Perak -The Silver State

Perak takes its name from the silvery color of the rich tin deposits for which it is renowned. This mineral featured prominently in the history and, economy of the state. The growth of its major towns and the rise of numerous wealthy millionaires in bygone years can be attributed to tin. Although tin mining has ceased to be a major industrial activity, visitors can still catch a glimpse of Perak's tin mining history at the Geological Museum in Ipoh, its capital city.

The saga of tin-mining aside, modern-day Perak is a vibrant state and has numerous options for those willing to traverse its over 21,000 sq km of territory. Ipoh is appealing with its beautifully landscaped parks, orderly streets and pleasant surroundings. It is also known for its many fruit stalls selling the state's famous Tambun pomelos and groundnuts. Guava is also commercially cultivated, mostly on what was once mining land. Another appealing characteristic of Perak is the imposing beauty of its limestone hills. Set within these hills are two well-known cave temples, Sam Poh Tong and Perak Tong.

Kuala Kangsar, the royal town of Perak features many old buildings and structures of historical value such as the Ubudiah Mosque and the Iskandariah Palace. Here, the last surviving rubber tree of the original batch that was brought from London's Kew Gardens in 1877 by H.N. Ridley can be seen at the district office. Just 15 km south of this town is the site of a unique cottage industry producing Perak's well known earthenware, Labu Sayong. Taiping, 40 km north, is home to the country's oldest museum and the cool hill resort of Bukit Larut (Maxwell Hill). Its scenic Lake Gardens and the Taiping Zoo are favorites with locals and visitors alike. There are several other points of interest that should not be missed. One of these is Kellie's Castle in Batu Gajah. It was built by a wealthy Scottish rubber planter, William Kellie Smith. Lovers of history can visit the historical site 6f Pasir Salak, further west of Batu Gajah. Pangkor, Perak's island in the sun draws throngs of visitors annually to its lovely beaches, reputed to be among the best in the world. Bird lovers should head north for the fascinating Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary where over 100 species of birds can be sighted.

13th Jul 1987 Kenyir Hydro Electrical Power Station

The history of construction of the dam spanned for 15 years, which is from the planning stage to the completion of the dam. Actually it was first identified in 1961 but it proved uneconomic due to the small demand and the high cost of production. Early 1970’s the government revived the study and further site investigations was proceeded.

Even though the original survey for the project was in1972 the construction was started in 1978 and was completed in 1985. In 1987 the whole project was officially opened by his Royal Highness The Sultan of Terengganu Darul Iman and was named after the baginda Sultan "Sultan Mahmud Hydro Electric Power Station".

The main project site is located at Kuala Kenyir (about 55km from Kuala Terengganu). The main features of Kenyir Hydro Electric Project are a rock fill dam with 400 megawatts of generating plant. During the construction period, two temporary diversion tunnels were built for the purpose of diverting the rivers.

The normal capacity of the lake store is 13.6 billion cubic metres of water. Whereas the deepest point is 145 metres deep. This power station complex building can produce 100 MW (megawatts) power units which can be supplied through out Malaysia. Normally the daily operation operates at a continuous power output of 165 MW and its average annual output is 1600 GWh (Giga watt hours).

Exploring the North-South Expressway Plus Expressway, Malaysia

The North-South Expressway is the major artery that links Bukit Kayu Hitam in the northernmost part of Malaysia, to Johor Bahru, at the south. Spanning a full length of 966km, the North-South Expressway provides a vital transportation link for the towns on the west coast of the peninsula. The North-South Expressway was planning in the mid-1970s.

Construction began in 1981. Segments of it were opened from 1988. The entire length was fully operational and opened to traffic on 8 September 1994 by then prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The expressway is managed by PLUS Expressways Berhad. The name PLUS is an acronym for Project Lebuhraya Utara Selatan. Among the major offshoots of the North-South Expressway are the Penang Bridge(http://www.asiaexplorers.com/malaysia/penang/penangbridge.htm), North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) and North-South Expressway Central Link (ELITE)The Menora Tunnel near Jelapang was the longest highway tunnel in Malaysia when it was completed. The tunnel measures 800 meters. The longest bridge on the expressway is Jambatan Sultan Azlan Shah across the Perak River. It is 300 meters long.