Istana Kenangan in Kuala Kangsar

The "Memory Palace" (Istana Kenangan), was wholly built by wood and is also known as Istana Lembah (Valley Palace) and occasionally as Istana Tepas. Located south-east of Istana Iskandariah (Iskandariah Palace), it was planned and built in 1926, after the Great Flood
The carpenter who built this palace was Haji Suffian and his sons who hailed from Seberang Perai .The architecture of the palace is based on the shape of sword. The walls are made of woven sliced bamboo in a diamond shaped pattern (kelerai) and the roofs are in the shape of “five ridges of a traditional Malay house and the ridge of five bananas” (perabung lima and perabung pisang sesikat). The design and the craftsmanship reflect the fine art of Perak Malay handicraft. This palace was completed in 1931. Sultan Iskandar Shah, the 30th Sultan of Perak (1918 – 1938) moved into the palace because the Negara Palace, the official palace at Changkat Negara was to be demolished and replaced by the new palace (Iskandariah Palace).
The construction of Istana Iskandariah was completed in 1933 and Sultan Iskandariah Shah moved into it while other members of the family went to stay in the Istana Lembah which later known as the Istana Kenangan.
The name Istana Kenangan was used in the 1960's, after the palace was renovated by the effort of Yang Teramat Mulia Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia.
On 16 November 1966, Istana Kenangan officially became the Perak Royal Museum, until now

Malaysia Agro-Tourism

Malaysia began its post-Independence economy with an agrarian base, which has prepared it well to develop agricultural and commodities-based tourism, the hottest niche in eco-tourism today.
Recognizing that agro-tourism holds a fascination for both Malaysians and visitors alike, organizers of excursions these days include tours to rubber and oil palm estates, as well as pepper farms, fish farms, flower nurseries and fruit orchards. Fruit orchards have proven especially popular with visitors, not least because they get to enjoy the delicious exotic fruits they are there to learn about!
Visits are structured around a tour offering insight into the cultivation, care, processing and manufacturing of these commodities for sale or export. The industry includes crops such as maize, cocoa, rubber, rice, fruits, oil palm and a variety of other products from which many Malaysians still earn a living.
Many locals and some adventurous visitors invariably seek out orchards dedicated to the famous and sometimes detested king of all fruits, the durian. Sometimes described as 'hell on the outside and heaven on the inside', the durian has few ambivalent fans, as you either tend to thoroughly enjoy it or not!
Visitors to durian farms can sample a range of these spiky, custard-like fruits with pulpy flesh that runs an entire gamut of textures and tastes from sweet to tart and more!
But durians are obviously not the only choice. In tropical Malaysia, an amazing array of exotic fruits awaits the fruit aficionado all year around. Among the many choices are the rambutan, langsat, mangosteen, jackfruit, pineapple and mango. Visits to these fruit farms often involve tucking into ready-to-eat freshly picked fruits.
Visitors to the highlands must pay a visit to the tea estates which grace their slopes. A number of these have been established since the early part of the last century, and harvesting and processing methods have changed little since.
Cameron Highlands, with its gentle slopes surrounded by loftier hills, is especially noted for its long-established estates. Most have excellent visitor facilities and provide guided tours of the tea factories.
On rubber estates, visitors have the opportunity to experience first-hand how to tap a rubber tree and witness how latex is processed - from coagulation to pressing and smoking. Malaysia is among the world's largest producers of this extremely valuable and versatile product.
Another of the country's largest export commodities is palm oil. Today, Malaysia is a world leader in the research and development of this multi-purpose fruit. The clusters of orange-red fruits produce refined cooking oil and other palm-olein products for use in the cosmetic and chemical industries.
In the northern regions of Peninsular Malaysia, a number of spice and herb farms dot the countryside. Nutmeg is especially abundant. While over in East Malaysia, visitors to pepper farms in Sarawak will be fascinated to know that black and white pepper come from the same tree! The difference is achieved in the processing of the corns. White pepper is more mature, having been soaked and had its outer skin removed before drying, while black pepper is dried in its original state.
A number of these destinations have stay-over facilities with a wide range of non-agricultural activities to enjoy as well, including fishing, kayaking and nature walks. In many cases, full room and board packages are available, meaning that guests get to indulge in local home-cooking as well.
Agro-tourism has a number of attractions, both to the visitor and the host. While it provides for interesting visits and discovery, many of these centers also serve as research and development hubs for the perpetuation and improvement of the agricultural industry in the country.

Jelutong Expressway

The Jelutong Expressway (JEway) is a Penang State Government privatization project. The expressway stretch across the eastern coastline of George Town for a distance of 4.8 km from Jalan Tengku Kudin to Pengkalan Weld.
The cost of JEway including relocation of squatters and land acquisition is about RM310 million. The project is being headed by IJM Corporation. It acts as a bypass for vehicles from the south of the Island and Penang Bridge heading to the eastern part of George Town and the city centre.
The construction works was carried out in 3 phases which are as follows:-

Stage Description Expected Completion

1) 3.2 km From Jln. Tengku Kudin to Jln. Sg. Pinang Completed and opened to traffic in April 2009

2) 1.6 km From Jln. Sg. Pinang to Pengkalan Weld June 2006

3) Construction of interchanges and linkages and upgrading of the expressway to provide dual 3-lane carriageway June 2009


Jelutong Expressway help to relieve traffic congestion formerly experienced along local roads leading to the city centre especially on Jalan Jelutong, Jalan Sungai Pinang, Jalan Gurdwara, Lebuh McNair and Jalan C.Y.Choy. Furthermore, the expressway corridor will be expanded to a township of its own comprising of residential, commercial and industrial areas.