Whilst founded in the 19th century as an agricultural area, Bukit Mertajam also evolved into a transportation hub, following the completion of a railway line towards Perai at the end of the century.[3][4] To this day, its railway station remains a major Malayan Railway station within Seberang Perai.
Bukit Mertajam is also well known for its Catholic congregation, which is centred at the St. Anne's Church. The church is one of the focal locations within Southeast Asia for the annual Novena celebrations.[5][6]
Bukit Mertajam derived its name from a hill named Mertajam[where?] which means "pointed" in Malay.[7][8] This was said to be a native reference to the geography of the area, where the hill forms the highest outcrop.[7][where?]
History
Jalan Aston within the heart of Bukit MertajamA residential estate in Bukit Mertajam
Bukit Mertajam had been part of the Hindu-Buddhist Bujang Valley civilisation, which ruled over what is now Kedah up to the 6th century AD. A megalith at Cherok Tok Kun, discovered in 1845, contains Pali inscriptions which alluded to the presence of a Hindu-Buddhist polity in the region between the 5th and 6th centuries.[9]
Bukit Mertajam only came into existence in the 19th century, after the acquisition of the area by the British East India Company in 1800.[3][4] Prior to the British acquisition, the area had been inhabited by Malay and Siamese farmers.[3] As the British encouraged the cultivation of spices throughout the newly acquired territory of Province Wellesley (now Seberang Perai), Chinese settlers, mostly of Hakka origin, moved into Bukit Mertajam.[3][4][7] The Chinese migrants opened up spice plantations at the foot of Mertajam Hill and were also involved in granite production. Sugar plantations were established to the south of the area in the mid-19th century.[4]
These economic activities led to the construction of roads throughout Province Wellesley.[3] With many of these roads converging in Bukit Mertajam, the area soon became a transit point for the movement of agricultural produce towards the Port of Penang.[4] Bukit Mertajam's role as a transportation hub was cemented with the completion of a railway line between Bukit Mertajam and the coastal port area of Perai in 1899, allowing for a rapid transportation of commodities such as rubber and tin towards the harbour.[3][4] Concurrently, public amenities, such as schools, a magistrate's court and a hospital, were built, and by the turn of the century, Bukit Mertajam was selected by the Straits Settlements authorities as the administrative centre of the Central Province Wellesley District.
The Bukit Mertajam Town Council was established in 1953.[10] At the time, it was one of the five local governments within Province Wellesley. The local governments were eventually amalgamated and transformed into the Seberang Perai Municipal Council by 1976.[11] In 2006, the headquarters of the municipal council was relocated from Butterworth to the Bandar Perda township near Bukit Mertajam, making the latter the seat of the local government of Seberang Perai as well.[11]
Beginning in the 1970s, residential estates were also developed in the areas surrounding Bukit Mertajam, fuelled by the industrialisation of certain areas near the area, such as Bukit Minyak and Bukit Tengah.[12][13]
Geography
Bukit Mertajam is situated close to Mertajam Hill, which is surrounded by flat alluvial plains.[14] The suburb spans an area of 4km2 (1.5sqmi), and lies between Permatang Pauh to the north, Kedah to the east, Bukit Minyak to the south and Bukit Tengah to the west.[15]
The Bandar Perda township houses the administrative centre of the local government of Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the State of Penang. The MBSP building, completed in 2006, is the headquarters of the Seberang Perai City Council.[16]
In addition, the District and Land Office of the Central Seberang Perai District is situated at Jalan Betek.[17] As the seat of the district, Bukit Mertajam contains the district's Magistrates Court as well.[18]
As of 2020[update], Bukit Mertajam was home to a population of 12,079.[1]Ethnic Chinese comprised close to 68% of the population, followed by Malays at 21% and Indians at 8%.
Similar in function to the aforementioned pan-Peninsular expressway, the Bukit Mertajam railway station provides intercity rail transportation towards other major cities and towns along western Peninsular Malaysia, as well as on to Woodlands in Singapore.
Rapid Penang's routes 606, 701, 702, 707, 709 and 802 serve the residents of Bukit Mertajam, connecting the area with other parts of Seberang Perai, such as Butterworth, Perai, Juru, Simpang Ampat and Nibong Tebal.[20][21][22][23][24][25] These routes are complemented by Rapid Penang's Congestion Alleviation Transport (CAT), a free-of-charge transit service within Bukit Mertajam.[26] Cityliner also operates an additional bus route between Bukit Mertajam and Butterworth.[27]
The Summit Bukit Mertajam Plaza is the shopping mall within Bukit Mertajam proper. Launched in 1997 and situated at Jalan Arumugam Pillai, it consists of a four-storey retail block and a high-rise currently occupied by The Summit Hotel.[50][51] On June 4, 2014, AEON Bukit Mertajam (formerly known as JUSCO supermarkets) is open in Alma area to attract more customers from Bukit Mertajam and Kulim. AEON Bukit Mertajam Shopping Center is the largest modern integrated shopping complex in Alma. The mall has total six levels, its consist of grocery area, cinema, franchise food restaurants, overseas fashion outlet such as Uniqlo, Cotton on, Brands Outlet, Skechers and so on. The mall also has a cyber library operated by the Penang Library.
The area has a number of tourist destinations, including the Bukit Mertajam Market and the nearby Hock Teik Cheng Shin Temple. The latter is a Taoist temple, which was constructed in 1886.[4] At the time, the temple owned much of the land within the town centre and was responsible for the development of the Bukit Mertajam Market. The two-storey market, built in the late 19th century, was last renovated in 1934 by the British authorities.[10][53]
Butterworth is the city centre of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. It lies about 3 km (1.9 mi) east of George Town, the capital city of Penang, across the Penang Strait. As of 2020, Butterworth had a total population of 80,378 residents.
Seberang Perai is a city in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located on the Malay Peninsula and separated from Penang Island by the Penang Strait, it shares borders with Kedah to the north and east and Perak to the south. The city spans an area of 748 km2 (289 sq mi) and had a population of 946,092 as of 2020, making it the third largest city in Malaysia.
Nibong Tebal is a suburb of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located at the northern bank of the Kerian River within the Southern Seberang Perai District, it is the southernmost populated place of Penang. Nibong Tebal contained a population of 1,425 as of 2020.
Bayan Lepas is a suburb of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located near the southeastern tip of Penang Island, 15 km (9.3 mi) south of the city centre, it is home to the Penang International Airport, the third busiest airport in Malaysia, as well as one of the oldest free industrial zones in the country.
Sungai Bakap is a suburb of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang.
Perai is a suburb of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. It lies at the southern bank of the Perai River and borders Butterworth to the north.
Teluk Bahang is a suburb of George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located 13.6 km (8.5 mi) west of the city centre near the northwestern tip of Penang Island. Established as a fishing village, Teluk Bahang has evolved into a tourist destination, with a number of attractions built within the suburb.
Seberang Jaya is a suburb of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. 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 into a booming area, with various commercial and retail developments.
Batu Kawan is an island and suburb of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is geographically separated from the rest of Seberang Perai by the Jawi and Tengah rivers. As of 2020, Batu Kawan contained a population of 11,409.
Gelugor is a suburb of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Named after a plant species, Gelugor lies along the eastern seaboard of Penang Island, between Jelutong and Sungai Dua, and nearly 5 km (3.1 mi) south of the city centre.
Jelutong is a suburb of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located 3.2 km (2.0 mi) south of the city centre, Jelutong has been inhabited since as early as the late 18th century, when traders from Aceh and India settled around the area.
Sungai Ara is a residential neighbourhood within the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located 11.9 km (7.4 mi) south of the city centre, it lies between Relau, Bayan Baru and Bayan Lepas.
Relau is a suburb of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located 9.9 km (6.2 mi) southwest of the city centre, between Paya Terubong to the north, Bayan Lepas to the east and Balik Pulau to the west.
Bukit Jambul is a neighbourhood of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located 9.9 km (6.2 mi) south of the city centre, Bukit Jambul lies within the suburb of Paya Terubong, between Relau, Bayan Baru, Sungai Dua and Sungai Nibong.
Teluk Kumbar is a suburb of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located about 17.8 km (11.1 mi) south of the city centre, at the southern coast of Penang Island between Bayan Lepas to the east and Gertak Sanggul to the west.
Batu Lanchang is a residential neighbourhood within the downtown core of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is sandwiched between Farlim to the west and Jelutong to the east.
Farlim, officially Bandar Baru Ayer Itam, is a residential neighbourhood within the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located 6 km (3.7 mi) southwest of the city centre, the township was created in the 1980s. Over the recent decades, Farlim has witnessed rapid development with several residential and commercial developments within the area.
Sungai Nibong is a residential neighbourhood within the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It lies near the eastern coast of Penang Island, about 8.6 km (5.3 mi) south of the city centre.
The Seberang Perai City Council is the local government that administers the city of Seberang Perai, which encompasses the mainland half of the Malaysian state of Penang. The city council, which has jurisdiction over an area of 748 km2 (289 sq mi), falls under the purview of the Penang state government.
Sungai Dua is a residential neighbourhood within the city of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. Not to be confuse for Sungai Dua on George Town, the Sungai Dua on Butterworth is located to the north of Perai River and to the east of the North-South Expressway. This area has experienced rapid housing development.
↑ Abd. Rahman, Abdul Hadi (2000). "Coastal Sedimentation and Recent Coastline Changes Along the Seberang Perai Coast, Pulau Pinang". Universiti Malaya.
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