TRENGGANU
C187
and rivers. The latter, however, are not navigable beyond a certain point from the sea owing to rapids. There are no railways (except for 3 light railways on Mines).
There is a sixty six-mile trunk road from Kuala Trengganu to the Northern boundary.
Regular steamship communication is maintained with Singapore and Bangkok, and locally built motor-boats maintain a passenger service along the Trengganu coast.
During the North-East Monsoon, from November till March, the weather is a times such as to close the coast to shipping for short periods. The rainfall and temperature conditions are similar to those in the other Malay States.
Telegraph communication was established with Singapore in 1922. Telegraph offices are at Kuala Trengganu, Kretai, Dungun, Kemaman Besut and Kuala Bang, There are small local telephone exchanges at Kuala Trengganu, Kema- man and Besut.
A branch of the Mercantile Bank of India was opened in April, 1936. The total net value of trade of the State in 1939 was $17,771,672 as against $15,337,636 in 1938.
The chief exports in 1939 were:
Copra
Dried Fish
Tin Ore...
Haematite
Manganese
•••
Para Rubber
Arecanuts
...
...
...
The chief imports in 1939 were:
Rice
Sugar
...
•
Tobacco, Cigarettes & Cigars Cotton Stuffs
Petroleum
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
$ 56,825 694,151
851,507 5,334,510 159,200 2,900,264 99,964
$1,561,222
166,592
334,157
394,863
353,808
The Malays are ingenious and industrious, and excel as boat-builders and fishermen. They also engage in silk weaving, net making, and iron, brass and nickel manufacturing.
The revenue of the State for the year 1939 A.D. amounted to $2,527,544 and the expenditure to $2,666,996 the corresponding figures being as above.
By an agreement between His Majesty's Government and the Government of Trengganu, dated 24th May, 1919, the then Sultan agreed to receive a British Adviser in place of an Agent, whose advice must be asked and acted upon in all matters affecting the general administration of the country.
The indebtedness of the State at the end of 1939 stood at $2,760,000. In 1923 the State obtained a loan of 1,000,000 from the Government of Straits Settlement for development purposes, and this was followed by further loans of $1,000,000 in 1925, $1,500,000 in 1928, $100,000 in 1932. These have enabled the State (by resumption of concessions) to recover control of important natural resources, and to incur large expenditure on essential works of development-surveys, machinery, buildings and roads.
The reigning Sultan is His Highness Sir Suleiman Badru'l-alam Shah, K.Ç.M.G. ibni almerhum Sultan Zainalabidin. He was installed Sultan on 26th May, 1920 and he governs the State in consultation with his State Council.