Slim River
Encyclopedia
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...
, Malaysia. It is about 100 km (driving time 45 minutes) from Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
. It is situated in the southern part of Perak and is 20 km north of Tanjung Malim
Tanjung Malim
Tanjung Malim is a town in the state of Perak, Malaysia. It is approximately north of Kuala Lumpur via the North-South Expressway. It lies on the Perak-Selangor state border, with Sungai Bernam serving as the natural divider....
. It is about 100 km (driving time 1hour) 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 MalayMalay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
. 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 river of Perak which was the main waterway back then.Q
Slim River was a military strategic mid-point from North to South of Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
during 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...
. It was the site of a major battle during World War II between the Japanese and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
forces which consisted of troops from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Great Britain. The British lost the Battle of Slim River
Battle of Slim River
The Battle of Slim River occurred during the Malayan campaign in January 1942 between the Imperial Japanese Army and the British Indian Army on the west coast of Malaya.-Background:...
to the 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...
ese 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.
Economy
The main economic activities are agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
-based, such as palm oil and rubber plantations. There are some automotive shops selling engine parts and components. This is due to the proximity of the new car manufacturing town, Proton City
Proton City
Proton City is a new township with industrial, commercial and residential activities spread over 4,000 acres...
in Tanjung Malim
Tanjung Malim
Tanjung Malim is a town in the state of Perak, Malaysia. It is approximately north of Kuala Lumpur via the North-South Expressway. It lies on the Perak-Selangor state border, with Sungai Bernam serving as the natural divider....
.
Demographics
The population is estimated at 100,000, and comprises Malays, Chinese, Indians and Aborigines (Orang Asli)Transportation
It is accessible by road from the capital city, Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
(100 km) or by train (Slim River railway station
Slim River railway station
The Slim River railway station is a Malaysian train station stationed at the north eastern side of and named after the town of Slim River, Perak....
). The main trunk road to Tanjung Malim
Tanjung Malim
Tanjung Malim is a town in the state of Perak, Malaysia. It is approximately north of Kuala Lumpur via the North-South Expressway. It lies on the Perak-Selangor state border, with Sungai Bernam serving as the natural divider....
was the first ever toll road in Malaysia and was eventually given free access to the public in the middle of the 1980s.
Before the construction of North-South Expressway, all traffic going to destinations in the northern states of Peninsular Malaysia
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...
, such as 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...
, Perlis
Perlis
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...
and Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
will pass through the town of Slim River. With the new North-South Expressway bypassing smaller towns, fewer people, traffic, and tourists pass through Slim River. Currently, the economy of Slim River is improving due to the nearby Proton City
Proton City
Proton City is a new township with industrial, commercial and residential activities spread over 4,000 acres...
, located in Tanjung Malim.
Places of interest
The waterfall at Sungai Bil is famous among the locals for a weekend getaway. There are some nice spots along the waterfall for family recreation and camping. One can travel from the town by road within 30 minutes. Food stalls selling lunch and fast food are available normally during weekend. However, the water could be murky during the dry spell. Entrance fee is RM1.00 for car and RM0.50 for motorcycle. There is also a camping site.There is also an open wet market every Sunday morning until noon, where one can try a variety of local dishes and delicacies.
At Ulu Slim, about the same distance from Slim River to Sungai Bil, there is a hot spring, and it is expected that the local government will develop the place, into a recreation area, for families. The water is 104°C and is reputed to be the 5th hottest hot spring in the world.
Several outdoor extreme sports are available inside Ulu Slim, reservation will required for these activity such as white water rafting, 4x4 rides,camping, jungle trekking and of course night jungle trekking.
Water Theme Park
The new Slim River Water Theme Park will be opening soon...
- SR Lagoon (Under Construction)
Public Amenities
There is a new modern government hospital providing basic medical care for the district. In addition, there is a public library for the locals to visit.Schools
Primary and secondary education are provided by a few schools in Slim River, namely:- Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Dato' Zulkifli Muhammad
- Sekolah Menengah Slim
- Sekolah Kebangsaan Kuala Slim
- Sekolah Menengah Teknik Slim River
- Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Slim River
- Sekolah Kebangsaan Aminuddin Baki
- Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Chin Hua
- Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Slim River
- Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (T) Slim River