Perlis, Malaysia

Although small in size, Perlis is not without its attractions, foremost among which is its serene unspoilt beauty, rustic rural scenes and vast padi fields. Even the state capital is bordered by an expanse of verdant padi fields, making the landscape appear like a huge color-field of brilliant green or gold, depending on the season.

LOCATION

Perlis, the smallest state in Malaysia, lies at the northwestern extremity of the Malay Peninsula; its western coastline borders the Straits of Malacca. Bounded by Thailand in the north, and by Kedah to the east and south, it measures approximately 759 sq. km and has a population of 175,000. Kangar is the seat of the State Government.

History

Perlis was once a part of Kedah which the Thais conquered in 1821. When Kedah was finally returned to the Sultan of Kedah, Perlis was separated from it and was established as a vassal State in its own right. The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 transferred Thai sovereignty over Perlis to the British, however, the Japanese 'returned' Perlis to Thailand during the Japanese Occupation in Malaysia. After the Japanese surrendered, Perlis once again came under British protection until Perlis and the rest of Peninsular Malaysia gained independence together under the name 'Federation of Malaya' in 1957.

Economy

The economic activity of Perlis is dominated by agriculture, forestry and fishing. Agriculture rules in term of land use, manpower and growth domestic product (GDP). The main produces are paddy, sugar cane, rubber, mango, watermelon and teakwood. It contributed 32.2% to the State's GDP in 1995.

Another major contributor to the State's GDP is manufacturing. Compared to other economic sectors, it is projected that manufacturing will reach a GDP growth rate of 11% for the year 1995-2000.

In realising this goal, the State has embarked on the development of medium-scale industrial and manufacturing activities. Besides a sugar refinery in Chuping and a cement factory at Bukit Keteri in Jejawi, industrial parks completed with infrastructure in Kuala Perlis, Sungai Chuchoh and Guar Nangka were created to facilitate this rapid growth.

Within the period of 1985 to December 1995, a total of 59 investment projects, of which 22% represents foreign investments, were approved. The projects include manufacturing of plastic products, electrical and electronics products, scientific equipment, non-metallic products, textiles and fabricated metal products.

Geography

Perlis is the smallest and northern most State in the Peninsular Malaysia. The State is bounded on the north by Satun in Thailand, the east and south by Kedah and on the west by the Straits of Malacca. Measuring only 810 sq km, a large portion of the state lies well below 61 metres while land in excess of 152 metres is found further north near the Thai border. Perlis's highest point is Gunung China (721 metres).

Climate

On the whole, Perlis's climate is tropical monsoon. The temperature is relatively uniform within the range of 21°C to 32°C throughout the year. During the months of January to April, the weather is generally dry and warm. Humidity is consistently high on the lowlands ranging between 82% to 86% per annum. The average rainfall per year is 2,032 mm to 2,540 mm and the wettest months are from May to December.