Tanjong Malim Explained

Official Name:Tanjong Malim
Settlement Type:Town and district capital
Translit Lang1:Other
Translit Lang1 Type1:Jawi
Translit Lang1 Info1:تنجوڠ ماليم
Translit Lang1 Type2:Chinese
Translit Lang1 Info2:Chinese: 丹绒马林

Dānróng Mǎlín
Translit Lang1 Type3:Tamil
Translit Lang1 Info3:
Tañcōṅ mālim
Nickname:Town of Education
Pushpin Map:Malaysia Perak#Malaysia#Southeast Asia
Pushpin Mapsize:275px
Pushpin Map Caption: Tanjong Malim in Perak
Coordinates:3.6795°N 101.5203°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Malaysia
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Muallim District
Established Title:Establishment
Established Date:Around 1900
Government Type:District council
Governing Body:Tanjong Malim District Council
Leader Title:President
Leader Name:Mohd Ikram Ahmad
Area Total Sq Mi:366.75
Area Total Km2:949.86
Population As Of:2007
Population Rank:69th
Population Total:60,791
Population Density Sq Mi:165.76
Population Density Km2:63.99
Elevation M:21.95
Elevation Ft:72
Timezone:MST
Utc Offset:+8
Timezone Dst:Not observed
Postal Code Type:Postcode
Postal Code:35xxx
Blank Name:Area code(s)
Blank Info:05-4xxxxxxx
Blank1 Name:Vehicle registration
Blank1 Info:A
Tanjong Malim District Council
Native Name:Majlis Daerah Tanjong Malim
مجليس دايره تنجوڠ ماليم
Native Name Lang:Malay
Legislature:Local Government Act 1976
Coa Pic:File:The Seal of Tanjong Malim District Council.png
Foundation:1 December 1979
House Type:Municipal Council
Jurisdiction:Tanjong Malim
Leader1 Type:President
Leader1:Mohd Ikram Ahmad
Leader2 Type:Secretary
Leader2:Roslan Kamaruzaman
Meeting Place:59, Bandar Behrang 2020, 35900 Tanjong Malim
Motto:Maju dan Jaya
Progress and Success

Tanjong Malim, or Tanjung Malim, is a town in Muallim District, Perak, Malaysia. It is approximately 70km (40miles) north of Kuala Lumpur and 120 km south of Ipoh via the North–South Expressway. It lies on the Perak-Selangor state border, with Sungai Bernam serving as the natural divider.

Today, "Tanjong Malim" usually refers to the territory under administration of Tanjong Malim District Council or Majlis Daerah Tanjong Malim (MDTM), which includes the smaller towns adjacent to the town such as Proton City, Behrang, Behrang 2020, Sungkai and Slim River. "Tanjong Malim" is lately also referred to the Old Town and New Town divided by the KTM Komuter rail at its heart, from which the town grew. Commuter train services from Tanjong Malim started on 1 June 2009. Tanjong Malim is also a college town, being home to the main campus of the Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI).

History and background

Name

An early settlement nearby Sungai Bernam is named Kampung Kubu (Fort Village). The Bugis community planted jambu fruit trees along the river bank. As population grew over time, the area is referred to as Kampung Jambu. A mosque is also built to cater its Muslim community. During a visit by a British Straits of Settlements official, Sir List, the state officials headed by Raja Itam referred the area as Tanjong, as quoted by its local ulama Tuan Haji Mustafa bin Raja Kemala. However, it is also known locally as Kg.Kubu, Kg.Bugis, Kg.Jambu and Tg.Jambu. Hence, Sir List 'officially' named it as Tanjong Malim to avoid confusion. (Malim or mualim refers to the pious local Muslim community)

History

In the early AD 1700, a Bugis settlement was established along the riverbank of Sungai Bernam, as part of Raja Kecil's plan to set up one of its kubu, fort along the river to fend off the northern Perak Sultanate threat. The plan fell apart with the fall of Raja Kecil in Johor Sultanate power struggle. Over the century, the small village known as Kampung Kubu/Bugis remained idle or rather isolated.

Around 1766, Perak Sultan Mahmud Shah crowned the Bugis prince Lumu as Sultan Salahuddin Shah to establish the Selangor Sultanate. Sungai Bernam is agreed as the natural border and this tiny village happens to be divided by it. Today, the Selangor side is known as Ulu Bernam while the Perak side is Tanjong Malim.

The 1875, Klang War in Selangor drove the Malay community to reside at this rather peaceful village. The Gee Hin-Hai San triads conflict in Ipoh also drew the Chinese community to this village.In the early 1900s, the Chinese Hokkien clan built two rows of shop houses which formed the pillar of the town. These old shop houses still exist today along Jalan Besar in Tanjong Malim. Lately, it is referred to as the "old town" as current development concentrates more on the northern area.The British also brought in the Indian community to work in the rubber plantation, which is the town's most important agriculture sector income during the colonial rule. The Mogah community also set up its petty trade in the outskirt of the town.

Major development took place as infrastructures were upgraded. e.g. railway station, bus station, tarred roads, a federal trunk road, schools, district hospital, etc.In 1922, the Sultan Idris Training College was built there, (first education training institution in Malaysia). The SITC expanded over decades (to MPSI, IPSI, UPSI) and is now a public university, Sultan Idris Education University. A polytechnic was also established recently, granting the town the nickname Town of Education.

The Second World War put a halt to the town's development. The most intensely fought gun battle during the Malaya conquest took place at Slim River, nearby here. The Japanese invaders took over and SITC field became a gruesome POW execution site. After the war, the town population was further diminished during the Malayan Emergency. The British colonial government declared Tanjong Malim as a "black town" in an effort to combat the pro-independence guerrillas of the MNLA, led by the Malayan Communist Party. A local district office is also built here, governing the nearby settlements within 30 km radius. But the assassination of Sir Cordner promptly forced the British to move the office to Slim River.

After the 1957 independence, Tanjong Malim is a rather sleepy town. Most Malaysian would only recall this town as a stop-over rest area during long haul travels between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur. The great flood in 1970 further dampened the town development. In the 1990s, there were plan to push Tanjong Malim to become a buffer city with mega projects such as Proton City and Diamond Creeks. However, the 1997 worldwide economy meltdown put a big comma to it.

Recently, Tanjong Malim is back on track. The Proton City project is turned on, and coupled with the Bernam Jaya projects, a City status could be foreseen in a matter of time.

Additional notes

Subdivision

The administrative area of Tanjong Malim District Council covers an area of 189.02 square kilometers. It is divided into 8 main areas known as:[1]

Demographics

Tanjong Malim, with a population of 66,103 according to the 2020 census.[2]

align=center colspan=3 Ethnic groups in Tanjong Malim, 2004 census http://portal.mdtm.perak.gov.my/gis_baru/penduduk.html http://mdtm.perak.gov.my/portal2/government/faq/faq.htm
Population Percentage
25,125 41.33%
24,850 40.88%
9,583 15.76%
Others 1233 2.0%

Places of interest

Automotive

Sports

Transportation

Public transport

Tanjung Malim station serves Tanjong Malim town, providing KTM ETS and Komuter services. The Tanjong Malim constituency also contains another three stations in Behrang, Slim River and Sungkai, with only limited ETS and freight services.

Bus Station Tanjong Malim (Cap:400ppl)

There is no airway in Tanjong Malim, only airfields for helicopters.

Car

The old interstate Route Federal Route 1 (Federal Highway) connecting Ipoh – Kuala Lumpur, is the main thoroughfare in Tanjong Malim constituency.

North–South Expressway Northern Route exit 121. Though named as Tanjong Malim Interchange, it is actually located in Ulu Bernam, Selangor.

Arts, entertainment, and culture

Movies filmed in Tanjong Malim include:

Principal Award, 51st Oberhausen International Short Film Festival

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Majlis Daerah Tanjong Malim. Pelan Induk Pembangunan Majlis Daerah Tanjong Malim 2011-2021. ms.
  2. https://dosm.gov.my/mycendash/