Besut District

Besut
Town
Flag
Country	Malaysia
State	Terengganu Darul Iman
Seat	Kampung Raja
Government
• Body	Besut District Council
• Yang Di Pertua	Haji Mat Azmi Bin Arshad
Area
• Total	1,233.67 km2 (476.32 sq mi)
Population (2009)
• Total	152,800
• Density	120/km2 (320/sq mi)
National calling code	09-6xxxxxx
Vehicle registration	T

Besut is the northernmost district in the Malaysian state of Terengganu. It is bordered by the state of Kelantan to the north and west and the South China Sea to the east. It is the northern gateway to Terengganu. Kampung Raja is the district capital, though Jerteh is more developed. Another major town is the fishing port of Kuala Besut. There are other small towns and villages such as Jabi, Apal, Pasir Akar and Tembila.

History

There is a lack of written evidence on this district. The records by Munshi Abdullah in his book, Kisah Pelayaran Abdullah ke Kelantan, and Tuhfat al-Nafis by Raja Ali Haji touched a bit on Besut. Due to this, there are many stories that tell the matters regarding the origin of Besut.

Governance

Besut is governed by Besut District Council (Malay: Majlis Daerah Besut). The district is subdivided into 15 mukim or subdistricts and they are Keluang, Kuala Besut, Bukit Puteri, Pengkalan Nangka, Hulu Besut, Jabi, Kerandang, Pelagat, Lubuk Kawah, Pasir Akar, Tembila, Tenang, Kubang Bemban and Bukit Kenak. The popular travel destination, Perhentian Islands are also a part of this district.

Population

There are approximately 150,000 people in Besut, of various ethnicity, with the Malays being the majority. Other ethnics include Chinese and Siamese. Most Malays in Besut identify themselves with Kelantanese identity rather than the Terengganuan identity. One of the prominent examples is that they tend to speak Kelantan Malay instead of Terengganu Malay like in most parts of Terengganu.

Education

Besut has education institutions which are developed by both the central and Terengganu state governments such as, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin Darul, Institute of Teacher's Education Sultan Mizan Campus, MARA Junior Science College (Kota Putra & Besut), Kolej Komuniti Besut, and Sekolah Menengah IMTIAZ, among others.

Tourism

There are a number of travel destinations that are located here, many of them islands or beaches. The most popular of all tourist sites in Besut are Perhentian Islands, one of the top island destinations in the world according to the CNN. Perhentian Islands lie about 10.8 nautical miles (20 km) to the north east of Kuala Besut and are made up of islands such as Perhentian Besar, Perhentian Kecil, and Susu Dara. The islands are well known for their tropical reefs, scuba diving, and snorkeling.

Besides Perhentian Islands, beaches are also among the top local places to visit. The beaches here are Pantai Air Tawar, Pantai Dendong, and Pantai Bukit Keluang. In the interior parts of the district, visitors can experience the tropical forest in areas such as Lata Tembakah and Lata Belatan, or climb the 1039m-high Gunung Tebu (Mount Tebu). Tourists can also enjoy bathing in the natural hot springs of Kolam Air Panas La or La Hot Springs. The water here contains sulphur and can reach 49 °C.

External links

• Sejarah Daerah Besut
• JPN Besut
• Official Portal of Besut District Council