Perlis[note 1] (Kedah Malay (Perlis dialect): Peghelih), is a state of Malaysia in the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is the smallest state in Malaysia by area and population, as well as the northernmost in the country. The state borders the Thaiprovinces of Satun and Songkhla to the north and the Malaysian state of Kedah to the south. Perlis is the only Malaysian state that is not divided into districts, due to its small size, but it is still divided into several communes.[8] It was called Palit (Thai: ปะลิส) by the Siamese when it was under their influence. Perlis had a population of 227,025 as of the 2010 census.[1]
The capital of Perlis is Kangar, and the royal capital is Arau. Another important town is Padang Besar, at the Malaysia–Thailand border and Kuala Perlis, the ferry town to Langkawi. The main port and ferry terminal is at the small village of Kuala Perlis, linking mostly to Langkawi Island. Another important lately developed area is Pauh Putra within the subdistrict of Kurong Anai which houses the main campus of Malaysia University of Perlis[9] and Politeknik Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin. Perlis has a snake sanctuary and research centre at Sungai Batu Pahat. Perlis State Park and Gua Kelam are among the popular tourist attractions.
Etymology
The origin of the toponym 'Perlis' is vague. However, there are several theories:
According to a Malaysian historian, Mohd Yusuf bin Adil, the name comes from the Thai phrase "phrao loi" (Southern Thai: พร้าวลอย) which means kelapa hanyut (coconut washed ashore) since there were many coconuts found on the shores of Kuala Perlis. The phrase has been shortened by locals until it sounded like "pereleh" or Perlis.
It has also been suggested Perlis may be a shortened form of a Malay word "peroleh" (obtain) as the state was a "gift" from Kedah, since it was a part of Kedah before becoming a state on its own.
According to Negeri Perlis Indera Kayangan: Sejarah Pembentukan Sebuah Negeri Berdaulat by Ahmad Ismail, the name comes from a tree of the same name, which may have gone extinct.
Some researches suggests the name is derived from a northern Malay dialect word "perelus" which roughly translates as "foot falling into a crack", since Perlis is said to have a wide land filled with mud, and the people's feet may sink into the mud.[10]
Additional suggestions include being named after someone, or derived from the French word "perlite" which means "rock" due to a huge rock near Sungai Perlis.[11]
The honorific "Indera Kayangan" was given by Tuanku Raja Syed Hussin Jamalullail (who ruled Perlis from 1843 to 1873) after the royal town of Indera Kayangan II (1797 until 1813) he was raised in now located in Kampung Langgar, Kayang within the Kuala Perlis area.[12] However, this epithet became less popular under the recommendation of Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail in 2015, in which according to him is inline with the official singular name given in the state constitution his father signed without any long epithets in general "which is related to deities, or any 'Darul'..."".[7]
Perlis was originally part of Kedah, although it occasionally came under the rule of Siam or Aceh. Perlis was historically an important realm within the Kingdom of Kedah. Sultan Muhyiddin of Kedah made his capital in Kota Sena, while Sultan Dhiauddin II made Kota Indera Kayangan his capital.[14] Sultan Dhiauddin II of Kedah was honorifically titled as Raja Muda of Perlis and Kedah,[15][16] akin to the title Prince of Wales in the United Kingdom. During his reign as the Sultan of Kedah, he oversaw a treaty with George Leith to cede Province Wellesley to Penang. He was titled as Raja Muda of Perlis and Kedah.[17] This fact depicted Perlis was a special realm within the Kedah sultanate.
Sultan Dhiauddin then made Syed Harun Jamalullail, father of the future first Raja of Perlis as chieftain of Arau as a wedding gift to his marriage with his daughter, Tengku Sofiah. Syed Harun's descendant eventually become deputy governor (1839) and Raja of Perlis.[18]
After the Siamese conquered Kedah in 1821, the British felt their interests in Perak were threatened.[19] This resulted in the 1826 Burney and Low Treaties[20] formalising relations between the two Malay states and Siam, their nominal overlord. In the Burney Treaty, the exiled Sultan of Kedah, Ahmad Tajuddin was not restored to his throne. Sultan Ahmad and his armed supporters then fought in a series of war known as Perang Musuh Bisik for his restoration from 1830 to 1842.[21] Towards the end of the conflict and the death of Siam's Ligor governor in 1839 (Siam's main authority figure over Kedah), Perlis was separated with Kedah.[19]
In 1842, the Sultan agreed to accept Siamese terms and was restored to the throne of Kedah. However, Siam separated Perlis into a separate principality which was a direct vassal of Bangkok. The Siamese made Raja Long Krok as the Governor of Siam in Perlis while Syed (or Sayyid) Hussain Jamalullail as deputy governor. On 20 May 1843, the Siamese made Sayyid Hussain Jamalulail, the paternal grandson of a HadhramiArabSayyid immigrant and maternal grandson of the Sultan of Kedah, the first Raja of Perlis[22] which made Perlis a sovereign state. His descendants still rule Perlis, but as rajas, instead of as sultans.
In 1897, Kedah led by its prime minister, Wan Mat Saman began efforts to end the sovereignty of Perlis (similar to the Kingdom of Kubang Pasu which was absorbed into Kedah). After several tense occasions and disputes, the Siamese king Chulalongkorn sided with Perlis.[23] Perlis also had several disputes with the state of Setul before the 1900s.
As with Kedah, the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 forced Siam to relinquish its southern Malay vassal states of Kelantan, Trengganu, and Monthon Syburi (comprising Kedah, Perlis, and Satun (but Satun remained with Thailand)) to Great Britain. The British installed a Resident in the Perlis royal capital of Arau. Perlis was returned to Siam in World War II as a reward for Siam's alliance with Japan, but this brief annexation ended with the Japanese surrender. After World War II, Perlis returned to British rule until it became part of the Malayan Union, then the Federation of Malaya in 1957, and lastly, Malaysia in 1963.
From south to north, its topographical profile consists of flat, arable lands of the Kedah–Perlis Plain dotted with numerous mogotes, and abruptly rises up high as rolling karstic hills of the Nakawan Range, which forms the natural boundary between the state and the province of Satun on the Thai side. In general, paddy fields dominate much of the state's landscape as the Perlisian portion of the Kedah–Perlis Plain had been utilized for rice farming since antiquity. Meanwhile, the Nakawan runs southwest–northeast along the Thai border from Kuala Perlis towards Kaki Bukit. The range is home to the 733-metre tall Mount Perlis, the highest point in the state.
Perlis is ruled by the House of Jamalullail. Unlike most other Malay states, in which the ruler is a "sultan", the ruler of Perlis is called the "raja".[26]
The raja appoints menteri besar (chief minister) and an Executive Council (akin to a Cabinet). Generally, the chief minister is a member of the legislative assembly who can command a majority on the assembly's floor. The raja's appointment powers were at the centre of a brief constitutional crisis in the state after the 2008 general election. The Raja sought to appoint a Barisan Nasional assemblyman, Md Isa Sabu, as chief minister despite Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who led the national coalition, nominating the incumbent Shahidan Kassim to continue in office. The Raja prevailed, and swore in Md Isa, who proceeded to serve a full term as chief minister.[27]
The state also has two federal senators; like all other states, the senators are not directly elected but appointed by a vote of the state legislative assembly.
Perlis, being the smallest state by area in Malaysia, is not divided into administrative districts. It is, however, still divided into 22 mukims (communes), namely:
As of 2010 the population of Perlis is 87.9% Muslim, 10.0% Buddhist, 0.8% Hindu, 0.6% Christian, 0.2% Taoist or Chinese religion followers, 0.2% non-religious, 0.2% unknown / none, and 0.1% followers of other religions.
The Malaysian defines "Malay", as those who are Muslim, speak Malay regularly, practise Malay customs, and lived in or have ancestors from Brunei, Malaysia and/or Singapore.[30] Statistics from the 2010 Census indicate that 83.6% of the Chinese population identify as Buddhist, with significant numbers of adherents following Christianity (11.1%) and Taoism (3.4%), along with small Hui-Muslim populations in areas like Penang. The majority of the Indian population follow Hinduism (86.2%), with a significant minority identifying as Christians (6.0%) or Muslims (4.1%). Christianity is the predominant religion of the non-Malay bumiputera community (46.5%) with an additional 40.4% identifying as Muslims.[31]
Languages
Majority of Perlis' population speaks Perlis Malay which is a sub-dialect of Kedah Malay but has its own unique features compared to those of neighbouring Kedah. Perlisian Chinese people are mostly Hokkien by ancestry and speak a dialect of Hokkien. Besides that there is also Hokkien, Mandarin, English, Tamil, Malayalam as well as small numbers of Southern Thai speakers, mostly ethnic Malaysian Siamese. However, large numbers of Perlisians regardless of ethnic origin mainly uses Perlis Malay as a lingua franca. In particular, Perlis is well known for its distinctive Hokkien language, known as Penang Hokkien. Hokkien serves as the lingua franca among the various ethnic Chinese communities in Perlis. Perlis Chinese are predominantly Hokkien and thus mostly speak Hokkien as their first language.
Tourism
Some of the tourist attractions in Perlis are:
Gua Kelam (Kelam Cave) entrance in 2010
Perlis State Park - Situated on the southern slopes of the Nakawan Range, the park consists of Mata Ayer and Wang Mu Forest Reserves with a total area of about 5,000 ha. Some of the attractions in the park include caves such as Gua Kelam and Gua Wang Burma, which is located within the 500-year-old Setul limestone formation.[32]
Gua Kelam - A limestone cave that is one of the most visited destinations in Perlis.[33] Located about 33km north of Kangar, the capital of Perlis, near Kaki Bukit.
Kuala Perlis - One of the popular activities here is fishing. There are also many restaurants that offer fresh seafood that is relatively cheaper than in the capital city.[34] The town is also a transit point for tourists to be ferried to Langkawi.
Perlis does not have an airport; Sultan Abdul Halim Airport serving Alor Setar in nearby Kedah is the nearest airport within Malaysia and can be reached by one hour's drive from Kangar. A bus service from Arau to the airport is also available.
Recreation
There is an outdoor rock climbing area in the limestone hills of Bukit Keteri with over 50 sport climbing routes that are bolted by the world's climbing team; the crags are split into two, both next to each other and the rockfaces rise to 350 m. The range of difficulty is from beginner to expert and many varieties of climbs are available.
Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail is the current Raja of Perlis, reigning since 2000. He previously reigned as the twelfth Yang di-Pertuan Agong,, from 2001 to 2006.
Tuanku Sir Syed Harun Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail was the Raja of Perlis from 1945 until his death in 2000, and the third Yang di-Pertuan Agong, from 1960 to 1965.
Raja Perempuan BesarTengku Budriah binti Almarhum Tengku Ismail was the Raja Perempuan of Perlis and the third Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia as the wife of Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail.
Kangar is the state capital and the largest town in Perlis, Malaysia. It has a population of 48,898 and an area of 2,619.4 ha. It is located next to the Thailand border, in the northernmost point of Peninsular Malaysia. It is situated by the Perlis River.
This article lists important figures and events in Malayan and Malaysian public affairs during the year 1963, together with births and deaths of significant Malaysians. The Federation of Malaya merged with Singapore, North Borneo, and Sarawak to form the Federation of Malaysia on 16 September.
This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 1969, together with births and deaths of notable Malaysians. Race riots following the general election of 10 May led to the dissolution of parliament and an interim legislative council being put in place.
This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 2001, as well as births and deaths of notable Malaysians.
This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 2002, together with births and deaths of notable Malaysians.
This article lists important figures and events in Malayan public affairs during the year 1955, as well as births and deaths of significant Malayans.
Tuanku Tengku Fauziah binti Almarhum Tengku Abdul Rashid is the current Raja Perempuan of Perlis. She also served as the Raja Permaisuri Agong from 13 December 2001 to 12 December 2006.
Kedah Royal Mausoleum or Langgar Royal Mausoleum is a Kedah royal burial grounds. It is located in Langgar, Kota Setar District, Kedah, Malaysia.
The Raja of Perlis is the constitutional monarch and head of state of the Malaysian state of Perlis. The royal house, known as the House of Jamalullail, has been the ruling house of Perlis since 1843. The current ruler, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin, has been the Raja of Perlis since 2000.
The monarchies of Malaysia exist in each of the nine Malay states under the constitutional monarchy system as practised in Malaysia. The political system of Malaysia is based on the Westminster parliamentary system in combination with features of a federation.
Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra ibni Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail is the Raja Muda of Perlis and heir apparent to the Perlis throne. He is the only son of the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin.
This article lists important figures and events in the public affairs of British Malaya during the year 1933, together with births and deaths of prominent Malayans.
The Most Esteemed Perlis Family Order of the Gallant Prince Syed Putra Jamalullail is the second highest chivalric and dynastic order of Perlis belonging to the House of Jamalullail. The order was constituted on 21 September 1965 by Tuanku Sir Syed Harun Putra, the Raja of Perlis to recognize the contributions and friendship with the other Malay rulers.
↑ Stern, Duncan (14–20 May 2004). "Dr. John Crawfurd and the Mission to Thailand, 1822"(Column). A Slice of Thai History. Pattaya Mail. Retrieved 11 August 2011. This in turn helped Capt. Henry Burney conclude a treaty of commerce with Thailand in June 1826.
↑ Ulrike Freitag, W. G. Clarence-Smith (1997). Power Hadhrami Traders, Scholars, and Statesmen in the Indian Ocean, 1750s–1960s. BRILL. pp.85–7. ISBN90-04-10771-1.
↑ World and Its Peoples: Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Brunei. Marshall Cavendish Corporation. 2008. pp.1160, 1166–1192, 1218–1222. ISBN978-0-7614-7642-9.
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Malaysia 
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RM 6.518 billion ($1.564 billion) (10th) [4] 
