Kelantan

Kelantan is a state in the northeast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is bounded by the states of Perak to the west, Pahang to the south, and Terengganu to the east. To the north are Thailand and the South China Sea.

People and government.

Nearly 93 per cent of the population of Kelantan are Malay. Six per cent are Chinese and less than one per cent are Indian. Most people live in the plain and delta of the Kelantan River. Large areas of the state, especially the mountainous borders, are uninhabited, except for dwindling groups of orang asli (the Malaysian aborigines).

The head of state of Kelantan is a hereditary ruler known as a sultan. The state assembly has 39 seats.

Economy. The single most important source of employment is agriculture. The principal crops are rubber and rice. More than 50,000 hectares are under rubber, of which nearly 60 per cent are in smallholdings and the rest in large plantations. Rice covers more than 22,000 hectares. Other important crops are coconuts, oil palm, and tobacco.

PLACES TO VISIT IN KELANTAN

Following are brief descriptions of some of the interesting places to visit in Kelantan:Kota Bharu has a fine royal palace and state mosque, colourful markets, and many silversmiths and other craft workers. There are a number of traditional pastimes which tourists can still watch, including wau (kite-flying), gasing (top-spinning) and wayang kulit (shadow puppet play).Northern coast has long stretches of virtually unspoilt beaches.

Many people work in traditional industries, particularly the production of engraved and filigree silverware, woodcarvings, and hand-printed batik cloth (see BATIK). On the northern coast of the state, many communities earn their living from fishing.

Land. Mountain ranges mark borders to the west, south, and east. The highest mountain in western Malaysia, Gunung Tahan (2,187 metres), is on the southern border of Kelantan. Until the construction of a main road linked the area with the east-west Highway in the 1980's, the mountain barriers limited Kelantan's contact with the economically more advanced states on the west of the peninsula. The railway from Pasir Mas heads south toward Johor Bahru rather than cutting west to link Kelantan directly with Kuala Lumpur or the other major centres in the region.

The Kelantan River is joined by a number of minor rivers from the mountains as it flows northward to the South China Sea. The river flows through the Kelantan plain and delta, a major rice-growing region.

History.

There has been human settlement in Kelantan since prehistoric times. Archaeologists have found prehistoric remains in the interior, especially in the caves above Gua Musang. The mouth of the Kelantan River has been an important political and trade centre for at least 1,000 years. In the 1400's, the region converted to Islam under the influence of the powerful state of Melaka. At the beginning of the 1500's, Kelantan began a long period of independence and prosperity, based upon trade in forest products, gold, pepper, rice, and tin. In this period, Kelantan was involved in a fluctuating power struggle with its northern and southern neighbours, Patani and Terengganu. In the early 1800's it became a tributary state of the Thai kingdom. Thailand abandoned all claims over the state in 1909, and the state became a British colony. During the colonial period, Kelantan remained isolated and economic development was slow.

In December 1941, Japanese troops landed at Kota Bharu to sweep down the peninsula towards Singapore. During their occupation (1941-1945), the Japanese returned Kelantan to Thailand. With the defeat of Japan, the state once again came under British authority. In 1948, Kelantan became part of the Federation of Malaya. On Aug. 31, 1957, the Federation of Malaya became independent from British rule.

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