A museum in Camerons

Cameron Highlands is not only a scenic hillstation but also has a very special place in Malaysian history..Camerons has been a witness to the Japanese occupation. When the British troops left, the Japanese based there headquarters in Tanah Rata and administered the area..It was also crucial during the communist insurgency being a safe heaven for the communist guerillas and a hotbed of insurgency activities during that period…The famous Jim Thompson went missing from Cameron Highlands in 1967 …Despite an international search team that combed the area and several books written on this topic it’s a mystery which remains unsolved till today..In terms of architecture and historical buildings, Camerons was the summer capital of the British who would seek refuge in the cool comfort of this hill resort..They would spend their time playing golf , having high teas and scones in one of the beautiful guest houses or rustic hotels of Camerons..

Every place that we visit has a different history and culture that is unique to that place..Besides picking up a guide book or talking to the local tour guides, a visit to a museum is a convenient way to understand the place better..FOR ME PERSONALLY,a museum is a bridge between people and a place..

FOR that very same reason I would say that a visit to Camerons is incomplete without a trip to the TIME TUNNEL..A private collection of artefacts , memorabilia, antiques and beautiful old pictures of Cameron Highlands..This private museum has been curated by Mr. SEE KOK SHAN..

Mr. Kok Shan, was born in Ipoh but grew up in Cameron Highlands and he has a special affinity for this place..He finished this education and after graduating worked in an advertising company in Kuala Lumpur..He soon got tired of the hectic lifestyle in Kuala Lumpur and decided to move back to Camerons..He had always been a keen collector of artefacts and he set up a business of buying and selling antiques in the Camerons..Soon he decided to take his hobby a step further and started the time tunnel in 2007..The TIME TUNNEL as his museum is called is purely a personal effort..His collection of all the antiques,old pictures, memorabilia and other collectibles that he has collected over the years has been meticulously catalogued and displayed in a very interesting manner..In the absence of any MUSEUM in the Camerons this is the only place where one can come and experience Malaysian and local Camerons history..Beautiful old photographs and maps of the old towns line the walls of the gallery..The oldest inhabitants of the Camerons and the indigenous people of Malaysia,the orang asli, feature prominently in the displays..Walking through the museum one feels like going back in time with old coffee shops orang asli huts which look so real that for a moment the history of Camerons comes to life ..He has recently done a series on the old schools of Malaya with precious old pictures of Tang Ling school, Dalat school and the Convent school of Tanah Rata where my husbands whole family did there primary schooling..

Some of the oldest photographs on display date back to late 1920s and 1930s..One cannot help but be overwhelmed by nostalgia as one leaves the museum..Where I am concerned Mr. KOK SHAN is truly A KEEPER OF MEMORIES..PRESERVING A PIECE OF HISTORY OF THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND SHARING IT WITH US IN HIS MUSEUM SO APTLY CALLED THE TIME TUNNEL..

His wish list is a REAL museum for Camerons which is project worth undertaking by the district council.There is no denying the fact that this will be of utmost importance for all Malaysian and travellers..A MUSEUM which is well planned and where the history of Camerons can be saved for generations to come..

 

 

 

 

View here for all our photos with details:

This is Panoramic view of Tanah Rata.

This is a picture of Camerons Golf Course in 1950s.

This is a picture of Camerons in 1960s.

This is the SmokeHouse in 1970s.

Tanah Rata in 1950s.

Tanah Rata in 1960s.

Tanah Rata town in 1950s.

Another view of Tanah Rata town in 1950s