Early Discoverer of Perhentian and Redang

by Anuar
(Malaysia)

The people of Perhentian and Redang Islands are descendants of the Bugis who were the first to establish a settlement here. They were seafarers and traders who initiated trade links between the Malay Archipelago, Siam and the Khmer Empire. Among the islands along this coast, Perhentian Island has always been a stopover venue for sailors seeking shelter from foul weather as well as protection from piracy.

Many of the first traders married locally and later became trade agents for their compatriots who visited these areas. The first village to be set up was on Perhentian Besar (Big Island) at Teluk Dalam. The former village, now known as kampong lama, has been replaced by holiday resorts.

At the height of trading, spice and trepang (sea cucumber) was the main commodity. Trepang in particular is much in demand by the Chinese and is was trafficked through Perhentian to the ports in the Khmer and Siam. During the Dutch colonization of Makassar, bigger and stronger vessels were used enabling voyages across the South China Sea and reduced travel time by many days. Now sailing along the coast is no longer feasible for trading purposes, thus the role of Perhentian as a commercial stop-over diminished and the people of Perhentian resorted to fishing as means of livelihood.

In the seventies, in conjunction with the booming numbers of travelers who came to watch the Leather Back Turtles on the beach in Rantau Abang, islands within the vicinity like Pulau Kapas and the Perhentian Islands seemed to move into a new era.

Travelers arrive on these islands and home-stayed. Divers arrived on their shores for adventures in spear fishing. Recognizing such potential, holiday resorts soon lined the beaches on these idyllic islands, thus the foundation of tourism in Perhentians was laid. Now the fishing industry diminished to almost nothing. The people of these islands accept tourism as the main source of revenue.