Kuala Kangsar

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Kuala Kangsar
other_name = كوالا كڠسر
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imagesize = 320px
image_caption = The clock tower at the town's center.


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = flag|Malaysia
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Perak
subdivision_type2 = District
subdivision_name2 = Kuala Kangsar
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government_type = Municipality
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Shafie Arifin
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area_total_km2 = 204.94
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population_as_of = 2000
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population_total = 39,300
population_density_km2 = 752
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latd=4 |latm=46 |lats= |latNS=N
longd=100 |longm=56 |longs= |longEW=E
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blank_name = Flower
blank_info = Canna Generalis
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website = [http://www.mpkkpk.gov.my/ www.mpkkpk.gov.my]
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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

Kuala Kangsar is a relaxing town where visitors can have an enjoyable day with few worries about the daily schedules.

Points of interest are:

* Ubudiah Mosque and the Royal Mausoleum
* Istana Kenangan (Old Palace, now the Perak Royal Museum)
* Istana Iskandariah (The Royal Palace)
* Hulu Palace (Istana Hulu)
* Victoria Bridge (since 1900)
* Sultan Iskandar Bridge
* Sultan Abdul Jalil Bridge
* Pavilion Square Tower
* Keris Memorial
* Bukit Chandan
* The First & Oldest Rubber tree planted in the country (near Police Headquarters)
* Malay College Kuala Kangsar
* Clifford Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Clifford)
* Handicraft Development Centre, Enggor
* Mariwasa Kraftangan and Asean House Craft Centre
* River side walk next to the Sayong Bridge
* Public swimming pool at Bukit Chandan
* Golf Course
* The morning wet market
* The Laksa stalls (Medan Selera Sungai Perak)
* Kolam Air Panas, Ara Panjang, Manong

Gallery

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.

ources and references

* [http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Malay_states.htm WorldStatesmen.org]
* [http://www.malaysiasite.nl/karai.htm MalaysiaSite.nl]

ee also

*Teluk Intan

External links

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