| Raub ﺭﺍﻭﺏ |
|
|---|---|
| — District of Malaysia — | |
| Country | Malaysia |
| State | Pahang Darul Makmur |
| Seat | Raub |
| Government | |
| • District officer | |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,269 km2 (876.1 sq mi) |
| Population (2004) | |
| • Total | 88,600 |
| • Density | 39/km2 (101.1/sq mi) |
Raub (Jawi:ﺭﺍﻭﺏ) is both a town and a district in Pahang, Malaysia. The town is situated 110 km from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur and 265 km from Pahang's capital, Kuantan. Raub is one of the oldest towns in Pahang. Raub district consist of 7 mukim (territorial division), namely Batu Talam, Sega, Semantan Ulu, Dong, Ulu Dong, Gali and Tras. An area of 2,271 km², Raub district is situated in west of Pahang and between two range, Titiwangsa Range and Benom Mountain Range. Raub experiences a temperature range between 20 and 30°C[1] annually and an average rainfall about 200 mm.
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Raub was explored and founded in 18th century. It is a historic gold mining settlement, and the gold mining industry is now undergoing something of a resurgence as the gold price has risen. According to the history, this mining centre was named Raub after a group of miners found a handful of gold in every tray of sand they dig. This is described by J.A. Richardson in his book, The Geology and Mineral Resources of the Neighbourhood of Raub Pahang. According to him (page 36), "People found that for every "dulang" of sand there was a handful (raub) of gold". The old folks' tale recounts that in the early 19th century, an old man and his two sons discovered gold every time they scooped up the earth in Raub. Thus, the town and the district derived their name from the Malay word raub which means "scoop".
Raub became famous in the early of 20th century for its mining resource (gold). Then, gold mining in Raub was operated by Raub Australian Gold Mine (RAGM), a company registered in 1889 in Queensland, Australia. The company was initially known as Australian Syndicate Ltd and later as Australian Gold Mining Co. Ltd in 1892. RAGM operated until 1961.
The mining method used in Raub is shaft mining and started at the Raub Hole. This area is now known as Bukit Koman. The mining activity became a valuable heritage for Raub district. Most of the main roads in Raub (before 1980s) were named after RAGM mine managers. Bibby Road, for example, was named after the company's first manager, William Bibby, and Mason Road was named after another mine managers. Bukit Koman was once dubbed "Malaysian capital of gold" as the result of rapid development of gold mining.
A new company, Peninsular Gold, has restarted gold mining at the Raub mine. Initially, the company recovered gold from the tailings dumps from the old mine, but started mining fresh ore again in 2011. A major drilling campaign is in progress, exploring additional resources adjacent and below the old mine.
Communist threat in 1940s in Raub resulted in the erection of new settlements. Among them are Cheroh (1948), Sang Lee (1948), Sungai Ruan (1948), Sungai Chetang (1948), Bukit Koman (1949), Sempalit (1950), Sungai Lui (1950), Tras (1950) and Sungai Klau (1960).
There are a lot of British style building in Raub, especially along Mason Road (now known as Jalan Tengku Abdullah). Most of the building in Raub were built during the pre-World War II era. The Police Station of Raub is probably one of the oldest building in Malaysia, it was built in 1905.
There are many races in Raub although they are predominantly Chinese and most of them are descendants of the gold mining workforce. The Chinese are concentrated in the original Raub town. The Malays on the other hand, are located primarily on the outskirts of Raub town.
After the gold mines were depleted, the main economic activity of Raub is agriculture. Main commodity crops in Raub are natural rubber, oil palm, cocoa and local fruits, like durians. Durians grown in Raub are probably the best in Malaysia.
Raub is administered by Raub District Council, with Abdul Muain Abdul Hamid being the Yang DiPertua. Raub is the Parliamentary Constituency for Women and Community Development Minister, Dato' Dr. Ng Yen Yen from BN-MCA, by beating Abu Bakar Lebai Sudin from DAP. Raub has three state seats, comprises Batu Talam, Tras and Dong. Batu Talam was won by Abdul Aziz Mat Kiram from National Front(Barisan Nasional,BN - UMNO). Dong was also won by BN-UMNO and he is Dato' Shahiruddin Abdul Moin. While the Tras was won by Opposition of Pakatan Rakyat of Democratic Action Party (DAP), Choong Siew Onn,by beating the incumbent, Chan Choon Fah from BN-MCA. Raub is the only place in West Pahang (Raub, Bentong and Kuala Lipis) has administrative offices. There is a landmark building, situated next to Taman Bukit Koman (not to be confused with Kampung Bukit Koman), which contains most of the administrative offices, called Bangunan Gunasama Persekutuan. Inside Bangunan Gunasama Persekutuan, there are District Immigration Department, National Registry Department (District Branch) Office and other important offices in that building also. Besides that, there is Land Office which is on top of a hill, beside Taman Shahbandar, provides opportunity to renew their land title and land grant, unlike Bentong, they need to come to Raub to renew their land title. Actually, the existence of those administrative offices has its roots. During early 20th Century, because of massive gold mining activity, Raub was quickly developed and at once, it was tipped as the future administrative state capital for Pahang. However, at the last minute, Residence of Pahang decided to shift state administrative capital to Kuantan and left out Raub. Although Raub did not become state capital, however, British left a lot of administrative buildings in Raub, including the Resident's official residence (the present Raub District Officer's official residence) was situated in Raub.
Raub district representative in the Federal Parliament (Dewan Rakyat)
| Parliament | Seat Name | Member of Parliament | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| P80 | Raub | Ng Yen Yen | BN |
List of Raub district representatives in the State Legislative Assembly (Dewan Undangan Negeri)
| Parliament | State | Seat Name | State Assemblyman | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P80 | N6 | Batu Talam | Abdul Aziz Mat Kiram | BN |
| P80 | N7 | Tras | Choong Siew Onn | DAP |
| P80 | N8 | Dong | Shahiruddin Ab Moin | BN |
The main public transportation is bus. Buses travel from the town center to other satellite towns and cities within the Raub district, inter-districts and interstates everyday. Towns and cities accessible by bus from Raub includes Bentong, Kuantan, Kuala Lumpur and even Singapore. Buses in Raub are operated by several companies which include Pahang Lin Siong, Union and Central. The latter two merged a few years ago and has been operating as a single entity by the name of Union since. Besides these local companies, other interstate express coaches also stop by Raub central bus station as the town is strategically located along routes to cities like Gua Musang and Kota Bharu in the Eastern states of Peninsular Malaysia.
-tersang 3 -tersang 2 -tersang 1
Raub has 7 mukim or subdistricts.
Bukit Telaga Waterfalls An ideal stopover as it is on the way to Fraser’s Hill, the Bukit Telaga Waterfall is known for turbulent rapids which flows through rugged rocky area. Location: 15 km from Fraser’s Hill and 19 km from Raub Town.
Jeram Besu Rapids (Jeram Besu) is fast gaining popularity as one of the best white water-rafting and kayaking spot in the country. The rapids, (river grade 2 to 4 depending on the river water level) has now attracted a lot of white water enthusiasts i.e. rafters, kayakers and canoeists from all over the country even as far as Singapore. Complemented by its easy accessibility, it is both challenging and thrilling. Other activities such as jungle trekking, flying fox, war games and rubber rafting are also available. Accommodations comes in the form of chalets, camping sites and hostels.
Tasik Ria Kundang Puah Recreational Centre Located on Sungai Lipis at approximately 6 km before the town of Benta and about 21⁄2 hours drive. It is a former tin mine and now a lake clustered with tiny island that is now a famous spot for fishing. Location: 21 km from Raub.
Sungai Pasu Recreation Centre Located in the village fo Sungai Pasu, it offers tranquil lake setting, lush greenery and a freshwater fish fond. It is also a location for the local homestay programme. Location: 13 km from Raub.
Fraser's Hill (or Bukit Fraser in Malay) is one of the famous highlands in Malaysia besides Genting and Cameron Highlands. It is 34 km South West of the town of Raub. The road to Fraser's Hill is challenging and is one of the most winding roads in Pahang or probably Malaysia.
Lata Jarum A popular picnic spot next to a series of rapids which culminate in a clear picturesque rock pool surrounded by tropical greenery. It has public amenities such as changing rooms and parking lots. Location: 30 km from Raub.
Lata Lembik Waterfalls This fascinating rock formation, a result of geological change over millions of years, is set amidst lush greenery - a great spot for picnics and family get-togethers. Location: 42 km from Raub.
Raub Lake Park A very popular lake park located near Raub Town. People can have a picnic, joging, fishing or just relaxing around the lake area. People can also rent a boat and sightseeing around the lake. Location: 2 km from Raub Town
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