How much do you know about Muar? Otak-otak? Is that all? Muar has just received a prestigious award: the cleanest town in Southeast Asia!
What is this award about?
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the organising committee of this award. Established on 8 August 1967, the Member States of the Association are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The name of the award is ASEAN Clean Tourist City Standard.
How do they decide the recipient of this award?
According to the asean.org website, these are the areas that are evaluated:
- Environmental Management
- Cleanliness
- Waste Management
- Awareness-building about Environmental Protection and Cleanliness
- Green Spaces
- Health Safety and Urban Safety and Security
- Tourism Infrastructure and Facilities
What is there to see in Muar?
Declared a royal town by Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar in 2012, Muar has a rich history. Its history is believed to precede the Sultanate of Malacca, with early history recorded at about 1361. Since then, Muar has come a long way and flourished into the popular tourist attraction it is today. Here are some of the tourist attractions in Muar:
- Pre-war buildings retaining unique design elements in the town centre
- Tanjung Emas Park
- Sultan Ibrahim Jamek Mosque
- Gunung Ledang
- Don Hu Jurassic Park
- Grisek Hot Spring
- Mural paintings
What’s there to eat?
You may have heard of the otak-otak, but there’s a lot more Muar has to offer. Other delicacies of Muar include:
- Mee bandung Muar
- Asam pedas
- Rojak
- Satay
- Mee siput
- Fried oyster/lala (clam) omelettes
- Ikan bakar (grilled fish)
- Johor laksa
- Nasi ambeng (Javanese-style rice with vegetables and meat)
- Lontong (compressed rice cake)
Besides all these which you can get anywhere in the town, Muar also has a “glutton street”, locally known as “Tam Jiak Kuey”. You can satisfy all your food cravings and more here!
Have not visited Muar yet? Now is the time! Experience for yourself what the cleanest town in Southeast Asia is like!
