IPOH: Nothing is more haunting than seeing a once-thriving town abandoned and in a state of disrepair.
Thankfully, there is still life emanating from a pre-Merdeka barbershop.
As the sole survivor of Kampung Kepayang’s “ghost town”, the barbershop still receives regular customers into its nondescript premises, injecting much energy and optimism into the otherwise forgotten town.
The barbershop opens every day from morning to midnight, serving customers from as far as Kampar and Ipoh.
It is run by P. Gnasergaran, a second-generation barber who still remembers fondly when the town was a thriving tin-mining outpost.
The town centre consists of two rows of double-storey wooden shoplots, some of which date back to the 19th century.
Kampung Kepayang went into a rapid decline in the 1980s following the collapse of the tin-mining industry, which saw the commodity price drop by as much as 50 per cent. As a result, many mines were forced to close.
Gnasergaran recalled that in the 1960s, the place was a beehive of activity with a wet market, restaurants and sundry shops.
“Kampung Kepayang was the focal point for workers from the nearby mining colonies, including those working for British firm Osborne & Chappel and Gopeng Consolidated, which were among the leading miners,” he told the New Sunday Times.
“When the mining stopped, there were no jobs for locals. The young eventually moved out in search of better prospects, leaving the old behind.
“Eventually, even the older people left.”
Gnasergaran recalled how he arrived in Kampung Kepayang as a 5-year-old with his family.
His father opened the barbershop in 1951 and it has stayed pristine.
A ceiling fan has been there since the 1960s, while a long desk that had been in service more than five decades is still serving its purpose.
In one corner hangs the portrait of the country’s first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj.
Gnasergaran said his father bought the portrait in 1957 to commemorate the nation’s independence.
“Each time I look at the portrait, I feel nostalgic for the good old days.”
Back in the 1960s and 1970s, a haircut cost around RM1 for adults and 50 sen for kids. Today, Gnasergaran charges RM12 for each haircut.
Among the items he had cherished in his barbershop was a grandfather clock that was handed down by his father. Unfortunately, it was stolen when someone broke into the barbershop several years ago.
Gnasergaran, who lives across the road from the barbershop, said he was sad that the town had become unsightly, with dilapidated and damaged old shoplots.
He claimed that the local council, Batu Gajah District Council, had torn down some of the buildings without prior consent from the owners.
Subsequently, scavengers had looted valuable timber parts from the shoplots, he added.
“I hope the town can be rejuvenated and a new economic masterplan introduced to bring people back to the town.
“Some of the shoplot owners are reluctant to sell their property in the hope of a much bigger compensation package.”
Gnasergaran said he had not given up hope that someday the fortunes of Kampung Kepayang would turn around.
Given its location between Simpang Pulai and Gopeng, and its close proximity to the North-South Expressway, he said Kampung Kepayang had the potential for economic regeneration.
“We need to bring Kampung Kepayang back to life. This is a town steeped in history and heritage,” he said.
In 2015, the state government had announced plans to transform its 22ha herbal garden near Kampung Kepayang into a regional hub for the herbal industry.