Railways – The Iron Spine of Malaya
By Enzo Sim
October 2019 LEST WE FORGET
The formation of the very first railway system in the Malay Peninsula in the late nineteenth century revolutionised the way economic commodities were transported. It was so significant that it elevated Malaya’s economic importance among British colonies in the Far East.Before the construction of the railway line, tin ore was transported using ox-carts. In the mid-nineteenth century, however, an endemic foot-and-mouth disease swept through Taiping, claiming the lives of thousands of cattle and crippling the transportation system.During this period, cart...
Enzo Sim
is a Mass Communications graduate who has an unwavering passion towards international relations, history and regional affairs of Southeast Asia. His passion has brought him to different Southeast Asian capitals to explore the diverse cultural intricacies within the region.
