Sitiawan
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Sitiawan (from Malay: Setia Kawan) is a region in the Manjung district of Perak, a state of Malaysia located on the west coast of that country's Malay Peninsula.
The region covers an area of 331.5 square kilometers (128 square miles) and as of year 2000, its population was 95,920.
The town centre of Sitiawan, the region's administrative town and largest urban belt, is located at Template:Coor dm.
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History
Main article: History of Sitiawan
Folklore mentioned Sitiawan as Kampung Sungai Gajah Mati, a thriving Hockchiew (Chinese: Fuzhou) settlement of industious migrants mostly from the district of Kutien in Fuzhou, China.
According to legend, Kampung Sungai Gajah Mati is the place where two large elephants drowned after one of them, overladen with tin ore, got stuck in the mud of the Dinding River at low tide. Efforts to help save the elephant were in vain and everyone gave up and left. However, the second elephant refused to budge and hung on to its friend, resulting in them drowning together in the rising tide.
In the late 19th century, tin formed the main commodity of commerce together with rubber sheets, and they were often carried by elephants to be loaded onto waiting steamships destined for Penang. Thereafter, when an outbreak of smallpox struck the settlement in the 1870s, and in line with the Chinese belief of naming a place to improve its feng-shui, the locals chose to name the locality Setia Kawan, the "loyal friend", to harmonise with nature and appease the dead elephants.
In September 1903, the settlement got a boost with the arrival of more than 360 Christian Hockchiews desperate to escape the poverty in Fujian. They were led by two Chinese pastors and settled down in what is today known as Kampung Koh. Most of these immigrants worked in rubber plantations in Sitiawan. The Hockchiews also built four wells, two in the 1930s and another two in the 1950s. These heritage wells are still in use today.
Development
Sitiawan grew from a small settlement with rubber tapping and latex processing as the main economic activity. The town was flanked by various Chinese settlements comprising mostly descendents of immigrants from the Kutien district of Fuzhou, China. The original settlers were encouraged by the British to plant rice. The settlers, however, found that padi-planting is not suited to the soil of the region and so they changed to livestock farming, before discovering that the land is much more suited for rubber plantation.
The rapid development of the urban settlements saw the plantation and estate areas developed and converted into residential and commercial areas. In the 1980s, the large remainder of the rubber estates underwent mass conversion into oil palm plantations because prices of palm oil were better than those of rubber sheets and latex.
Tourism has not been a major economic activity, but the town centre derives some economic advantages from its close proximity to Pangkor Island (Malay: Pulau Pangkor) which is a famous niche tourist destination.
The development of the town had been rapid in the 1990s. One of the main reasons was the establishment of the Naval Base in Lumut, approximately 10 km from the town centre. The Naval Base is currently the largest in Malaysia. The base has acted as a catalyst for the developmental of commercial activities in the town, serving both the residents of the base and sailors visiting from other countries.
Education
There are many schools in Sitiawan, such as Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Ahmad Boestamam, Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan(SMJK) Nan Hwa, Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan ACS(Anglo Chinese School). The first mentioned school is named after Ahmad Boestamam, an historical figure who helped to gain independence from the British. As for SMJK Nan Hwa, it was formerly a private Chinese school which was converted into a government partial subsidies school. Meanwhile, the ACS school was formerly an English school which was founded by Chinese Christian pastors who came to Malaysia to spread their religion.
Fuzhou Heritage
Hockchiew heritage has been prominently identified with Sitiawan. The making of "mi sua", "gong pian" biscuits and "gor loo" (soup cooked with fish stomach) are all part of this tradition which is a vital part of the daily living of the residents of Sitiawan, especially those in Kampung Koh today.
"Gong pian" is made using lard, onions, salt and flour. A ball of flour is stuffed with the other ingredients and flattened with a rolling pin, then it is slapped onto the sides of a homemade traditional Chinese oven. The biscuits take approximately 15 minutes to bake. The "Cheong Cia Gong Pian shop" in Sitiawan is the only one of its kind in Malaysia selling this particular type of biscuit.