Setiu is one of the

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

Terengganu Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu) is a sultanate and States and federal territories of Malaysia, federal state of Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l-Iman (c ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

. This district is bordered by

Besut Besut ( Terengganuan and Kelantanese: ''Besuk'') is a Terengganu Malay and Kelantan Malay district in the Terengganu federal state of Malaysia. It is bordered by the state of Kelantan to the north and west and the South China Sea to the east. It ...

to the north,

Hulu Terengganu Hulu Terengganu (, Terengganu Malay: ''Hulu Tranung'') is an interior district of Terengganu, Malaysia. The seat of the district is Kuala Berang, located about from the state capital, Kuala Terengganu. The local government of this district is H ...

to the south, and on the east,

Kuala Nerus District Kuala Nerus (Terengganu Malay: ''Kole Neghuh'') is a Districts of Malaysia, district in Terengganu, Malaysia. It is the youngest district in the state, having been declared a separate district in 2014. Formerly it was part of Kuala Terengganu dis ...

. Setiu is the second youngest and least populated district in Terengganu. Its capital is Bandar Permaisuri which also serves as its economic and commercial centre. Other towns are Chalok, Sungai Tong,

Guntong Guntong is a settlement in Sarawak, Malaysia. It lies approximately east-south-east of the state capital Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories o ...

and Penarik.

Etymology and history

The district of ''Setiu'' is believed to have taken its name from a ''Tok Setiu'', a

Bugis The Bugis people, also known as Buginese, are an Austronesian ethnic groupthe most numerous of the three major linguistic and ethnic groups of South Sulawesi (the others being Makassarese and Torajan), in the south-western province of Sula ...

commander who escaped the

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

conquest of the Indonesian archipelago in the 19th century and immigrated to Terengganu. The

Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

allowed Tok Setiu and his followers to open a

kampong A kampong (this term is in Za'aba Spelling, ''kampung'' in both modern Malay and Indonesian) is a term for a type of village in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore and a "dock" in Cambodia. The term applies to traditional villages, especi ...

in the plains located north of

Kuala Terengganu Kuala Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay language, Terengganu Malay: ''Kole Tranung''), colloquially referred to as KT, is the administrative, economic and royal List of capitals in Malaysia, city of the state of Terengganu, Malaysia. Kuala Tereng ...

. Setiu, as a district, had existed as early as the 1920s, with a smaller territory than its present-day borders, during the early days of British protection over Terengganu. In 1923 it was annexed into the neighbouring

Besut District Besut ( Terengganuan and Kelantanese: ''Besuk'') is a Terengganu Malay and Kelantan Malay district in the Terengganu federal state of Malaysia. It is bordered by the state of Kelantan to the north and west and the South China Sea to the east. It ...

until 1935, when it was made a separate district. That same year Setiu district was partitioned between Besut district and the state capital

. Setiu district with its present-day borders was reorganised in 1985, merging Mukim Merang, Mukim Hulu Nerus and Mukim Belara (portion) from Kuala Terengganu (now Kuala Nerus) and Mukim Caluk, Mukim Guntung, Mukim Pantai Tasik and Mukim Hulu Setiu from Besut.

Demographics

Majority of the inhabitants of Setiu are ethnic Malays, with remainder from the minority Chinese, Siamese and Indian communities. Most Malays in Setiu especially in the northern part speaks Kelantan-Pattani Malay however those that live in southern Setiu speaks

Terengganu Malay Terengganu Malay (; Terengganu Malay: ) is a Malayic languages, Malayic language spoken in the Malaysian state of Terengganu all the way southward to coastal Pahang and northeast Johor. It is the native language of Terengganuan Malays, Terengganu ...

Administrative divisions

Setiu is divided into 7 ''

mukim A mukim is a type of administrative division used in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The word ''mukim'' is a loanword in English language, English. However, it was also originally a loanword in Malay language, Malay from the Arabic word ...

s'', which are: * Chaluk * Guntung * Hulu Nerus * Hulu Setiu * Merang * Pantai * Tasik

Tourist attractions

Among the places of interest in this district are Terengganu International Equestrian Park (TIEP), Setiu Wetlands, Lata Payung, Lata Changkah, Mount Tebu, Rhu Sepuluh Beach, and Terrapuri CUltural Village.

Federal Parliament and State Assembly Seats

List of LMS district representatives in the Federal Parliament (Dewan Rakyat)

List of LMS district representatives in the State Legislative Assembly of

References