|
 Off
the coast of perak State, lies a cluster of fabulous islands with
unquestionably some of the best coves and beaches on the western
coast of peninsular Malaysia. The cluster of islands we refer to
as Pulau Pangkor is made up of one major mountainous island with 3 smaller
uninhabited islands. Among them two islands predominate in the terms
of accessibility, infrastructure and development, the largest island
Pulau PANGKOR and the smaller known as Pangkor Laut. It has a population
of over 20,000. Pulau Pangkor is a mountainous island with a all weather
paved ring road circumventing the Island. This Ring Road is 25 kilometers
long, a heaven for mountain bikers though certain stretches are
made precarious by on-coming traffic. The highest "peak" on the
island is 800 feet. There is a mountain trail from Pasir Bogak beach
to the Sungei Pinang Town. Pulau Pangkor welcomes visitors with its serene,
golden beaches, crystalline blue water and cool, refreshing breezes.
Located about 9Okm south-west of lpoh, it is largely inhabited by
fisherfolk. They live in scattered fishing settlements along the
coast especially on the eastern side, facing the town of Lumut and
Teluk Batik, and their catch comprises mainly cuttle-fish and anchovy.
The Pangkor island is famous for its 'ikan bilis' (anchovies) and squids.
The real attraction here however are the enchanting beaches on the
western coastline Pantai Puteri Dewi , Teluk Belanga, Teluk Nipah,
and Teluk Cempedak are marvellous for swimming or just basking in
the sun, in complete privacy admist tranqull surroundings.
With its serene golden beaches, crystalline green water, vibrant
tropical forests and cool refreshing breezes, Pangkor Island (Pulau
Pangkor) remains
a haven for those seeking to get away from the hustle and bustle
of city life. It comes as no surprise that Pangkor Island (Pulau
Pangkor) has for
centuries been a welcome stopover for voyagers, pirates, and adventurers
throughout history. Yet the island's natural wonders have remained
unscarred, and her environment remains as tranquil and beautiful
as ever. |
 The
ancient name for this island is Spirit Island. The ancient islanders
believed that this island is protected by the spirits of "Keramat
Serban Hijau", "Keramat Serban Kuning" and "Keramat Tok Janggut".
Fishermen claim to hear voices chanting verses from the Holy Quran
and smell incense from the uninhabited Pulau Gedung hills. The origin
of the inhabitants is unknown. The island was frequently visited by
pirates roaming the seas around the island. They robbed boats with
commercial goods plying from Kedah to Perak and vice versa. The pirates
hideouts are on top of Pulau Gedung hills. This place till this day
is known as Gua Lanun (Pirates' Cave) and Batu Perompak (Pirates'
Rock).
The Dutch were invited to the tin rich state of Perak as a deterrent
to the ambitious Ayudha ruler and Thai invasion. They remained in
Pangkor Island
(Pulau
Pangkor) until the threat from the Thais diminished whereupon Perak once more asserted its independence. The Dutch monopolised the
tin industry until the arrival of the British. During their tenure
on this island and due to the opposition by the locals, a fort was
built by the Dutch 1670, at the entrance of Tiger Rock. With the arrival
of the British in 1800 the island was renamed to Pulau Kera (Monkey
Island) . This was due to the abundance of monkeys on the island.
The islanders opposed this name. The British were pressured by the
village Headman Penghulu Mohd. Noordin b. Mastan to rename it Pulau
Aman (Peaceful Island). It was named Pangkor soon after. One famous
treaty signed on Pangkor Island
(Pulau
Pangkor), known as The Pangkor Treaty was signed
in 1874 between Sir Andrew Clark, principle Perak chiefts & Chinese
headmen agreed on the acceptance of the 1st British Resident. |
