The Origin and History of the Name Tanjung Rambutan

Tanjung Rambutan is synonymous with Hospital Bahagia Tanjung Rambutan, which is one of the most well-known mental health hospitals in Malaysia. Have you ever wondered how and where the name Tanjung Rambutan came from? In this article, we will try to uncover a little bit of its history based on oral traditions passed down through generations. There are two versions of the story regarding the origin of Tanjung Rambutan in the state of Perak. Some state that Tanjung Rambutan began to exist around the year 1800. It is believed that the current Taman Ulu Kinta Raya residential area in Tanjung Rambutan was an early settlement opened by migrants from Sumatra of Rawa descent.

Another version of the story tells of a group of Mandailing descendants who came from Sumatra and opened a settlement in the upper Kinta River. Returning to the story of how the name Tanjung Rambutan was given: the tale goes that there was a cape (tanjung) on the Kinta River where a rambutan tree as large as an adult's embrace once stood. Therefore, the area was named Tanjung Rambutan. It is understood that the original location of that rambutan tree was once situated near the Tanjung Rambutan Railway Station.

During the time when the state of Perak was under British colonial administration, Tanjung Rambutan began to develop rapidly. In 1911, a mental hospital was built near the railway tracks. As a piece of additional information, the original name of the mental hospital that is so synonymous with Tanjung Rambutan was the Federal Lunatic Asylum, and Dr. W.F. Samuel was appointed as its first Medical Superintendent.