Marang (district)
Encyclopedia
Marang is a district in Terengganu
, Malaysia. The district seat is the town of Marang
.
entrepreneur of dried sea products known only by the name of Ma, who was one of the first settlers in the area. The sea products, consisting of fish
and squid
, are dried on racks called rang by the local populance. Given Ma owned all the rangs, the area became known as Ma rang (i.e. 'Ma's rangs), which eventually became Marang.
(r. 1839-1976), the ninth Sultan of Terengganu
, with the appointment of noblemen governing riverine districts, whereby the governing noble would administer the collection of taxes and revenue on behalf of the Sultan. Previously, the power to collect taxes was in the hands of village heads; they were now only responsible for village-level administration. The new system greatly improved tax and revenue collection and increased local administration efficiency. Present-day Marang district was divided into four riverine districts, Marang, Bukit payong
, Alor Limbat and Merchang
.
In 1912, the nobility-based district administration was replaced by professional District Officers. The Marang District Office Building was erected in Marang town
in 1915. However, in 1923, during the reign of Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah (r. 1920-1942), the British Adviser, J.L. Humpherys, led a reorganization of district-level administration. The riverine districts were abolished and replaced with three dependencies . The Marang and Merchang riverine districts were lumped with Kuala Berang and Kuala Terengganu into a new Central Dependency. Each dependency was headed by a Commissioner and assisted by an Assistant British Adviser.
coast
, peat
swamps, hills and plain
s. The sub-districts of Rusila
, Pulau Kerengga and Merchang
lie on the coast with sandy plains gradually giving way to hills in the interior. The Jerong sub-district is mainly hilly, while the sub-districts of Bukit Payong
and Alor Limbat consist of rolling plains and peat swamps. The district's population of 84,938 (2000 census) is 97.2% rural and predominantly Malays (97.2%) while the Chinese
are the biggest ethnic minority (2.6%).
Terengganu
Terengganu is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Iman...
, Malaysia. The district seat is the town of Marang
Marang, Terengganu
Marang is a town and the seat of Marang District, in the state of Terengganu, Malaysia. The town is located on the South China Sea coast on the main highway between Kuala Terengganu and Kuantan...
.
Etymology
The origin of the district's name is attributed to a ChineseChinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
entrepreneur of dried sea products known only by the name of Ma, who was one of the first settlers in the area. The sea products, consisting of fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
, are dried on racks called rang by the local populance. Given Ma owned all the rangs, the area became known as Ma rang (i.e. 'Ma's rangs), which eventually became Marang.
History
The administrative history of Marang began in the reign of Baginda OmarBaginda Omar
Sultan Omar Riayat Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ahmad Muazzam Shah I, also known as Baginda Omar, was both the 6th and 9th Sultan of Terengganu, having ascended to the throne twice, first in 1831 and again from 1839 to 1876. Baginda means "the Fortunate" but in its actual use in Malay history is...
(r. 1839-1976), the ninth Sultan of Terengganu
Sultan of Terengganu
Sultan of Terengganu is the title of the constitutional head of Terengganu state in Malaysia. The current sultan, Mizan Zainal Abidin, is the seventeenth Sultan of Terengganu...
, with the appointment of noblemen governing riverine districts, whereby the governing noble would administer the collection of taxes and revenue on behalf of the Sultan. Previously, the power to collect taxes was in the hands of village heads; they were now only responsible for village-level administration. The new system greatly improved tax and revenue collection and increased local administration efficiency. Present-day Marang district was divided into four riverine districts, Marang, Bukit payong
Bukit Payong
Bukit Payong [] is a town in the Marang district of Terengganu, on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia.The population comprises 98% Malays, 1% Chinese and 1% of other races. The town is bordering the district of Kuala Terengganu. It houses several government departments such as Jabatan Pertanian,...
, Alor Limbat and Merchang
Merchang
Merchang is a town located in a sub-district of the same name in Marang District, Terengganu, Malaysia. Fishery and agriculture are the main economic activities in Merchang.- References :...
.
In 1912, the nobility-based district administration was replaced by professional District Officers. The Marang District Office Building was erected in Marang town
Marang, Terengganu
Marang is a town and the seat of Marang District, in the state of Terengganu, Malaysia. The town is located on the South China Sea coast on the main highway between Kuala Terengganu and Kuantan...
in 1915. However, in 1923, during the reign of Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah (r. 1920-1942), the British Adviser, J.L. Humpherys, led a reorganization of district-level administration. The riverine districts were abolished and replaced with three dependencies . The Marang and Merchang riverine districts were lumped with Kuala Berang and Kuala Terengganu into a new Central Dependency. Each dependency was headed by a Commissioner and assisted by an Assistant British Adviser.
Geography and demographics
Marang has an area of 666 km². The district's topography consists of the South China SeaSouth China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
, peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
swamps, hills and plain
Plain
In geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
s. The sub-districts of Rusila
Rusila
Rusila is situated 12 km from Kuala Terengganu and it is in the district of Marang, Malaysia. Rusila is famous as an Islamic learning centre for ordinary people in Terengganu. There is an old concept of 'Menadah Kitab' which means the people who want to learn Islam will go to the place where...
, Pulau Kerengga and Merchang
Merchang
Merchang is a town located in a sub-district of the same name in Marang District, Terengganu, Malaysia. Fishery and agriculture are the main economic activities in Merchang.- References :...
lie on the coast with sandy plains gradually giving way to hills in the interior. The Jerong sub-district is mainly hilly, while the sub-districts of Bukit Payong
Bukit Payong
Bukit Payong [] is a town in the Marang district of Terengganu, on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia.The population comprises 98% Malays, 1% Chinese and 1% of other races. The town is bordering the district of Kuala Terengganu. It houses several government departments such as Jabatan Pertanian,...
and Alor Limbat consist of rolling plains and peat swamps. The district's population of 84,938 (2000 census) is 97.2% rural and predominantly Malays (97.2%) while the Chinese
Malaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese is a Malaysian of Chinese origin. Most are descendants of Chinese who arrived between the fifteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Within Malaysia, they are usually simply referred to as "Chinese" in all languages. The term Chinese Malaysian is also sometimes used to refer to...
are the biggest ethnic minority (2.6%).
Tourist attractions
Among the main attractions in Marang district include:- Kelulut Beach
- Marang River cruise
- Jambu Bongkok Forest Reserve
- Pulau KapasKapas IslandKapas Island or Pulau Kapas is an island 6 kilometers off the coast of Terengganu, Malaysia. "Kapas" is the malay word for cotton. It features crystal clear seawater, pristine powdery white beaches and untouched tropical jungle. It is promoted as a "snorkeling paradise", with several dive resorts...
(via passenger boats from Marang townMarang, TerengganuMarang is a town and the seat of Marang District, in the state of Terengganu, Malaysia. The town is located on the South China Sea coast on the main highway between Kuala Terengganu and Kuantan...
)