Perlis
Encyclopedia
Perlis is the smallest state in Malaysia. It lies at the northern part of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia
and has Satun
and Songkhla
Provinces of Thailand
on its northern border. It is bordered by the state of Kedah
to the south. Perlis was called Palit by the Siamese when it was under their influence.
Perlis Indera Kayangan has a population of 227,025 as of 2010.
The capital of Perlis is Kangar
and the Royal capital is Arau
. Another important town is Padang Besar
, at the Malaysian-Thailand border. The main port and ferry terminal is at the small village of Kuala Perlis
, linking mostly to Langkawi Island. Perlis has a famous snake farm and research centre at Sungai Batu Pahat and Gua Kelam and Perlis State Park are tourist attractions. .
, although it occasionally came under rule by Siam or Aceh
. After the Siamese conquered Kedah in 1821, the British
felt their interests in Perak
to be threatened. This resulted in the 1826 Burney and Low Treaties formalising relations between the two Malay states and Siam, their nominal overlord. In the Burney Treaty
, the exiled Kedah sultan Ahmad Tajuddin
was not restored to his throne. Sultan Ahmad and his armed supporters then fought unsuccessfully for his restoration over twelve years (1830–1842).
In 1842, the Sultan finally agreed to accept Siamese terms, and was restored to his throne of Kedah. However, Siam separated Perlis into a separate principality directly vassal to Bangkok
. Sayyid Hussain Jamalulail, the paternal grandson of a Hadhrami Arab
Sayyid
immigrant and maternal grandson of the Sultan of Kedah, became the first Raja
of Perlis. His descendants still rule Perlis, but as rajas, instead of as sultans.
As with Kedah, the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909
forced Siam to relinquish its southern Malay vassal states to Great Britain
. The British installed a Resident in the Perlis Royal capital of Arau
. Perlis was returned to Siam in World War II
as a reward for Siam's alliance with Japan
, but this brief annexation ended with the Japanese surrender. After World War II, Perlis returned to British rule until it became part of the Malayan Union
, then Federation of Malaya
in 1957 and lastly Federation of Malaysia in 1963.
Since 2000, the Raja
or hereditary monarch has been Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin
. He was the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
of Malaysia from 2001 to 2006. Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra was the Regent of Perlis during the five-year period when Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin was Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The Chief Executive or Menteri Besar
is Datuk Seri Dr Md Isa Sabu
of Barisan Nasional
.
The Coat of Arms
of Perlis consists of a sturdy green wreath of padi
, indicating the wealth of the kingdom and the chief economic activity of the people. The shield in the center represents the pride of the people. Inside the shield is a ring of golden rice surrounding the name "Perlis" written in the Jawi script.
(21,058 or 9.6%), Indian (2,658 or 1.21%) and others (20,690 or 9.45%).
During the Japanese occupation of Malaya, the Raja of Perlis was Syed Hamzah Jamalullail but the Siamese Government also appointed their own Governor in Perlis by the name of Udom Boonyaprasop.
The Japanese lost the War and the British returned as colonialists again and decided to replace Raja Syed Hamzah with Syed Putra Jamalullail who reigned over the smallest State in Malaya and later Malaysia both in terms of size, revenue and population.
Currently, Perlis is planning to develop a land port to ensure Malaysian economy will be able to surpass Singapore's. Despite the fact that the land port is still in planning stage, a local company, Globonus is injecting a huge amount of capital every year to make sure this dream comes true.
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
and has Satun
Satun Province
Satun is one of the southern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Trang, Phatthalung and Songkhla...
and Songkhla
Songkhla Province
Songkhla is one of the southern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Satun, Phatthalung, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pattani and Yala. To the south it borders Kedah and Perlis of Malaysia....
Provinces of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
on its northern border. It is bordered by the state of Kedah
Kedah
Kedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
to the south. Perlis was called Palit by the Siamese when it was under their influence.
Perlis Indera Kayangan has a population of 227,025 as of 2010.
The capital of Perlis is Kangar
Kangar
Kangar is the state capital of Perlis, Malaysia. It has a population of 48,898 and an area of 2,619.4 ha. It is located in the northern most point of Peninsular Malaysia and is situated by the Perlis River. The center of Kangar is Sena Province, which is referred to by few locals as 'Uptown Sena'...
and the Royal capital is Arau
Arau
Arau is the royal capital of Perlis in Malaysia. It is located in Peninsular Malaysia, 14 kilometers southeast of the official state capital of Kangar. The red-roofed Istana is a mixture of colonial and pseudo-Moorish architectural styles...
. Another important town is Padang Besar
Padang Besar
Padang Besar is a border town located in the northern part of Perlis state in Malaysia. It is situated on the border with Songkhla province, Thailand, 35 kilometers northeast of Kangar and about 70 km southwest of Hat Yai...
, at the Malaysian-Thailand border. The main port and ferry terminal is at the small village of Kuala Perlis
Kuala Perlis
Kuala Perlis is the second largest town and the main port of Perlis in Malaysia. It is in extreme northwest Peninsular Malaysia, near the border with Thailand. The older part of town has houses and mosques built on stilts over mangrove swamps....
, linking mostly to Langkawi Island. Perlis has a famous snake farm and research centre at Sungai Batu Pahat and Gua Kelam and Perlis State Park are tourist attractions. .
History
Perlis was originally part of KedahKedah
Kedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
, although it occasionally came under rule by Siam or Aceh
Aceh
Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...
. After the Siamese conquered Kedah in 1821, the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
felt their interests in Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
to be threatened. This resulted in the 1826 Burney and Low Treaties formalising relations between the two Malay states and Siam, their nominal overlord. In the Burney Treaty
Burney Treaty
The Burney Treaty, so named after Henry Burney, head emissary from the East India Company, and known in Siamese history as the Treaty of Amity and Commerce , was concluded with King Rama III in the latter part of 1826. This followed Dr...
, the exiled Kedah sultan Ahmad Tajuddin
Ahmad Tajuddin
Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Akhazul Khairi Waddien ibni Almarhum Sir Sultan Mohammad Jamalul Alam II , KCMG, KBE was the 27th sultan of Brunei from September 11, 1924 until his death...
was not restored to his throne. Sultan Ahmad and his armed supporters then fought unsuccessfully for his restoration over twelve years (1830–1842).
In 1842, the Sultan finally agreed to accept Siamese terms, and was restored to his throne of Kedah. However, Siam separated Perlis into a separate principality directly vassal to Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. Sayyid Hussain Jamalulail, the paternal grandson of a Hadhrami Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
Sayyid
Sayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
immigrant and maternal grandson of the Sultan of Kedah, became the first Raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
of Perlis. His descendants still rule Perlis, but as rajas, instead of as sultans.
As with Kedah, the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909
Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909
The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 or Bangkok Treaty of 1909 was a treaty between the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Siam signed on March 10, 1909, in Bangkok. Ratifications were exchanged in London on July 9, 1909....
forced Siam to relinquish its southern Malay vassal states to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. The British installed a Resident in the Perlis Royal capital of Arau
Arau
Arau is the royal capital of Perlis in Malaysia. It is located in Peninsular Malaysia, 14 kilometers southeast of the official state capital of Kangar. The red-roofed Istana is a mixture of colonial and pseudo-Moorish architectural styles...
. Perlis was returned to Siam in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as a reward for Siam's alliance with Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, but this brief annexation ended with the Japanese surrender. After World War II, Perlis returned to British rule until it became part of the Malayan Union
Malayan Union
The Malayan Union was a federation of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca. It was the successor to British Malaya and was conceived to unify the Malay Peninsula under a single government so as to simplify administration. The Malayan Union later became the independent...
, then Federation of Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
in 1957 and lastly Federation of Malaysia in 1963.
Since 2000, the Raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
or hereditary monarch has been Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin
Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin
Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin ibni Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail is the current Raja of Perlis, reigning since 17 April 2000. He served as the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 13 December 2001 to 12 December 2006 and 7th Raja of Perlis since 2000....
. He was the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence....
of Malaysia from 2001 to 2006. Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra was the Regent of Perlis during the five-year period when Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin was Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The Chief Executive or Menteri Besar
Menteri Besar
The Menteri Besar is the chief executive of the state government for states in Malaysia with hereditary rulers. For states without a monarch, the title Chief Minister is used...
is Datuk Seri Dr Md Isa Sabu
Md Isa Sabu
Datuk Seri Dr Md Isa Sabu is the sixth Chief Minister of the Malaysian state of Perlis. He is a member of the United Malays National Organisation and holds the state assembly seat of Bintong, in the Perlis capital of Kangar....
of Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
.
The Coat of Arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of Perlis consists of a sturdy green wreath of padi
Padi
Padi or PADI may refer to:* Padi, Chennai, India* Padi , a musical group* Paddy field, a type of cultivated land * Professional Association of Diving Instructors, a scuba organization...
, indicating the wealth of the kingdom and the chief economic activity of the people. The shield in the center represents the pride of the people. Inside the shield is a ring of golden rice surrounding the name "Perlis" written in the Jawi script.
Demographics
The ethnic composition for the year 2000 in Perlis was: Malay (174,805 or 79.74%), ChineseMalaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese is a Malaysian of Chinese origin. Most are descendants of Chinese who arrived between the fifteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Within Malaysia, they are usually simply referred to as "Chinese" in all languages. The term Chinese Malaysian is also sometimes used to refer to...
(21,058 or 9.6%), Indian (2,658 or 1.21%) and others (20,690 or 9.45%).
Economy
The state economy is dominated by agriculture, with rice, sugar, herbs and fruits predominating. Forestry especially from Jati timberwoods and fishery is also important, and the state is making great efforts to attract small and medium scale manufacturing industries and services.During the Japanese occupation of Malaya, the Raja of Perlis was Syed Hamzah Jamalullail but the Siamese Government also appointed their own Governor in Perlis by the name of Udom Boonyaprasop.
The Japanese lost the War and the British returned as colonialists again and decided to replace Raja Syed Hamzah with Syed Putra Jamalullail who reigned over the smallest State in Malaya and later Malaysia both in terms of size, revenue and population.
Currently, Perlis is planning to develop a land port to ensure Malaysian economy will be able to surpass Singapore's. Despite the fact that the land port is still in planning stage, a local company, Globonus is injecting a huge amount of capital every year to make sure this dream comes true.
Recreation
Outdoor Rock Climbing at limestone hills Bukit Keteri with over 50 sport climbing routes that bolted by world's climbing team Mammut & Camp5, the crags split into 2 next to each other and the rockfaces rising up about 150m. Range of difficulty from beginner to expert and many variety of climbs available.See also
- 2005 Malaysian haze2005 Malaysian hazeThe 2005 Malaysian haze was a week-long choking smog-like haze over Malaysia that almost brought the central part of Peninsular Malaysia to a standstill, prompted crisis talks with Indonesia and caused widespread inconvenience. The haze was at its worst on August 11, 2005...
- Breakdown of State Seats Representatives elected 2008