Kampung Guru Teluk Intan, the First Teacher Housing Scheme in Malaya

Teluk Intan was one of the earliest planned towns developed in Malaya by the British, alongside Taiping and Kuala Lumpur.

Because of this, it is no surprise that Teluk Intan received early development touches in Malaya, especially given its status as an important port town for exporting tin and as a landing point for oil and petroleum products in Malaya at that time. In this article, orangperak.com would like to touch upon the first housing scheme for teachers in Malaya, which is the settlement at Kampung Guru Teluk Intan. Located on Jalan Changkat Jong and only 2 kilometers from Teluk Intan town, Kampung Guru Teluk Intan was the result of an initiative by Mr. Weeratunge Edward Perera.

He was the headmaster of the Anglo-Chinese School Telok Anson (now Sekolah Horley Methodist Teluk Intan) and a person who contributed greatly to the development of Teluk Intan. He was also among the individuals who made significant contributions to saving the residents of Teluk Intan during the Japanese occupation and when the Malayan Communist Party forces ran rampant during the power vacuum following the Japanese military withdrawal. The initiative to develop a special housing area for teachers in Telok Anson (now Teluk Intan), inspired by Mr. Edward Perera, was due to his observation that teachers in Telok Anson at the time found it difficult to own homes due to their low salaries.

He, along with teachers and former teachers in Telok Anson, then established a teachers' cooperative named the 'English Teachers Co-operative Society' in 1952. The cooperative, under the guidance of Mr. Edward Perera, began purchasing a rubber plantation area near Jalan Changkat Jong and started building 40 houses. The housing project was completed in 1953 and was officiated by Governor Mc Gillivray. One interesting fact about this teaching housing project is that it was also the first multi-racial settlement in Malaya.

Kampung Guru in Teluk Intan around the 1950s

The teaching housing area was originally intended to be named Kampung Edward Perera, but he politely declined the suggestion, and the housing area was eventually named Kampung Guru Telok Anson. Today, even though more than 6 decades have passed and with the rapid development in Teluk Intan, Kampung Guru remains a beautiful place for former teachers in Teluk Intan to live to this day.