in World War II and Helen never returned.

Kellie's Castle Today

A company has taken over the management of the castle and has converted it into a tourist attraction. In June 2003, during a road widening exercise at the 6th Kilometer stretch of the Gopeng-Batu Gajah road, road construction workers accidentally unearthed a section of a tunnel which is believed to lead from the castle to the Hindu temple nearby. This 1.5km high by 1m wide passageway was discovered when an excavator broke through the timber structure. The Museum Department has not concluded if the tunnel is directly linked to the castle but are 'looking into it'.

The mysteries and folklore that shroud Kellie's Castle and its creators still remains. The beautiful part of an epic lovestory such as this, is that there isn't an answer to everything. It leaves a part for us to fantasise, a dream that never ends and an ending that is undefined....

Perak(1)

2009-01-31T02:32:00.000-08:00

First of all, i would like to talk about perak, one of the well-developed state in Malaysia.
Perak Darul Ridzuan, the Land of Grace which covers an area of 21,000 square kilometers and has a population of about two million.

The state has a few major towns which are lpoh, Kuala Kangsar, Taiping, Kampar, Gerik and Lumut. Kuala Kangsar is the royal town of Perak, while lpoh is the state capital and administrative centre.

There are several versions of the origin of Perak. Some say that the name "PERAK" came from the "glimmer of fish in the water" that sparkled like silver, or Perak as it is known in Malay or it came from Bendahara Tun Perak of Malacca while some say that . Therefore, the mere mention of the state's name will reflect the treasures hidden in its earth.

The Perak State, in actual fact, has been in existence since the prehistoric age. a Tampan in Lenggong is the one and only proof that the Palaeolithic Age existed in Malaya. The Perak State went through numerous evolutions between 400 000 BC and 8000 BC.

The state had experienced the Hoabinhian Era and the Neolithic Age as well as the Metal Age, which was proven with the findings of relevant ancient artifacts.

Then came the Hindu/Buddha era. It was thought to have occured simultaneously with the rest of Malaya.

After this period, the history of the state advanced a step further with the formation of minor territories such as Manjung in the Dinding District and Beruas which came into existence after Manjung ceased to exist. This also apply to a few other territories in the Perak Tengah and Hulu Perak. It was also then that Islam began to plant its roots firmly in the state.

Historically Perak's history actually began with the installation of Sultan Muzaffar Shah 1, who was a descendent of Sultan Mahmud Shah of Malacca, in the year 1528. Although the Perak Sultanate had formed the territorial powers were still in effect. The administrative method was an extension of the democratic feudal system of Malacca.

Perak became more prominent with the discovery of tin in Larut, Taiping in 1848 by Long Jaafar. With this discovery, Perak's economy boomed and more mining areas were brought into existence. In addition to tin ore, natural rubber also played an important role and is still being planted after the reign of 33 or 34 consecutive Sultans.

Due to this significant implication of economic development resulted in the birth of a multiracial society especially with the introduction of the Chinese into the mining area.

The British who had long been interested Perak, intervened through the Pangkor Treaty in 1874 after a riot in Larut. As a result of this intervention, the Residential system was introduced with James W.W Birch as its first Resident.

Initially, the Residential system was supposed to yield positive results. However, because it deviated from its original cause, compled with the natives' refused to be colonized led to an uprising against the Resident under the leadership of Datuk Maharaja Lela. As a result J.W.W Birch was assassinated in 1875.

The Residential system continued until the arrival of the Japanese to Malaya in 1941. The Perak State also suffered, as did others, during the Japanese occupation of Malaya until the year 1945.

Even after the Japanese surrendered, the British still colonized Malaya until the year 1948. Violence was rampant then in Perak, due to Communist terrorism.

After the Japanese occupation in Malaya, the Malay States were not stable. The British did their utmost best to maintain their position by introducing new administration systems such as the Malayan Union in 1946, despite the people's nasionalistic spirit to seek independence.

The people of Malaya combined their efforts with all state dignitaries to fully rebel against all British systems. They continuesly oppressed until the British granted Malaya independence in 1957.

The independence of Malaya meant the freedom for all its Federated States, which Perak was a part of. Rapid development in all fields continued until today, after the reign of 34 consecutive Sultans.

Why Malaysia?

2009-01-28T05:48:00.000-08:00

Well,one of the important factor in traveling is choosing the correct destination. People will choose where to go based on what they can get out of the place. You may want to taste unique food, see different things, experience new cultures and meet nice people. So, come to malaysia for all or a combination of these. As a Malaysian, i can tell you all about this country.

Malaysia, located just above the Equator and is a country in South-East Asia.

The country is divided into West and East Malaysia separated by the South China Sea.

Many of the islands, mountains, lakes and rivers of this country are still clean and unpolluted, although the country is one of the fastest growing economy in Asia.

Malaysia is very tourist-friendly country with local delicacies and fantastic places to visit all over the country. Furthermore, Malaysians are among the friendliest people you will find anywhere. In Malaysia, you can experience various cultures of the different people groups. The main ethnic groups in West Malaysia are Malays, Chinese and Indians. While, Kadazans and Ibans in East Malaysia.

As far as food is concerned, Malaysia is a haven. All sorts of dishes are easily found. Rice is the staple diet for Malaysians but each people group has its own styles of cooking. The Malays and Indians love spicy food so much of their cooking has curry and chilli. Some examples of fine Malay dishes are Rendang and Satay. On the other hand, the Chinese like their soup and noodles besides rice so their cooking is more bland compared to the Malays and Indians. Some of the favorite Chinese dishes include Laksa and Bak Kut Teh. While, the Indians are famous for their Banana Leaf Rice and Roti Canai.

Malaysia has many interesting places to visit.

If you prefer the beaches, the long coastline of Peninsular Malaysia with Straits of Malacca to the west and South China Sea to the east provides numerous choices of beaches and islands for visitors to choose their holiday destination. Some of the beautiful islands are Redang Island, Langkawi Island and Tioman Island.

The island of Borneo where Sabah and Sarawak are located also boast of a long coastline with South China Sea to the west and Sulu Sea to the east. The world renowned Sipadan Island, a diving haven is located at the Celebes Sea to the east of Sabah.

If you prefer the mountain, the mountains of Malaysia are the places where many go to escape the heat of the day. Some highlands that are developed for tourism include Genting Highlands, Frasers Hill, Bukit Tinggi and Cameron Highlands.

As the mountains are high in altitude, the temperature varies from 16 to 24 degree Celcius, hence an ideal place to go for a time of relaxation.

Besides that, many nature lovers come back again due to the mountainous landscapes that abound in the highlands . As for theme park on the mountain, there is Genting, the City of Entertainment which is located in Genting Highlands.

Alternatively, you may try climbing Mount Kinabalu in Sabah which is the tallest mountain in South-East Asia as well. There, you get to see live monkeys and other small mammals living in the most fascinating flora of the jungle. . The experience is simply fascinating.

If you prefer the city, Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding boast many towering skylines such as the Petronas Twin Towers and Kuala Lumpur Tower.

Blended in is the historical Sultan Abdul Samad building, built during the colonial time as well as Chinatown, the bargain corner bazaar of Malaysia. Not to be missed are the various shopping complexes such as MidValley Megamall and Time Square that offer discounts and value for money items for you to bring back.

These are just some of the many reasons why Malaysia should be your destination of choice on your next vacation.