Butterworth is the largest urban town in the city of
Seberang Perai
Seberang Perai is a city in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is situated on the Malay Peninsula opposite Penang Island, bordering Kedah to the north and east and Perak to the south. Its city centre is located in Butterworth, while its local ...
,
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Ma ...
, Malaysia. It lies about east of
George Town, the capital city of Penang, across the
Penang Strait. , Butterworth has a total population of 107,591 residents.
Butterworth was named after
William John Butterworth, a former
Governor of the Straits Settlements during the mid-19th century. Under the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi language, Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Q ...
, the town came into being as a transportation hub, due to its proximity to George Town. While the
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
initially obtained Seberang Perai (then named ''Province Wellesley'') for agricultural purposes, Butterworth has also witnessed massive industrialisation during the latter half of the 20th century.
In 1974, the
Port of Penang was relocated into the town.
Currently,
Rapid Ferry
The Penang Ferry Service is the oldest ferry service within the State of Penang, Malaysia, connecting the city of George Town on Penang Island and Butterworth on the mainland. This cross-strait transit has been operational since 1894, making ...
is the main transportation link between Butterworth and George Town. The Port of Penang handled 1.52 million
TEUs
The twenty-foot equivalent unit (abbreviated TEU or teu) is an inexact unit of cargo capacity, often used for container ships and container ports.Rowlett, 2004. It is based on the volume of a intermodal container, a standard-sized metal box whic ...
of cargo , making it one of the busiest seaports in Malaysia.
In addition, the
Butterworth railway station, situated adjacent to the town's
ferry terminal
A passenger terminal is a structure in a port which services passengers boarding and leaving water vessels such as ferries, cruise ships and ocean liners. Depending on the types of vessels serviced by the terminal, it may be named (for example) ...
, is a major
Malayan Railway station, with train services operated by both the Malayan Railway and the
State Railway of Thailand
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) ( th, การรถไฟแห่งประเทศไทย, abbrev. รฟท., ) is the state-owned rail operator under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport in Thailand.
History
The SRT was ...
.
Butterworth is also home to
RMAF Butterworth, a British-built facility, which now functions as a major
Royal Malaysian Air Force
The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF, ms, Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia; TUDM; Jawi: ) was formed on 2 June 1958 as the Royal Federation of Malaya Air Force (; ). However, its roots can be traced back to the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force format ...
base.
Etymology
The town of Butterworth was named after
William John Butterworth, who became the
Governor of the Straits Settlements between 1843 and 1855.
History
A fishing village named Bagan had existed prior to the acquisition of the area by the
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
.
The town of Butterworth only came into being in the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi language, Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Q ...
and was concurrently named after the then
Governor of the Straits Settlements,
William John Butterworth.
Butterworth was developed as a mainland counterpart to the bustling
entrepôt
An ''entrepôt'' (; ) or transshipment port is a port, city, or trading post where merchandise may be imported, stored, or traded, usually to be exported again. Such cities often sprang up and such ports and trading posts often developed into c ...
of
George Town on
Penang Island
Penang Island ( ms, Pulau Pinang; zh, 檳榔嶼; ta, பினாங்கு தீவு) is part of the state of Penang, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British Ea ...
, directly across the
Penang Strait.
During the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi language, Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Q ...
, Butterworth grew into a major transportation hub. Passengers and goods were transported across the strait by
sampan
A sampan is a relatively flat-bottomed Chinese and Malay wooden boat. Some sampans include a small shelter on board and may be used as a permanent habitation on inland waters. The design closely resembles Western hard chine boats like ...
s, and in 1894, the first cross-strait ferry service between Butterworth and George Town was introduced.
By 1900, a nascent railway line running the length of
British Malaya
The term "British Malaya" (; ms, Tanah Melayu British) loosely describes a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Singapore that were brought under British hegemony or control between the late 18th and the mid-20th century. ...
was extended to Butterworth. These developments allowed tin to be transported more efficiently to Butterworth, which functioned as a transit point whereby the tin would then be shipped to George Town for smelting and export.
As with the rest of
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Ma ...
, Butterworth was occupied by the
Japanese between December 1941 and September 1945. During the early days of the
Japanese invasion of Malaya
The Malayan campaign, referred to by Japanese sources as the , was a military campaign fought by Allied and Axis forces in Malaya, from 8 December 1941 – 15 February 1942 during the Second World War. It was dominated by land battles betwe ...
, the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
and the
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
units stationed at
RAF Butterworth Butterworth may refer to:
Places
* Butterworth (ancient township), a former township centred on Milnrow, in the then Parish of Rochdale, England, United Kingdom
* Butterworth, Eastern Cape, now also known as Gcuwa, a town located in South Africa
...
struggled to counter Japanese air raids over
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Ma ...
and took heavy casualties. These Allied units had to withdraw southwards by 15 December, while RAF Butterworth was seized by the
Imperial Japanese 25th Army on 20 December.
After
Malaya
Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia:
Political entities
* British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...
's independence in 1957, as part of an effort to advocate import substitution industries in the 1960s, the
Alliance
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
-led
Penang state government, led by the then
Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
Wong Pow Nee
Tan Sri Wong Pow Nee (7 October 1911 – 31 August 2002) was a Malaysian politician and diplomat. He was Penang's first Chief Minister,Ng 2007 serving from 1957 to 1969 and Malaysia's first Ambassador to Rome.
Early history
He was born in ...
, developed
Mak Mandin Mak Mandin is an industrial town located in Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen state ...
as the first industrial estate in
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Ma ...
.
The Mak Mandin Industrial Estate was founded in 1961.
In 1974, the Port of Penang was relocated from
George Town to Butterworth, substantially boosting the town's economy.
The Butterworth Town Council had been established in 1953.
However, the town council was amalgamated with the Seberang Perai North Rural District Council in 1962. The local governments in
Seberang Perai
Seberang Perai is a city in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is situated on the Malay Peninsula opposite Penang Island, bordering Kedah to the north and east and Perak to the south. Its city centre is located in Butterworth, while its local ...
were eventually merged and upgraded into the
Seberang Perai Municipal Council in 1976.
Towards the end of the 20th century, Butterworth underwent a period of decline. The town suffered significantly due to administrative decentralisation.
The
North Seberang Perai District Office, along with the district's police headquarters and a government-run hospital, was moved out of the town.
By the time of the relocation of the Seberang Perai Municipal Council from Butterworth to
Bukit Mertajam in 2006, the town's infrastructure had deteriorated extensively. In 1988,
the passenger platform of the town's ferry terminal collapsed, costing 32 lives, while in 2001, a fire destroyed a three-storey bus station near the ferry terminal.
In recent years, more efforts have been undertaken to revive the town's fortunes. At present, the ongoing infrastructure projects within Butterworth include
Penang Sentral, which is mooted as the main transportation hub within the State of Penang, and by extension, northern Malaysia. Plans to rejuvenate parts of the town centre through the promotion of arts and culture have also been implemented through public-private partnerships.
Geography
The downtown of Butterworth lies at the southernmost tip of the
North Seberang Perai District, between the
Perai River to the south and the
Penang Strait to the west. The Perai River forms a natural boundary between Butterworth and the neighbouring urban of
Perai, with the latter situated on the southern banks of the river. Both towns are connected via the
Prai River Bridge, which spans the width of the Perai River.
Within the city of Butterworth are a number of neighbourhoods, such as
Bagan Ajam
Bagan Ajam is a small town along the longest trunk road in Penang, Malaysia near Butterworth, the opposite city to George Town. It is best known for its morning market, where most residents will be, especially on weekends. Pantai Bagan Ajam is a b ...
,
Bagan Dalam
Bagan Dalam is a suburb within the town of Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia. The place is named after Kampung Bagan Dalam which is a village situated within the core of the same area. Bagan Dalam means "inner jetty" in the Malay language. It is loc ...
,
Bagan Jermal,
Bagan Luar and
Teluk Air Tawar
Teluk Air Tawar is a suburb of Butterworth, located in North Seberang Perai district and north of the Butterworth city centre in Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. Teluk Air Tawar means "Clear water bay" in the Malay language. This seaside town h ...
.
The industrial estate of
Mak Mandin Mak Mandin is an industrial town located in Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen state ...
is situated within Butterworth as well.
Demographics
According to the
2010 Census conducted by Malaysia's Department of Statistics, Butterworth had a population of 71,643, equivalent to nearly 8.8% of
Seberang Perai
Seberang Perai is a city in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is situated on the Malay Peninsula opposite Penang Island, bordering Kedah to the north and east and Perak to the south. Its city centre is located in Butterworth, while its local ...
's population.
This makes Butterworth the largest town by population within the municipality of Seberang Perai.
More than half of Butterworth's population consists of
ethnic Chinese, whilst
Malays
Malays may refer to:
* Malay race, a racial category encompassing peoples of Southeast Asia and sometimes the Pacific Islands
** Overseas Malays, people of Malay race ancestry living outside Malay archipelago home areas
** Cape Malays, a communit ...
and
Indians
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
form significant minorities within the town.
Economy
The economy of Butterworth is primarily driven by its industries and the maritime trade at the
Port of Penang. The Mak Mandin Industrial Estate forms the heart of Butterworth's manufacturing sector and is home to a number of major local firms, including Federal Oats Mills, Fujikura Federal Cables and Zenman Industries. In addition, Butterworth has active steel and tin industries. The former includes steel fabrication, and smaller businesses dealing with automotive parts and scrap metal. The town's tin industry players include Malaysia Smelting Corporation, the world's second largest supplier of tin and a subsidiary of the
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
-listed
Straits Trading Company
The Straits Trading Company Limited is a Singapore-based corporation with operations in Singapore and Malaysia, as well as various localities in Asia and Australia.
Founded in 1887, the company was the result of a partnership for tin smelting be ...
.
Meanwhile, the Port of Penang is the third busiest seaport in Malaysia, handling 1.52 million
TEUs
The twenty-foot equivalent unit (abbreviated TEU or teu) is an inexact unit of cargo capacity, often used for container ships and container ports.Rowlett, 2004. It is based on the volume of a intermodal container, a standard-sized metal box whic ...
of container in 2017.
The Port's strategic location enabled it to service not just northern Malaysia, but also southern
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
.
Transportation
Butterworth is the main transportation hub within the
State of Penang, due to its location by the
Penang Strait and its close proximity to
George Town on
Penang Island
Penang Island ( ms, Pulau Pinang; zh, 檳榔嶼; ta, பினாங்கு தீவு) is part of the state of Penang, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British Ea ...
.
Sea
In 1974, the
Port of Penang moved its cargo and container operations from
George Town on
Penang Island
Penang Island ( ms, Pulau Pinang; zh, 檳榔嶼; ta, பினாங்கு தீவு) is part of the state of Penang, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British Ea ...
to Butterworth.
Currently the most important harbour within northern Malaysia, the Port of Penang now operates four facilities within Butterworth.
* North Butterworth Container Terminal
* Butterworth Wharves
* Vegetable oil tanker pier
*
Bagan Dalam
Bagan Dalam is a suburb within the town of Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia. The place is named after Kampung Bagan Dalam which is a village situated within the core of the same area. Bagan Dalam means "inner jetty" in the Malay language. It is loc ...
Dockyard
Rapid Ferry
The Penang Ferry Service is the oldest ferry service within the State of Penang, Malaysia, connecting the city of George Town on Penang Island and Butterworth on the mainland. This cross-strait transit has been operational since 1894, making ...
is a shuttle ferry service that links Butterworth with George Town. The oldest ferry service in Malaysia commenced operations in 1894, and to this day, serves as a convenient mode of transportation across the
Penang Strait for the residents of Butterworth.
At present, six ferries ply the Penang Strait between the
Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal
The Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal is a ferry slip within Butterworth in Penang, Malaysia. This docking facility is used for Rapid Ferry services between Butterworth and the city of George Town on Penang Island.
In addition to ferry s ...
in Butterworth and George Town daily.
Land
The
Butterworth railway station is one of the major stations along the
Malayan Railway's
west coast route. As such, regular Malayan Railway services are available to other cities along western
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia ( ms, Semenanjung Malaysia; Jawi: سمننجڠ مليسيا), or the States of Malaya ( ms, Negeri-negeri Tanah Melayu; Jawi: نڬري-نڬري تانه ملايو), also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, ...
, including
Ipoh
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Ipoh in Perak
, pushpin_map = #Malaysia#Asia#Earth
, pushpin_mapsize = 275px
, pushpin_map_caption = Ipoh in Malaysia
, coordinates ...
,
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, sub ...
,
Malacca
Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site s ...
and
Johor Bahru, as well as on to
Woodlands in northern
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. Aside from these, the Butterworth railway station is also the terminus of the
State Railway of Thailand
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) ( th, การรถไฟแห่งประเทศไทย, abbrev. รฟท., ) is the state-owned rail operator under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport in Thailand.
History
The SRT was ...
's
Southern Line (via
Padang Besar) and the
International Express from
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populatio ...
. Notably, the train station is one of the main stops of the
Eastern and Oriental Express
The Eastern & Oriental Express is a luxury train that carries passengers between Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.
It runs between Singapore's Woodlands Train Checkpoint and Bangkok, stopping at Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth, and Kanchanaburi, ...
service between Bangkok and Singapore as well.
In recent years, the
Penang Sentral project has been underway at a site adjacent to both the Butterworth railway station and
Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal
The Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal is a ferry slip within Butterworth in Penang, Malaysia. This docking facility is used for Rapid Ferry services between Butterworth and the city of George Town on Penang Island.
In addition to ferry s ...
. Mooted as the main transportation hub in the
State of Penang and as Penang's answer to
Kuala Lumpur Sentral, Penang Sentral is intended to serve as a termini for both public bus and longer-distance intercity bus services.
Public bus services are provided by two firms -
Rapid Penang
Rapid Penang (styled as ''rapidPenang'') is a public bus brand in the State of Penang, Malaysia. Formed as a subsidiary of Prasarana Malaysia in 2007, to date it is the main public transport operator within Penang; its bus network serves comm ...
and Cityliner. Due to Butterworth's importance as a transportation hub, most of the Rapid Penang's routes originate and terminate within the town. Rapid Penang's bus routes 601, 602, 603, 604, 605, 608, 701, 702, 703, 709 and 801 connect Butterworth with other towns within
Seberang Perai
Seberang Perai is a city in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is situated on the Malay Peninsula opposite Penang Island, bordering Kedah to the north and east and Perak to the south. Its city centre is located in Butterworth, while its local ...
, including
Perai,
Bukit Mertajam,
Kepala Batas and
Nibong Tebal, whilst the company's Intercity routes link Butterworth with
Sungai Petani
Sungai Petani (abbr. Sg. Petani or SP; Jawi: سوڠاي ڤتاني) is a city in Kuala Muda District, Kedah, Malaysia. Sungai Petani is Kedah's largest city and is located about 55 km south of Alor Setar, the capital of Kedah, and 33&nbs ...
in
Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman and historically as Queda, is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km2, and it consists of the mainla ...
and
Parit Buntar
Parit Buntar ( Jawi: ڤاريت بونتر) is a town in Kerian District, Perak, Malaysia. It is bordering to Nibong Tebal in Penang and Bandar Baharu in Kedah.It is also the district capital of Kerian District.
This district is known as the Ri ...
in
Perak
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
. Cityliner operates another six bus routes which link Butterworth with a handful of destinations in Seberang Perai, Kedah and Perak.
Meanwhile, the
Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) was completed in 2005 in order to reduce traffic congestion along the
North–South Expressway east of the town, as well as facilitating traffic dispersion within Butterworth itself. The BORR includes the
Prai River Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge that links Butterworth and
Perai to the south. Another major expressway within Butterworth is the
Butterworth–Kulim Expressway, an interstate highway that connects Butterworth with
Kulim in Kedah.
Education
Butterworth contains a total of 20
primary school
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...
s, nine
high schools, a government-run
vocational college
A university of applied sciences (UAS), nowadays much less commonly called a polytechnic university or vocational university, is an institution of higher education and sometimes research that provides vocational education and grants academic d ...
and three private tertiary institutions.
Primary schools
High schools
Vocational college
* Butterworth Vocational College
Private colleges
* Penang International Dental College
* Golden Chef College of Culinary Arts
* Surya College
Health care
Butterworth is served by one
private hospital
A private hospital is a hospital not owned by the government, including for-profits and non-profits. Funding is by patients themselves ("self-pay"), by insurers, or by foreign embassies. Private hospitals are commonly part, albeit in varying deg ...
- the Bagan Specialist Centre. Established in 1988, the 150-bed hospital also contains nine operating theatres and offers, among others,
orthopaedic and
endocrinology
Endocrinology (from ''endocrine'' + '' -ology'') is a branch of biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field ...
treatments.
Tourist attractions
The Tow Boo Kong Temple is a
Taoist
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Ta ...
temple which is dedicated to the Taoist principal Deity,
Doumu and the Nine Emperor Gods.
Built in stages between the 1970s and 2009, the temple at Jalan Raja Uda now serves as a focal point for the grand celebration of
Nine Emperor Gods Festival, which occurs annually on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month in the
Chinese calendar.
The
Sree Maha Mariamman Devasthanam Temple, at
Bagan Luar, is the oldest Hindu temple in Butterworth. Founded in 1853, the temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity,
Mariamman
Mariamman, often abbreviated to Amman, is a Hindu goddess of rain, predominantly venerated in the rural areas of South India. Her festivals are held during the late summer/early autumn season of Ādi throughout Tamil Nadu and the Deccan region ...
, a goddess of rain.
Urban legend has it that the temple was built when a statue of Mariamman was found by the seaside.
As part of efforts to revive the fortunes of Butterworth, a number of alleys within the town centre have been decorated with wall murals, similar in style to the street art in
George Town.
In addition, the Butterworth Fringe Festival, inaugurated in 2015 as a spin-off to the
George Town Festival, is an annual arts festival held within the town centre every August.
Military
A
Royal Malaysian Air Force
The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF, ms, Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia; TUDM; Jawi: ) was formed on 2 June 1958 as the Royal Federation of Malaya Air Force (; ). However, its roots can be traced back to the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force format ...
airfield -
RMAF Butterworth - is located to the north of Butterworth proper. Completed by the British in 1941 just prior to the
Japanese invasion of Malaya
The Malayan campaign, referred to by Japanese sources as the , was a military campaign fought by Allied and Axis forces in Malaya, from 8 December 1941 – 15 February 1942 during the Second World War. It was dominated by land battles betwe ...
, the airfield served both the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
and
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
squadrons tasked with defending the airspace over
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Ma ...
. However, the Japanese immediately gained air superiority, damaging the Butterworth airfield in the process. The station was then captured by the
Imperial Japanese 25th Army on 20 December 1941.
During the post-war period, the Butterworth airfield was put to use by the Royal Air Force, and subsequently, the Royal Australian Air Force, to combat the
communist threat in Malaya at the time. The Australian squadrons based in Butterworth also saw action during the
Indonesian Confrontation in the 1960s.
In 1988, the Butterworth airfield was handed over to the Royal Malaysian Air Force. Now renamed as RMAF Butterworth, the airfield housed the headquarters of the Integrated Area Defence System that covers both
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
and
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
under the
Five Power Defence Arrangements
The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) are a series of bilateral defence relationships established by a series of multi-lateral agreements between Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, all of which are Commonwe ...
.
Neighbourhoods
The following neighbourhoods are situated within Butterworth.
See also
*
Perai
*
Seberang Perai
Seberang Perai is a city in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is situated on the Malay Peninsula opposite Penang Island, bordering Kedah to the north and east and Perak to the south. Its city centre is located in Butterworth, while its local ...
*
Bukit Mertajam
References
External links
{{Authority control
North Seberang Perai District
Towns in Penang