Seberang Perai is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

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 M ...

. It is situated on the

Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula ( Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The ar ...

opposite

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 ...

, bordering Kedah to the north and east and

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' ...

to the south. Its

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 ...

is located in

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 * ...

, while its

local authority Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-l ...

, the

Seberang Perai City Council The Seberang Perai City Council is the city council which administers Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the Malaysian state of Penang. This agency is under the purview of the Penang state government. Established in 1976, Seberang Perai City Cou ...

, is centred near Bukit Mertajam. , Seberang Perai had a population of 815,767, making it the second most populous city in

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...

. Originally a part of Kedah, the territory containing the present-day city was ceded to 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. The British acquired Province Wellesley, as they subsequently named it, to provide more agricultural land and as a defensive bulwark against any cross-strait invasion of Penang Island from the mainland. Since then, it has become part of Penang, which was made a

British crown colony A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony administered by The Crown within the British Empire. There was usually a Governor, appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the UK Government, with or without the assistance of a local Council ...

in 1867. Seberang Perai has witnessed substantial economic development in the decades after Malaya's independence. Massive industrial estates have been established within Seberang Perai, while the relocation of the Port of Penang's core operations to Butterworth in 1974 has also boosted the city's economy. Improvements in connectivity and transportation were facilitated by several major projects, such as the constructions of the North–South Expressway, the Penang Bridge and the Second Penang Bridge. Today, Seberang Perai forms part of Greater Penang, the second largest conurbation in Malaysia.

Etymology

Seberang Perai was originally named Province Wellesley after

Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley Richard Colley Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, (20 June 1760 – 26 September 1842) was an Anglo-Irish politician and colonial administrator. He was styled as Viscount Wellesley until 1781, when he succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of ...

, who served as the Governor of Madras and Governor-General of Bengal between 1797 and 1805. The term 'Seberang Perai' was believed to be derived from a local phrase used to refer to the northern banks 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 ...

. The name of

Perai Perai is an urban settlement in the city of Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. It lies at the southern bank of the Perai River and borders Butterworth to the north. Perai gave its name to the city of Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the State ...

originated from the Thai word, ''plāi'' ( th, ปลาย), which meant the end. When ''Province Wellesley'' was acquired by the

in 1800, the

served as the original boundary between British ''Province Wellesley'' and the Siamese-influenced Kedah to the north. Hence, the locals called the northern banks of the river Seberang Perai, in reference to the Siamese territory across the river.

History

Early history

Earliest records of the history of Seberang Perai can be traced back to the prehistoric times with evidence of human settlement in Guar Kepah to the south of the Muda River about 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. Seberang Perai is located between two main important archaeological sites, Bujang Valley and Sungai Selinsing. Human remains, seashells and other artefacts have been found at the site, indicating the settlement of the area during the Neolithic era. Seberang Perai was also part of the Bujang Valley civilisation. The

Cherok Tok Kun Cherok Tokun, sometimes spelt as Cherok To' Kun or Cherok Tok Kun, is a small town in Penang, Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal terr ...

megalith A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...

in Bukit Mertajam, discovered in 1845, contains

Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Theravāda'' Buddh ...

inscriptions, implying that an early

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

political entity in what is now Kedah had established control over parts of Seberang Perai sometime between the 5th and 6th centuries. Henceforth, for much of Seberang Perai's history, the area formed part of Kedah. It was only with the advent of

British colonialism The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

in the 18th century that the modern history of Seberang Perai would begin.

British acquisitions

In 1786, Francis Light of the

had landed on

, which at the time was also part of Kedah. After brokering an agreement with the then Sultan of Kedah,

Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah Paduka Sri Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah ibni al-Marhum Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin Mu'adzam Shah II (died 1 September 1797) was the 20th Sultan of Kedah. His reign was from 1778 to 1797. In 1780, he ordered the fortress of Kota Kuala Bah ...

, regarding the cession of

to the

Light Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 t ...

returned to the island on 11 August that year and claimed it "''in the name of His Britannic Majesty,

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great B ...

"''. However, the

was slow to realise the importance of the

hinterland Hinterland is a German word meaning "the land behind" (a city, a port, or similar). Its use in English was first documented by the geographer George Chisholm in his ''Handbook of Commercial Geography'' (1888). Originally the term was associate ...

across the Penang Strait from

(then named the ''Prince of Wales Island''). Merchant vessels traversing the Penang Strait were often threatened by pirates originating from the

. In addition, Kedah was being invaded by

Siam 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 bo ...

and Sultan Abdullah, disgruntled by the lack of military aid as promised by

, assembled his army in Seberang Perai in 1790 to retake the ''Prince of Wales Island''. The planned amphibious assault was thwarted by the

, which launched night attacks on Kedah's forts. On 7 July 1800, the first Lieutenant-Governor of the ''Prince of Wales Island'', Sir George Leith, gained a strip of Seberang Perai from the new Sultan of Kedah, Dziaddin Mukarram Shah II. The treaty, negotiated by Leith's First Assistant

George Caunter George Caunter (c. June 1758 – 25 December 1811) was a British administrator who governed Prince of Wales Island ( Penang Island) as Acting Superintendent from 1797 to 1798 and again from 1798 to 1800. As First Assistant under Lieutenant-Gov ...

, superseded Light's earlier agreement and gave the British permanent sovereignty over both Prince of Wales Island and the newly ceded mainland territory, which in subsequent years was named ''Province Wellesley''. The acquired land included a five-kilometre stretch of coastline south of the

, which became the international border between ''Province Wellesley'' and Kedah. At the time, ''Province Wellesley'' was heavily forested and sparsely populated, with a total population of only 5,000. ''Province Wellesley'' was subsequently expanded thrice. Following the Siamese conquest of Kedah in 1821, the British and the Siamese agreed in 1831 to demarcate the southernmost Siamese border with ''Province Wellesley'' along the Muda River; the British in effect enlarged ''Province Wellesley'' to include the area between the Muda River to the north and the

to the south. Province Wellesley's eastern boundaries with

was also delineated following another treaty in 1859. The final change to Penang's boundaries was made in 1874 following the Pangkor Treaty between the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

and

, which included a clause on the demarcation of the ''Province Wellesley''-

border south of the Kerian River. Penang's borders have remained unchanged since then.

British rule

Ever since the British acquisition of Province Wellesley in 1800, the strip of hinterland has been part of the Settlement (and now the State) of

.Mahani Musa, 2011. ''Sejarah Awal Pulau Pinang'', p. 5-61. USM Penang. The acquisition of Province Wellesley gave the

full control of the Penang Strait, as well as an agricultural

and a buffer zone to protect the ''Prince of Wales Island'' from any cross-strait military invasion. it also allowed the British to suppress the pirates at the mouth of the

. In 1826, both ''Province Wellesley'' and the '' Prince of Wales Island'', along with

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, bor ...

and

Malacca Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, 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 bee ...

, were amalgamated into the

Straits Settlements The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. Headquartered in Singapore for more than a century, it was originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Com ...

, with George Town on the island made as the capital. However, the capital of the

was then relocated to

in 1832. The

was later made a

under the direct governance of the

Colonial Office The Colonial Office was a government department of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, first created to deal with the colonial affairs of British North America but required also to oversee the increasing number of c ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in 1867. As a

, ''Province Wellesley'' was administered by a district officer directly under the Lieutenant-Governor (later Resident Councillor) of Penang, who in turn was subordinate to the

Governor of the Straits Settlements The governor of the Straits Settlements was appointed by the British East India Company until 1867, when the Straits Settlements became a Crown colony. Thereafter the governor was appointed by the Colonial Office. The position existed from 1826 ...

based in

. Meanwhile, ''Province Wellesley'' continued to witness continuing growth under the British. With its population increasing due to the influx of Malay refugees from Siamese-occupied Kedah, ''Province Wellesley'' became the rice bowl of Penang. Other than

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

and vegetables, other

cash crop A cash crop or profit crop is an agricultural crop which is grown to sell for profit. It is typically purchased by parties separate from a farm. The term is used to differentiate marketed crops from staple crop (or "subsistence crop") in subsist ...

s, such as sugar, coconut and tapioca, were also cultivated in ''Province Wellesley''. Due to the abundance of land in ''Province Wellesley'', it became the only area in

where rubber and palm oil estates were established as well. Other than agriculture, ''Province Wellesley'' also began to serve as

's transportation hub, a role it continues to play to this day.

, directly opposite George Town across the Penang Strait, was developed in the mid-19th century to serve

's logistical needs. Ferry services were established between Butterworth and George Town towards the end of the 19th century; these became the predecessor to the present-day

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, maki ...

. When the pan-Malayan railway was extended into ''Province Wellesley'' in the 1900s, both Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam further inland also became important rail termini, leading to the construction of the

and Bukit Mertajam train stations. The growth of Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam also convinced the British colonial authorities to establish and regulate local governments in ''Province Wellesley''. In 1913, four local boards were set up within Province Wellesley - three rural district boards for the

Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a r ...

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

and

Southern Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, M ...

districts, as well as the Butterworth Town Board. These local boards were upgraded into local councils in 1952; the Bukit Mertajam Town Council was also established in the following year.

World War II

During the early days of the Japanese invasion of Malaya in December 1941, 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 struggled to counter Japanese air raids over

and took heavy casualties. With RAF Butterworth itself heavily damaged, these Allied units had to withdraw southwards by 15 December. 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 Emper ...

subsequently invaded ''Province Wellesley'' from the north, with the 25th Army capturing RAF Butterworth on 20 December 1941. As with

, the period of Japanese occupation brought much hardship to civilians in ''Province Wellesley''; especially notorious was the Sook Ching massacres implemented against the Chinese populace. ''Province Wellesley'' was liberated by the British in September 1945 and was placed under

military administration Military administration identifies both the techniques and systems used by military departments, agencies, and armed services involved in managing the armed forces. It describes the processes that take place within military organisations outsi ...

for one year.

Post-war era

In 1946, the

was abolished, and the now separate Crown Colony of Penang was to be merged into the

Malayan Union The Malayan Union was a union of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca. It was the successor to British Malaya and was conceived to unify the Malay Peninsula under a single government to simplify administration. ...

. The Malayan Union was subsequently replaced by the

Federation of Malaya The Federation of Malaya ( ms, Persekutuan Tanah Melayu; Jawi: ) was a federation of what previously had been British Malaya comprising eleven states (nine Malay states and two of the British Straits Settlements, Penang and Malacca)''See' ...

in 1948 and full independence was granted in 1957. After Malaya gained independence in 1957, ''Province Wellesley'' was renamed Seberang Perai. The Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam

town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second ti ...

s were merged into the surrounding rural district councils in 1961, and between 1973 and 1976, the remaining three rural district councils were amalgamated into the Seberang Perai Municipal Council. On 16 September 2019, Malaysia Day, Seberang Perai became a full city of its own. Following this latest amalgamation of the local councils, all of Seberang Perai are administered under a single local government, making the Seberang Perai City Council the biggest local government in Malaysia in terms of land size. In the decades that followed, 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, and ...

opened massive industrial estates in Seberang Perai, such as in

Mak Mandin Mak Mandin is an industrial town located in Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South ...

, Bukit Mertajam and Nibong Tebal. In addition, the Port of Penang, which had been located in George Town, was shifted to Butterworth in 1974. The completion of the North-South Expressway, the Penang Bridge and the Second Penang Bridge by the

Malaysian federal government The Government of Malaysia, officially the Federal Government of Malaysia ( ms, Kerajaan Persekutuan Malaysia), is based in the Federal Territory of Putrajaya with the exception of the legislative branch, which is located in Kuala Lumpur. Malays ...

, along with several state-built expressways such as the Butterworth Outer Ring Road, has improved connectivity between the towns in Seberang Perai and with

. These developments have boosted the economy of Seberang Perai and led to the rapid urbanisation of the city and its townships. These have also been complemented by the growth of new residential townships, such as Seberang Jaya and Juru. In recent years, Batu Kawan, where the mainland end of the Second Penang Bridge is located, has emerged as a new growth centre, spurred by a number of major projects and millions of investment funds being poured into the town.

Geography

Seberang Perai refers to the mainland portion of the State of Penang. It is physically separated from

to the west by the Penang Strait. To its north, the Muda River forms the

- Kedah border, while a short section of the Kerian River marks the southern boundary between

and Kedah. The

border also runs to the west of the

- Kedah-

border tripoint in the Kerian River. Pulau Aman

With a land area of , Seberang Perai is nearly 2.6 times the size of

and slightly larger than the total landmass of the

Republic of Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country, 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 Pen ...

. Seberang Perai is mostly flat. Its highest peak is Bukit Mertajam Hill, looming over the eponymous town of Bukit Mertajam at above sea level. The hill is considered a prominent landmark, as it can be seen from

; conversely, one can view

from its peak. The rivers and coastline of Seberang Perai are lined with mangrove swamps. Examples of the mangrove forests include the mouth of the

and the Muda River basin. Pulau Gedung

Outlying islets

Two offshore

islet An islet is a very small, often unnamed island. Most definitions are not precise, but some suggest that an islet has little or no vegetation and cannot support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/or hard coral; may be permanen ...

s, Aman and Gedung islands, are situated off the southern coast of Seberang Perai, within the South Seberang Perai District. Of the two

s, only

Aman Island Aman Island is an islet in South Seberang Perai District, Penang, Malaysia, located off the coast of Seberang Perai. Known as the "Island of Peace", it is a home to a traditional Malay village. Places of interest in Aman Island include Jalan T ...

is sparsely populated.

Urban and suburban areas

The largest settlement of Seberang Perai is Butterworth, approximately east of George Town,

's capital city. Other major places in Seberang Perai include Bukit Mertajam,

, Simpang Ampat, Nibong Tebal and Batu Kawan.

Drainage system

The major rivers in Seberang Perai include the Muda River,

and Kerian River. Of all the rivers in Seberang Perai, the Muda River, which forms the northern border with Kedah, is arguably the most vital;

obtains up to 80% of its water supply from this river alone. Thus, illegal logging activities that have been carried out upstream in Kedah have periodically generated concerns about

's water supply.

Climate

Like the rest of

, Seberang Perai has a

tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate, humid tropical climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southe ...

under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

(''Af''), although it also borders on a tropical monsoon climate. Seberang Perai does experience slightly drier conditions between December and February of the following year. It sees on average around of precipitation annually with the lowest being in February while the highest was around between August and October.

's proximity to the island of

Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...

makes it susceptible to dust particles carried by wind from the perennial but transient forest fires, creating a yearly phenomenon known as the Southeast Asian haze. The haze season typically occurs between July and October. Weather forecasts for Seberang Perai is served by the

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 ...

Regional Meteorological Office on

, which acts as the primary weather forecast facility for northern

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, ...

Government and politics

Local government

Local administration of Seberang Perai is under the purview of the

, an agency of the

. Headquartered near Bukit Mertajam, the

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural coun ...

is responsible for urban planning, heritage preservation, public health, sanitation, waste management, traffic management, environmental protection, building control, social and economic development, and general maintenance of urban infrastructure. The Mayor is appointed by the Penang state government for two years, while each of the 24 councillors is appointed for a one-year term. The current President of the Seberang Perai City Council is Rozali Mohamud, who took office in 2017.

Districts

Seberang Perai is also divided into three administrative districts - North, Central and South. Each district contains a lands and district office headed by a district officer. The lands and district office deals with land administration and revenue; thus it differs from the city council, which oversees the provision and maintenance of urban infrastructure.

State and federal constituencies

For the unicameral

Penang State Legislative Assembly The Penang State Legislative Assembly is the legislature of the Malaysian state of Penang. It is a unicameral institution, consisting of a total of 40 elected lawmakers representing single-member constituencies throughout Penang. The state legi ...

, Seberang Perai is divided into 21 state constituencies, more than half of the 40 seats in the entire state. The State Assemblymen are elected into office via Penang-level election, which by convention is held simultaneously with the

Malaysian General Election Elections in Malaysia include elections to public office of the political entities that since 1963 have composed the federation of Malaysia. At present, elections in Malaysia exist at two levels: federal level and state level. Federal level elec ...

every five years. Penang Island is also represented by seven Members of Parliament in the

Parliament of Malaysia The Parliament of Malaysia ( ms, Parlimen Malaysia) is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system. The bicameral parliament consists of the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives, lit. "People's Assembly") and the D ...

. The Members of Parliament are elected via the

, which is held every five years. The current State Assemblymen and Members of Parliament for Seberang Perai are as listed below.

Judiciary

There are three Magistrates Courts within Seberang Perai, one each for every district. The Butterworth Magistrates Court has jurisdiction for the Northern District, the Bukit Mertajam Magistrates Court over the Central District and the Jawi Magistrates Court handles cases within the Southern District.

Demographics

, Seberang Perai was populated by 818,197 residents, making it the second most populous

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loc ...

area in

after the federal capital city,

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

. This also meant that, by 2010, Seberang Perai was home to over 53.6% of

's population, slightly outnumbering the population of

, Malaysia's second largest city. The population of Seberang Perai was estimated to have increased to 891,300 by 2013. Most of Seberang Perai's population is concentrated within the Central District, while the Southern District is least populated. This is due to the recent urbanisation of the more industrialised Central District, which includes

, Bukit Mertajam,

Bukit Tengah Bukit Tengah is an industrial area in Central Seberang Perai District, Penang, Malaysia. This town is situated very close to the North–South Expressway. It is named after Kampung Bukit Tengah which is located next to the Mercedes-Benz automobi ...

and

Bukit Minyak Bukit Minyak is an industrial zone in Central Seberang Perai District, Penang, Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separat ...

, and the

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, subdivision ...

's greater economic activity. On the other hand, the ongoing development of the Southern District, specifically around Batu Kawan, has led to its more rapid population growth rate compared to the

and

districts.

Ethnicities

ethnic Malays Malays ( ms, Orang Melayu, Jawi: أورڠ ملايو) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to eastern Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and coastal Borneo, as well as the smaller islands that lie between these locations — areas that are col ...

constituted nearly 49% of Seberang Perai's population, with most Malays being concentrated in the Northern District. The Chinese made up 34% of the population; while most reside within the Central District, the Southern District has a larger proportion of

ethnic Chinese The Chinese people or simply Chinese, are people or ethnic groups identified with China, usually through ethnicity, nationality, citizenship, or other affiliation. Chinese people are known as Zhongguoren () or as Huaren () by speakers of s ...

. Another 10.5% of Seberang Perai's population comprised ethnic Indians, the third largest ethnic community.

Economy

While the economy of Seberang Perai has traditionally been driven by agriculture, since the mid-20th century, the city has become heavily industrialised. The first industrial estate was established in

, near Butterworth, in the 1950s under the leadership of the then Chief Minister of Penang,

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 B ...

. The relocation of the Port of Penang to Butterworth in 1974 and the completion of several expressways have also boosted the growth of manufacturing as one of the economic mainstays of Seberang Perai, by facilitating the ease of transportation of goods and services. The resulting rapid urbanisation of Seberang Perai has fueled the city's housing market; in particular, the Central District has benefited the most in terms of newly built housing units due to its greater industrial activity and the location of the Penang Bridge's terminus within the said

. In recent years, Batu Kawan, within the Southern District, has witnessed massive transformation, with an industrial park, an international technology hub and several other mixed-development projects being planned for the town.

Manufacturing

The main industrial zones within Seberang Perai are located in

, Bukit Mertajam and Nibong Tebal. There has been a higher concentration of manufacturing activities within the Central District, which encompasses

and Bukit Mertajam, making it the most industrialised district within Seberang Perai. In particular, several multinational corporations and Malaysian manufacturing giants, including

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 ...

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

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 mor ...

, Pensonic,

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 la ...

and Malayawata Steel are based in

, due to its proximity to the Port of Penang. Smaller industries, such as foodstuff and textiles, are concentrated in inland areas like

and Nibong Tebal, while

near Bukit Mertajam has a significant engineering industry that includes international names like Blaupunkt and

Schlumberger Schlumberger Limited (), doing business as SLB, is an oilfield services company. Schlumberger has four principal executive offices located in Paris, Houston, London, and The Hague. Schlumberger is the world's largest offshore drilling comp ...

. The Batu Kawan Industrial Park is another upcoming manufacturing zone, attracting multinational companies such as VAT,

Bose Corporation Bose Corporation () is an American manufacturing company that predominantly sells audio equipment. The company was established by Amar Bose in 1964 and is based in Framingham, Massachusetts. It is best known for its home audio systems and spea ...

, Boston Scientific and

Robert Bosch GmbH Robert Bosch GmbH (; ), commonly known as Bosch and stylized as BOSCH, is a German multinational engineering and technology company headquartered in Gerlingen, Germany. The company was founded by Robert Bosch in Stuttgart in 1886. Bosc ...

Entrepôt trade

The Port of Penang was relocated from George Town to

in 1974, in order to expand its container and cargo services. To date, the Port of Penang operates six cargo and container terminals around Butterworth. This has led to the manufacturing boom in Seberang Perai, as the Port of Penang has facilitated the ease of export from the factories in

. The Port of Penang handled more than 1.44 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 in 2016, making it the third busiest seaport in

. The

Port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

's strategic location allowed it to service not just northern

, 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 ...

Agriculture

In terms of land usage, agriculture remains the dominant economic sector in Seberang Perai, with about of land being utilised for agricultural purposes in both the

and

districts 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 ...

. Seberang Perai has historically served as an agricultural rice bowl for

, as the inherent lack of land on

necessitated the choice of the mainland for plantations and paddy fields. In addition, Bukit Mertajam was once well known as a production centre for

rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...

clove Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands (or Moluccas) in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring or fragrance in consumer products, ...

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. However, within the State of

, the agricultural sector has been declining. This sector has contributed a mere 2.2% of

's GDP , while only 2.7% of

's workforce was employed in agriculture-related occupations in the fourth quarter of that year.

Services

Seberang Perai has also witnessed a growing services sector; while the city is not as well known as

as a tourist destination of choice, it does have a developing retail scene. Eco-tourism is another sub-sector that has been recently promoted within Seberang Perai, taking advantage of the mangrove forests. More recently, Batu Kawan has emerged as a potential growth centre for technological services and the shared services outsourcing sub-sector, with the Penang International Technology Park in the works. Design Village, Batu Kawan, Penang

Retail

At the time of writing, among the major shopping malls within Seberang Perai are Megamal Pinang in

Sunway Carnival Mall Sunway Carnival Mall is a shopping mall located at Seberang Jaya, Central Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. The four-story mall opened in June 2007. It is located beside the Sunway Hotel within the town center of Seberang Jaya, a townsh ...

in Seberang Jaya and The Summit Bukit Mertajam Plaza in Bukit Mertajam. , another shopping mall, GEM Mall in Butterworth, is under construction; it has been touted as the largest shopping mall in northern

. In 2016,

Design Village Design Village is an outlet mall in Batu Kawan, Penang, Malaysia. Opened in 2016, it is Malaysia's biggest outlet mall, spanning a built-up area of . Design Village is reportedly built on a 24-acre tropical garden. At the time of its opening in Nov ...

's largest outlet mall, was opened in Batu Kawan, offering various international fashion and accessory brands such as Gap,

Pierre Cardin Pierre Cardin (, , ), born Pietro Costante Cardino (2 July 1922 – 29 December 2020), was an Italian-born naturalised-French fashion designer. He is known for what were his avant-garde style and Space Age designs. He preferred geometric sh ...

, Padini,

Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufacture ...

and

Levi's Levi Strauss & Co. () is an American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's () brand of denim jeans. It was founded in May 1853 when German-Jewish immigrant Levi Strauss moved from Buttenheim, Bavaria, to San Francisco, California, t ...

. Spanning a total area of ,

is also the first outlet mall in northern

. Another famous component of Seberang Perai's retail sub-sector is Juru's Auto-City. An entertainment and retail precinct in Juru, it not only contains several automobile showrooms, but also a varied assortment of retail outlets, eateries and other services. Some of the international names at Juru Auto-City include

Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. ...

Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiar ...

Porsche Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The company ...

Nando's Nando's (; ) is a South African multinational fast casual chain that specialises in flame-grilled peri-peri style chicken. Founded in Johannesburg in 1987, Nando's operates over 1,200 outlets in 30 countries. Their logo (also seen as a sort ...

Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain. As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 cou ...

, Secret Recipe and

Subway Subway, Subways, The Subway, or The Subways may refer to: Transportation * Subway, a term for underground rapid transit rail systems * Subway (underpass), a type of walkway that passes underneath an obstacle * Subway (George Bush Intercontin ...

. In 2016,

IKEA IKEA (; ) is a Dutch multinational conglomerate based in the Netherlands that designs and sells , kitchen appliances, decoration, home accessories, and various other goods and home services. Started in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA has been ...

, the world's largest furniture retailer, announced that it will open a store in Batu Kawan by 2018, making it the first

outlet in northern

Transport

Since the latter half of the 20th century, several infrastructural projects have been completed in Seberang Perai, boosting the city's connectivity with

, as well as the rest of

. Seberang Perai is connected to

via a ferry service, the Penang Bridge and the Second Penang Bridge, the latter of which is the longest bridge 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 mainland ...

. The feasibility of more cross-strait links are being explored at the time of writing.

's North–South Expressway, part of

Asian Highway 2 Asian Highway 2 (AH2) is a road in the Asian Highway Network running from Denpasar, Indonesia to Merak and Singapore to Khosravi, Iran. The route is connected to M10 of the Arab Mashreq International Road Network. The route is as follows: ...

, runs through Seberang Perai, as is

's sole section of inter-state rail track operated by the

Malayan Railway Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) (Jawi: كريتاڤي تانه ملايو برحد) or Malayan Railways Limited is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was firs ...

Land

North-South Highway in Butterworth, Penang

The North-South Expressway is the main highway that runs across the more developed western

; the expressway forms part of

, as it is connected to

Phet Kasem Road Phet Kasem Road (, , )ราชบัณฑิตยสถาน. ''อ่านอย่างไร และ เขียนอย่างไร ฉบับราชบัณฑิตยสถาน.'' พิมพ์ครั้งที่ ...

at its northern end and the Singapore Causeway at its southern end. This expressway runs through Seberang Perai, thus connecting major areas, such as Butterworth, Seberang Jaya,

, Juru, Batu Kawan and Nibong Tebal, with other cities and towns along western

, southern

and

. Other major roads and expressways within Seberang Perai include the Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) and the Butterworth–Seberang Jaya Toll Road. The BORR was constructed in the 2000s to alleviate traffic congestion along the North–South Expressway, providing drivers from Butterworth with an alternative route to

to the south. 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-Handasa ...

was also built for this purpose, traversing the

that separates Butterworth and

. In addition, the BORR is linked to the Butterworth–Seberang Jaya Toll Road, which was completed in 2007. Cmglee Penang second bridge aerial

Aside from roads and expressways, rail transportation has historically played a vital role in Seberang Perai's economy. The first railway tracks were laid in the 1900s, connecting the area with the rest of Malaya for the first time, and facilitating the transportation of agricultural and mining commodities for export via the Port of Penang. Today, about of rail track stretches within Seberang Perai as part of the

's West Coast Route. Out of the six train stations in Seberang Perai, the two major stations are in

and Bukit Mertajam, with the former offering services by both the

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 wa ...

; the Butterworth rail station is also one of the major stops of the Eastern and Oriental Express between

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 populati ...

and

. Domestically, the

runs the inter-state Electric Train Service along much of its West Coast Route, allowing train commuters from

to travel to

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

in as little as four hours. Penang Sentral, Butterworth

The two bridges that connect Seberang Perai with

are the Penang Bridge and the Second Penang Bridge. The Penang Bridge links

and

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 ...

, a southern suburb of

's capital city, George Town, and was completed in 1985. At the time of its opening, the bridge was the longest in

. In 2013, it was superseded by the -long Second Penang Bridge to the south, which runs between Batu Kawan and

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 Internationa ...

near the southeastern tip of

. A major transportation hub, Penang Sentral, is being constructed in Butterworth, and the first phase of the project, which consists of an inter-city bus terminal, is slated for completion in 2017. Penang Sentral is strategically located next to 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 se ...

and the Butterworth rail station. Overall, there are eight phases of the Penang Sentral project, which aims to integrate all bus, rail and

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water ta ...

services under a single mixed complex that will also incorporate commercial, residential and retail elements, akin to Kuala Lumpur Sentral.

Public transportation

The ground public transportation needs within Seberang Perai are currently being met by Rapid Penang, the primary

public transit bus In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichke ...

brand in

. At the time of writing, Rapid Penang operates 19

public transit Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typi ...

routes within Seberang Perai, three cross-strait BEST shuttle bus services towards

, and four interstate routes towards neighbouring Kedah and

. Most

routes originate and terminate in Butterworth, linking it with other towns such as

, Bukit Mertajam, Nibong Tebal and Simpang Ampat, while other routes operate specifically within each of the three districts of Seberang Perai. Other than Rapid Penang, the only other

operator is Cityliner, which handles a handful of routes within Seberang Perai as well.

Sea

BUTTERWORTH DOCKS MALAYSIA JAN 2012 (7014895773)

Currently the most vital harbour within northern

and one of the largest in the country, the Port of Penang now operates the following facilities around Butterworth. * North Butterworth Container Terminal * Butterworth Wharves * Prai 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 ...

Dockyard * Prai Bulk Cargo Terminal The Port of Penang handled more than 1.44 million TEU of cargo in 2010, the third largest cargo volume amongst seaports in

. The Port's strategic location enabled it to serve not just northern

, but also southern

, which links Butterworth and George Town, has been managed by Prasarana Malaysia since 2017. This cross-strait shuttle ferry service commenced operations in 1894, making it the oldest surviving ferry service in

. At present, six ferries ply the Penang Strait between the

in Butterworth and George Town daily.

Shopping

* AEON Mall Bukit Mertajam * AEON BiG Seberang Jaya * AEON BiG Bukit Minyak * Aspen Vision City *

* Megamal Pinang, Prai * Pearl City Mall * Design Village Outlet Mall * IKEA Batu Kawan, Penang *

Tesco Tesco plc () is a British Multinational corporation, multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues an ...

Extra Seberang Perai *

Bukit Mertajam *

Kepala Batas * Tesco Bagan Ajam * Summit Bukit Mertajam Plaza * Billion Kota Permai * Billion Seberang Jaya * Econsave Jawi * Econsave Butterworth * Econsave Chain Ferry

Healthcare

Public hospitals * Seberang Jaya Hospital (main) * Bukit Mertajam Hospital * Sungai Bakap Hospital * Kepala Batas Hospital Private hospitals
KPJ Penang Specialist Hospital

Bagan Specialist Centre

Sports

* Batu Kawan Stadium * Penang Golf Resort * Jalan Betek MBSP Stadium

Education

There are several higher learning institutions located in Seberang Perai but the most prominent are

Universiti Sains Malaysia Engineering Campus The Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Engineering Campus ( ms, Kampus Kejuruteraan) is located in Transkrian, Nibong Tebal, South Seberang Perai, Penang. The campus covers an area about 320 acres. It is located approximately 45 km from the M ...

located in Nibong Tebal; Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) with branches in

and Bertam; and Politeknik Seberang Perai (PSP). Both are situated in the town of

Permatang Pauh Permatang Pauh is a town in Central Seberang Perai District, Penang, Malaysia. There are two institutions of higher learning located in Permatang Pauh, namely a campus of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and Politeknik Seberang Perai at Bandar ...

Tourism

Penang Bird Park in Seberang Jaya boasts a collection of over 300 species of birds with enormous walk-in aviaries and is the first and largest bird park of its kind in Malaysia. Popular among bird enthusiasts, the park was built in a garden landscaping concept with natural ponds and a vast collection of flora and several other wildlife including mousedeer, giant alaipaima fish, phytons and monitor lizards. A popular recreational park among locals and outsiders alike, the Bukit Mertajam Recreational Forest in

, Bukit Mertajam is a tropical rain forest reserve sprawls over 37 hectares of hilly terrain including the Mertajam hill. The forest contains indigenous rain forest trees that could be over a hundred years old such as the Meranti Seraya (''Shorea curtisii'') and Meranti Rambai Daun (''Shorea acuminate''). For the adventurous hikers, there are numerous jungle trail branching out towards the peak and also accessible by jeep and cycling. Other activities include picnicking, swimming by the waterfall and camping. A small village of Mengkuang Titi provides homestay programmes for foreign tourists which is the opportunity to live with the local Malay family while experiencing Malay culture and the laid-back lifestyle of rural living. Among the activities during the programme were fruit picking in the orchard, visiting a handicraft centre, Mengkuang-mat-weaving demonstration, a trip cottage industry factories (Malaysian Muffins), bedak sejuk (traditional beauty powder made from rice flour) and soy bean products), visiting the Mengkuang Dam vicinity and the Air Itam Dalam mangrove reserve, a cultural performance, a stroll through a rubber plantation and an oil palm plantation.

Bukit Tambun Bukit Tambun is a town, a suburb of Simpang Ampat in Penang, Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South C ...

, a small tranquil fishing village located in the

South Seberang Perai The South Seberang Perai District ( ms, Daerah Seberang Perai Selatan; abbreviated "SPS") is a district in Penang, Malaysia. It covers an area of 242 square kilometres, and had a population of 162,905 at the 2010 Census. The district is bordered b ...

district, remains a seafood heaven for local and foreign tourists alike. It consists of seafood restaurants dotting along the river mouth with the dining area hovering over the water, serving local delicacies which are fresh daily catch from the sea. Pulau Aman is an island off-coast of

located at the south-east 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 ...

. It consists of a quaint Malay fishing village. The island is accessible to the public via ferry boat from the Batu Musang jetty in Batu Kawan. There is an old well, Telaga Emas (Golden Well) located right next to the sea. One of the highlights in the town of Nibong Tebal include the

firefly The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...

watching along the river of Sungai Krian. This can be done late in the evening by boat as visitors can have the opportunity to enjoy the dazzling display of fireflies in the

mangrove swamp Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangroves cannot withstand fre ...

. In fact one of the major events in Seberang Perai is the St. Anne's Novena and Feast which is held end of July annually at the St. Anne's Church, Bukit Mertajam which attract nearly over 100,000 pilgrims from all over the country and as far as neighbouring countries such as the Philippines, Russia, Singapore and Australia. Recently, the North Seberang Perai Local Plan 2020 Draft have developed several heritage trails, namely the Archeo-Tourism Trail, Heritage Trail and Beach Recreation Trail. The Archeo-Tourism Trail would cover an old fort at

Kota Kuala Muda Kota Kuala Muda is a small town in Kedah state, Malaysia. Near the town is Pantai Merdeka (Merdeka Beach). Kota Kuala Muda is also one of the sub-districts (mukims) of Kuala Muda District The Kuala Muda District is a district in Kedah, Malays ...

, an archaeology complex in Sungai Emas, the Langkasuka ruins in Kota Aur, an early archaeology site in Guar Kepah, a candi (temple) in Permatang Pasir, the Merdeka Bridge-cum-fort in Bumbung Lima and a border cornerstone in Ekor Kucing. Besides that, The Heritage Trail would commence from the Butterworth railway station through the Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal, a traditional blacksmith shop in Permatang Benuan, the Capal Jago chapal maker's shop in Kepala Batas and terminates at the whispering market in the Kuala Muda fishing village. Aside from that, the Beach Recreation Trail would cover the Pantai Bersih beach, Bagan Ajam beach, Pantai Teluk Molek (Robina Park) beach, Teluk Air Tawar recreation park, Kuala Bekah beach, Pantai Penaga, Sungai Muda sanctuary park, Pantai Kamloon recreation park, Bertam Vision Park, Padang Cempedak recreation park and Air Hitam Dalam recreation park. Furthermore, the Central Seberang Perai Local Plan 2020 draft would include the upgrade of the Penang Bird Park, the Seberang Jaya Expo, proposals of rural homestay project in Sama Gagah, Pematang Pasir and Kubang Semang, promoting education-based tourism with MICE facilities in Prai and eco-tourism in Mengkuang Dam and

Image Gallery

File:Bmcity.jpg, St. Anne's Church, Bukit Mertajam File:St Anne Bukit Mertajam.jpg, Old Shrine of St. Anne's Church, Bukit Mertajam File:Bukit Mertajam Recreational Forest.JPG, Bukit Mertajam Recreational Forest File:BUTTERWORTH TO GEORGETOWN FERRY PENANG ISLAND MALAYSIA JAN 2012 (6963801373).jpg, A

at the Sultan Abdul Halim Jetty in Butterworth. File:Temple b1.jpg, Tow Boo Kong Temple, Raja Uda, Butterworth File:Perai and Penang Bridge.jpg, Bird's eye view of Perai and Penang Bridge File:Batu Musang Jetty.JPG, Batu Musang Jetty where visitors can take a boat ride to

from Batu Kawan.

References

External links

Official website of Seberang Perai City Council in English
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