UTAR NEW VILLAGE COMMUNITY PROJECT

REPORT

NAME OF NEW VILLAGE:

LAHAT 拿乞

PERAK

Project carried out by:

Name of student

ID Number

Course

Year/ Trimester

1. Lim Yook Sai

1002052

Foundation In Arts

Y1S3

2. Lee Zhe Yuan

Foundation In Arts

Y1S3

3. Tang Juan Liang

1100205

Foundation In Arts

Y1S3

4. Chew Cheng Yee

1104229

Foundation In Arts

Y1S3

DATE OF COMPLETION:

OCTOBER 2011

ABSTRACT

Kampung Lahat new village is located at the southern end of Ipoh city near the junction of

Jalan Pengkalan and Jalan Lahat. The village is split into two parts by Jalan Pengkalan.

The population in the new village consists of about 100 households with an average of 4

persons per household. Kampung Lahat has no special tourist attraction and does not have

any special local products like good food and delicacies. However, it is well known for its

scenic beauty. The population of the village consists of Chinese who form the majority and

a small group of Sikhs.

HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

Kampung Lahat new village is located at the southern end of Ipoh city near the

junction of Jalan Pengkalan and Jalan Lahat. The new village is split into two parts by

Jalan Pengkalan. It takes about 45 minutes to travel from Kampar town to reach the new

village. Kampung Lahat already existed before the 2nd

World War. When the communist

insurgency supported by China became a serious threat to the peace and harmony in

Malaya after the surrender of Japan in 1945, the British used the strategy of grouping the

rural Chinese population into new villages. This strategy was taken to prevent the rural

Chinese from giving supplies to the communist insurgents. Kampung Lahat new village

was one of these new groupings in Perak state.

According to the village headman Mr. Goh Kar Fatt, it was recorded that Dr. Sun

Yat Sun, the Father of modern China, visited Lahat village during the decline of the

Ching Dynasty in China to raise fund for his fight against the Manchus. Dr. Sun Yat Sun

held a meeting with the locals in the Hwa Chiew primary school.

Signboard of Lahat New Village

Interview session with the headman of Lahat New village, Mr. Goh Kar Fatt.

Tour around the village with headman of the village.

POPULATION

Mr. Goh Kar Fatt, aged 57 is the present headman of the new village. The

population in the new village consists of about 100 households with an average of 4

persons per household. Cantonese is the dominant dialect in Kampung Lahat. The local

Chinese population worship at an ancient grand temple called Lik Sing Kong located

about 1 km from the new village. There is a small temple in the new village itself.

The small temple belongs to the Chinese community.

The grand temple Lik Sing Kong located about 1 km from the village. Important

festival and social activities of the village are held here.

ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

Just like most of the other new villages, its population consists mostly of elderly

people. The young ones have gone to seek jobs in big towns because there is very little

job opportunity in the new village. The main business in this new village is its two coffee

shops. There are no motor vehicle workshop or motorcycle repair shops in the new

village. Other than these coffee shops, this new village is purely a residential area.

The only coffee shop located in a pre-war building at one part of the new village

Another coffee shop located in the new village

SETTLEMENT CHARACTERICS

Lahat new village is just an ordinary residential area where most of the houses are

low-rise and made of either timber or bricks. It has no special tourist attraction. The

village is not known for its scenic beauty and it does not have any special local products

like good food and delicacies. There are two rows of well maintained pre-war double

storey brick houses in one part of the village. There are only two coffee shops and a

sundry shop in the area because the new village is near to the surrounding new residential

areas where daily necessities are easily available.

A typical house belonging to a Sikh family

A typical house belonging to a Chinese family

One of the few bungalows belong to well-to-do village residents

INFRASTRUCTURE

The new village has good tar roads, well maintained drains and a police station

but lacks essential amenities like post office, market, bomba unit and public health clinic.

There was a post office serving the village. Unfortunately, it was burnt down some years

ago and the government has not built a new one yet. During our visit, we noticed that the

old market was abandoned. The old market building and the empty stores are still there

even though some parts of the roof structure has collapsed. There is proper electricity and

water supply to the new village and all houses are using flush toilets. All the rubbish is

collected on time and there is no sign of overspill rubbish anywhere in the new village.

The Cantonese Association office

Portrait of Dr. Sun Yat Sun displayed inside the Cantonese Association

building

The Pre-war brick buildings

A view through the corridor of the pre-war buildings

Two rows of well preserved pre-war double storey buildings

Persatuan Penggedar Burung Merbuk, Ipoh, Perak

A basketball field located in the new village

Lahat New Village Assembly Hall

The police station

A well maintained monsoon drain

A well maintained roadside concrete drain

EDUCATION

The new village has a Chinese primary school called Lahat Hwa Chiew (SJKC)

with about 120 students and managed by 11 teachers. The community managed to obtain

from the Ministry of Education a multipurpose van for use during the official activities of

the school. The school and its compound are well maintained. During our visit, we

noticed the classrooms were very clean and the grass of the school field was well

trimmed and matched by beautiful landscaping.

The Hwa Chiew Chinese Primary School

The Hwa Chiew Primary School’s basket ball field

The Hwa Chiew Primary School’s well kept verandah

The Hwa Chiew Primary Schools’s school field

The philosophy of life written beside the classroom entrance

A typical classroom

The refreshing green landscaping of the school

Another beautiful view of the green landscaping of the school

The well maintained school field and the well kept basket ball field

The van belonging to the school

RELIGION AND CULTURE

Most of the local Chinese are Taoists. Taoism is a religion followed by their

ancestors. There is also a small group of Sikhs in the new village.

Photo taken inside the old temple building with two members of the

Sikh community

Another photo taken with an elderly member of the Sikh community

PROBLEMS

Lahat new village lacks public amenities like post office, wet market, public

health clinic, and firefighting facilities.

A neglected fire hydrant

The abandoned market building

The abandoned post office building which was burned down

Notice board at the abandoned post office

RECOMMENDATIONS

Firstly, it is recommended that the government builds a new post office to replace

the one which burnt down. In addition, it is recommended that the authorities:

Repair the abandoned market building and restart operations at the wet

market

Set up a clinic; and

Provide firefighting facilities.

DISCLAIMER:

Information contained in this report was compiled by the University’s students on voluntary basis.

Although every effort has been made to check the accuracy of the report, the University accepts no

responsibility whatsoever for any errors or omissions, if any, the University reserves the right to make

changes on the information at any time without prior notice.

Should there be any queries regarding contents of the report, please contact:

Department of Soft Skills Competency

Tel: 03-78582628 ext 8274, 8656, 8269

05- 4688888 ext 2297/2299/2300 (Klang Valley Campus)

(Perak Campus)