Kedah is a state in northwest Peninsular Malaysia. It lies on
the border with Thailand. The state includes the Langkawi Islands,
a small group lying off the coast of Perlis. The state capital is
Alor Setar.
People and government.
Over 71 per cent of the population of Kedah are Malay. About 18 per
cent are Chinese and nearly 8 per cent are Indian.
Kedah's head of state is a hereditary ruler known as a sultan.
The state assembly has 28 seats.
Economy.
Most of the people work in agriculture. The main crop is rice and
the state is the major rice producer of the Malay peninsula. The
Muda Irrigation scheme, covering over 125,000 hectares, supplies water
for about 90 per cent of Kedah's rice farmers.
There are large rubber plantations in the central and southern parts
of the state. Some of the people in coastal towns and villages gain
their living from fishing. Industrial estates have been established
in the western part of the state and manufacturing and processing plants
have been built there. The milling of rice remains an important source
of employment.
PLACES TO VISIT IN KEDAH
Following are brief descriptions of some of the interesting places to visit
in Kedah.Alor Setar, the state capital, is of great historical and architectural
interest. Notable buildings include the Balai Besar (Hall of Audience),
in which the Sultan of Kedah holds audience on ceremonial occasions; the
Balai Nobat, which houses the royal orchestra; and the Zahir Mosque.Bujang
Valley Historical Park, in the southwest corner of the state, is the site
of the oldest Hindu settlement on the Malay peninsula. The largest
temple, Candi Bukit Batu Pahat (The Temple of the Hill of Chiselled Stone),
dates from the A.D. 800's. There are a large number of other Hindu
and Buddhist remains on this site.Kuala Kedah the port town near Alor Setar,
has the remains of a fort, which was the scene of a major Thai attack in
1821.Langkawi Islands have been developed as a major tourist resort.
This group of islands offers beautiful scenery.
Tourism is increasingly important, especially on the Langkawi Islands,
which have some beautiful scenery.
Land.
Most of Kedah is a broad, highly fertile plain. This is the principal
area of rice cultivation on the peninsula. The construction of modern
irrigation has greatly increased rice production. The low Singgora
Range of hills marks Kedah's border with Perak. A number of rivers,
including the Kedah, the Merbok, and the Muda, rise in Singgora Range,
to flow through the Kedah plain to the Strait of Malacca. There are
major outcrops of limestone in northern Kedah and in the Langkawi Islands.
In a number of places, rainwater has dissolved the limestone to create
large caves.
History.
From the earliest times, Kedah was an important centre for settlement and
trade because of its geographical position. The state contains Stone
Age sites, and has important Hindu and Buddhist remains.
The region was part of the great Sumatran empire of Srivijaya.
With the decline of Srivijaya in the 1200's, Kedah came under the influence
of the Thais, who advanced from the north. The rise of Melaka in
the 1400's led to a Thai retreat. Kedah became an Islamic state.
During the 1500's and 1600's, the Acehnese from Sumatra and the Bugis
from Sulawesi (Celebes) frequently raided Kedah. The Portuguese also
attacked Kedah. In 1786, the Thais ceded Penang to the British East
India Company . In 1821, Thai forces again attacked the region.
Kedah remained under the control of the Thais during the 1800's.
In 1909, through an Anglo-Thai agreement, it came under British authority.
Although there was a British adviser from 1909, the local rulers remained
largely independent during the colonial period. Following the Japanese
attack on the peninsula in 1941, Kedah was handed back to Thailand.
With the defeat of the Japanese in 1945, the state again came under British
authority. In 1948, Kedah became part of the Federation of Malaya.