Trengganu
(2002 est. pop. 927,000). The state of Trengganu lies along the eastern shore of peninsular Malaysia. It has an elongated coastline of about 250 kilometers facing the South China Sea. Until offshore oil and gas were discovered in 1978, Trengganu was one of the least developed states in the country in terms of conventional economic indicators. Mainstay activities continue to revolve around fishing and smallholding agriculture, although tourism—the state's picturesque beaches and marine life are the main attractions—and the oil boon are now bringing significant social and economic changes.
Trade links between Trengganu and China existed by the twelfth century, if not earlier, as evidenced by Chinese literary sources. The town of Kuala Berang was noted as an important trading center, and Trengganu was known by various names like Chau Chu-fei and Teng Ya-nu. An inscription dated 1303 CE uncovered in Kuala Berang indicates that an Islamic polity was also in place, predating by a century the founding of the Melaka Sultanate. However, in terms of empire building Trengganu has not been a major player. At different periods, it was a vassal state of its more powerful neighbors Melaka, Johore, and Siam before coming under British control in 1909 and subsequently becoming a constituent state of independent Malaysia in 1957.
Further Reading
Shaharil, Talib. (1984) After Its Own Image: The Trengganu Experience, 1881–1941. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Oxford University Press.
Sutherland, Heather. (1978). "The Taming of the Trengganu Elite." In Southeast Asian Transitions: Approaches through Social History, edited by Ruth McVey. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Zawawi, Ibrahim. (1998). The Malay Labourer: By the Window of Capitalism. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
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