Rekindling the spirit of Batu Arang
- 9 years ago
Forty-six kilometers north of Kuala Lumpur is a landscape of green that naturally makes crisp, cool mountain air. At Batu Arang, the farm animals are healthy and wander the streets.
Post-colonial buildings zip in and out of view amidst the almost untouched natural surroundings as one drives into the seemingly small town with a gigantic history.
Coal was first found in Batu Arang in the early 1900s and a study in 1910 revealed that mining was economically viable. In June 1913, a British coal miner, John Archibald Russell, formed Malayan Collieries Ltd to start mining operations in Batu Arang.
The high demand for coal then meant that mining activities continued to operate around the clock, with 5,000 miners in three shifts. Batu Arang gained prominence as source of fuel for industrialisation and was self-contained.
In the early years, Batu Arang became the the most developed town in Selangor, which at its peak was a home to a population of 40,000 people. It was known to local residents as Mini Gold Hill.
Sleepy town may be its current reputation, however Batu Arang was anything but as it celebrated a grand 100th-year anniversary yesterday.
Selangor Menteri Besar, Abdul Khalid Ibrahim opened carnival, by announcing that plans were underway to have Batu Arang declared a heritage town by 2013.
Haji Ahmad Rafie bin Yob, secretary of the Batu Arang JKKK (village committee), said that its current 11,000 population lives in harmony, and work hand-in-hand to maintain the town's storied history.
He said, "It is our hope that the state government will capitalise on the commercial value of this town and make it a tourist destination in the near future."
Khalid said that the Selangor state government will look into ways to help develop the Batu Arang economy, which has been dormant since the 1950s.
He said that the Selangor state government has already begun giving land titles to the residents of Batu Arang who have lived on the land for umpteen yea
Post-colonial buildings zip in and out of view amidst the almost untouched natural surroundings as one drives into the seemingly small town with a gigantic history.
Coal was first found in Batu Arang in the early 1900s and a study in 1910 revealed that mining was economically viable. In June 1913, a British coal miner, John Archibald Russell, formed Malayan Collieries Ltd to start mining operations in Batu Arang.
The high demand for coal then meant that mining activities continued to operate around the clock, with 5,000 miners in three shifts. Batu Arang gained prominence as source of fuel for industrialisation and was self-contained.
In the early years, Batu Arang became the the most developed town in Selangor, which at its peak was a home to a population of 40,000 people. It was known to local residents as Mini Gold Hill.
Sleepy town may be its current reputation, however Batu Arang was anything but as it celebrated a grand 100th-year anniversary yesterday.
Selangor Menteri Besar, Abdul Khalid Ibrahim opened carnival, by announcing that plans were underway to have Batu Arang declared a heritage town by 2013.
Haji Ahmad Rafie bin Yob, secretary of the Batu Arang JKKK (village committee), said that its current 11,000 population lives in harmony, and work hand-in-hand to maintain the town's storied history.
He said, "It is our hope that the state government will capitalise on the commercial value of this town and make it a tourist destination in the near future."
Khalid said that the Selangor state government will look into ways to help develop the Batu Arang economy, which has been dormant since the 1950s.
He said that the Selangor state government has already begun giving land titles to the residents of Batu Arang who have lived on the land for umpteen yea