Perak’s state name means silver, but it’s not just because it’s the colour of tin…

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Ask most Malaysians where you can get the best food in Malaysia, and they’d probably say it’s Penang. For the rest, it would probably be Ipoh, Perak, with its Chinese food and, um, hipster cafes.

Ok, we’re not trying to start any food wars here (though you are welcome to argue in the comments). We’re here to talk about the origins of Perak’s state name. Which may be really obvious, or not, depending on which theory you believe in.

Theory #1: Perak’s name came from something ‘silver’

Literally, Perak is the Malay word for silver, and if you think about Perak’s history and something silvery, you’ll probably picture tin mining, and you won’t be wrong. Back in the day, Perak was known as one of the largest sources of tin in the world, and the name Perak was allegedly given because of the silver color of tin. However, it wasn’t until 1529 that people called it by this name; before then, it was known by the Sanskrit name ‘Gangga-Negara’ (‘a city on the Ganges’), a settlement founded by Merong Mahawangsa’s son Ganji Serjuna. On maps prior to 1561, it was called ‘Perat’.

However, tin was only one of the theories behind Perak meaning silver. Some would say that the word ‘Perak’ could also refer to the silvery colour of fishes (‘kilatan ikan dalam air’/’the glimmer of fishes in the water’) or the silvery colour of Sungai Perak when the sunlight hits it.

An 8th century bronze statue of the Avalokitesvara Buddha discovered at a tin mine in Bidor, Perak. Image from: Wikipedia

Also along those lines, it’s said that it could have been named after a silver-tipped arrow. In the Malay epic Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa, Kedah founder Merong Mahawangsa’s son Merong Mahapudisat was searching for new territory in order to establish a new state. When he arrived at a lake, he fired a silver arrow rom his bow Indera Sakti, and it landed on an island. This island is known today as Pulau Indera Sakti, and although now uninhabited, it serves as the final resting place of the 15th Sultan of Perak, Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain.

The grave of Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain. Image from: Seni Lama Melayu

So while tin was likely, it’s not the only explanation for the name. Other than Perak being the word for silver, there’s another theory…

Theory #2: Perak was named after a person

An alternate theory exists of Perak being named after a Malaccan Bendahara who was called Tun Perak, who was famous for defeating the Siamese in battle in 1445. Several colleges were named after him in various Malaysian states, as well as Singapore. However, this theory isn’t really that strong; there have been claims that the state name of Perak existed even before the time of Tun Perak.