Kuala Kangsar (population 39,300) is the royal town of Perak, Malaysia, located at the mouth of Kangsar River, where it flows into the Perak River. It is the main town in the administrative district of Kuala Kangsar.
History
This place must have had a strange effect on Sultan Yusuf Sharifuddin Mudzaffar Shah of Perak who ruled from 1877 to 1887. Unlike many rulers who protected their royal places and strongholds by selecting their vantage points carefully where they could detect enemy approach from afar, the Sultan had his first royal palace built beside the riverbank. He then named it 'Istana Sri Sayong'.
Apart from being exposed to the impending threat of invasion, the other problem was the force of monsoon seasons, which led to numerous flooding as water gushed down from the jungles above through the many tributaries. The name Kuala Kangsar is believed to be derived from 'Kuala Kurang-Sa', which literally means '100 minus one', usually interpreted as'99 small tributaries flowing into the Perak River'.
One flooding was so severe, it almost swept the palace away. Finally, after the Big Flood or Air Bah in 1926, it was decided to move the place further up onto the knoll where stands the current Royal Palace named Istana Iskandariah with its Art-Deco architecture, a rare but significant piece of architectural milestone in Malaysia.
The Sultan of Perak officially resides in Kuala Kangsar, and it has been Perak's royal seat since the 18th century. It is one of four towns that plays a role in Perak's complex succession system. It was the administrative seat of the first British Resident in the Malay Peninsula, James W.W. Birch, from October 1874 until he was murdered on November 2, 1875.
Kuala Kangsar is also known in Malaysian history as the site where the first Conference of Rulers, the Durbar, was held in 1897. By the 1890s, the growth of the tin mining towns of Ipoh and Taiping had eclipsed Kuala Kangsar, but it remains to this day one of the most attractive of the Malay royal capitals.
The town is also the site of the first rubber tree planted in Malaysia. The person responsible was the English botanist Henry Nicholas Ridley. He was the one who helped Malaya and eventually Malaysia become the largest rubber producer in the world. The tree still stands today.
The first Malaysian scout troop was established in Kuala Kangsar. Consequently, its squad number is 001.
Transport
Two bridges now connect Kuala Kangsar to Sayong. Sultan Abdul Jalil Shah Bridge is made out of concrete and is located near the town while Sultan Iskandar Bridge is farther upstream and is made out of steel. Kuala Kangsar is easily accessible via the North-South Expressway and by train.
Places of Interest
Ubudiah Mosque in Kuala Kangsar
Kuala Kangsar is a relaxing town where visitors can have an enjoyable day with few worries about the daily schedules.
Points of interest are:
Gallery
Sultan Abdul Jalil Bridge at Kuala Kangsar, crossing the Perak River.
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Labu Sayong
A nearby village called Sayong is located on the opposite bank of the Perak River. It is the production center of the famed labu sayong - a traditional earthenware container. Small villages in the Sayong vicinity include Kepala Bendang and Kampong Bendang Kering.
Ceramic products from this Royal town and the villages around here,click http://www.countryside2u.com
Members of Parliament in the district (2008 Elections)
- Dato' Seri Rafidah Aziz - Member of Parliament for the constituency of Kuala Kangsar and Former Minister of International Trade and Industry.
- Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri Tan Sri Abdul Aziz - Member of Parliament for the constituency of Padang Rengas and Minister of Prime Minister Department.
- Dr. Jeyakumar Devaraj - Member of Parliament for the constituency of Sungai Siput.
Sources and references
See also
External links
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