Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Going around Pasir Salak

In the article The trip back from Pulau Semat I've mentioned how me, the wife and baby had to encircle a mystical island on a boat before we got back to the jetty at Manong. Well, from there we went to Parit, Bota Kanan and on to Kampung Gajah visiting some old tombs along the way. We ended up spending the night at Kampung Gajah. As it lies near the historical place known as Pasir Salak, we decided to pay a visit the following morning.

After crossing the bridge across the Perak river the we could the signboard to the Pasir Salak Historical Complex pointing ahead...


However I prefer to take the left turn to use the rural road named after the Maharajalela, a famous palace official who is very closely related to the history of Pasir Salak.

  For the record, the Maharajalela (I think the equivalent Western term would be the palace chamberlain) was involved in killing the first British resident to Perak, J.W.W. Birch.

  This happened not far from this part of Pasir Salak and that is why a historical complex was built here to recount what happened.

  In front of the main entrance lies the tomb of certain person called Sipuntum or Seputum who is said to have delivered to killing blow against Birch.

 
At the southern end of the complex lies the old mosque of Pasir Salak.

 
Behind it there's a monument dedicated to Malay warriors involved in the killing. You see, the Englishman had been such an arrogant nuisance to the local populace. The British might consider his killing as a mob act of revolt but for the Malays it was a brave act of dignity to drive domineering colonial forces out of their homeland. Hmm... better read the old article The main players of the Perak-British war as depicted at the fort of Ngah Ibrahim... for more understanding.

 
We then took a rest inside the mosque.

 
Here's a view of the Perak river which ran alongside the complex. Oh, Birch was killed somewhere along this part...

 
The old houses which forms part of the complex.

 
Across the road there lies this building which if I'm not mistaken is a museum. Just a reminder to myself, this is the 474th article in this blogspot...


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