Fraser's Hill (Malay: ) is a hill resort in Raub District, Pahang, Malaysia, on the Pahangese and Selangorean sections of the Titiwangsa Mountains. It is about north of Kuala Lumpur. In 1890, Lewis James Fraser established the area as a tin mining community known as Pamah Lebar when he discovered rich tin deposits and opened a tin mining facility. Mining activity there was short-lived, as the tin ore was depleted in 1913. This led many miners and farmers to abandon the area. Fraser reportedly disappeared in 1910, but research in 2019 concluded that he retired from his position and returned to Great Britain in 1900. He died in 1906 while travelling in Austria-Hungary.
An attempt by J. Ferguson-Davie to locate Fraser in the area failed. While he searched for Fraser, Ferguson-Davie recognised the area's potential as a suitable location to set up a hill station. Its cool climate made Pamah Lebar an ideal retreat to escape from the usually hot climate in Malaysia. Construction began in October 1919 to convert the mine area into a resort. The site was renamed Fraser's Hill and opened to visitors in 1922. Subsequent development occurred in the 1970s in response to increased tourism activity. While this provided room for more visitors, it had an impact on the environment, including deforestation and water pollution prompting a halt to further developments in April 2010. Fraser's Hill is known for its vast biodiversity, attracting scientists and researchers. In recent years, Fraser's Hill has increased tourist activities. These include hiking, cycling and golfing with other sports such as archery, paddle boat, horseback riding, tennis, swimming and squash are available. The population of Fraser's Hill was 1,000 in 2013.
History
Fraser's Hill is named after Lewis James Fraser (1841–1906), a Scottish trader and accountant. After a failed gold mining venture in Australia, he migrated to the Federated Malay States in 1890 looking for a new venture in tin mining. He set up a tin-ore trading post in Tras. As mining activity flourished at the foot of Fraser's Hill, Fraser became a tin merchant and bought crude tin ore from Malay and Chinese miners in Tras and Sempam and used mules to transport the ores to Kuala Kubu. He later recruited guides and coolies and formed an expedition to search the upper ridges for valuable minerals such as gold. The expedition found an ancient forest of moss-draped trees and ferns that resembled prehistoric forests. A cloud layer kept the vegetation constantly moist. At the same time, Fraser found rich tin deposits on the hill and recruited Chinese miners to open a mine known as Pamah Lebar which would later become the current location of Fraser's Hill golf course. A track was then constructed for mules to carry tin ore to The Gap and Kuala Kubu. Fraser then moved his tin ore trading base from Tras to Fraser's Hill.Cheong, Carell, 2013. p. 6 The first mining lease was officially issued to Abu Suradi in November 1899; the last one was issued in 1906 to Robert Lewis and the Sempam Mining Company Limited. However, as the tin ore was depleted quickly by 1913, mining activity declined, and many Chinese miners and farmers moved away from the town.
Initially, Fraser was reported as having disappeared in 1910, however, the latest research by R. Hale in 2019 uncovered that he retired from his position and returned to Great Britain in 1900 and died while vacationing in Austria-Hungary in 1906. When C. J. Ferguson-Davie, the bishop of Singapore, attempted to find Fraser in 1917, he was unable to find him. Instead, he discovered the place was suitable for building a hill station as a retreat from the valley's hot climate. He wrote a report to the high commissioner and chief secretary of the Federated Malay States to suggest that a hill station be built at this location. A preliminary topographical survey was drawn up in August 1919, which confirmed the area was a suitable location for a hill station. Later, R.C.M. Kindersley, an unofficial member of the Federal Council, stated that the committee aimed to make the Fraser's Hill area a holiday resort. Construction of Fraser's Hill began in October 1919 when F.W. Mager, Pahang state engineer, surveyed the site for building construction and cleared the land around Fraser's former bungalow to build a road from The Gap to provide access to the hill station. The place was renamed Fraser's Hill and opened to visitors in 1922.
On 7 October 1951, during the Malayan Emergency, the British high commissioner in Malaya, Sir Henry Gurney, was assassinated near Fraser's Hill by Communist guerillas. According to Chin Peng, the guerillas, led by Siew Ma, did not plan the assassination. They were unaware that Gurney was a member of the convoy they had ambushed at The Gap. The guerillas were also unaware that the person they had assassinated was Gurney until Radio Malaya announced the news the following day.
The 1970s saw another surge in building development because of optimism over tourism with more investments made by public and private sectors. As a result, 59 new rooms were built for visitors in 1974, with an additional 178 rooms built later. The average annual growth rate for visitors visiting hill stations in Malaysia between 1977 and 1984, including Fraser's Hill, Cameron Highlands and Genting Highlands was eight per cent, which was higher than the national average of five per cent. However, the expansion of tourist development has negatively impacted the environment with deforestation, more species facing extinction and water pollution affecting the lives of the Orang Asli (first people) and residents in other villages. These issues led to the Pahang state government ruling out further development in the virgin forest at Fraser's Hill on 13 April 2010. It was not until May 2015 when The Star reported that some resorts had fallen into disrepair because of a lack of maintenance coupled with infrequent collection of rubbish and some abandoned bungalows had been taken over by squatters. In response, the state government of Pahang proposed renovation in the hill resorts for ten years at the cost of between RM 100 million to RM 200 million. The hill resort's renovation had to be meticulous to not turn Fraser's Hill into a tourist-focused hill station, notably Genting Highlands and Cameron Highlands. Instead, it focused on improving existing facilities and preserving the colonial legacy of the hill station. On 28 April 2019, Fraser's Hill celebrated its 100th year anniversary as a hill station resort. Since further development was halted in 2010, only 10 per cent of Fraser's Hill overall land has been developed. Overdevelopment of the area would result in further destruction of the environment.
Geography
Fraser's Hill is a mountainous terrain where the altitude ranges between and above sea level. Around 44% of the terrain area is ranked as steep, while flat areas make up 8% of the overall land area. Fraser's Hill's virgin forest coverage is around 92% of the overall land area, with only 1.5% of the area used for a town. 6.5% of the forest area has been cleared for secondary vegetation. Ten river systems in Malaysia originate in Fraser's Hill, including Selangor River, a major water source for Selangor, and Teranum River which forms a major river system in eastern Pahang. The geology of the area is predominantly granite, which forms sandy, porous soil and easily eroded.Cheong, Carell, 2013. p. 7
Climate Fraser's Hill's climate is classified as tropical. Rainfall is significant in this area throughout the year. The climate is Af according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system. The temperature here averages . The average yearly rainfall is . Precipitation is the lowest in July, with an average of . The most precipitation falls in November—an average of . With an average temperature of , May is the hottest month of the year. January has the lowest average temperature of the year—. Between the driest and wettest months, the difference in precipitation is .
Biodiversity Fraser's Hill is located in one of Malaysia's few pristine forests. The high level of biodiversity, first recognised by botanist H. N. Ridley in 1897, has become an area of great interest to scientists and researchers. Over 10% of all plant species discovered in Peninsular Malaysia are located in Fraser's Hill, which is home to 952 indigenous species and 36 endemic species. Thirteen of these were considered extinct and had not been found again for more than 60 years. It is also one of the three available places in the world where the rare Trig Oak (Trigonobalanops verticillata) was discovered.Cheong, Carell, 2013. p. 9 – 10
The most dominant group of animals found on Fraser's Hill are invertebrates including: ants, bees, beetles, cicadas, grasshoppers, moths, spiders and termites. They play an important role in sustaining a healthy ecosystem in the region. According to the IUCN Red List, as of 2013, three mammals are listed as endangered: the Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus), the siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) and the Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni), while two mammals were listed as vulnerable—the serow (Capricornis sumatraensis) and the Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus). Fraser's Hill hosts 250 migratory and residential bird species. Some migrate from the harsh winter in Russia, China and Japan to Fraser's Hill. Others rest at Fraser's Hill for a few months before flying south to Australia and New Zealand for their warmer climate. Birdlife International has designated this area as an important bird area because of its large number of species.
Environmental issues
The construction of a second golf course near the Jeriau Waterfall involved deforestation, which saw some rare species from its steep slopes. This issue raised concerns among botanists as further development in the area will greatly impact the environment, including the loss of rare and endangered plant species. The second golf course construction also caused Jeriau Waterfall and the Sungai Hijau river to silt. Jeriau Waterfall is a popular Fraser Hill recreation area.WWF Malaysia, December 2001. p. 185, p. 206, p. 211 – 212
The construction of a new road known as Federal Route 148 also posed environmental threats to Fraser’s Hill. The construction of this new road involved the clearing of forest, which caused habitat fragmentation, and some montane forest was removed during the process. Cracks, road collapse and landslides occur on some parts of the road. Boulders were exposed from slope failures, and some of them are hanging precariously on the hill, with some falling onto the road below. These issues delayed the new road's opening from June 1996 to late 1997, and the new road was finally opened officially to the public in August 2001.WWF Malaysia, December 2001. p. 185, p. 212
Residents and visitors have reported illegal collection and poaching of wild species to Fraser’s Hill. Flora such as pitcher plants, orchids and herbs with medicinal value and fauna ranging butterflies to insects and birds were targeted for collection. Such illegal activities were possible because the existing trails allowed easy access to the forests. A lack of real-time monitoring of this illegal activity could lead to over-collection of wild species and will deplete their numbers in Fraser’s Hill.WWF Malaysia, December 2001. p. 212
Demographics