Bota

Bota (Jawi: بوتا; Chinese: 波打) is a mukim in Perak Tengah District, Perak, Malaysia. It comprises two geographical areas: Bota Kiri and Bota Kanan (Left Bota and Right Bota, respectively) as it is divided by the Perak River. There is a river terrapin breeding center in Bota Kanan. Bota is also well known for its durian fruit. The town has over fifteen mosques.

This article is about the Malaysian location. For other uses, see BOTA.
This article is about town. For a definition of the word "bota", see the Wiktionary entry bota.

History
View of Perak River at Bota (Bhota) in 1874

Name Origin

Humorously called by the locals as Boston cowboy town, the name of the town was taken from a mythical "ogre" that existed in the area according to the local folklore. Bota is a huge giant that hid inside a cave or hole in the underground. Bota will come out of its hiding place at certain time and pursued children that did not wear a trouser. Original name of this place is Brahman Indera.[1][2][3]

Bota is believed to be few in number but could be present anywhere, especially in the area of Sungai Perak. These creatures spent most of their time underground and are rarely seen by humans. According to old folks in this area, the body of Bota has an earthy colour and is mainly muddy, and it commonly lurks around yellow bamboo grove on the banks and on the edge of a paddy field where fish perch. They find food commonly in the soil and will occasionally forage in the form of human or animal flesh. Humans and animals are not his favorite food because they only come out occasionally, especially at dusk.[2]

Bota giant is associated with the loss of someone. If a resident is found to be missing, they believe Bota is responsible and residents have violated taboo of Bota 'existence' in the area.[2]

Another version of the folklore is that Bota is a type of animal that could crush the human bone when it bites and often brought along by the Sultan of Perak during long-distance travel.[3]

Demographics

In general, Bota's Malay population can be divided into three main groups, the natives of Perak, the natives of Kedah and the Banjar people. The natives of Perak constitute the majority of Bota's populace, particularly along the left and rights banks of the Perak River. The Kedah natives in Bota moved to this town in the 1960s, and they primarily reside in some areas of Titi Gantung. There also traces of Javanese and Bugis people in the region.[4][5]

Chinese and Indians constitute a minority of the population in Bota, and they mainly reside in the vicinity of Seri Iskandar.[6]

Local economy

Agriculture

Plenty of farmers' market can be found in Bota and the regional area.[7] Most of the local vegetables and fruits sold in the market are self-grown by the sellers living in the area.

Bota is also famously known for Durian and Tempoyak.The town is one of the main producers of the fruit in the region.[3][8]

Tourism

Among the main attractions in Bota is an ecotourism visit to breeding center for a critically endangered species of southern river terrapin in Bota Kanan. The visitors are able to interact with the terrapin offspring and feed them with vegetables.[9]

The tourist could also visit the Malay cultural center in Pulau Misa Melayu of Kampung Teluk Kepayang in Bota Kiri. The center which opened in 1996, showcases varieties of Malay cultural activities such music and dance performance and traditional Malay dresses exhibition.[10]

Dialect

There are few types of Malay dialect that can be found in Perak. These dialects which are also known as Perak Malay, are generally categorized into five main dialects of which the Bota or Perak river valley dialect is considered as the purest form of dialect among the five of them in the state.[11][12]

Bota has appeared in numerous Malaysian films and dramas. The latest and most significant ones are Lambor Kanan Belakang Dewan and Heri Bota. Lambor Kanan Belakang Dewan was aired in 2017 by Astro for Hari Raya special screening featuring Izara Aishah and Rashidi Ishak while Heri Bota was aired in 2020 by RTM TV1 featuring Aedy Ashraf.[13][14]

References
  1. Muhammad Apendy Issahak (3 May 2018). "Parit kini bukan lagi pekan koboi". Berita Harian (in Malay). Retrieved 28 January 2021 – via PressReader.
  2. Maxwill, Sir William George (1925). In Malay Forests. Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons. ISBN 978-1177612609.
  3. "Bota asalnya nama gergasi". Sinar Harian (in Malay). 6 February 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  4. "Etnik Banjar di Perak". The Malaya Post (in Malay). 7 December 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  5. Rahim Bin Yahaya (1989). KRISIS UMNO 1987 - 1988: SATU PANDANGAN UMUM MASYARAKAT KAWASAN BOTA PERAK DARUL RIDZUAN (Thesis) (in Malay). Jabatan Antropologi dan Sosiologi, Universiti Malaya.
  6. "14th General Election Malaysia (GE14/PRU14) - Perak". The Star. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  7. "Beli-belah". Majlis Daerah Perak Tengah (in Malay). Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  8. "Parit pengeluar 'raja durian'" (in Malay). 11 November 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  9. "Makan angin sambil mengenali tuntung di Bota Kanan". Berita Harian (in Malay). 10 September 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  10. "Pulau Misa Melayu di Bota wajar jadi pusat kebudayaan". Astro Awani (in Malay). 12 August 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  11. "Jenis Loghat Perak Yang Mungkin Anda Baru Tahu". Orang Perak (in Malay). 2 February 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  12. "Dialek Bota dialek 'pior' Perak". The Malaya Post (in Malay). 3 December 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  13. "Drama Dialek Pahang dan Perak, "Madu" dan "Heri Bota" Curi Hati Penonton RTM". Kopi Panas RTM (in Malay). 7 June 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  14. "'Dari Hati' Astro". Harian Metro (in Malay). 13 June 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2021.


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