Perak to promote temple

The Star; Friday October 9, 2009 By SYLVIA LOOI

THE 137-year-old Paloh Koo Miu Temple in Ipoh Old Town will be promoted as a tourist attraction.
Perak Non-Islamic Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said the temple, together with Little India and the Concubine Lane nearby, could give Ipoh’s tourism sector a boost.

 

 

Part of the intricate carvings atop the 137-yer-old temple which will be promoted as a tourist attraction.  

 

“With proper packaging, these three places can be included in the state’s tourism map,” he said after visiting the temple recently.

Noting that the temple is older than Ipoh city itself, Dr Mah said it had valuable antiques and interesting statues which could draw in visitors.

Among them are images of fairies and deities on the walls and roofs, brass urns and a large bell.

 

 

A caretaker of the Paloh Koo Mui Temple in Jalan Bijih Timah holding a 'weapon' crafted out of wood.  

 

Dr Mah said assistance would be provided by the state to help promote the temple.

He also announced an allocation of RM200,000 for the temple to help its committee preserve and upgrade its amenities.

The temple is known to locals as the Ipoh Chinese Tai Pak Koong Temple because of its worship of the deity.

In the olden days, it used to offer free medicine and consultation to local folk.

People with disputes even visited the temple to seek justice during its early years.

Among the temple’s milestones was when it established a free school for pupils considered too old to be admitted into government primary schools.

For those interested to visit the temple, it is located at 91, Jalan Bijih Timah.

Good Healthy Travels

Traveling is always fun with few exceptions where health and medical requirements would come in between to ruin a holiday or plans. When these happens, anyone whom had spent months planning for the deserving holiday would get upset.

It is during the period before travels that one needs to be sure of the travel and health requirements of the country of intended visit to ensure fulfillment of the regulations of the country.

Keeping healthy for travel is equally important and this comes with the regular exercises the individual would deem to help himself before the travels. Holidays are always full of outdoor activities and long walks which could be strenous to a traveler.

In this article here, we have a travel health checklist which is useful for the travels now that the year-end holidays are fast approaching.

Sabah told to conserve Tingkayu as world heritage

Wednesday April 22, 2009

KOTA KINABALU: More conservation works and research are needed for lesser known historical sites in Sabah such as the Tingkayu area in the Kunak district.

“Detailed archaeological studies are needed as the Tingkayu site has shown signs of human settlement dating back to about 31,000 years,” Nilwan Kabang (BN - Kunak) told the House.

The Tingkayu site should be conserved and development should not be allowed in the area, he said yesterday when debating the Government’s policy address by the Yang di-Pertua Negri’s at the opening of the State Assembly session on Thursday.

He said that due to Tingkayu’s historical importance, the Government should initiate steps to conserve the area as a world heritage site.

“Early studies had shown that the site, located at the edge of a prehistoric lake, was a “factory” for the production of Stone Age tools,” Nilwan said.

He said another historical site near Kunak was a building constructed in 1942 that served as an administrative centre of the occupying Japanese forces.

“Since the Japanese army was known for choosing strategic locations for its garrisons, this shows that Kunak was an important area from a military perspective. This building too needs to be preserved,” he said.

Meanwhile, State Assembly speaker Datuk Juhar Mahiruddin rejected Luyang assemblyman Melanie Chia Ket Sui’s motion for the House to debate on the lack of medical facilities in the city following the closure of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital tower block last December.

Juhar said there was no need for a specific debate on the issue as the assemblyman could raise the matter in the debate on the Government’s policy address.

AirAsia plans to fly to six more cities

> Malaysia Nanban reported that low-cost carrier AirAsia planned to fly to at least six more cities in India, Colombo in Sri Lanka and Taipei, Taiwan from either Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok this year.

According to industry sources, the airline was expected to start the Kuala Lumpur-Taipei route in June and Kuala Lumpur-Colombo sector in August.

It said that AirAsia’s long-haul airline, AirAsia X, was also likely to fly to several more destinations in India from Kuala Lumpur – New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Amritsar in Punjab and Kochi, Kerala’s second biggest city.

The airline currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirappalli City.