In Malaysia, when Tanjung Rambutan is mention, someone would laugh. This is the place where the first and the biggest Mental Asylum are located.
Tanjung Rambutan is a town in the Kinta District of Perak, Malaysia. It is on the Ipoh to Butterworth railway line. The area is surrounded by limestone hills and very close to the Titiwangsa Mountain Range. It is assessable from Ipoh, Bercham and Chemor.
In 1910, during the Colonial British era, Tanjung Rambutan was proposed by Dr Samuel for the construction of Federal Lunatic Asylum. It was completed in 1911 and the first appointed Medical Superintendent was Dr. W.F. Samuel himself.
Main entrance to the 544 acre Complex.
In 1928 Federal Lunatic Asylum was renamed as Central Mental Hospital and subsequently in early 1970 was renamed as Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta to protrude an image of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center. It is now the biggest Psychiatric Institution in Malaysia.The original area of the Hospital was 544 acres, 300 of which for the building and areas dedicated for rehabilitation like farming, animal husbandry and fish rearing. However in 2007, 41 acres was handed for the construction of Associate Health Science College of Ulu Kinta.
Entrance to the Hospital Wards.
From the main entrance to the Hospital Complex.
(strictly no photography within the Hospital).
Hospital Bahagia, the oldest Psychiatric Hospital is located opposite the Railway Station in Tanjung Rambutan. Due to the presence of the Mental Hospital, this town is often associated with mentally ill people, especially in Ipoh. People in Ipoh used to say something when defaming and blackmailing, the person they hate like "send Person X to Tanjung Rambutan" to infer that the Person X must be mad and has to be sent to the Mental Hospital. The Hospital celebrates its 100th year in 2011.
What was I doing in Tanjong Rambutan?
Since I am from Ipoh (not mentally ill) someone asked me to guide him to the town. One sickly guy was admitted due to acute stress and violent erupted under minor unprovoked issues. To safeguard his safety and the rest within, it was advisable that he was send for treatment at the right place under the supervision of the right Specialist.
The problem with Malaysians, anybody that seeks treatment at this Hospital is mentally ill, in fact it is not. If you don’t believe me, consult a Psychiatric and put yourself to a test. There is a tendency that you may be diagnose of suffering from a certain degree of psychiatric problem under certain circumstances, perhaps not serious enough to be admitted to a Mental Hospital as we are capable controlling the situation. We are crazy of one or other, only the Psychiatric can tell. For instance, how do you behave and react when caught in a massive traffic snarl?
The last time I could remember I was in Tanjung Rambutan was way back sometimes 1971 – 1972 when I was still a bachelor. The town now is very much different since I was here last and the only landmark that remained the same is the Railway Station.
When I was in Tanjung Rambutan on 14 November 2011 at the Hospital Complex, I recalled those memories when we brought a mat and Menglembu groundnuts having picnic at the lawn in front of the Hospital Nurses Hostel. We were the “Outpatients” of the Mental Hospital then. Time out at the Hostel out was 2200 hrs, we had to roll the mat, drove back to Ipoh and the Nurses light out. Tengku N………., if you read this I bet you, you would be laughing. Those were the good old crazy naughty days and it was clean fun. Today, they (the Nurses) must be Grandmothers as I am coming to 67 soon.
The yellow building was the Nurses Hostel during those times.The visit to Tanjung Rambutan ended past noon. The journey back to Port Klang was smooth, the weather was fine all the way and the vehicles along the PLUS Highway were well behaved. Had late lunch at Tapah R & R and jamak zohor and asar prayer. We left at 0930 hrs and back by 1700 hrs.
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