Pasir Mas District
| Pasir Mas | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 |
|
| Country |
 Malaysia
|
| State |
 Kelantan Darul Naim |
| Seat | Town Pasir Mas |
| Government | |
| • District officer | Ahmad Robert Bin Abd Rahim |
| Area | |
| • Total | 577.52 km2 (222.98 sq mi) |
| Population (2009) | |
| • Total | 206,400 |
| • Density | 360/km2 (930/sq mi) |
Pasir Mas (Chinese: 巴西馬) is a town, an administrative district (jajahan) and a parliamentary constituency in Kelantan, Malaysia.
The district of Pasir Mas covers an area of 577 square kilometers and is bordered by the districts of Tumpat to the north, Tanah Merah to the south, Kota Bharu to the east, and the Thai district of Su-ngai Kolok (Malay: Sungai Golok) to the west.
Due to its geographical location, it acts as the main gateway of the East Coast of Malaysia to Thailand and is also traversed by major road transport routes from the West Coast to the state capital of Kota Bharu. The main town of the same name was once the second biggest in the state until the early 1990s when it was overtaken by Tanah Merah. The town is blocked from expanding to the south by the Kelantan River. To the north, the railway line splits the town - further limiting land suitable and desirable for commercial real estate development.
Haphazard development over the past decades has resulted in the mushrooming of residential houses that encircle the town. This makes potential land acquisition for commercial development a complex and costly exercise. A new township is slowly taking shape about four miles away at the Mukim (Hamlet) of Lubuk Jong - a previously swampy area along the road leading to Rantau Panjang.
According to legend, this area which is now known as Pasir Mas was first opened up by Che Leh Ismail who was also known as Che Leh Tok Pendekar. Che Leh Ismail was forced to shift to Pasir Mas from Kota Bharu when his land was taken over by the Sultan to build his palace.
During that time, a religious teacher from Bachok came to teach the Quran to the villagers in Pasir Mas. The religious teacher returned to Bachok after his teachings were completed. However, a few days after the religious teacher returned to Bachok, three pots of gold suddenly appeared in some bushes. The pots of gold then rolled into a pond at the fringe of the bushes. The villagers who witnessed this happening shouted "Mas! Mas!" (Malay for gold) Hence the place was subsequently called Pasir Mas. The word Pasir originated because there was a large field of sand at the bank of the Kelantan River, which was situated near Pasir Mas.
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Wikipedia