Terengganu (pop. 1,035,977) is a state on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Kelantan lies to the northwest and Pahang to the southwest. Terengganu has a long coastline facing the South China Sea. The state covers an area of 5,033 square miles (13,035 square kilometers). Its capital is Kuala Terengganu.
The vast majority of the people of Terengganu are Malays. The state also has some people of Chinese and Indian descent. During the period of British rule, Terengganu did not experience the rapid economic change and mass immigration of Chinese and Indians in the same way as the other states of Peninsular Malaysia. This lack of immigration was because the region possessed no major deposits of tin and because its communications were poor.
Economy.
The most important commercial crop is palm oil. The state also has large areas of rubber plantations. There is some rice cultivation. In the coastal settlements, many communities depend on sea fishing.
During the 1980’s, large-scale petroleum plants were established off the Terengganu coast. Onshore facilities were developed to serve this new industry. There are several industrial estates in the coastal area.
Land.
Mountain ranges stretch along most of Terengganu’s land borders with Kelantan and Pahang. Historically, these mountains have isolated Terengganu from the other states in the peninsula. The state has no rail links with the peninsula railroad network, which was constructed during the period when the area was part of a British colony. The main roads enter the state at the low-lying coastal borders with Kelantan in the north and with Pahang to the south. Within the state the main road runs along the coast.
A considerable number of small rivers flow out of the mountain ranges to the west and drain into the South China Sea. The river valleys are fertile, but elsewhere in the interior the land is poor. The coast of Terengganu consists of curving sandy beaches, lagoons, and low, rocky headlands.
History.
The modern history of Terengganu dates from the 1300’s when a local ruler converted to Islam. This conversion occurred well before the rise of Melaka. The evidence for the conversion is the inscribed Terengganu Stone. It is possibly the oldest Malay text written in the Arabic script. In the late 1400’s and early 1500’s, the region came under the rule first of Melaka and then of Johor. But for geographical reasons, the state was more subject to pressure from the Thai kingdoms to the north.
Through much of the 1800’s, Terengganu sent tribute (payment) to Bangkok, although in practice the Thai rulers had little real authority over the area. By 1900, British influence in the peninsula had begun to threaten Thai claims over the state. In 1909, the Thai administration in Bangkok renounced its claims and transferred Terengganu, together with Kedah, Kelantan, and Perlis, to British authority.
During the colonial period, British administration was less strict in Terengganu than in the states on the west coast. This was largely because it appeared to have only a limited economic potential. As a result, the Terengganu ruling class remained largely independent.
In August 1943, the invading Japanese allowed Thailand to annex (take over) Terengganu, together with Kedah, Kelantan, and Perlis. The annexation ended with the defeat of Japan in August 1945. In 1948, Terengganu joined the Federation of Malaya. In 1963, it became a state of the newly formed Malaysia.
