Perlis (pop. 231,541) is the smallest state in Malaysia. It covers 317 square miles (821 square kilometers) in the far northwest of Peninsular Malaysia on the border with Thailand. The state capital is Kangar.
Nearly 90 percent of the state’s population are Malay. Less than 10 percent are Chinese, and about 1 percent are Indian. Most of the people work in agriculture. The major crop is rice, which grows well on low-lying, highly fertile land which dominates Perlis. There are a number of rubber plantations, and sugar cane is also a plantation crop. Many villagers grow vegetables, fruits, and coconuts. In the coastal towns of Kuala Perlis and Kuala Sanglang, many people earn their living from fishing.
Since the 1970’s, there has been some development of manufacturing and processing in the state. There is some tin mining in the north, and the state’s plentiful limestone is used for cement manufacture.
Tourism is also becoming more important. The Langkawi group of islands, about 18 miles (30 kilometers) off the coast from Kuala Perlis, are being developed as a vacation resort. They have many beautiful beaches.
The land is mainly low-lying and fertile. Away from the coast, the land rises to the low mountains of the Nakawn Range, which marks the border with Thailand. The Perlis and Arau rivers flow through the state and drain into the Strait of Malacca.
Perlis was originally part of Kedah. In 1821, Thai forces attacked Kedah and brought it under their authority. In 1839 the Thais divided the state into four parts, with Perlis as the northern division. Perlis was then a separate dependency of Thailand. Its ruler was a Malay chief who was willing to cooperate with the Thais.
Toward the end of the 1800’s, the authority of the Thai rulers began to weaken. At the same time, the ambitions of the British administrators in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur grew stronger. Under an Anglo-Thai treaty in 1909, the British took control of Perlis. During the British colonial period, Perlis was linked with Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Johor to form what was called the Unfederated Malay States. The Malay rulers in these states enjoyed considerably greater freedom of action than the rulers in the Federated Malay States of Pahang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, and Selangor. However, economic growth was slow.
In 1942, the Japanese drove the British from Malaya. Perlis once again came under the authority of Thailand. But with the defeat of Japan in 1945 and the restoration of the colonial administration, the British again took control. In 1948, Perlis became part of the Federation of Malaya. In 1957, Malaya achieved independence from British rule.
