Kedahan Malays ( Malay : Melayu Kedah , Jawi : ملايو ﻗﺪﺡ ) or commonly known as Orang Utara ('Northerners'), are a sub-group of Malays native to northern Malay Peninsula in areas of both current and historical area of Kedah (which is now divided into the modern states of Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar). They are among the oldest ethnic groups in the Malay peninsula with a history dating back 2,800 years as proven by the discovery of sites in Bujang Valley and historical documents from India, China and Arabia. Kedahan Malays are one of the largest Malay sub-groups in Malaysia, comprising at least 15% of the total Malaysian Malay population including those with Kedahan ancestry.
38-474: The early history of Kedah can be traced from various sources, from the prehistoric period, archaeological site of Bujang Valley, early maritime trade of India, Persia, and the Arabs to the written works of early Chinese pilgrims and early Chinese records. The Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa (known as Kedah Annals) and Al-Tarikh Salasilah Negeri Kedah are the most important documents about Kedah history. By around 788 BCE,
76-723: A British colony as part of the Straits Settlements alongside Singapore and Malacca until 1948, where it became a sovereign state within Malaya and later Malaysia. Constant aggression from the Siamese against the strategically important Kedah led to the 1821 Siamese invasion of Kedah . The invasion devastated Kedah's political and economic stability including the exile of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II , partition of Kedah into smaller kingdoms ( Setul , Perlis and
114-531: A Hindu kingdom, the arrival of Arab Muslim traders in the 7th century introduced Islam to the kingdom. King Phra Ong Mahawangsa became the last Hindu king of Kedah before converting to Islam in 1136, which marks Kedah as the earliest Muslim kingdom in the Malay Peninsula and one of the earliest in Southeast Asia. Kedah's prestige and influence declined significantly in the 14-15th century after
152-525: A branch campus at Merbok , Sungai Petani. Another government institution with campuses in Sungai Petani include Institusi Kemahiran Malaysia (IKM), Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Sultan Abdul Halim (IPG KSAH), an institution set up by the government to provide teaching courses for trainee teachers, and Kolej Komuniti Sungai Petani, a community college that provides Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) courses. Sungai Petani also has
190-542: A large settlement had been established on the northern banks of the Merbok River which is located near the city of Sungai Petani today. The settlement was one of several in the Bujang Valley which makes it the largest archaeological site in the country. The Merbok settlement was built near the estuary of the tributary river, Sungai Batu. Around 170 CE, Hinduism was introduced to Kedah by traders or migrants from
228-583: A number of private colleges and universities. One of them is the Open University Malaysia (OUM) that operates as the Regional Learning Center for the state of Kedah and Perlis . Other private colleges include MSU College and Cosmopoint College. Sungai Petani has many malls, shopping centers and cinema. Amanjaya Mall, Central Square, Village Mall, River Front are modern shopping and entertainment complex and malls in
266-618: Is a nuclear weapons moratorium treaty between 10 Southeast Asian member-states under the auspices of the ASEAN : Brunei , Cambodia , Indonesia , Laos , Malaysia , Myanmar , Philippines , Singapore , Thailand , and Vietnam . It was opened for signature at the treaty conference in Bangkok , Thailand , on 15 December 1995 and it entered into force on March 28, 1997 and obliges its members not to develop, manufacture or otherwise acquire, possess or have control over nuclear weapons. The Zone
304-555: Is a rich historical site covering an area of about 400sq. km in Merbok (17 km from Sungai Petani), bounded by Bukit Choras (Choras Hill) and Gunung Jerai. This archaeological area was the site of an ancient Hindu-Buddhist kingdom that ruled the region from the 4th century AD. There is also an archaeological museum here which is known as The Lembah Bujang Archaeological Museum. This museum displays more than 2,500 artifacts from Malaysia's earliest civilization that have been unearthed from
342-564: Is also Maktab Rendah Sains MARA Merbok in Merbok, about 11 km northwest of Sungai Petani. The AIMST University (the Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology), was previously in Amanjaya. The university offers a variety of professional courses, including medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, biotechnology, materials technology, engineering, and computer science and information technology. Universiti Teknologi Mara has
380-613: Is also one of the stops for KTM Komuter Northern Sector , a local commuter-rail service under KTM Komuter that connects major town in Penang , Kedah , and Perlis . Long-distance services are also available at Ukir Square. Besides being a bus terminal, this multi-purpose building also houses the Urban Transformation Centre or UTC that provides the community a centralised location for main government agencies, public amenities and services of private sectors. While
418-678: Is called Pelat Utara or Northern Dialect. However, the Kedahan population in Langkat (Indonesia), Pulau Dua (Myanmar) and Satun (Thailand) still call themselves as Orang Kedah or Kedah people due to their historical ties to Kedah Sultanate prior to the partition. However, not all Malays living in Kedah call themselves as Melayu Kedah . In the interior parts of Kedah such as in Baling , Sik and Yan they usually call themselves as Orang Pattani as
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#1732775810195456-541: Is taken from the name of a river, which is Sungai Petani (Petani River), a tributary of Merbok River. The word Petani might be related to the province of Pattani in Thailand . The word is said to derive from a Sanskrit word 'pathini', meaning "virgin nymph"; Pathini was the name of a daughter of Merong Mahawangsa , founder of the preceding Langkasuka Empire . When Kedah was known under the name of Langkasuka, traders always travelled between Merbok Valley and Pattani, and
494-454: Is the area comprising the territories of the states and their respective continental shelves and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ); "Territory" means the land territory, internal waters , territorial sea , archipelagic waters , the seabed and the sub-soil thereof and the airspace above them. The treaty includes a protocol under which the five nuclear-weapon states recognized by the Treaty on
532-480: Is used instead and cek for 'i/me' instead of saya / aku in other Malay varieties in the peninsula. Besides proper Kedah Malay, another variety of Malay spoken in Kedah is Baling Malay , which is an offshoot of Kelantan-Patani Malay but has absorbed influences from Kedah Malay. Kedah Malay is considered distinct enough to have its own ISO code that is meo . Due to their long history, Kedahan Malays have their own unique cuisines, customs and traditions compared to
570-599: The British in the late 18th century forced Kedah to lease Penang as a protection from Siamese aggression. However, the treaty did not come to fruition as the British did not protect Kedah from Siamese invasion, which leads to Kedah invading Penang in 1790. The British managed to conduct a preemptive strike by attacking Kedah's fort and naval post and forced the Sultan of Kedah to sign a ceasefire agreement in 1791. Penang remained
608-677: The Federation of Malaya in 1948 and later as a state within Malaysia in 1963. Nowadays, the term Kedahan Malay only refers to the Malays living in Kedah. Despite being ethnically similar to Kedah Malays, the Malays of Perlis and Penang prefer to identify themselves as Orang Utara or "People of the Northern Region" instead of Kedahan Malay as the term Orang Utara is more politically neutral. This also extends to their language, which
646-557: The Kubang Pasu ) and direct Siamese rule over Kedah for over 20 years until its independence was restored in 1842. Kubang Pasu were reunited with Kedah in 1859 but Perlis and Setul remained independent until 1909, when the Anglo-Siamese Treaty caused the division of British-influence Perlis and Kedah and Siamese-controlled Setul (which would later become the province of Satun ). Kedah, along with 11 other states joined
684-585: The Indian subcontinent, joining them soon were peoples from nearby islands (mainly Austronesians) and northern regions of the Kra Isthmus (mainly Mon-Khmers) that migrated to Kedah and assimilated with the local population. At the same time traders from China, Persia and Arabia, arrived at the brink of the Malacca Strait to Kedah, using Gunung Jerai as a marking point. Ancient Kedah civilization covered
722-619: The Jerai is a resort and the mountain boasts some tall and cooling waterfalls. Historically, the Jerai mountain served as the navigational point for traders from the east and west. There was a Hindu temple on top of the mountain that was built nearly a thousand years ago during the Bujang Valley Hindu Civilization. The Bujang Valley or Lembah Bujang, sometimes referred to as the Ancient Wonder of Kedah,
760-752: The Meeting of the Commission for the Treaty on the SEANWFZ, the Ministers reviewed the progress on the implementation of the 2013-2017 Plan of Action to Strengthen the SEANWFZ Treaty, while reaffirming their commitment to preserve Southeast Asia as a Nuclear-Weapon Free Zone. The SEANWFZ treaty has a protocol that is open to signature by the five recognized nuclear-weapon states: China, France, Russia,
798-687: The Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), namely China , the United States , France , Russia and the United Kingdom (who are also the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council ) undertake to respect the Treaty and do not contribute to a violation of it by State parties. None of the nuclear-weapon states have signed this protocol. The groundwork of the establishment of
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#1732775810195836-631: The areas of today's Kuala Kedah, Kuala Bara, Kuala Pila and Merpah. In the 7th century, Kedah became part of Srivijaya , a thalassocracy which covers the whole of the Malay Peninsula and some parts of Sumatra and Java. Kedah remained an important trading, culture, political and religious centre throughout the Malay archipelago. However in the 11th century, King Rajendra Chola I of the Chola Empire sent an expedition to attack Kedah (Sri Vijaya) on behalf of one of its rulers who sought his assistance to gain
874-470: The city. There are also a few retailer chain and hypermarket outlets such as Lotus's Sungai Petani, Lotus's Sungai Petani South and Lotus's Bandar Puteri Jaya. Sungai Petani has no dearth of religious buildings. Muslims can visit Masjid Sultan Muzaffar Shah. For Christians, some churches located in the city are Church of Christ the King (founded in 1925) and True Jesus Church. For Hindu adherents, one of
912-520: The eastern parts of Peninsular Malaysia through land routes. Thus it is not impossible that the word 'Petani' is borrowed from the name of the princess. "Petani" also means farmer in Malay , but it is unlikely that this is the origin of the city name as there are no sources pointing it to be the case. Sungai Petani railway station is served by rail services such as KTM ETS , a higher-speed rail service connecting major cities in Malaysia. The station
950-582: The establishment of SEANWFZ. However, due to the political atmosphere at that time, including rivalries among the members and conflicts in the region and the Cold War , it was less feasible then to establish SEANWFZ. Thus the formal proposal for establishing a nuclear-free region was delayed until the 1990s, after the Cold War ended and conflicts were settled, and the member states renewed the denuclearization efforts. After conducting negotiations and finalizing
988-524: The future Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ) was started on November 27, 1971, when the 5 original members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, met in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia and signed the declaration on ASEAN's Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN) . One of the targets of ASEAN was also
1026-637: The local bus services are situated at Jalan Petri, the main operators including Tanjung Mewah Holiday Sdn Bhd (inner city), Red Omnibus (Route 2 from Alor Setar) and MARA Liner (to Sik and Kuala Ketil). The nearest airport is the Penang International Airport on Penang Island. Another alternative airport is the Sultan Abdul Halim Airport , Alor Star (the state capital of Kedah). Sungai Petani also served by North-South Expressway , an expressway that connects
1064-545: The peninsula but has its own unique pronunciation and vocabulary which makes it unintelligible to other Malays in the region. Kedahan Malay language can be divided into several sub-dialects, namely Kedah Persisiran ( coastal dialect; standard) or Kedah Hulu (interior), Kedah Utara (northern Kedah), Perlis-Langkawi, Penang and some others (sub-dialects spoken in Satun and Southern Myanmar ). For instance instead of using kamu to denote as 'you', hang (English pronunciation: hung )
1102-439: The people there are the descendants of Malay settlers from the historical region of Patani which is now in modern day southern Thailand. They maintain their own unique dialect/language, tradition and identity from Kedahan Malays. The Kedahan Malays have their own unique variety of Malay known as Kedah Malay or Pelat Utagha (northern dialect) as known by its native speakers. It is related to other varieties of Malay spoken in
1140-955: The primary and secondary education of two districts, Kuala Muda (where Sungai Petani is located) and Yan . Sungai Petani hosts a large number of reputable schools such as the Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Ibrahim which was established in 1919 and Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Mohamad Jiwa . Other schools include Convent Father Barre (Primary and Secondary), Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bakar Arang , Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan St.Theresa, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Khir Johari, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bandar Sungai Petani, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Ismail, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sungai Pasir, Sekolah Menengah Teknik Sungai Petani 1 & 2, SJK(T) Saraswathy, Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan Sin Min , and SJK(C) Sin Kwang. There
1178-473: The rest of Malaysia. Sungai Petani Sungai Petani ( abbr. Sg. Petani or SP) is a town in Kuala Muda District , Kedah , Malaysia . Sungai Petani is Kedah 's largest city and is located about 55 km south of Alor Setar , the capital of Kedah, and 33 km northeast of George Town , the capital city of the neighbouring state of Penang . The name of the municipality
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1216-653: The rise of its southern neighbour, Malacca and Ayutthaya Kingdom in the north. Kedah came under the influence of Ayutthaya until the 1456 Malaccan-Siamese war which led to Kedah becoming a vassal state for Malacca. The influence of Malacca led to the Malayisation of Kedahan people in the mid 15th century. In the early 17th century, the Aceh Sultanate became the new regional power in the region and invaded Kedah in 1629. Many Kedahans were forced to relocate elsewhere or were taken to Aceh as exiles. The arrival of
1254-516: The surrounding excavation sites. Gold, gems, ceramics, Hindu gods and Buddha stone statues dating from the third to 14th centuries are all on display, though its main feature is Candi Bukit Batu Pahat, a reconstructed temple built to worship the Hindu god Shiva . Anglo-Siamese Treaty The Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty ( SEANWFZ ), or the Bangkok Treaty of 1995,
1292-405: The temples that can be visited is Sri Subramaniya Swami Devasthanam Temple that celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019. Sungai Petani Clock Tower is located on the main street, Jalan Ibrahim and was built in 1936. It is topped by a dome-shaped and gold coloured structure. The tower was a present from Lim Lean Teng to George V to commemorate his Silver Jubilee . In the northern part of
1330-578: The throne. This left Kedah in ruins after the war and became a vassal state for the Cholas Rajendra's overseas expedition against Srivijaya was a unique event in India's history and its otherwise peaceful relations with the states of Southeast Asia . Several places in present-day Indonesia and Malay Peninsula were invaded by Rajendra I of the Chola dynasty . Even though Old Kedah was founded as
1368-846: The town with major cities in Malaysia's West Coast. Sungai Petani has various health amenities. Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital , a US$ 150-million hospital, is a public government hospital opened in 2007 that was built to replace a smaller hospital. The Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital was handed over by the Public Works Department to the Ministry of Health on July 23, 2006. It has 498 beds and provides secondary and tertiary specialist services There are also other various private medical facilities. They are Pantai Hospital Laguna Merbok (formerly known as Amanjaya Specialist Centre), Pantai Hospital Sungai Petani, and Metro Specialist Hospital. Kuala Muda Yan District Education Office administers
1406-467: The town, about 30 kilometres away, is Gunung Jerai . Gunung Jerai is 1,217 metres from the sea level. This is the tallest mountain in the northern region and is surrounded by a vast jungle. It is a navigational point for ships entering the Straits of Malacca from the north because it is visible from far. There is an 18 km trekking route to the top of the mountain through a winding road. Atop
1444-528: The treaty for SEANWFZ by an ASEAN working group, the SEANWFZ treaty finally signed by the heads of government from 10 ASEAN member states in Bangkok on December 15, 1995. The treaty took effect on 28 March 1997 after all but one of the member states have ratified it. It became fully effective on 21 June 2001, after the Philippines ratified it, effectively banning all nuclear weapons in the region. In 2014 at
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