Tanjong Bungah (also spelt as ''Tanjung Bungah'') is a suburb of George Town in the Malaysian state 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 Malay ...

. It is located along the northern coast of Penang Island between Batu Ferringhi and

Tanjong Tokong {{Infobox settlement , official_name = Tanjong Tokong , settlement_type = Suburb of George Town, Penang, George Town , translit_lang1 = Other , image_skyline = Tanjong Tokong, George Town, Penang 2023.jpg , imagesize = ...

, about northwest of the

city centre A city centre is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms exist in other languages, such as "" in Fren ...

. Tanjong Bungah is locally known as a beach destination, with several hotels and resorts lining the beaches within the area. Decades of urbanisation have also led to the mushrooming of residential high-rises at the suburb and attracted a significant expatriate population; foreigners made up 9.2% of Tanjong Bungah's population .

Etymology

Tanjong Bungah, which means Flower Cape in

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 ...

, was so named due to the several smaller promontories that jut out to the sea along the cape.

History

Taman Tanjung Bunga, Tanjung Bungah, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia - panoramio - jetsun (5)

Tanjong Bungah was formerly a quiet fishing village populated by

and Chinese fishermen. It only gained prominence as a beach destination of choice for locals and tourists in the 1950s. At the time, Batu Ferringhi had yet to be developed. The pristine waters off Tanjong Bungah also attracted two local swimming clubs into the area – the Penang Swimming Club and the Penang Chinese Swimming Club. The

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

personnel who were stationed in

during the

Malayan Emergency The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War was a guerrilla war fought in British Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) and the military forces o ...

and the Indonesian Confrontation would escape to their residences at Tanjong Bungah, known as the Hillside. The spouses of the Australian servicemen also operated an amateur English language radio station – Radio RAAF – which could be tuned in throughout

and parts of neighbouring Kedah. The Cove, Tanjung Bungah, George Town, Penang

The urbanisation of Tanjong Bungah began in the 1980s, leading to the construction of numerous residential high-rises along the shoreline. The development of Tanjong Bungah has also attracted expatriates who chose to retire on Penang Island, as the suburb is located within commuting distance of the

, the shopping malls at

and the beaches of Batu Ferringhi. Four international schools have been established here as well –

Dalat International School Dalat International School is an international day and boarding school in Penang, Malaysia. Founded as a boarding school for children of missionaries in Southeast Asia, it has grown into an international school with a diverse student populatio ...

, Prince of Wales Island International Primary School, Pelita International School and

Tenby International School The Tenby International School network is a group of international schools in Malaysia which was founded in 1960 and admits children aged 3–18. There are schools in Ipoh, Penang, Setia Alam, Miri, Iskandar Puteri and Selangor. A new campus at K ...

. Tanjong Bungah was one of the hardest hit areas during the

2004 Indian Ocean tsunami An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Suma ...

that ultimately claimed a total of 52 lives in

. The Floating Mosque was subsequently built in 2005 and is now a major landmark at Tanjong Bungah.

Demographics

, Tanjong Bungah was home to a population of 14,271, resulting in a population density of . Ethnic Chinese constituted over 70% of the area's population, while

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 ...

formed another 10%. The suburb's expatriate community made up over 9% of the population, followed by

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 ...

at nearly 8%.

Transportation

The main thoroughfare within Tanjong Bungah is the coastal Jalan Tanjong Bungah, part of

Federal Route 6 Route 6, or Highway 6, may refer to routes in the following countries: International * AH6 (highway), Asian Highway 6 * European route E6 * European route E006 Albania * :de:Nationalstraße 6 (Albanien), National Road SH6 Argentina * P ...

. The road continues on from Jalan Tanjong Tokong, cutting through the heart of the Tanjong Bungah until it becomes Jalan Batu Ferringhi near the western edge of the suburb. Alternatively, Vale of Tempe Road, stretching along the hills further inland, is used by motorists to exit Tanjong Bungah towards the neighbouring

suburb and on to the

, and vice versa. Rapid Penang buses 101, 102 and 104 serve the residents of the suburb, by connecting Tanjong Bungah with various destinations in the city, such as

, Batu Ferringhi, the Penang International Airport and

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 ...

. In addition, a short cycling lane has been installed within Tanjong Bungah as part of the move to encourage cycling as a form of alternative transportation. The -long cycling lane, painted in green and measuring about in width, stretches between Flamingo Hotel and

. At the time of its launch in 2013, it was the first dedicated cycling lane in

Education

A total of three primary schools, two

high schools A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

, four international schools and one private college are located within Tanjong Bungah. The relatively high concentration of international schools at Tanjong Bungah reflects the substantial expatriate population within the suburb; these schools offer either British or American curriculum up to

high school diploma A high school diploma or high school degree is a North American academic school leaving qualification awarded upon high school graduation. The high school diploma is typically obtained after a course of study lasting four years, from grade 9 to gra ...

. The educational institutions at Tanjong Bungah are as listed below. Primary schools * SRK Tanjung Bungah * SRJK (C) Poay Wah * SPK Persekutuan High schools * SMK Tanjung Bungah * SMK Pendidikan Khas Persekutuan International schools * Prince of Wales Island International Primary School *

* Pelita International School Private college * Tunku Abdul Rahman University College Aside from the aforementioned institutions, a Royal Malaysian Air Force training school is also located at Jalan Azyze. It specialises in training support and administrative personnel of the service.

Health care

The Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital, situated at Jalan Bulan between Tanjong Bungah and

, is a private hospital that specialises in cancer treatments.

Sports

The Penang Swimming Club at Jalan Tanjong Bungah, overlooking the sea, has a history stretching back to the 1900s. Originally a single-storey wooden structure, an Olympic-sized swimming pool was built in 1930. The club also initially restricted membership to Europeans; this discriminatory practice only ended in the 1940s. Today, aside from the swimming pool, the club organises regattas, sailing competitions and other aquatic sports classes for its members.

Tourist attractions

* Penang Floating Mosque *

College General The College General ( ms, Seminari Tinggi Katolik) is a Roman Catholic interdiocesan seminary located in Tanjung Bungah, Penang, Malaysia. The college's foundation can be traced back to the 1665 establishment of the Seminary of Saint Joseph in Ay ...

References

{{Greater Penang Conurbation Populated places in Penang George Town, Penang