Slim River

Slim River is a small town in Batang Padang, Perak, Malaysia. It is about 100 km (driving time 45 minutes) from Kuala Lumpur. It is situated in the southern part of Perak and is 20 km north of Tanjung Malim. It is about 100 km (driving time 1 hour) from Ipoh. Slim River is the second biggest town in Tanjung Malim district. The town is surrounded by many small villages.

History

The town is named after a nearby river, Sungai Slim. The word Sungai means river in Malay. The river was actually named after an English captain with last name Slim in the 19th century. He accidentally went up the river instead of the Perak River which was the main waterway back then.

Slim River was a military strategic midpoint from North to South of Malaya during World War II. It was the site of a major battle during World War II between the Japanese and British forces which consisted of troops from India, Australia and Great Britain. The British lost the Battle of Slim River to the Japanese forces, who were equipped with tanks. The Japanese also had total air superiority. In their defeat at Slim River, the British suffered heavy casualties and many units were cut off from their line of retreat. The battle effectively ended British hopes of defending Malaya.