Batu Gajah's MDKB (Majlis Daerah Kinta Barat) building is now housed in a grand looking building on the hill commonly known as Changkat. Its spacious compound can be confusing to someone new to the place, yet driving a car into the car park, one gets the feeling that a few more cars would make it awkward, whether driving in or out.
The several offices located in different parts of the large building require some walking to get from one to the other. On a recent visit to the payments counter, I noticed the cashier having a free time which I later found out that it could be because of the ease of payment now available at the Post Office which is more centrally located.
The grand design of the post office has its weakness in being unfriendly to the pensioners and disabled, who need to visit the place once a month for their pensions and disability benefits. The other day, I took a photograph of an 'oku' being helped by a 'haji' down the steep stairs. I have counted a total of 18 steps from the pavement to reach the post office, and compared to Batu Caves's 272 steps, it is almost 7%! As a long term solution for the benefit of the aged and disabled, the post office can arrange to have an electronic device at ground level which can be used to ring for service. Alternatively, for a limited number of days, a counter could be set up next to the lower ground car park where there used to have a 'drive through' service, specifically for these group of people. This is going further than 'a special counter for senior citizens' as what had been reported before in The Star on 22 April, 2008.
I have mentioned a few times about the grand railway station of Batu Gajah which requires driving your own car or be at the mercy of the taxi drivers who would charge at least Rm7 just to take one from the station to the main Jalan Tg. Tuallang and Rm15 to Changkat! As a comparison, the train fare is only Rm10 for Economy and Rm17 for the better compartments. To lend credence to what I have been complaining about, here is what an Australian couple posted in a blogsite:
Mattie and Maggie's Big Adventure!
by Karen O'Reilly And Matt Williams
21.04.09 - Batu Gajah - The Search for Great Uncle Alfred
The next day we get the earliest train we can to Batu Gajah, bearing in mind the only information we had to start out with is that my Great Uncle Alfred was buried in Bath Cajah in 1923, after we googled this place it only came up with Batu Gajah. Further investigation we find info on 'Gods Little Acre' which is a cemetery to commemorate people that died during the communist emergency from 1949-1960, unfortunately my G.U. Alfred isn't on the roll of honour for that time and the year he died isn't right for the communist emergency, but we figure it's our best bet. So we're pretty blind going into this but get the train there anyway.
It doesn't start very well, we arrive at Batu Gajah train station in the middle of nowhere. There is no bus service so we have to get a taxi. Our taxi man doesn't speak English and wants to take us to Ipoh a different town. We do get to Batu Gajah town and talk to some locals, a lot of time was spent talking to three young men, about 'Gods Little Acre' but no one has heard of it, they keep trying to send us to a tourist castle.
We go back to the internet to get more info. Armed with notes we talk to two policeman, taxi men, a waitress, the owner of the internet place, lady in 7/11, some more strangers and no one has heard of this place. Oh Dear!
We find the three young men again and start drawing pictures etc, we know the cemetery is opposite an old court house and they seem to know where this is. They draw a 'spectacular' map to the old court house. We walk about 20 minutes and find the court house, we immediately worry because opposite it is a very new looking Football Pitch and a small stadium!!! Surely they haven't replaced a cemetery with a football pitch and if they have we still don't even know if Uncle Alfred is here?!
We walk for about an hour near the court house, we ask a security guard who tells us to follow the road. We find two cemeteries, he has to be here!! We search and search for another hour but we can't find him and it isn't 'God's Little Acre' anyway.
We walk back down the road to the back of the court house but still can't see it. We ask a man fittingly called Amen, can this man answer our prayers? Once he understands war memorial he asks us to follow him on his bike, he leads us to 'Gods Little Acre', hooray! Now we hope G.U. Alfred is here. Amen loves it and helps us to look, he finds a Alfred William Sayer but it's no good. Then I come across a grave with Carn Brea, Cornwall and the name Louisa Williams with the same year and month, I slowly realize this is the name of my Great Gran and see the name Alfred written above her name, we found him!!!!!!
I have a suggestion which I hope the relevant decision-makers can ponder on. For the sake of the many train travellers who have been complaining about the distance of the station from the main road, unlike the old station, would it not be feasible to have designated or scheduled stops at the old station? Nearing Kuala Lumpur, other than Rawang, there are Sungai Buloh, Kepong Sentral, Kepong, Segambut and so on, and I do not see why another stop in Batu Gajah cannot be considered. Please be reminded that the whole idea of the location of the new station was without proper consultation with the residents.
Whether the old railway station is renovated is immaterial to the residents so long as it is convenient to them. We must bear in mind that certain times of arrival are actually very late at night or very early in the morning, when taxis are unavailable and one has to rely on the goodwill of relatives or friends.
It is ironic that having spent huge sums of money on the district office, post office and railway station, the most important aspect – that of convenience to the public, seemed to have been overlooked!
What it used to be:
Note the golden triangle of the old railway station, MDKB and post office.
Now only the post office remained and rebuilt into a showcase of unfriendliness!
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