EXPLORING PAPAN
Sitting on abundant tin reserves, the town is the perfect setting for horror movies or Halloween parties
ONCE a leading tin mining town, bustling with activities, Papan is now a quiet town in Perak with a colourful past that is not easily forgotten.
Although it is now a “ghost” town, it is rumoured that Papan sits on abundant tin reserves worth more than RM200 million following the collapse of the industry.
Last year, Perak Investment Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was quoted as saying that he wants to revive the industry in Pangkalan Hulu, 187km away from this almost-deserted town.
Will the newer generation of “miners” find their way to Papan? It is too early to tell.
As it is, the town’s main road is lined by dilapidated shophouses frequented only by the elderly. There is a coffee shop where they meet during the day to play mahjong or while their time away.
The town is a perfect setting for horror movies or Halloween-theme parties.
Visitors stop for sightseeing and snapping pictures, which could generate hundreds of “likes” on social media.
A large Chinese cemetery welcomes guests as they drive into Papan, and it appears that the number of graves within the cemetery easily outnumbers the living population.
Maybe, a hipster café with a ghostly theme might attract youngsters to this forgotten part of Perak. The background is naturally eerie but the owner must make a head count every night to ensure there are no extra “waiters” lurking around.
Or an old-style coffee shop, a kopitiam, for visitors to stop for a cuppa. Kopi-o with roti bakar and half-boiled eggs in a pre-colonial building would attract the young and old from Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur to drive to Papan.
I wouldn’t mind a leisurely drive to Papan to savour the old breakfast style in an equally-old shophouse and might just continue for a hearty lunch and drive back to Kuala Lumpur after tea.
A stroll in the town between meals might help.
It was love at first sight when I first dropped by the town two years ago, thanks to rave reviews on the Internet.
The rundown buildings, the mysterious Istana Billah nearby, a disused mosque and a friendly bunch of people, I thought I had been transported back to the heyday of this town.
You could hear the hustle and bustle of the good old days if you stand by the road and close your eyes.
There was a unit among the shophouses where nurse and WWII heroine Sybil Kathigasu’s story of courage and sacrifice was unveiled.
The dwelling was where Sybil and her husband Dr Abdon Clement Kathigasu aided guerilla fighters resisting the Japanese during World War II.
But her biggest sin to the Japanese was to own a shortwave radio to listen to BBC broadcasts and she was caught and tortured by the Japanese.
She miraculousy survived. The home is now a memorial dedicated to her and run by cultural activist Law Siak Hong.
My second visit to this town was the following year. But nothing had changed. It was the same scenery, same old folks huddling at the one and only coffee shop.
The same dog in front of a dilapidated building.
This time I peeked into Istana Billah through a gap in the window; it looked like any other house with a dining table and chairs, a sofa set but no occupants.
From the hill, you could see the disused mosque, windows and doors all shut.
The mansion, which was built more than 100 years ago, is standing strong, overlooking the mosque.
The mansion was owned by Raja Billah, the village head. He, however, is not part of the Perak sultanate. The building should be turned into a museum and the lush garden can be a perfect place for wedding receptions.
Maybe, for old time’s sake, the state government may want to consider a regular night walk in town. I am sure the city folk would want to take time off for a candle walk around town, guided of course.
They may want to stay in Ipoh, located just a few kilometres away, and during the day they can cycle around town or for the more adventurous ride through the villages nearby.
There are many activities which can be organised in this sleepy old town which has been asleep for too long.
It needs to be awakened and with the right approach, Papan can be another tourism attraction in Perak.
No development please; what the tourists want to see is Papan in its original state —cycling around town, talking to the residents — but a kopitiam within the ruins is a must.