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WANDER
20 | FireFlyz
Tan Hee Hui
travels to Kuala Kangsar, a town steeped in
historywhere the pace of life is just that much slower,
as if caught in a timewarp andwhere businesses have
been handed down fromgeneration to generation.
The
Royal Way
K
uala Kangsar
(KK),
Perak’s royal capital,
has witnessed some
of Malaysia’s defining
moments. The British
colonials first settled
here and instal led
residents at the royal courts in the 1870s,
before taking over the country. The
local rubber industry also started in this
town. And the first Durbar (conference
of Malay sultans) was held here in 1897.
More tourists are coming to KK – its
name said to derive from ‘Kuala Karong-
Sa’, meaning ‘99 small tributaries flow-
ing into the Perak River’. With many
historical buildings melding Moorish,
Renaissance and neoclassical styles, the
Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK),
established outside of town centre in
1905, is among the top attractions. Its
elaborate architecture will make you
reach for your camera.
Dubbed ‘Eton of the East’, it was the
first Malay school that offered English
education for the elite, most of whom
joined the civil service later. In the 1950s,
Anthony Burgess, known for his seminal
A Clockwork Orange
, wrote his first book
while teaching here.
Traditional Delights
Driving into town centre, we first saw
the iconic gold-domed clock tower at a
roundabout. Our breakfast at Yut Loy
Coffee Shop consisted of traditional thick
and fluffy Benggali bread with kaya and
margarine spread, local coffee and tea.
Also open for lunch, the halal eatery
– which began over 50 years ago – has
been passed down three generations of
the Chong family. It is also sought-after
for their Hainanese chicken chop, fried
rice and egg steak, a favourite among
cash strapped MCKK students. Yut Loy’s
signature
pau
(steamed buns) – filled
with chicken, beef, kaya or
tau sar
(green beans) – are in demand too.
After fuelling up, we explored the
town, including the stalls next to Perak
River selling local handicrafts including
handmade
tudung saji,
a food cover-
ing made from weaved
mengkuang
(screwpine) leaves, and
labu sayung
,
the state’s version of clay water vessels.
There are also three popular food
stalls selling freshly cooked Malay
dishes. At one of the eateries, we had
patin tempoyak,
a river fish served with
fermented durian and coconut curry, and
ulam
(wild herbs). Across the street, the
Pak Ngah food truck is reputed for local
laksa
with flavours similar to Japanese
miso broth, and
cendol
using thick
gula
Melaka
that’s infused with salt – an
acquired taste for many.
Fighting Elephants
A recommended under-the-radar attrac-
tion is cruising along Perak River on a
traditional sampan, at just 20 sen for a
return trip, to take in natural sights. Due
to time constraints, we gave it a miss.
Instead, we headed to Bukit Chandan,
where most past and current, modest
and grand royal palaces are surrounded
by verdant greenery.
There’s also the grand gold-domed
Masjid Ubudiah, meaning the mosque of
self-surrender to Allah. Its architecture
– designed by AB Hubback, the British
architect responsible for many of Perak’s