Tumpat

Tumpat is a town and a district (jajahan) in Kelantan, Malaysia. Tumpat is situated at the end of the "East Coast Line" train line operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (Malayan Railways) which links Kelantan to the western part of Peninsular Malaysia. This strategic location makes it the transportation hub of Kelantan. Tumpat town is approximately 15 km from the state capital, Kota Bharu. Tumpat district is one of the smallest districts in Kelantan with an area of only 169.5 square kilometres. Nevertheless, Tumpat is unique for its flat plains and many river islands which make it a potential tourist destination. Many Siamese Malaysian live in this area. It also has large durian and rambutan plantations.

History

According to old inhabitants, Tumpat came into existence about a hundred and ninety years ago. Owing to the lack of roads and rail communications then, goods brought in by trading vessels were transported up the Kelantan River to Kota Bharu and beyond. Goods for export were conveyed to Tumpat by the same boats. The port became so busy that in the early 20th century the British authorities carried out improvements to enable larger vessels to use it. Before that, only vessels between 300 to 400 tons could come in, but with dredging and other improvements ships up to 700 tons could call before going on to Singapore.

The first harbour-master was the late William Kerr, who came from Bangkok and he was appointed by the late Sultan Mahmud IV in 1926. His portrait is hung on the wall of the Tumpat Club. Tumpat has five small islands; Tanjong Dato, Tanjong Pak Jah, Tanjong Che Mas, Tanjong Che Tahir and Tanjong Rulah which are situated at the mouth of the Kelantan River. They were so closely situated that through constant silting Tanjong Dato became part of the mainland. The port has silted up in the present and only small shallow boats can be seen in the sand-filled harbour.

Demographics

Tumpat has a population about 140,989 (2005), with the majority being the Malays.

Places of Interest

One of the interesting places to visit in Tumpat is Pantai Seri Tujuh (Beach of Seven Lagoons), where the annual Malaysian International Kite Festival is held. The beach fronts the South China Sea.

There are many Buddhist temples or "wats" in Tumpat. Among them, Wat Phothivihan in Kampung Beruk near Chabang Empat is well known for its gigantic Sleeping Buddha which is one of the largest in South East Asia.

External links

* [http://www.kelantan.gov.my/ptjt/sejarah.htm Tumpat District Council (Malay)]
* [http://allmalaysia.info/news/attraction.asp?id=304&pt=2 Pantai Seri Tujuh]