Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan

Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan

The leaning tower of Teluk Intan is the Malaysia equivalent of the world famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. It is located in the centre of the town of Teluk Intan, Perak. The tower is slanted leftward, similar to the Tower of Pisa. It is 25.5 metres tall and, from the outside, looks like a 8 storey building, though inside it is actually divided into 3 storeys.

The tower is located in the center of a square surrounded by Jalan Pasar, Jalan Selat, Jalan Bandar and Jalan Ah Cheong.

Purpose

The purpose for building the tower, also known as the Clock Tower, was to store water for the locals during the drought season, in case of fire. The clock on the tower was also used to keep time.

History

The tower was built under the guidance of contractor Leong Choon Chong in the late 19th century. However, it was claimed by a Briton, Neol Danison, and then the Japanese during their occupation of Malaysia in 1941. During this time, the tower became the Japanese’s watch tower.

After Independence, in the year 1957, the tower became an official national monument.

Design

The pagoda style structure was greatly influenced by Chinese architecture, because the majority of the population of the town at that time was Chinese. Each storey is 5 metres high and there are a total of 110 steps from the ground floor to the top of the tower.

The water tank, which is 5 metres high and 18.36 cubic metres deep, is on the third floor and is made of steel. The foundation is 13 metres in diameter and tapers to a diameter of 8.2 metres at the top of the tower.

Leaning

The reasons why the tower leans are the soft ground on which it was built, as well as the weight of the water in the water tank, which causes it to lean towards the southwest.