In the 19th century, Thomas John Newbold, an English soldier working for the East India Company, estimated the population of Kuala Terengganu to be around 15,000 to 20,000 Malays with 600 Chinese,[REF] but it was presumably an overestimation [REF].
Terengganu Malay is the main lingua franca in the city and is spoken by the Malays in Kuala Terengganu and minority Kelantanese are also spoken, especially those who came from Besut, Setiu and Kelantan.