Mark your calendars. Perak Academy will be hosting a talk on The Perak Royalty & Nobility, on 20th March 2023. The talk will be at 8pm, at Mamut Meeting Room (1 Jalan Lasam, 30350, Ipoh). Light refreshments will be served at 7pm. For more information, call Perak Academy at 016-412 3742 or email contact@perakacademy.com  

For those of you who haven’t been following the news lately, Malaysia will be going to the polls on the 19th of November 2022. That being said, here’s a sample of a Pre Independence Election poster! We thank the family of the late Mohd Ali bin Pitchay, for sharing this rare find with us.

The Gurkhas from Nepal were an integral part of the British Army as they fought side by side during the difficult periods of Malayan history, which included conflict against the Japanese troops in World War Two, the communist insurgents in the emergency era and the Confrontation Period with Indonesia in Borneo. Each year on the […]

No, this is not a scene from the floods 😉 It is in fact an entourage crossing the Perak River. This picture was taken in 1913, and can be found in the G.C.V.O. booklet. The booklet records the celebration week that to place to mark the award of the Sultan of Perak with the Royal […]

This year on 21st March 1989 marks another milestone in the history of Perak. It was the signing of the declaration to accord twin-city status to Ipoh and Fukuoka of Japan. The declaration is expected to strengthen the bonds of friendship between Japan and Malaysia. It paves a new era of strong economic and industrial cooperation […]

The Battle of Kampar broke out on the night of 29 December 1941, the day after the Japanese occupied Ipoh. The British battalion, under the inspiring leadership of Lt.Col. Morrison, defended the town very well, inflicting heavy losses on the Japanese. When New Year was ushered in, many soldiers, both Japanese and British, had been […]

Remember when the Perak Postal Service started a special express letter service between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur? It wasn’t that long ago; apparently, there were two dispatches daily (except Sunday and Public Holidays). And the letters would reach the SAME DAY!

Back in 1952, Countess Mountbatten visited St Michael’s Institution. As President of the St John Ambulance Association in London she toured Malaya, visiting centres where St John Ambulance activities were organised. In this photograph, she’s addressing an assembly at the school hall – where she declared a half-holiday (much to the students delight!).

When the 1939-45 war in Europe ended, in which Police Lieutenant Dick Villiers had visited the continent more times than a peacetime tourist, he was dropped into Malaya as a member of Force 136. When the Japanese capitulated in 1945, Dick left the jungle in Lower Perak and by accident met the Loh family at […]

Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, and is commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year. It now more broadly commemorates all those who died and served in military operations for the country. The picture shows a remembrance parade in Ipoh, back in 1957. 

Here we have a ceremony at the Ipoh Town Hall, to observe the Japanese Emperor’s birthday. It is said that Emperor Showa (better known as Hirohito) was born on 29 April 1901; and the Emperor’s Birthday celebrations are always carried out on the actual day of birth. We estimate this photograph was taken in the […]

Zunar’s session in January was just as exhilarating and we have a full crowd to  start the new year. Taking about star power ! Not to be outdone, our theme for February will be equally exciting i.e. Local Animation.   Sharpened Word is proud to bring in the creator and director of the multi-award winning […]

…when Lido Theatre had its grand opening. Thanks to Hong Soon Keong, we have here a photograph taken outside the cinema before the opening. It shows the Band of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment of Taiping by the kind permission of the Commanding Officer, Lt Col S G Doulson performing outside the Lido […]

Where were you in May 1974? Do you remember an incident, whereby a hundred members of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) guerillas gathered and planted explosives which blew up earth-moving equipment along the East-West Highway at Grik, North Perak? Well, we’re not going to show you some graphic photos of what happened; instead, we […]

In the 1960s, a magician by the name of John Calvert drove from the Ipoh Airport to Lido Cinema…blindfolded! No, I’m not kidding; the above picture was taken at Cockman Street showing Calvert in an Austin Gypsy..with his eyes covered. We’re not encouraging you to try this stunt…but we’re wondering if anyone out there remembers […]

Synopsis In the best of philosophical tradition, the speaker is not an academic philosopher, and he is not in academia.  He is, however, a philosopher in the sense that he is extremely curious and inquisitive about the vast diversity of human nature, the concern and search for a meaningful and purposeful life, and the varieties […]

According to the caption of this photo, the man being rammed by a tree trunk (right) is Khoo Way Poon. Perhaps this was a martial-arts demonstration. Do you remember the event? More importantly, do you know Khoo Way Poon?

We thank Ruth Iversen Rollitt for the photograph (below). She told us that her late husband Donald Baxter was rather fond of the game of golf. We believe that the gentleman posing with the golf club is Donald. Now, does anyone recognise the others in the group?

  “Hassan Abd. Muthalib, Toko Seni and Bapa Animasi, was with SW last August,and he agreed to come back and conduct a workshop on movies in Ipoh. This is also the first workshop conducted by SW and if the response is good,Pak Hassan has agreed to conduct five more, as an extension to the first […]

Kultar’s Mime is a devised play that blends painting, poetry, theater, and music to tell the stories of Sikh children who survived the 1984 Delhi massacre organized in the wake of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination. As part of their Malaysian tour, the troupe will be performing in Ipoh on 25th May 2016, at the […]

source: NSTP Back row, L-R: T.John, Foong Kam Choy, Ahmad Nazari Centre row, L-R: Chan Tuck Choy, R. Anthony, Wong Kim Seng Front row, L-R: Liew Fee Yuen, Loh Kam Fook, Ramadas Rao, Wong Kong Leong and Cheong Weng Leong Remember these young men? It was October 5th 1957 when this team – Perak XI […]

We thank SK (one of our Readers) for sharing this with us. The gentleman in the tracksuit is Chan Wan Seong – who won the Bronze Medal in Men’s Singles 60+ category at the recent BWF World Senior Badminton Championship held in Helsingborg, Sweden. Posing with Chan is the BWF President Poul-Eric Hoyer Larsen (himself […]

Fancy watching a musical about Siddhartha? Then contact 05-2820224 / 013-4846625 for tickets and more information. Incidentally, this Filipino group has performed in several countries around the world. Click this link to watch a sample of their performance:  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5pTwnMfEFd4&feature=youtu.be

source: Janet Ferguson & Nellie Cumming This was probably taken at a school sports day – most likely the ACGS (Anglo Chinese Girls School) Sports Day! I do wonder is the girl in the picture broke the record for the high jump event…… I vaguely remember the annual sports day at my school. But I’ll […]

  The 1st Sharpened Word Literary Matinee will be held at the Sepaloh Art Centre (Hugh Low Street / Jalan Sultan Iskandar) this Saturday 17th October 2015, from 2 pm – 5 pm. Thereafter, they will meet every 3rd Saturday of each month. For further information, contact: Pak Peter – sharpenedword.kinta@gmail.com / or visit their […]

Rally control in 1957 Mobilgas Economy Run. Collin Dowset extreme right. Loris Goring (donor of photograph) co driver with folder checking in at one of the control Any motor sports fans out there recall the good ‘ol days of rallies and racing? Our donor Loris Goring shared the following with us (via email): I was  […]

I’m sure many of you recognise the gentleman in white (with a walking stick). Yes, it’s none other than Bro Vincent Corkery! He recently celebrated his 70th anniversary as a La Salle Brother at St Michael’s Insitution, Ipoh. To read the full article published by The Star Online, click here

The history-buffs out there would know this fact: that King Edward VIII ascended the throne of England in January 1936, after his father George V passed away. However, in November that same year, there was “a constitutional crisis” when Edward wanted to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson (a divorcee). Eventually on 11 December, Edward abdicated; and […]

We at ipohWorld are proud to announce our latest photographic exhibition – at 12, Lorong Cheah Cheang Lim, Ipoh (opposite Secret Garden). This is part of the Family History Week organised by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This exhibition will be from 2 – 6 December 2014, from 10am till 6.30pm at […]

picture from Larry Sawyer Here’s another one from the same donor who sent us those Malim Nawar photos. Looks like these men (and women too!) are in the midst of an interesting conversation. Note also the table layout – I see some teacups and some fancy glasses. Not forgetting the rather unique floral arrangement too […]

Fret not, the Toastmasters Club is here to help you! Those interested, please contact the following: YMCA of Ipoh Toastmasters Club; We meet every 2nd. & 4th. Wednesday at 7:45 pm Contacts : Pak Peter 019- 574’3572 / Cheah Tong Kim 017 – 487’3980/ Nur Aida Ahmad Nazeri 013 – 363’9490

…St Bernadette’s Convent (in Batu Gajah) had a charity event for the victims of the Turkish earthquake? Here’s a photograph to jog your memory (see below) We were told that this replica of the Malaysian flag was made entirely of JELLY! Can anyone tell us more about this event? Do you recognise the official cutting […]

No, it is not the Beatles nor is it the Famous Falcons. It is actually 3 generations of one family visiting our exhibition. These are truly my favourite as Grandpa tells the grandchildren all his old stories and the children listen and learn. And that is what we strive for, the children to learn a […]