Pekan, Pahang

Last updated

Pekan
Royal capital and district capital
Pekan Bandar Diraja
ڤكن بندر دراج
Other transcription(s)
 •  Jawi ڤکن
 •  Chinese 北根
 •  Tamil பெக்கான்
Pekan 13.jpg
Sultan Abdullah Mosque
CountryFlag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia
State Flag of Pahang.svg Pahang
District Pekan
Granted municipality status23 July 2023
Government
 • BodyPekan Municipal Council
 • PresidentRose Samsul Abdul Razak [1]
Area
(MDP area [2] )
 • Total2,351.8 km2 (908.0 sq mi)
Population
 (2010) [3]
 • Total103,839
 • Density44/km2 (110/sq mi)
Postcode
26xxx
MP Sh Mohmed Puzi Sh Ali

Pekan is a town in Pekan District, Pahang, Malaysia. It is also the royal capital of the state. Its name comes from a flower, the Bunga Pekan . Pekan is also the name of the district the town is situated in, and a parliamentary constituency in its own right. It is the home of the state's royal family headed by Sultan Abdullah of Pahang. [4] It is also the hometown of the second Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, [5] and his son, sixth prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Both were Pekan's Member of Parliament.

Contents

The Masjid Abdullah, a landmark in Pekan which dates from the 1920s, and the newer Abu Bakar Royal Mosque is near the Sultan Abu Bakar Museum. The stretch by the river bank from the Abu Bakar Royal Mosque heading towards the Sultan Abu Bakar Museum is Pekan's Heritage Route.

History

According to local lore, a flowering plant named Bunga Pekan used to grow wild along the banks of Pahang River, and the town was therefore so named. The flower is said to be white like jasmine, although the particular plant species is also said to have become extinct. The river at the Pekan town (near Mengkasar village) is also called Pekan River, however there is no evidence that Pekan derived its name from this river. [6] Other sources say the name "Pekan" came from "Pekan Sehari" (Pekan Sehari or Sunday Market still exists today), and the word "Sehari" was eventually omitted and the locals simply called it "Pekan".[ citation needed ]

Pekan is thought to have been in existence since the time of Old Pahang Kingdom. The old name was Inderapura, although it was also commonly known with the short form 'Pura', which some Malays called Pekan. The old capital was located on both the left and right banks of Sungai Pahang and Sungai Pahang Tua up to Tanjung Langgar. The town was divided into Pekan Baharu and Pekan Lama (New and Old Pekan), and the old name for Pekan Baharu used to be Kampung Cina. Several Arab and Chinese writers mentioned Pekan. [6]

During the late 19th century, relations between the sultan and local villagers were close. For example, when a gong in the palace was struck, local villagers would assemble to the palace for the sultan's service such as accompanying him on a hunting expedition. [7]

The villagers at Kampong Mengkasar, about one kilometre from Pekan in the direction of Kuantan, are said to be direct descendants of Tok Tuan from Makassar in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Among the well-known figures, Tun Abdul Razak was recognised as having a Sulawesi heritage.

Transport

Car

From Kuantan, Pekan is accessible by 3 routes, namely Tanjung Lumpur Highway (Federal Route 183) which runs through Tanjung Lumpur, Penor and Ceruk Paloh, Jalan Pekan (Federal Route 3 and AH18) and also through Gambang, Pahang by Tun Razak Highway (Federal Route 12). From Kuala Lumpur, one may travel to Pekan by the East Coast Expressway, exiting at the Gambang Interchange to the Tun Razak Highway. From Johor, a scenic coastal road passes through Kuala Rompin. Alternatively, the Tun Razak Highway can be taken, which links Segamat and Kuantan.

Public transport

The rapidKuantan bus route 400 connects Pekan to Kuantan.

Places of interest

Sultan Abu Bakar Museum

Sultan Abu Bakar Museum. Sultan abu bakar museum, pekan.jpg
Sultan Abu Bakar Museum.

The Sultan Abu Bakar Museum displays many artefacts which are important in the state's history and the local Malay culture. The museum was officially opened by Sultan Ahmad Shah in October 1976. It is located in the former residence of the British Resident, which was built in 1929. It was acquired by the Sultan of Pahang in 1948 and was renamed Kota Beram Palace. In 1965, the Sultan moved his residence to a new palace (the Abu Bakar Palace), where the current Royal Palace is situated.

The museum was officially opened to the public in October 1976, in conjunction with the birthday celebrations of the Sultan of Pahang. The first chairman of the museum was the late YBhg. Dato' Haji Mohd Mokhtar bin Haji Daud, and the first director/curator was YBhg. Dato' Mohamed Mokhtar bin Haji Abu Bakar. The museum expanded its collections of artefacts very actively during this era up to 1997. The locals eagerly surrendered and provided as gifts certain unique artefacts to the museum. One example of these is a keris (a type of Malay dagger) which was found by a young man in a river about 20 km from the town of Pekan. This particular keris drew a lot of attention, coupled with strange stories of its mystical prowess. The keris is still on display at the museum. The museum has dedicated galleries focusing on water transportation, personal belongings of the late Sultan Abu Bakar and the late Tengku Ampuan Pahang Tengku Afzan.

As of October 2008, the museum has been undergoing renovations. Visitors are advised to call the museum first for more information.

The Chiefs' Rest House

Pekan is home to the Chiefs' Rest House. This wooden structure was completed in 1926 and is featured in the 'Lonely Planet' Travel Guide as a must-visit site in Pekan. It was originally built by the British as a guest house for the Chieftains in Pahang who visited Pekan to attend meetings and events at the Istana. Until today, the Chiefs' Rest House offers good, clean and reasonable accommodation to travellers.

Most of the furnitures adorning this building were brought over from the Istana. It is advisable to reserve your room in advance, as it can be packed during school holidays, weekends and whenever there are functions in the Istana. The Chiefs' Rest House is located along Jalan Istana Abu Bakar in Pekan. It is along the road approaching the Istana area.

Other places of interest

Abu Bakar Palace main gate. Pintu gerbang Istana Abu Bakar 1.jpg
Abu Bakar Palace main gate.

Other places of interest include the Royal Palace (the Sultan Abu Bakar Palace), Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Mosque, Royal Mausoleum, the Royal Pahang Polo Field nearby the Palace, the Royal Pekan Golf Club, birth house of late Tun Abdul Razak at Kampung Pulau Keladi and the Pahang Royal Silk Weaving Centre.

Nearby the Royal Pahang Polo Field is a long-established Islamic college, known as Kuliah Sultan Abu Bakar (the Sultan Abu Bakar Kulliyyah). It has produced eminent scholars all over the State of Pahang and Malaysia. Its students consistently further their studies in the esteemed Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.

Pekan is 15 minutes from clean, sandy beaches. North on the way to Kuantan, there is Pantai Legenda (Lagenda Beach), which features a golf course. South on the way to Kuala Rompin is the Pantai Batu 16 (the 16th Mile Beach), which used to have a royal retreat complex.

A one-hour drive from Pekan is Lake Chini, a beautiful freshwater lake which is one of the largest in Malaysia. It features a resort with restaurant, jungle trekking paths and a boat station. Boat trips are available by various routes around the lake. Prices differ according to the chosen routes (duration of boat trip from 45 minutes to 3 hours). There are also Orang Asli (natives) settlements nearby providing a hands-on experience of their living culture.

Pekan is also the location of one of the permanent campuses of Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA).

Pekan Lama. Pekan Lama means Old Pekan. It is situated on the banks of Sungai Parit which flows to Sungai Pekan. Early settlement of shops first started in this area. The original wooden structure of these shops can still be seen until today around Pekan Lama. Istana Pantai was once located here, but it is no longer around and the site is now occupied by the Majlis Agama Islam Daerah Pekan building. Bangunan UMNO Pekan Lama is situated nearby and had been on that site since the 1960s.

Industries

A DefTech AV8. DefTech AV8 during 56th NDP.JPG
A DefTech AV8.

Pekan is home to Malaysia's DefTech's Defence Technologies Division plant. DefTech is Malaysia's largest military vehicle manufacturer. The plant was established at a cost of approximately RM70 million in 2001. The plant is situated on a 25.6-acre site and has a covered work area of approximately 180,000 sq feet. The plant is responsible for the manufacture of all armoured vehicles and was given a RM100 million upgrade in 2014 to prepare for the production of DefTech's chief vehicle, the DefTech AV8.

The plant is fitted with required resources and facilities and has the flexibility to undertake a variety of different jobs at once. It is also fully equipped with facilities which are capable of generating most of its requirements in house. The Plant also has:

Automotive Plants Since the early 1970s, local and global automotive corporations have chosen Pekan as their base. This industrial chapter in Pekan history was introduced and gathered momentum during Tun Abdul Razak's tenure as the 2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia. The legendary Tun had the vision to make Peramu as the industrial centre of Pekan.

Back then, companies like TATA (of India) and Isuzu (of Japan) had assembled motor vehicles in their Pekan base.

Past and current automotive companies operating in Pekan are:

Cuisine

Pekan offers a variety of delicious food. Being a Royal Town, Pekan enjoys the best kuih-muih (Malay delicacies) which are prepared by the same people or their descendants who used to prepare the same delicacies for the palace. Breakfast menu is aplenty to choose from. One particular novelty for breakfast is the 'roti naik' (a heavenly treat. Looks similar to small buns sold in supermarkets, but with a completely different taste, especially when it is hot). This particular bread can only be found in very few places, Pekan being one of them. Other delicacies are nasi dagang, kuih bakar, ikan bakar (fresh grilled fish) and others.

Kampong Mengkasar is also well known of its Murtabak. It is a unique variant of the original Indian dish that can only be found in Pekan. The Murtabak Pekan was not started in Kampong Mengkasar, but it is available here throughout the year.[ clarification needed ] Other murtabak outlets in Pekan, such as the Murtabak Mawar (also known as murtabak Sultan), are only available in the month of Ramadhan.

Personalities from Pekan

Education Hub Due to its serene settings, ample amenities and strategic location, Pekan is now fast becoming a hot spot for education.

Tertiary level education:

Secondary level education:

MRSM Tun Abdul Razak

Primary level education:

Pre-school level education:

Climate

Pekan has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy to very heavy rainfall year-round.

Climate data for Pekan
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Average high °C (°F)29.2
(84.6)		30.2
(86.4)		31.2
(88.2)		32.0
(89.6)		32.2
(90.0)		31.9
(89.4)		31.7
(89.1)		31.8
(89.2)		31.6
(88.9)		31.3
(88.3)		30.1
(86.2)		29.3
(84.7)		31.0
(87.9)
Daily mean °C (°F)25.7
(78.3)		26.1
(79.0)		26.7
(80.1)		27.2
(81.0)		27.4
(81.3)		27.2
(81.0)		26.9
(80.4)		27.1
(80.8)		26.9
(80.4)		26.8
(80.2)		26.2
(79.2)		26.0
(78.8)		26.7
(80.0)
Average low °C (°F)22.2
(72.0)		22.1
(71.8)		22.2
(72.0)		22.5
(72.5)		22.7
(72.9)		22.6
(72.7)		22.2
(72.0)		22.4
(72.3)		22.2
(72.0)		22.3
(72.1)		22.4
(72.3)		22.7
(72.9)		22.4
(72.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches)374
(14.7)		211
(8.3)		216
(8.5)		192
(7.6)		162
(6.4)		116
(4.6)		125
(4.9)		124
(4.9)		162
(6.4)		254
(10.0)		364
(14.3)		654
(25.7)		2,954
(116.3)
Source: Climate-Data.org [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdul Razak Hussein</span> Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1970 to 1976

Tun Haji Abdul Razak bin Dato' Hussein was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the second Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1970 until his death in 1976. He also served as the first deputy prime minister of Malaysia from August 1957 to September 1970. He is referred to as the Father of Development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmad Shah of Pahang</span> Fifth modern Sultan of Pahang

Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’azzam Shah was the fifth modern Sultan of Pahang, and also served as the seventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 26 April 1979 to 25 April 1984. His abdication as Sultan was decided by the Royal Council at an extraordinary meeting on 11 January 2019. A special amendment was passed on the state constitution that gave the body more power for this decision, citing the Sultan's incapability to rule due to his failing health. The abdication announced the next day which was retroactively effective on the day of the Royal Council meeting, paving the way to his son, Abdullah to succeed him as Sultan immediately, and subsequently be elected as the next Yang di-Pertuan Agong later the same month.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abu Bakar of Pahang</span> Sultan of Pahang

Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’azzam Shah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Abdullah Al-Mu’tassim Billah Shah, was the fourth modern Sultan of Pahang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuantan</span> State capital city and district capital in Pahang, Malaysia

Kuantan is a city and the state capital of Pahang, Malaysia. It is located near the mouth of the Kuantan River. Kuantan is the 18th largest city in Malaysia based on 2010 population and the largest city on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sekolah Dato' Abdul Razak</span> Sekolah berasrama penuh school in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus, Malaysia

Sekolah Dato' Abdul Razak is a premiere, Sekolah Berasrama Penuh for boys in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It is one of the most prestigious schools, selecting the best students in the country and is named after Abdul Razak Hussein.

This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 1976, together with births and deaths of notable Malaysians.

Bandar Muadzam Shah is a township in Rompin District, Pahang, Malaysia. The town was established in 1979 by the South-East Pahang Development Authority (DARA) under the purview of the second Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak, who also happened to be the native of nearby royal town of Pekan.

Bandar Tun Razak, Jengka formerly known as Bandar Pusat Jengka or Jengka Town Centre is an agricultural town in Maran District, Pahang, Malaysia. Bandar Tun Razak is the centre of the Jengka Triangle which is known as FELDA Jengka. The Jengka Triangle, which is the largest FELDA settlement in Malaysia, is one of the successful of the Malaysian government's projects to eradicate poverty among its citizens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 in Malaysia</span> List of events

This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 2010, together with the deaths of notable Malaysians. Malaysia Day, 16 September was celebrated as a national holiday for the first time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SBP Integrasi Tun Abdul Razak</span> Public boarding school in Pekan, Pahang, Malaysia

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 in Malaysia</span> List of events

2013 was the 56th anniversary of Malaysia's independence.

High Performance School also known as HPS is a prestigious title conferred to a group of schools in Malaysia that have ethos, character and a unique identity to excel in all aspects of education. The schools have a tradition of high culture and excellent work with the national human capital and continuing to grow holistically and are competitive in the international arena. The title is given by Malaysian Ministry of Education (MOE). This is a section of a part of the National Key Result Areas of Government Transformation Programme (GTP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah</span> Pemangku Raja of Pahang (born 1995)

Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah ibni Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah is a member of Pahang Royal Family and currently reigning as Regent and Crown Prince of Pahang. His father is the current Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah and his mother is the current Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Installation of Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVI</span> Installation of Malaysias sovereign

The installation of Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah as the sixteenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia took place in a Malay Royal Ceremony at the Balairong Seri, Istana Negara, Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 30 July 2019 at 10 a.m. He was elected earlier by the Malay Rulers in the 251st Special Meeting of Conference of Rulers which was held at Istana Negara on 24 January 2019. The meeting was held upon the resignation of the previous Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Muhammad V of Kelantan who stepped down from his post on 6 January 2019. Abdullah will hold the position for a period of 5 years beginning on 31 January 2019.

Yaakub Isa was a Malaysian teacher, writer, scholar of the Malay language and literature.

Events in the year 2020 in Malaysia.

The Esteemed Order of the Crown of Pahang is a knighthood order of the Sultanate of Pahang.

References

  1. ↑ "Profil YDP | Portal Rasmi Majlis Daerah Pekan (MDP)". Archived from the original on 4 November 2016.
  2. ↑ "Latar Belakang | Portal Rasmi Majlis Daerah Pekan (MDP)". Archived from the original on 2 November 2016.
  3. ↑ "TABURAN PENDUDUK MENGIKUT PBT & MUKIM 2010". Department of Statistics, Malaysia. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  4. ↑ "Yand di-Pertuan Agong VII". Malaysian Monarchy. Archived from the original on 12 April 2005.
  5. ↑ "Prime Minister's Office of Malaysia - Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob : Home".
  6. 1 2 "Pekan's Early History". Pekan District Council. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015.
  7. ↑ Shennan, Margaret (1 November 2015). "Chaper 1". Out in the Midday Sun: The British in Malaya 1880-1960. Monsoon Books. ISBN   978-981-4625-32-6.
  8. ↑ "Climate: Pekan". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 1 August 2020.

3°30′N103°25′E / 3.500°N 103.417°E / 3.500; 103.417

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.