KUALA KRAI: On an ordinary day, Manik Urai with its peaceful environment away from the hustle and bustle of city life, is nothing more than an isolated Malay settlement situated along Jalan Kuala Krai-Gua Musang.

However, all that has changed overnight as approximately 30,000 people who live and work as rubber tappers in Manik Urai, face the intimidating presence of city folks, dignitaries and politicians in their area.

Normally famous for 'lemang' stalls and 'durian kunyit' that can be bought at rock bottom prices even though the market price for such fruits can reach up to RM25 per kilogramme, the place is now on the spotlight of the Malaysian population due to the July 14, by-election, littered by ceramahs or election campaigns.

The serene environment changed with the death of its state assemblyman, Ismail Yaacob, on May 22, which called for a by-election.

Today, the area transformed into a sea of people and a hive of activities and subject of debate as to how Manik Urai got its name.

Some claim that the name was somehow connected to a story of a broken necklace which was made of beads (manik), but some older residents believed that the name originated from a Malay beauty by the name of Mak Nik Urai who once lived in the village.

"Mak Nik was famous for her beauty and her long beautiful hair, hence they named the place Manik Urai and so I heard," said a resident, Abdullah Jusoh, 64, from Kampung Laloh, here.

His view was shared by Olak Jeram district chief, Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman who said that the woman's family came from Northern Thailand and were among the earliest settlers in the area.

"Although there are varying stories of how the place got its name, most of the older residents insist that it was from Mak Nik Urai who lived in Kampung Pasir, near the Keretapi Tanah Melayu track, around 1940s.

"Mak Nik Urai's family and relatives who were farmers and rubber tappers, continued to expand and they opened other settlements across the railway," he said.

Abdul Rahim said Manik Urai was governed under Olak Jeram district which was one of the three districts placed under the Kuala Krai territory.

Kuala Krai territory was the second largest in Kelantan after Gua Musang, he said.

The Olak Jeram district, he said comprised 10 mukim or sub-districts, namely Chuchoh Puteri, Gajah Barat and Timur, Lata Rek, Manik Urai Selatan and Utara, Manjor Selatan and Utara, Peria and Sungai Sam.

He said 90 percent of the people in the district were rubber tappers, while the rest were farmers.

Manik Urai was also famous for its Lata Rek waterfall, located in Kampung Laloh, about 30km from here, he added. (By Nurulhuda Che Das/Bernama)