Photo : Taman Negara

History

Pahang was called by many names over the centuries. A Chinese writer called Pahang as Pang-Hang Peng-Heng, Pang-Heng, Pong-Fong, Phe-Hang and Pang-Kang while the Arabs and Europeans called it Pam, Pan, Phang, Paam, Poa, Paon, Phamm, Paham, Fanhan, Phang and Pahagh.

Some people said that the name Pahang was derived from the language of a Siamese aborigine tribe, which means 'ore'. This group used to live in the State where they had opened up several mining plots, especially in the Sungai Lembing area.

According to a Malay tale, the name Pahang originated from where the large mahang tree fell across the Sungai Pahang (Pahang River) on the opposite side of Kampung Kembahang.

Evidence of habitation in Pahang dates back to the Mesolithic Era during which the Mesolithic people lived in caves and mountains of Pahang. According to anthropologists and historians, Pahang was also home to the Middle Age men and the Last Stone Age (early Bronze Age men) and the Semang aborigine tribe.

Long famous for the deposits of tin and gold found along the upper reaches of Sungai Tembeling (Tembeling River), Pahang had attracted the interest of outside powers even before the founding of Melaka in 1400. Under the control of the maritime empire of Srivijaya (centered around Palembang in southeast Sumatra), Pahang had expanded to cover the entire southern portion of the Malay Peninsula in the 8th and 9th centuries.

With the collapse of Srivijaya around 1000, Pahang was claimed first by the Siamese and then, in the late fifteenth century, by Melaka. After Melaka fell to the Portuguese in 1511, Pahang became a key part of the territorial struggles between Acheh, Johor, the Portuguese, and the Dutch. Repeated raids, invasions, and occupations devastated the state until the decline of both Achenese and Portuguese power in the early 17th century that allowed Johor to re-establish its influence and became the great Johor-Riau Empire.

When the Johor-Riau Empire collapsed, one Bendahara Wan Ahmad proclaimed himself as Sultan of Pahang in 1882. Not long after that, the British imperialism manifested itself in Pahang with the appointment of a British Resident to the Sultan of Pahang in 1888.

Like others, the Pahang State also suffered during the Japanese occupation of Malaya until the year 1945. Then in 1948, it joined the Federation of Malaya, which gained Independence in 1957. Today, Pahang is a prosperous state with an expanding economy, fuelled by agriculture, manufacturing and tourism.

Economy

Pahang is rich in agricultural and natural resources. About two thirds of the State is covered by rich tropical forest. Palm oil, rubber and cocoa are cultivated extensively in large land development schemes. Moreover, the establishment of several industrial estates has enhanced the manufacturing sector as a major contributor towards the State's economy.

Richly blessed with many places of attrURL.state, Pahang is also set to become one of the leading tourist destinations in the country. In line with the national objective of promoting Malaysia as a 'Truly Asia' destination, the Pahang State Government is very keen to attract tourism investment into potential areas that have been earmarked throughout the State.

It is expected that the manufacturing and tourism sectors will contribute up to 24% and 10% respectively to the State's GDP by the year 2000.

Geography

Pahang is the largest State in the Peninsular Malaysia. The State is bounded on the north by Kelantan and Terengganu, the east by the South China Sea, the south by Johor and Negeri Sembilan and the west by Selangor and Perak. Spanning north to south of the state is the Titiwangsa mountain range that also forms a natural divider between the Peninsula's east and west regions. Pahang's highest point is Gunung Tahan (2,187 m), which is also Peninsular Malaysia's highest peak.

Climate

On the whole, Pahang'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.