1

Perlis state

Provincial Emblem Flag Province

. Type : Parliamentary constitutional monarchy Government . Raja: Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin . Menteri Besar: (BN-UMNO) Capital: Royal capital: Population: 253,100 (2015) Area: 821 km2 Geography ,] is the smallest state in . It lies at the northern part of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and has the Satun and Songkhla Provinces of Thailand on its northern border. It is bordered by the state of Kedah to the south. It was called Palit by the Siamese when it was under their influence. Perlis had a population of 227,025 as of 2010. The capital of Perlis is Kangar, and the royal capital is Arau. Another important town is Padang Besar, at the Malaysia–Thailand border and , the ferry town to . The main port and ferry terminal is at the small village of Kuala Perlis, linking mostly to Langkawi Island. Another important lately developed area is Pauh Putra within subdistrict of 2

Kurong Anai which houses the main campus of Malaysia University of Perlis[5] and Politeknik Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin. Perlis has a famous snake farm and research centre at Sungai Batu Pahat. Among the main tourist attractions are Perlis State Park and Gua Kelam. Perlis currently has an island within its waters, Pulau Batu Layang near Perlis Power Plant, Kuala Sungai Bharu. Historically, Perlis owned another island, Pulau Brasmana just approximately 10km from Kuala Perlis. The island's name is the origin name for Putra Brasmana Hotel. However, the island is now under Thailand administration and known as Ko Pratmana. The reason for this change is still unknown. Perlis subdivided into 23 districts. 1. K Abi 2. Arau 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Kayang 8. Kechor 9. Kuala Perlis 10. Kurong Anai 11. Kurong Batang 12. Ngulang 13. Oran 14. Padang Pauh 15. Paya 16. Padang Siding 17. 18. Sena 19. Seriab 20. Sungai Adam 21. Titi Tinggi (Padang Besar) 22. Utan Aji; and 23. Wang Bintong Economy Kelantan has a chiefly agrarian economy dominated by rice, rubber and tobacco. Fishing along its 96-kilometre coastline is also an important economic activity. Cottage industries which employ traditional skills in handicraft production such as batik, woodcarving and songket weaving are also evident. Logging activities are active given the vast remaining area of forest. In recent years, tourism, especially to offshore islands, has increased in 3 importance. A few reputable hotels have been established and more modern shopping malls have been opened to cater for urban folks. Kota Bharu, the capital, is the major urban centre, and there are also plans to open up the southern portion of the state under an ambitious multimillion-dollar development project. The main market at the city centre is a top attraction. Kelantan had a GDP per capita in 2006 at RM7,985.The State Socioeconomic Report 2017 published on July 26, 2018 reported that Kelantan has a GDP per capita of RM13,593 in 2017, significantly lower than any other state in Malaysia. Tourist attractions Some of the tourist attractions in Perlis are: . Perlis State Park – Situated on the longest continuous range of limestone hills in the country called the Nakawan Range, the park consists of Forest Reserve and Wang Mu Forest Reserve with a total area of about 5000 hectares. Some of the attractions in the park include various caves such as Gua Kelam and Gua Wang Burma which is located within the 500-year-old Setul limestone formation. . Kuala Perlis – One of the popular activities here is fishing. There are also many seafood restaurants that offer fresh seafood that is relatively cheaper than in the capital city. . Gua Kelam – A limestone cave that used to be one of the most visited destinations in Perlis. Government Perlis is ruled by the House of Jamalullail. Unlike other Malaysian monarchical states, in which the ruler is a "Sultan", the Perlis ruler is called the "Raja". Legislative power in the state is exercised by the Perlis State Legislative Assembly, a unicameral chamber in which all 15 seats are elected from single-member constituencies. After the 2018 state election, the coalition, led by the United Malays National Organisation, holds 10 of the assembly's 15 seats. Raja appoints Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) and an Executive Council (akin to a Cabinet). Generally, the chief minister is a member of the legislative assembly who can command a majority on the assembly's floor. The Raja's appointment powers were at the centre of a brief constitutional crisis in the state after the 2008 general election. The Raja sought to appoint a Barisan Nasional assemblyman, , as chief Minister despite Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who led the national coalition, nominating the incumbent to continue in office. The Raja prevailed, and swore in Md Isa, who proceeded to serve a full term as chief minister. The state elects three members of the federal House of Representatives, for the constituencies of Arau, Kangar and Padang Besar. After the 2018 general election, two seats are held by UMNO and one by the People's Justice Party (PKR) within the winning Pakatan 4

Harapan coalition. The state also has two federal senators; like all other states, the senators are not directly elected but appointed by a vote of the state legislative assembly. Languages Majority of Perlis' population speaks Perlis Malay which is a sub-dialect of Kedah Malay but also has its own unique features compared to those of neighbouring Kedah. Besides that there is also Varieties of Chinese and Tamil as well as small numbers of Southern Thai speakers, mostly ethnic Malaysian Siamese. However, large numbers of Perlisians regardless of ethnic origin mainly uses Perlis Malay as a lingua franca.