Module 1 Cont'd

Kinabalu Park

Kinabalu Park, in the State of Sabah on the northern end of the island of Borneo, is dominated by Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m), the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea. It has a very wide range of habitats, from rich tropical lowland and hill rainforest to tropical mountain forest, sub-alpine forest and scrub on the higher elevations. It has been designated as a Centre of Plant Diversity for Southeast Asia and is exceptionally rich in species with examples of flora from the Himalayas, China, Australia, Malaysia, as well as pan-tropical flora. It covers an area of 754 square kilometres.

Kinabalu Park is listed as a UNESCO World heritage site in December 2000 due to its outstanding universal values. Located at Kundasang, Sabah it had since being the most popular tourist spot in Sabah as well as Malaysia in whole. In year 2004 it had attracted more than 415,360 visitors and 43,430 climbers throughout the world. Kinabalu National Park commonly known as Taman Negara Kinabalu in Malay establishes as one of the first national park of Malaysia in 1964.
The region was discovered by a then British colonial administrator and naturalist Hugh Low that led an expedition from Tuaran in 1895. He is the first man to reach the peak and was later named after him – Low’s peak.

It is the home to bountiful flora and fauna and among them is the multitude of endemic animal species, including the Kinabalu giant red leech and Kinabalu giant earthworm. Variety of birds, insects, mammals, amphibians and reptiles are found here too.
It is considered as one of the youngest non-volcanic mountains in the world formed within the last 10 to 35 million years ago.



5 important reasons that lead to the growth of Malacca as an entreport & international trading in the 15th century.

1. Strategic location of Malacca in the Straits of Malacca – the important link between East Asia and South Asia .

2. Monsoon wind that swept along the straits that enable Indian and Arab traders to travel to and fro to Far East & vice versa. Malacca becomes a resting centre for sailing merchants to stay while waiting for the monsoon wind to sail their vessel to their destination.

3. Malacca is accessible to Chinese traders from China on their route to India through Malacca Straits.


4. Malacca is also a gateway to the Spices Island and a very important trading centre for spices.

5. Malacca is also the centre of Islam in the eastern sphere and due to it attracted many missionaries.


The story of Mahsuri


Mahsuri is about a young beautiful woman Langkawi, and the wife of Wan Darus, a brave warrior. As was by the country, her husband had to go to war, leaving Mahsuri behind to fend for herself. It was during this time that Mahsuri befriended a young man named Deraman.
Their close friendship lead others in her village to believe that their relationship was sexual in nature.The legend claim that the parties who perpetuated the gossip were those who were envious of Mahsuri's beauty. Eventually the rumours grew strong enough that the villagers falsely accused (fitnah) her of adultery. Mahsuri pleaded her innocence, but no one believed her.

Mahsuri was to be tied to a tree (or pole) and stabbed to death by her father’s kris. It is believe that no other person’s kris can kill her as her father had a special spell that will prevent other kris to penetrate her other than her father’s own kris. When they stabbed her, white blood flowed from her wound, signifying her innocence. With her dying breath, Mahsuri cursed Langkawi to have seven generations of bad luck.

Many locals of Langkawi believe the legend to be true, citing the Siamese invasion of 1821 and decades of failed crops that followed Mahsuri's death. It is only at the end of the 20th century, after the seven generations have supposedly come to pass, that Langkawi began to prosper as a tourist destination.


A kris is a Malay dagger .

Legend of Pulau Dayang Bunting


The island means "Island of the Pregnant Maiden". It has a touching and fairy-tale-like legend, making the island to be more mystical and amazing at the same time.
The story of this island began when a beautiful fairy princess – Mambang Sari and Mat Teja, a man who fell in love with the princess from the moment he saw her. Mat Teja met Mambang Sari at the lake and he was attracted by her beauty. Getting advices from a wise old man, Mat Teja finally managed to win the heart of Mambang Sari.
Living happily on earth, Mambang Sari bore Mat Teja a son. However, their happy moment did not last any longer as their baby died after a short while. Undergoing such a traumatic and tremendous pain, Mambang Sari decided to lay her child to rest in peace in the lake. Legend say that her child turn into a white crocodile.
At the same time, she blessed all the childless and infertile women to be conceivable after bathing themselves in the lake.