Kedah
Kedah (
Jawi:قدح, pop. 1,778,188) is a state of
Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of
Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of 9,425 km², and consists mostly of flat areas growing
rice, plus the island of
Langkawi.
The state's capital and royal seat is
Alor Star. Other major towns include
Sungai Petani, and Kulim on the mainland, and Kuah on Pulau Langkawi. Kedah is divided into 11 districts:-
Baling, Bandar Baharu, Kota Setar, Kuala Muda, Kubang Pasu,
Kulim, Pulau
Langkawi, Padang Terap, Pendang, Sik, and Yan.
The Arabic honorific of Kedah is
Darul Aman ("Abode of Peace").
The state's population by ethnic group in 2003 was estimated as: Malay (1,336,352), Chinese (252,987), Indian (122,911), Non citizens (35,293), Others (27,532).
Kedah has a long history; the
Bujang Valley has remains of a
Hindu-
Buddhist kingdom that dates back to the
4th century AD, making it the oldest civilization of
Peninsular Malaysia. The current royal family can trace its line directly back to this time. According to
Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa or the Kedah Annals, Kedah was founded by a
Hindu king named
Merong Mahawangsa. According to the text further, the
Sultanate of Kedah started in year 1136 when the 9th King Phra Ong Mahawangsa converted to Islam and changed name to Sultan Mudzafar Shah.
In the 7th and 8th centuries, Kedah was under the domination of
Srivijaya, and was later under
Siam, until the rise of the Malay sultanate of
Melaka in the 15th century. In the 17th century, Kedah was attacked by the
Portuguese after their conquest of Melaka, and by
Aceh. In the hope that
Great Britain would protect what remained of Kedah from Siam, the sultan handed over
Penang and then
Province Wellesley, to the British at the end of the
18th century. The Siamese still conquered Kedah in 1821, and it remained under Siamese control until transferred to the British by the
Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909.
In
World War II, Kedah (along with
Kelantan) was the first part of Malaya to be invaded by
Japan. The Japanese returned Kedah to their Siamese allies and renamed
Syburi, but it returned to British rule after the end of the war. Kedah was a reluctant addition to the
Federation of Malaya in 1948.
Since 1958, the hereditary Sultan of Kedah has been
Tuanku Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah. The Kedah Sultanate began when the 9th Kedah Maharaja Derbar Raja (1136-1179 AD) converted to Islam and changed his name to Sultan Muzaffar Shah. Since then there have been 27 Sultans who ruled Kedah. The Chief Minister or
Menteri Besar is currently Dato Hj Mahdzir Bin Khalid
Kedah is considered the "rice bowl" of Malaysia, producing one third of Malaysia's total production of
rice. Other agricultural products, including
rubber,
oil palm and
tobacco are also important. Tourism, particularly on the island of Langkawi is of growing importance.
More recently Kedah has forged its economy towards the automotive and aerospace industy with Modenas and Asian Composites setting up base here. One of the main advantages is the low labour costs and the infrastructe in place with the highway and Penang International Airport on its door step.In 1996, The Kulim
Hi-Tech Park (KHTP) which was officially opened and became the first high technology industrial park in Malaysia. The Park situated in Kulim comprises total land area of approximately 14.5 square kilometres (5.6 mi²). Many local and foreign companies (such as
Intel,
Fuji Electric,
Showa Denko,
SilTerra etc.) have moved into the site since then.
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KEDAH MAJU 2010 Kedah State Official Website
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Kulim High Tech Park *
Kedah @ Talk Malaysia
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Malaysia Travel Guide: Kedah
