▁groups , ▁such ▁as ▁B ata k ▁and ▁Min ang k ab au . ▁Land marks ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁include ▁the ▁Tim ah ▁Museum , ▁a ▁Chinese ▁temple , ▁the ▁C athedral ▁of ▁St . ▁Joseph , ▁the ▁Bang ka ▁Botan ical ▁Garden , ▁and ▁the ▁Pas ir ▁P adi ▁beach . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁P ang kal pin ang ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁local ▁words ▁p eng kal ▁(" base ") ▁and ▁pin ang ▁( Are ca ▁c ate ch u , ▁a ▁species ▁of ▁pal m ▁tree ▁widely ▁grown ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Bang ka ). ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Pre - colon ial ▁rule ▁As ▁part ▁of ▁S riv ij aya , ▁P ang kal pin ang ▁was ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁H ind us . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁being ▁a ▁territory ▁of ▁Sri wij aya , ▁it ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁territory ▁of ▁Maj ap ah it ▁and ▁the ▁Mat aram ▁Kingdom . ▁In ▁all ▁three ▁kingdom s , ▁P ang kal pin ang ▁received ▁little ▁attention ▁despite ▁its ▁proxim ity ▁to ▁international ▁sh ipping ▁routes ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁hide out ▁for ▁pir ates ▁pre ying ▁on ▁ships ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁China ▁Sea ▁ ▁To ▁secure ▁the ▁sh ipping ▁routes ▁around ▁the ▁Stra it ▁of ▁Mal ac ca , ▁the ▁Joh or ▁Sultan ate ▁sent ▁troops ▁to ▁P ang kal pin ang ▁and ▁began ▁spread ing ▁Islam ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁However , ▁the ▁pir ates ▁soon ▁returned . ▁ ▁Years ▁later , ▁in ▁another ▁attempt ▁to ▁rid ▁the ▁area ▁of