Gerik


Gerik is a mukim and the district capital of Hulu Perak District, Perak, Malaysia. The town is also known as Rest Town owing to its strategic location next to East-West Highway, the main route linking Kedah and Penang to the east coast.

History

From the historical records, the first person to enter Gerik was Tun Saban, the son of Tun Perak, and the treasurer of the Malacca Sultanate in the early 16th century. During the fall of the Malacca government into the hands of the Portuguese, Tun Saban migrated to Hulu Patani and then moved to Belum, Gerik. He became the chairman of the community at Belum.
Gerik is bordered by Reman State to the north. Raja Reman trespassed into Gerik and captured Klian Intan and Kroh. By the 19th century, most of Gerik's territory was conquered by King Reman. In 1902, the monarchy in Reman was abolished by the Siamese government and the Gerik region was incorporated as a colony.
On July 9, 1902, the Siamese government entered into an agreement with the British government to hand over Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu to British rule. The agreement was signed in Bangkok by Sir John Anderson and the Siam Foreign Secretary. Among the conditions in the agreement, the Siamese government also had to hand over the Gerik district which had been taken by Raja Reman to the Perak government. The ceremony of handing over the Gerik area was held in Kroh on July 16, 1909.

Notable landmarks

Gerik is located right next to the intersection of highways 4 and 76. Highway is the main route preferred by Penang and Kedah motorists to access the east coast states of Kelantan and Terengganu. Highway links Gerik to Pengkalan Hulu and then Baling in Kedah due north, and to Kuala Kangsar, the royal seat of Perak in the south.

Politics

Gerik is currently represented in the Dewan Rakyat of the Malaysian Parliament by Dato' Hasbullah bin Osman of UMNO, part of the Barisan Nasional coalition.
The constituency also supplies two seats to the Perak State Legislative Assembly, namely:
Both seats are also currently held by Barisan Nasional.