By Zaki Salleh
Photo Wat Kamal Abas
TAIPING: The skull of a 130-year-old male elephant currently displayed at the Taiping Museum will be set as a specimen collection by the National Museum Department.
This specimen of the male elephant’s skull belongs to an elephant involved in a train collision in Teluk Anson (Teluk Intan) on September 17, 1894.
Deputy Director of the National Museum Department, Mohd Razaimi Hamat, stated that the effort is currently being undertaken by their team.
“We have submitted a request for that specimen along with the railway carriage last year to be promoted as a national heritage collection.
“We expect the decision on it to be known by the end of this year,” he said.
Mohd Razaimi emphasized that both artifacts are highly significant, not only due to their high historical value but especially to the state of Perak.
“We are fortunate and should take pride because both artifacts are still preserved and well-maintained in perfect condition at the Perak Museum.
“We hope that this effort will succeed based on the justifications we have provided, especially concerning the historical values associated with both artifacts,” he said.
Furthermore, if successfully recognized as national heritage objects, both artifacts will benefit, especially from allocations for continuous preservation processes.
Earlier, he attended the opening ceremony of the Zoology and Taxidermy Art Exhibition at the Perak Museum in Taiping here.
It was inaugurated by the state’s Tourism, Industry, Investment, and Corridor Development Exco, Loh Sze Yee.
The collision incident between an elephant and a passenger train from Ipoh, Perak to Kuala Lumpur is a significant part of Perak’s history.
The train, operated by a British citizen, was attacked by a male elephant accompanied by a group of other elephants waiting on the railway track.
The male elephant rammed the moving train head-on by using its tusks, causing the vehicle to derail.
