Kuala Kangsar town springs to life as by-election looms

KUALA KANGSAR, May 31 — This royal town, that is considered quiet and lazy, has suddenly sprung to life with an upcoming by-election following the death of its MP Datuk Wan Mohammad Khairil Anuar Wan Ahmad in a helicopter crash just before the recent Sarawak state elections.

Kuala Kangsar houses the famous educational institution for the elites as well as smart Malay students from around the country — Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) — which has produced numerous political leaders and top civil servants.

The town blends a unique royal history and natural beauty.

Historically, it is impossible to dissociate Kuala Kangsar from its links to Perak royalty. Throughout the centuries, it was the home of several Malay Rulers, thus lending a regal atmosphere to the town which has never dissipated.

Kuala Kangsar was established as the royal capital during the reign of Perak’s 28th Ruler Sultan Idris Murshidul’adzam Shah I (1887-1916). To this day, several buildings connected to Perak royalty are still located here.

These include Istana Iskandariah, the official palace of the Sultan of Perak, Istana Kenangan, the temporary palace of Sultan Iskandar Shah (1918-1938), the Sultan Azlan Shah gallery, and the Royal Mausoleum.

Fittingly, the mausoleum — located in the grounds of the majestic Ubudiah Mosque — is the final resting place for eight sultans.

Many attractions in the town trace their roots back to royalty, including MCKK. Proposed during the second Conference of Rulers in 1903 and built two years later, the college was established to prepare young royals and aristocrats for careers in the civil service. 

Similarly, the Iskandar Polo Pavilion also has a historical link to the Perak throne. Constructed in the 1920s, it was where the late Sultan Iskandar Shah rested after his polo matches.

Located around 60km north of Ipoh, the parliamentary constituency of Kuala Kangsar encompasses two state seats — Bukit Chandan, which houses royalty, and Manong, which represents the rural side of the state.

It is part of the larger Kuala Kangsar district (under the purview of the Kuala Kangsar Municipal Council), which encompasses the parliamentary constituencies of Kuala Kangsar, Padang Rengas and Sungai Siput.

The district has a population of about 155,500 in an area of 2,541sq km. Kuala Kangsar alone has 32,949 registered voters.

Most of the developed areas in Kuala Kangsar is in the town itself, where Bukit Chandan is located, and the town is a valley flanked by the Korbu mountain range to the east and the Kledang-Saiong forest reserve to the west.

“The Kuala Kangsar town is in a valley, so to speak. This is because the settlers in the old days chose to build their settlements near Sungai Perak,” said Kuala Kangsar Municipal Council president Shahrom Abdul Malik.

“The river in Kuala Kangsar town partly divides the two state constituencies of Bukit Chandan and Manong.”

According to Shahrom, major economic activities in the constituency revolve around agriculture. 

“Besides the usual farming activities, we have a lot of oil palm and rubber plantations here.

“There are also livestock breeders and inland fishermen, who depend on Sungai Perak,” he said.

Among the locals, one of the more popular gathering spots is Arena Square, where rows of shops and restaurants hawk traditional fare along the banks of the majestic Sungai Perak.

Known fondly to the locals as lembah (valley), the square was inundated by floods when Sungai Perak burst its banks in December 2014.

For foodies, the famous Laksa Pak Ngah restaurant located in Jalan Dato' Sagor is the place to go. And if you can’t find it, it will probably find you as the store also hawks its fare from two food trucks.

The town also features a unique natural remnant from colonial times, Malaysia’s oldest rubber tree, which grew from nine seedlings brought by English botanist H.N. Ridley in 1877, is located next to the Kuala Kangsar District Office.

But the greater challenge lies in leading this beautiful town to a brighter future. The winner of the coming by-election will ultimately be the one shouldering the task.