Seberang Perai

 

Overview

Seberang Perai is the mainland portion along the West coast of Peninsular Malaysia that together with Penang Island forms the state of Penang. It is divided into three districts, namely, North Seberang Perai, Central Seberang Perai and South Seberang Perai. Its principal town, Butterworth, is in North Seberang Perai.

It used to be a part of Kedah before it was ceded to the British East India Company in 1798. Under this rule the area acquired its former name of Province Wellesley, which was a tribute to Richard Wellesley, Governor of Madras at the time. A decline in natural terrain of forest and swamp land, increase in rice cultivation and establishment of many settlements were direct results of Kedahan Malays settling in Seberang Perai as refugees when Siam invaded Kedah in 1821.

The presence of neighboring industrial estates, Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone and Kulim High Tech Park, has exponentially developed commercial and residential projects in Seberang Perai, catapulting it into one of the most densely populated areas in Malaysia. Luxury housing projects include Taman Tambun Indah, Juru Heights, Harbour Place and Bandar Perda.

Places of Attraction

The Penang Bird Park with huge walk-in aviaries built amidst flora and fauna; Bukit Mertajam Recreational Forest in Cherok Tok Kun, perfect for adventurers for hiking, cycling, picnicking and waterfall camping; night cruises along mangrove lined rivers in Nibong Tebal to observe the wondrous lights of fireflies; Mengkuang Dam with scenic landscaped parks, orchards and rubber plantations and Auto City in Juru, hot spot for cuisine & entertainment options such as karaoke, darts, archery and rock climbing are just a few of numerous attractions in Seberang Perai.

Amenities and Facilities

Seberang Perai has made a name for itself as a shopaholic's paradise with the presence of innumerable malls a few of which are AEON, Tesco, Sunway Carnival Mall, Carrefour, Econsave, Megamall Pinang and Perda City Mall. For medical attention, Seberang Jaya Hospital, Bukit Mertajam Hospital, KPJ Penang Specialist Hospital and Bagan Specialist offers excellent services. To unwind with sports Penang State Stadium and Penang Golf Resort are the perfect choices. On the educational front, aside from multiple SRA, SMK, SK, SJK (C) and SJK (T) schools there are universities such as Universiti Sains Malaysia Engineering Campus and University Teknologi Mara (Penang and Bertam branches). Popular places of worship include Nine Emperor Gods Temple with curving pagodas and golden dragon statues, Arulmigu Karumariamman Temple with the tallest sculpture tower (rajagopuram), St. Anne's Church popular for its feast and Masjid Abdullah Fahim.

Accessibility and Transportation

It is accessible via North-South Expressway Northern Route (part of Asian Highway 2), Butterworth-Kulim Expressway and Federal Route 1. Butterworth Outer Ring Road, Penang Bridge and Penang Second Bridge connecting mainland to Penang Island eases accessibility.