Perai is an urban settlement 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,

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 ...

. It lies at the southern bank of the

Perai River The Perai River ( ms, Sungai Perai; ; ta, பிறை நதி) is a major river in Penang, Malaysia. It also acts as the mother river of Butterworth, and it separates Perai and the Seberang Jaya suburb. See also * List of rivers of Malaysia ...

and borders Butterworth to the north. Perai gave its name to the city of Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the State of Penang. The area now known as Perai was obtained 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 South ...

in 1800, with the Perai River serving as the boundary between the newly-acquired British territory and

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 mainland ...

to the north. A nascent railway line was built between Perai and Perak in the 1890s, transforming Perai into a transit point for the export of tin. Perai became heavily industrialised in the late 20th century. Today, Perai is home to an eponymous industrial estate, as well as the adjacent township of

Seberang Jaya Seberang Jaya ( Jawi: سبرڠ جاي) is a suburb in the city of Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. Located at the southern bank of the Perai River and east of Perai proper, the area was developed in the 1970s. Since then, Seberang Jaya has evolved ...

. The town is connected to

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 ...

via the

Penang Bridge The Penang Bridge is a dual carriageway toll bridge and controlled-access highway in the state of Penang, Malaysia. The bridge connects Perai on the mainland side of the state with Gelugor on the island, crossing the Penang Strait. The bri ...

and contains several facilities of the

Port of Penang The Port of Penang is a deepwater seaport within the Malaysian state of Penang. It consists of terminals along the Penang Strait, including five in Seberang Perai and one in George Town. The Port of Penang was the third busiest harbour in Malaysia ...

Etymology

Perai, situated at the estuary of the

, lent its name from the waterway. Upon the acquisition of the area by the

in 1800, the river was known in Thai as ''plai'' (), which meant "''the end''", as it formed the border between British ''Province Wellesley'' and the Siamese vassal state of

; the Perai River thus marked the southernmost limit of Siamese influence. British maps of the era referred to the southern banks of the Perai River as ''Prye''.

History

The settlement of Perai was formed in the early 19th century, following the acquisition of the area by the

. In its early years, agriculture formed the mainstay of Perai's economy, with sugar plantations being established within the settlement. Perai was developed into an

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 ...

towards the end of the 19th century. At the height of a tin-mining boom in the Malay Peninsula, a nascent rail line was built between Perai and the neighbouring state of Perak in the 1890s. Perai then became a transportation hub, where tin imported from Perak was loaded onto vessels to be shipped to George Town. The industrialisation of Perai only began in 1970, when the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) commenced the development of the Perai Industrial Estate and the nearby township of

. In 1974, the

was relocated from George Town to

. Cargo and container facilities were built in both Perai and neighbouring Butterworth, substantially boosting the economy of the area. In 1985, the

which links Perai and

was completed. The bridge was 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 south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...

until 2014, upon the opening of the Second Penang Bridge further south.

Geography

Perai lies at the estuary of the

, which empties into the

Penang Strait The Penang Strait is an 11 kilometre-wide strait that separates Penang Island from mainland Malay Peninsula. Penang Island is to the west of the channel, while Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the State of Penang, is to the east. The norther ...

. The town is located at the river's southern bank, bordering the town of Butterworth to the north. The Perai Industrial Estate encompasses much of Perai's seafront between the Perai River and the

, whilst the township of

is situated to the east of Perai proper.

Demographics

According to the 2010 Census conducted by Malaysia's Department of Statistics, Perai had a population of 14,433. The proportions of Penang's three major ethnicities – the

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

, Malays and Indians – were more balanced in Perai, with each ethnic community making up more than a quarter of the town's population. Due to the heavier level of industrialisation within Perai, there has been an influx of foreign workers into the

Central Seberang Perai District The Central Seberang Perai District ( ms, Daerah Seberang Perai Tengah; abbreviated: "SPT") is a district in the state of Penang, Malaysia. It covers an area of 238 square kilometres, and had a population of 371,975 at the 2010 Census . The distri ...

. , foreigners constituted more than 7% of Perai's population.

Economy

The Perai Industrial Estate is home to numerous multinational and local firms. The major local companies within the area include Malayan Sugar, Ann Joo Resources, Southern Steel, Harvik Rubber and Soon Soon Oilmills. Notably, Malaysia's oldest steel mill and the country's largest sugar refinery, owned by Ann Joo Resources and Malayan Sugar respectively, are situated within the industrial estate. The multinational companies within the area include

Mattel Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...

Pensonic Pensonic Holdings Berhad (stylized as PENSONIC) () founded by Dato Chew Weng Khak () is a company that started business as a small shop in Penang selling electrical appliances trading under the name of ''Keat Radio Co.'' in 1965 as a sole proprie ...

, Hitachi,

Mitsuoka is a small Japanese automobile company. It is noted for building unique cars with unconventional styling, some of which are modern while others imitate the look of American, European and particularly British retro cars of the 1950s and 1960s. Mit ...

Chevron Chevron (often relating to V-shaped patterns) may refer to: Science and technology * Chevron (aerospace), sawtooth patterns on some jet engines * Chevron (anatomy), a bone * '' Eulithis testata'', a moth * Chevron (geology), a fold in rock ...

and

Honeywell Aerospace Honeywell Aerospace is a manufacturer of aircraft engines and avionics, as well as a producer of auxiliary power units (APUs) and other aviation products. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, it is a division of the Honeywell International conglom ...

. Meanwhile, the

, which operates two facilities within Perai, provides logistical connectivity to these heavy industries. Perai's industries are among the major contributors to the dry-bulk volume in the town's port facilities, which also handle shipments of coal and scrap metal.

Transportation

Land

Jalan Perusahaan Perai is the main thoroughfare within the heart of Perai proper. The road is linked to the

Prai River Bridge Perai River Bridge (''Jambatan Sungai Perai'' in Malay) is a dual-three lane cable stayed bridge connecting the banks of the Perai River in Perai, Penang, Malaysia. It is part of the Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR). Designed by Dar Al-Handas ...

, which spans the width of the

between Perai and Butterworth. Meanwhile the North–South Expressway runs through the neighbourhood of

. The

, opened in 1985, connects Perai with

Gelugor Gelugor is a southern suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Named after a plant species, Gelugor lies along the eastern seaboard of Penang Island, between Jelutong and Sungai Dua, and nearly south of the city centre. Gelugor had been ...

Rapid Penang Rapid Penang (styled as ''rapidPenang'') is a public bus brand in the Penang, 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 ...

buses 701, 703, 709 and 801 serve the residents of Perai, connecting the town with Butterworth,

Bukit Mertajam Bukit Mertajam ( Jawi:بوكيت مرتاجم) is the administrative centre of the city of Seberang Perai in Penang, Malaysia. It also serves as the seat of the Central Seberang Perai District. , Bukit Mertajam (core) contains a total of 13, ...

and

Nibong Tebal Nibong Tebal ( Jawi: نيبوڠ تبل) is one of the major towns of the city of Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. Located at the northern bank of the Kerian River in South Seberang Perai District, it is the southernmost populated place of Pen ...

. In addition, Rapid Penang operates Bridge Express Shuttle Transit (BEST) bus services towards

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 Le ...

on Penang Island, catering mainly to industrial workers, as well as an interstate bus service to the town of Sungai Petani in the neighbouring state of

Sea

The

has two facilities within Perai, namely the Perai Bulk Cargo Terminal and the Perai Wharves.

Education

Perai contains nine

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 e ...

s, five high schools, an

international school An international school is an institution that promotes education in an international environment or framework. Although there is no uniform definition or criteria, international schools are usually characterized by a multinational student body an ...

and a private tertiary institution. Primary schools High schools International school * Chinese Taipei School Penang Private college *

Open University Malaysia Open University Malaysia, abbreviated as OUM, is the 7th Malaysian private university and it is owned by the Multimedia Technology Enhancement Operations (METEOR) Sdn. Bhd, a consortium of 11 Malaysian public universities. It leverages o ...

In addition to these schools,

is home to the Penang State Library, the main public library of the State of Penang.

Health care

The Seberang Jaya Hospital, run by

's Ministry of Health, is one of the six public hospitals scattered throughout the State of Penang. Situated within the neighbourhood of

, it also serves as the main hospital within the entire municipality of

. The 393-bed hospital offers various specialist treatments and procedures, including general surgery, nephrology and obstetrics. An ongoing upgrade of the hospital, scheduled for completion by 2021, is expected to increase its capacity by 316 beds.

Shopping

Perai is home to some of the largest shopping malls within the entire

. Within Perai proper, Megamal Pinang, built in the 1990s, is the main shopping mall. The mall contains four retail storeys, and is anchored by Mega Lanes and Mega Cineplex. Sunway Carnival Mall at

was opened in 2007 and is the flagship shopping centre of Sunway Group within the State of Penang. Its main anchor tenants are

Parkson Parkson Holdings Berhad (doing business as Parkson; ; ) is an Asian-based department store operator with an extensive network of 131 stores as of 2017, spanning approximately 2.1 million m2 of retail space across cities in Malaysia, China, Vietnam ...

Giant Hypermarket GCH Retail (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (doing business as Giant Hypermarket) is a hypermarket and retailer chain now mainly in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Cambodia, and formerly Indonesia and Vietnam. In 2016, Giant was the largest supermarket chain ...

and

Golden Screen Cinemas Golden Screen Cinemas Sdn Bhd (GSC) is Malaysia's largest cinema exhibitor and a wholly-owned subsidiary of PPB Group Berhad (a member of the Kuok Group), which is an exhibitor and distributor of movies and content in Malaysia. It operates over ...

. The mall also contains the Sunway Carnival Convention Centre, one of the major venues in Seberang Perai for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE). An ongoing expansion of the mall is expected to increase the mall's gross floor area to by 2020. In 2015,

Mydin Mydin Mohamed Holdings Berhad (MYDIN) is Malaysia's largest homegrown Halal hypermarket and retail chain. MYDIN was founded in August 1957 by the late Tuan Mydin Mohamed in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. The first shop was a small wooden shop in Jalan ...

launched the Mydin Mall, its 20th wholesale hypermarket, at Jalan Baru. The mall has about of net lettable area, comprising 81 retail lots and a wholesale hypermarket. The mall is the largest Mydin outlet in Malaysia. Currently under construction, GEM Megamall at Jalan Baru is slated to be the largest shopping mall within northern Malaysia, spanning a built-up area of and a net lettable area of . The mall will feature the first ice-skating rink in northern Malaysia, a 38-lane bowling alley and Golden Screen Cinemas' largest cineplex.

References

{{Penang Towns in Penang