The deep seas off Terengganu may be rich in oil and gas reserves, making the east coast state among the region’s leaders in the oil, gas and petrochemical industry, but some argue that its real treasures are all found on the mainland.
With documented history reaching as far back as the2ndcentury, Terengganu certainly has accumulated wealthof heritage influenced by the Langkasuka and Srivijaya kingdoms it was part of and the Majapahit, Khmer and Chinese empires it traded with. Despite modern developments, the old Terengganu still remains. And the best way to explore it? Via Federal Route approaching hundred years old, it still remains one of Malaysia’ nost scenic highways.
At 739km long, Route runs alongside the coast of four Malaysian states from Johor Bahru, Johor, in the south of the peninsula, through Pahang and Terengganu before ending in Rantau Panjang, Kelantan, From here, it goes on as part of the Asian Highway Network that connectsAsia to the upper reaches of Europe. It’ ironic that 20 years after it was built by the British for economic reasons, Route would bring the ultimate fall of the Allied Forces when, in 1941.
Japanese troops used it to swiftly advance south on bicycles during the Battle of Malaya.
great way to get to know Terengganu is through its food and what better place
to start than in Chukai Kemaman). It’s among
(in the district of the first towns
you encounter along the Terengganu section of Route northwards. Kim Wah (also known as Kin To Wah) Restaurant is spartan corer establishment on Jalan Masjid with an even simpler menu, selling nothing else but chicken rice It opens daily from 11am to , but its plates of roast chicken over rice with side of soy sauce and chili dip often run out by 1pm, One of the enduring legacies of the Chinese community in Malaysia is the Kopitiam, Usually established in smaller towns, but increasingly franchised in urban centres, these old-style cafes are famous for their Asian coffee (usually thicker and more bitter than its European
version) and charcoal-toasted bread generously slathered with butter and kaya, coconut cream-based jam Kemaman’s very own Hai Peng Kopitiam on Jalan Sulaimani has been enjoying good reputation since the 1930s. Besides the toast, their other specialty is the typical Terengganu dish of nasi dagang beautifully steamed rice with serving of rich tuna curry wrapped in banana leaf parcels In the evenings, join the locals at Pantai Geliga for traditional east coast tea-time treats of satar (fish cakes wrapped in banana leaves, skewered in threes, and grilled over red-hot charcoal), keropok lekor (fish crackers) and sotong celup tepung (deep fried squid), Down it all with fresh coconut juice, served straight from the husk!
MARCH 39
Source: MUHIBAH, the Royal Brunei Airlines in-flight magazine, 2014 Mar-Apr, pages 38-41. Text recovered from the scanned page by OCR and lightly corrected; spelling may differ from the printed edition.
