Iskandar Bridge, Kuala Kangsar

Images of Iskandar Bridge, Kuala Kangsar.

The history of bridges across Sungai Perak is interesting. Prior to the construction of the Iskandar Bridge (named after Sultan Iskandar, the 30th Sultan of Perak), the only bridges for road traffic were the pontoon[1] structures at Enggor and Belanja, built in 1892 and 1929, respectively. The Enggor bridge during its existence was broken no less than four times by floods and both the Enggor and Belanja bridges were broken by the flood in December 1931, causing serious dislocation of traffic in Perak.

Apparently, as far back as 1912, a suggestion was made to alter the Victoria railway bridge (near Karai) so as to make it suitable for both road and rail traffic, but was not approved by the British Government. In 1913, designs for a permanent bridge at Enggor were called for and in 1914, a vote towards the cost of its construction was entered in the estimates. However, no further steps were taken until 1923, when damage to the pontoon bridge aroused public dissatisfaction again, and in that year new designs were made and with the exception of amendments rendered necessary by the great flood of 1926 followed in the construction of the Iskandar Bridge.

Example of a pontoon bridge. (Source: Google Images)

Iskandar Bridge, when completed, was the largest road bridge in Malaya at that time.  The bridge has been a familiar institution to motorists traveling on the main road down the peninsula prior to the existence of the North-South Expressway. It was build at Enggor over the Sungai Perak in place of the pontoon bridge which was washed away during a ‘big’ flood in the December 1931. With the opening of the Iskandar Bridge, the old Enggor pontoon bridge became only a memory.

The bridge was designed in London and was built by Messrs. James Craig Ltd, a company registered in Klang. The company was given the contract in April 1928, but owing to the greater depth of foundations found to be necessary the contract time was extended. The bridge is a 928 feet long, made up of seven spans of steelwork mounted on concrete piers and rising sixty feet above the river. Including four thousand feet of approach roads, the total cost of building the bridge was $1,500,000.

During the construction of the bridge, it was reported that the engineering difficulties were considerable. The foundations on the Kuala Kangsar side of the river were good but on the other side the engineers were reported had to go down nearly fifty feet into the river bed before finding a solid rock. The sinking of one caisson was held up for some time by the trunk of a merbau tree forty feet long by five wide which was embedded sixteen feet in the river gravel. This was eventually removed by divers. Another check occurred during the floods in December 1931, when the water rose within a foot of the top of the piers, washed away some temporary steelwork, overturned a five-ton crane and washed away an European engineer and several workmen, all of whom were saved.

The Iskandar Bridge when completed contains nearly fifteen thousand tons of concrete and seventeen hundred tons of steelwork which was manufactured in Britain. A notable fact is that although the locality at that time has a malicious reputation the malaria, incidence among the labour force was only one twenty-eighth of one per cent.

The roadway on the bridge is thirty feet wide between curbs and the approach roads are curved and cambered so as to permit of two-ton vehicles traveling at forty miles an hour (64 km per hour). There was thus a vast improvement over the old arrangement whereby a halt was necessary while traffic coming in the opposite direction crossed the pontoon bridge and was limited to almost a walking speed across the river.

Official opening plaques. Photo: Raja Shahriman

The bridge was officially opened by Sultan Iskandar at 10 a.m. on 29 June 1932. During the event, Sultan Iskandar cut a ribbon stretched across the roadway in the centre of the bridge with a pair of silver scissors presented by Mr. C. Grieve, Managing Director of James Craig Ltd, the contractors who erected the bridge. Then, all the guests adjourned to a marquee erected at the Ipoh end of the bridge where refreshments were served. Sultan Iskandar in his speech expressed his pleasure at the bridge being named after him. Mr. C. Grieve later presented Sultan Iskandar with a silver inkwell shaped like a pier of the bridge. Proposing the Sultan’s health he expressed the hope the house of Iskandar would go from strength to strength and there would be honour peace and prosperity so long as water lowered in the Sungai Perak.

Footnote:
[1]A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water, supported by barge-or-boat-like pontoons to support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads.

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Reference:
1. Asiaexplorers.com. Iskandar bridge.
2. The Straits Times. 1932 June 15. p12.
3. The Straits Times. 1932 June 30. p12.
4. Wikipedia. Pontoon bridge.

The snake charmer of Kuala

Raja Chulan Raja Ahmad Tajuddin recalls fond memories of being mesmerised from watching a snake charmer plying his trade. He also recalls a not-so-fond memory of why he will never be close to one of these slithery reptiles!
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The streets and buildings of Kuala Kangsor may have changed tremendously but it is the people who coloured the face of Kuala which remains etched in my memory. I was watching a re-run of Madu Tiga on Astro, and during the car chase scene when the three wives were pursuing Jamil (performed by the talented P Ramlee), I was reminded of the snake charmer who used to show off his snakes under the flame of the forest (butea monosperma to any of you budding botanists out there -Ed.) in front of Cathay cinema and Lembah Kuala. In that hilarious scene when Jamil drove through a garden where the snake charmer was about to place his snake basket on the ground, I knew it was the same snake charmer of Kuala! How could I forget the tanned face with the tarbus (fez) on his head, and his unmistakable handlebar moustache!

Still from the 1964 Malay Film Productions' film 'Madu Tiga' depicting the scene with the Kuala snake charmer. The cobra was still rearing its head when the charmer carried the basket!

The spot under that large tree at Lembah would be his almost every Saturday morning. He would display a few weaved rattan baskets, big and small. Before blowing his flute, he would dangle a small python around his neck which then slithered all over him. When the crowd grew in number, he would play his flute directly above one of the smaller baskes. The lid would then uncover revealing a ‘dancing’ cobra, drawing gasps from the mesmerised crowd and how did they take a step back on seeing the venomous reptile! At the end of first act (with the cobra back in the basket), the snake charmer would go around the crowd with an empty coconut shell for contributions from his captive audience, at the same time bragging that his next act will be more dangerous than the first.

For the second act, the snake charmer would sit cross-legged in front of the biggest basket and, for effect, he would wipe his ‘perspiring’ face with a hanky. The crowd would be all hushed as they took a few more steps back. The flute took up tune with a higher pitch as the lid on the basket was removed. The crowd gasped to see a much bigger cobra, looking menacing and threatening at the snake charmer himself who slowly picked himself up. From his pocket, he took out an egg and placed it in the basket, signaling that the show was almost over.

I never did take a chance to be near the snake charmer every time I watched him. Awed yes, but you will never catch me in front of the crowd. This was not due to my fear of snakes but I had an unforgettable experience with one. It was a Saturday and I was roving the streets of Kuala as I always did. I was walking under this big flame of the forest in front of Ghee Kheng when suddenly I heard a branch fell right behind me, missing me by mere inches. I turned around and my blood turned cold for facing me with its head reared was a big and long yellowish snake! I froze with just my eyes blinking. I breathed again when the snake slithered up the tree again. The snake must have been shocked by the fall and decided to call it a day!

Old Bukit Chandan mansions: Baitul Rahmah

Baitul Rahmah.

A sign with the numbers '1911' - signifying the year Baitul Rahmah was built?

Unlike its sister mansions, Baitul Rahmah was named after Che Rahmah[1] binti Ngah Ahmad, who was the first wife of Raja Kechil Sulong Harun Al-Rashid ibni Almarhum Sultan Idris. Its architecture was described as being identical to Baitul Aman.

The eldest son of Raja Kechil Sulong Harun Al Rashid and Che Rahmah is Raja Ariff Shah[2], who was born in 1906. However, looking at a sign at the mansion, Baitul Rahmah was likely to have been built in 1911.

The top floor of Baitul Rahmah was subsequently occupied by the family of Tengku Zaira, the daughter of Raja Norshida binti Raja Harun Al-Rashid. Its lower floor was previously occupied by families of Raja Dhazlan, Raja Hanizah, Raja Amran and Raja Nor Hizayah – and currently by the family of Raja Mariam Ruzi.

The interior of Baitul Rahmah.

Baitul Rahmah was one of the Bukit Chandan mansions that was featured at ‘Heritage Studies Exhibition 2010: Bandar Di-Raja Kuala Kangsar, Perak Darul Ridzuan and Xi’an, China’ exhibition which showcased research performed by students of the Kuliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design at the International Islamic University of Malaysia, held at the KAED Gallery on 22 June 2010.

SembangKuala editors, Raja Shahriman and Raja Yusuf Izzudin, with images of Baitul Rahmah exhibited at 'Heritage 2010'.

Baitul Rahmah is located on Jalan Istana at Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar.

Footnote:
[1]Che Rahmah was also known as Che Mah. Interestingly, her good friend Che’ Sareah Dato Ahmad (Che ‘Ah of Baitul Aman) was also married to Raja Kechil Sulong Harun Al Rashid. Both Che’ Mah and Che’ Ah passed on in the same year, in 1926, within 5 months of each other and are buried side by side at the Al Ghufran Royal Mausoleum in Bukit Chandan. Coinicidentally, the big flood of 1926 in Kuala was known amongst family as ‘Bah Che’ Ah‘.
[2]Raja Ariff Shah is the father of Raja Perempuan Muzwin, consort of Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah II.

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Reference:
1. Raja Nur Jannah Raja Hirdan
2. All photos courtesy of Raja Mariam Raja Mohamed Iskandar.