The present name of ‘Batu Pahat’ means ‘chiselled stone’ in Malay. It is derived from the presence of a legendary well, Perigi Batu Pahat, which was believed to be chiselled from the rocky coast in Minyak Beku or Frozen Fuel by the Siamese soldiers in the year 1456 in search of fresh water.
You can see this plaque near the legendary well. It has been endorsed by the Tourism Ministry of Malaysia as a tourist spot. The history of how the town got its name is inscribed in the plaque.
“Located along the shores at Minyak Beku near the mouth of the Batu Pahat River, the well was said to have been dug by fleeing Siamese troops after a failed attack on Malacca during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah, the third sultan of Malacca who ruled from 1446 to 1459. The Siamese soldiers chiselled a hole in the rock until water flowed. The soldiers, who were being pursued by Malacca forces under Bendahara Tun Perak, fled south and sailed back to Siam (Thailand) via the South China Sea. The district of Batu Pahat takes its name from the incident. Batu Pahat means chiselled stone.”
The well and its surrounding, the fence is to prevent any untoward incidents from happening like for example, kids and pets from wondering too far the edge of the well.
The remains of an old fort, presumably from the fleeing Siamese. If only someone would explain the significance of these buildings so that the younger generation would have a better idea of this place. This could be the fort walls or what’s left of it. I am guessing the space in between these walls are for cannons.
The dilapidated condition of the fort or manor (dunno what this is). There is even an old staircase running at the side of this building.
A closer look at the building. The walls reminds me of the ones at Malacca, like A’Formosa. It’s been said when the Portuguese occupied Malacca, the stones were dug from Batu Pahat and transported to Malacca for the defence buildings in the city.
What remains of an old port from bygone eras. It’s now been used by local fisherman to unload their catch of the day or the public to fish during the weekends.
The beach in Batu Pahat is called Minyak Beku, its not really a nice place for swimming but its heaven for anglers. The close proximity of an old quarry contributes to the boulders you see littering the beach. There used to be a lot crabs, horseshoe crabs and fishes here as compared to now, but due to pollution, it’s now becoming more difficult to catch crabs but fishes are still aplenty here. Picture below shows the disused quarry.
A baby mudskipper observing the surroundings with curious eyes.
The recently opened ferry service linking Batu Pahat and the main Sumatran towns. Here we can see the ferry leaving port with a full load of people.
