TANJUNG MALIM, Jan 12 — Perak witnessed a historic moment yesterday when Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah declared the establishment of his state’s 11th district named Muallim.

The district, which gets its name from the Arabic word meaning “a learned religious person”, combines three sub-districts in southern Perak.

The main towns include Tanjung Malim, Slim River, Proton City and Behrang.

In his royal address, Sultan Nazrin Shah ― known for his passion for learning ― said the name Muallim represented the importance of education in the district’s history.

“The name Muallim is appropriately bestowed on this district because of its history. It was in this district that the Sultan Idris Training College was officially opened by Sir George Maxwell on November 29,1922,” he said at the official declaration ceremony of the district, held at the Tanjung Malim district council building.

“The college was a learning centre for Malay youths before independence. It was at SITC that the Malay intelligentsia was given birth; the same people who sparked the rise of the nationalistic spirit and lit the fuse of the nation’s fight for independence.”

Sultan Nazrin Shah said the elements of knowledge and religion in the word Muallim should be a compass in the process of planning the development of this district.

He expressed his wish that the district would be a hub of learning and education in accordance with its given name.

“There must not be a contradiction between its name and content. Knowledge and religion must be the identity of this new district,” he said.

“It would be fitting to the district’s given name if Muallim’s development was focused on creating a centre of learning.”

The ruler was accompanied by his consort Raja Permaisuri Perak Tuanku Zara Salim.

Befitting its given name, Muallim boasts a number of prestigious education institutions including Universiti Perguruan Sultan Idris, Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah, the Slim River vocational college and SMK Agama Slim River.

The 1,610ha Proton City is also within the new district’s borders while the town of Tanjung Malim has been chosen as one of the pioneering 1Malaysia Youth Cities — a project designed to empower the nation’s youth.

Looking towards the future, Sultan Nazrin Shah underlined the importance of proper development planning of the district, noting that the progress made needed to fulfil the requirements of its residents.