The History of the Name Tapah
Did you know that the name of the town Tapah in Perak comes from the name of a fish? Yes, the fish is the Tapah fish, a species of freshwater catfish in the Siluridae family that lives in southern Asia from Pakistan to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia. This fish is also reported to be found in Afghanistan. Interesting, isn't it?
The town of Tapah in Perak was named after this fish because during the reign of Sultan Mukkaddam Shah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Mansur Shah (the sixth Sultan of Perak, 1603-1619), a Dato' lived by a tributary of the Batang Padang river. The Dato' had advised Dato' Bendahara Garang in his efforts to bring home Puteri Limau Purut from abroad. Due to these services, the Dato' was titled Toh Tua Sakti. In that era, cockfighting was a very popular pastime. Every arena was packed with attendees from both royalty and the common people who gambled on the matches. In one such event, Tok Tua Sakti lost and ended up mortgaging his hometown. Tok Tua Sakti felt deep regret and repented. On the night of the same day, Tok Tua Sakti had a dream while he slept.
In the dream, it was stated that the next day, a Tapah fish as large as a human would be stranded on the sand at the mouth of the tributary. Inside its stomach, there would be several pieces of gold that would help the Dato'. The Dato' was instructed to cut open the fish's stomach using a bamboo blade (sembilu) and sew it back up using a 'sundang lalang' as a needle and 'ijok kabung' fiber as thread. Everything said in the dream was carried out by the Dato'. In remembrance of the Tapah fish's good deed, the Tapah fish became a taboo for Tok Tua Sakti and his descendants forever. The tributary in the Dato's village that flowed into the Batang Padang river was named Sungai Tapah. Toh Tua Sakti and his descendants are the pillars of this Tapah. In commemoration of that event, this town became known as Bandar Tapah. The authenticity of what happened when Tok Tua Sakti found the Tapah fish remains unknown. Here is some brief information regarding the Tapah fish. The Tapah fish's body is long and very dense, and it can grow up to 2.4 meters (8 feet) in length. Its head is wide, with a large, curved mouth. The corners of its mouth extend behind its eyes. The fish's teeth are very sharp and can bite humans. The Tapah fish's eyes are small, and it has two pairs of barbels, with a small dorsal fin and a very long anal fin.
Tapah is now a well-known town due to its location at the foothills of the Titiwangsa Mountain range. Many tourists from within and outside the country traveling to Cameron Highlands will surely pass through and stop to rest in this town. The Batang Padang river, which flows through the center of Tapah town, has played an important role in the town's history. In fact, before the town of Tapah existed, this place was simply called Batang Padang, named after the river.
