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Malay Village By The Side Of The Kinta River, Ipoh
This unstamped, divided back postcard dated 6/11/09 was posted to France. It is believed to show a Malay Kampung by the Sungai (River) Kinta in Ipoh.
Reference to sejarah malaysia advises "The old name for Ipoh is 'Paloh' meaning pool of stagnant water'. This was the name given to a kampung consisting of a few houses closed to the site of the present Market where the Dato Laxamana had his dwelling. According to Dato F W Douglas, Paloh is the Malay name for the old Laxamana's kampung lying between Brewster Road and Hugh Low Street on the east of the river. Fifty years ago there was still a row of old attap houses facing the river. A number of dams were constructed from the bank to the middle of the Kinta River which runs through the town, with the object of providing palohs or pools at the side of the dams for fishermen to set up their fish traps, lukah. The place became famous for the pools, so much so that the township formed near the river was called Paloh. The neighbouring village is still called by the same name, Paloh.
Paloh was, according to Mr. Goon Foo Onn, one of the grand old men of Ipoh, the name given to that area enclosed by the bend of the Kinta River near the People's Park, where boats coming up from Batu Gajah and Teluk Anson used to anchor. This was the only populous part of the town, as the rest of the town was thick jungle."
Our database editor adds: These house must have been the only ones on the New Town side of the river at the time as everything else was in what today we call Old Town. New Town was developed in 1909.
To read more about The God of Prosperity Temple and the People’s Park, click here.