6 Things You Should Experience in Pekan, Pahang

Our writer rounds up six things travellers should experience in the royal town of Pahang, Pekan.

By Nursyazwani Roslan on November 14, 20185 minutes read

The name Pekan was derived from a type of flower that used to be found along the banks of the Pahang River. The Pekan flower, which is believed to be already extinct, is said to be similar to jasmine. This district is also home to the state’s royal family headed by *Sultan Abdullah ibni Sultan Ahmad Shah (updated in 2020), thus making Pekan known to be the royal town of Pahang. Other than that, this small town is also the hometown of Malaysia’s second Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak and the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Note: Pahang is the biggest state in Peninsular Malaysia containing many districts, and the third biggest state in Malaysia after Sabah and Sarawak.

**1. Pahang State Museum (Sultan Abu Bakar Museum)**

If you’re interested in the Pahang’s royal history, a visit to this museum is a must. The Pahang State Museum, commonly known as Sultan Abu Bakar Museum, was built back in the late 1920s and originally served as Sultan Abu Bakar’s official palace. This building, with its Moorish style painted in black and white, is filled with artefacts such as archaeological and indigenous items, including personal collection belonging to the members of the Pahang royal family. Even if you’re not a history enthusiast, this place is attractively Instagrammable, allowing travellers to take nice photos on its grounds dominated by animal sculptures made from plants, a helicopter and cannon, among others.

Tip: Don’t miss witnessing the rare Kutani porcelain displayed here, one of the only two in the world; the other one is in Japan.

Operating hours: Tuesday- Sunday | 9: 00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. / Friday | 9:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. & 2:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closed every Monday, the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Aidiladha
Entrance Fee: RM5

2. Sultan Abdullah Mosque Museum

This so-called Taj Mahal of Malaysia does resemble its nickname. As you walk along the pathway from the Pahang State Museum, you’ll see a water fountain right in front of the entrance, similar to Taj Mahal. The mosque is painted in crisp white and shines under the scorching sunlight, looking radiant under the sun. The mosque officially opened in 1932 and was used for religious activities back then, including Friday prayers. In the year 1977, Pahang State Museum Board took over the management of the mosque after it was no longer utilised and left to deteriorate. The board has now converted the mosque into an Islamic Intellectual and Art Museum due to its strategic location and the favourable potential as an exhibition gallery. The museum is filled with Islamic artefacts and also interactive LCD screens that features Surah-Surah from the Quran and for visitors to explore other collections in depth.

Operating hours: Tuesday – Sunday | 9:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Address: Pahang State Museum Board, Jalan Sultan Ahmad, 26600 Pekan, Pahang
Tel: +6 09 422 1642

3. Black Water Jewel

Sungai Bebar (Black Water Jewel) (Image credit: Lensa Pekan Official)

If you love going down to the river then you’re surely going to love this: Pekan has its very own peat swamp called the Black Water Jewel river, so named because of the river’s blackish waters, though in reality the water is colourless, just like in any other normal river. The soil in the area is high in humic substances (humus and humic acids), causing the water to look black. This peat swamp forest is not just thickly foliaged and water-logged, but also has a unique ecosystem and home to wildlife such as the white throated kingfisher, stock billed kingfisher, spectacled leaf monkey, black hornbill, great hornbill, and egret. The locals are trying to conserve the area and utilise it to improve the living standards of the area’s 2,000 residents. This peat swamp allows these residents to source for forestry and fishery products, including water from underground. The peat swamp also reduces the possibility of floods.

4. Agropolitan Runchang

This developing sheep livestock hub is being cared by 102 aboriginal people since 2009 in the hope that by the year 2020, it will become the biggest Dorper sheep livestock hub in Asia, producing over 25,000 sheep. This livestock hub is part of the government’s agropolitan programme to eradicate poverty through agriculture. Besides assisting the poor with employment, personal development and income, this initiative also accelerates the growth and development in rural East Coast Economic Region (ECER) in Malaysia. What makes this project distinctive compared to the other ECER projects is because it is involved entirely by the members of Peninsular Malaysia’s aboriginal community.

5. Murtabak Mengkasar

Murtabak Mengkasar (Image credit: COD Murtabak Mengkasar)

Besides ‘Puding Raja’ (a dessert that means ‘Royal Pudding’, made up of prunes, cherries, cashew nuts and fried bananas smothered by creamy gravy made from milk and custard flour, often chilled before served), another delicacy that Pekan is well known for is Murtabak Mengkasar (stuffed pan-fried bread filled with minced beef or chicken, eggs, onions and spices, to be dipped with pinkish vinegar sauce). This murtabak is usually eaten during tea time and popular during Ramadhan (Muslim fasting month).

What makes Murtabak Mengkasar special is its thickness, which consists of three layers of minced meat or chicken marinated with 21 types of aromatic spices, rendering this dish flavourful. The murtabak has been around for 40 years and is favoured by many Malaysians from all walks of life, including His Royal Highness the Sultan of Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah and the Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak. People keep on coming to savour the murtabak because the quality of the murtabak has never changed since it was first sold; its price ranges from RM8 to RM20. This establishment also sell other unique murtabak fillings such as lamb and cheese.

Operating hours: Opens from 3:00 p.m. until 12:00 midnight, Closes once a month
Address: Murtabak Mengkasar, 253 Kampung Mengkasar, 26600 Pekan, Pahang, Malaysia
Tel: +6 012 951 4668 / +6 017 901 4668 (Ms. Suziey)

6. AnCasa Royale Pekan

Inside the Royal Premier Suite at AnCasa Royale Pekan.

Those who seek laidback lifestyle to escape the bustling city life would find Pekan ideal. As such, the befitting accommodation that meets such travellers’ requirements is AnCasa Royale Pekan, a four-star hotel opened four years ago that offers 133 rooms comprising Deluxe Rooms, Junior and Family Suite rooms, Executive Suite and a Premier Suite Room. There are also meeting rooms, conference room, business centre, karaoke room, large swimming pool, a spa, and fitness centre, among others. Since this property is adjacent to the Pahang River, it also offers a signature experience that travellers should consider experiencing: The River Cruise @ Sungai Pahang.

Address: No 2670, Jalan Pekan-Kuantan, 26600, Pekan, Pahang
Tel: +6 09 424 6700
Website: www.ancasahotels.com

For more inspirations on what to do in Pahang by reading our story: ‘Pahang: An Extraordinarily Unforgettable Adventure‘.