‘Fine plateau shut in by lofty mountains’ was how William Cameron described the area in his discovery of the place as a British surveyor in the map-making of Perak/Pahang in 1885. It wasn’t until Sir George Maxwell visited the mountains in 1925, that led to the building of this hill station that we now fondly call Cameron Highlands. Tea plantations made its inroads to this fertile range & cottage inns paved the place with old English-styled accommodation to relieve Brits from their homesickness.
Walking into this museum, intricately cluttered with timed pieces, much of the history of Malaya’s lifestyle evolution was encapsulated in the display of this period ‘tunnel.’ Storyboards & framed photographic pieces showcased how Cameron Highlands came into being before the World War.
When the Second World War broke out in 1939, the Japanese invasion caused the surrender of the British army in the Malay Peninsula in 1941 which led to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki in 1945 that caused the Japanese to surrender to the British who reoccupied the Peninsula thereafter. On 31 August 1957, the Federation of Malaya ceased to be a British protectorate & became a state with Tunku Abdul Rahman as its first Prime Minister. It’s great to see how these items that once graced households, have made their way into this museum.
Further into this treasure trove of period pieces, there were many paraphernalia that I recognised from my school days as well as those that I don’t. It’s interesting to note how simple growing up was with the limited number of toys that one could ever play with. Even Game & Watch & Game Boy made it to the museum! From old propeller fans to dial phones, this museum is truly a walk down memory lane for those of us who qualify to say we’ve been there & touched that!
There was a hairdresser’s setup complete with the helmeted blow dryer on a stand, letting me recall days where I had to wait for mom to have her big hair done! The kitchen corner was a tad too low for my liking though sitting down on a stool allowed me to feel what it was like to stirfry on a charcoal stove equipped with ladle, thongs & tiffin carriers!
This place is a must-visit if you want a glimpse of the years gone by in a quaint tunnel of time.
[slideshow id=3]