CAMERON HIGHLANDS

Cameron highlands

Interesting place in Pahang

By : Nur Adriana Bt Mohd Kamal Zuhairy

BACKGROUND

The Cameron Highlands were named after William Cameron, a British explorer and geologist
who was commissioned by the then colonial government to map out the Pahang-Perak border
area in 1885.In a statement concerning his mapping expedition, Cameron mentioned he saw "a
sort of vortex on the mountains, while for a (reasonably) wide area we have gentle slopes and
plateau land. When approached, Sir Hugh Low, the Resident of Perak (1887–1889), expressed
the wish of developing the region into a "sanatorium, health resort and open farmland." A
narrow path to "Cameron's Land" was then carved through the jungle. Nothing much happened
after that.

Forty years later, the tableland was given another review when Sir George Maxwell (1871–1959)
visited the locale to see if it could be turned into a resort. He spent about nine days surveying
the territory. Maxwell described the terrain as being "somewhat oval in shape on his return
from the highlands." After comparing it with Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka and Baguio in the
Philippines, he decreed that the site should be developed into a hill station.

Location Of Cameron Highlands District in Pahang

In 1926, a development committee was formed to zone off the moorlands agriculture, defence,
administration, housing and recreation. Later, a three-million-dollar road was constructed from
Tapah to the highlands. It started from the 19th mile Tapah-Pahang Road and ended at Ginting
(Tanah Rata). The three-year contract was awarded to Messrs. Fogden, Brisbane and Company.
The first instalment of $250,000 was made in 1926. The project commenced on 1 January 1928;
it was completed on Friday, 14 November 1930 – 47 days ahead of schedule. The building of the
road was a challenge: the crew not only had to deal with the weather; they also had to cope with
the risk of being struck down with malaria. During the construction stage, the manning level varied
from 500 to 3,000 workers. Throughout the contract, 375 employees were hospitalised for fever.

When the road was opened in 1931, the British and the locals moved in to settle on the slopes
of the mountain. They were soon followed by tea planters and vegetable growers who found
the climate to be suitable for the growth of their crops. On 1 July 1931, Cameron Highlands was
made an autonomous sub-district under Kuala Lipis, with its own Deputy District Officer
subordinate to the Lipis District Officer.[18] By the mid-1930s, there was a notable improvement
in the constituency: it now had a six-hole golf course, several cottages, three inns, a police post,
two boarding schools, a military camp, a dairy, a horse spelling ranch, nurseries, vegetable
farms, tea plantations, a Government Rest House and an Agricultural Experiment Station. The
domain continued to grow until the outbreak of the Second World War. During the Japanese
Occupation of the Malay Peninsula (1942–1945), there was hardly any development in the area.
When the Japanese withdrew in August 1945, the place transformed. This, however, came to a
halt during the Malayan Emergency (1948–1960). When the conflict ended, "Cameron's Land"
experienced a constant change in its landscape. Today, the haven is not only the biggest and
best known of Malaysia's hill stations; it is also the highest point in Peninsular Malaysia
accessible by car.

Cameron Lavender Garden is a lavender-themed shopping and agricultural complex situated between
Tringkap and Kuala Terla, about 4km north of Kea Farm in Brinchang along the main road. A popular
tourist attraction, the garden features a beautiful lavender field with an assorment of other continental
flowers on display, fringed with colourful statues and objects inspired by European countryside scenery.

Perched above the complex is a cartoonish Disney castle with koi pond, viewing deck, mini windmills and
cafe while inside the compound lies another mock fortress with a wishing tree and confectionery
boutique. Visitors may also explore a large flower nursery, strawberry farm, shopping arcade and
minimarket (towards the exit). Open daily from 9am till 6pm, a ticket fee is charged on visitors.

The Cameron Highlands is the largest tea producing area in the whole of Malaysia! BOH Tea
Plantation, meaning ‘best of highlands’, is one of the most famous and largest tea plantations in
Southeast Asia. The 8,000-acre plantation was founded in 1929 by a British businessman named
J.A.Russell.

Getting around the Cameron Highlands can be arranged through your hotel. Otherwise, you can
take a taxi or the local bus which leaves approximately every hour. The bus travels from one
side of the Highlands to the other. If you’re comfortable riding a scooter, hiring one is a great
way to take in the beautiful twists and turns of the roads on your way to the plantation, which
is situated in Brinchang.