Birch Memorial Clock Tower—Ipoh, Malaysia.
Posted by: 
Ianatlarge
N 04° 35.802 E 101° 04.572
47N E 730341 N 508418
An historic clock and tourist attraction in Ipoh City.
Waymark Code: WMDM8Y
Location: Malaysia
Date Posted: 01/29/2012
Views: 1
This clock is found near the town centre, behind the town hall, in the central Malaysian town of Ipoh.
The story, as far as I can gather: The first British resident of Perak State (the capital of which is Ipoh), James Wheeler Woodford Birch, (J. W. W. Birch: 1826-1875) was assassinated by local Malays. There are two versions as to why he met this fate. The first is that he annoyed the local business interests by his outlawing of slavery. The other that he was disrespectful of local customs. Though, of course, the two are not mutually exclusive. However, irrespective of the cause—RIP.
This clock, in his memory, was built by the British administration in order to commemorate, or possibly put the best face possible, on his tenure in office.
The four-sided, four faced tower clock is ~6m tall, with colourful murals at its mid-point. The murals depict the professions of the time.
The four clock faces all show the identical time, but the time is incorrect. The clock is non-operational, however, the grounds showed clear signs of repair and restoration at the time of my visit (January 2012). Irrespective of its history the clock seems destined to live on.
Status: Not Working
Display: Free Standing
Year built: Not listed
Web link to additional info: Not listed
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Photo of clock.
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