Kuala Lumpur Railway Station

The Kuala Lumpur Railway Station was built in 1910, replacing an older building on site. Above the railway station was the Station Hotel. My family and I happened to stay a few days at the Station Hotel while we were in transit and while we waited for our father to come down to Kuala Lumpur (probably from the north). We had sailed from Port Jesselton to Collyer Quay in Singapore, and taken the train from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. It must be from the old train station in Singapore, not Woodlands but the other one, Tanjung Pagar, which is now closed down.

I remember the Station Hotel's black and white interior decor and the delicious meals. The place upstairs was spacious, clean, airy and bright, but a bit bare (luas dan kosong). I loved the place as a kid.

I was going though my grandfather's photograph collection and came across a small dirty photograph of the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. It was probably in 1937, as most of his photographs were from that period, when he worked in Kuala Lumpur. His photograph of the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station is badly stained yellow and I had to clean both the photoprint before scanning. I will need to search for it again.

The Kuala Lumpur Railway Station building today is a bit different and doesn't look as attractive as before. It was the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station that pushed me into liking architecture for life but I never took up architecture as a major at any university. I only kept architecture as a lifetime hobby.

Only five of my relatives have had something to do with the railways:

1. My granduncle Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid's father worked in the repair section of the railway yard in Kuala Lumpur. He died of malaria during the war. 
2. My uncle Pak Saleh worked as Chief Auditor at the railway office across from the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. He is retired and has just moved to his new house in Sentul. 
3. My aunt Esther (Jeffrey's mother) worked as an accountant in the railway office. She is retired and has recovered from heart surgery. 
4. My mother's uncle was a 'train engine driver'; according to my mother, he had blue eyes and a pink face, he was pink. I think he was probably an albino guy. He was named Uncle Osman. 
5. My maternal grandfather Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos worked as a doctor at the Malayan Railway Administration after the war.

External links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuala_Lumpur_Railway_Station
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96CUt-_i-kA

Malayan Railway

The Malayan Railway Administration
The Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) (Malayan Railway Limited), is the main train which has operated in Malaya from before the war till today. It was formerly the Malayan Railway Administration and was used during the British colonial era for transporting tin for export to Great Britain. It was wholly government owned until it underwent corporatisation in 1992 and became KTMB.

The west coast line runs from Padang Besar in the north near the Thailand border via Butterworth on the mainland facing Penang, down south to Gemas train interchange, and finally ends in Singapore.

The east coast line runs from Gemas via Gua Musang to Kuala Krai in the interior to Wakaf Bharu and ends in the north in Tumpat, Kelantan.

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An early Malay doctor, Dr. Che’ Lah bin Mohd Joonos (Dr MJ Che Lah, 1904-1986), had worked at the Malayan Railway Administration as the Acting Health Officer on 21 June 1946. His salary ($5,820.00 per annum) was paid by the Medical Department. He drew an additional allowance of $7.50 per month under General Order (G.O.) 99iii(2) from 29 June 1946 onward.

 Dr Che Lah at the Malayan Railway Administration as the Acting Health Officer on 21 June 1946. Photograph from Dr Che Lah's collection.

Doctor is guest of honour.

Dr. M. J. Che Lah, (seated centre) Malayan Railway Health Officer pictured at the party given in his honour by the staff of the Health Department, Malayan Railway in Kuala Lumpur. Dr. Che Lah is promoted to Deputy State Medical Medical and Health Officer, Selangor. His successor is Dr. J. A. Leslie-Spinks (seated fourth from right). - Yong Peng Seong picture. Source of the newspaper article above is unknown but it could have been from The Straits Echo or The Star, Thursday, __ January 1947 or 1948? If you are Yong Peng Seong, please do contact me at faridahar@gmail.com. TQ

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It is unknown how long Dr Che Lah had served at the Malayan Railway Administration; he could have served for three years (21 June 1946-before 20 April 1949).

After he completed his service at the Malayan Railway Administration, Dr Che Lah served as the Deputy State Medical and Health Officer for Selangor (Dy SMHO Selangor). He was then involved with the Senior Asian Government Officers Association (SAGOA). He was elected Vice-President of SAGOA as reported in The Straits Times on 20 April 1949.