Cameron Highlands


The Cameron Highlands is a district in Pahang, Malaysia, occupying an area of. To the north, its boundary touches that of Kelantan; to the west, it shares part of its border with Perak. Situated at the northwestern tip of Pahang, Cameron Highlands is approximately east from Ipoh, roughly north from Kuala Lumpur or about from Kuantan, the capital of Pahang. It is the smallest municipality in the state.
Surveyed by the government geologist and explorer William Cameron in 1885, the outpost consists of three mukims, namely Ringlet, Tanah Rata and Ulu Telom. Its eight settlements are Ringlet, Tanah Rata, Brinchang, the Bertam Valley, Kea Farm, Tringkap, Kampung Kuala Terla, Kampung Raja and Blue Valley. All are nestled at elevations ranging from to above sea level.
Developed in the 1930s, the tableland is one of the oldest tourist spots in Malaysia. Apart from its tea estates, the plateau is noted for its cool weather, orchards, nurseries, farmlands, cream tea culture, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, wildlife, mossy forest, golf course, hotels, places of worship, bungalows, Land Rovers, museum and native inhabitants.

Background

The Cameron Highlands were named after William Cameron, a Scottish explorer and geologist who was commissioned by the colonial government to map out the Pahang-Perak border area in 1885.
In a statement concerning his mapping expedition, Cameron mentioned he saw "a sort of vortex on the mountains, while for a wide area we have gentle slopes and plateau land." When approached, Sir Hugh Low, the Resident of Perak, expressed the wish of developing the region into a "sanatorium, health resort and open farmland." A narrow path to Cameron Highlands was then carved through the jungle. Nothing much happened after that.
Forty years later, the tableland was given another review when Sir George Maxwell visited the locale to see if it could be turned into a resort. He spent about nine days surveying the territory. Maxwell described the terrain as being "somewhat oval in shape on his return from the highlands." After comparing it with Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka and Baguio in the Philippines, he decreed that the site should be developed into a hill station.
In mid-1925, an Agricultural Experiment Station was set up to confirm if cinchona, tea, coffee, fruits and vegetables could be grown at the district. In December 1925, a superintendent was appointed to supervise the 200-acre plantation on Mount Beremban. While research at the station was being carried out, the colonial office assigned Captain C.C. Best, a surveyor from the Federated Malay States to trace the Telom River. The Annual Report of the Survey Department states he explored "the Ulu of the Telom which was the actual area traversed by Cameron" and "he went first to what is known as Cameron Highlands to obtain a basis of comparison and from there crossed over into the Telom Valley. He made a reconnaissance map of the headwaters of the Telom and his exploration has established definitely that the area at the Ulu of the Bertang is incomparably the most suitable for development." This report, coupled with the confirmation that tea could also be grown, gave the British the motivation to develop the place.
In 1926, a development committee was formed to zone off the moorlands agriculture, defense, administration, housing, and recreation. Later, a three-million-dollar road was constructed from Tapah to the highlands. It started from the 19th mile Tapah-Pahang Road and ended at Ginting "B". The three-year contract was awarded to Messrs. Fogden, Brisbane and Company. The first installment of $250,000 was made in 1926. The project commenced on 1 January 1928; it was completed on Friday, 14 November 1930 – 47 days ahead of schedule. The building of the road was a challenge: the crew not only had to deal with the weather; they also had to cope with the risk of being struck down with malaria. The manning level varied from 500 to 3,000 workers during the construction stage. Throughout the contract, 375 employees were hospitalized for fever. The biggest problem faced by the contractor was the haulage of heavy equipment from the lowlands to the upper reaches. This setback was overcome with the use of steam-driven locomotives which were designed for work on steep gradients.
When the road was opened in 1931, the British and the locals moved in to settle on the slopes of the mountain. They were soon followed by tea planters and vegetable growers who found the climate to be suitable for the growth of their crops. On 1 July 1931, Cameron Highlands was made an autonomous sub-district under Kuala Lipis, with its own Deputy District Officer subordinate to the Lipis District Officer. By the mid-1930s, there was a notable improvement in the constituency: it now had a six-hole golf course, several cottages, three inns, a police post, two boarding schools, a military camp, a dairy, a horse spelling ranch, nurseries, vegetable farms, tea plantations, a Government Rest House and an Agricultural Experiment Station. The domain continued to grow until the outbreak of the Second World War. During the Japanese Occupation of the Malay Peninsula, there was hardly any development in the area. When the Japanese withdrew in August 1945, the place transformed. This, however, came to a halt during the Malayan Emergency. When the conflict ended, Cameron Highlands" experienced a constant change in its landscape. Today, the haven is not only the biggest and best known of Malaysia's hill stations; it is also the highest point in Peninsular Malaysia accessible by car.

Demographics

Ethnic groups in Cameron Highlands District Ethnic groups in Cameron Highlands District Ethnic groups in Cameron Highlands District
EthnicityPopulationPercentage
Chinese13,09939.4%
Bumiputera12,98939.0%
Indian6,98821.0%
Others2020.6%
Total33,278100%

The district has a diverse population of 33,278 people. It comprises Chinese, Bumiputeras — Malays ; others — Indians, non-Malaysian citizens, and other nationalities. Most of the residents are entrepreneurs, service industry employees, farm workers, retirees or government servants.

Politics

Previously contested as part of Kuala Lipis, parliamentary representation for Cameron Highlands was granted in 2004. Though named as such, the Cameron Highlands also covers a few areas that are outside the ward. For instance, the FELDA settlement of Sungai Koyan, which is represented by the Cameron Highlands in the federal parliament, is located in the district of Kuala Lipis. The Cameron Highlands itself contributes two seats to the Pahang State Legislative Assembly — Tanah Rata and Jelai. The Tanah Rata constituency covers the entire district of the Cameron Highlands; the Jelai constituency covers the western part of Kuala Lipis which includes Sungai Koyan and some other FELDA settlements.

Geography

The Cameron Highlands is one of the 11 districts of Pahang. Occupying an area of, the district comprises three townships and five settlements. Tucked up high in the Pahangese and Perakian sections of the Titiwangsa Mountains, the mountainous spine of Peninsular Malaysia, it owes its present standing to its location at a high altitude. There are eight mountains at the retreat. They are Mts. Brinchang, Berembun, Irau, Jasar, Mentigi, Perdah and Siku. Mount Swettenham is located on its border with Kelantan. At the top of Mount Brinchang is a radio and television station. It was constructed by the British in the early 1950s. Close to it is the famed mossy forest. The trail to the forest starts from the BOH Sungei Palas Tea Plantation. It takes about 15 minutes to reach the cloud forest by road.
Cameron Highlands is unique compared to the other hill stations in Malaysia — three river systems drain it with numerous tributaries. Their high points serve as the water catchment for the Pahang and Perak rivers.
Overall, much of the retreat is still forested. Jungle trails lead visitors to tranquil spots, waterfalls, and aboriginal villages. Most of the tracks begin at Tanah Rata. There are more than ten paths to pick and choose from. Depending on its distance, some routes can take as long as five hours to cover. Apart from its numerous walks, the sanctuary is also known for its native inhabitants, the Orang Asli, who rely on the land for subsistence farming, hunting, and fishing. Many have left to take up residence in the nearby towns. There are still some who prefer to treat the woods as their home. To date, there have been many changes at the resort. During the colonial era, the county was developed to be "a healthy hill station similar to Nuwara Eliya." Today, it is different. During the Post-Independence Period, vast tracts of land were cleared for agriculture and infrastructure development. After 1974, more land was cleared for agriculture, housing projects, power plants, logging activities, livestock farming, hotel construction, small-scale industries, human resettlement, and road building. There is no doubt that some advances have brought economic benefits. This, however, has come with a price. Over the years, the "development has been at the expense of the weather and the environment," as well as the indigenous communities' consent.

Biodiversity

Cameron Highlands is one of the few places in Malaysia that serves as a habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna, as well as hosting a totally different ecosystem. There are more than 700 species of plants that grow here. The vegetation changes as one ascends the mountain. The ward is known for its tea growing, vegetable farms and flower nurseries. Its woodlands form the prevailing natural ecosystem within and around the prefecture. Of the fauna, the Sumatran serow, mountain peacock-pheasant and Malayan whistling-thrush are listed in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In 1958, the outpost was declared as deer reserve. Four years later, it became a venue affording protection to animals and birds.
File:Gunung Irau .jpg|220px|right|thumb|Mossy forest on Mount Irau, is one of the highest peaks in the Cameron Highlands