Perlis

HISTORY
Perlis was originally a part of the older kingdom of Kedah, which was conquered by Thailand in 1821. After the restoration of the Sultan of Kedah to his throne in 1842, the Thais kept Perlis as a vassal state.
In 1905, Perlis obtained from Thailand the services of a European advisor to help in the administrative and financial affairs of the state. The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 transferred control of Perlis from Thailand to Britain, and a British advisor was appointed to administer the state. A formal treaty between Britain and Perlis was only signed in 1930.
In World War II, the Japanese occupation forces handed Perlis back to Thailand. After the war, Perlis again came under British protection until Perlis gained independence from Britain with the formation of the Federation of Malaya in 1957.
Archeological evidence of ancient man has been found in Perlis. Gua Bintong has provided details of Hoabinhian culture dating back 5,000 years, while pottery and stone tools (adzes) from the late Neolithic era were found not only in Gua Bintong, but also during excavation works for the new Kota Kayang Museum.
Negeri Perlis Indera Kayangan is the smallest as well as northernmost state in Malaysia. This sparsely populated state has a population of around 230,000 (2011 estimate). Of this, the Malays make up 78% of the population followed by the Chinese (17%). The capital of Perlis is Kangar while the royal capital is Arau. Padang Besar and Wang Kelian are located at the border with Thailand. Kuala Perlis is the main port for Perlis.
Perlis was carved out of the Sultanate of Kedah. Siam conquered Kedah in 1821, and Kedah became an annex to Siam until 1842, when the Sultan of Kedah finally agreed to Siamese terms, which restored him to the Kedah throne. However, Siam carved a big chunk of north Kedah to create the kingdom of Perlis, which continued to be a vassal to Siam until 1909. The ruler of Perlis is called the Raja of Perlis. The first raja of Perlis is Syed Hussain Jamalulail, a grandson of the Sultan of Kedah, but of Arab descent.
The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909, also known as the Bangkok Treaty of 1909, which Britain forced on Siam, compelled Siam to give up the Malay states of Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu to the British, while retaining control of the remaining Malay provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat, Songkhla, Satun and Yala. The British allowed Siam to retain control of those provinces as a goodwill gesture to Siam for keeping French influence in Indochina in check. The result of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty on present-day Thailand and Malaysia is that the states of Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu are now part of Malaysia, while the other Muslim states belong to Thailand.
During the Japanese Occupation, Perlis and Kedah were returned to Siam, as reward for Siam's alliance with Japan. However, with the Japanese defeat of World War II, these states reverted back to British rule, and eventually became part of Malaysia in 1957.

The present Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin, was a past Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia installed in 2000.




Perlis Craft Cultural Complex

The Perlis Craft Cultural Complex at Kuala Perlis, about 8km from Kangar and 15 minutes drive to Kuala Perlis jetty, is a must stop over for visitors. The complex offers a wide range of malaysian handicraft such as delicate hand drawn batik, intricately carved silverware and an assortment of abnd made items such as basketry, ceramics as well as rattan based products.



The Snake And Reptile Farm
Surrounded by the Bukit Bintang Forest Reserve near Sungai Batu Pahat, and located 10 km north of Kangar is the Snake and Reptile Farm.
The Snake Farm is a research facility set up to develop serums for snakebites. Housing more than 20 species of snakes, as well as crocodiles and monitor lizards, it is the only snake farm in Malaysia. The farm has open-air enclosures as well as enclosed exhibits.
Ref: http://www.cuti.com.my/Sub/Perlis/guide_perlis_the_snake_and_reptile_farm.htm




Padang Besar

Padang Besar is a border town that offers an immense variety of product lines such as perfumery, watches, electrical items, liquor and cigarettes sourced from world-renowned manufacturers and leading disigners. The price tags attached to these paraphernalia are the actual reasons behind the congregation of tour crowds from both sides of the border. This town is hot with real cheapies!
Padang Besar is a bustling border town and is a blur of colours, sights and sounds. It is also a major stopover along the rail route between Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. The elongated railway station is manned by Malaysian officials at one end and their Thai counterparts at the other. Padang Besar is also a bargain hunter's paradise and boasts duty-free shops and a variety of produce, souvenirs and artifacts that bear testimony to the rich cultural legacy of the state.

HISTORY OF MALAYSIA

HISTORY OF MALAYSIA

Malaysia is a country in South East Asia whose strategic sea-lane position brought trade and foreign influences that fundamentally influenced its history. Hindu and Buddhist cultures imported from India dominated early Malaysian history. They reached their peak in the Sumatran-based Srivijaya civilization, whose influence extended through Sumatra, Java, the Malay Peninsula and much of Borneo from the 7th to the 14th centuries.

Although Muslims had passed through Malaysia as early as the 10th century, it was not until the 14th and 15th centuries that Islam first established itself on the Malayan Peninsular. The adoption of Islam by the 15th century saw the rise of number sultanates, the most prominent of which was the Melaka (Malacca). Islamic culture has had a profound influence on the Malay people, but has also been influenced by them. The Portuguese were the first European colonial powers to establish themselves in Malaysia, capturing Malacca in 1511, followed by the Dutch.

However, it was the British, who after initially establishing bases at Jesselton, Kuching, Penang and Singapore, ultimately secured their hegemony across the territory that is now Malaysia. The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 defined the boundaries between British Malaya and the Netherlands East Indies (which became Indonesia). A fourth phase of foreign influence was immigration of Chinese and Indian workers to meet the needs of the colonial economy created by the British in the Malay Peninsula and Borneo.


Japanese invasion during World War II ended British domination in Malaysia. The subsequent occupation from 1942 to 1945 unleashed nationalism in Malaya and Borneo. In the Peninsula, the Malayan Communist Party took up arms against the British. A tough military response was needed to end the insurgency and bring about the establishment of an independent, multi-racial Federation of Malaya in 1957.

On 31 August 1963, the British territories in North Borneo and Singapore were granted independence and formed Malaysia with the Peninsular states on 16 September 1963. Approximately two years later, Singapore was expelled from the Federation. A confrontation with Indonesia occurred in the early-1960s. Race riots in 1969 led to the imposition of emergency rule, and a curtailment of political life and civil liberties which has never been fully reversed. Since 1970 the "National Front coalition" headed by United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) has governed Malaysia.

Economic growth dramatically increased living standards by the 1990s. This growing prosperity helped minimise political discontent.


Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Malaysia