This post is about
Pahang.
STATE OF PAHANG
Full Malay name and Arabic honorific: Pahang Darul Makmur (Abode of Tranquility).
The origin of the name Pahang is unknown but there were many names known by the Chinese, Europeans and Arabs. The name Pahang could not be Arabic as the Arabic alphabet and pronunciation does not have a 'p'. Thus, there are no words beginning with the letter 'p' in Arabic. If it is Arabic, then it is Fahang and not Pahang. The name Pahang could be Siamese as there are many words in Siamese which begin with a letter 'p'. There are many p-words in Siamese. The word Pahang could be a hardwood tree, pokok Pahang or wood, kayu Pahang or cloth - kain Pahang or tenun Pahang.
Pahang joined the Federated Malay States (FMS): 1895
Japanese Occupation: 1942-45
Pahang became a part of the Federation of Malaya (FoM): 1948
Pahang became a part of Malaysia: 1963
STATE CAPITAL
Kuala Lipis was the first state capital in the old days till 1955 (see below for more info on Kuala Lipis). The present state capital of Pahang is Kuantan.
KUANTAN
Kuantan is 72 feet above sea level. The population of Kuantan is unknown (data not trusted). There is a plan to transform Pahang as part of ECER (East Coast Economic Region) 2004-2015.
PAHANG SULTANATE
Sultan Sir Abu Bakar Riayatuddin Al-Muadzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdullah Al-Mutassimu Billah Shah (reigned 1932–1974)
MB is Dato' Seri Adnan Yaakob.
HONOURS AND AWARDS
Pahang has a list of honours bestowed by the Sultan of Pahang. Pahang awards 4 honours - SSAP, SIMP, DSAP and DIMP. Only the SSAP carries the title Dato' Sri. The SIMP, DSAP and DIMP carry the title Dato'.
2003 Honours
9 recipients of Sri Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang (SSAP) which carries the title Dato' Sri.
16 recipients of Sri Indera Mahkota Pahang (SIMP) which carries the title Dato'.
16 recipients of Darjah Sultan Ahmad Shah (DSAP) which carries the title Dato'.
77 recipients of Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang (DIMP) which carries the title Dato'.
GEOGRAPHY OF PAHANG
SUNGAI PAHANG
The Tembeling River joins the Jelai River to form the Pahang River which flows right through Pekan and then into the South China Sea. Sungai Pahang is the longest river in Pahang.
There are riverine settlements. In the old days, doctors come by boats to visit patients in the settlements. They included Dr Pandak Ahmad, Dr Che Lah bin Mohd Joonos and Dr Mohamed Said bin Mohamed.
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| 3 early Malay doctors in Pahang |
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| Floating homes (rumah rakit). This is Sungai Kelantan at Tangga Krai. |
DISTRICTS IN PAHANG
Pahang has 11 administrative districts: Bentong, Bera, Cameron Highlands, Jerantut, Lipis, Kuantan, Maran, Pekan, Raub, Rompin and Temerloh.
Bentong was previously known by another name. Bentong means to contain or to trap or a container, like a dam. The story of Datuk Bahaman took place in Bentong. Bentong is at the confluence of 2 rivers. People used to take boats to continue their journey either north or south bound. Bentong is a small town before the Karak Highway, which is the major highway that leads to Kuala Lumpur. Bentong is 80 km NE of KL. The Bentong Highway is a high-speed dual carriage way with heavy traffic during the festive season and when there are football matches in KL.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentong
Bera has a large freshwater lake, Tasik Bera, which contains a type of algal growth much like a seaweed, the
bera, according to the Semelai Orang Asli who live by that lake.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bera,_Pahang
Cameron Highlands is a highland resort. It used to be a cold place but with climate change today it is no longer cold but cool. Tea, vegetables, strawberries and flowering plants thrive here. Cameron Highlands is accessible from many states - Perak, Pahang and Kelantan. From Kota Bharu, take the Gua Musang Highway and turn off after Hospital Gua Musang and follow the winding road and signboards. Mamak Spicy Special is at the corner before the left turn to go uphill. Further up the same road as Mamak Spicy Special leads to a Malay village (Kg Ingin Maju) and an Orang Asli village. One of our medical students lives in the Malay kampung. In the old days, entomologists and the research team would go to Cameron Highlands to check on insects there.
Other hill resorts are Bukit Tinggi, Fraser's Hill and Genting Highlands.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameron_Highlands
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This is my grandfather's team at a Government bungalow in Cameron Highlands.
Walid is the middle of the 3 men standing facing the bungalow.
Photo from Walid's collection. |
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This is my grandfather's team at a provision shop in Cameron Highlands.
Walid in seated on the highest steps, centre, with no one standing behind him. His hands come together like a full circle. He is in dark clothes.
Photo from Walid's collection. |
Lipis is the district and Kuala Lipis is the district capital. Kuala Lipis was the previous capital city of Pahang before Pekan. Kuala Lipis was the administrative capital of Pahang for 57 years from 1898 until 27 August 1955. Kuala Lipis is a small town and looks just like any small town in the other states. Some of the buildings were built in 1929. The roads are narrow. There is an old train station behind a row of old shophouses. Malay food is sold at the train station.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipis
Maran - ?
Pekan is a royal town. PM Najib is also from Pekan. Pekan is named after a flower,
bunga pekan. There is a museum near the mosque. The police station is an old one. Pekan looks damp (lembab; basah). The road system is confusing for a small town.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pekan
Raub is on the Gua Musang Highway, about 110 km from KL. Raub sits in a saddle or valley between 2 mountain ranges - the Titiwangsa Range (Banjaran Titiwangsa) and the Benom Mountain Range (Banjaran Gunung Benom). It was a gold mining town in the old days. Khary's parents (HUSM audiologist) live in Raub by the highway.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raub
Rompin is a fishing village. People take the boat here to go to Pulau Tioman. Rompin is near Endau-Rompin National Park in Johor. This is a low-lying area with a lot of trees and floods easily. Some Orang Asli huts can be seen along the road. There is a camping ground somewhere.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rompin
