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Kedah is the largest rice producer in Malaysia and supports other agricultural products and agro-based industries |
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History Of Kedah |
Recorded history of Kedah often starts at the Bujang Valley, located in central Kedah. This maritime kingdom at Bujang was visited by Indian, Persian, Arabs and Chinese traders as far back as the 4th century CE/ AD(CE: Common Era).
For many centuries, the Empires of Sri Vijaya and later the Cholas all exerted their influence and domination over this Kingdom. Kedah Peak (Gunung Jerai), at 1217 metres, provided the navigational landmark for ships in the Malacca Strait. The Bujang Valley was a collecting centre for products of the Malay Peninsular and a transit trading post for ships awaiting the change of currents and monsoon winds of the Indian Ocean. Traders soon propagated Hinduism and Buddhism and their culture, building shrines and temples along the coastal area, evident from artefacts found at the valley. |
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Royal Biography |
Born at Istana Anak Bukit, Alor Star as Tunku Abdul Halim, he was the second, but eldest surviving son, of Tunku Badlishah (born 1894; reigned 1943-1958), who later became the 27th Sultan of Kedah. His mother was... |
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Chief Minister Biography |
Ustaz Haji Azizan Abdul Razak (age 68 in 2008) is the Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of the Malaysian state of Kedah after his Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) formed a coalition government of Kedah. .. |
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The Economy |
According to the 9th Malaysia Plan, all this economic area is referred to as the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER). The Northern Corridor Economic Region is one of three development regions formed . .. |
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| Heritage Of Kedah |
Alor Star (sometimes spelt Alor Setar) is located in the Kota Setar District, northern Kedah and is the capital of the state. This settlement became the capital in 18th century under the reign of 19th sultan, Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin Muazzam Shah .
Masjid Zahir, Alor Star, Kedah. The town was originally called Kota Setar until 1943 when it was changed to Alor Star. Alor Star is the administrative capital and seat of the state government and legislative assembly. Located here are the government departments, royal palaces, many heritage buildings, museums and cultural centres. Alor Star is the historical enclave of Kedah. |
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Alor Star is said to be derived from the words ‘alor’ which mean river channel and ‘setar’, a tree called pohon setar (Bouea macrophylla). The pohon setar grew along the river banks that flows pass the settlement of Alor Star. In the old days, visitors travelling by boat to the settlement would rest under these trees along the riverbanks. Thus the resting place became known as Alor Star. The local Chinese population refers to the town simply as ‘Ketah’ (Kedah).
Alor Setar is located on the northern part of Kedah, about 90km from Butterworth, 60 KM from Sungai Petani and over 250km from Kuala Lumpur. A short drive from Alor Star takes you to Kuala Kedah, where you can take a boat to Langkawi island. There is a domestic airport nearby.
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The Kedah Annals weaves an interesting tale of the first Kedah ruler, a Hindu known as Merong Mahawangsa (Read the interesting legendary tales of Merong Mahawangsa here). He is the first Maharaja of Kedah. Eight Hindu Maharajas is believed to have ruled Kedah before the ninth maharaja, Phra Ong Mahawangsa, who converted to Islam in 1136. On conversion, he subsequently ruled as Sultan Mudzafar Shah ( 1136 - 1179) . The Kedah Sultanate the oldest monarchy in Malaysia, starts with this first sultan and has been intact for more than eight centuries. The sultanate is one of the world's oldest continuous line of monarchy. The present Sultan, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, installed in 1959, is the 27th Sultan of Kedah. |
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Between the 18th to mid-20th century AD, Siam, the British and Japanese exercised political and economic control over Kedah. In 13th century saw Kedah dominated by Siam and the Kedah became a vassal of Siam. Occupied by protracted wars with Burma, Siam however left Kedah much on its own. The succeeding centuries saw the scramble for power and control of the spices trade by other foreign powers such as the Portuguese, Achehnese and Bugis, that devastate the state, slowly destroying Kedah’s prosperity. The British exerted their influence from the 18th century and took possession of part of Kedah including Penang island. Siam continued their influence and attacked Kedah in 1821. Kedah soon lost more of her territories - Satun (now part of Thailand) and Perlis (state in Malaysia) was taken away from Kedah by Siam.
During the Japanese occupation of the Malay Peninsular, Kedah was technically under Japanese rule for 19 months. In October 1943, the Japanese relegated the governance of Kedah to Siam. However, in practice, Japan still held the ultimate power (all military, policing and communication services were held by the Japanese).
The British regained control of Malaya in 1945 and continued their influence until 1957, when Malaya gained her independence and Kedah become part of the Federation of Malaya.
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Today, the economy of Kedah is agricultural-based with largely small-scaled industries. Kedah is the largest rice producer in Malaysia and supports other agricultural products and agro-based industries. The state also has a sizable manufacturing and high technology-based industries, mainly in Kulim and Sungai Petani. Kedah enjoys a diverse economy – agricultural, manufacturing and tourism
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