Kuantan

Infobox City
official_name = Kuantan
other_name=كوانتن
website = http://mpk.gov.my/

---

imagesize = 360px
image_

pushpin_

pushpin_label_position = right
pushpin_map_caption =
pushpin_mapsize =360
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name = flag|Malaysia
subdivision_name1 = Pahang
established_title = Establishment
established_date = 1851
government_footnotes =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Azizan Ahmad
leader_title1 = MPs
leader_name1 = Fuziah Salleh (PKR)
Azan Ismail (PKR)
Abdul Manan Ismail (BN)
area_magnitude = 1 E8
area_total_sq_mi = 1,143
area_total_km2 = 2960
population_as_of = 2008
population_total = 552,500
population_density_sq_mi = 457
population_density_km2 = 177
timezone = MST
utc_offset = +8
timezone_DST = Not observed
elevation_m = 21.95
elevation_ft = 72
latd = 3
latm = 49
lats = 00
latNS = N
longd = 103
longm = 20
longs = 00
longEW = E
footnotes =

Mean solar time

UTC+06:46:48

Kuantan is the state capital of Pahang, the largest state in Peninsular Malaysia. It is situated near the mouth of the Kuantan River and faces the South China Sea. The population of Kuantan is 58% Malay, 32% Chinese, 4% Indian and 6% other races. If one measures the distance along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it is located roughly halfway between Singapore and Kota Bharu. Kuantan approximately have the population of 552,500 and it is the 9th largest city in Malaysia.

The Pahang state government shifted the administrative centre of Pahang from Kuala Lipis to Kuantan in 1955.

Recently, the National Physical Plan 2005 identified Kuantan as one of the future growth centre and hub for trade, commerce, transportation and tourism.

History

Kuantan is said to have been founded in the 1850s. The word "Kuantan" was mentioned by Abdullah Abdul Kadir (Munshi Abdullah) circa 1851/2 as below:

"On Thursday night came a boat from KUANTAN. Then they told the ship's crew there's a pirate ship at Tanjung Tujuh, forty of them and at Pulau Kapas, and as well at Pulau Redang; it was spotted by two Kuantan boats and they set off...."

In its early days, it was known as Kampung Teruntum (Teruntum Village). The village was situated at the mouth of Teruntum River which is in front of the current hospital and it was established by Haji Senik and his followers in the 1850s. Early primary economic activities included fishing and small businesses. The main evidence of the establishment of the village is the cemetery that is situated near Taman Esplanade in front of the current Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan.

Towards the late 19th century, arrival of Chinese miners and traders saw the establishment of a township in Kuantan and also nearby tin mining areas such as Gambang and Sungai Lembing. Similar to what occurred in other states in Peninsular Malaysia, rubber plantations attracted Indian settlers as well.

Economic Activities

Known as a tropical getaway, one of its major economic activities is tourism. Domestically, it is famous for the production of handicrafts, batik, "keropok" (dried fish crackers) and salted fish. Kuantan serves as the administrative and commercial capital of Pahang. Trade and commerce are also important in the economy of the town.

The timber industry and the fishing industry also play vital roles in the local economy.

Other than tourism and business, Kuantan also witnesses the strong presence of petrochemical industries, mostly located in Gebeng, an industrial area about 25 km north of Kuantan. Among the major companies operating at Gebeng Industrial Area are [http://www.basf-petronas.com.my BASF PETRONAS Chemicals] , [http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9008835&contentId=7016418 BP Chemicals] , [http://www.petronas.com.my/internet/corp/directory.nsf/0/18304105f78e0b6e48256aa10035275c?OpenDocument MTBE] , [http://www.flexsys.com Flexsys] , Eastman Chemical, [http://www.kaneka.com Kaneka] , [http://www.polyplastics.com Polyplastics] , [http://www.mieco.com.my/intro.htm Mieco] , [http://www.knm.com.my KNM] , [http://www.jigang.com.cn/abroad/abroad_co.htm JiKang] , W.R. Grace, Cryovac, [http://www.ppsc.com.my/home.htm PPSC] , [http://www.amcsb.com.my AMC] , etc.

Kuantan Port, situated just 5 km to the east of Gebeng Industrial Area, is a multipurpose all-weather port capable of handling various kinds of cargo including containers, liquid, dry bulk and break bulk. Facing the South China Sea, it has been privatised since 1998 and is currently the leading maritime trade and logistics centre on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

Infrastructure

Kuantan is connected to Kuala Lumpur via the East Coast Expressway and Karak Expressway. The East Coast Expressway also links Kuantan to other major towns in Pahang although locals still prefer the old trunk road. Two other important east coast towns are Kota Bharu and Kuala Terengganu, connected via coastal trunk roads.

Kuantan Airport is located just 15KM from the city and is operated by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad. It has daily shuttle services to Kuala Lumpur and Penang via Malaysia Airlines, low-cost subsidiary Firefly and Air Asia. The same runway is also used by the Royal Malaysian Air Force, which operates MIG-29s from the nearby Kuantan Air Force Base.

Medical needs are served by several hospitals and clinics. The main hospital is [http://htaa.moh.gov.my Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan] , which is equipped with various state-of-the-art equipment such as a CT scanner and MRI. It also serves as the teaching hospital for the Kulliyyah of Medicine, International Islamic University Malaysia. A Community Health Centre serves suburbs such as Beserah, while smaller clinics are situated in smaller suburbs such as Bandar Indera Mahkota. Two private medical centres also operate in Kuantan, namely the Kuantan Medical Centre and [http://www.malaysiahealthcare.com/Kuantan/default.aspx Kuantan Specialist Hospital] .

Kuantan has plans for massive infrastructural developments which is expected to come to fruition by 2012; Kuantan Sentral, in Bukit Goh will be built as one of the main components of The Planned Kuantan Metropolis.This state of the art transportation hub will also include the first Malaysian Trans-City-Speed Train connecting Kuantan and the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur through Kuala Lumpur Sentral.

Kuantan is also planning the development of the first lagoon park in the east coast , Bukit Gambang Resort City. BGRC, a resort located on the Gambang Interchange will be one of the biggest and important project in the history of Kuantan.

Education

There are many institutes of higher learning in Kuantan. They are either categorised as Institut Pengajian Tinggi Awam (IPTA) or Institut Pengajian Tinggi Swasta (IPTS).

Secondary school ("high school") education is provided by the Sekolah Kebangsaan (National School), Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (National-type School) and religious schools (eg, SMA Al-Ihsan). All of them follow the syllabus and curriculum provided and regulated by the Malaysian Ministry of Education (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia).

Alternatives to national education are provided by international schools which do not follow the Malaysian education curriculum. These international schools include the [http://www.gardenschool.edu.my/subfolder/about/giskuantan.htm Garden International School] (preschool to grade 6) and the [http://isk.edu.my International School of Kuantan] (grades 6 to 12).

See also : List of educational institutes in Kuantan

Tourism

Kuantan's main sightseeing attraction is the beach at Teluk Cempedak. There are also other scenic beaches popular with vacationers in the city's vicinity, such as Batu Hitam, Balok, and Cherating. Near Cherating (Club Med is located here), there is a Turtle Sanctuary. A few kilometers away from Cherating is Pulau Ular (Snake Island). There is a legend connected with this island.

Kuantan is also known to tourists for its waterfalls. The most well-known is the Sungai Pandan Water Fall. Two other waterfalls are the Sungai Berkelah Waterfall and the Jerangkang Waterfall. There are also 3 parks within the city. These are the Gelora Park, Teruntum Mini Zoo and Agriculture Park at Indera Mahkota. A small park located in front of the Hospital is named the Esplanade Park. Here, it is possible to go on a river cruise from the small jetty. The Kuantan area also produces handicrafts and batik. Other tourist attractions include the State Mosque (Masjid Negeri).

A Tin Museum in the former mining town of Sungai Lembing. Sungai Lembing is located about 26 km northwest of Kuantan and used to contain the world's deepest underground tin mines. Just north of the Tin Museum is a "hanging bridge" (jambatan bergantung). Access to this bridge is via a narrow, winding road at the base of the entrance to the Tin Museum. On the Kuantan-Sungai Lembing road at the hamlet of Pancing, there is a limestone mountain which contains a large reclining Buddha in one of its caves (Pancing Cave or Carah Cave).

The main shopping malls in Kuantan include [http://www.berjaya.com.my/cempaka.htm Berjaya Megamall] , Kuantan Parade, Kuantan Plaza, Teruntum Complex and Kuantan Square. The first commercial-cum-travel centre in the East Coast of Malaysia, Putra Square MSC Kuantan, is currently under construction. This square will have theme street included Malay Town, China Town, Indian Town and also Construction Town. Kuantan also boasts the largest shopping mall in East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, East Coast Mall which opened on 30 April 2008. The anchor tenants in the shopping mall are Parkson, Carrefour, Padini Concept Store and Quicksilver. Further information please click [http://www.eastcoastmallkuantan.com.my East Coast Mall] .

The only 5-star hotel in Kuantan is [http://kuantan.regency.hyatt.com Hyatt Regency Kuantan Resort] while the 4-star hotels include Vistana Hotel Kuantan, MS Garden Hotel, Mariana Beach Resort and The Legend Resort. Visitors often prefer the beach resorts. The more popular ones include De Rhu Beach Resort, [http://www.holidayvillacherating.com Cherating Holiday Villa Beach Resort] , [http://www.swissgarden.com/hotel/sgrk/default.asp Swiss-Garden Resort] , [http://cheratinghotels.impiana.com Impiana Resort] , Club Med Cherating, and the [http://www.legendsgroup.com/legendcherating/index.html Legend Resort] .

Transportation

By air - The Kuantan Sultan Ahmad Haji Shah airport. It's the only airport in Pahang State that is controlled by Malaysia Airport Bhd.. Currently, there are two airlines that fly to Kuantan, namely, Malaysia Airline System(MAS) and Firefly. AirAsia is expected to begin flying to Kuantan at 1st June 2008, AirAsia also want to let Kuantan to become an AirAsia Eastern hub, international flights such as Kuantan-Bangkok, Kuantan-Singapore and Kuantan-Jakarta is planned if the application is passed. Currently, the planes from Kuantan only fly to KLIA, Penang Bayan Lepas International Airport, Kuala Terengganu and a seasonable flight to Taipei respectively only.

By land - Kuantan is now more accessible by road transportation than before primarily because of the opening of East Coast Expressway that links Kuantan to Kuala Lumpur via Karak and also Gombak. This highway will soon link Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Terengganu. Alternatively, express buses to Kuantan also depart from Kuala Lumpur. Tickets for these buses are available from Pudu Raya Bus Station or Titiwangsa Bus Station in Kuala Lumpur. These buses will stop at the Kuantan Darul Makmur Bus Station.

Food

Kuantan is famous for its delicious fish crackers (called keropok in Malay) and salted fish, where the fish are marinated mainly with salt and left out to dry in the sun for days. 'Ikan Bakar' or grilled fish can be purchased at Tanjung Lumpur.

Also very popular and sold by street vendors (especially at the fascinating night markets) are: the various varieties of satay which consists of grilled meat on a stick which is dipped into a peanut sauce & roti canai, a thick chapati-like bread dipped in a unique curry style sauce.

Recommended ethnic Indian dishes include the roti naan and ayam tandoori.

Many types of local food can be found at the Pasar (Market) at the town centre. A variety of Kuala Lipis noodles are available at the corner of the Pasar's entrance.

A good Malay restaurant, Zaman, (breakfast & lunch) is located 6KM from Kuantan on the Kuantan-Gambang expressway. The restaurant is a household name amongst the locals. Its most famous dish is nasi lemak.

Popular among the locals are the beef noodles at Jalan Beserah & handmade noodles "Men Fan Gou" at Jalan Air Putih. Also popular is a dish of pork ribs and rice known as 'Bah Kut Teh'. Purportedly, the best Bah Kut Teh is served at the 'Bah Kut Teh Master' restaurant, located at Jalan Dato' Wong Ah Jang area a stone throw away from Kuantan Parade.

Climate

"Climatological Information"

Usually, Kuantan will go through two seasons which are Dry and Hot Season and also Humid Season. Dry and Hot Season occur when South-west seasonable wind blow to West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, and the Titiwangsa Mountain Range is blocking the wind from entering East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, this make the regional weather in East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia being very hot and also drought, highest temperature may go to 40 Degree Celsius. When the Humid Season occur? Well, it is usually occur about October to March. During this season, North-east season wind will mainly blown to East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, the wind come from the Siberia region, The Russian Federation. This will brings tonnes of sea water vapour and soon reaches here and form rain rapidly. The weather condition here will be very cloudy or overcast and usually it will raining everyday. When this happen, the gorverment will become alertness to the flood condition. The main flooding area in Kuantan District are along the Sungai Lembing and also a few area along the Kuantan River. But, this usually not affect the air plane to landing or take-off.

Another case you can while October is the haze condition before the reaching of North-east seaonable wind. There will be numerous of hotspots detected at Borneo Island and Sumatera Island. In 2006, Kuantan experience a serious air pollution and the visibility are going very low. The same case happen at other region of East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia and also Singapore until 19th November 2006, which the Humid Season start.

Future Development

Kuantan will see many new developments including the relocation of the state administration centre to its proposed site in Bandar Indera Mahkota. Two tourist villages will be further developed, namely Cherating and Pantai Sepat.

A conceptual idea has been initiated for a high-speed train linking Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan.

Another project is Kuantan to become a regional conurbation of East Coast Peninsular Malaysia, but until now, government did not have any news to let Kuantan to be declared as a city, perhaps in 2008-2009 Kuantan will be declared as a city.

Gallery

Trivia

*The historic sinking of "HMS Prince of Wales" and "HMS Repulse" took place off the coast of Kuantan on 10 December 1941.

*Kuantan is notably mentioned in the Command & Conquer backstory as being a major base of operations of the Brotherhood of Nod.

*Kuantan is the location of the first Club Mediterranean Hotel in Malaysia and South-east Asia, it is currently located at the Cherating Beach in Balok Area, Kuantan.

External links

* [http://www.pahangtourism.org.my Pahang Tourism Offical Website]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&z=12&ll=3.81664,103.260155&spn=0.163402,0.233459&t=k&om=1 Satellite Image of Kuantan City]
* [http://www.worldweather.org/020/c00083.htm Weather forecast for Kuantan City]
*wikitravel