Introduction to Pulau Pangkor

Facts about Pulau Pangkor

For more facts on Malaysia, see our Travel Malaysia section before coming to Pulau Pangkor, find hard facts on Malaysia, the country, religion, geography and much more.

Pangkor Island is located just off the coast of North West Malaysia. This Malaysian island is about 300 km North from the country capital Kuala Lumpur. Pangkor island is about 200 km South of Penang and 70 South-West of Perak's capital Ipoh.

A brief history of Pulau Pangkor

There is not much known about the origins of the inhabitants of Pangkor. The local inhabitants believed that the island was protected by the spirits, so they called Pulau Pangkor the Spirit Island.

Another name for Pulau Pangkor in the old days was Dinding, which means 'screen' or 'partition'. This was in reference to the position of the island as it protects the mainland's estuary.

Over the years the island was frequently visited by pirates who were roaming the seas around the island. They robbed boats in the Straits of Malacca and hide themselves on the hills on the island. The names of Batu Lanun meaning Pirates' Cave and Batu Perompak meaning Pirates' Rock echo the memory of the pirates.

When the Dutch came in 1670, they build a Fort of which the remains still stand. Dutch records referred to it as the Dindings fort ('Dingdingh') - named after the Dindings River which it faced on the coast of the Peninsula. Read more on the history of the Dutch Fort

Despite the presence of the fort the tin-smuggling continued. In 1690 the Dutch left since local leaders frequently attacked the fort.

In 1743 the fort was rebuilt but the Dutch did not stay long. Soon after, early 19th century, the British came. With their arrival, the island was renamed to Pulau Kera meaning Monkey Island. There's still many monkeys on the Pangkor. Later Pulau Kera was renamed into Pulau Aman (Peaceful Island) and then into Pulau Pangkor (Beautiful island).

The fort was abandoned after it was attacked by a local warrior, Panglima Kulub, and his followers. Muzium Negara (the National Museum) undertook its reconstruction in 1973. Today, only the stone walls and carvings on a large rock left by the soldiers remain. In front of the ruin there is a little park with a Dutch cannon.

Another important event in the history of Pangkor was the so-called Pangkor Treaty of 1874. The Pangkor Treaty of 1874 was a treaty signed between the Sir Andrew Clarke on behalf of the British and Raja Abdullah of Perak. It was signed on January 20, 1874 at Pulau Pangkor off Perak. Thus, the name of the agreement. The treaty is significant in the Malay states history because it signaled the British official involvement in the Malay states' policies.

Click here for more on the Pangkor Treaty

The first British Resident was J.W.W. Birch and he was not much loved by the Malays. In November 1875 Birch was assassinated. This was the start for the fight for independence that eventually came in 1963.

Even today Birch is remember bitterly. In Ipoh you will find a clock tower dedicated to him, erected by the British and more or less hidden. (Check our Ipoh page here). But it is in Pasir Salak where the full story comes to life. Pasir Salak was the kampong where Birch was killed. In the Pasir Salak complex you will find a memorial for Birch too.

Read more on J.W.W. Birch and his story.

In the 1960's and 70's , the name 'Pangkor' was synonymous with salted fish, ikan bilis produce, dried shrimps, shrimp paste etc. Kids grew up on 'Satay Fish', a delicious snack made of barbecued and caramelized fish wafers. Those were the days when the packaging was secondary to the content and hygiene was not of utmost priority.

In Pangkor Town you will find many shops stuffed with all sorts of products from the sea. The supply comes, of course, from the local villages. Nowadays the packages are vacuum sealed but once it was different. The satay fish, dried jellyfish (!) and dried squid are delicious though some find the smell a bit stinky.

With the development of Malaysia, and in particular Perak and Pangkor, the tourist industry found its way into Perak and Pangkor too. Perak has nowadays several tourist destinations: Taiping with the Taiping Zoo, Ipoh and Kuala Kangsar are only a few of the tourist centers. If you consider going to one of these cities, you may want to check Perak hotels for a good hotel.

More on Malaysia's history you may read here.

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