ALL ABOUT MANJUNG @ OTAI MANJUNG

Journey of OTAI MANJUNG views, lets surfing..........

Manjung, previously also known as Dinding, is a district in the southwestern part of the state of Perak, Malaysia. It is well-known for Pangkor Island, a major attraction in Perak and the home of the Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) Lumut Naval Base and dockyard. Since the population is increasing, residential and commercial infrastructure is being developed. Dinding was once part of the British Straits Settlements colony.

Bandar Seri Manjung is the district's principle urban center while smaller towns include Lumut town (Royal Malaysia Navy Town), Sitiawan town, Ayer Tawar, Pantai Remis and Beruas. Other areas of some importance are Acheh Industrial Estates, Desa Manjung Raya, Manjung Point, Damai Laut Country Resort and Lumut Port.

Seri Manjung town is developing as a well-planned administrative town, housing government buildings such as the Municipal Council Office, National Registration Office and Immigration Office. The town also has a sports center and a shopping mall. It is located between Sitiawan and Lumut.

Demographics
According to "Laporan Taburan Penduduk dan Ciri Asas Demografi, Julai 2000, Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia", Manjung District has a population of 198,576 and according to the natural needs in "Kajian Rancangan Struktur Negeri Perak 2002-2020", the total population of Manjung is about 199,809. Manjung District has the second highest Average Annual Growth Rate after Kinta, which records a 2.0% growth rate. (Updated 25/04/09 : est. population 300,000)

Manjung's land is devoted largely to agriculture, with an agricultural area of 833.75 square kilometres or about 71.20% of Manjung District. Forest reserves account for another 168.81 km² (14.42%), while residential area is about 29.32 km² (2.50%), and swampy area is 68.57 km².
Manjung District has plenty of land for development purposes in the future with small barrier (1/10) due to its large landbank of agricultural land, mining areas and uncultivated lands.

Education
Tertiary education is provided by Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Institute of Marine Engineering Technology (UniKL MIMET), Institut Kemahiran Mara (IKM) and Kolej Komuniti (located partly in Sekolah Teknik Seri Manjung).Manjung also has numerous schools along with its rapid population growth.

Transportation
There are two federal highways linking Lumut with Ipoh and Lumut to Teluk Intan and Kuala Lumpur. From Ipoh the journey takes about one hour while the journey from Kuala Lumpur takes about three hours if you take the federal highway from Kuala Lumpur to Teluk Intan and further on to Lumut. From Butterworth, which is situated to the north, you can use the road to Pantai Remis or Beruas and the journey will take about 4 hours.
Most express buses are based in Medan Gopeng (Ipoh), Pudu Raya (Kuala Lumpur) and Pengkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (Butterworth). The taxi journey from Ipoh to Lumut takes about an hour. "Pelangi Air" and "Berjaya Air" offers two weekly flights from Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

Economy
The major sectors of economy in Manjung District are agriculture, services and manufacturing. Agriculture is still the main economic sector, providing the majority of the population's employment. Manjung District is well known for its livestock, especially chicken. Sea fishing and fish/prawn farming are the most important economic activities of some communities. At least 5,000 residents are fishermen. Farming of fresh-water fish and prawns are being carried out thoroughly in the district. There are more than 300 ponds of prawns in operation. The most popular prawn farming area is along Dinding River.

Manjung District is the second most rapid growing district in Perak for the commercial sector with developmental units of 5,947 or 13.32%. Most of the businesses and industries located along the road linking Sitiawan, Seri Manjung, Lumut and Ayer Tawar. There also industrial and commercial activities in other small towns such as Beruas, Pantai Remis, Pekan Gurney, Lekir and Changkat Kruing.

Business activities in Manjung include wholesale, groceries and services. There are also informal activities such as static hawkers (1,029 which cover 11.00%) and unstatic hawkers 1,092 which cover 11.00%) in Manjung district.

Of all the business activities here, services contributes about 72.30% of all the commercial activities. Groceries sector is the second largest commercial activity, covering 24.40% (1,449 unit) while wholesale activities cover the remaining portion of the pie with about 3.40%.

Pangkor
Pangkor Island, is one of the most famous and well known islands in Malaysia. It is located approximately 90 km southwest of Ipoh. Pangkor Island is an idyllic and beautiful island resort for a carefree and relaxing holiday. Its natural scenery of green hills and palm-fringed beaches of fine white sand lapped by the warm blue waters of the Straits of Malacca is truly magnificent.

The main tourist drawer to Pangkor Island, therefore, are the enchanting beaches on the western coastline, such as Pantai Puteri Dewi , Pasir Bogak Beach, Teluk Belanga, Teluk Segadas, Teluk Nipah, and Teluk Cempedak. They are marvellous for swimming or just basking in the sun, in complete privacy amidst tranquil surroundings. The main island of Pangkor is mainly populated by fisherfolk who occupy the eastern coastline. The island is famous for its anchovies and squids.

There are also ruins of a 330-year-old Dutch fort which was one of the Dutch strongholds against pirates and local Malays. Another historical interest on Pangkor Island is the Pangkor Stone Tablet (Batu Bersurat Pangkor in Malay) which is near the Dutch fort.

Pangkor Laut Island, a small privately owned island to the southwest of the main island, is the second largest of the nine islands that make up the Pangkor archipelago. Pangkor Laut is renown for its white beaches and crystal clear waters. It has three main beaches, namely Emerald Bay which is ideal for swimming and sunbathing; Coral Beach, a heaven for scuba divers in search of colourful corals and underwater marine life and Royal Bay, for those who prefer sailing and windsurfing. An exclusive luxurious resort named after the island stands on the eastern side of the island. Part of the resort is nestled within the lush hillside while part of it extends over the water.

Beaches
Besides Pangkor Island, there are other beaches in Manjung which are popular among locals and tourists. Teluk Batik Beach is a favourite spot for campers, picnickers, swimmers and sun-lovers alike. Those who prefer privacy would love the tranquil Teluk Rubiah, a beach surrounded by verdant hills and accessible by only a single entrance. Other beaches are Pasir Panjang Beach, the longest beach in Manjung and Teluk Senangin, a beautiful although remote beach just opposite Pangkor.

Other places of interest
Lumut Fishing Village is the departure point from the mainland for those who want to visit Pangkor Island. The Terrapin Breeding Centre is a breeding centre for terrapins (or Batagur baska) as well as information centre for wildlife enthusiasts. Beruas Museum is popular for its archaeological displays of the ancient Hindu civilisation of Gangga Negara.

Golf courses
A few popular golf courses in Manjung are Damai Laut Golf and Country Club, Royal Teluk Rubiah Country Club and Samudera Golf Resort.

Shopping
Shopping centers and hypermarkets serve the needs of Manjung residents as well as tourists. They include:
Billion Shopping Center, Bandar Baru Sri Manjung.
The Store, Sitiawan. (formerly was Fajar Supermarket)
Ceria Shopping Center, Seri Manjung.
Econsave Hypermarket, Sitiawan.
Giant Hypermarket, Seri Manjung, Sitiawan.
Sitiawan Central Plaza, Sitiawan (Proposed).
Sitiawan Square, Sitiawan (Proposed).
Tesco Hypermarket, Seri Manjung (Proposed)

Accommodation
There are many accommodation options in the major towns and tourist destinations in Manjung. They range from 5-star resorts to chalets in different environments, catering to different price ranges.

Accommodation options in Lumut include the Orient Star Resort Lumut, Swiss-Garden Resort and Spa Damai Laut, Marina Cove Resort, Blue Bay Resort, Lumut Country Resort, Chalet Impian, D'Puncak Villa, Galaxy Inn, Harbour View Hotel, Impian Teluk Batik, Kenangan Chalet, Lumut Villa Inn, Manjung Permai Hotel, Swiss-Court Holiday Apartments Damai Laut and Teluk Batik Chalet.

Manjung town has Lead View Hotel while Sitiawan offers a few hotels such as Fajar Hotel, Hotel Crystal, Hotel Flamingo, Mahsuri Hotel, Mandarin Hotel, Mirama Hotel, Palace Hotel, Queen Hotel, Sitiawan Hotel and Yaohan Hotel.

Because of its popularity, Pangkor Archipelago has the most accommodation options, especially seaside resorts. They include Pangkor Laut Resort, Anjungan Beach Resort and Spa ,Pangkor Island Beach Resort, Pangkor Holiday Resort, Pangkor Coral Bay Resort, Pangkor Bayview Beach Resort, Puteri Bayu Beach Resort, Seaview Hotel and Holiday Resort, Palma Resort, Teluk Dalam Resort, Pangkor Height Villa, Beach Huts Hotel, Coral Beach Camp, Coral View Beach Resort, D' Lambaian Resort, Flora Beach Resort, Havana Beach Resort, Horizon Inn, Hornbill Resort, Lambaian Beach Resort,Mizam Country Club and Resort, Nipah Bay, Villa Nipah Mas, Pangkor Indah Beach Resort, Pangkor Paradise Village and Seagull Beach Resort.

External links
http://otai-manjung.blogspot.com/
Manjung Business Community
Manjung Community eSpace
Official Web Portal of Manjung Municipal Council
http://www.percutianpangkor.com/
http://lumut.org/
http://www.marinaisland.com/
http://serimanjung.googlepages.com/
http://hangliporestaurant.blogspot.com/
http://serimanjung.blogspot.com/
http://www.manjung.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manjung
http://metrixmen.blogspot.com/
http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/lumut-photos-overview.html

Towns
Ayer Tawar • Beruas • Changkat Keruing • Damar Laut • Lekir • Lumut • Pantai Remis • Pekan Gurney • Seri Manjung • Simpang Tiga • Sitiawan • Teluk Batik • Teluk Rubiah

If you are A Blogger from Manjung or any info about Manjung, pls do contact us by email for promoting your website and blog. Join OTAI MANJUNG at the beginning, more journey in this blog.Be a free membership to promote yourself, journey, business and any kind you want. Share yourself anything with the community, it will be history and wonderfull journal for our next generations. Thanks for all Manjung Communities for supporting OTAI MANJUNG . Contact : otaimanjung@gmail.com / atanxmen@yahoo.com

The more bloggers join YouthMEDIA, the more our blog profiles get promoted!