Reviews & Press : : IPOH When tin was king

The Star, Tuesday November 17, 2009

Ipoh revealed
By FOONG THIM LENG

Tin gave the people in the Kinta Valley an identity – and stories of awe and inspiration.

HOW much do you know about the flamboyant and extravagant lifestyle of tin miners who rose from humble beginnings? Did you know that Datuk Michelle Yeoh was not the first Kinta beauty to make it to Hollywood?

The answers can be found in the book Ipoh: When Tin Was King, by local writer Dr Ho Tak Ming.

“The book, published by the Perak Academy, is about the pioneers of Ipoh and about the Golden Age of the city.

“The Kinta Tin Rush attracted not only mining towkays and coolies but all sorts of people, including adventurers, mer­­chants, crooks and prostitutes,” said Dr Ho in an interview. A family physician in Ipoh for 36 years, he is the author of three other books – Doctors Extraordi­naire; Doctors In The East; and Generations: The Story Of Batu Gajah.

Dr Ho took four years to research the book, going through government reports, gazettes, journals and two old newspapers, Perak Pioneer and Times Of Malaya.

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For posterity: Local family physician Dr Ho Tak Ming holding his new book Ipoh: When Tin Was King which will be launched by Prof Wang Gangwu at the Ipoh City and Country Club today

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“The growth of Ipoh was due to efforts of the private sector, unlike Kuala Lumpur or Taiping which had government help.

“Ipoh was neglected by the government in the colonial days because of its history and geographical factors. As a result Taiping, and at one time, Kota Baru in Gopeng, Papan and Batu Gajah, were considered more important centres of administration and trade than Ipoh.

“It took the Japanese invaders to transfer the state capital from Taiping to Ipoh in August 1942,” he said.

Dr Ho’s book contains interesting stories of well-known tin-miners of the past and present century.

His research includes the rise of some of the town’s earliest miners: Leong Fee; Foo Choo Choon, who was known for his Midas touch; Yau Tet Shin, who was res­­ponsible for the development in Ipoh’s old town and new town; and mining legends like Chung Thye Phin and Eu Tong Sen, the first man to own a motorcar in the Kinta Valley.

There are also stories of famous miners Choong Sam who once rode a Rolls-Royce to work, and Foong Seong for his high-powered diesel pump which became the choice of gravel pump miners in Malaya.

Other chapters in his book are dedicated to people of other professions, including sportsmen, prominent doctors, lawyers, scholars, writers, war heroes and Kinta beauties.

Not many people know that a granddaughter of Yau Tet Shin, Stella Yau – who later took the name of Stella Moya – was the first of many actresses that Ipoh has produced. Another talented Ipoh girl was Diana Wong who secured film parts in several movies and also wrote for the Children’s Hour on the BBC.

“This book is meant for the people from Ipoh, especially the younger generation, who should have some curiosity about their own town,” said Dr Ho.

In a message in the book, Datuk Panglima Kinta Datuk Seri Dr Abdullah Fadzil Che Wan said he was proud that the Panglima Kinta lineage forms the first chapter of the book.

“I strongly believe that Ipoh is a wonderful city and its potential can be fully tapped with more participation from the federal government, and authorities in tourism, education and heritage,” he said.

Emeritus Professor Dr Wang Gangwu will launch the book today at the Ipoh City and Country Club. In his foreword to the book, Dr Wang said he was delighted to see the story of Ipoh told with such verve and richness of detail.