Is Kampung Paloh really opened by the Hakka?
IPOH: Kampung Paloh which is located in the city of Ipoh was once one of the villages that contributed to the rapid development of Ipoh as it is today.
It is understood that the settlement, which is full of Malay heritage, existed around the year 1700 as a village of the Malay and Orang Asli communities.
According to the Secretary of the Perak Heritage Association, Nor Hisham Zulkiflee, the evidence is further strengthened by British colonial records as early as 1875.
Elaborating on the origin of the name Paloh itself, Nor Hisham said, the village was opened by an individual called Toh Paloh.
The meaning of paloh or palung, explained Nor Hisham, refers to the condition of the area which is indented and holds water.
“Paloh also means a hole that traps fish. It is said that the place used to house several tin smelting factories from Malay ore.
“There used to be three boat bases in Ipoh, Paloh was the first stop then Kampung Ipoh and Kampung Masjid Lama,” he said.
He said, based on history, during the colonial era, Jalan Datoh including Kampung Paloh and Kampung Kuchai was a Malay settlement known as Malay Settlement.
“Entering the 20th century, we can see Paloh growing as a center of Malay community activities.
“From the old photo evidence of the Sultan’s meeting with the Malay community, we can compare Paloh to Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur.
“It is indeed synonymous with the Malays, many activities of the Malay community are there,” he said.
Meanwhile, reviewing a book published recently entitled “Paloh: Founded by Hakka, Made Vibrant by The Cantonese”, the historical activist disagreed with what was conveyed.
Not denying the contribution of the Chinese community in the development in Ipoh, he however claimed that the information presented was not accurate.
“I think the title of the book is a bit misleading, not to deny the contribution of other races to develop Ipoh.
“How can it be that Paloh was opened by the Hakka? While Paloh already existed as a Malay and Orang Asli community village in British colonial records.
“In the 1879 census, the total population in Kinta, including Ipoh, consisted of 7,292 Malays and 996 Chinese.
“De Morgan himself wrote Ipoh as a Malay and Sakai village while Sir Hugh Low stated Ipoh as the largest Malay center in Kinta in the 1880s,” he emphasized.
He also said that the rapid development in Ipoh once upon a time also had something to do with the efforts of Dato’ Panglima Kinta Yusuf.
“The development of the city of Ipoh is not denied by the great contribution of the Chinese, but it is also not forgotten that the initial development was pioneered by the Malays.
“The early stage of business in Ipoh was pioneered by the Malays and proved through a petition to the Kinta Magistrate in 1883 which recorded the names of 15 Malay traders and five Chinese traders.
“The village of Ipoh developed into a city due to the efforts of Dato’ Panglima Kinta Yusuff who encouraged the influx of foreign immigrants.
“Including changing the status of Malay village land to shop lots sold to the Chinese at a price of $25 per lot,” he explained.
He said, the existence of the Paloh Mosque and the Islamic cemetery on Jalan Bendahara is also one of the proofs that Kampung Paloh is synonymous with the Malay community.
In addition, he said, the early history of the UMNO flag was also chosen in a meeting held in Ipoh.
“It is believed that the meeting took place at Madrasah Sharifah Masjid Paloh.
“The UMNO flag used today was also decided during the meeting, around 1946,” he said.
Therefore, he said, the public can learn more about the history of Kampung Paloh in particular and Ipoh in general at the Panglima Kinta Gallery.
The gallery is an initiative of Panglima Kinta Mosque Committee members in collaboration with Tourism Perak.
“There we can see the chronology of the history of Ipoh and Kinta from the beginning to the present, there is a genealogy of dignitaries and ceremonial clothing.
“There is a history of villages that exist and have disappeared, how the Malays opened settlements in Ipoh and so on,” he said.
