Pendang District, Kedah

Scenic view of Tasik Pendang, with Gunung Jerai in the background (14 November, 2015)

Pendang District is a landlock district in central Kedah. Established on 1 February, 1975, it is bordered by Kota Setar District to the north, Padang Terap District to the northeast, Sik District to the east, Kuala Muda District to the south, and Yan District to the west. The district seat is the town of Pendang. The district has a total area of 626 sq km. Of this, close to half (27,639 hectares) were used for rubber plantation while 18,462 for paddy plantation.

The name Pendang is said to have been derived from "pendiat", a local word meaning a trench dug for capturing and taming elephants.¹ Wild elephants that were tamed were bathed at a historic well located near the present-day Pendang Police Station. At one time, Pendang had the biggest elephant kraal in all of Kedah, and was famous as the site for breeding the pachyderms. That well is said to have not dried out, even during periods of severe drought. The elephant calves were kept at the village of Kampung Anak Gajah, while the dead elephants were buried at Kampung Gajah Mati.