PERAK (OTHER DISTRICTS)

BY HJ ZULHEIMY MAAMOR

8 JULY 2024 

Here are some photos of my memories in various districts in the State of Perak that I have been, visited or stopby, aside from the districts that I have previously written about in my blogs.

Behrang is a small town located in Muallim District, Perak about 10 km north of Tanjung Malim in Perak. 

Our memory in Behrang is when our car tire went flat on 2 July 2012 while on the way to Alor Setar, Kedah.

Bidor is a town in Batang Padang District, Southern Perak. Located 50 km southwest from the State Capital Ipoh and 116 km northwest of Kuala Lumpur. 

We once stopped at Bidor while looking for a car workshop when our vehicle had a flat tire while on our way to Alor Setar Kedah on 2 July 2012. 

Kampong Baru Coldstream is one of those ‘new villages’ built during the Malayan Emergency. Scattered communities were forcibly relocated to guarded and fenced villages to protect them from the Communist Terrorists and to prevent the villagers from supplying food, medicines and information to the bandits. It is  understand the 2nd Battalion of the Coldstream Guards were stationed in Perak during the Emergency and may have assisted with the village’s construction.

The Coldstream Guards are one of the oldest and most distinguished regiments in the British Army with roots in the Scottish Borders town of Coldstream, a place which, bears little resemblance to its Malaysian namesake.

Reference:

The Thrifty Traveller

Slim River, a small town in Muallim District of Perak, about 100 km from Kuala Lumpur, situated in the southern part of Perak and is 20 km north of Tanjung Malim in Perak. The town is named after the nearby river, Sungai Slim. It was named after English Captain, Captain William Slim in the 19th century. 

Further reading:

Wikipedia : Battle of Slim River, January 1942

Gopeng is a town located in Mukim Teja, Kampar District of Perak. It is situated approximately 20 km south of Ipoh. 

Menglembu is a small town in Kinta District of Perak, lying at the foot of Kledang Hill which is famous for its eponymously-named groundnuts. The nuts have been  commercially farmed since 1945, among them are the famous Thong Thye Groundnut Factory's Pagoda brand, Ngan Yin Groundnut Factory's Thumbs brand etc. 

Menglembu is also well-known locally as a foodie destination include Chee Cheong Fun, Curry Mee and Ipoh White House. 

Parit is a main town of Perak Tengah District. Parit is close to Tronoh, Seri Iskandar, Bota, Pusing, Beruas and Batu Gajah (Parit, 2013). Pekan Parit is located at the meeting of 3 directions - First, from the direction of Ipoh/Seri Iskandar, second, from the direction of Belanja and third direction from MRSM Parit (Ujang Kutik, 2013).

Pusing, a small town in Kinta District of Perak, located in the western part of Perak, approximately 18 km southeast of Ipoh, surrounded by scenic landscapes and is known for its lush greenery. 

Tronoh is a small mining town in Kinta District. Tronoh today is the home of two Universities namely Universiti Teknologi Petronas and Universiti Teknologi MARA branch campus. 

Kampong Sri Kaya in Bota Kiri is my wife's hometown on her father's side.

Bota is a mukim in Perak Tengah District, comprises of Bota Kanan and Bota Kiri and is divided by the Perak River. 

Bota has appeared in numerous Malaysian films and dramas. The latest and most significant ones are Lambor Kanan Belakang Dewan and Heri Bota. Lambor Kanan Belakang Dewan was aired in 2017 by Astro for Hari Raya special screening featuring Izara Aishah and Rashidi Ishak while Heri Bota was aired in 2020 by RTM TV1 featuring Aedy Ashraf.

R&R RTC GOPENG

RTC Gopeng, which is located next to R&R Simpang Pulai, is situated on the PLUS Highway heading north before entering the city of Ipoh. This RTC serves as a stop for most express buses heading to the north. In addition to toilets and a surau, there is an Agro Mall that sells various fresh fruits and wet goods. However, when I visited at night, there were no sales at this Agro Mall. Mydin Supermarket is also situated here and is a popular shopping destination for Ipoh residents. It can be said that Mydin Supermarket is large and offers a wide range of goods.

R&R SUNGAI PERAK

Kuala Kangsar, Perak

Located in Kuala Kangsar Subdistrict, Perak. That is on the PLUS Highway route between Ipoh to Kuala Kangsar.

Sungai Perak Rest & Treatment Area is a relatively small and compact rest area. The North and South rest areas are just next to each other and you can access both sides of the R&R via the passage/road under the bridge. But only pedestrians because the connecting road is closed.

Why is this R&R a bit special? It is one of the R&R PLUS areas located by the Perak River and there is a Jetty that you can access. Meaning, this R&R can also be stopped by anyone who takes a boat down the Perak River.

R&R SIMPANG PULAI

KINTA DISTRICT, PERAK

R&R Simpang Pulai famous for being the newest gateway to the east coast states of Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu - the Second East-West Highway (Federal Route 185) begins here, passes through Cameron Highlands in Pahang, then Gua Musang in Kelantan before terminating Kuala Jenderis in Hulu Terengganu. 

The PLUS Expressway exit 137 serves Simpang Pulai. 

R&R TAPAH

Tapah, Perak

The Tapah R&R located at PLUS highway is state-of-the-art facility beside long stretch boring road. Beside being a ordinary toilet and food stalls, it features shopping experience and greenly park. It is a good rest stop to recharge for adult and kid. There are many food stalls which fresh picked pink guava and langsat are hot selling. From being a cost center, now the R&R can turn into profit center in win-win situation.

Whatever it is, R&R Tapah always been a top spot for travellers. Tapah is the only R&R in North-South Highway that have Halal Chinese food. 

 

Along the road of memories - Perak, the state of my birth, always missed and remembered.

Perak is a much-visited destination in the northwest region of Peninsular Malaysia. It is definitely a state worth visiting for a fun-filled vacation. 

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, K.L

11 July 2024 > 5 Muharram 1446H: 12.14 a.m