Lumut is a coastal town and mukim in Manjung District, Perak, Malaysia,[1] situated about 84 km (52 mi) southwest of the state capital city of Ipoh, 12 km (7.5 mi) north from the town of Sitiawan.
It is the main gateway to Pangkor Island before established Marina Island Pangkor as second gateway, and noted for seashell and coral handicrafts.
This once little-known fishing town has since become the home base of the Royal Malaysian Navy and the site of the biggest naval shipbuilder in Malaysia, Boustead.
Toponymy
Lumut in Malay means moss, lichen, or seaweed. In its early days, the beach was said to be rich in moss, so the local people called it Lumut.
History
Lumut has a sheltered jetty. A large Hockchew community moved from there to Sitiawan. The estuary was formerly characterized by damp mossy soils on reddish earth. Tin and lumber were transported there by elephants and sampans, from as far away as Kinta. It was once part of the Straits Settlements by virtue of the Pangkor Treaty of 1874 until it was returned to Perak by Great Britain in 1935.
On 23 April 2024, two Royal Malaysian Navy helicopters – an AgustaWestland AW139 and a Eurocopter Fennec – collided during a military parade rehearsal celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Royal Malaysian Navy.[2][3] Ten people – seven on the AW139 and three on the Fennec – were killed. There were no survivors.
