Origin

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Prehistoric Malaysia Prehistoric Malaysia
Early kingdoms Gangga Negara 2nd–11th century Langkasuka 2nd–14th century Chi Tu 2nd–6th century Pan Pan 3rd–5th century Kedah Tua 5th–9th century Pahang Tua 5th–15th century Melayu 7th–14th century Srivijaya 650–1275 Majapahit 1293–1500
Rise of Muslim states Kedah Sultanate 1136–present Samudera Pasai Sultanate 1267–1521 Brunei Sultanate 1368–present Malacca Sultanate 1402–1511 Sulu Sultanate 1450–1899 Pahang Sultanate 1470–1623 Aceh Sultanate 1496–1903 Pattani Sultanate 1516– 1902 Johor Sultanate 1528–present Sarawak Sultanate 1599–1641 Besut Kingdom 1780–1899 Setul Kingdom 1808–1916 Reman Kingdom 1810–1902 Kubang Pasu Kingdom 1839–1864
Colonial era Portuguese Malacca 1511–1641 Dutch–Portuguese War 1601–1661 Acehnese conquest of Perak 1620 Dutch Malacca 1641–1824 Pahang Kingdom 1770–1881 Straits Settlements 1786–1946 Siamese invasion of Kedah 1821–1826 Anglo-Dutch Treaty 1824 Burney Treaty 1826 Naning War 1831–1832 Kingdom of Sarawak 1841–1946 Separation of Perlis from Kedah 1843 Crown Colony of Labuan 1848–1946 Pahang Civil War 1857–1863 Larut Wars 1861–1874 Klang War 1867–1874 Pangkor Treaty 1874 Perak War 1875–1876 British Malaya / Borneo 1874–1946 Jementah Civil War 1879 North Borneo 1882–1946 Pahang Uprising 1891–1895 Federated Malay States 1895–1946 Anglo-Siamese Treaty 1909 Unfederated Malay States 1909–1946 Battle of Penang 1914 Kelantan rebellion 1915
World War II Japanese occupation of Malaya / Borneo 1941–1945 Malayan campaign 1941–1942 Bornean Campaign 1941–1942 Battle of Muar 1942 Parit Sulong Massacre 1942 Battle of Singapore 1942 Sook Ching 1942 Syburi 1942 Sandakan Death Marches 1942–1945 Si Rat Malai 1943–1945 Jesselton revolt 1943–1944
Formative era BMA of Malaya/Borneo 1945–1946 Crown Colony of N. Borneo 1946–1963 Crown Colony of Sarawak 1946–1963 Anti-cession movement 1946–1963 Malayan Union 1946–1948 Federation of Malaya 1948–1963 Sungai Siput incident 1948 Malayan Emergency 1948–1960 Batang Kali massacre 1948 Bukit Kepong incident 1950 Baling Talks 1955 Malayan Independence 1957 Singapore Self-governance 1959 ISA 1960 1960–2012 Communist insurgency in Sarawak 1962–1990 North Borneo Self-governance 1963 Konfrontasi 1963–1966 Sarawak Self-governance 1963 Formation of Malaysia 1963 Singapore in Malaysia 1963–1965 ASEAN Declaration 1967 Second communist insurgency 1968–1989 13 May incident 1969 National Operations Council 1969–1971 Declaration of Rukun Negara 1970 New Economic Policy 1971–1990 Peace Agreement of Hat Yai 1989
Barisan Nasional era Federal Territory of KL 1974 1977 Kelantan Emergency 1977 Pedra Branca dispute 1979–2008 South China Sea dispute (Spratly) 1980–present Federal Territory of Labuan 1984 Memali incident 1985 Operation Lalang 1987 Constitutional crisis 1987–1988 Royal Immunity Amendments 1993 Financial crisis 1997–1998 Reformasi Movement 1998–2022 1MDB scandal 2015–present
Multi-party era Pakatan Harapan takeover 2018 COVID-19 pandemic 2020–present Political crisis 2020–2022 Constitutional amendment 2021–2023 Green Wave 2022-present
Incidents Brunei revolt 1962–1966 North Borneo dispute (Philippine militant attacks) 1962–present Singapore race riots 1964 Brunei's Limbang claim 1967–2009 Penang Hartal riot 1967 13 May Incident 1969 Ligitan and Sipadan dispute 1969–2002 Kuala Lumpur flash floods 1971 Malaysian haze crisis 1972–present AIA building hostage crisis 1975 National Monument bombing 1975 Campbell Shopping Complex fire 1976 Sabah Air GAF Nomad crash 1976 Japan Airlines Flight 715 incident 1977 MH653 incident 1977 Dawn Raid 1981 1985 Lahad Datu ambush 1985 Memali Incident 1985 Sabah Emergency 1986 Ming Court Affair 1987 Penang terminal bridge collapse 1988 Taufiqiah Al-Khairiah madrasa fire 1989 Bright Sparklers disaster 1991 Highland Towers collapse 1993 Genting landslide 1995 MH2133 incident 1995 Pos Dipang mudflow 1996 Tropical Storm Greg 1996 1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak 1998–1999 Al-Ma'unah incident 2000 Sauk Siege 2000 2001 Kampung Medan riots 2001 2002 Taman Hillview landslide 2002 Tsunami in Malaysia 2004 2006–2007 Southeast Asian floods 2006-2007 Bukit Gantang bus crash 2007 Bukit Antarabangsa landslide 2008 2009 swine flu pandemic in Malaysia 2009 Attacks against places of worship 2010 Cameron Highlands bus crash 2010 Hulu Langat landslide 2011 Genting Highlands bus crash 2013 MH370 incident 2014 MH17 incident 2014 2014–15 Malaysia floods 2014–2015 Sabah earthquake 2015 2015 Plaza Low Yat riot 2015 Movida Bar grenade attack 2016 Kim Jong-nam's Assassination 2017 Darul Quran madrasa fire 2017 2018 Subang Temple riot 2018 2020-21 Malaysia floods 2021 LRT train collision 2021 2021-22 Malaysia floods 2021–2022 2022 Batang Kali landslide 2022 2023 Elmina plane crash 2023
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The Siamese invasion of Kedah brought the kingdom on its knees in 1821. The then-Sultan of Kedah, Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II exiled to Penang and later Malacca. From Malacca, he planned several failed rebellions to recapture his kingdom between 1828 and 1831, and between 1838 and 1839.^[3]

It was during this time that Tunku Anum raised to prominence in Kedah. He was a member of the political elite in the Royal House of Kedah and was a son of Tunku Abdul Rahman, the governor of Chenak district (today Sadao).^[4] He was previously appointed as the plenipotentiary during a Bunga Mas tribute to Siam in August 1809, after which he was awarded the honorific title of Tengku Paduka Raja Jambangan.^[5]

During the Siamese occupation of Kedah, he managed to gain influence by maintaining a relationship with Phya Sina Nunchit, the Siamese governor of Kedah, himself the son of the governor of Ligor Province (now Nakhon Si Thammarat Province).^[2] His political ambitions were largely motivated by his desire to liberate Kedah from Thai occupation.

Liberation of Kedah

While gaining confidence of the Siamese governor, Tunku Anum began to recruit local Malay militiamen in Gua Kerbau, Bukit Keplu (6°23′23.5″N 100°18′55.1″E / 6.389861°N 100.315306°E / 6.389861; 100.315306, located near present-day Kodiang. The regiment was trained to fight the occupying Siamese army.

While Tunku Anum was on a visit to Ligor, Malay militiamen launched an offensive against the Siamese troops in Alor Ganu, near Anak Bukit. Desperate, the Siamese governor Nunchit wrote to his father, the Governor of Ligor, to request assistance to put down the rebellion. While the Ligor governor mobilised, he also offered Tunku Anum to be his representative in Kedah, hoping that his expertise will be able to end the rebellion.

Tunku Anum politely refused the position, believing that if he accepted , Kedah shall forever remain a Thai province and he will be reduced to a mere puppet.^[6][4] With the conflict worsening in Kedah, the Siamese soon withdrew due to soaring costs and disease among the occupying troops. The conflict ended with Kedah regaining its autonomy in 1842, with the condition Kedah pay a tribute in the form of bunga mas and bunga perak to Bangkok every 3 years. ^[7]

The King of Kubang Pasu

Upon the return of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin from his exile in Malacca, he rewarded Tunku Anum with 24 districts from Jitra to Sendawa, which became the kingdom of Kubang Pasu. Pulau Pisang (6°16′12.3″N 100°22′53.4″E / 6.270083°N 100.381500°E / 6.270083; 100.381500) near Jitra was made the capital of the new kingdom.^[6][7][3] He ascended the throne in 1839 and bestowed the honorific title of Darul Qiyam "the sovereign state" to the kingdom.

Kubang Pasu prospered during his rule; several development projects were implemeted, including a court, a fort, a prison, religious schools and land office.^[6] The area also became a centre of trading and rice growing.^[4] He also ordered the construction of local factories to develop the textile industry (now known as Pulau Kain) and also improved the irrigation system of the local river, presently known as Sungai Tunku Anum (Tunku Anum River). Land titles made during this era also bore the seal of Kubang Pasu.

Reintegration into Kedah

Tunku Anum reigned over the kingdom for 17 years until his death on 29 May 1853 in Istana Kota Pulau Pisang. His demise was widely speculated to be caused by shock resulting from the death of his son in 1848. He was laid to rest at Makam Tunku Anum (6°16′2.8″N 100°22′52″E / 6.267444°N 100.38111°E / 6.267444; 100.38111). A narration of his life was written nearby his tomb.

On 31 May 1853, Tunku Ishak, his grandson, was proclaimed as the new king; while another grandson Tunku Muhammad Saman was appointed as the Raja Muda (crown prince).^[5]Tunku Ishak was remembered as a rather unpopular monarch among his subjects and ministers due to several policies that he had promulgated.^[2]Kubang Pasu was eventually reintegrated into Kedah in 1859, and remains as a constituency of the state to this day.^[8]