Explore Kuala Lumpur and around
Set 1500m up in the forested Titiwangsa mountains, 75km northeast of KL, the collection of colonial bungalows comprising FRASER’S HILL was established after World War I as one of Malaysia’s earliest hill stations, a retreat for administrators seeking relief from the torrid lowland climate. Though less visited than the much larger Cameron Highlands to the north, Fraser’s Hill boasts excellent nature trails and superb birdwatching; some 250 species have been recorded here, and the Fraser’s Hill International Bird Race each June (wpkbf.org.my) sees teams competing to clock up as many as possible within a day. Even if you don’t have the slightest interest in twitching, the hill remains a good getaway from the heat and hubbub of KL, and at weekends (when accommodation prices shoot up) it draws families from as far away as Singapore. Bear in mind that no public transport comes all the way up here.
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Communists on the Hill
Communists on the Hill
During the Emergency in the 1950s, the mountainous jungle at Fraser’s Hill provided perfect cover for some of the communist guerrillas’ secret camps, from where they launched strikes on British-owned plantations and neighbouring towns.
If you approach Fraser’s Hill via Kuala Kubu Bharu, due north of KL, roughly halfway up you’ll see a sign, “Emergency Historical Site”, marking the spot where Sir Henry Gurney, the British High Commissioner for Malaya at the height of the communist insurgency in 1951, was ambushed and killed. The guerrillas hadn’t known how important their quarry was: their aim had been only to steal guns, ammunition and food, but when Gurney strode towards them demanding that they put down their weapons, they opened fire.
