About Perak

History

Perak means silver in Malay. The name comes most probably from the silvery colour of tin. In the 1890s, Perak, with the richest alluvial deposits of tin in the world was one of the jewels in the crown of the British Empire. However, some say the name comes from the "glimmer of fish in the water" that sparkled like silver. The Arab honorific of the State is Darul Ridzuan, the Land of Grace.

As with the other Malay states in the north, Perak was constantly under threat from regional powers. During the 16th century, the Acehnese and the Dutch were the main causes of concern due to Perak's monopoly of tin. In the 18th Century, Perak was then threatened by the Bugis and Siamese. Under the Siamese influence, Sultan Kedah was forced to remove the Sultan of Perak to ensure compliance by the Perak state.

The internal turmoil of the succession to the throne between Raja Ismail, Raja Abdullah and Raja Yusuf in 1870 didn’t help the state when it was laden with these external factors. The Chinese began to form factions due to the growth of the tin industry. With the influx of the Chinese, divisions in their parties became evident with the uprising of triads. Unrest occurred during the 1870 s between Hai San clan and Ghee Hin clan that forced British intervention in protecting Perak's interest.

Evidently, in 1874, a conference was held on Pangkor Island for the signing of the Pangkor Treaty. Raja Abdullah was elected as the Sultan of Perak under this agreement but the British also appointed J.W.W Birch as the first British Resident. Dissatisfied with the British forceful influence in Perak, the Malays plotted to assassinate J.W.W. Birch in 1875. After the death of Birch, Sultan Abdullah, Dato Sagar, Ngah Ibrahim and Dato Maharajalela were accussed for his murder and were sentence to death or exile.

In 1896, Perak joined Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang to form the Federated Malay States until the Japanese invasion. With the withdrawal of the Japanese forces in 1945, the British laid out the Malayan Union scheme before the British Parliament. Under the scheme, Pulau Pinang, Melaka and nine other Malay states were to be united under the Malayan Union. Sir Harold MacMicheal was then entrusted in obtaining the agreements from the Malay Rulers.

This significant implication of economic development resulted in the birth of a multiracial society especially with the introduction of the Chinese into the mining area.

In opposition to the British plans, the Malays formed the Malayan Union, catalyst for movement for Independence. Sparked by national sentiments, Dato Onn Jaafar formed United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) on 11 May 1946. The Malay Federation was founded on 1 February 1948 and on 31 August 1957, Malaya achieved Independence.

Economy

Perak is a reference to the silvery tin ore from which the state drew its wealth. What was formerly known as the Kinta Valley was heavily mined for centuries. The collapse of the world's tin industry (Perak's main sources of revenue) caused prices to fall sharply and mines had to be closed, forcing Perak to reconsider its future socio-economic strategies.

This forced the Perak State Government to make a firm decision to be restructured around agriculture, manufacturing, construction, trade and commerce. Emphasis has also been given to fishing, forestry, cottage industries and tourism. Ipoh is one of the more progressive cities in Malaysia and is fast becoming a focal point of industry, business investment and education.

Today, Perak has made the best of its circumstances. The economy is growing through the industrial sector; its sound infrastructure and world class facilities of make it an ideal environment for businesses.

Geography

Being the second largest State in Peninsular Malaysia (after Pahang), Perak boasts an approximate coverage of 21,000 sq km (6.4% of total land banks in Malaysia).

Climate

Warm, sunny days and cool nights all year round with occasional rain in the evenings. Temperature ranges from 23°C to 33°C. Humidity usually exceeds 82.3%. Annual rainfall is 3,218 mm.

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