According
to court records, Terengganu was once part of the Johore Empire, given
to Tun Zainal Abidin Paduka Maharaja, the younger brother of Sultan
Abdul Jalil Riayat Shah IV of Johore (1699-1721) in 1702 as an appanage.
The present ruler of this 300-year-old dynasty, H.R.H. Al-Wathiqu
Billah Al-Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, is the 9th generation successor
of its founder. Sultan
Mizan succeeded the throne on the demise of the late Sultan Mahmud
Ali-Muktafi Billah Shah. Sultan Mizan was installed and crowned in
a glittering Malay royal court ceremony on 4th March 1999, to the
accompaniment of the Nobat or "the Drum of Sovereignty". Terengganu's
famous silver Nobat is most the melodious and majestic in tonal quality
of all the Nobat found in the Malay royal courts of the world. Terengganu
is one of the most beautiful of Malaysia's 13 states. It is located
north-east of the peninsula between the States of Kelantan and Pahang.
Covering an area of 12,956 sq km, its population is a harmonious assimilation
of racial entities consisting of nearly 1.2 million - while 95% Malay,
the rest are native Chinese, Indians and a few European expatriates.
Virgin
rainforests largely cover the interior with one of the biggest man-made
lakes in Asia, the Kenyir Lake, and a 225km-long coastline of white
sandy beaches washed by the South China Sea. The exotic and beautiful
offshore islands of Pulau Bidong, Kapas, Perhentian, Redang, and Tenggol
are famous for beautiful coral reefs and quaint fishing villages,
a must for snorkeling enthusiasts. Terengganu
is well known also for its fine craftworks such as the Tembaga (brassware),
Mengkuang (screw-pines) Mat weaving, Kris-making (Malay dagger), Batik
and Songket (rich fabrics) which are among its most popular.
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