town, central Peninsular (West) Malaysia, situated along the Jelai River. It is a commercial centre for nearby villages and the riverine indigenous people who inhabit the dense jungle to the north. Some of its residents live on the slopes of the surrounding hills, while many Malay families cluster in communities of raft huts along the river. The terminus of the central Malayan road system, Kuala Lipis is also the last major town for northbound travelers on the Gemas-Kelantan railway. Local products taken from the surrounding area include rubber, rice, fruit, gold, and gutta-percha (a tough latex derivative). Granite and limestone are quarried nearby. Benta, 16 miles (26 km) south, has a large Sunday bazaar and is near Empang Jaleh, a jungle lake. Pop. (2000) 13,501.