# Tanjong Malim

Tanjong Malim, or Tanjung Malim, is a town in Muallim District, Perak, Malaysia. It is approximately 70 km (43 mi) north of Kuala Lumpur and 120 km south of Ipoh via the North–South Expressway. It lies on the Perak-Selangor state border, with Sungai Bernam serving as the natural divider.
"Tanjong Malim" usually refers to the territory under administration of Tanjong Malim District Council or Majlis Daerah Tanjong Malim (MDTM), which includes the smaller towns adjacent to the town such as Proton City, Behrang, Behrang 2020, Sungkai and Slim River. "Tanjong Malim" is also referred to the Old Town and New Town divided by the KTM Komuter rail at its heart. Tanjong Malim is home to the main campus of the Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI).

## History and background
### History

In the early AD 1700, a Bugis settlement was established along the riverbank of Sungai Bernam, as part of Raja Kecil's plan to set up one of its kubu, fort along the river to fend off the northern Perak Sultanate threat. The plan fell apart with the fall of Raja Kecil in Johor Sultanate power struggle. Over the century, the small village known as Kampung Kubu/Bugis remained idle or rather isolated.
Around 1766, Perak Sultan Mahmud Shah crowned the Bugis prince Lumu as Sultan Salahuddin Shah to establish the Selangor Sultanate. Sungai Bernam is agreed as the natural border and this tiny village happens to be divided by it. Today, the Selangor side is known as Ulu Bernam while the Perak side is Tanjong Malim.
The 1875, Klang War in Selangor drove the Malay community to reside at this rather peaceful village. The Gee Hin-Hai San triads conflict in Ipoh also drew the Chinese community to this village. In the early 1900s, the Chinese Hokkien clan built two rows of shop houses which formed the pillar of the town. These old shop houses still exist today along Jalan Besar in Tanjong Malim. Lately, it is referred to as the "old town" as current development concentrates more on the northern area. The British also brought in the Indian community to work in the rubber plantation, which is the town's most important agriculture sector income during the colonial rule. The Mogah community also set up its petty trade in the outskirt of the town.
Major development took place as infrastructures were upgraded. e.g. railway station, bus station, tarred roads, a federal trunk road, schools, district hospital, etc. In 1922, the Sultan Idris Training College was built there, (first education training institution in Malaysia). The SITC expanded over decades (to MPSI, IPSI, UPSI) and is now a public university, Sultan Idris Education University. A polytechnic was also established recently, granting the town the nickname Town of Education.
The Second World War put a halt to the town's development. The most intensely fought gun battle during the Malaya conquest took place at Slim River, nearby here. The Japanese invaders took over and SITC field became a POW execution site. After the war the town population was further diminished during the Malayan Emergency. The British colonial government declared Tanjong Malim as a "black town" in an effort to combat the pro-independence guerrillas of the MNLA, led by the Malayan Communist Party. A local district office was also built there, governing the nearby settlements within 30 km radius. The assassination of Sir Cordner forced the British to move the office to Slim River.

## Subdivision

The administrative area of Tanjong Malim District Council covers an area of 189.02 square kilometers. It is divided into 8 main areas known as:
* Trolak Pekan
* Slim River
* Slim Village
* Behrang Stesyen
* Behrang Hulu
* Bandar Behrang 2020
* Bandar Proton
* Tanjong Malim

## Demographics

Tanjong Malim, with a population of 66,103 according to the 2020 census.
Ethnic groups in Tanjong Malim, 2004 census :
| Ethnicity | Population | Percentage |
| Chinese | 25,125 | 41.33% |
| Malay | 24,850 | 40.88% |
| Indian | 9,583 | 15.76% |
| Others | 1233 | 2.0% |

## Transportation

KA15 Tanjung Malim station serves Tanjong Malim town. There is also a bus station. There is no airway in Tanjong Malim, only airfields for helicopters.
The North South Expressway Northern Route serves as the main highway to go to Tanjung Malim town, while FT1 trunk road can bypass many towns including Behrang Stesen in Tanjung Malim.

## Movies

Movies filmed in Tanjong Malim include:
* A Tree in Tanjung Malim By Tan Chui Mui, Best Foreign Short Film, Entre Veus Belford.
Principal Award, 51st Oberhausen International Short Film Festival
* A Thug from Tanjong Malim By Iki Liew, slated for 2009 release.