Cover Pintasan Saloma or Saloma Link Bridge (Photo: Veritas Design Group/Facebook)
Pintasan Saloma or Saloma Link Bridge (Photo: Veritas Design Group/Facebook)
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From Saloma Link Bridge to the chilling Mahsuri Mausoleum, here are five unique landmarks in Malaysia named in honour of inspiring female figures from past and present
You might have seen the bright lights and dramatic drone photography of the iconic Saloma Link Bridge in Kuala Lumpur. But did you know that this incredible architectural project is one of several landmarks in the nation that are named after women? From the unmistakable singer and actress Salmah Ismail (also known as Saloma) to Japanese Occupation-era freedom fighter Sybil Kathigasu, we look at five unique buildings and locations in Malaysia named after inspirational female figures from the past and present.
Read more: 5 inspiring Asian female architects to know
Sybil Kathigasu’s clinic shophouse in Papan, Perak
Above Photo: Perak Heritage Society Official/Facebook
Above Sybil’s Clinic (Photo: Papan Moods)
Photo: Perak Heritage Society Official/Facebook
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In Japanese-occupied Malaya, a nurse named Sybil Kathigasu and her husband, Dr. Abdon Clement Kathigasu, ran a clinic in their hometown of Papan, Perak. Sybil was a great asset to local resistance forces, covertly supplying medicines, medical services, and information to the Perak People’s Anti-Japanese Army until she was arrested in 1943. Despite being tortured by the Japanese, Sybil refused to divulge information about the resistance fighters. She died of her injuries in 1949 after being released from prison when the war ended in 1945.
Many conservation enthusiasts have mourned that Sybil Kithigasu’s clinic (a shophouse still in Papan) is in disrepair today. However, photographers and like-minded visitors still visit the site, which some have rumoured to be haunted. Today, there is also a road in Ipoh called Jalan Sybil Kathigasu.
Saloma Link Bridge, Kuala Lumpur
Above A man walks through an empty Saloma Link bridge (Photo: Annice Lyn/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Above Aerial View of Saloma bridge linked KLCC and Kampung Baru area (Photo: Twenty47studio/Getty Images)
A man walks through an empty Saloma Link bridge (Photo: Annice Lyn/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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Completed in February 2020, Pintasan Saloma, also known as the Saloma Link Bridge, proudly stands over the Klang River, linking the busy commercial city centre of KLCC with an older, historic part of KL known as Kampung Baru. Named after Malaysian singer and actress Saloma—wife of another Malaysian icon, P. Ramlee—the bridge’s design is inspired by the sirih junjung, an ornamental leaf traditionally offered in Malay weddings as a symbol of unity.
“It represents the ceremonial gesture that embodies the bond between KLCC and Kampung Baru,” Syah Kamaruddin, director and principal of Veritas Design Group told Tatler in an interview highlighting Malaysian architects and the most iconic projects in their portfolios.
See also: 3 architects' most iconic works from their portfolios
Queen Victoria Memorial Clocktower, Penang
Above Photo by John S Lander/LightRocket via Getty Images
Photo by John S Lander/LightRocket via Getty Images
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In honour of Queen Victoria's 1897 Diamond Jubilee, the Jubilee Clocktower that now stands at the junction of Lebuh Light and Lebuh Pantai in George Town, Penang was first constructed that same year. The Moorish-style structure is 60 feet tall, representing the number of years of Queen Victoria's reign.
Bangunan Bakti Siti Hasmah, TTDI
Above Bangunan Bakti Siti Hasmah, TTDI
Bangunan Bakti Siti Hasmah, TTDI
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Designed by DBA Akitek, The Siti Hasmah BAKTI Building (BBSH) was completed in 2003, housing the administrative office of BAKTI (Kelab Kebajikan Tenaga Isteri-Isteri Menteri dan Timbalan Menteri). It was named after Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, former president of BAKTI for 22 years and wife of former Malaysian prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Makam Mahsuri, Langkawi
Photo: Suhaimi Mohd/Facebook
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The legend behind Kota Mahsuri and its famous Mahsuri Mausoleum is as riveting as it is eerie. It dates back 200 years ago when a beautiful young woman, Mahsuri, was wrongly accused of adultery and sentenced to death. The legend states that she was tied to a tree and stabbed to death despite her pleas of innocence. It is said that she cursed the island in her dying breath, claiming it would remain barren for seven generations.
The Mahsuri Mausoleum, also known as Makam Mahsuri, is supposed to be her tomb and is a popular haunt (pun intended) for tourists and locals even today. The Kota Mahsuri Museum at Makam Mahsuri houses a large portrait painting of Mahsuri and a replica of the weapon used to execute her.
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Previously contributing to Esquire Malaysia, Expat Lifestyle and Newsweek, Tania oversees digital stories across Tatler’s key content pillars, also leading the Front & Female platform exploring issues and topics affecting women today.
