ASSALAMUALAIKUM
W.B.T
For
the first post about terengganu, we want to give information about the
background of terengganu. Maybe many of you still “blur” about the background
of terengganu, right??
Actually, there were
conflicting versions of how Terengganu got its name. Some correlated it to the
finding of a canine tooth of an unknown origin at a river estuary by a group of
hunters from a neighbouring state. So it
was said that the place they went hunting where the “Taring Anu” was found.
Some believed the name derived from a very bright rainbow (ganu) seen by a
group of travellers and proclaimed the land to be “Terang Ganu” (Bright
Rainbow).
That is how terengganu got its name. Moreover, Terengganu is truly
a lessed state. It is in the early 1970’s that tourists start arriving.
Unspoilt beaches, the wonders of watching giant leatherback turtles, the
crystal clear azure waters, the splendours of marine lives and the untouched
tropical rainforests are totally and experience to cherish. Even the uniqueness
of its traditional foods are distinctively sought after and remains a part of
Terengganu’s identity. Such as the ‘keropok lekor’ and ‘nasi dagang’ which
truly shows originality and so famous that it is regarded as the trademark of
Terengganu.
To know more about terengganu, why not we know about the ethnic
people in terengganu.
There are approximately 927,000 population in year 2004 in
Terengganu on which 95% are Malays, 5% are Chinese and the remainder shared
among Indian and other ethnics.
Almost all Malays are Muslims, though Islam here is less extreme
than in the Middle East. Due to the strong religion hold, man in a typical
Muslim family is always the bread winner and decision maker for the family,
Malay female especially from the villages or rural area always remain the
house, taking care of the family. However, situation is of little different
where you might notice that there are more female trader than male in certain
areas such as the centre market in Kuala Terengganu. This is simply because as
the bread winner, males are always the fishermen or farmers which involve
greater physical strength.
Traditional Malay culture centers around the kampung, or village,
though today one is likely to find Malays in the business and in public
sectors. Therefore you can still see Malay man in their sarong and songkok fishing
in a wooden sampan in any of the rivers or chatting while
having cup of coffee in a road side coffee shop. General speaking, the Malays
are always warm-hearted, easy-going and very relaxed.
Chinese
Terengganu's Chinese community is small, about 50,000 people or 5
per cent of the state's population, but they are keen to maintain their distinct
traditions On a quiet afternoon, you can still see elderly people huddled
around a mahjong table (a form of gambling, and a pastime
particularly popular with the Chinese). Some of the elder generation remains
their very typical China ascent in the dialect used.
The most colourful piece of Chinese’s cultural mosaic is the
inter-ethnic among the Chinese community in Terengganu: Peranakan or
the Strait Chinese which is resulted from the intermarriage between the China
Chinese and Malays during the Melaka Sultanate time. Most of them settled in
Kuala Terengganu. Although the culture of Peranakan in
Terengganu is gradually disappearing, some of the older female Peranakan are
still wearing the sarong and kebaya and more
interesting the traditional Nyonya food are still serving in
some family especially during festival season. Indian
Indians are consider the minority group in Terengganu where they
only consist of less than 1% of the total population in Terengganu state and
most of them sided in the interior of Terengganu such as Kemaman.
The Orang Asli (Aborigines)
Beside the three major races, there are also the Orang Asli or
aborigines who are the Peninsula's oldest inhabitants. Aboriginal Malays or
better known as the (Orang Asli) began moving down the Malay Peninsula from
South-Western China about 10,000 years ago.
