Raub

Raub is both a town and a district in Pahang, Malaysia. The town is situated 110km from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur and 265km from Pahang's capital, Kuantan. Raub is one of the oldest towns in Pahang.

About Raub

It is a historic gold mining settlement, and the gold mining industry is now undergoing something of a resurgence as the gold price has risen. The old folks' tale recounts that in the early 19th century, an old man and his two sons discovered gold every time they scooped up the earth in Raub. Thus, the town and the district derived their name from the Malay word "raub" which means "scoop".

Raub perhaps has the best durian in Malaysia. The main economic activity of Raub is the agriculture sector which fruits are common is Raub, after the fall of gold mining sector. In Raub, you will see the fruits are sold. Most of the fruits in Raub will be exported to other cities, especially in Kuala Lumpur. The main crop in Raub are durians. Besides fruits, rubber tapping is quite common in Raub also.

There are lots of British style building in Raub, especially in Mason Road (now known as Jalan Tengku Abdullah). Most of the building in Raub were built during the pre-World War II era. The Police Station of Raub is probably one of the oldest building in Malaysia, it was built in 1905.

Raub is the Parliamentary Constituency for Women and Community Development Minister, Dato' Dr. Ng Yen Yen from BN-MCA, by beating Abu Bakar Lebai Sudin from DAP. Raub has three state seats, comprises Batu Talam, Tras and Dong. Batu Talam was won by Abdul Aziz Mat Kiram from National Front(Barisan Nasional,BN - UMNO). Dong was also won by BN-UMNO and he is Dato' Shahiruddin Abdul Moin. While the Tras was won by Opposition of Pakatan Rakyat of Democratic Action Party (DAP), Choong Siew Onn,by beating the incumbent, Chan Choon Fah from BN-MCA.

Transportation in Raub are unique. Everybody will share the same memory about the public transportation for Raubians. The main public transportation will be the bus. The most common bus in Raub is Pahang Lin Siong, which travels everyday from Raub town to other places in Raub district, such as Tras, Sg Chetang, Sang Lee, Sg Ruan and other districts and places in Raub also. The another famous bus are Union and Central which originally are separated entities. This few years, they have been merged into one company. Although they use the name of Union, most of the buses do still retain their name. These buses are the main transportation for going to other places, such as Kuala Lumpur, Kuantan and the furthest, Singapore as well. Union and Central are very famous to Raubians. Most of the Raubian will remember the red Union and Central buses. Raub is also the terminal to Kota Bharu as well. Most of the buses will stop in Raub before continue their journey to Kuala Lipis, Gua Musang and other parts to the state of Kelantan. It serves as the alternative route to Kelantan, besides going through Kuantan and Terengganu.

Races in Raub. There are many races in Raub although they are predominantly Chinese. Chinese are concentrated in Raub town. However, you will see another races live happily together. The unique thing is, in Raub, most of the people can speak more than few languages. Malays and Indians can speak Hakka (the main division of Chinese in Raub) and Mandarin very well. You can see Chinese can speak Tamil and Malay fluently. Indians can speak Malay and Chinese very well also. Basically, there is no racial frictions in Raub. No massive demonstration in Raub, until the recent incident, which involves the usage of Cyanide in gold mining.

Areas of Raub

*Tras
*Batu Talam
*Dong
*Sang Lee
*Sungai Chetang
*Bukit Fraser
*Bukit Koman
*Simpang Kalang
*Cheroh
*Sempalit
*Sungai Ruan
*Sungai Krau
*Sungai Lui
*Sungai Chalit
*Kampung Pintu Padang
*Felda Krau
*Felda Tersang
*Pos Buntu
*Kampung Ulu Sungai
*Kampung Batu Malim

Places of interest

Bukit Telaga Waterfalls An ideal stopover as it is on the way to Fraser’s Hill, the Bukit Telaga Waterfall is known for turbulent rapids which flows through rugged rocky area. Location: 15km from Fraser’s Hill and 19km from Raub Town.

Jeram Besu Rapids(Jeram Besu) is fast gaining popularity as one of the best white water-rafting and kayaking spot in the country. The rapids, (river grade 2 to 4 depending on the river water level) has now attracted a lot of white water enthusiasts i.e. rafters, kayakers and canoeists from all over the country even as far as Singapore. Complemented by its easy accessibility, it is both challenging and thrilling. Other activities such as jungle trekking, flying fox, war games and rubber rafting are also available. Accommodations comes in the form of chalets, camping sites and hostels.

Tasik Ria Kundang Puah Recreational CentreLocated on Sungai Lipis at approximately 6 km before the town of Benta and about 2 1/2 hours drive. Its a former tin mine and now a lake clustered with tiny island that is now a famous spot for fishing. Location: 21km from Raub.

Sungai Pasu Recreation Centre Located in the village fo Sungai Pasu, it offers tranquil lake setting, lush greenery and a freshwater fish fond. It is also a location for the local homestay programme. Location: 13km from Raub.

Fraser's Hill is one of the famous highlands resorts besides Genting Highlands and Cameron Highlands. Although it may not as famous as Genting Highlands and Cameron Highlands, however, it provides biodiversity, especially those nature lovers to enjoy the tranquility of the nature. It is situated 34 km from Raub town. The road to Bukit Fraser (Fraser's Hill in Malay) is challenging, probably one of the most winding roads in Pahang. Before reaching Bukit Fraser, you will reach the Gap, is the landmark place before the entry of the hill. In Bukit Fraser, as same as in Raub town, it retains a lot of British style building. For those bird lovers, it is suitable for them to do bird watching because they hold bird watching competition every year

Lata Jarum A popular picnic spot next to a series of rapids which culminate in a clear picturesque rock pool surrounded by tropical greenery. It has public amenities such as changing rooms and parking lots. Location: 30km from Raub.

Lata Lembik Waterfalls This fascinating rock formation, a result of geological change over millions of years, is set amidst lush greenery - a great spot for picnics and family get-togethers. Location: 42km from Raub.

*References : http://www.abcmalaysia.com/tour_malaysia/raub.htm

External links

* [http://www.mdraub.gov.my Majlis Daerah Raub (Raub City Council)]