Tioman Island

Tioman Island
Native name: <span class="nickname" ">Pulau Tioman
Tioman Island (Malaysia)
Geography
Location South China Sea
Area 136 km2 (53 sq mi)[1]
Coastline 245 km (152.2 mi)
Highest elevation 1,038 m (3,406 ft)[1]
Highest point Gunung Kajang
Administration
Demographics
Population 432 (as of 2008 Census)
Ethnic groups Malay, Chinese
"Paulo Tymon", Nieuhof: Ambassade vers la Chine, 1665
Tioman Island's southern mountains
View from Panuba bay
The runway is only accessible from the north, due to the nearby hills at the south end.
Boat on clear water at salang

Tioman Island (Malay language: Pulau Tioman) is a small island in Rompin District, Pahang, Malaysia. It is located 32 kilometres (20 miles) off the east coast of the state,[2] and is some 20 kilometres (12 miles) long and 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) wide. It has eight main villages, the largest and most populous being Kampung Tekek in the north. The densely forested island is sparsely inhabited, and is surrounded by numerous coral reefs, making it a popular scuba diving spot. There are also a lot of resorts and chalets around the island which has duty-free status.

Its beaches have been claimed to be depicted in the 1958 movie, South Pacific as Bali Hai but available evidence suggests this is a false claim.[3] In the 1970s, TIME Magazine selected Tioman as one of the world's most beautiful islands.

The island is served by ferries from the Malaysian mainland, and a propeller plane service by Berjaya Air from the Changi Airport in Singapore and Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, Selangor.

The island is part of Pahang territory, although it is geographically closer to mainland Johor than to mainland Pahang, and is accessed via ferry service from the Johorean coastal town of Mersing. Within Tioman Island there are four kampungs: Salang, Tekek, Juara and Air Batang. The telephone numbers in Tioman start with 09-413, 09-419, 09-582, 09-583 and 09-584.

Nature

The marine area around Tioman Island and eight other nearby islands have been declared as marine parks and marine reserves.[2]

Apart from its diverse marine life, the inland rainforest area was protected in 1972 as the Pulau Tioman Wildlife Reserve. However, a large part of the original reserve was sacrificed for agricultural and touristic development in 1984; the remaining area is approximately 8,296 ha (20,500 acres). There are several protected species of mammals on the island, including the binturong, long-tailed macaque, slow loris, black giant squirrel, red giant flying squirrel, mouse deer, brush-tailed porcupine, and common palm civet, from a total of 45 species of mammals and 138 species of birds, including the majestic frigatebird.[2] Moreover, Tioman has species that are endemic to its shores. The Tioman walking catfish Clarias batu can be seen on rainforest walks.[4] Kajang slender litter frog is only known from Mount Kajang.[5]

Tioman's corals have been affected by a mass bleaching event in 2010 whereby the island lost a significant portion of its live coral cover. That resulted in a lot of the corals turning a dull white colour and some even fragmenting into pieces of dead coral skeleton. The bleaching became even more chronic by 2016 as a result of the prolonged El Niño phenomenon affecting most of Asia Pacific's coral reefs.

History

Tioman has been used for thousands of years by fishermen as an important navigation point and a source of fresh water and wood.[2] During the past thousand years, it has played host to Chinese, Arab, and European trading ships, and often Chinese porcelain shards can be found on beaches around the island.

In more recent history, Tioman played host to both the British and the Japanese navies during the Second World War, and the waters around the island are littered with war remains (including HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales).

Tioman island does not allow buildings to have more than 3 stories.

Interesting places

Tioman Island

Around Tioman

Legend

According to legend, Tioman Island is the resting place of a beautiful dragon princess.[1] Whilst flying to visit her prince in Singapore, this beautiful maiden stopped to seek solace in the crystal-clear waters of the South China Sea. Enraptured by the charms of the place, she decided to discontinue her journey. By taking the form of an island, she pledged to offer shelter and comfort to passing travelers.

Politics

Tioman Island lends its name to the state constituency of Tioman, comprising the island and part of the Rompin district including the town of Kuala Rompin. Its representative to the State Legislative Assembly is YB Mohd. Johari from Barisan Nasional. Its representative to the Malaysian Parliament is former MOSTI Minister Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis, also from Barisan Nasional.

Non government organisation

Radio and television

Radio

Community radio within Tioman:

From Malaysian mainland:

Television

Local:

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tioman.

External links

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Pulau Tioman". Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Abdul, Jasmi (1999). "An Introduction to Pulau Tioman" (PDF). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology (National University of Singapore). Supplement No. 6: 3–4.
  3. ↑ Filming Location
  4. ↑ "Jungle trekking in Tioman". Tioman Ferry Tickets, Singapore. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  5. ↑ Stuart, S.N. (2006). "Leptolalax kajangensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.1. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 18 October 2013.

Coordinates: 2°49′N 104°11′E / 2.817°N 104.183°E / 2.817; 104.183

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