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| Capital | Kota Bharu | ||||
| Sultan | Tuanku Ismail ibni al-Marhum Sultan Yahya Petra | ||||
| Chief minister | Tuan Guru Dato' Haji Nik Aziz Nik Mat | ||||
| Area | 14,922 km˛ | ||||
| Population | 1.4 million people comprising of 95% Malay, 3% Thai, 1.9% Chinese, 0.1% Others | ||||
| State anthem | Lanjutkan usia Al-Sultan kami | ||||
Kelantan (Jawi: كلنتن, Thai:กลันตัน) is one of the states in Malaysia. The capital and royal seat is Kota Bharu. The Arabic honorific of the state is Darul Naim, ("The Beautiful Abode").
The “Cradle of Malay Culture”, Kelantan offers a delightful profusion of colourful traditions, charm and scenic beauty. Located in the north-eastern corner of the peninsula, Kelantan, which translates as the "Land of Lightning" is an agrarian state with lush paddy fields, rustic fishing villages and Casuarina-lined beaches. Nature-based activities range from simple river cruises, rafting, and bird watching to jungle trekking. Caving, a goldmine, and deer park, ethno-botanical garden and aboriginal settlements are also in Kelantan.
Kelantan is positioned in the north-east of Peninsular Malaysia. It is bordered by Thailand to the north, Terengganu to the south-east, Perak to the west, and Pahang to the south. To the east of Kelantan is the South China Sea.
With the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) in power for many years, Kelantan is also Malaysia's most socially conservative state.
The early history of Kelantan is rather obscure, but archaelogial finds indicate traces of human settlement dating to prehistoric times. Early Kelantan had links to the Funan Kingdom, the Khmer empire, Srivijaya and Siam. Around 1411, Raja Kumar, the ruler of Kelantan, became independent of Siam and Kelantan became an important centre of trade by the end of the 15th century. In 1499, Kelantan became a vassal state of the Malacca Sultanate. With the fall of Malacca in 1511, Kelantan was divided up and ruled by petty chieftains. With the conquest by Siam in 1603, most of these petty Kelantan chiefs became subject to Patani. Around 1760, a petty chieftain of Kubang Labu in Kelantan succeeded in unifying the territory of the present Kelantan. Shortly thereafter, in 1764, Long Yunos seized the throne and proclaimed himself Raja of Kelantan. However, with his death, Kelantan came under the influence of neighboring Terengganu.
In 1800, Raja Muhammad declared himself as the first Sultan of Kelantan. In 1812, he broke from Terengganu's influence and became a separate tributary of Siam. In the 1820s, Kelantan was one of the most populous and prosperous states in the Malay Peninsula, having avoided the wars and disputes which plagued the southern and western states. Siam continued to play an important role in Kelantan throughout the 19th century.
Under the terms of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909, Siam surrendered its claims over Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis to Great Britain, and Kelantan thus became one of the Unfederated Malay States with a British Resident.
Kelantan was the first place in Malaya to be occupied by the Japanese, who invaded on December 8, 1941. During the Japanese occupation, Kelantan came again under control of Siam, but after the defeat of Japan in August 1945, Kelantan reverted to British rule.
Kelantan became part of the Federation of Malaya on February 1, 1948 and together with other states attained independence on August 31, 1957. On September 16, 1963, Kelantan became one of the component states of Malaysia.
For centuries, Kelantan was all but separated from the rest of the country by the Titiwangsa Mountain Range, a series of mountains running from north to south through the peninsula. Weeks of hard travel were required to reach Kelantan. The "easy way" to Kelantan was to sail around the peninsula, braving the sea and pirates. For this reason Kelantan's history often involves the sea, and boats. Even today, many of its people are very much tied to the sea. A discussion with many coastal residents will confirm that their ancestors, as far back as they know, were "of the sea."
Kota Bharu, the capital, is the major urban centre but there are plans to open up the southern portion of the state under an ambitious multi-million dollar development project.
A part of the deeply conservative Malay heartlands, Kelantan has been ruled by the opposition Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) since 1990, with re-elections in 1995, 1999 and 2004. It is currently the only Malaysian state not ruled by the Barisan Nasional coalition.
PAS and the State of Kelantan are intimately related for various reasons. Firstly, PAS is the only and the oldest Malaysian opposition Islamic Party (established in 1951) while Kelantan is the only state of the thirteen states in Malaysia which is ruled by PAS, and in fact the only one ruled by the opposition.
Secondly, almost all PAS members are Malay Muslims, as are about 95% of Kelantan's population.
Thirdly, the State of Kelantan is almost synonymous with PAS, as Kelantan has been under PAS rule for two lengthy periods. (Neighbouring Terengganu has also been under PAS rule twice, but for short periods each time [1959-1962 and 1999-2004].) The first period of PAS rule in Kelantan began two years after independence, in 1959, and lasted 18 years (1959-1978); the current period is 15 years long and counting.
The interval between the two periods of PAS government, viz. when the Barisan Nasional Party ruled the state, was only about twelve years long (11 March 1978 to 21 October 1990). In the 1990 General Election, PAS returned with an overwhelming victory, winning all the 39 State and 13 Parliamentary seats. The victory was achieved through the PAS-led opposition coalition, called Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah (APU). In the following General Election in 1995, PAS won again, though with a reduced majority. PAS won big in 1999, due in significant part to Malay anger over the treatment of former Vice-Premier Anwar Ibrahim by then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed and other officials of the national government. However, PAS nearly lost control of Kelantan in 2004, when Barisan Nasional, under the new leadership of Abdullah Badawi following Tun Mahathir's retirement, won by a landslide nationally.
For years, PAS has attempted to impose a strict interpretation of Islamic Law on Kelantan. It has succeeded in imposing certain social strictures such as single-sex queues in supermarkets; separate public benches for men and women; and limiting entertainment centres to prohibit "salacious behaviour". Proposals to institute punishments such as amputation of limbs for thievery and execution for blasphemy (collectively known as Hudud Law), however, have been blocked by the national government on constitutional grounds.
One of the most controversial steps PAS has taken in Kelantan is to place tough restrictions or outright bans on the traditional performance of syncretic Malay theatrical forms, such as Wayang Kulit, Makyong, Dikir Barat, and Main Puteri. Newfangled versions without the traditional references to Hindu dewa-dewi and traditional Malay hantu and otherwise in keeping with orthodox Islam are, however, tolerated in certain cases. Also restricted are public performances by women: Aside from Quran recitals, such performances are completely banned if any men are in the audience. While PAS has maintained that these steps were essential to promote Islam and put an end to immoral behavior among the Muslim population, many consider them simply an act of defiance against Barisan Nasional's laws - which are more tolerant or laxer, depending on your viewpoint - and also a major loss to Malay traditional arts.
The hereditary Sultan of Kelantan since 1979 has been Sultan Ismail Petra. His Menteri Besar or Chief Minister is currently Dato' Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, a religious teacher and member of PAS.Demographics
The people of Kelantan are known for their hospitality. The largely rural state preserves rich Malay traditions such as kite-flying contests, top-spinning contests, and bird singing competitions, and traditional handicrafts such as Batik, songket, and silver crafts. As a border state and former vassal state of Thailand, Kelantan has absorbed influences from Thai customs and traditions that help to make the state's culture distinct from those of other states of Malaysia. The Kelantanese people, regardless of ethnic origin, are very proud of their state and its unique local culture and dialect.
All the ethnicities generally live together harmoniously in Kelantan. For example, members of the Thai community received a permit to build a very large statue of the Buddha without any objection from the Malay community or the PAS government that granted the permit. However, some grumbling has been heard from time to time by members of the Chinese community who resent restrictions on the availability and consumption of alcohol.
Kelantanese Malay dialect, heavily influenced by the Thai language, is distinguished from standard Malay as well as other Malay dialects by its unique grammar, pronunciation and figures of speech.
Kelantanese Malay is the only Lingua franca of the state, is used in the local mass media, and is so commonly used for daily communication that some Kelantanese cannot speak the standard form of Malay, as promoted by the Federal Government. The dialect is also prevalent beyond the state borders into southern Thailand and in Besut, the nothernmost district of Terengganu. Whilst the Arab script called Jawi has less influence in the other parts of Malaysia, it is still widely used in writing and printing the Malay language in Kelantan. Signboards in Kelantan are written in both Jawi and Rumi. To a certain extent, the Thai is also used.
95% of Kelantan's population are ethnic Malay, and under the Malaysian Constitution, all Malays are Muslims; therefore, Islam is the most influential religion in the state.
To most Malaysians, Kelantan is synonymous with Malay Arts and crafts. Kota Bharu, as the state capital, is a popular centre for such pursuits as Silat, martial arts, and kertok drumming. Here, too, more than any other place in Malaysia, the traditional pastimes of top-spinning - known as gasing - and the flying of giant, elaborately-decorated kites called wau, are still much in evidence.
The dialect of the Thai language spoken in Kelantan is called "Tak Bai", after the southernmost coastal town in Narathiwat, just across the Kolok River from Malaysia. Tak Bai dialect differs substantially from standard southern Thai and other regional Thai dialects, and it seems certain that the Kelantan Thais are the descendants of an original enclave of Narathiwat settlers established in sparsely-populated Malay territory as long as four centuries ago.
Buddhism is also visible, in that hundreds of Thai wats can be found throughout the state. The local Muslims are strangely ambivalent in their attitude towards Thai Buddhism, which is seen as a relatively prestigious religion, certainly preferable to Atheism, and more obviously an organised community faith than that of the Kelantan Chinese. The Malays definitely approve of the Thais as a religious people, and are generally impressed by the architecture and style of the Buddhist temples, which are recognised as a cultural asset of the region.
In Kelantan, the Chinese see themselves as either Cina Kampung (village Chinese) or Cina Bandar (town Chinese). In other parts of Malaysia, the Chinese see themselves as either Hokkiens, Cantonese, or Hakka etc., but not in Kelantan. Descendants of the earlier waves of small-scale migration are known as Orang Cina kita (our very own Chinese) and the elders are seen as Orang Kelantan betul (true Kelantanese). Speaking excellent Kelantanese Malay dialect unites both Cina Kampung and Cina Bandar.
The Chinese in Kelantan have the native speaker competence of the Kelantanese dialect. It is impossible to tell a Malay speaker from a Chinese by just listening to his speech in the Kelantanese dialect, without looking at the person.
Kelantanese food makes more use of Coconut milk than elsewhere in the country. Curries are richer, creamier, and more influenced by the tastes of nearby Thailand.
The jajahans, from left to right, are written in Roman, Thai and Arabic