Perak Shun Tak Association 98th Anniversary and 48th Installation of the Executive Committee Members

9 August 2025:

Last night about 500 people from various Chinese Associations attended the Perak Shun Tak Association 98^th Anniversary. Also during the same night the Exco Members led by its President Mr. Yoong Yew Quin took an oath of office for the Fiscal Year 2025 – 2028.

Perak Shun Tak Association was one of the three major Cantonese Associations in Perak besides Perak Nam Hoi Association and Perak Pun Yue Association and often known as Nam Pun Shun group. I have the honour of being elected as one of the two Vice Presidents. I am committed to help the association as my grandfather originated from Shun De Village in China and came to Ipoh during the early days. My mission is to discover more of my ancestor with the hope finding our roots and create a linkage for our future generations.

These associations played a vital role during the early 20th century when they were formed to represent the Chinese migrants brought in by the British from Guangzhou District in China who came to the Larut District and later to the Kinta District Perak due to tin mining activities.

The Cantonese migrants include those from the Shun De village played a significant role especially for Paloh (former name of Ipoh). They brought along with them various skills which include;

* Carpentry & woodworking — skilled carpenters, cabinet-makers and joiners who built shophouses, temples, clan-halls and domestic furniture.

* Building trades (bricklaying, masonry) — worked on construction of town buildings and infrastructure as builders and bricklayers.

* Artisanal metalwork & goldsmithing — blacksmiths, gold- and silversmiths who supplied tools, hardware and jewellery.

* Mining labour & mine-related skills — many Cantonese worked as tin-mine labourers, overseers and small-scale mining entrepreneurs (supporting Ipoh’s tin boom).

* Small-scale trade, shopkeeping & commerce — shop owners, provisioners and middlemen linking Chinese suppliers to colonial markets. Clan associations also helped members find work and credit.

* Shoemaking, leatherwork and other crafts — a range of domestic crafts and repair trades that supported daily urban life.

* Culinary skills – Shun De villagers are well known for their gastronomy skills even until today

 

History & Significance - Origins and Establishment

The Shun Tak Association was formally registered in 1893 under the name Shun Tak Wui Kun, making it one of the earliest Chinese clan associations (or “clubs”) in Taiping.

It was established by artisans originating from the Shun Tak district (today’s Shunde District, Guangdong Province). Its registration aimed to support migrants by organizing social, cultural, and religious events like lion dances, mass prayers, and martial arts—activities seen by colonial administrators as “club” functions.

It served as a welcome point and support hub for newly arrived immigrants from Shunde, providing aid, job referrals, gatherings, and cultural connection.

The building, located at 36 Jalan Kota, Taiping, was constructed in 1896 and is recognized as one of Malaysia’s oldest Shun Tak associations—reportedly the second oldest branch after those in China. 

Ipoh now rivalling Penang as a tourist attraction - The Star Metro Perak

18 September 2018

Tourist attractions also include miniature figurines depicting a Song Dynasty banquet at Miniature Wonders Art Gallery in downtown Ipoh. — Photos: LO TERN CHERN/The Star

THIS is a heads-up for tourism players in Penang. Nothing good lasts eternally and neither will our appeal as a tourism hotspot.

Your neighbour, Perak, is doing mighty well.

I went to Ipoh, and the once dull city is now bustling with tourists from all over.

It too has beautiful murals on century-old shops, on par with those in George Town and certainly livelier than those in Seberang Prai.

Filepix of tourists thronging Concubine Lane which is a famous tourist spot during holidays.

Many of the once-polluted back alleys in Ipoh are now crowded flea markets and street food haunts.

Like Penang’s many museums and art galleries, Ipoh has a growing number of them.

Penang has a few remaining beaches, while Ipoh has loads of limestone caves to stay in the race of natural wonders.

Recently, I brought up the topic of Ipoh tourism to friends from Alor Setar and to my surprise, many of them would rather drive three hours there than to Penang because of two main reasons — cost and transportation.

They say Ipoh has wider roads, which I found to be true during my visit.

There were noticeably fewer cars parking illegally, and the main roads are wider with roundabouts instead of traffic lights.

Attractions are inexpensive in Ipoh. I wonder how many Penangites would call our attractions affordable.

I visited Kek Look Tong Cave Temple in Gunung Rapat, at the southern end of town. To my surprise, entry is free with ample parking lots, also free.

Massive stalagnates (on right) formed when stalagmites from the ground and stalactites from the ceiling meet, abound at the Kek Look Tong Cave Temple in Gunung Rapat, Ipoh.

Inside the cave, it’s a natural wonder of ancient stalagmites and stalactites, with awesome golden statues of rarely seen Chinese deities.

At lunch in one of Ipoh’s bean sprout chicken restaurants, I spoke with a local tour guide who had a group of 20 Japanese tourists.

“Ipoh used to be a dead town. People only came here to work, or else we would just drive past it on the highway.

“But look at the heritage enclave now. Many Asian tourists have been to Penang and now they want Ipoh,” he said.

I would say Penang food still leads, but not by much more. Seafood here is no longer cheap.

While I find Ipoh offers fewer varieties of flavours, food elsewhere in Perak, such as in Tapah and Tanjong Tualang, are far cheaper than in Penang, and these places are only about 30 minutes’ drive from Ipoh city.

Penang needs to look for alternatives to continue attracting visitors.

As a mainland boy, driving 90 minutes to Ipoh is almost the same as inching into jam-packed George Town, so why not? It’s the nature and local food that we seek on vacations.

‘Why Ipoh, Malaysia, Should Be on Your Travel Radar’. - The New York Times

By SANJAY SURANA FEB. 28, 2018

Continue reading the main storyShare This Page

• Share
• Tweet
• Pin
• Email
• More
• 
  

Market Lane in Ipoh. Lauryn Ishak for The New York Times

CredLauryn Ishak for The New York Times

In the middle of the 1900s, the northwestern Malaysian town of Ipoh was the world’s largest producer of tin and its booming success showed.

Informally described by locals as the “town that tin built,” Ipoh grew from a sleepy village in the valley of the Kinta River to a hotbed of cabarets, night life and conspicuous consumption, a city fueled by the fortunes of the Chinese-mining towkays (bosses). But the collapse of tin prices in the 1980s curbed the city’s rise and soon Ipoh faded, existing primarily as a pleasant place to retire (the surrounding limestone karst mountains are beautiful and the resulting hard water is claimed to make food taste better), or as an eating stop for travelers shuttling between the mountain region of Cameron Highlands to the east and the island of Penang to the northwest.

Fried macaroni and cheese and cinnamon tea at Thumbs Cafe.CreditLauryn Ishak for The New York Times

But Ipoh, Malaysia’s third most populous city, and one largely unknown outside of Southeast Asia, is staging a comeback to become the country’s hippest destination. The city’s fortunes began to improve in 2004 when the water theme park Lost World of Tambun opened, backed by the Malaysian conglomerate Sunway Group (its founder and chairman Jeffrey Cheah Fook Ling was born close to Ipoh). More recently, in 2014, the Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic, as he had done in Penang’s Georgetown, placed his imprimatur on the city by beautifying old buildings with a series of murals. But perhaps the greatest change — one propelled by homegrown talent — has been the boom in hip cafes over the last few years.

Ipoh, now, is roaring back in style.

The city, the capital of Perak state, has a core that is relatively compact, with roads largely plotted in a grid system — planners redrafted the town after parts of it were destroyed in a sweeping fire in 1892 — so it’s easily walkable. (Be prepared to sweat; year-round daytime temperatures hover around a humid 90 degrees). It also has a number of pretty shop-house and heritage buildings around the Old Town, like the Railway Museum playfully referred to by the British during the colonial era as the Taj Mahal of Ipoh.

The catalyst for Ipoh’s new tilt was arguably the Sekeping Kong Heng hotel. Opened six years ago, it took the peeling bones of a hostel once used by performers at a Cantonese opera and updated the interiors with glass and steel; the effect is remarkable, modern and yet artfully dilapidated, a sensitive reimagining of a storied, decrepit space. The hotel opened on Kong Heng Square in the city’s Old Town, and was soon followed by other newcomers nearby, such as the cafe Burps & Giggles. Offering a simple menu of bar food — burgers, pizza, fish and chips — its most appealing aspect is the almost hallucinatory interior, with junk furniture, mismatched furnishings, haphazardly cobbled-together lamps and the centerpiece mural of a woman with curly red hair who seems lost in thought. It was a novel concept for a town more famous for bare-bones restaurants serving food like ayam tauge (cold chicken with beansprouts) and nasi kandar, a rice with honeyed chicken and curry sauce, locally known as nasi ganja for its addictive qualities and ability to put the diner to sleep.

Plan B in Ipoh. 

CrediLauryn Ishak for The New York Times

Other businesses followed. Patisserie BoutiQue opened on the street called Jalan Sultan Yussuf with a menu of salads, soups, sandwiches, pasta and excellent desserts (the tiramisù has dense mascarpone and a strong kick of Baileys Irish Cream), and an interior with whitewashed exposed brick walls, white subway tiles, poured concrete floors and a soundtrack of old French songs.

Patisserie BoutiQue in Ipoh.

Around the corner, Plan B is a contemporary restaurant with a high ceiling, giant windows and tile floors. The menu is international but pays homage to Malay ingredients; the spaghetti agli olio features bunga kantan (torch ginger flower), the pungent, floral plant used in the Southeast Asian dishes rojak and laksa, lending the Italian classic an Asian flavor profile.

Cafes continue to open in the town’s colonnaded shophouses, tucked between established businesses like silk shops, watch repairers and travel agents.

Chokodok (Malay for banana fritter) has accommodations above its intriguing, tumbledown, reggae-themed restaurant. Opened by two brothers who had spent some time in the islands off the coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it has tree trunks as decorations, the flotsam and jetsam of a beach shack, and music that’s consistently reggae. A former orphanage on the eastern fringe of central Ipoh transformed into Thumbs Café, an eclectically furnished restaurant specializing in Malay dishes.

M Boutique, a hotel that mixes the rustic, industrial and whimsical, became the city’s most high-style property in an area rife with used-car showrooms. When it opened “this concept was not available here,” said Joey Chong, a sales executive for the hotel. “Lots of youngsters come from Kuala Lumpur [two hours away by car or train] for the cafe hopping. It’s much easier to get around here than in K.L.”

Old Town in Ipoh

But the trend isn’t confined to central Ipoh. A number of cool joints have sprung up in Ipoh Gardens East, a commercial and residential area near the Aeon Mall. Tea Coffee Game opened among a drab row of businesses and office buildings. It has bright interiors, Ikea furniture, and there’s a utilitarian feel to it, but its conceit is the games found throughout — traditional board games like checkers and ludo as well as a video console.

“We have games to make the place different, to help people revisit their childhood, bring them good memories for when the food is served,” Chung Kok Heung, a science lecturer at a local university and a co-owner, told me one evening. “A few years ago most youngsters here moved to other countries, but now people are coming back because they like the food, the environment, the slower lifestyle.”

Its menu, as I found often in this new breed of restaurants, focuses on Western food and includes a pretty salad served in a Mason jar, full of crisp green and purple cabbage, peppers, carrots, cherry tomatoes, and served with smooth sesame dressing. A big draw here is the all-day breakfast, with up to seven items like bacon, grilled tomatoes, eggs and hash browns, costing only 19 Malaysian ringgits (about $5). Nearby, Zakka Loft has colorful curtains; a sky mural with the words “Do You Have a Dream?”; a wall unit full of knitted soft toys (it offers workshops on how to make them); and fabulous iced fruit drinks.

These places are free from hipster posturing and have an easygoing ambience.

Of all the cafes and restaurants I visited, one stood out. Classically trained chef Sam Lau left Ipoh in his early 20s to work in kitchens around Asia and Europe, returning to his hometown after 16 years. “I came back to my country and couldn’t find good bread,” he lamented. Thus began a mission; for two years he sold bread from his bicycle outside the restaurant Plan B.

In December 2016 he opened Artisan Handmade Bread in an old shop-house near Kong Heng Square, where he works in a small open kitchen behind the bread counter. “I am up at 3 a.m. every day, baking bread, running the kitchen. Ipoh people are old-fashioned, they like value for money.” The excellent food is a steal — the set-lunch menu (he closes for the day at 4 p.m.) includes soup, a main dish, an amuse bouche, dessert and lemon iced tea, for 28 ringgits.

The Kinta River in Ipoh.

Despite his background and training, Mr. Lau avoided opening a formal-dining restaurant. “The young generation doesn’t want fine dining. It wants good food and casual. I want to provide good honest food cooked right in front of you, bistronomy style. And I also want to educate locals on what goes into commercial bread and artisan bread.” His bread is outstanding, fibrous and supple, and justly anchors the menu — generous chunks served with the mixed vegetable soups, thick slices bookending the grilled sandwiches.

“Lots of youngsters leave here to come back, they want to share what they learned from overseas and show something new to Ipoh,” Mr. Lau said.

Ipoh is all the richer for it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/28/travel/ipoh-malaysia-tourism.html

65 Kedai 7–Eleven Di Ipoh Dilengkapi CCTV - Suara Perak

27 Dec 2016

IPOH: Sebanyak 65 buah premis kedai serbaneka 7-Evelen sekitar Ipoh kini dilengkapi kamera litar tertutup (CCTV) Safecam.

Ketua Polis Daerah Ipoh, Asisten Komissioner Sum Chang Keong berkata, pemasangan itu dibuat oleh kerana ia diyakini dapat membantu mencegah dan menyelesaikan kes jenayah yang berlaku melibatkan kedai serbaneka 24 jam.

“Telah terdapat banyak kes-kes sebelum ini yang melibatkan kedai serbaneka 24 jam dapat diselesaikan melalui rakaman CCTV yang dipasang dalam kedai berkenaan.

“Jadi jika ada cubaan jenayah, semua itu akan dirakam dan pemasangan Safecam ini adalah bertujuan untuk mencegah,” katanya ketika ditemui media selepas Majlis Penyerahan Sticker MoU Safecam PDRM-7 Eleven Daerah Ipoh, pada Selasa.

Beliau berharap agar pihak 7-Eleven akan menjalin hubungan yang lebih rapat dengan pihak polis untuk tujuan pencegahan jenayah.

Tambahnya lagi, pemasangan Safecam itu akan dilakukan di semua daerah selepas program itu dilancarkan di peringkat negeri di Taiping pada 16 Disember lalu.

Indeks Jenayah Di Ipoh Menurun - Suara Perak

27 Dec 2016

IPOH: Kadar indeks jenayah di daerah Ipoh bagi tempoh sebelas bulan pertama tahun ini mencatatkan penurunan kepada 1,957 kes berbanding 2,182 bagi tempoh sama tahun lepas.

Ketua Polis Daerah Ipoh ACP Sum Chang Keong berkata, daripada semua kes itu, polis berjaya menyelesaikan kira-kira 47.52 peratus kes setakat ini.

"Jangan mudah bersikap selesa dengan pencapaian ini sebaliknya perlu menggandakan usaha untuk terus meningkatkan keyakinan masyarakat terhadap Polis DiRaja Malaysia," katanya ketika berucap pada majlis perhimpunan bulanan Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Ipoh di sini pada Selasa.

Pada majlis itu, Sum turut menyampaikan surat penghargaan kepada 44 pegawai dan anggota atas komitmen yang ditunjukkan ketika menjalankan tugas membanteras jenayah di daerah ini.

Dalam pada itu, Sum mengingatkan pegawai dan anggota IPD Ipoh supaya tidak sesekali mencuba atau terpengaruh dengan penyalahgunaan dadah kerana ia akan membinasakan kehidupan mereka.

"Walaupun hanya segelintir anggota polis yang terlibat, namun ia perlu ditangani kerana kegiatan yang tidak sihat itu tidak boleh dianggap perkara mudah dan tidak serius," ujarnya.

Beliau juga mahu ketua bahagian dan ketua polis balai termasuk penyelia memainkan peranan serta dan bertanggungjawab ke atas pegawai dan anggota di bawah seliaan masing-masing.

"Mereka yang terlibat dengan penyalahgunaan dadah perlu diambil tindakan mengikut prosedur operasi standard," katanya.

Ipoh: City of many attractions - Star Metro Perak

15 July 2016 by Ivan Loh

IPOH’S inclusion into Lonely Planet’s list of top 10 Asian destinations to visit this year is not a fluke.

Indeed, to Ipoh folk, the recognition was fully deserved as the city, with its mix of modernisation from development and olden charm, has vast potential in attracting tourists from all over the globe.

The boom of modern hipster and boutique cafes and the olden-style kopitiams, against the backdrop of rising skyscrapers and colonial buildings – things are as quirky as they are interesting.

Kindergarten clerk Lily Lim, in her 30s, said there were plenty of places to visit, especially in the Old Town part of the city.

“The influx of tourists began in the last four to five years.

“There is so much more to see now, including the popular Yi Lai Hong (Concubine Lane) or Panglima Lane, there are also the Han Chin Soo Pet Soo (Han Chin Villa) exhibition centre, a three-dimensional interactive art funhouse and the recently opened Ho Yan Hor Museum,” she told MetroPerak.

“Apart from these tourist attractions, the food is definitely another thing visitors look forward to when they come here,” she said.

“The ever popular nga choi kai or bean sprout chicken, dim sum, pomelos, tau foo fah (soy bean curd dessert) are some of the well-known items here in Ipoh,” she added.

Lonely Planet has listed Ipoh, the only city from Malaysia, at number six on its inaugural Best in Asia 2016 list, which was topped by Hokkaido (Japan), followed by Shanghai (China), Jeonju (South Korea), Con Dao Islands (Vietnam) and Hong Kong.

Apart from the attractions at Old Town, marketing communications manager Joey Loh said there were other attractions such as the Chinese temples built at limestone hills – Sam Poh Tong, Perak Tong and Kek Lok Tong.

“There are other places near Ipoh that visitors could go to.

“Within travelling distance from Ipoh are white water rafting and eco-tourism destinations in Gopeng, Kellie’s Castle in Batu Gajah and other nearby attractions,” she said.

Loh also said that the street food offered in Ipoh was cheaper than those found in metropolitan cities like Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

“Street food, cafes, restaurants and fine-dining eateries. We can be called a food paradise now,” she added.

Many netizens too agreed that Ipoh is a nice place to visit.

They commented on The Star Online’s Facebook posting of the article that they were proud that the city was recognised by Lonely Planet.

Cecilia Yap said: “Proud that I’m from Perak, plenty of yummy food, Love Ipoh kacang Putih and all the historical places!”

Mathavi Nadarajah Thevar said: “Macam tak percaya kan? Masa kita pergi banyak tempat yang berpotensi kan. Lagi seronok daripada KL.” (Unbelievable right? When we visited, there were lots of places with potential. More fun than KL.”)

Another social media user, Marcus Kho, said he liked the serenity of the city, which was surrounded by hills.

Meanwhile, Ipoh City Watch president Prof Dr Richard Ng said the announcement by Lonely Planet has put Ipoh on the world map ahead of Visit Perak Year 2017.

“We are definitely proud to hear that Ipoh has finally been given the due recognition by travellers around the world who have visited the historical city to be named as a destination for world travellers for the next 12 months,” he said.

“With that in mind, the local authorities and community leaders must work together to ensure that visitors would have a pleasant visit here,” he said.

“There needs to be a task force, consisting of the Ipoh City Council, police, welfare department, non-governmental organisations, the Ministry of Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNKK) and Consumer Association of Perak, to look into ways to capitalise on this recognition with Visit Perak Year looming,” he added.

Dr Ng said it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for the city to showcase its attractions and to live up to its namesake as a food paradise.

“Cleanliness will be an issue and the city council needs to ensure all the food outlets be rated ‘A’ before year end.

“All these outlets must also ensure the toilets are clean, practice garbage separation at source, avoid using polystyrene and clean up their drains,” he said, adding that businesses must be monitored to ensure they would not charge exorbitant prices that could tarnish the city’s name.

“The Police, the Perak Anti-Drugs Agency and the Welfare Department must work hand-in-hand to keep ‘jaga kereta’ touts, who are usually drug addicts, at bay,” he added.

Lonely Planet names Ipoh as the sixth hottest place to visit in Asia

Ipoh is undergoing a quiet renaissance. Until now, domestic tourists seldom lingered beyond a weekend sampling ayam tauge (chicken and beansprouts) and Ipoh's famous white coffee. Backpackers considered this pleasant, mid-sized city an overnight stop between Kuala Lumpur and Penang. These days, renewed enthusiasm for Ipoh's heritage is seeing old shophouses restored, while new cafes and craft shops are springing up...

Ipoh is undergoing a quiet renaissance. Until now, domestic tourists seldom lingered beyond a weekend sampling ayam tauge (chicken and beansprouts) and Ipoh's famous white coffee. Backpackers considered this pleasant, mid-sized city an overnight stop between Kuala Lumpur and Penang. These days, renewed enthusiasm for Ipoh's heritage is seeing old shop houses restored, while new cafes and craft shops are springing up within historic buildings. Meanwhile, the ribbon is being cut on brand-new accommodation, from hostels to luxury hotels.

The key to enjoying Ipoh is tackling it by neighbourhood. Its pavements seem designed to shred sandals while its sights sprawl over a large area. Start with the old town's charismatic lane ways and revived period buildings. Grab a trail map to seek out the best heritage structures and street art. South of here, Ipoh's Little India has glittering shops and some fine eateries.

East of the river in Ipoh's new town, a cluster of canteens serve up regional classics like ayam tauge and some of the creamiest beancurd pudding around. Just north of this foodie hub are the city's more upmarket hotels alongside the shiny Parade shopping mall. As Ipoh's confidence grows, it's an exciting place for an urban interlude, not to mention a convenient gateway for travel to the Cameron Highlands or Pulau Pangkor.

Lonely Planet has ranked Ipoh as the 6th best place in Asia to visit in the next 12 months. Describing Ipoh as Malaysia’s renaissance city whose ‘coffeehouses and heritage houses are staging a long overdue comeback’, Lonely Planet sings praises for Ipoh’s old and new charm and cuisine.

One of the draws of Ipoh, according to the Lonely Planet article, is the ‘colonial golden triangle’ which covers several of Ipoh’s colonial buildings that are still standing proudly west of the Kinta River. The Ipoh train station, described as the ‘Taj Mahal’ of commuter hubs for its white domes, as well as the 100 year old Town Hall, white Court House, and Birch Memorial Clock Tower were all built in colonial times.

Lonely Planet also highlighted Ipoh’s growing number of hipster cafés, renewed love of Ipoh coffee (locals would approve of this, for sure), street art, temples and the racy history of Concubine Lane.

To an Ipoh native, the beauty of this old town is obvious and precious, and word has been spreading steadily to other parts of the country for a while now. Ipoh is already groaning under the weight of local day-trippers who head up there for the small town charm and delicious food. Ipoh is so popular among the locals that on weekends, you will have to queue up for quite a while if you want to enjoy some of Ipoh’s best meals.

With Lonely Planet’s highlight on Ipoh, those queues just got a little longer. Go soon  and beat the crowds.

Lonely Planet’s Best Places to visit in Asia

1. Hokkaido, Japan
2. Shanghai, China
3. Jeonju, South Korea
4. Con Dao Islands, Vietnam
5. Hong Kong, China
6. Ipoh, Malaysia
7. Pemuteran, Indonesia
8. Trang Islands, Thailand
9. Meghalaya, India
10. Taitung, Taiwan