Leaning into history: Teluk Intan's timeless landmark

New Straits Times

5 days ago

IT'S the first thing that catches your eye as you enter Teluk Intan — a slightly tilted tower rising confidently from the town square. Locals will tell you that all roads here lead to the Menara Condong, and they're right. The Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan is the beating heart of a town steeped in history, stories and quiet resilience.
Yet, despite its charm, this iconic structure remains one of Malaysia's best-kept secrets. Few realise it's one of only two leaning towers in the world. After Pisa, Italy, comes Teluk Intan, a lesser-known but no less remarkable monument to time, tradition and ingenuity.
Constructed in 1885 by Chinese contractor and philanthropist Leong Choon Chong, the tower was originally designed as a water tank to serve the townsfolk during dry spells and to assist in firefighting. His legacy lives on, not just in the tower itself but also in the road that still bears his name nearby.
While the original architect remains unknown, historical records point to S. Sabapathy, an assistant engineer with the Public Works Department in Teluk Anson, as playing a key role in its construction.
His contributions are documented in A Hundred Years of Ceylonese in Malaysia and Singapore (1867–1967), highlighting the influence of early Ceylonese professionals in shaping the infrastructure of colonial Malaya.
Standing at 25.5 metres tall with 110 steps leading to the top, the tower appears to have eight tiers. However, the interior is divided into just three storeys. Above the third floor sits the water tank — 4.9 metres deep with a surface area of 63 square metres — once a vital reservoir for the community.
Its design borrows from Chinese pagoda architecture, with octagonal tiers, tiled roofs and wraparound balconies encircled by decorative marble balustrades. A curious historical detail? The side balconies were supposedly designed to protect the caretaker from Perak's notorious rainstorms — a practical flourish with a touch of humour.
Inside, it's a marriage of brick and cengal gayung wood, reflecting a blend of colonial engineering and local craftsmanship that has helped the tower stand tall, even while leaning, for more than a century.
OF FENG SHUI, TRADE AND IMPERIAL INTRIGUE
Legend adds another layer to the story. A wealthy Chinese merchant, said to control much of the trade along Sungai Perak, sought a feng shui master's advice to further his prosperity. The master instructed him to build a grand storehouse overlooking river traffic.
The British district officer, wary of the merchant's rising influence, reportedly consulted another feng shui expert. The solution? Erect a tower on the same site to block the flow of good fortune. Whether fact or folklore, the result is the leaning tower we see today, a monument shaped as much by superstition as by civic need.
While the tower was completed in 1892, it stood silent until 1895 when a majestic clock was installed — imported from London and crafted by S.S. & J.W. Benson, royal watchmakers to Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales. Manufactured at their Steam Factory in Ludgate Hill, London, the timepiece was the pinnacle of Victorian precision.
Driven by a manually wound, weight-powered system, the clock still functions today. Its keeper climbs the tower regularly to wind it, ensuring it continues to chime every 15 minutes.
FROM WAR POST TO HERITAGE STAR
The tower has worn many hats through the decades. During the Japanese occupation in World War II, its roof tiles were stripped and it was turned into an observation post. Later, it became the headquarters for the Boy Scouts and, curiously, even served as an office for the National Family Planning Board.
It wasn't until 1997 that the Teluk Intan Municipal Council stepped in to officially preserve the tower as a heritage site. A new town square was built around it, transforming the once utilitarian structure into a centrepiece of tourism and civic pride.
The tower began to tilt not long after it was built, a result of the soft, marshy ground on which it stands. Designed to function as a water tank, the structure's considerable weight — particularly from the large tank installed on the third floor — placed immense pressure on the unstable soil below.
Years of periodic flooding only made matters worse, softening the foundation and causing the tower to lean gently to one side. Yet, it never fell.
Its remarkable endurance may be attributed to its construction — a thoughtful blend of brick and cengal gayung hardwood. The wooden beams offer flexibility, absorbing subtle shifts and redistributing stress throughout the structure, while the bricks provide the rigidity needed to hold everything together.
This ingenious pairing of materials, fusing colonial engineering with local knowledge, has allowed the tower to remain upright (albeit tilted), weathering the passage of time with quiet defiance.
Today, the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan is more than just a curiosity. It's a living monument to colonial history, multicultural legacies and the quiet strength of a small Malaysian town that continues to honour its past while leaning confidently into the future.
So next time you find yourself in Perak, follow the road to Teluk Intan. You won't need a map. The tower, as always, will be waiting.