By: Zaki Salleh
IPOH – “Why is the real situation not the same as what is posted on social media sites and blogs?”
That was the comment of a tourist from Denmark, Eric, shaking his head while looking at the situation around the Ipoh Railway Station building.
Eric said he did not expect the environment of the train station to be so decrepit because from a distance it looked so perfect.
He said the Ipoh Railway Station is often described as beautiful and rich with colonial-era architecture, the pride of Ipoh.
“One of the reasons I stopped by Ipoh with a friend before going to Thailand was to see the architecture around the city of Ipoh.
“I admit that the facade of the railway station is very beautiful, but the state of neglect tarnishes that beauty,” he said.
The same disappointment was voiced by Australian tourist, Matthew Anderson as for him, Ipoh Railway Station has historical value.
“A war memorial was built in front of this station and it is to commemorate the history.
“Many historical events related to Ipoh took place on the grounds of this train station,” he said.
Dubbed the Taj Mahal of Ipoh, this white building was built by AB Hubback, the same British architect who built the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station building.
The first Ipoh train station was a wooden building before the construction of the second train station to replace the old station starting in 1914.
It was completed in 1917 due to a shortage of building materials and rising prices and construction costs during the First World War.
Now more than a 100 years old, this station is the main entry point for rail users to Ipoh, receives thousands of users every day, including foreign visitors.
Khairul Mahadi Mohamad, a visitor from Kuala Lumpur, feels that the station’s environment should be kept in good repair because the Ipoh Railway Station is a heritage treasure.
He said that the matter is the responsibility of the building owner because leaving the station as it is now is not appropriate.
“I don’t even understand what is stopping the authorities from looking after or maintaining a historic building like this.
“Thousands of users see the condition of this station every day, so no one in the authorities cares,” he said.
