The Teluk Intan Clock Tower

If you had heard of Malaysia's version of Leaning Tower, it must be refer to the Clock Tower in Teluk Intan, Hilir Perak District, Perak, Malaysia. It is the Malaysian equivalent of the world-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. The tower is slanted leftward, similar to the Tower of Pisa. It is 25.5 meters tall and, from the outside, looks like an 8 storey building, though inside it is actually divided into 3 storeys. The tower is located in the center of a square surrounded by Jalan Pasar, Jalan Selat, Jalan Bandar and Jalan Ah Cheong.

The specialty for building the tower, also known as the Clock Tower, was to store water for the locals during the drought season, in case of fire. The clock on the tower was also used to keep time.

The tower was built in the year 1885 by Leong Choon Chong, a Chinese contractor and was originally used as a water tank to store portable water during dry season for the people living nearby. It is also used as a time keeper of the town as there is a huge clock on top of the tower. The clock was made by J.W. Benson of Ludgatehill London and the cost of building it was contributed by the local people. The building itself is made of bricks and wood. However, it was claimed by a Briton, Neol Danison, and then the Japanese during their occupation of Malaysia in 1941. During this time, the tower became the Japanese’s watch tower. After Independence, in the year 1957, the tower became an official national monument.

The reasons why the tower leans are the soft ground on which it was built, as well as the weight of the water in the water tank, which causes it to lean towards the southwest.

Yup, this tower is one of the specialties in Malaysia. The building shall be continue to be preserved.