Relau is a residential

neighbourhood A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural are ...

located southwest of the centre of George Town, the capital city of the

Malaysian state The states and federal territories of Malaysia are the principal administrative divisions of Malaysia. Malaysia is a federation of 13 states (''Negeri'') and 3 federal territories (''Wilayah Persekutuan''). States and federal territories Elev ...

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 Malay ...

Etymology

Relau is believed to be named after charcoal kilns (

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

: ''relau'') that had been built within the area.

History

One of the major landmarks in Relau is the abandoned Chung Thye Phin Villa, which was formerly the summer residence of

Chung Thye Phin Kapitan China Chiew Yuen Lam (; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ''Chhang Thai-phìn''); 28 September 1879 – 1935) was a wealthy Malayan tin miner and rubber planter. Chinese Business in Southeast Asia: Contesting Cultural Explanations by Edmund Terence Go ...

, a local tycoon. Chung, the fourth son of

Chung Keng Quee Kapitan China Chung Keng Quee (; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Chhang Kín-kui, 182713 December1901) was the founder and administrator of modern Taiping in Perak, Malaysia. Appointed "Capitan China" by the British in 1877, he was a millionaire philanthropist ...

, served as the last

Chinese Kapitan Kapitan Cina, also spelled Kapitan China or Capitan China ( en, Captain of the Chinese; ; nl, Kapitein der Chinezen), was a high-ranking government position in the civil administration of Dutch East Indies, colonial Indonesia, British Malaya, Ma ...

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 ...

and by the time of his passing in 1935, was said to be the wealthiest man 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 ...

. For much of its history, Relau was an agricultural area, until its eventual development into a housing estate in the 1980s.

Transportation

Paya Terubong Road, which links Relau with the

Paya Terubong Paya Terubong is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Located nearly southwest of the city centre, it is nestled within the central valleys of Penang Island and south of Air Itam. It is also one of the most densely populated areas on Pen ...

suburb to the north and the town of

Balik Pulau Balik Pulau is a town within the jurisdiction of Penang Island City Council in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located at the southwest of Penang Island, it is also the administrative seat of the Southwest Penang Island District. The agricultura ...

to the west, serves as the main thoroughfare within the neighbourhood.

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 commut ...

bus routes 301 and 306 include stops within Relau, thus connecting the neighbourhood with George Town proper,

Queensbay Mall Queensbay Mall is the largest shopping mall in Penang, Malaysia. Located in Bayan Lepas, the building was completed in early July 2006 and was opened to the public in December 2006. The mall covers a gross built-up area of and contains over 400 ...

, and the

Air Itam Ayer Itam (also spelt Air Itam or Air Hitam) is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Nested within the central valleys of Penang Island, it is located approximately southwest of the city centre. Ayer Itam is one of the well-known place ...

and

suburbs.

Education

There are two primary schools and an international school within the neighbourhood of Relau. Primary schools * SRK Seri Relau * SRJK (C) Min Sin International school *

Fairview International School Fairview International School is an International Baccalaureate (IB) school that was founded in Kuala Lumpur. It was established in 1978. It moved to its headquarters in Wangsa Maju (KL) from its Ampang campus and it also has campuses in Subang ...

Sports

The Relau City Sports Complex, launched in 2017, is the first GBI-certified sports complex in

. The sports complex is equipped with swimming and diving pools, badminton courts, a gymnasium and a dry gym, as well as bicycle parking bays. Opened in 2003, the Relau Metropolitan Park is the second largest recreational park within

. Managed by the

Penang Island City Council The City Council of Penang Island is the council that administers the city of Pulau Pinang, which includes the entirety of Penang Island, Malaysia. The city council, which has jurisdiction over an area of , falls under the purview of the Penang s ...

, the park was launched to cater to residents within the southern part of the island, as there had been a lack of recreational amenities within the area in the past.

References

{{Penang Neighbourhoods in George Town, Penang