History of Perlis Indera KayanganPerlis, originally part of Kedah, was constantly the point of attention for the Thais from the north. The Thais conquered Kedah in 1821, and after they returned Kedah to its´ rightful Ruler in 1842, they retained Perlis for themselves, installing a ruler of their own choosing on the throne of Perlis. This Ruler was Syed Hussain, the son and successor of Syed Harun, a territorial chief who had been appointed a territorial chief by a previous Sultan of Kedah. Perlis was never returned to Kedah after this. As a result of the Bangkok Treaty of 1909, control of the State was transferred to the British Colonial Administration and a British Advisor was appointed to Arau, the State Capital.
During the Second World War, the Japanese conquerors gave Perlis back to the Thais. Upon their own defeat in 1945, Perlis was returned to the British sphere of influence. Upon its´ return to the ´fold´, Perlis became part of the Malayan Union and then of the Federation of Malaya.
History of Kedah Darul AmanKedah was visited by traders from India as early as the 6th Century. They called the area Katharai. This legendary kingdom is believed to have existed in the Bujang Valley, where archaeologists have unearthed more than fifty temples or candis (shrines) out of which eight have been restored to their original state using original materials for their re-construction.
Early Kedah was subject to the control of the Empire of Funan in Vietnam, followed by subjection to the Sri Vijaya Empire near Palembang in Southern Sumatra. Then, Kedah,in the 15th Century,fell under the influence of the Malacca Sultanate. In the years that followed, the Rulers of Kedah had to fight the Portuguese, Thais, Bugis, Burmese and Dutch, in order to preserve their customs and way of life. Finally, they put their faith in British power, and promptly lost Penang. For the next twenty years, the State came under the rule of Bangkok but regained its’ autonomy by giving up Perlis to them. Perlis became a separate principality under Thai protection in 1842.
From 1842 until 1909, Kedah and Perlis were vassal States of Thailand. In 1909 under the terms of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty, the two States came under the control of the British. Although British rule was accepted, Kedah was more successful than the other States as far as maintaining their own identity was concerned.
History of Penang or ‘Pearl of the Orient’The first recorded landing at Penang was by a trader from Sumatra named Ragam. He named the island Pulau Bersatu which means Single Island. The International Airport at Bayan Lepas, which means "Parakeets Freed", is reputed to be built on the spot where Ragam freed some parakeets from captivity. The Portuguese were next to land at Penang and promptly renamed the island "Pulo Pinaom" after the betel nut palms which grew in abundance.
In 1786, Francis Light, an employee of the East India Company, set foot on the island of Penang during one of his trips to the Far East. He called it the "Pearl of the Orient" in appreciation of its' beauty.
Upon realising its immense potential as a natural port, Light set about persuading the Sultan of Kedah, who held sovereignty over Penang, to concede the island to the British. This was supposed to be in return for them providing protection for the Sultan against his enemies. After acquiring Penang in 1786, Light renamed the island the Prince of Wales Island, as the acquisition took place on the birthday of the Prince of Wales.
The British, however, did not honour the terms of their agreement with the Sultan of Kedah, but there was little his ill-equipped army of 10,000 could do against the might of the British. As a result of this acquisition, a treaty was signed in 1791 requiring Penang to pay the government of Kedah an annual sum of money, a practice which is still carried out today.
Light soon established Georgetown, named after the Prince of Wales who later became King George IV, with Lebuh Chulia, Lebuh Light, Lebuh Pitt and Lebuh Bishop as its boundaries. He also acquired from the Sultan of Kedah a strip of land on the mainland and named this strip Province Wellesley.
During its' early years Penang served as a port for Indian and Chinese traders, who traded tea and opium. To attract more settlers to the island, Light allowed them to claim as much land as they could clear. This drew many settlers from all over Asia.
Penang soon became an even busier port, with numerous vessels bringing traders from Burma, India, China and Arabia. Local traders enjoyed the benefit of this international trade, and did very well for themselves. Between 1786 and the turn of the century, Penang went from being a virtually uninhabited island to being home to 10,000 residents, and was soon joined with Malacca and Singapore to become part of the Straits Settlements. Georgetown was the first Malaysian town to be accorded with city status way back in the 1960's.
History of Perak Darul RidzuanRecent archaeological discoveries at Kota Tampan, near Lenggong in Upper Perak, confirm that mankind has inhabited Perak since the Stone Age. Limestone caves beside the peninsula´s second longest river, the four hundred kilometre long Sungai Perak, provided shelter for these early inhabitants.
The state´s recorded history, however, dates back fairly recently - to the early 16th Century, in fact. Perak´s Royal House can claim direct descent from the Melaka Sultanate - the current ruler is the heir of a line founded in 1528 by Sultan Muzaffar Shah, the eldest son of the last ruler of Melaka. The Sultans set up court in their palaces along the river bank, and graves of past Sultans can be seen in ´The Valley of the Kings´, the region between Kampung Gajah and Parit, south of Ipoh. With the discovery of tin, the wealth of the trade became of interest to these rulers who attempted to control it from their riverside bases, as the tin was brought downstream from the mines further inland.
However, there were always greedy outsiders looking for a piece of the pie. The 17th and 18th centuries proved to be particularly turbulent, as the local Malays warred with the Achenese, Bugis, Thais and the Dutch. The Dutch in fact built forts at the mouth of the Perak River and on the island of Pangkor in an effort to take control of the tin trade.
The first Chinese miners arrived in the early 19th Century and history was about to be re-written. Gang wars among rival Chinese tin miners led to British intervention. The hastily-signed Pangkor Treaty saw a British Resident being installed. In 1896, Perak, along with Selangor, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan, became part of the Federated Malay States, which in 1948 became the Federation of Malaya.
History of Selangor Darul EhsanSome Neolithic remains have been found in the Klang Valley. Beyond that, not much is known of pre-historic Selangor. During the 15th century, parts of modern day Selangor were under the control of Tun Perak, the genius Bendahara of the Malacca Sultanate. Once Malacca fell to the Portuguese though, there was a mad scramble by various parties to assert control over the area. This was because Selangor had rich tin deposits, which everyone wanted a share of.
The Dutch, after conquering the Portuguese, attempted to control the trade by building forts at Kuala Linggi and Kuala Selangor. They were not very successful. Also, after the fall of the Portuguese, the original Minangkabau settlers who had hitherto drawn their support from the Malacca Sultanate, had to make way for the more aggressive Bugis. They in their turn, successfully resisted Dutch attempts to control them. By the middle of the 18th century, the Bugis had succeeded in establishing the current Sultanate, with the Royal Town being Kuala Selangor. Their influence spread as far as West Sumatra and the Riau Archipelago.
From this point onwards the history of Kuala Lumpur and that of Selangor are intertwined. Increased demand for tin saw the arrival of Chinese settlers in the 19th century and, in 1857, two Chinese tin miners, Yap Ah Loy and Chong-Chong, went into partnership with the rival Selangor chiefs, Raja Mahdi and Tengku Kudin, with the aim of opening tin mines in Ampang, Selangor. This gave rise to the founding of the city of Kuala Lumpur at the confluence of the rivers Sungai Gombak and Sungai Klang.
The success of the tin miners brought about a prolonged Civil War between the rival Malay chiefs, which ultimately involved the Chinese tin miners, who not only fought for the rival factions, but also fought amongst themselves.
Kuala Lumpur, which until 1872 was under the control of the Chinese Kapitan (leader appointed by the Chinese miners) Yap Ah Loy, was razed to the ground in that year. It was, however, reconquered in 1873 by the Malay chieftains, an act which brought an end to the wars which had been raging thus far.
The British, ever mindful of the potential wealth of the State, decided to intervene at this point, in order to put an end to the turmoil within the tin mining areas. In 1874 the British Governor, Sir Andrew Clarke installed Frank Swettenham as Resident in Klang, with Sultan Abdul Samad's permission, and the State enjoyed a period of prosperity which extended for twenty five years. By the turn of the century, Kuala Lumpur, too, was a prosperous town.
In 1896 Selangor was one of four founding members of the Federated Malay States, which were administered by the British based at Kuala Lumpur. This grouping, in combination with the Unfederated Malay States and the Straits Settlements, ultimately led to the formation of the Federation of Malaya and independence from British rule in 1957. In 1963, with the inclusion of Sabah and Sarawak, the modern country of Malaysia was born.
History of Negeri Sembilan Darul KhususThe Minangkabau people from Pagar Ruyong in Sumatra, had started to settle in what is known today as Negri Sembilan, as early as the 15th century. They were traders and farmers, who readily placed themselves under the protection of the Malacca Sultanate. This protection was needed owing to the constant attacks and harassment they suffered at the hands of the Bugis, who had settled in Selangor.
Once the Malacca Sultanate was defeated by the Portuguese, however, they lost this protection, and sought protection form the Sultan of Johore. This protection was not enough to deter the increasingly stronger Bugis attacks on them. In desperation, they turned to their land of origin and sought the protection of the Sumatran Royal Family.
As a result of their endeavours, Raja Melewar was appointed the first "Yam Di-Pertuan Besar" or Paramount Ruler of Negri Sembilan in 1773, an appointment that was agreed to by the four "Undang" or chieftains of Sungai Ujong, Jerebu, Johol and Rembau. The Royal Capital of Negri Sembilan was established at Sri Menanti and Raja Melewar was formally installed there.
Unfortunately for the Minangkabau people, Negri Sembilan had rich tin deposits. The greedy rush to exploit these deposits caused them to suffer political instability and unrest.
After a series of wars over this metal, the Minangkabaus terminated their political ties with Sumatra. This did not cause the end of their problems, and unrest continued until 1874, when the British intervened to protect their own interests and installed a British Resident in Sungai Ujong.
The locals did not take too kindly to this forced imposition upon themselves and consequently, there was a brief but bloody rebellion against the British in 1875. This rebellion was put down and, after a period of time, the Yam Tuan Besar agreed to place his Sri Menanti State under the protection of the British, who could not afford for Negeri Sembilan to be in turmoil. Their burgeoning trading interests had led them to construct a rail link to Arang Arang, which was later renamed Port Dickson in honour of Sir Frederick Dickson, the man who supervised the work.
Rembau and Tampin joined Sri Menanti in 1889, and by 1895, Negeri Sembilan was formally constituted into a federation of five "luaks", or States, under the Yam Di-Pertuan Besar Muhammed, with the active participation of the first British Resident, Martin Lister. This act was in accordance with a treaty signed between the British, the four "Undang" of Negeri Sembilan and the Yam Di-Pertuan Besar.
Yam Di-Pertuan Besar Muhammed´s son and successor, Yam Di-Pertuan Besar Abdul Rahman, went on to become the first elected Yang Di-Pertuan Agung (King) of Malaysia.
History of of the Historical City of MalaccaAccording to the annals of history, Malacca was founded by a fugitive Hindu prince, Parameswara, from Palembang in Sumatra. While on the run from his pursuers, Parameswara and his small entourage decided to take a rest at the mouth of the Muar River. While resting in the shade of a tree, he saw his dog being attacked by a mouse-deer. The miniature deer gave the dog such a kick with its hoofs that the dog tumbled into the water. He decided that he should stop running and face his enemies - like the mouse-deer, with strength and courage. Parameswara thought it would be a good place to build a city, and named it Malacca, because the tree under which he was resting was a Malacca Tree.
Malacca under Parameswara soon became a favoured port for resupplying trading ships plying the Straits of Malacca. Parameswara embraced Islam and came to be known as Megat Iskandar Shah. Thus began the first Muslim Sultanate of Malaysia.
In 1509, a Portuguese fleet under the command of De Sequeira landed at Malacca. After an initial friendly reception, the Malaccans attacked the Portuguese and took a number of prisoners. This led to an attack on Malacca in 1511 by Alfonso De Albuquerque.
Not only for the Portuguese, but for the whole western world, Malacca become the symbol of oriental opulence, pomp and riches. It was an opulence and fame not found in its kings, palaces and places of worship, but rather in its varied and valuable commodities, and its trades and merchandise. Malacca was the prized link between the east and west.
The conquest of Malacca was a victory not only for the Portuguese, but also for the western world. It opened the flood gates for western involvement in the region. The Orang Putih or White People had not come for political conquest but for economic gain. They were lured by the rich smell of spices.
Malacca in the Sixteenth Century was not only the principal port of the region, it was considered the principal seaport of the whole world. In this cosmopolitan city, traders from 61 countries, ports and islands were counted and, very often, some 84 languages were heard spoken.
Malacca fell to the Dutch in 1641. A letter sent to Batavia by an official of the victorius Dutch stated .." With joy I am able to inform your lordships that God Almighty, on January 14 anno 1641, has given the city of Malacca into our hands." It went on to say that the investiture had only cost 30 dead and 60 wounded. The victorious Dutch spread their sovereignty over the state and destroyed much of the Portuguese heritage in Malacca.
In 1795, French revolutionary armies invaded Holland. William V of Orange fled to Kew, England. From here he wrote the famous Kew Letters, ordering the administrators of the Dutch colonies to hand over the territories under their control to the British. This was to keep them from falling into the hands of the French.
With the defeat of the French, Malacca was returned to the Dutch on 21st September 1818. With the signing of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty in 1824, boundary lines were drawn through the Straits of Malacca. The Dutch taking Sumatra and other parts of the Indonesian Archipelago, whilst the British took control of the Malay Peninsula.
Malacca soon became a part of the Straits Settlements and remained under British rule until 1957, when Malaya achieved its Independence.
History of Johor Darul Ta'zimThe Portuguese invaded Malacca in 1511, a date which also signifies the beginning of the State of Johore. The then ruling Sultan of Malacca, Sultan Mahmud Shah fled the state after being attacked, and set up his court on Bintan Island.
Following his death, his son, Sultan Alauddin Riwayat Shah moved his royal base to Pekan Tua, which is close to today's Kota Tinggi. Thus was established the Sultanate of Johore, whose first ruler, was the son of the last ruler of Malacca. As such, the other States in Peninsular Malaysia, and Sumatra, which had acknowledged the overlordship of Malacca, continued their allegiance to the new Sultan of Johore.
During the second half of the 16th century Johore was under constant threat. First from the Portuguese based at Malacca, then the Achinese from Sumatra and finally, the Bugis from Sulawesi.
With the arrival of the Dutch, Johore's fortunes took a turn for the better. The Dutch allied themselves with Johore for a combined and successful attack against the Portuguese at Malacca. In return for this co-operation, Johore was freed from virtually all the tariffs and trading restrictions imposed on the other Malaysian States by the Dutch.
Throughout the eighteenth century, Bugis influence within the State grew until, in 1784, the cosy relationship between the Dutch and Johore came to an end. The Dutch East India Company, tired of Bugis domination of Johore, wrested control of Riau-Johore from the Bugis in 1784.
When Stamford Raffles set foot on Singapore in 1819, he witnessed factional wars between two parties in Johore. One was headed by the family of Temenggong Abu Bakar, the Minister of Defence and Justice, and the other by Bendahara Hussein, the Minister of Finance. Raffles decided to back the Temenggong's claim to the throne.
With the help of the British in Singapore, Temenggong Abu Bakar elevated himself to the position of Sultan of Johore in 1886. He moved his capital to Tanjung Puteri, the site of the modern-day Johore Bahru, which means "New Johore". Sultan Abu Bakar is referred to as the "Father of Modern Johore", for having introduced modernisation to his State. He is also the Sultan who initiated the Johore Malay Regiment which is believed to be the fore-runner of the present Malaysian Army.
History of Pahang Darul MakmurThe Khmer word for tin is Pahang, and since the mines at Sungai Lembing, west of Kuantan, have been worked since pre-historic times, historians believe this is where the state derived its name from. There is even a legend in Pahang suggesting that buried under the waters of Tasek (Lake) Chini are the ruins of an ancient Khmer city.
Known to early Chinese mariners who came for sandalwood and elephant's tusks as Pong-fong, and the later Arab and European gold-seekers as Pan and Pahang, Pahang only emerged as a separate entity in the 15th Century through a son of the Malacca sultan. The Pahang dynasty was established at Pekan, which till today remains the Royal seat.
Ancient Chinese records referred to Pahang as a vassal of the Sumatra-based Srivijaya Empire from the 7th to the 13th Century. During the 15th to the 19th Century, it was a vassal first, of the Malacca Empire and later, of the Johor-Riau Empire.
For centuries, stretching back to the days of Portuguese Malacca, the so-called Pahang Gold Belt had attracted the attention of many, including the British. A direct consequence of the struggle to control this wealth was the Pahang Civil War of the 1860s and later, of the To' Bahaman Uprising (primarily against the British), which saw the final establishment of British rule.
Pahang became a member of the Federated Malay States in 1896, together with Selangor, Perak and Negeri Sembilan.
History of Terengganu Darul ImanAlthough history has it that the state of Terengganu was recorded on Ptolemy's second-century map of the Malay Peninsula, the history of modern day Terengganu dates back fairly recently.
Terengganu was already paying tribute to the Siamese in the north when the Malacca Sultanate was established in the 14th century. A 1303 inscription found at Kuala Berang establishes the existence of an Islamic state here at that time. And although it wasn't long before Terengganu became a vassal of Malacca, it managed to remain largely independent during the Riau-Johore ascendancy. It was also trading with China and Siam at that time.
Terengganu's close association with Johore was formalised in 1724, with the establishment of Terengganu as a state and the installation of her first sultan, Tun Zainal Abidin, a brother of one of the former sultans of Johore. This close association with Johore continued for some years.
Sultan Mansur, as he titled himself, spent fifteen years in the mid-18th century in Johore, trying to rally anti-Bugis sentiment. Having failed there, Sultan Mansur turned his attention to Kelantan to the north, and managed to have his son installed as the ruler of the state. It was during Sultan Mansur's reign that Terengganu became a vassal of the Siamese.
Although it sent "golden flowers" to Siam as a token of tribute, Terengganu through the intelligent endeavour and manoeuvrings of the then Sultan Baginda Omar, managed to keep the Siamese at arm's length until 1909, when it was transferred along with Kelantan to British overlordship.
Despite a short-lived peasant uprising in 1928, the British managed to exert control over Terengganu until the Japanese arrived in World War Two. During the Japanese Occupation, control of the state reverted to Thailand, but Terengganu became a member of the Federation of Malaya when it was formed in 1948.
History of Kelantan Darul NaimTraces of hunting and gathering activities in rock shelters dating back to what archaeologists refer to as the ´Hoabinhian´ period have been discovered at Gua Cha and Gua Musang in inland Kelantan. These caves were occupied by Hoabinhians between about 10,000 and 3,000 B.C. The Hoabinhian are named after cave sites in northern Vietnam.
In later times, Kelantan came under the sway of the first great power in Southeast Asian history - the Empire of Funan. Farming methods used in Kelantan today are believed to have their origins in Funan, as does the ever-popular ´ Wayang Kulit ´ shadow play and local weaving techniques. Kelantan was at this time variously referred to as "Ho - Lo - Tan", "Chih - Tu" and "Tan - Tan".
By the mid-7th Century a new maritime power, Srivijaya, had emerged, and Kelantan soon became a vassal of this Sumatran empire. Upon the demise of this power, it paid homage to the Siamese, an arrangement that was to last until the emergence of the new Malacca Sultanate in the 15th Century.
With the demise of this sultanate, Kelantan was ruled first by Johore in the 17th Century, and later by Terengganu in the 18th Century. By the early 1800s, Kelantan was easily one of the most populous and prosperous States in Malaya. This was due to largely to the fact that, like its neighbour Terengganu, Kelantan was ´ignored´ by the concerted efforts that were being made to develop the resources found on the west coast.
Thus ignored, Kelantan went on with her own largely unimpeded development. Kelantan did, however, maintain strong ties with Siam throughout the 19th Century. The State lost her ´independence´ with control of the state passing to British hands following the signing of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909.
When Japan first landed her troops upon Malayan soil in Kelantan during World War II and the Occupation followed, control of the state was passed to Thailand. Kelantan became a member of the Federation of Malaya in 1948.
History of Sarawak Bumi KenyalangPrehistoric remains of man dating back over fifty thousand years have been discovered in the Niah Caves area of Sarawak. In more modern times, Chinese settlers, who found a more attractive environment here for themselves and their families, started arriving in the area during the seventh century, followed by Muslim missionaries around the beginning of the fifteenth century.
The region at that time was a seething mass of internecine warfare, with the Brunei Sultanate being the dominant power in the area from around the fourteenth century onwards.
During the early part of the nineteenth century, the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin was constantly having to deal with the fiercely independent spirits of the natives. In early 1839, in the midst of an uprising of Bidayuhs, Malays and Chinese, a young Englishman named James Brooke arrived on the scene with a well-armed ship. He helped Raja Muda Hissam, uncle of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin, to quell the uprising.
In return for this help, he was given some territory between Tanjung Datu and Samarahan River. He quickly established himself as the 'Raja' and ran a strong government which destroyed the maritime power of the natives. Being strongly acquisitive by nature, Raja Brooke continued with the expansion of his territory at the expense of the Sultanate of Brunei. By the time he died in 1868, his fiefdom extended to Tanjung Kidurong.
His nephew, Charles Brooke, succeeded him as 'Raja' and continued his uncle's acquisitive ways until, at the time of his death in 1917, the territory he ruled was contained within the boundaries of what is now known as "Sarawak".
Charles Vyner Brooke, the second son of Charles Brooke, succeeded his father and ruled Sarawak until 1941, when the Japanese arrived. In the same year, and prior to the arrival of the Japanese, Charles Vyner Brooke together with his brother Bertram Brooke, had granted a written Constitution to the people of Sarawak.
The British at the end of the Second World War were given control of Sarawak by Charles Vyner Brooke. They converted it into a Crown Colony in 1946, amidst strong opposition from the natives of Sarawak. This opposition led, in 1949, to the assassination of the then British Governor, Duncan Stewart. The British Government persisted with their rule until 1962, when, with clear evidence of popular support for the concept of Malaysia, they agreed to Sarawak becoming part of the new country.
The history of modern Sarawak begins with the formation of Malaysia in 1963. Sarawakians now enjoy an affluence in line with the rich natural resources of their State, and are part and parcel of the developments in Malaysia as a whole.
History of Sabah Negeri Di Bawah BayuSabah has attracted fortune hunters for a very long time. Kublai Khan is reputed to have visited Sabah way back in 1260, searching for the precious "Golden Jade". Neither he nor his followers ever found the source of this stone, and ended up just trading for it.
Following on from this visit, the Chinese started setting up permanent settlements in the coastal areas of Sabah from around 1400 A.D. On the heels of Magellan´s crews, Europeans started visiting the area in the 16th Century. They, along with the Chinese, were hindered by the hinterland of Sabah and therefore only settled along the coastal areas.
Sabah at this time, was ruled by the Sultan of Brunei who, in turn paid homage to the Sultan of Sulu. Having said that, the Sultan of Sulu himself was engaged in a brutal struggle with the pirates preying on shipping and settlements in the region. In the late 18th Century, the British East India Company gained a foothold in the region by buying a piece of land in Sabah from the Sultan of Sulu. The natives, however, fought ferociously to keep the white man at bay, as they had done with the others who had tried to exploit them. By 1865, however, they appeared to have lost the struggle, when the opium dealer, and Austrian Consul resident in Hong Kong, Baron von Overbeck, bought Sabah from the Sulu Sultan. He immediately awarded himself the title of "Maharaja of Sabah". Unfortunately for him, he did not enjoy the same level of success as did the White Rajahs of Sarawak and, in 1881 he had to sell his stake to the Dent brothers.
Supported by the British Government, the brothers set up the North Borneo Company and started exploiting the State´s resources. Closer relationships with the Straits Settlements led to Sabah becoming a British Protectorate in 1888.
To quell opposition to their presence, the British had to put down, very brutally, a rebellion led by Mat Salleh in 1895. Their rule was maintained until 1942, when the British Empire was stunned by the Japanese invasion. After the Japanese surrender in 1945, the British regained control of Sabah and converted it into a Crown Colony.
Up until this time, Sandakan was the capital of Sabah. When the concept of Malaysia was floated, the people of Sabah decided that they wanted to join the Federation of Malaya, to form Malaysia. As a result, Sabah achieved Independence from the British in 1963, when it joined Malaysia.
With independence came a name change for Jesselton. Its´ new name was Kota Kinabalu. Independence however, also brought a whole host of problems for the newly-formed country. The Philippines disputed Sabah´s entry into Malaysia, whilst the Indonesians were convinced that the formation of Malaysia was a neo-colonialist plot. The Indonesians´ fears resulted in the period known as "Confrontation", with the ensuing border war lasting until the end of the Sukarno era
History of Federal Territory - Kuala LumpurIn 1857 a group of Chinese miners fought their way up the Klang River in search of tin, and arrived at the confluence of the Klang River and the Gombak River. They named the spot at which they had arrived "Muddy Estuary", and proceeded to build a ramshackle, thatch-roofed village there. There were huge reserves of tin in Ampang, and the spot that they had chosen, was the nearest point to the deposits that the prospectors could get to with their supplies.
Within a month, seventeen Chinese from that group had died of malaria. The continuing demand for tin in the second half of the 19th century made Kuala Lumpur the busiest and most populated centre in Selangor, while its´ strategic and economic importance made it the scene of some of the fiercest fighting during the Selangor Civil War (1867 to 1873), fought between Tengku Kudin and Raja Mahadi.
The two protagonists were supported by two Chinese Secret Societies, the "Ghee Hin" and the "Hai San". The former was headed by Chong-Chong, who supported Raja Mahadi and the latter was headed by Yap Ah Loy, who supported Tengku Kudin.
The war was effectively ended by the British takeover of the State in 1874. In August of that year, Sir Andrew Clarke, a new territorial Governor was sent by the British and he forced Sultan Abdul Samad the Ruler of Selangor to accept Frank Swettenham as an Advisor.
In December 1874, J.G. Davidson was appointed as the Resident, with Frank Swettenham as the Assistant Resident. Realising that Kuala Lumpur, would make an ideal centre for the new Administration, the British moved there from Klang in 1880. This caused the influence and authority of Yap Ah Loy, the Chinese "Kapitan" who had hitherto enjoyed complete power in the settlement, to be overshadowed. The move also led to the rapid modernisation of the town.
While the rulers of Selangor still continued to reside downstream of the Klang River at Kuala Langat (or Klang), Kuala Lumpur continued to grow as the State's administrative centre. It was finally chosen as the capital of the newly formed Federated Malay States in 1886.
In the meantime, Frank Swettenham pushed through a far reaching modernisation plan for the town. Miners and other businessmen began to build fine residences along Jalan Ampang and the rail link to Port Klang was completed, also in 1886.
The town now became a classic example of British colonialism. Uniformed officers and bureaucrats administered the Federated Malay States from beneath the copper domes of Sultan Abdul Samad Building. The story of Kuala Lumpur from then on is one of untrammelled growth from its´ humble beginnings, to the great city which it is today. Kuala Lumpur was ceded to the Federal Government by the then Sultan of Selangor in 1974, and became a Federal Territory at that point.
History of Federal Territory – LabuanOnce a part of the Sultanate of Brunei, Labuan was ceded to the British in 1846 following the discovery of rich coal deposits. In 1890, by which time it had been realised that these coal deposits were of low quality, the British Colonial Administration was happy to hand over the territory to the North Borneo Trading Company.
By 1905, the Directors of the North Borneo Trading Company were themselves pleased to return Labuan or Port Victoria as it was then known, to the British Colonial Administration, who then added Labuan to the Straits Settlements and governed it from Singapore.
After the end of the Second World War, Labuan was made part of the new British colony of North Borneo, which was later to become Sabah. Thus, it came into Malaysia's fold in 1963. By now it had acquired its’ present name, Labuan. In 1984, the Malaysian Government made it into the Federal Territory of Labuan, and governs it directly from Kuala Lumpur.
