PERAK : BATU GAJAH

BY HJ ZULHEIMY MAAMOR

7 JULY 2024

Batu Gajah is the seat of Kinta District of Perak, administrated by Batu Gajah District Council. 

The nama Batu Gajah in Malay means "Elephant Rock" presumably derived from two large boulders that resembled elephants found along the Kinta River. 

On February 10th, 2013, I went to Kampong Pisang in Batu Gajah, Perak with my wife, my second son, and mother-in-law to attend a wedding ceremony.

KG PISANG

BATU GAJAH, PERAK

10 FEBRUARY 2013

Kampung Pisang is located in the area of ​​Sungai Terap Subdistrict in Kinta Perak District. The nearest town to Kampung Pisang is Batu Gajah , the distance from the town is about 1KM.

The name Kampung Pisang is synonymous with popular tv series such as "Zombie Kg Pisang", "Kampong Pisang Bersiri-siri" , "18 Puasa di Kampong Pisang" etc. directed by Allahyarham Mamat Khalid. Whether this Kg.Pisang has anything to do with the TV series, I'm not sure about that.

Travel distance from my mother-in-law's house in Jalan Kelang Lama, Kuala Lumpur to Kg. Pisang, Batu Gajah, Perak is 205 km away and takes 2 hours 21 minutes to travel.

KELLIE'S CASTLE

BATU GAJAH,PERAK

10.2.2013

Kellie's Castle is a castle located in Batu Gajah, Perak about 5.9 km from Kg. Pisang and about 2-hours drive from Kuala Lumpur. The unfinished ruined mansion, was built in 1915 by a Scottish planter named William Kellie Smith as a gift for his wife.  

However, following his sudden death, the construction of the castle was suspended. His wife, Agnes eventually sold the castle to a British Company, Harrison & Crossfield. 

Placards located around Kellie's Castle tell of unexplained sighting of ghostly figures on the mansion's grounds. One story tells of how a pair of tourists spotted a ghostly figure in one of the mansion's windows, supposedly belonging to that off William Kellie Smith himself. 

There have also been reports of a ghostly child playing in the bedroom that formerly belonged to Kellie-Smith's daughter, Helen. 

Another such resident ghost is that of "Mr.Gopal", a washerman from South India. He worked in the laundry area of the mansion - had been disheartened when his employer, owner William Kellie Smith, broke his promise to send him back to India where his wife was awaiting his return. Although the truth about the existence of Mr. Gopal cannot be verified, the atmosphere in and around the mansion is enough to send shivers down one's spine.  

Kellie's Castle looks like it brings back memories from when I served in the Royal Malaysian Navy. Around the '80s, I was stationed in Lumut, Perak. Every time I traveled back from Lumut, Perak, to Kuala Lumpur on vacation, I would definitely pass through this road. I often saw this old building, which was quite creepy; at that time, Kellie's Castle was not very well known. I often wondered what kind of building it was... it was scary, like a "haunted house" in a horror story on TV.

WILLIAM KELLIE SMITH

Kellie's Castle was one of the settings in the 1999 Oscar-nominated film "Anna and The King" directed by Andy Tennant, starring Chow Yun Fat and Jodie Foster. It was mostly shot in Malaysia, particularly in Penang, Ipoh and Pulau Langkawi. 

There are Malaysian actors also acting in this film, among them are Deanna Yusoff, Sean Ghazi, Syed Alwi, Ramli Hassan, Keith Chin, Zaibo, Patrick Teoh, Harith Iskandar, Afdlin Shauki, Mano Maniam  and many others. 

Another film was "Skyline Cruisers" (2000).

Today the immediate area around Kellie's Castle has been developed for tourism purposes, with modern facilities to hordes of tourists. 

The Castle was opened to visitors from 9.00 a.m - 6.00 p.m daily. The entrance fee for foreign tourists is RM10.00 (adult) and RM8.00 (child) while Malaysias need to pay only RM5.00 (adult) and RM3.00 (Children). 

This Front Entrance was once the back of the Estate.

VENTILATION HOLE

The room, planned for Kellie's daughter, Helen, over the years, visitors have reported seeing her ghost in this room. The apparition was said to assemble that of a 6-year old child with curly hair and dressed in white blouse. All the eyewitnesses tell the same tale about the ghost child emerging from the door, hovering for a few seconds before vanishing into thin air!

Further readings:

1. Wikipedia - Kellie's Castle

2. The Island Drum - The Puzzling Tale of Kellie's Castle by Vanessa Workman

3. The New Straits Times - Shadows and Chills at Kellie's Castle by Alan Teh Lean Seng.

Batu Gajah, a good place to bring to life the history of Malaya. You can also learn about the history of Batu Gajah with a visit to Tanjung Tualang Tin Dredge No. 5, discover the area's waterfalls and temples etc. 

The Tanjung Tualang Tin Dredge No. 5 is a former tin mining dredge in Batu Gajah, Kinta District, Perak.

The dredge was built in England, the United Kingdom in 1938 by F.W. Payne & Son. It was built for the Southern Malayan Tin Dredging Ltd, a company formed in 1926 which operated 6 dredges in Batu Gajah and Tanjung Tualang. 

The Tin Dredge was used for 44 years until 1982 when the Malaysian tin industries declined due to the falling world's tin price. 

BATU GAJAH - MALAYSIA'S WORLD HERITAGE TRAVEL SITE

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, K.L

7 July 2024 - 2 Muharram 1446H: 8.43 p.m