Sungai Petani (
abbr.
An abbreviation () is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method including shortening, contraction, initialism (which includes acronym), or crasis. An abbreviation may be a shortened form of a word, usually ended with a trailing perio ...
Sg. Petani or SP) is a city in
Kuala Muda District
The Kuala Muda District is a district in Kedah, Malaysia. Sungai Petani is the administrative center of the district. Kuala Muda district is in close proximity to the border of Kedah and Penang. Apart from Sungai Petani, other major towns in the ...
,
Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
. The population of the municipal area of Sungai Petani is larger than Kedah's state capital,
Alor Setar
Alor Setar ( Kedah Malay: ) is the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia. It is the second-largest city in the state after Sungai Petani and one of the most-important cities on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is home to the third-tallest ...
. It is located about 55 km south of Alor Setar, and 33 km northeast of
George Town, the capital city of the neighbouring state of
Penang
Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...
.
Etymology
The name of the municipality is taken from the name of a river, which is ''Sungai Petani'' (Petani River), a tributary of Merbok River. The word ''Petani'' might be related to the province of
Pattani
Pattani (or Patani in Malay spelling) may refer to:
Places Continental Asia
* Patani (historical region), a historical region in the Malay peninsula, in Thailand and Malaysia.
* Pattani Province, modern province in southern Thailand
** Pattani, ...
in
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
. The word is said to derive from a Sanskrit word 'pathini', meaning "virgin nymph"; Pathini was the name of a daughter of
Merong Mahawangsa
Merong Mahawangsa is a legendary warrior and a ruler who is said to be the first king of Langkasuka, or the modern-day Pattani empire. His tale is mentioned in the Kedah Annals, where it mentions him as a hero who became the first king of Lang ...
, founder of the preceding
Langkasuka Empire
Langkasuka was an ancient Malay Hindu-Buddhist kingdom located in the Malay Peninsula (in modern-day Thailand). Langkasuka flourished from the 2nd century to the 15th century as the oldest kingdom in the Malay Peninsula, believed to have been esta ...
. When Kedah was known under the name of Langkasuka, traders always travelled between Merbok Valley and Pattani, and the eastern parts of
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia, historically known as Malaya and also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, is the western part of Malaysia that comprises the southern part of the Malay Peninsula on Mainland Southeast Asia and the list of isla ...
through land routes. Thus it is not impossible that the word 'Petani' is borrowed from the name of the princess. "Petani" also means farmer in
Malay, but it is unlikely that this is the origin of the city name as there are no sources pointing it to be the case.
Transportation
Sungai Petani railway station is served by rail services such as
KTM ETS
The KTM ETS, commercially known as ETS (Electric Train Service), is an inter-city rail, inter-city higher-speed rail service in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). The KTM ETS is the second electric train service to be operated by t ...
, a
higher-speed rail
Higher-speed rail (HrSR) is used to describe inter-city passenger rail services that have top speeds of more than conventional rail but are not high enough to be called high-speed rail services. The term is also used by planners to identify the ...
service connecting major cities in Malaysia. The station is also one of the stops for
KTM Komuter Northern Sector
The ''KTM Komuter Northern Sector'' () is one of the five KTM Komuter services run by Malaysian rail operator Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). The service was introduced on 11 September 2015 following the completion of the Ipoh-Padang Besar Electr ...
, a local commuter-rail service under
KTM Komuter
KTM Komuter is a commuter rail system in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). It was introduced in 1995 to provide local rail services in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley suburban areas. Services were later expanded to o ...
that connects major town in
Penang
Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...
,
Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of ...
, and
Perlis
Perlis (Kedah Malay language, Kedah Malay (Perlis dialect): ''Peghelih'') is a Negeri, state of Malaysia in the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is the smallest state in Malaysia by area and population. The state borders the Thai ...
.
Long-distance services are also available at Ukir Square. Besides being a bus terminal, this multi-purpose building also houses the
Urban Transformation Centre or UTC that provides the community a centralised location for main government agencies, public amenities and services of private sectors. While the local bus services are situated at Jalan Petri, the main operators including Tanjung Mewah Holiday Sdn Bhd (inner city), Red Omnibus (Route 2 from Alor Setar) and MARA Liner (to Sik and Kuala Ketil).
The nearest airport is the
Penang International Airport
Penang International Airport (PIA) is an international airport in George Town, Penang, George Town, the capital city of the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of Penang. The airport is located at the southeastern tip of ...
on
Penang
Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...
Island. Another alternative airport is the
Sultan Abdul Halim Airport
Sultan Abdul Halim Airport is an airport in Kepala Batas, Kedah, Malaysia. It serves the city of Alor Setar and the state of Perlis. It is the second-largest airport in the northern Peninsula Malaysia, following Penang International Airport.
T ...
,
Alor Star
Alor Setar (Kedah Malay: ) is the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia. It is the second-largest city in the state after Sungai Petani and one of the most-important cities on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is home to the third-tallest t ...
(the state capital of Kedah).
Sungai Petani is also served by the
North-South Expressway, which connects the town to major cities along Malaysia's West Coast. Additionally, the town is accessible via the KTM ETS railway network, enhancing connectivity to other parts of the country.
Service and Amenities
Healthcare
Sungai Petani has various health amenities.
Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital, a US$150-million hospital, is a public government hospital opened in 2007 that was built to replace a smaller hospital. The Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital was handed over by the
Public Works Department
This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure.
See also
* Public works
* Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...
to the
Ministry of Health on July 23, 2006. It has 498 beds and provides secondary and tertiary specialist services There are also other various private medical facilities. They are Pantai Hospital Laguna Merbok (formerly known as Amanjaya Specialist Centre), Pantai Hospital Sungai Petani, and Metro Specialist Hospital.
Education
Primary and Secondary
Kuala Muda Yan District Education Office administers the primary and secondary education of two districts, Kuala Muda (where Sungai Petani is located) and
Yan. Sungai Petani hosts a large number of reputable schools such as the
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Ibrahim which was established in 1919 and
Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Mohamad Jiwa. Other schools include Convent Father Barre (Primary and Secondary),
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bakar Arang, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan St.Theresa, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Khir Johari, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bandar Sungai Petani, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Ismail, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sungai Pasir, Sekolah Menengah Teknik Sungai Petani 1 & 2, SJK(T) Saraswathy,
Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan Sin Min, and SJK(C) Sin Kwang. There is also
Maktab Rendah Sains MARA
MARA Junior Science Colleges (MJSC) (), is a network of boarding schools founded by the People's Trust Council (PTC) (), a Malaysian governmental organization. These schools offer educational resources for students across various regions in ...
Merbok in Merbok, about 11 km northwest of Sungai Petani.
Tertiary

The
AIMST University
Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST University) is a non-profit private university in Malaysia. It was established under the Maju Institute of Education Development (MIED), a non-profit organisation. The university was bui ...
(the Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology), was previously in Amanjaya. The university offers a variety of professional courses, including medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, biotechnology, materials technology, engineering, and computer science and information technology.
Universiti Teknologi Mara
The MARA Technological University ( Malay: ''Universiti Teknologi MARA''; Jawi: اونيۏرسيتي تيكنولوڬي مارا; abbr. UiTM) is a public university in Malaysia, based primarily in Shah Alam, Selangor. It was established to ...
has a branch campus at
Merbok, Sungai Petani. Another government institution with campuses in Sungai Petani include Institusi Kemahiran Malaysia (IKM), Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Sultan Abdul Halim (IPG KSAH), an institution set up by the government to provide teaching courses for trainee teachers, and Kolej Komuniti Sungai Petani, a
community college
A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...
that provides Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) courses.
Sungai Petani also has a number of private colleges and universities. One of them is the
Open University Malaysia
Open University Malaysia, abbreviated as OUM (formerly UNITEM), is the seventh private university in Malaysia. It is owned by Multimedia Technology Enhancement Operations (METEOR) Sdn. Bhd, a consortium of 11 List of universities in Malaysia ...
(OUM) that operates as the Regional Learning Center for the state of
Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of ...
and
Perlis
Perlis (Kedah Malay language, Kedah Malay (Perlis dialect): ''Peghelih'') is a Negeri, state of Malaysia in the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is the smallest state in Malaysia by area and population. The state borders the Thai ...
. Other private colleges include MSU College and Cosmopoint College.
Shopping
Sungai Petani has many malls, shopping centers and cinema. Amanjaya Mall, Central Square, Village Mall, River Front are modern shopping and entertainment complex and malls in the city. There are also a few retailer chain and hypermarket outlets such as
Lotus's
Lotus's (formerly known as Lotus Supercenter, Tesco Lotus Supercenter and Tesco Lotus) is a retail chain in Thailand founded and operated by Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group, with operations in Malaysia following the acquisition of Tesco internationa ...
Sungai Petani, Lotus's Sungai Petani South and Lotus's Bandar Puteri Jaya.
Religious Institutions
Sungai Petani has no dearth of religious buildings. Muslims can visit Masjid Sultan Muzaffar Shah.
For Christians, some churches located in the city are Church of Christ the King (founded in 1925) and True Jesus Church. For Hindu adherents, one of the temples that can be visited is Sri Subramaniya Swami Devasthanam Temple that celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019.
Culture and Tourism
Sungai Petani Clock Tower
Sungai Petani Clock Tower is located on the main street, Jalan Ibrahim and was built in 1936. It is topped by a dome-shaped and gold coloured structure. The tower was a present from
Lim Lean Teng
Lim Lean Teng () was a Malaysian businessman who established schools in Penang with his wealth. He was born in 1870 in China. He first migrated to Penang, then to British Malaya.
Career
Lim Lean Teng ventured into business in Penang. He was succe ...
to
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
George w ...
to commemorate his
Silver Jubilee
Silver Jubilee marks a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, the 25th year of a monarch's reign or anything that has completed or is entering a 25-year mark.
Royal Silver Jubilees since 1750
Note: This ...
.
Gunung Jerai
In the northern part of the town, about 30 kilometres away, is
Gunung Jerai
Mount Jerai (), formerly Kedah Peak, is a mountain in Kedah, Malaysia with the height of . Within Kedah itself, the mountain stands at the border of Kuala Muda District, Kuala Muda and Yan District, Yan districts.
Mount Jerai is known as the ...
. Gunung Jerai is 1,217 metres from the sea level. This is the tallest mountain in the northern region and is surrounded by a vast jungle. It is a navigational point for ships entering the
Straits of Malacca
The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, long and from wide, between the Malay Peninsula to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connecting the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) and the South China Sea (Pa ...
from the north because it is visible from far. There is an 18 km trekking route to the top of the mountain through a winding road. Atop the Jerai is a resort and the mountain boasts some tall and cooling waterfalls. Historically, the Jerai mountain served as the navigational point for traders from the east and west. There was a Hindu temple on top of the mountain that was built nearly a thousand years ago during the
Bujang Valley
The Bujang Valley () is a sprawling historical complex and has an area of approximately , with the discovery of a set of new iron smelting sites, Sungai Batu site enlarging the settlement area to . Bujang Valley situated near Merbok, Kedah, b ...
Hindu Civilization.
Bujang Valley
The
Bujang Valley
The Bujang Valley () is a sprawling historical complex and has an area of approximately , with the discovery of a set of new iron smelting sites, Sungai Batu site enlarging the settlement area to . Bujang Valley situated near Merbok, Kedah, b ...
or Lembah Bujang, sometimes referred to as the Ancient Wonder of Kedah, is a rich historical site covering an area of about 400sq. km in Merbok (17 km from Sungai Petani), bounded by Bukit Choras (Choras Hill) and Gunung Jerai. This archaeological area was the site of an ancient Hindu-Buddhist kingdom that ruled the region from the 4th century AD. There is also an archaeological museum here which is known as The Lembah Bujang Archaeological Museum. This museum displays more than 2,500 artifacts from Malaysia's earliest civilization that have been unearthed from the surrounding excavation sites. Gold, gems, ceramics, Hindu gods and
Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),*
*
*
was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...
stone statues dating from the third to 14th centuries are all on display, though its main feature is Candi Bukit Batu Pahat, a reconstructed temple built to worship the Hindu god
Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
.
People from Sungai Petani
*
Baddrol Bakhtiar
Baddrol bin Bakhtiar (born 1 February 1988) is a Malaysian politician and former professional footballer who has served as Member of the Kedah State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Gurun since August 2023. He is a member of the Malaysian Isla ...
,
Kedah MLAs Member for
Gurun, national football figure plays for
Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of ...
and national team
*
Bala Ganapathi William, actor, director & TV host
*
Chong Wei Feng
Chong Wei Feng (born 26 May 1987) is a Malaysian retired badminton player. He was drafted into the national team in 2004. His best achievement is reaching the semi-finals of the 2012 and 2013 China Open, where he was defeated by Chen Long on ...
, national badminton player
*
Johari Abdul
Johari bin Abdul (Jawi alphabet, Jawi: جوهري بن عبد; born 25 May 1955) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 11th Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat since December 2022. Previously, he served as the State Leader of the Opposition ...
, Malaysian politician and
Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat
The Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (, Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the highest-ranking presiding officer of the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia, Parliament of Malaysia. They are responsible for convening sessions of the Dewan ...
*
Khairul Helmi Johari,
Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of ...
captains and national football player
* Neeta Manis, actor, singer & TV host
*
Sivasangari Subramaniam
Sivasangari Subramaniam (born 24 January 1999) is a Malaysian professional squash player. She reached a career high ranking of number 9 in the world during July 2024. in the world.
Career
In 2011, Subramaniam was nominated as MSSM (Nation ...
, national professional squash player.
*
Syed Amin Aljeffri, entrepreneur
* Hewson Kang Poh Jun, Malaysian
Rubik's Cube speedsolver (National record holder for fastest
pyraminx
The Pyraminx () is a regular tetrahedron puzzle in the style of Rubik's Cube. It was made and patented by Uwe Mèffert after the original 3 layered Rubik's Cube by Ernő Rubik, and introduced by Tomy Toys of Japan (then the 3rd largest toy c ...
average in
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
)
Nearby
*
References
External links
Sungai Petani KTM Railway Station
{{Authority control
Kuala Muda District
Cities in Malaysia
Northern Corridor Economic Region