Taiping News

Taiping 150 Ride 2024 Targets Participation Of 1,500 Riders – Wong

The inaugural Taiping 150 Ride 2024 on Dec 8 is set to be the closing event for the Visit Perak Year 2024 and the 150th anniversary of Taiping.

Taiping Member of Parliament Wong Kah Woh said the cycling event, which targets 1,500 participants, will start and end at the iconic Taiping Lake Gardens, with the flag-off set for 6.45 am. Read more…

Polish Embassy To Celebrate International Day Of Peace In Taiping With Charity Drive And Cultural Events

The Embassy of Poland in Kuala Lumpur, in collaboration with Partners for Peace Malaysia, will commemorate the International Day of Peace with a series of events in the historical city of Taiping, Perak, also known as the City of Everlasting Peace.

In a statement, the Polish Embassy said that the celebration, scheduled for Saturday, Sept 21, 2024, aims to promote peace, unity, and community support. Read more…

Inaugural Raintown Film Festival to celebrate Taiping’s 150th Anniversary

As Taiping receives more rainfall compared to other parts of the country, it is well-known as Rain Town of Malaysia. And hence, the first Raintown Film Festival will officially be taking place at Paragon Cinemas, Taiping Mall, from 13 to 15 September.

This three-day event will showcase four local feature films, six short films, one film talk, a film workshop and an outdoor film screening. Filmmakers will be present for post-screening Q&A sessions to interact with the audience. All activities are free and open to the public. Read more…

WISE CONSTRUCTION EXPECTED TO COMMENCE IN JUNE

The construction of the West Ipoh Span Expressway (WISE), which will run between Gopeng and Kuala Kangsar, is expected to commence early next month, announced Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.

Saarani explained that currently, discussions are in the final stages, focusing on reviewing the draft agreement between the concession company and the Federal government. Read more…

SOARING WITH FLYTRIKE IN TAIPING!

If you ever wanted to see Taiping from a different perspective, head to Flytrike in Tekah and you will not be disappointed. Established in 2020 in Selangor, Flytrike is a company that specialises in Light Sports Aircraft(LSA) and sports aviation.

Endorsed by the CAAM (Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia) as well as being under the umbrella of the MSAF( Malaysia Sports Aviation Federation),with all pilots holding an MSPL(Malaysia Sports Pilot License), Flytrike pulls no stops in ensuring a safe and enjoyable flight for all involved. Read more…

Section of WCE toll-free until May

Motorists using the West Coast Expressway (WCE) between the Taiping Selatan and Beruas elevated interchanges will enjoy no toll when they pass through the Section 11 toll plaza until May 11.

The WCE is the latest alternative route connecting Banting, Shah Alam, Kuala Selangor and Tanjung Karang in Selangor to Hutan Melintang, Teluk Intan, Seri Manjung, Beruas and Taiping in Perak.

The opening of Section 11 of the WCE, covering a stretch of 35.5km, is expected to reduce travel time from Changkat Jering to Beruas to only 20 minutes from 55 minutes via the existing route. Read more…

On a separate project, Nanta said the development of the 60km-long West Ipoh Span Expressway (WISE) linking Gopeng and Kuala Kangsar is still in the planning stage.

Nga Ko Meng announced an allocation of RM1 million to set up a musical fountain in Taiping Lake

Minister of Housing and Local Government Nga Ko Meng announced an allocation of RM1 million to build Perak’s first musical fountain at Taiping Lake to attract more domestic and foreign tourists to Taiping through new attractions. He said that this plan to be implemented this year is also launched in conjunction with Perak’s 2024 Tourism Year. The concept of the entire fountain is to promote national unity and the development of culture and art. Read more…

Rain Town: Malay director’s Cantonese film set in Taiping gets international recognition

After making a mark on the international stage through ‘Redha’, film director Tunku Mona Riza Tunku Khalid is unlocking another achievement with her first-ever Cantonese-language movie, Rain Town.

Interestingly, the New York Film Academy alum is not conversant in the language and throughout the filming in Taiping, Perak, she had to rely on an interpreter. …………..

…………According to the Best New Director at the 29th Malaysian Film Festival, Rain Town tells an emotionally charged story of controlling parents. Read more…

Jalan Berek – The main attraction for tourists to Taiping in conjunction with Visit Perak Year 2024

Jalan Berek located in the heart of the city is listed as one of the special locations to Taiping to visit in the Year of Visiting Perak 2024.

Therefore, the effort to preserve Jalan Berek is an important step of the Taiping Municipal Council to encourage the people in this area to maintain cleanliness and cheerfulness.

MPT Chairman, Khairul Amir Mohamad Zubir said, this step is to encourage traders in this area to maintain the cleanliness and cheerfulness of the premises as an attraction. Read more…

THE BEST MUSLIM FRIENDLY NATURE DESTINATION AWARD

15 September 2023 – Taiping Municipal Council (MPT) has received the ‘Best Muslim Friendly Nature Destination’ award in conjunction with the World Islamic Tourism Awards (WITA) 2023 held at Sunway Resort Hotel, Selangor. 

Director of Urban Planning and Development, TPr. Syahrulnizam Baharom and Head of Corporate, Public Relations and Tourism Division, Encik Muhammad Hafizzuddin Azhar represented MPT to accept the award which was presented by YH Dato’ Noor Zaleha Baharom, Chairman of WITA and Chairman of Asia Hajj, Umrah & Islamic Tourism Conference & Exhibition (AITEX), YBhg Dato’ Haji Jeffri Sulaiman. read more…

Taiping’s 150th Anniversary: TRR Spin Run 2023 to be held on October 22

The Taiping Road Runner (TRR) Spin Run 2023, now in its fourth year of organisation, will take place at Esplanade Field (Padang Esplanade) on October 22.

The Chairman of the Taiping Municipal Council (MPT), Khairul Amir Mohamad Zubir, stated that TRR, which was introduced in 2019, is organised by the Larut Matang and Selama Recreational Runners Club (Kelab Rekreasi Pelari-pelari Larut Matang dan Selama) in collaboration with Spin Sportwear and MPT. Read more…

Another RM11.5mil allocated to upgrade old Taiping market

The local government development ministry has approved an additional RM11.5 million to upgrade the Taiping market along Jalan Taming Sari, the oldest in the country.

Its minister, Nga Kor Ming, said discussions would be held with the national heritage department to ensure that the 139-year-old market structure is maintained with its existing design and original features.

He said the 115 balau timber pillars of the market structure had been severely damaged by termites. Read more…

WCE has enough funds to complete WCE

WCE Holdings Bhd has secured enough funding to complete the West-Coast Expressway that connects Banting to Taiping, expected to be completed by the end of 2024 after experiencing delays mainly due to land acquisition issues.

The highway, running through the states of Selangor and Perak, has also experienced cost increase, with land acquisition again featuring as a major contributor.

“As of now, we have the required funding to complete the job,” WCE Holdings CEO Lyndon Alfred Felix told The Malaysian Reserve (TMR) in an interview last week. Read more…

Malaysia’s longest serving prisoner walks free after 40 years

After spending 40 years in jail, Jamil Arshad will forever cherish the date March 22 — when he received a royal pardon from the Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar. The period behind bars made Jamil, 63, the longest-serving prisoner in the country, and he was finally returned to his hometown in Kampung Guang, Keliwang, Sembawa in Indonesia this morning.

Before being transferred to the Taiping Prison, Jamil was sent to the Johor Bahru prison, where he picked up the skill to make rattan furniture like chairs and tables. In fact, Jamil said that armed with the religious knowledge acquired during his time in the village, in his 40 years of celebrating Hari Raya in prison, he had also led other congregants, including for the Aidilfitri prayers. Read more…

CCTV catches 127 in the act in Taiping LITTERBUGS

The Taiping Municipal Council issued 128 compound notices for a total of RM32,000 to litterbugs from January to March.

Council president Khairul Amir Mohamad Zubir said 127 of these were issued to those caught littering on CCTV cameras placed at strategic locations, while one notice was written on the spot.

“I wish to remind anyone littering, or discarding garbage illegally, that action will be taken against them under the Public Cleanliness by-laws 1984. Read more…

TAIPING ENDURANCE CHALLENGE 2023

TAIPING ENDURANCE CHALLENGE 2023 is presented to you by MMTF Consultant. TAIPING ENDURANCE CHALLENGE 2023 will be held between 1st July 2023 to 2nd July 2023 at Dataran Kedamaian, Taman Tasik Taiping, Perak, West Malaysia.

TAIPING ENDURANCE CHALLENGE 2023 will see runners challenging themselves through 6 hours, 12 hours, and 18 hours run around the iconic Taman Tasik Taiping. Read more…

Your guide to Taiping, Perak’s best kept gastronomic secret

You might have passed a large rest stop on the highway bearing the name of this Perak town while on the way to Penang — but have you tried making a stop at Taiping before?

Like many small towns in Perak, Taiping was once a mining town. But once that ceased operations, it was overshadowed by bigger, more touristy cities like Ipoh and Georgetown in Penang. In fact, not many know that this town actually won the title of the third most sustainable city in the world according to the 2019 Sustainable Top 100 Destination Awards. Read more…

Taiping Market to be recognised as national heritage

The iconic Taiping Market, which is currently being renovated, will be recognised as a national heritage

• It took some time to design the market. We cannot simply tear it down and rebuild
• We need to find similar wood that was used back when it was first built
• For instance, cengal wood was used, so we will find the same wood to maintain its heritage value

Read more… 

Bukit Larut Landslide

A few people who were stranded on Bukit Larut following the landslide there have safely descended to the foot of the hill.

They managed to get down using a hiking trail. There are still some Telekom Malaysia Bhd workers still stranded at the hill as their vehicles were unable to use the road down as it is blocked off by the landslide. Read more…

Electric bus on the Heritage Trail

The fully eletric driven bus was donated by the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), to be implemented on Taiping Heritage Trail early 2023.

The bus comes with a capacity of 22 seats and one OKU* privilage seat for the persons with disabilities – PWD. This initiative involves the cooperation of several local companies and also from Japan. Read more…

Highway to bypass Menora Tunnel approved

The Perak government has approved the construction of a 64km highway from Gopeng to Kuala Kangsar that will bypass the Menora Tunnel on the North-South Expressway.

The route would be slightly longer but it would take road users less time to travel as it avoids the hills and the project would help reduce road accidents. Read more… 

Taiping Lake Garden’s century-old Samanea saman tree officially ‘dead’

A 136-year-old Samanea saman tree, fondly known as Hujan-hujan, at the Taiping Lake Garden here was yesterday declared officially “dead” due to weak structural and anchor roots.

Taiping Municipal Council (MPT) in a statement said the tree near Taman Tasik Taiping jetty had earlier collapsed on Jan 20, 2018 due to heavy rain. Read more … 

WCE highway completion delayed to 2024

THE West Coast Expressway (WCE) line in Selangor would only be completed by 2024, said the State Infrastructure and Public Facilities, Agricultural Modernisation and Agro-based Industry Committee chairman Ir Izham Hashim.

Izham said the completion date of the interstate 223km controlled-access highway, which runs along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia from Selangor to Perak, will be deferred again due to land acquisition issues.

The route, which is partially opened for public use, was previously scheduled to give road users full access by end-2022.  Read more…

Proud of my Taiping roots

Despite having left Taiping more than two decades ago, the charming old, former tin-mining town continues to have a special place in my heart.

This was where I spent my formative years up to completing my secondary school years — a good 19 years.

Although I do not go back as often these days, everything in Taiping still reminds me of the good old days.

The neighbourhood that I grew up, first in Jalan Azizul Rahman and later in Taman Glenview, both in Kamunting, still stand strong despite being overgrown with lallang in some parts.

Taiping was recently named the Town of Everlasting Peace and judged the third best city in the world, behind Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, and Vancouver, Canada.

The recognition was given during the Sustainable Top 100 Destination Awards 2019 at the International Tourismus-Börse show in Berlin, Germany, in March. Read more… 

Taiping tourism unaffected by Bukit Larut closure

The closure of Bukit Larut, also known as Maxwell Hill, since last year due to landslide risks, has not affected tourist arrivals. Taiping is ranked among the top three sustainable cities in the world.

Taiping Municipal Council president Khairul Amir Mohamad Zubir said the heritage town still had many attractions such as the Perak Museum.

“The Public Works Department is in the process of opening tender for repair works at the affected areas.

“We expect Bukit Larut to be opened to the public by January next year at the latest, ” read more…

Mural of Amelia Earhart in Taiping – Malaysia Book of Records

TAIPING: A mural painting of Amelia Earhart, the first woman who attempted to fly solo around the world, has been recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) as “The Biggest Outdoor 3D Mural Painting”. Read more…

The mural is 14.6m tall and 27.4m wide and was painted on the wall of a shophouse at Jalan Abdul Jalil here. Read more…

30 birds from Fukuoka Zoo going to Taiping Zoo

Fukuoka City Zoological Garden director, Sato Hiroaki, said the zoo was picked because it is well-managed and clean, aside from the weather here being suitable for the birds.

“We’re sending 10 Silver gulls, 10 Pied imperial pigeons and 10 Rosy-billed pochards,” Read more …

Landslide in Bukit Larut

Taiping picked for Age-Friendly City pilot project

Taiping has been selected for the implementation of the first phase of the Age-Friendly City pilot project.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the project would involve a development planning process that was expected to take two years.

She said based on the expected scenario of the country’s population for years to come, the government, through the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, in collaboration with the Perak government, Taiping Municipal Council and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), drafted a pilot project towards establishing an age-friendly city in Taiping. Read more …

Taiping, Kota Bharu bestowed international awards

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 1): Taiping in Perak and Kelantan’s capital, Kota Bahru, received international recognition at the 9th Tourism Promotion Organization for Asia Pacific Cities (TPO) General Assembly held in Busan, Korea recently. Read more …

iCare Pharmacy Charity Run 2019

• Date: 22nd December 2019
• Time: 7:00 AM
• Venue: Pavilion Zoo Taiping, Perak
• Distance: 10km & 3.5km
• Fees: RM 45 – RM 110

helpdesk@howei.com
pharmacy.icare@yahoo.com

First phase of botanical gardens open to public

THE first phase of the Perak Botanical Gardens with some 10,000 plants and 120 species is now open to the public.

Completed in November last year, it consists of four themed areas: Palmatum garden, Perak Malay garden, northern zone endemic garden and a themed park over a 5.7ha area.

The Palmatum garden has been planted with various palm and cycad trees.

They include the Roystonea regia, Cycas rumphii, Licuala grandis, Beintinckia nicobarica, Livistonia rotundifolia and Ravenala Madagascariensis.  Read more …

Taiping Market gets RM9m facelift

Taiping Market, the oldest market in Malaysia, will soon undergo massive restoration works costing RM9 million. 

The market, which was built in the 1880s, will be upgraded and modernised. It will be equipped with better facilities for traders and customers. However, the traditional design and wood structure will remain in order to preserve the historical value and to attract more tourists. In the first phase, a total of RM1 million has been approved to design the building with the aim of maintaining its heritage structure. Read more …

Comfort living for the elderly

A RM5mil retirement village will soon be built in Taiping, Perak, following the signing of a lease agreement between the Titular Roman Catholic Bishop of Penang and the National Society of St Vincent de Paul.

“Our intention is to provide the elderly with a place to retire, especially for those whose children are unable to care for them.

“The village will be built with 118 rooms and it will be open to anyone who wants to retire there as it provides a holistic environment, especially for those who are spiritually inclined,” she said. Read more….

Taiping joins hands with Fukuoka

“This twinning relationship has expanded with Taiping signing the MoU. Both Taiping and Fukuoka will be working in the fields related to zoology, education and public awareness as well as wildlife conservation,” the purpose of the MoU is to formalise and strengthen the relationship between MPT and the Fukuoka City Government.

“One of our objectives is to further cooperate in the field of animal welfare science and the delivery of professional species-management processes that optimise viability, sustainability and conservation.

“Both Taiping and Fukuoka have a common mission to take the initiative in promoting educational activities and preserving the natural environment as well as to encourage the locals to respect nature,” Read more…

Taiping to be a Senior-friendly Town

THE Taiping Municipal Council plans to turn the town into a senior citizen-friendly town.

“Taiping is a heritage town that is also fondly referred to as a ‘pensioners’ paradise’. We need to continue maintaining our status as Heritage Town and also rejuvenate it to have better surroundings and as a liveable city,” he said during a town hall meeting recently. Read more….

New highway set to be a boon to Teluk Intan

THE West Coast Expressway from Banting to Taiping will bring about positive socio-economic development for Teluk Intan once it is completed in 2019, says Teluk Intan MP and Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong.
Mah said, with the town being one of the exit points along the expressway, the journey to Kuala Lumpur in the south as well as Penang in the north will be shortened by at least 30 to 45 minutes. Read more …

A showcase of heritage and culture

SEVERAL interesting activities have been lined up under the “Taiping Berpesta 2017” event.

The five-month programme, which started in August, would end next month.

The programme held in conjunction with Visit Perak Year 2017, is organised by the Taiping Municipal Council in cooperation with the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA), and several non-governmental organisations.

The event is aimed at promoting two main tourism products, which are the Taiping Heritage Trail, and the Taiping Zoo and Night Safari. Read more …

Pleased to meet Charles and Camilla

Prince Charles was in Perak to visit the Taiping War Cemetery where soldiers who died during the Second World War in then Malaya are buried.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission country manager G. Ghobu said Prince Charles expressed his appreciation to the body for maintaining the cemetery so well. Read more …

Bottled water company wins big at branding awards

MINERAL water company Spritzer Bhd added two more awards to its already long list of achievements this month.
For the eighth consecutive year, it managed to garner the Frost & Sullivan – Asia Pacific Bottled Water Company of the Year award in Singapore. The company was also named World Branding Awards 2017 – Brand of the Year under the Water Category for the third year running in England.
The company based in Taiping… Read more…