Kangar

Kangar is a town in Perlis.

It sits near the Perlis River. It is very close to Thailand.

The town has a name from a tree. Long ago, traders met under a big tree. This gave them shade.

Many people work as farmers there. They grow rice in the fields.

You can see a nice library in town.

It is a special place to visit.

Kangar is a town in Perlis, Malaysia.

It sits at the northern tip of the peninsula. The town is right next to the border of Thailand. It sits by the Perlis River. This river flows through the town to Kuala Perlis.

Kangar is the smallest state capital in Malaysia. About 48,898 people live there. Many people work as farmers or civil servants. The town is a center for growing paddy rice. Other jobs include making cement, paper, and sugar. People also work with rubber and prawns.

Kangar has a long history. It began about 350 years ago. The name comes from a type of tree. Long ago, traders met under a large tree called Pohon Kangar. The shade helped them do business.

Today, you can see many interesting places. There is a tall tower called PKENPS Tower. You can also visit the Perlis State Library. Downtown Kangar has old and new shops. It also has a clocktower from the 1930s. Many people speak Perlis Malay there. They also speak Chinese, Tamil, and English.

Kangar is a special town in northern Malaysia. It is the state capital of Perlis.

This town is the smallest state capital in the whole country. It sits at the very top of the Malay Peninsula. The town is located right next to the border of Thailand. It also sits by the Perlis River. This river flows through the town and leads to Kuala Perlis.

Many different jobs happen in Kangar. The town is a center for growing paddy rice. You will find many farmers living and working here. Many other people work as civil servants for the government. There are also many industries in the area. People make cement and paper in Kangar. They also work with rubber, sugar, and prawns. Some people work in saw milling too.

Kangar has a very old history. It began about 350 years ago. In 1653, a place called Kota Sena was built. This was the center for the 14th Sultan of Kedah. The town's name comes from a type of tree. Long ago, it was a port for boats and tongkangs. Traders met under a big tree called Pohon Kangar. This tree gave them shade while they did business.

The local government is the Kangar Municipal Council. It started on 1 January 1980. This council was made by joining several smaller groups together. These groups included the Kangar Town Council and the Padang Besar Town Board. The area of the council has grown many times. It was 40 square kilometres at the start. By 1997, it grew to 795 square kilometres. Since then, 17 people have served as Presidents of the council.

There are many interesting sights to see in Kangar. You can visit the Perlis State Library.

The downtown area has old and new shops. You can see a clocktower from the 1930s there. The PKENPS Tower is the tallest building in Perlis. Other places include the Alwi Mosque and the State Museum. People in town speak many different languages. Most people speak Perlis Malay. Others speak Hokkien, Tamil, or English.

Kangar is the state capital of Perlis in Malaysia. It is also the largest town in that state.

The town holds a unique position as the smallest state capital in Malaysia. It sits at the northernmost point of Peninsular Malaysia. This location places it right next to the border of Thailand. The town is situated along the Perlis River. This river flows through the town and continues toward Kuala Perlis.

The history of Kangar stretches back approximately 350 years. In 1653, a site called Kota Sena was established. This site served as the administrative center for the 14th Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Muhyiddin Mansor Shah. During this era, Kangar functioned as a land port or pengkalan. This was a place where boats and tongkangs would anchor. The name Kangar itself is derived from a specific type of tree. Traders used to meet under a large tree called Pohon Kangar. This tree provided shade and respite for merchants making business deals. Eventually, people began calling the area the Pohon Kangar Port to honor the tree.

The local government is managed by the Kangar Municipal Council. This council was formed on 1 January 1980. It was created through a merger of several different local groups. These included the Kangar Town Council and the Padang Besar Town Board. It also included the local councils of Kaki Bukit and Simpang Empat. These original councils had been established in the mid-1950s. The jurisdiction of the municipality has expanded significantly over time. It began with an area of 40 square kilometers. By 1989, the area grew to 118 square kilometers. By 1997, the jurisdiction reached 795 square kilometers.

Since its creation, 17 individuals have served as Presidents of the council. As of 2025, all of these leaders have been men. Four of these presidents also served as the Menteri Besar of Perlis. The Menteri Besar is a high-ranking state official. The current President is Affendi Rajini Kanth, who began his term on 9 May 2024. The council manages the town and the rest of the state of Perlis. This unified government includes the neighboring communities of Arau and Kaki Bukit. The center of Kangar is known as Sena Province.

Kangar has a population of 48,898 people. The town covers an area of 2,619.4 hectares. Most residents work as farmers or civil servants. The town serves as a vital gathering center for paddy rice production. This rice is grown in the surrounding district. Other industries contribute to the local economy. These industries include cement, saw milling, and rubber production. The town also processes paper, sugar, and prawns. These various jobs help support the community and the state.

The town is home to a diverse group of people. Most inhabitants speak Perlis Malay. This is a sub-dialect of Kedah Malay with its own unique features. The Han Chinese are the second largest community in Kangar. They primarily speak Hokkien, which acts as a lingua franca for them. Many in this community also know Mandarin and English. Other languages spoken include Tamil, Telugu, Malayali, Punjabi, and Hindi. The Kedah-Siamese community speaks Southern Thai. This variety of languages shows the many cultures living together.

Visitors to Kangar can find many landmarks and points of interest. The downtown area features a mix of old and new shophouses. You can see an elegant colonial State Secretariat Building there. There is also a clocktower dating from the 1930s. The PKENPS Tower is the tallest building in the state of Perlis.

The Perlis State Library is a major landmark located at Jalan Penjara. Other sites include the Alwi Mosque, which was built in 1910. You can also visit the State Museum and the Malay World Weaponry Museum. Natural sites like Gua Kelam and Bukit Ayer provide more ways to explore the region.