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'Perak' (Jawi: ڨيرق) is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is the second largest state in Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor southward and to the west by the Strait of Melaka.
''Perak'' means silver in Bahasa Malaysia. The name comes most probably from the silvery colour of tin. In the 1890s, Perak, with the richest alluvial deposits of tin in the world was one of the jewels in the crown of the British Empire. However, some say the name comes from the "glimmer of fish in the water" that sparkled like silver. The Arab honorific of the State is '''Darul Ridzuan''', the Land of Grace.
Pulau Pangkor is a small offshore island that provides some tourist activities such as snorkelling.

Contents

History

Economy

Administration

Constitutional monarchy

State Government

Demography

Perak State Anthem

Transport

Rail transport

Cuisine

External links

History

Legends tell of a Hindu-Malay kingdom called ''Gangga Negara'' in the northwest of Perak. Archaeological discoveries indicate that Perak has been inhabited since prehistoric times.

The modern history of Perak began with the fall of the Malacca Sultanate. The eldest son of the last Sultan of Melaka (Sultan Mahmud Shah), Raja Muzaffar Shah, fleeing the Portuguese conquest of 1511, established his own dynasty on the banks of the Sungai Perak (Perak River) in 1528. As the Perak area was extremely rich in tin, it was under almost continuous threat from outsiders. The Dutch unsuccessfully attempted to monopolize the tin trade in the 17th century, and built forts at the mouth of the Perak River and on Pulau Pangkor. In the 18th century, the Bugis, Acehnese, and the Thai all attempted to invade Perak. Only British intervention in 1820 prevented Thai from annexing Perak. Although the British were initially reluctant to establish a colonial presence in Malaya, increasing investment in the tin mines brought a great influx of Chinese immigrants, who formed rival clan groups allied with Malay chiefs and local gangsters, all of whom battled to control the mines. The Perak sultanate, involved in a protracted succession struggle was unable to maintain order.
In her book ''The Golden Chersonese and The Way Thither'' (published 1892 G.P. Putnam's Sons) Victorian traveller and adventuress Isabella Lucy Bird (1831-1904) describes how Raja Muda Abdullah as he then was turned to his friend in Singapore, Tan Kim Ching. Tan, together with an English merchant in Singapore drafted a letter to Governor Sir Andrew Clarke which Abdullah signed. The letter expressed Abdullah's desire to place Perak under British protection, and "to have a man of sufficient abilities to show (him) a good system of government." In 1874, the Straits Settlements governor Sir Andrew Clarke convened a meeting on Pulau Pangkor, at which Sultan Abdullah was installed on the throne of Perak in preference to his rival, Sultan Ismail. This Pangkor Treaty also required that the sultan accept a British Resident, who would control all administrative issues other than those pertaining the religion or Malay custom. In 1875, various Perak chiefs assassinated the British Resident James W.W. Birch, resulting in the short-lived Perak War of 1876. Sultan Abdullah was exiled to the Seychelles, and the British installed a new ruler. The new resident, Sir Hugh Low, was well versed in the Malay language and customs, and proved to be a more capable administrator. He also introduced the first rubber trees to Malaya.
In 1896, Perak joined Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang to form the Federated Malay States. However, the British Resident system lasted until Perak became part of the Federation of Malaya in 1948.
Perak gained independence from the British on August 31, 1957 along with 10 other states in the Federation of Malaya. The federation was enlarged to form Malaysia on September 16, 1963 following the admission of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore. Singapore separated from Malaysia in 1965.

Economy

Historically dominated by tin mining and rubber, Perak suffered greatly with the decline of those industries. Recent efforts have been made to transform the economy into one based on industrial / manufacturing. A new car manufacturing hub called Proton City at Tanjung Malim has been developed with the establishment of state-of-the-art car manufacturing facilities. The Proton City at Tanjung Malim has become the largest manufacturer of Proton cars (Malaysia's national car).

Administration

Constitutional monarchy

Its current hereditary Sultan of Perak is Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Yussuf Izzuddin Shah Ghafarullahu-Lahu, who was the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia and formerly the Lord President of Malaysia's Supreme Court.

State Government

The Perak State Government is led by the Menteri Besar, Dato' Seri Diraja Tajol Rosli Mohd Ghazali of Barisan Nasional, a former teacher.

=== Municipalities ===
Modern Perak is divided into 9 administrative districts or "daerah" in Malay. These 9 districts, are further divided into administrative Municipal councils (''Majlis Bandaraya/Perbandaran and Daerah''):


★ Kinta- Population: 751,825; Area: 1,958 km².
# Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh
# Majlis Daerah Kinta Selatan
# Majlid Daerah Kinta Barat


★ Larut, Matang dan Selama - Population:273,321; Area: 2,103 km².
# Majlis Perbandaran Taiping (''administrate central and south-west part of district'')
# Majlis Daerah Selama (''administrate north part of district'')


★ Hilir Perak- Population: 191,098; Area: 1,727 km².
# Majlis Perbandaran Teluk Intan (Majlis Daerah Hilir Perak)


★ Manjung- Population: 191,004; Area: 1,168 km².
# Majlis Perbandaran Manjung (Majlis Daerah Manjung)

★ Batang Padang- Population:152,137; Area: 2,730 km².
# Majlis Daerah Tapah
# Majlis Daerah Tanjong Malim

★ Kerian- Population: 52,651; Area: 938 km².
# Majlis Daerah Kerian


★ Kuala Kangsar- Population: 154,048; Area: 2,541 km².
# Majlis Perbandaran Kuala Kangsar (Majlis Daerah Kuala Kangsar)


★ Hulu Perak- Population: 82,195; Area: 6,558 km².
# Majlis Daerah Gerik
# Majlis Daerah Pengkalan Hulu
# Malis Daerah Lenggong

★ Perak Tengah- Population: 82,103; Area: 1,282 km².
# Majlis Daerah Perak Tengah
These districts eventually are divided into several Mukims or Counties which are more politically significant.The main cities and towns in Perak are:
#Ipoh
#Taiping
#Teluk Intan
#Sungai Siput
#Kuala Kangsar
#Lumut
#Batu Gajah
#Tanjung Malim

Demography

Perak's population is now approximately 2 million. Once Malaysia's most populous state, the decline in the tin mining industry caused an economic slowdown from which it has yet to recover, leading to a massive drain in manpower to higher-growth states such as Penang, Selangor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. The ethnic composition of the population was estimated in 2001 to be: Malay (962,050 or 44%), Chinese (924,000 or 42%), Indian (308,600 or 14%), Other (50,000), Other Bumiputra (41,400).

Perak State Anthem

Malay		English translation
Dilanjutkan Allah usianya Sultan Adil dan murah memerintah watan Ditaati rakyat kiri dan kanan Iman yang soleh Allah kurniakan Allah berkati Perak Darul Ridzuan Allah selamatkan Negeri dan Sultan		Allah bestow the Sultan a long life Just and Gracious, ruling the nation Accord by the people Allah endow the righteous faith Sanctify Perak Darul Ridzuan, O Allah Salvage the nation and Sultan, O Allah

Transport

Rail transport

The railway service is undergoing major upgrading with the advent of electrified trains running on double tracks from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh. Ipoh Railway Station is an imposing structure in the city centre. Built in the Moorish style, this white structure, nicknamed the ''Taj Mahal'' of Ipoh, was completed in 1917. The Ipoh Railway Station is said to be the second most beautiful railway station in Malaysia after the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. It is located on Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab.

Cuisine

Lemang, a Malay delicacy made from glutinous rice cooked in a bamboo tube over slow fire is a must-have during the festivities, especially along with some rendang (Malay for meat curry in coconut milk and spices). Some say it originated from the indigenous people who cook their rice using bamboo.
Perak is also known for fermented durian, also called "Tempoyak". It is a durian paste, cooked with fishes.
''See also: Ipoh cuisine.''

External links

★ Department of His Royal Highness, the Sultan of Perak in handling and managing all the activities of Perak's State Ruler

★ Collection of static maps related to Perak

★ Perak page on the official portal of the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia