The Southwest Penang Island District ( ms, Daerah Barat Daya Pulau Pinang) is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

within 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 Ele ...

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 ...

. The district covers the southwestern half of

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 ...

and borders the

Northeast Penang Island District The Northeast Penang Island District ( ms, Daerah Timur Laut Pulau Pinang) is a district within the Malaysian state of Penang. The district covers the northeastern half of Penang Island, including the centre of George Town, Penang's capital city ...

to the east. It has an area of and a population of 197,131 .

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 ...

is the district's administrative centre, while

Bayan Lepas Bayan Lepas is a town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the southeastern tip of Penang Island. Founded in the 19th century, Bayan Lepas has various industries. History Bayan Lep ...

is the largest town within the district. Although Penang Island consists of two districts, both fall under the jurisdiction of the city of George Town, which encompasses the entirety of the island plus the surrounding islets. The city's jurisdiction is exercised 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 ...

in the centre of George Town, which lies within the Northeast Penang Island District.

History

In 1786, 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 ...

had taken control of

, establishing the city of George Town at the island's northeastern tip. For several decades since, the island was governed directly from George Town, with no administrative divisions on the island. In 1888, a District and Land Office was established in

at the southwest of the island. Thus, the Southwest Penang Island District was created, effectively dividing Penang Island into two districts. Both districts first appeared in official maps of Penang dating back to the 1890s.

Geography

Map of Southwest Penang Island District, Penang

The Southwest Penang Island District covers southern and western Penang Island, as well as parts of the island's central hill ranges. Under the district are the following towns and residential areas. Towns Cmglee Penang Balik Pulau market

Residential areas and villages The Southwest Penang Island District comprises 16.8% of Penang's total land mass. It is further divided into 22

mukim A mukim is a type of administrative division used in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The word ''mukim'' is a loanword in English. However, it was also originally a loanword in Malay from the Arabic word: (meaning ''resident''). The clo ...

s. * Sungai Pinang * Sungai Rusa * Permatang Pasir * Bagan Ayer Itam * Titi Teras * Kongsi * Kampong Paya * Sungai Burong * Pulau Betong * Dataran Ginting * Pantai Acheh * Telok Bahang * Sungai Rusa & Bukit Sungai Pinang * Batu Itam * Bukit Balik Pulau * Pondok Upeh * Bukit Ginting * Bukit Pasir Panjang * Bukit Gemuroh * Bukit Relau * Telok Kumbar * Bayan Lepas

Governance

Southwest Penang Island District and Land Office

The administrative centre of the Southwest Penang Island District is Balik Pulau, where the District and Land Office is situated.

Local government

Although the districts in Malaysia were created for the purpose of land administration and revenue, in practice, it is the local government that ensures the provision of basic amenities and maintenance of urban infrastructure. Notably, both districts on Penang Island are under the jurisdiction of the

, which is based in the heart of George Town. With a history dating back to 1800, it is the oldest local government in

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 ...

. The current

Mayor of Penang Island The Mayor of Penang Island ( ms, Datuk Bandar Pulau Pinang) is the chief executive for the local government of George Town, the capital of the State of Penang and Malaysia's third largest city. The Mayor's responsibilities include the manageme ...

is Yew Tung Seang, who was appointed into the position by the

Penang state government The Government of Penang ( ms, Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang) refers to the government authority of the Malaysian state of Penang. The state government adheres to and is created by both the Constitution of Malaysia, the supreme law of Malaysia, an ...

in 2018. The Mayor's term lasts for two years.

Electoral constituencies

Demographics

The following is based on the 2010 National Census conducted by Malaysia's Department of Statistics. According to data obtained from the census, over 62% of the population within the Southwest Penang Island District were concentrated around Bayan Lepas, making it the largest town within the district.

Education

Most schools in the district are national schools, which are run under Malaysia's

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

. In addition, a few international schools, such as the Prince of Wales International School and the Straits International School, have been set up in Bayan Lepas and Balik Pulau. The Penang State Library operates a branch in Balik Pulau.

Health care

The Balik Pulau Hospital is the main hospital within the Southwest Penang Island District. It complements the

Penang General Hospital The Penang General Hospital ( ms, Hospital Pulau Pinang, ta, பினாங்கு பொது மருத்துவமனை) is the main public hospital in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. The largest public hospital in Pe ...

in providing healthcare to the citizens on Penang Island. Pantai Mutiara Hospital in Bayan Lepas is the sole private hospital in the district.

Transportation

RapidPenang Scania K270UB in Teluk Bahang

Land

The Southwest Penang Island District is connected to the rest of

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, ...

via the Second Penang Bridge, which runs between

Batu Maung Batu Maung is a residential neighbourhood in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the southeastern tip of Penang Island, and adjacent to the town of Bayan Lepas and the Penang International ...

at the southeastern tip of Penang Island and

Batu Kawan Batu Kawan ( Jawi: باتو كاون) is an island in the city of Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. It is geographically separated from the rest of Seberang Perai by the Jawi and Tengah rivers. , Batu Kawan contained a population of 5,537. Long ...

on the mainland. The bridge, with a length of 24 km, is now the longest in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

. Federal Route 6 is a winding trunk road that serves as the pan-island road, forming a circular loop along the length of Penang Island's coastline. The road links Bayan Lepas, Balik Pulau and

Teluk Bahang Teluk Bahang is a town within the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the northwestern tip of Penang Island. Established as a fishing village, Teluk Bahang has evol ...

with the centre of George Town in the

. Public transportation throughout Penang Island is provided by

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 ...

, which has public bus services between the city centre, Bayan Lepas (including the

Penang International Airport Penang International Airport is an airport in northern Malaysia. The airport is located near Bayan Lepas at the southeastern tip of Penang Island, south of the city centre. The Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas serves as the major airport within the northern region of

. Completed in 1935, it is also the oldest civilian airport in the nation. Today, it is one of the

busiest airports in Malaysia The busiest airports in Malaysia are measured according to data presented by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad. Among all top 20 busiest airports, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is the only airport which can land the A380. KLIA als ...

in terms of cargo tonnage and passenger traffic, highlighting the role Penang Island plays as a tourist destination and a major manufacturing hub. The airport's proximity to the

Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone Bayan Lepas is a town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the southeastern tip of Penang Island. Founded in the 19th century, Bayan Lepas has various industries. History Bayan Lep ...

allows for the easy transportation of goods to and from the factories in Bayan Lepas. In addition, it connects Penang with several major regional cities, including

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...

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 ...

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, 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 estima ...

Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...

Ho Chi Minh City , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ ...

and

Yangon Yangon ( my, ရန်ကုန်; ; ), formerly spelled as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar (also known as Burma). Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government ...

Tourist attractions

The

Snake Temple The Snake Temple () (also called as the Temple of the Azure Cloud) is a Chinese temple situated in Bayan Lepas, Southwest Penang Island District, Penang, Malaysia. It was built in 1805 for Master Qingshui or Chor Soo Kong (祖師公), a deified ...

in Bayan Lepas is said to be the only Chinese temple to be inhabited by snakes. Built in the 1850s by a Buddhist monk, it has attracted varieties of

pit vipers The Crotalinae, commonly known as pit vipers,Mehrtens JM (1987). ''Living Snakes of the World in Color''. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. . crotaline snakes (from grc, κρόταλον ''krotalon'' castanet), or pit adders, are a subfa ...

, which are believed to be rendered harmless by the incense. The temple is also a focal point of the annual

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Sinophone, Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly r ...

celebrations, during which a flame-watching ceremony is held to predict the fortunes of the next 12 months. The Penang War Museum is located at the southeastern tip of Penang Island. The sprawling complex was originally Fort Batu Maung, built by the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

in the 1930s to defend Penang Island against amphibious invasion. However, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the

abandoned the fort to the

Imperial Japanese Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...

without a fight. Neglected after the war, the fortress was converted into a museum in 2002, and features bunkers, tunnels and other military structures. Balik Pulau is famous for its agricultural plantations, which are rarely found elsewhere on Penang Island. In recent years, agricultural tourism is booming in Balik Pulau, as tourists from other states and abroad flock to the town to sample fresh

durian The durian (, ) is the edible fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus ''Durio''. There are 30 recognised ''Durio'' species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit. ''Durio zibethinus'', native to Borneo and Sumatra, is the onl ...

s and

nutmeg Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus ''Myristica''. ''Myristica fragrans'' (fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg) is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, an ...

s. The

Penang National Park The Penang National Park ( Malay: ''Taman Negara Pulau Pinang''; تامن نݢارا ڤولاو ڤينڠ; Chinese: 槟城国家公园; ''Bīnchéng guójiā gōngyuán''; Tamil: பினாங்கு தேசியப் பூங்கா� ...

, covering 2,562 hectares of rainforests, swamps and beaches at the northwestern tip of Penang Island, is the smallest gazetted national park in Malaysia. Within the park are some of the most pristine beaches on Penang Island, such as Kerachut Beach and Monkey Beach. A canopy walk also allows visitors an impressive view of the lush rainforest underneath. In addition, the adjacent town of Teluk Bahang is home to unique agricultural attractions, such as the Penang Butterfly Farm, Tropical Spice Garden and Tropical Fruit Farm.

References

{{Districts of Malaysia 1888 establishments in British Malaya