Frederic Weld (1823-1891)

Finally the mystery of reporting point Port Well has been resolved.  We know where Port Well is, in fact we know Port Well does not exist.  If it ever existed it would have been Port Weld, which is a name that is not used anymore.  The actual name is Kuala Sepetang, and it must have been that way for quite some time, considering that our 40 years old maps already use it.  ATC in Malaysia is certainly not changing things around in a rush.

For over a year the fearless aviators of the FRAS flying club had to rely on wild guesses to determine where this reporting point “Port Well” might be.  ATC surely never explained it and no map or AIP document mentions the place.  Nevertheless, without fail, Lumpur Info or Ipoh tower would ask for a report at Port Well.  Until now, our chief flight instructor Captain Singh (Kevin Muk got a job that does not allow him to fly anymore) determined that Port Well must be somewhere between Pantai Remis and Bagan Serai, probably at the border of the Ipoh TMA.

Over the Chinese New year weekend we went to Langkawi and I got the decisive hint from Ipoh tower that allowed me to unravel the mystery.  The nice controller figured, probably based on my accent, that I do not really know where I am and told me to report at “Port Well or abeam Taiping.”  Abeam Taiping lays the fishing village Kuala Sepetang.  The amazing Wikipedia actually has an article on that village and here is where I found the missing link.

Apparently the British Governor of the Straits Settlement (aka Singapore) initiated the very first train line in Malaysia, which was then built from Taiping to the closed port at the West coast of Malaysia.  The name of that governor (who also used to be a prime minister of New Zealand) was Sir Frederic Weld (1823 – 1891), and so the port was named “Port Weld”.

The coordinates of Kuala Sepetang are   4° 50′ 18″ N, 100° 37′ 54″ E.