Miss Griffith Jones O.B.E. and the Tanglin School
Miss Anne Laugharne Phillips Griffith-Jones arrived in Singapore in 1923 where she spent a 3- month holiday with her brother,O.P. (O.P. Griffith-Jones was a well-known local stock-broker who had a cosy life carved out in Singapore.)
Miss Griff as she was affectionately known, liked Singapore so much she decided to stay on to help O.P’s sister-in-law run a school for the expatriate community. In 1925, with the help of another teacher and permission from the club, Miss Griff opened Tanglin Day School comprising of two attap huts in Tanglin Club’s grounds. Miss Griff was not a teacher by profession but her passion for sharing, developed into a fulltime task of providing the most appropriate education for young ladies in her care. In 1934, at O.P’s suggestion, Miss Griff opened a Tanglin School in Camerons with 150 pupils; and 22 qualified school teachers recruited from England.
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In the early days of Camerons' development, the European community left the lowland for the mountains to convalesce and to relax which often led to days of excessive drinking and loafing around. Then, as the 2nd world war broke out, groups of reinforcements from the British and Indian Armies were sent over to Malaya. These army officers headed off to the highlands during weekends and on local leave to escape from the lowland heat and for female company of which Camerons was slowly gaining reputation for.
Not long after, news spread throughout South-East Asia that Miss Griff’s girls were the most attractive lasses around, and many war-weary soldiers ‘were renewed with vitality and hope in the company of such charming girls’. (Extract from ‘Odd Man Out’ The story of the Singapore Traitor). It is said that ‘they found a warm welcome among the grass widows and their daughters, and from some of the young women at Tanglin school.’
During the Japanese occupation, Miss Griff was tossed into the pits of the infamous Changi prison. But she survived, was later released where she continued to teach after the war. She retired in 1958 and was conferred the O.B.E for services to education and in 1962, the PJK(Pingat Jasa Kebaktian) by the Sultan of Pahang for meritous service. In 1973, Miss Griff died in Ipoh hospital aged 83 and is buried in Tapah on the foothill of Camerons.
Today the old Tanglin school is an inn with chalets for rental and has been renamed, Bala’s Holiday Chalets. The current owners have retained much of the original structure and continue to serve tea and scones as Miss Griff used to for her girls.
Jim Thompson
cottage where thomson stayed |
The most significant milestone in the history of Cameron Highlands( you’ve heard perhaps?)is the disappearance of a well-known figure - Mr. Jim Thompson. Jim Thompson was the owner of a beautiful traditional Thai house (currently under threat of being demolished to make way for another highway link situated along a khlong (canal) in Bangkok).
More importantly, also known as the ‘Thai Silk King’ , Thompson was credited with founding the Thai Silk industry after the 2nd World War. Today, a chain of exclusive Jim Thomson boutiques are found throughout Asia and merchandise extends from bales of Thai Silk to household items and fashion-wear.
One fateful cold day on 26th March 1967, Thompson went off for a pre-dinner stroll , never to return. According to the local folk,on his last visit to Camerons, Thompson had stayed at the Moonlight villa, a small and cosy little cottage in an enclave just down a little lane not far from the Strawberry Park Resort , as he did many occasions before.
orang asli settlements |
His disappearance was shrouded in mystery. Even the most experienced trekkers recruited from nearby tribal villages could not locate him. There was no sign of the man. Not a shoe or garment of clothing found - not a clue. He had simply vanished. Rumours ran wild and some believed he was kidnapped Or he was dragged off by a tiger Or that he may have even planned his disappearance for unknown reasons
Camerons today
Cameron Highlands today is a popular destination for local holidaymakers and Singaporeans. As a result of the influx of visitors - hotels, motels and service apartments have mushroomed in recent years. With that too, the roads have been widened and unfortunately a new highway has been built from Kampung Raja about 20km from Brinchang through to Simpang Pulai on the East-West highway down in the valley. This makes Camerons more accessible from Ipoh but challenges the vulnerability of the environment.
The charms and tranquillity of Camerons has been quite extensively altered by excessive construction of apartment blocks precariously stacked on steep slopes and also expansion of farms and plantations. A number of the old trekking trails have been demolished by these unchecked expansions. After reports on numerous landslide occurrences, the government released a list of regulations on the development of hillsides to curb further degradation.
The weather has also changed with this active clearing of land. It feels much warmer now than it did years ago and there are even weeks of drought. The rivers and streams are polluted by farming activities that are commonly situated close to these water sources for irrigation. Having studied the impact of development and clearing on the environment, the local NGOs are working closely with government to help promote sustainable development.
misty mornings |
If you would like to know more about how we can contribute to saving our highlands and our vital water resources, please click to : http://www.wwfmalaysia.org/
However, all is not lost for Camerons. The treks are pleasant, nowhere else in the Peninsular that you can trek without sweating copiously . The cool mountain air is also a fine welcome for our heavily polluted city lungs. Check out our activity section for more on trekking
Having said all, There are opportunities to relive the days when afternoon tea was exquisite and sitting by a warm open fireplace - a comfort; to relive the days only read in storybooks - one can dissolve into the beauty of Camerons. For a price to pay, there are a few colonial bungalows and chalets for rental that are situated away from the crowd. (Please check out the accommodation section below.)
next page on activities at camerons ...
Getting There and Away
Best Time to Go
Highland activity:trekking etc 
