Ipoh

Ipoh is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Perak. Located by the Kinta River, it is nearly north of Kuala Lumpur and southeast of George Town in neighbouring Penang. As of the 2020 census Ipoh had a population of 759,952, making it the eighth-largest city in Malaysia by population.
In recent years, Ipoh's popularity as an international tourist destination has been significantly boosted by efforts to conserve its British colonial-era architecture. The city is also well known for its cuisine and natural attractions, such as its limestone hills and caves within which Buddhist temples were built. In addition, Ipoh has managed to maintain its reputation as one of the cleanest cities in Malaysia.
Ipoh's location between Kuala Lumpur and George Town has made it a major land transportation hub within West Malaysia, with both the Malayan Railway's West Coast Line and the North-South Expressway cutting through the city. Aside from the land transportation links, Ipoh is also served by the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport.
Etymology
The name Ipoh is derived from a local tree, pohon epu, now more commonly known as pokok ipoh. The sap of this plant is poisonous and was used by local indigenous people mixed with Strychnos latex to coat the tips of their blowpipe darts for hunting.
History
Originally a village, Ipoh began to grow rapidly in the 1880s after huge deposits of tin were discovered within its vicinity. Its geographic location in the rich tin-bearing valley of the Kinta River made it a natural centre of growth.
The Great Fire of Ipoh in 1892 destroyed over half the town, but also presented an opportunity to rebuild the town in a more orderly grid pattern.
By 1895, it was the second largest town within the Federated Malay States, which also consisted of Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang. However, following the depletion of its tin deposits and the collapse of tin prices in the 1970s, the city suffered decades of decline and neglect.
Ipoh was subsequently rebuilt in time for the second tin rush and grew rapidly as a result of the booming tin mining industry, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s. A local Hakka miner, millionaire Yau Tet Shin, started developing a large tract of the town in the early 1930s, today known as the "New Town", from the eastern bank of the Kinta River to Greentown. In 1937, Ipoh was made the capital of Perak, replacing Taiping.
Ipoh was invaded by the Japanese on 15 December 1941. In March 1942, the Japanese Civil Administration or Perak Shu Seicho was set up at St. Michael's Institution. After the liberation of Malaya by British forces, Ipoh remained the capital of Perak as it does to this day.
With the closure of the tin mines, its urban population was forced to seek employment in other cities within Malaysia. In spite of this, Ipoh remains one of the largest cities in Malaysia in terms of population, with tourism now a main driver of the city's economy.
Ipoh gained Municipal status in 1962, and in 1988 it was declared a city by the then Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah.
Geography
Topography
Ipoh is in the state of Perak, which is in the central part of Peninsular Malaysia. The city is in the middle of the karstic Kinta Valley region, on the bank of the Kinta River and the confluence of the smaller rivers Sungai Pinji and Sungai Pari. Hills of limestone, called mogotes, surround the city, which can be found around suburban areas to the northeast, east and southeast.
The Keledang mountain range stretches from the north to the west of the city. This range runs parallel to the Bintang mountain range with the Perak River running on its left bank and the Kinta River to its right. This range is interrupted to the north of Ipoh by a tributary of the Perak River called the Pelus River, which is sourced from the Titiwangsa mountain range, which runs to the east of Ipoh.
Climate
Ipoh has a tropical rainforest climate. Ipoh is more subject to the Intertropical Convergence Zone than the trade winds and very rarely has cyclones, therefore it can be described as having an equatorial climate. The city's temperature shows little variation throughout the year, the average temperature being . Ipoh sees high precipitation throughout the year with an average of of rain each month and averaging of rain per year. The wettest month is October when on average of rain falls. Ipoh's driest month is January which has of rainfall on average.
Limestone caves
Mogotes are the most prominent natural features of the city. There are many caves in these outcrops, some of which have cave temples built in them. The Sam Poh Tong Temple is a notable example, along with Kek Lok Tong; Cavern of Utmost Happiness), which lies on the other side of the same outcrop. It is accessible through the Gunung Rapat housing area. Other cave temples in Ipoh include Ling Sen Tong, Nan Tian Tong, Kwan Yin Tong and Perak Tong.
Gua Tempurung, near Gopeng, south of Ipoh, is a show cave open to the public and popular among spelunkers. More than long, it is one of the longest caves in Peninsular Malaysia. Part of it has been developed with electric lighting and walkways, and there are tours of varying lengths and difficulty. A river passage runs about through the hill. There are five large chambers, filled with spectacular speleothems which include stalactites and stalagmites.
Economy
In its early history, Ipoh as a settlement was built around its mining industry, although inferior to that of Gopeng, some to the south. Ipoh was once one of the richest cities in Malaysia and South East Asia in the days when tin was its major product. During the 1980s, when tin prices collapsed, the economy of Ipoh was affected significantly. However, recently the city has experienced economic growth. The city of Ipoh also hosts some large multinational corporations. Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad, a palm oil company among the top 15 biggest companies in Malaysia by revenue, has its headquarters in Ipoh. Batu Kawan Berhad, an investment company which is the biggest shareholder in Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad, also has its headquarters in Malaysia. Ipoh houses the headquarters of Hovid Berhad, a pharmaceutical company which claims to be the first Malaysian company to introduce Malaysian generic drugs overseas. Old Town Berhad, which is a food and beverage public listed company specializing in white coffee, has its headquarters in Ipoh. There are other public listed companies in Ipoh such as Perak Transit Berhad, Tasek Cement Berhad, DKLS Industries Berhad, Wellcall Holding Berhad, Rubberex Berhad, and Perak Corp. Ipoh also hosts the Malaysian headquarters for some foreign multinational companies, including Finisar, Voith, ITL Asia Pacific and Sagami Manufacturers.
Governance
The Ipoh City Council governs the city. Datuk Rumaizi Baharin, appointed in April 2020, is the current mayor of Ipoh.
Ipoh is divided into two parliamentary constituencies: Ipoh Barat (Ipoh West) and Ipoh Timor (Ipoh East). The parliamentary seat for Ipoh Barat is held by Democratic Action Party (DAP) Representative M. Kulasegaran. The seat for Ipoh Timor is held by fellow DAP leader Howard Lee Chuan How. As of 2022, there were 233,000 voters in Ipoh. Most of the voters in Ipoh are Chinese, followed by Malays, Indians and others.
Demographics
Ipoh remains one of Malaysia's largest cities. As of 2010, the municipal area of Ipoh has a population of 657,892. It ranks as the seventh most populous urban centre in Malaysia (2010).
The following is based on Department of Statistics Malaysia 2010 census.
Town Layout / Cityscape
See List of Ipoh areas
Culture
Cuisine
Ipoh has a significant food scene with many hawker centres and restaurants. It has dishes derived from Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine. See
Film and television
Movies filmed in Ipoh include:
1992: Indochine
1999: Anna and the King
2003: Kadhal Kisu Kisu
2005: Sepet
2005: Gubra
2006: After This Our Exile
2006: Goodbye Boys
2006: Lust, Caution
2015: Blackhat
Greenery & Public Parks
D. R. Seenivasagam Park (Coronation Park)
Sultan Abdul Aziz Recreational Park (Polo Ground)
Kledang Saiong Forest Eco Park
Botani Eco Park
Theme parks
There are several theme parks in Ipoh, including the Sunway Lost World of Tambun and the now defunct Movies Animated Park Studios (MAPS).
Transport
Roads
The old interstate Federal Route 1 connects Ipoh with other major towns and cities in peninsular Malaysia, for example to Alor Setar, Taiping and Penang to the north and Tapah, Kuala Lumpur, Seremban and even Johor Bahru in the south. Motorists from the east coast can use Federal Route 4 (from Gerik) in northern Perak or Federal Route 185 (from Cameron Highlands).
The new North–South Expressway is a faster and more efficient alternative to Route 1. However, some towns such as Kampar can only be accessible via Route 1.
Train
Ipoh's railway station is operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) and is in the Old Town. However, it does not have intra-city travel like there is in Kuala Lumpur; the railway only connects Ipoh with neighbouring towns and cities. The station is a stately building, referred to by locals as the "Taj Mahal of Ipoh". KTM Intercity began the Shuttle Train Service between Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh from 1 December 2008 while the modern Electric Train System (ETS) shuttle began from 12 August 2010, with an average speed of , plying the Ipoh-Seremban route, which cut the travelling distance between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur to 120 minutes. There are 10 dedicated shuttle train services between these two cities daily, beginning at 5 am from both of the stations. Travel time between the cities was expected to be reduced from three hours to two hours and fifteen minutes when the new set of EMU trains arrived in mid-2009.
Bus
The inter-city bus terminal is located at Amanjaya Integrated Bus Terminal in Bandar Meru Raya, just north of the city. Medan Kitt is the public transport intracity terminal that is very near to Ipoh Railway Station. Currently, the main piblic transport operator in the city is PerakTransit under the branding of myBAS Ipoh.
Air
The Sultan Azlan Shah Airport is the only airport in Ipoh, located near Gunung Rapat. Domestic and international flights are available. Scoot and AirAsia provide daily flights from Ipoh to Singapore Changi Airport while Batik Air Malaysia used to provide daily flights to Senai International Airport, serving as a link to the city of Johor Bahru. There are also planned flights to Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and China, with talks of a new airport soon.
Education
This is a list of schools in Ipoh, Perak.
Sekolah Izzuddin Shah
Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tanjung Rambutan
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Seri Puteri
Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (T) St. Philomena Convent, Ipoh
Sekolah Kebangsaan Dato Panglima'Kinta, Ipoh
Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Yuk Choy, Ipoh
SMJK Yuk Choy, Ipoh
Tarcisian Convent School, Ipoh (TCS)
Anderson School, Ipoh
Anglo-Chinese School, Ipoh
St. Michael's Institution, Ipoh
SMK Jalan Tasek, Ipoh
Methodist Girls Secondary School (MGS), Ipoh
Perak Girls Secondary School (PGS), Ipoh
SMK Main Convent, Ipoh
Wesley Methodist School, Ipoh
Ipoh International School (Private)
Fairview International School, Ipoh
Perak Yuk Choy High School (Private), Ipoh
Poi Lam High School (Private), Ipoh
Shen Jai High School (Private), Ipoh
Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (T) Kerajaan, Sungai Pari, Ipoh
Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (T) Gunung Rapat, Ipoh
Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (T) Perak Sangeetha Sabha, Ipoh
SMK Rapat Setia, Ipoh
SMK Jalan Pasir Puteh, Ipoh
Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Poi Lam, Ipoh
SMK Seri Keledang, Ipoh
SMK Menglembu, Ipoh
SMJK Poi Lam, Ipoh
Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Sam Tet, Ipoh
SMJK Sam Tet, Ipoh
SMK Dato Ahmad Said
Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Ave Maria Convent, Ipoh
SMJK Ave Maria Convent, Ipoh
Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Gunung Rapat, Ipoh
Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Wan Hwa (1)
Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Wan Hwa (2)
Sekolah Kebangsaan (ACS), Ipoh
Sekolah Kebangsaan (P) Methodist, Ipoh
Sekolah Kebangsaan Haji Mahmud Chemor, Ipoh
Sekolah Kebangsaan Kuala Pari, Ipoh
Sekolah Kebangsaan Jalan Pegoh
Sekolah Kebangsaan Jelapang
Sekolah Kebangsaan Marian Convent, Ipoh
Sekolah Kebangsaan Raja Ekram, Ipoh
SMK Raja Perempuan, Ipoh (RPS) Royal Princess School "Cluster School"
SRK Raja Perempuan, Ipoh (RPS)
Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Ampang, Ipoh
Sekolah Kebangsaan St. Michael's Institution (1), Ipoh
Sekolah Kebangsaan St. Michael's Institution (2), Ipoh
Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Chung Shan
Sports
Ipoh has a sports complex known as Kompleks Sukan MBI or MBI Sports Complex. Among the facilities located within the complex is the Perak Stadium, the home of Perak Football Association who play in the Malaysia Super League.
Golf courses in Ipoh include the Royal Perak Golf Club off Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah (Tiger Lane), the Meru Golf Club in Jelapang, and Clearwater Sanctuary Golf Club en route to Batu Gajah.
Other sports venues include the Kilat Club in Pasir Pinji, Ipoh Field (Padang Ipoh) in the Old Town, the Polo Grounds, and the Iskandar Polo Club in Ampang Baru.
The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is an annual international men's field hockey tournament held in Ipoh.
Notable people
Film and television
Angie Cheong, actress
Mimi Chu, actress and singer
Iqram Dinzly, actor and model
Mamat Khalid, film director and screenwriter
Peter Pek, TV host and businessman
Afdlin Shauki, screenwriter, director and actor
Patrick Teoh, actor and radio host
Michelle Yeoh, actress famous for role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Natasha Hudson, actress and model
Mandy Lieu, actress and model
Music
Michael Wong, singer-songwriter
Jamal Abdillah, pop singer and actor
Shila Amzah, singer-songwriter and actress
Ning Baizura, pop and R&B singer, actress
Francissca Peter, singer-songwriter
Sophia Liana
Sam Chin Neng of pop duo Fuying & Sam
Sports (badminton)
Koo Kien Keat
Choong Tan Fook
Lee Wan Wah
Cheah Soon Kit
Wong Pei Tty
Wong Mew Choo
Sports (football)
Nazirul Naim
Chan Kok Heng
Muhamad Khalid Jamlus
Azizon Abdul Kadir
Sports (others)
Tony Underwood (rugby)
Nur Suryani Mohd Taibi (sports shooting)
Leong Mun Yee (diving)
Cheong Jun Hoong (diving)
Cindy Ong Pik Yin (competitive swimming)
Business
David Ho Sue San of Hovid Berhad and Carotech Berhad
Lee Loy Seng, founder of Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad
Dr. Wong Jeh Shyan, CEO of CommerceNet Singapore Limited
Koon Yew Yin, founder of IJM Corporation Bhd and Gamuda Berhad
Leong Sin Nam, tin mine owner
Eu Tong Sen, tin mine owner
Foo Choo Choon, tin mine owner who has a road in Ipoh named after him
Chung Thye Phin, tin mine owner who has a road in Ipoh named after him
Leong Fee, tin mine owner
Politics
Yeoh Ghim Seng, Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore 1970–1989
Dr Yeoh Eng Kiong, Hong Kong Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food 2002–2004
S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, Member of the Ceylonese Parliament 1956–1977
Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Second Minister of Finance of Malaysia 2009–2016
D. R. Seenivasagam, co-founder of the People's Progressive Party
Lim Keng Yaik, president of the Malaysian People's Movement Party 1980–2007
Lee Lam Thye, social activist and former politician
Chang Lih Kang, Malaysian politician
Lee Chuan How, Member of the Perak State Executive Council 2018–2020
Yusof bin Ishak, president of Singapore 1965–1970
Other
Chan Sek Keong, Chief Justice of Singapore 2006–2012
Lat, cartoonist
Huen Su Yin, blogger and cake designer
Tang Siew Mun, academic
Tang Tuck Kan, artist
Wu Lien-teh, physician during the Manchurian Plague
Sister cities
Ipoh currently has two sister cities:
Nanning, China.
Fukuoka, Japan.
See also
List of roads in Ipoh
List of Ipoh areas
Jalan Ipoh MRT station
Jalan Ipoh - a road in Kuala Lumpur named after Ipoh
References
External links
Ipoh Tourism Board Official Website
Ipoh City Guide Website
Populated places in Perak
Populated places established in 1880