Ipoh is full of colonial buildings, but one of the most interesting ones is undoubtedly the Birch Memorial Clock Tower, for several reasons.
Who was Birch?
James Wheeler Woodford Birch, or JWW Birch, was the first “resident” (colonial ruler) in the Sultanate of Perak. He was installed there by the British on 4 November in 1874, and was assassinated almost exactly a year later, on 2nd November, 1875. He was stabbed to death in his bath house by followers of the local chief, Maharaja Lela.
Most sources say the reason for the murder was Birch’s unwillingness to take local Malay customs and traditions into consideration, his arrogance, and his acting without giving a damn to what the Sultan or anyone else may think. Some sources say that the assassination was the beginning of the protest against British rule, some others argue that it was rather a part of local fights for power. In any way, this event marked the beginning of a process that eventually lead to a war between the British and Perak (1875-76), which of course ended with British victory, but the anti-colonialist movement was unstoppably started.
The assassins and Maharajalela were all sentenced to death and were hanged very shortly afterwards.
The Birch Memorial Clock Tower
The clock tower was erected by the British as a memorial to JWW Birch in 1909. It is a nice looking tower, with bells, statues and beautifully painted images (see below). It can still be seen today in the centre of Old Ipoh, next to very important and famous sights like the Town Hall, the National Mosque, the Post Office and the Railway Station.
From Wikipedia through personal travel blogs to Lonely Planet, innumerable sources point it out as something very surprising or even shocking, that today, one of the streets next to the Birch Memorial is named after none other than Maharaja Lela, while the other is named after Dato Sagor, who was one of the actual assassins. These sources are also surprised that Malay textbooks on history regard Maharaja Lela a national hero, an early figure of the anti-colonial movement.
WTF? Why should anyone be surprised that a person who kills (or gives orders to kill) a colonial ruler who subjugates the locals, and on top of that, is one of the most arrogant and disdainful person towards local people and local culture, is regarded a national hero? I think this is not only natural but expected.
I am actually surprised that the Birch Memorial is still standing, nicely maintained, and is still called the Birch Memorial. I don’t think there is anything to celebrate about subjugation, foreign rule, exploitation and colonialism. I would instead celebrate those who try to shake it off.
The picture of Muhammad
Another reason why the Birch Memorial can be regarded as one of the most interesting sights in Ipoh (and beyond) is the wall paintings on the tower. The fours sides contain four panels with paintings representing the “growth of civilizations” from one possible perspective. The panels represent different stages, here they are:
Panel A: Stone Age, Iron Age, early eastern civilizations: hunter, fishermen, spinning woman, iron age man and woman, Nubian with gold and ivory, Chaldean astrologer, pottery making woman, Egyptian, Assyrian, Persian.
Panel B is about the Far East, the East Mediterranean, Greece and Rome: Moses, David, a Phoenician, a woman representing the Aegean civilization, Confucius, Buddha, Lao Tze, a woman representing Greek Art, Alexander the Great, a Greek philosopher, Augustus.
Panel C: Constantine the Great, Muhammad, a crusader, Santa Clara, a bishop (holding a model cathedral), Galileo, Michelangelo, Vittoria Colonna, Columbus, Luther, Shakespeare.
Excuse me, what did you just say? A picture of Muhammad? Whose picture no-one is allowed to paint or draw? And if someone still does, some muslims will start a war and want to kill them? And you said this was in Malaysia, a Muslim country?
Oh, yes.
And it stood there for a very long time – some sources say the picture was only “deleted” in 1990, but there is one comment on a website which says it happened as early as 1958, due to protests by muslims. I just couldn’t find a reliable source, if you can, leave a message below this post. THe “funny” thing is that they whitewashed only the figure, so it is perfectly visible even today, especially the head.
Panel D: the Modern Age. Newton, Harvey, Watt, embroiderer, Beethoven, Stephenson, Louis Daguerre, Florence Nightingale, Darwin, Edison, Joseph Lister.
