Sungai Petani
| Sungai Petani سوڠاي ڤتاني | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Nickname(s): SP | ||
  Sungai Petani Location in Malaysia | ||
| Coordinates: 5°39′N 100°30′E / 5.650°N 100.500°ECoordinates: 5°39′N 100°30′E / 5.650°N 100.500°E | ||
| Country | Malaysia | |
| State | Kedah | |
| Government | ||
| • Yang DiPertua | Datuk Haji Ismail bin Haji Said, DPSM., AMK., BCK., ASK. | |
| Population (2010)[1] | ||
| • Total | 443,458 | |
| Time zone | MST (UTC+8) | |
| • Summer (DST) | Not observed (UTC) | |
| Website |
www | |
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Sungai Petani (abbreviated "Sg. Petani" or "SP")[2] is the largest town in the state of Kedah, in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia, with the second largest town in Kedah now being Kulim.[3][4]
Etmylogy
The name Sungai Petani has its roots from sungai meaning river and petani meaning farmer in the Malay language. Sungai Petani in full means "Farmer's River", due to the huge concentration of paddy fields and farmers in the state. The word "petani" may also refer to Pattani, a city in present day Thailand to which the river was once connected. Even the old spelling of Sungai Petani was "Sungei Patani", without any reference to farming.
Town Development
Sungai Petani town area will be upgraded by 2015 to become a city, making Kedah state one of the states that has two cities in Malaysia besides Selangor and Sarawak. Local Authorities Council of Sungai Petani, Kedah will be converted to the Sungai Petani City Council.
Housing sector is booming in Sungai Petani. Since the 1990s, Sungai Petani town received large investments by companies developers. Taman Ria, Taman Ria Jaya, Taman Peruda, Taman Mutiara, Taman Berlian are the first planned residential roots.
By 1999 to 2007, some area of which are newly developed like Bandar Aman Jaya, Bandar Mutiara, Bandar Puteri Jaya, Bandar Sri Astana, Legend Heights,Bandar Laguna Merbok, Bandar Puteri Hill Park and Cinta Sayang Resort Homes. A luxury condominium was built in 2008 by EUPE Corporation in elite neighborhoods Cinta Sayang Club. Condominium was named by Sky Residences.
A recent project which emerged is The Somerset, a private enclave of gated and guarded bungalows, set on the terraces of a hill.
Politics
Sungai Petani is designated as a parliamentary area in its own right, with an electorate of 93,176 people(May 2013 electoral roll). The parliamentary area of Merbok and part of parliamentary area of Yan (Gurun) is also part of Sungai Petani Municipal administrative area.
Economy
Sungai Petani has a high and medium sized business community. Small and medium industry also play a part in the local economy, producing numerous products, from semiconductors to television tubes and from textile to wood products.
Sungai Petani has many malls and shopping centers such as Central Square, Village Mall, Sungai Petani North Tesco, Sungai Petani South Tesco, Giant Hypermarket, Econsave, Billion, SP Plaza, Parkson and Amanjaya Mall(C-Mart).
Transportation
The town is accessible through the Federal Route 1 
and also the North-South Expressway. Sungai Petani has two highway exits while the Federal Route 1 runs across the city. Apart from that, it also has a train station and an makeshift express bus hub that caters to any destination within Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.
Sungai Petani also has a relatively below average local bus service called City Liner,[5] with air-conditioned red coaches.The express bus station is located not far from the Sungai Petani Railway Station. The railway station is managed by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad. Prior to the Ipoh - Padang Besar Electrified Double Tracking Project, the station had been upgraded and had been made as a major station meaning express trains will stop here.
The nearest airport is the Penang International Airport on Penang Island. Another alternative airport is the Sultan Abdul Halim Airport, Alor Star (the state capital of Kedah).
Health
Sungai Petani has various health amenities such as the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital, a USD150-million hospital and various private medical facilities. It is a 498-bed hospital which provides secondary and tertiary specialist services.
There are also three private hospitals: Metro Specialist Hospital and Pantai Hospital Sungai Petani as well as Amanjaya Specialist centre, the first Green Hospital in Malaysia
Education
Schools
The District Education Department located in Sungai Petani administers two districts of Kuala Muda and Yan with the highest number of primary and secondary schools in the state of Kedah.
Sungai Petani hosts a large number of reputable schools such as the famous Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Ibrahim, formerly known as Ibrahim Secondary School and established in the year 1919[6] and Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Mohamad Jiwa.
Other schools include Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sungai Pasir, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Dato' Bijaya Setia, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Che Tom, Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Ria, Sekolah Kebangsaan Ibrahim, Convent Father Barre (Primary and Secondary), Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bakar Arang, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Khir Johari, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Ria Jaya, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pengkalan Lebai Man, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan St. Theresa (Primary and Secondary), Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bandar Sungai Petani, Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Petani, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Ismail and Sekolah Menengah Teknik Sungai Petani 1 & 2.
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Amanjaya, Sungai Lalang (6 km north of Sungai Petani) and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bedong (7.5 km north of Sungai Petani) is the most crowded school in Kedah state and second most crowded school in the country.
SRJK(T) Saraswathi is also one of the premier Tamil primary schools in Kedah. Recently the school celebrated its 85th anniversary.
Sin Min Secondary School and its Chinese primary school counterpart, SJK(C) Sin Min, are both also famous nationally for its academic performance. SJK(C) Tai Tong, on the other hand, is well known for nurturing straight-A students, it won the 2012 Best UPSR Achievement Award (Anugerah Pencapaian Cemerlang Terbaik UPSR 2012). Besides, there is another well established Chinese primary school named SJK(C) Sin Kwang which was built at the year of merdeka .
There is also a MARA Junior Science College Merbok (MRSM) located in Merbok about 11 km north west of Sungai Petani and Regent International School[7] located in Amanjaya, right beside Pantai Hospital.
Tertiary
The AIMST University, (the Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology), is a private university fully accredited by the Malaysian Government which offers full-fledged undergraduate programmes in the areas of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Engineering, Biotechnology, Management Information Systems, Business & Marketing, Finance & Management as well as postgraduate programmes such as MSc Biotechnology, Human Anatomy, Medical Physiology, Medical Biochemistry, Medical Microbiology, Master of Business Administration (Health Care Management) and PhD in Biotechnology. In addition to this, the university also offers diploma programmes in physiotherapy, nursing and electrical and electronic engineering along with foundation programmes in science and business to give value-added options and opportunities to students.[8]
Universiti Teknologi Mara has a branch campus located at Merbok, Sungai Petani. Universiti Utara Malaysia also has a branch campus here.
Other government institutions with campuses in Sungai Petani include Institusi Kemahiran Malaysia (IKM). Located ten minutes from Sungai Petani town, Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Sultan Abdul Halim (IPG KSAH) is an institution set up by the government to provide teaching courses for trainee teachers.
One of the country's fastest growing private universities, the Open University Malaysia (OUM) Regional Learning Center for the state of Kedah and Perlis are also located in Sungai Petani. There are also private colleges like PTPL College and Cosmopoint College offering a variety of courses.
Sungai Petani also hosts a renowned skills training center, Kedah Industrial Skills and Development Centre (KISMEC), which is located in Kawasan Perusahaan Sungai Petani Taman Ria Jaya. This provides training opportunity for graduates (Diploma / Degree) and SPM leavers to obtain needed skills under government funding.
Tourism
Clock Tower
The major landmark of Sungai Petani is a clock tower located on the main street, Jalan Ibrahim. The clock tower was built in 1936. It is 12.1 m in height. It is topped by a dome-shaped and gold coloured structure. The tower was a present from Lim Lean Teng to George V and Queen Mary to commemorate the Silver Jubilee.
Parks
In the heart of the town is the famous Jubli Perak (Silver Jubilee) public park and used to be a Bird Park. There are more than five golf courses around Sungai Petani as well as various streams and rivers. Many lakes dot the land and have been attracting fishing fans for years.
SP Club
A recreational venue for the residents of Sungai Petani is the Sungai Petani Club, or SP Club as it is fondly called. Situated in the middle of the town, it is the oldest golf club in the State of Kedah, having been established in 1922 by British planters.[9] The unique colonial facade and antique wooden interiors of the clubhouse would render it as a heritage site in Sungai Petani. The 9-hole golf course covers 16 hectares (40 acres) of prime land which acts as a green lung to the city centre.
The Carnival
The Carnival is a water park in Sungai Petani within the grounds of Cinta Sayang Golf and Country Resort. The Carnivall is the first water park in Kedah. It was opened on 25 December 2006.
Pantai Merdeka
The only beach in mainland Kedah, it is a major attraction for beach goers from all over mainland Penang and Kedah State. Various accommodation is available for rent to experience the beach and other attractions in the area which includes harvesting Kepah, Siput Kemudi and Kerang (local seafood) in Kampung Tepi Sungai, Kota Kuala Muda, Pantai Merdeka itself and also at Pulau Sayak. Pantai Merdeka is also a gateway to island activities in small islands called Pulau Bidan and Pulau Telor which are a few minutes boat ride away. These areas are good for fishing and its beaches. In addition to that Kota Kuala Muda has an old fort used to be the fort of the Raja Muda of Kedah during its time.
Cinemas
There are two cinemas, Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) Amanjaya Mall, Sungai Petani and Grand Cineplex Village Mall, Sungai Petani, that are operating in Sungai Petani. GSC Amanjaya Mall is an eight-screen cinema located on the second floor of Amanjaya Mall, one of the new shopping complexes at Sungai Petani, while the Grand Cineplex is a four-screen cineplex located on level two of the Village Mall. The seating capacity of GSC Amanjaya Mall and Grand Cineplex are 1306 and 680 respectively.[10][11]
Attractions near Sungai Petani
About 30 kilometres away, is Gunung Jerai. 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 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 Hindu Civilization.[12]
Tanjung Dawai is a place which is known as a seafood spot in Sungai Petani. It is located 30 minutes from Sungai Petani. It has about twenty seafood restaurant .
Culture
Cuisine
Sungai Petani is known for its Nasi Kandar and Mee Goreng Mamak which is an Indian Muslim cuisine. Sungai Petani also has various selection of franchise restaurant and cafes.
Bujang Valley
The Bujang Valley or Lembah Bujang, sometimes it is referred as the Ancient Wonder of Kedah, is a rich historical site covering an area of about 400sq. km situated in Merbok (17 km from Sungai Petani), bounded by Bukit Coras (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 situated here which is known as The Lembah Bujang Archaeological Museum.[13]
Notable People
- Syed Amin Aljeffri, born November 10, 1947, Malay Entrepreneur
Closest Cities
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Gurun, Kedah | Alor Setar | Baling | |
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| Kepala Batas, Penang | Butterworth, Penang | Kulim |
References
- ↑ http://www.mpspk.gov.my/web/guest/population;jsessionid=0956D5C855629514252AA64B8F27ABAE
- ↑ http://www.correctplace.com/
- ↑ "Population Distribution and Basic Demographic Characteristics, 2010" (PDF). Department of Statistics, Malaysia. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
- ↑ "Key Summary Statistics For Local Authority Areas, Malaysia 2010" (PDF). Department of Statistics, Malaysia. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
- ↑ http://www.cityliner.com.my/
- ↑ http://smkibrahim.net/news.php
- ↑ http://regent.edu.my/
- ↑ http://www.aimst.edu.my/
- ↑ http://www.kelabsp.com/
- ↑ "GSC Amanjaya Mall, Sungai Petani". 2012-11-15.
- ↑ "Grand Cineplex Village Mall, Sungai Petani". Retrieved 2012-11-15.
- ↑ http://www.journeymalaysia.com/MHIS_lembahbujang.htm
- ↑ http://www.jmm.gov.my/en/museum/lembah-bujang-archaeological-museum
External links
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