Ask anyone in Teluk Intan, Malaysia what the city’s main attraction is, and the sure answer is “the leaning clock tower.” Sure, the leaning clock tower is the city’s most famous sight, but why travel 120 km from Kuala Lumpur just to see a leaning structure? As Teluk Intan is off the route of the North-South Expressway, most of the time travelers heading north or south avoid it. But there are fresh seafood, fishing spots, punch, shipyards, colonial shops, trishaws, “chee cheong fun” and “heoh piah”, a dumpling-shaped cookie filled with caramel. These are reason enough for a road trip there.
Lying between the Perak River and the Bidor River, Teluk Intan is the administrative center of the Hilir Perak District of Perak State. It was founded in the 18th century by Mak Intan, a widow from Mandahiling in Sumatra. She settled here with a group of her followers, and they built a canal that ran through the Perak River, practically turning the town into an island. Soon, the settlement became a major river port, attracting immigrants from the Minangkabau, Java, and Mumbai. When Sir General Archibald Edward Harbhord Anson became Lower Perak’s first district officer, he filled the canal. In 1882 Anson retired and Sir Hugh Low, the third British resident, renamed the town Teluk Anson in honor of the first. In 1962 Sultan Idris Shah II reverted the name to Teluk Intan.
Driving into the city along Jalan Maharajalela, you will see the World War II Memorial. A huge solid rock on a granite plinth is engraved with the following words: “At sunset and in the morning, we will remember you.” Continue to Jalan Bandar and you will see the old police station. Its arched entrance overlooks the murky, mangrove-lined Perak River. Drive carefully as cyclists abound and there is no need to rush in this charming, rustic town.
On Jalan Selat, the 25.4-meter-high leaning tower draws attention from afar. Although it appears to have eight levels, it is only about three stories high and displays all the elements of a Chinese pagoda. Its history is as colorful as the sunsets over the Perak River. Built in 1885 by Leong Choon Chong, it served as a water storage tank as the city did not have a fire department at the time. Leong couldn’t have picked a worse place to build the tower, as the site once held the Mak Intan Canal. Years later, it began to lean due to weak ground conditions. During the Japanese occupation (1943-45), the structure served as a watchtower for the Kempetai, with sentinels posted to monitor the movements of residents. In 1997, the Hilir Perak district council renovated the tower and opened it to the public in 2004. Today, the melodious chimes of the clock can still be heard a kilometer away. There’s a trishaw stand near the clock tower, so why not take a ride on a three-wheeled contraption to see other sights? Teluk Intan is actually one of the few villages left in the country that has tricycles.
The story peeks out at you from many nooks and crannies. San Min School was once used by the Kempetai as their headquarters (opposite the school is a delicious Rojak stall known simply as Ah Chye’s Rojak); The King George V Memorial Pavilion still basks in the sun at Speedy Padang since its construction in the 1950s; St. Anthony’s School, founded by priests in the 1940s, continues to educate countless students. Dying trades such as wicker basket weaving, wooden clog making, and moneylending by the Chettiers are fighting a slow death.
Just as Kampar is noted for its Kampar Chicken Biscuits, Melaka for its “dodol”, Teluk Intan is famous for its “heoh piah”, which literally means “fragrant biscuit”. Three famous brands of “heoh piah” are Durian Sebatang, Hock Bee Tin and Tiger Head. The bakery that sells Tiger Head “heoh piah” is located on Jalan Pasir Bedamar. Just travel down that narrow path and you’ll come across a bakery with countless square cans stacked outside its premises. You can buy the cookies piping hot from the charcoal ovens! Packaged in pieces of six, they are irresistible temptations for those with a sweet tooth. Teluk Intan residents often buy these delicacies as “buah tangan” when visiting family and friends. Another must-see is the “chee cheong fun”, which differs from other types in that it comes with fillings and is served with green chili slices. Stalls selling “chee cheong fun” can be found in Glutton Square, the nickname for the city’s hawker hub at the end of Jalan Ah Cheong.
The Perak River is a powerful waterway, being the second longest in Peninsular Malaysia. Its lower reaches are muddy and home to catfish such as patin (pangasius pangasius), tapah (wallago attu), haruan, toman and the rare sebarau (hampala macrolepidota). Anglers will find plenty of places to test the fighting spirit of these spirited creatures. Live baits such as minnows, freshwater prawns and grubs (Mon) should be used. Jetties suitable for angling are found in various places in the city, and a popular spot is the Sultan Yusoff Bridge, five kilometers from the city. Local tackle shops are extremely helpful in advising the best place to get a good catch.
Downtown Teluk Intan shouldn’t take up much of your time, so for a change of scenery, head out of the city onto Jalan Sungei Nibong which leads to Sungai Manik village. Here, large expanses of land are surrounded by paddy fields and occasionally dotted with rest huts, often an assemblage of thatch and wood. The tattooed clothes of the scarecrows sway in the wind and the coconut trees enhance the beauty of the postcard landscape.
Another interesting tour is the route to Kampong Gajah. To go there, leave the city on Jalan Changkat Jong and after three kilometers turn left over the Sungei Bidor bridge. The route is lined with rustic Malay houses, lotus-filled canals and ancient tombs of the state’s early sultans and royalty, some dating back to the 16th century. Historians have nicknamed this area the “Valley of the Kings.” – a faint parallel to Egypt’s Nile Valley containing the tombs of many of its kings.
Foodie adventures await you in the coastal towns of Hutan Melintang and Bagan Datoh, 4km and 15km from Teluk Intan respectively. Cheap seafood restaurants draw crowds from Teluk Intan to Hutan Melintang on weekends. Hutan Melintang’s culinary delight is “udang hantu” (literally meaning ghost shrimp), which is caught in estuarine bays. Don’t expect air-conditioned restaurants, but rather simple wooden structures on stilts, with ceiling fans spinning overhead. The most common fish served is skate, which can be steamed in a variety of sauces. Hutan Melintang is also a center for shipbuilding, and craftsmen armed with saws and chisels can be seen working on the hulls.
Bagan Datoh, on the other hand, is a country of coconut palms, with toddy being a highly sought after by-product. On a hot afternoon, savor fresh coconut juice from roadside stalls, as well as snack on coconut cookies and other delicacies. There are also several kelongs in the sea, but you have to rent a boat to get there. The pier offers an interesting stop to take photos of the open sea and enjoy the sea breeze.
Teluk Intan means “Diamond Bay”, and is certainly a diamond of a city for visitors who want to savor the days when life was simpler and less hectic.