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William Kellie Smith was from a village in Scotland known as Kellas. In 1890, at the age of 20, he arrived in the then undeveloped Malaya. Here, he met an estate owner called Alma Baker, who had won concessions from the state government to clear 360 hectares of forests in Perak. With the substantial profits made from his business venture with Alma Baker, Smith started planting rubber trees and dabbled in the tin mining industry. In time, he became the owner of Kinta Kellas Estate and the Kinta Kellas Tin Dredging Company.

Now with his fortune made, he returned home to marry his Scottish sweetheart, Agnes, and brought her over to Malaysia in 1903. The following year, the couple was blessed with a daughter whom they named Helen. For many years after that, Agnes tried to conceive, but to no avail. William Smith desperately wanted a son and heir to take over his empire in the Malay Isles. After many years, Agnes finally gave birth to a son, Anthony, in 1915. The birth of his child was the start of even greater success for William Smith. To celebrate Anthony’s birth, William Smith decided to expand on his mansion. Smith started planning for a huge castle which he planned to call Kellas House, after his hometown in Scotland.

p/s ~~ secara jujurnya mmg aku ctrl-c and ctrl-v je ayat2 ni

This is the place where the flames of Malay nationalism had first stirred. When the then British Resident of Perak, J.W.W. Birch was assassinated on the bank of Sungai Perak (Perak River), tension between the British colonial administration and the Malays rose. It escalated into open conflict which eventually led to the country’s declaration of independence.

Located about 70km from Ipoh, the Historical Complex pays tribute to warriors such as Dato’ Sagor and Dato’ Maharaja Lela; there are memorials erected in their honour, in the shape of a sundang (broad sword), a replica of the type of knife used in the killing of Mr. Birch.

Other attractions at the complex include the J.W.W. Birch Monument, the grave of Sipuntum (the alleged assassin), Datuk Maharaja Lela’s fort, the Lela Rentaka cannons used against the British colonial army, and two Rumah Kutai (Perak traditional house) filled with local historical and cultural artefacts.

Currently, the resort at Pasir Salak Historical Complex is undergoing renovation while the complex itself is still open to the public. Visiting hours for the complex are as follows: