The Lost Dutch Fort at Pangkalan Halban

Many of us know about the existence of the Dutch fort on Pulau Pangkor and the Dutch trading post at the mouth of the Dinding River. However, not many are aware of the existence of the Dutch fort and trading post at Pangkalan Halban, Tanjung Putus, which is situated at the mouth of the Kinta River. Unfortunately, it has been lost to time, left to decay as the years passed.

In 1747, the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Muzaffar Shah III, signed an agreement allowing the Dutch to monopolize the sale of tin and to build a new factory and fort at Pangkalan Halban, Tanjung Putus, to replace the Dutch fort at the Dinding River. The Dutch fort at Pangkalan Halban was completed in 1748 and was manned by 50 soldiers, equipped with several cannons.

The capital of Perak at that time was located at Pulau Indera Sakti, and the Dutch post was built on the right bank of the Perak River, adjacent to Pulau Indera Sakti. After Malacca was handed over to the British via the Kew Letters in 1795, Lord Camelford and Lieutenant Macalister, along with forces from the British Royal Navy, besieged Pangkalan Halban. Eventually, the Dutch officer at the Pangkalan Halban Fort, Christoffel Macalister, surrendered the fort and the factory to the British.

In 1880, the British Superintendent of Lower Perak ordered the fort to be demolished, and the iron and bricks from the structure were used for the construction of Telok Anson Town, now known as Teluk Intan. Pangkalan Halban, Tanjung Putus is located at the confluence of the Kinta River and the Perak River. The area is situated between Teluk Intan and Kampung Gajah, and this site, along with Pulau Indera Sakti, is no longer inhabited. The tomb of the 15th Sultan of Perak, Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain, is located on Pulau Indera Sakti. Latest Update: Read

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