FMS Bar and Restaurant Ipoh

The FMS Building (1906) is located at 2, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah (formerly Brewster Road). It was built in the Straits-Electic style in 1906 to commemorate the Federated Malay States (FMS) which was formed in 1896.

The FMS Bar and Restaurant was a popular watering-hole for European tin-miners, planters and servicemen in the early 1900s and a place for relaxation after office hours for those working in old town, especially lawyers from the courts nearby.

It is the only privately owned pre-war shophouse in the city gazetted as a heritage building by the Ipoh City Council.

The restaurant has been closed for business since March 2008. It is currently undergoing renovations.The old world charm of the FMS Bar and Restaurant will be retained when it reopens for business after a facelift.

For further info, please read the following publications:
1. Restaurant Revival - Star Metro, Monday 15 Mar 2010.
2. Lets Raise a Glass to the FMS Bar - Ipoh Echo 14 Mar 2010.
3. Nephew - May He Rest In Peace - Ipohworld's World 5 June 2010; About a popular barman much loved by the patrons and who had recently passed away.

Some history about FMS, Source from Wikipedia:
The Federated Malay States (FMS) was a federation of four protected states in the Malay Peninsula. The states are Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang. FMS was established by the British government in 1895 and lasted until 1946. The United Kingdom was responsible for foreign affairs and defence of the federation, whilst the states continued to be responsible for their domestic policies.

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday Season 2 Episode 35. To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

The Railway Station - Taj Mahal of Ipoh

This is the Majestic Station Hotel, Ipoh which is located in the same building as the Ipoh Railway Station at Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab. It is built in neoclassical "British Raj" style, with Moorish domes and turrets hence it is often referred to as the Taj Mahal of Ipoh.

The Ipoh Railway Station which was built in 1917 was designed by the then government Architect, A. B. Hubback, who was also the architect for the a similar looking Kuala Lumpur Railway Station which was completed in 1911.  The railway station and the hotel in Ipoh was only completed in 1935 due to a shortage of building materials and rising costs due to World War I. When it was finally opened, Perak state was experiencing a boom in the tin-mining industry.

This was one of the sites for the 1999 Hollywood movie, Anna and the King, staring Jodie Fister and Chow Yun-Fat and directed by Andy Tennant. This movie was an Academy Award nominee in 2000 for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. This site is also a favourite movie site for other Malaysian and foreign productions.

What do you have here:

1. A beautiful landscaped garden filled with bougainvilleas, the official flower of Ipoh city
2. A specimen of the real Ipoh tree from where the city obtained it's name
3. An arched walkway
4. A War Memorial to honour Perak war heroes of WW1 (1914-1818) and WW2 (1939-1945)
5. The Majestic Station Hotel - their link here.

Ipoh is the 4th largest city in Malaysia.

Buildings nearby:

1. In front: The Ipoh Town Hall and Police Contingent Headquarters
2. Right: The Post Office
3. Left: The Ipoh High Court

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday Season 2 Episode 33. To view what others have in their world, please visit here.