Butterworth was named after William John Butterworth, a former Governor of the Straits Settlements during the mid-19th century. Under the British Raj, the town came into being as a transportation hub, due to its proximity to George Town. While the British East India Company initially obtained Seberang Perai (then named Province Wellesley) for agricultural purposes, Butterworth has also witnessed massive industrialisation during the latter half of the 20th century.[4][5] In 1974, the Port of Penang was relocated into the town.[6]
Currently, Rapid Ferry is the main transportation link between Butterworth and George Town. The Port of Penang handled 1.52 million TEUs of cargo as of 2017[update], making it one of the busiest seaports in Malaysia.[7] In addition, the Butterworth railway station, situated adjacent to the town's ferry terminal, is a major Malayan Railway station, with train services operated by both the Malayan Railway and the State Railway of Thailand.
Butterworth was developed as a mainland counterpart to the bustling entrepôt of George Town on Penang Island, directly across the Penang Strait.[9] During the British Raj, Butterworth grew into a major transportation hub. Passengers and goods were transported across the strait by sampans, and in 1894, the first cross-strait ferry service between Butterworth and George Town was introduced.[10] By 1900, a nascent railway line running the length of British Malaya was extended to Butterworth.[11][12] These developments allowed tin to be transported more efficiently to Butterworth, which functioned as a transit point whereby the tin would then be shipped to George Town for smelting and export.[13]
After Malaya's independence in 1957, as part of an effort to advocate import substitution industries in the 1960s, the Alliance-led Penang state government, led by the then Chief MinisterWong Pow Nee, developed Mak Mandin as the first industrial estate in Penang.[15] The Mak Mandin Industrial Estate was founded in 1961.[16] In 1974, the Port of Penang was relocated from George Town to Butterworth, substantially boosting the town's economy.[6]
The Butterworth Town Council had been established in 1953.[17] However, the town council was amalgamated with the Seberang Perai North Rural District Council in 1962. The local governments in Seberang Perai were eventually merged and upgraded into the Seberang Perai Municipal Council in 1976.
Towards the end of the 20th century, Butterworth underwent a period of decline. The town suffered significantly due to administrative decentralisation.[13][17] The North Seberang Perai District Office, along with the district's police headquarters and a government-run hospital, was moved out of the town.[17] By the time of the relocation of the Seberang Perai Municipal Council from Butterworth to Bukit Mertajam in 2006, the town's infrastructure had deteriorated extensively. In 1988, the passenger platform of the town's ferry terminal collapsed, costing 32 lives, while in 2001, a fire destroyed a three-storey bus station near the ferry terminal.
In recent years, more efforts have been undertaken to revive the town's fortunes. At present, the ongoing infrastructure projects within Butterworth include Penang Sentral, which is mooted as the main transportation hub within the State of Penang, and by extension, northern Malaysia. Plans to rejuvenate parts of the town centre through the promotion of arts and culture have also been implemented through public-private partnerships.[6][18]
Geography
The city centre of Butterworth as seen from the Penang Strait
Butterworth lies at the southernmost tip of the North Seberang Perai District, between the Perai River to the south and the Penang Strait to the west. The Perai River forms a natural boundary between Butterworth and the neighbouring suburb of Perai, with the latter situated on the southern banks of the river. Both areas are connected via the Prai River Bridge, which spans the width of the Perai River. Butterworth spans an area of 14.6 km2 (5.6 sq mi), and includes neighbourhoods such as Bagan Ajam, Bagan Dalam, Bagan Jermal and Bagan Luar.[19][20]
As of 2020[update], Butterworth was home to a population of 80,378, resulting in a population density of 5,505/km2 (14,260/sq mi).[1]Ethnic Chinese constituted more than half of the city centre's population, while Malays formed another 24%. Indians also comprised over 14% of the population, followed by non-citizens at nearly 10%.
Economy
North Butterworth Container Terminal of the Port of Penang
The economy of Butterworth is primarily driven by its industries and the maritime trade at the Port of Penang. The Mak Mandin Industrial Estate forms the heart of Butterworth's manufacturing sector and is home to a number of major local firms, including Federal Oats Mills, Fujikura Federal Cables and Zenman Industries.[21][22][23] In addition, Butterworth has active steel and tin industries.[24] The former includes steel fabrication, and smaller businesses dealing with automotive parts and scrap metal.[25] The town's tin industry players include Malaysia Smelting Corporation, the world's second largest supplier of tin and a subsidiary of the Singapore-listed Straits Trading Company.[26]
Meanwhile, the Port of Penang is the third busiest seaport in Malaysia, handling 1.52 million TEUs of container in 2017.[7] The Port's strategic location enabled it to service not just northern Malaysia, but also southern Thailand.
In 1974, the Port of Penang moved its cargo and container operations from George Town on Penang Island to Butterworth.[6] Currently the most important harbour within northern Malaysia, the Port of Penang now operates four facilities within Butterworth.[28]
Penang Ferry is a shuttle ferry service that links Butterworth with George Town. The oldest ferry service in Malaysia commenced operations in 1894, and to this day, serves as a convenient mode of transportation across the Penang Strait for the residents of Butterworth.[10] At present, six ferries ply the Penang Strait between the Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal in Butterworth and George Town daily.[29]
In recent years, the Penang Sentral project has been underway at a site adjacent to both the Butterworth railway station and Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal. Mooted as the main transportation hub in the State of Penang and as Penang's answer to Kuala Lumpur Sentral, Penang Sentral is intended to serve as a termini for both public bus and longer-distance intercity bus services.[30]
Public bus services are provided by two firms - Rapid Penang and Cityliner. Due to Butterworth's importance as a transportation hub, most of the Rapid Penang's routes originate and terminate within the town. Rapid Penang's bus routes 601, 602, 603, 604, 605, 608, 701, 702, 703, 709 and 801 connect Butterworth with other towns within Seberang Perai, including Perai, Bukit Mertajam, Kepala Batas and Nibong Tebal, whilst the company's Intercity routes link Butterworth with Sungai Petani in Kedah and Parit Buntar in Perak.[31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43] Cityliner operates another six bus routes which link Butterworth with a handful of destinations in Seberang Perai, Kedah and Perak.[44]
Meanwhile, the Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) was completed in 2005 in order to reduce traffic congestion along the North–South Expressway east of the town, as well as facilitating traffic dispersion within Butterworth itself. The BORR includes the Prai River Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge that links Butterworth and Perai to the south. Another major expressway within Butterworth is the Butterworth–Kulim Expressway, an interstate highway that connects Butterworth with Kulim in Kedah.
Butterworth is served by one private hospital - the Bagan Specialist Centre. Established in 1988, the 150-bed hospital also contains nine operating theatres and offers, among others, orthopaedic and endocrinology treatments.[75][76]
Tourist attractions
Tow Boo Kong Temple at Jalan Raja Uda
The Tow Boo Kong Temple is a Taoist temple which is dedicated to the Taoist principal Deity, Doumu and the Nine Emperor Gods.[77][78] Built in stages between the 1970s and 2009, the temple at Jalan Raja Uda now serves as a focal point for the grand celebration of Nine Emperor Gods Festival, which occurs annually on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month in the Chinese calendar.[77]
The Sree Maha Mariamman Devasthanam Temple, at Bagan Luar, is the oldest Hindu temple in Butterworth.[79] Founded in 1853, the temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity, Mariamman, a goddess of rain.[9] Urban legend has it that the temple was built when a statue of Mariamman was found by the seaside.[9]
As part of efforts to revive the fortunes of Butterworth, a number of alleys within the town centre have been decorated with wall murals, similar in style to the street art in George Town.[18] In addition, the Butterworth Fringe Festival, inaugurated in 2015 as a spin-off to the George Town Festival, is an annual arts festival held within the town centre every August.[6][80]
During the post-war period, the Butterworth airfield was put to use by the Royal Air Force, and subsequently, the Royal Australian Air Force, to combat the communist threat in Malaya at the time. The Australian squadrons based in Butterworth also saw action during the Indonesian Confrontation in the 1960s.
In 1988, the Butterworth airfield was handed over to the Royal Malaysian Air Force. Now renamed as RMAF Butterworth, the airfield housed the headquarters of the Integrated Area Defence System that covers both Malaysia and Singapore under the Five Power Defence Arrangements.[82][83]
Neighbourhoods
The following neighbourhoods are situated within Butterworth.
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Malaysia
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Seberang Perai
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