35 – The Salvation Army in Ipoh
You park your vehicle. Hanging around are some street urchins. Immediately one of them comes round and with a smile tells you, “I watch your car for you.” It’s not altruism at all. He stretches out his hand for money. Turn him down, or ignore him, you will find on your return later scratch marks on your vehicle. It’s pure intimidation from street kids known as ‘jaga kreta’ (watch your car) boys.
Such scenes were common in bygone days. The Rotary Club of Ipoh opened a Home for such boys to get them off the streets. Hearing of the good work of The Salvation Army in Penang and elsewhere, they invited the Army to take over this Home.
In 1940, Major Frederick Harvey after successfully establishing the work in Penang, went to Ipoh to commence operations in this rich tin mining town of Ipoh. He started a new Corps (church) in a rented house at Jalan Pasir Puteh. Later Lieutenant Sim Wee Lee (also known as Willie Sim) was appointed to carry on the work.
At 1.15 a.m. Monday 8th December 1941 the Japanese army landed at Kota Baru a small coastal town about 400 miles on the east coast of Malaya. The invading army moved quickly southwards and Ipoh fell to the Japanese on 15th December 1941. Salvation Army work came to an abrupt halt. Lieutenant Willie Sim returned to Singapore.
War ended in 1945 and the following year, Captain Elsie Willis was appointed to Ipoh to recommence the work of the Army. Captain Tan Beng Neo was sent to assist her and a Girls’ Home was opened on a 15 acre piece of land with a ‘house’ with a roof but no walls! She got a carpenter to build one room where she lived with a deaf girl from Penang brought by Major Bertha Grey.
A couple of months later Adjutant Gwen Norman, a New Zealand officer arrived in Ipoh to recommence evangelical work and replant the church. In her 1947 report for the War Cry, she wrote about the progress of her work from her quarters at Chamberlain Road. She had eighty women attending her Home League (ladies) meeting. She had also established a day school with forty pupils ranging from Primary 1 to those taking their GCE O level.
The Boys’ Home at Treacher Street was officially opened by the Mentri Besar of Perak in August 1948. Present in that meeting were many members of the Rotary Club that had initiated this programme, the club officially transferring it to The Salvation Army. The President Mr. J V Morais in making the transfer remarked, “In my opinion there is no duty more urgent today than the duty of saving and salvaging the unaided and the underprivileged boys and girls from the sins and slums of Malayan towns.” In accepting the document of transfer Lieut. Colonel William Darby declared the Army’s policy and conviction to train and guide young people who enter its doors.
By now the Army had three centres – the Girls’ Home at Gopeng Road with 52 girls and babies, a Corps at 41 Chamberlain Road and the Boys’ Home with 31 boys under the charge of Adjutant and Mrs. Stanley Gordon.
In 1950 there was a leadership change and Major and Mrs. Joseph Jordan took charge of this. Boys’ Home. They moved the Home to the present location, a bigger building at Tambun four miles from the city. The General Secretary Brigadier Frederick Harvey performed the opening ceremony attended by Rotarians, Government officials and well wishers. The Army since than has added extensions to cater for more boys.
Today the Army runs the Children’s Home, Boys’ Home, Corps and Home for the Aged the latter was handed over by the Sisters of the Poor to the Army in 1992.
On 4th July 1969 we began a new adventure when we took charge of the Ipoh Boys’ Home – a Home for fifty boys.
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