Lunas, Kedah

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Lunas is a town in the state of Kedah, Malaysia.

Lunas is only 45 minutes out of Penang, and lies between Butterworth and Kulim, the latter being the location of a hi-tech park and an industrial park, and thus the thriving machinery of modern development in the area – which explains the smoky crawl on the thoroughfare.

The town with all its old shophouses was pretty much founded and developed by Loh Boon Gee. He had come to Lunas from China as a labourer; gained experience; started his own business to clear land for the European estates. The money that he saved he used become the owner of several rubber plantations himself; built much of the early Lunas town. He built much of the early Lunas town; and set up the local temple and Hwa Min School. His was the classic rags-to-riches immigrant’s tale.

There still are many well-preserved gems such as shop houses, a traditional “wooden bungalow on stilts” post office and the colonial-style Soon Cheng Sai mansion. Plus, the famous “living heritage” of Lunas’ roast duck rice. Another interesting tourist sites are the horizontal chimneys inside rubber smokehouses.

Lunas last claim to fame was Barisan Nasional’s by-election defeat on Nov 29, 2000, where Parti Keadilan Rakyat Supreme Council member Saifuddin Nasution Ismail won a Kedah state assembly seat with a simple majority of 530.

[edit] References

• Lunas and the rubber connection, The Star, August 7, 2006.
• A place for history, The Star, December 3, 2006.

	Kedah Darul Aman
Districts: Baling | Bandar Baharu | Kota Setar | Kuala Muda | Kubang Pasu | Kulim | Langkawi | Padang Terap | Pendang | Sik | Yan
City: Alor Star
Towns: Anak Bukit | Baling | Bandar Baharu | Bedong | Bukit Kayu Hitam | Changlun | Guar Chempedak | Gurun | Jeniang | Jitra | Kodiang | Kota Sarang Semut | Kuah | Kuala Kedah | Kuala Nerang | Kulim | Langgar | Lunas | Merbok | Padang Matsirat | Pendang | Pokok Sena | Sik | Sintok | Sungai Petani | Tokai | Yan
Islands: Pulau Langkawi | Pulau Payar