Batu Gajah

Batu Gajah (population 34,000) is a town located in the state of Perak in Malaysia, about 24 km from Ipoh, the Perak state capital.

Origins and History

The name Batu Gajah, which literally means "stone elephant" in the Malay language, is presumably derived from 2 large boulders that resembled elephants found along the Kinta River. Folklore claims that huge elephant figures were made of stones to scare away the elephants that destroyed the villagers' sugar cane crops.

Famous for its tin mining long before the Independence Day of Malaya, Batu Gajah had been an ideal place for Chinese immigrants to stay and work during those years. This contributes to a significant percentage of Chinese in the population of Batu Gajah today. The Indian Settlement village at Changkat has a large population of Indians and Punjabis who built one of the oldest Sikh temples in Perak.

Batu Gajah had an established pre-war British English school, which was renamed Sultan Yussuf School (SYS) after the war. The current Sultan of Perak is a former student of this school. Formerly known as the Government English School (GES), it was founded by Mr. Malai Perumal Pillay in 1907. The school was built from the rubble of an old jail. Over the years, the school has produced many successful students.

Clearwater Sanctuary Golf Resort Clubhouse

History

Batu Gajah lies on the bank of Sungai Kinta, a little downstream from the major confluence of Sungai Raya. It started out as one of the many villages of mukim Sungai Terap, developed under its titular chief, the Sri Amar DiRaja, since the early 19th century.

Kampung Sungai Terap was founded by Toh Panjang Bongkok. Since it was the first kampung to have a mosque, it became the main kampung of the area, and mukim Sungai Terap was named after it.

Features

Batu Gajah is a very quiet town, ideal for pensioners and young families. The attractions here include two golf courses - Royal Golf Club and Clearwater Sanctuary Golf Course, and nearby pre-independence castle built by a Scottish rubber plantation owner, Sir William Kellie - Kellie's Castle. There are also many hawker stalls and restaurants serving food such as noodles, laksa, and Indian-Muslim mee goreng and mee rebus. Youths spend time at cybercafés and around the local supermarket. In recent years, Western style food franchises such as 7-Eleven, KFC, Marry Brown and Pizza Hut had opened up branches in the town. Recently, a supermarket named TF has opened and currently is in business.

Development

In recent years, Batu Gajah has seen a lot of improvement. Recently, a new large post office was built and the scenery around Batu Gajah has been greatly improved. Majlis Daerah Batu Gajah (MDBG), the district council, has greatly enhanced the scenery of this town by planting trees, repainting and keeping this town clean on a regular basis.

In 2007, Batu Gajah got a new operational railway station. Located near Kampung Pisang at the Southerly end of town, it replaces the old station at Jalan Pusing which is being planned into a museum.

In addition, the Malaysian railroad operator, Keretapi Tanah Melayu, is currently constructing a new central workshop within the vicinity of Batu Gajah to replace its existing facility in Sentul. Located near the new railway station, the centre will house repair workshops, training facilities and staff quarters. The center is scheduled for completion in August 2009 at a projected cost of RM 430 million.

A new four lane highway is currently under construction that connects to the Ipoh-Lumut Highway at Seputeh and ties to the North-South Expressway at Gopeng. The new highway will pass near the new railway station through Bemban at the West side of town.

A new district land office is being constructed in Changkat and should be operational before the end of 2008. It is also given a new name, Majlis Daerah Batu Gajah or MDBG.

Currently, a district mosque is being built replacing the former mosque with funds from the Sultan Perak totals up to RM1 million. This mosque is expected to be finished in a few months' time.

Education

Primary School

• SK St Bernadette's Convent
• SK Sultan Yussuf
• SK Toh Indera Wangsa Ahmad
• SJK(C)Yuk Kwan

Secondary School

• SMK Sultan Yussuf
• SMK St Bernadette's Convent
• SMK Toh Indera Wangsa Ahmad
• SMK Yuk Kwan
• SMK Dato' Bendahara CM Yusuf
• SMK Pusing

People

Amy Mastura, a famous pop artist and actress was born on May 10th 1971 at the Batu Gajah Hospital. She once worked as a Malaysia Airlines flight attendant for 5 years and won the Asia Bagus singing competition in Japan, 1993 which launched her singing career. She is now married to Alvin Tham Suffian from Ipoh with two lovely children, Adriana and Adalia. Renowned artist/director, Datuk Rahim Razali, also came from Batu Gajah.

Yuna, a tudung-clad musician, has been popular after her single hit song also born in Batu Gajah. Her grandparent still live in Kampung Sungai Terap, Batu Gajah.

Landmarks

Some heritage buildings and landmarks in Batu Gajah that are famous throughout Perak and even the whole country are:

• Kellie's Castle (an old unfinished castle built by a Scottish rubber tycoon)
• An old tin mining dredge (resembling a large 'boat')
• Sultan Yussuf School or SMK Sultan Yussuf, the oldest school in Batu Gajah, established in 1907
• Batu Gajah Prison, the second oldest in Malaysia after the Taiping Prison.
• Batu Gajah old courthouse established in 1892
• St. Joseph Catholic Church