Jitra | |
|---|---|
Town and district capital | |
 Jitra in Kubang Pasu District | |
| Establishment by local government | 1952 |
| Establishment by local government district council | 1976 |
| Establishment by district council | 1987 |
| Municipality status | 22 October 2018 |
| Website | pbt |
Jitra (Jawi: جيترا) (Chinese: 日得拉) is a town and a mukim in Kubang Pasu District, in northern Kedah, Malaysia. It is the fourth-largest town in Kedah after Alor Setar, Sungai Petani and Kulim.
During World War II, when the Japanese attacked Malaya, Jitra was on the one of main lines of defence set up by the British. One of the fiercest battles during the British defence of Malaya were fought here.
Among the notable natives of Jitra are Mohammed Johari Baharum (former Deputy Home Minister), Wan Iskandar Azam Rocky (5-time amateur ASEAN golf champion), Azrul dan Nidzom (chairman and CEO of Bahagia Holdings) and Muhamad Aiman Remy Shahar (an IT specialist from Taman Tunku Sarina 2).
A few famous landmarks in Jitra are Darulaman Park,[1] Jitra Waterfront (behind police quarters), Rocky Dog Park, Tasik Darulaman with new Waterpark adventure (Fantasia Aquapark), Cendol Pulut Jo[2] and Bukit Wang,[3] a recreational park. Located approximately 30 kilometres from Thailand border, Jitra becomes one of the many stops for tourists who came from the neighboring country or Malaysian who wanted to visit Thailand.
Not far from the town, a project located at Paya Pahlawan[4] was developed in 2003. This project promotes the concept of frozen food industries with Kedah Halal Food Hub (KHFH) as its main distributor. A complex for slaughtering cows was built and it is equipped with slaughter house and cold storage that can store meat up to 1,500 tons at a time. This center can cover up to 30 percent of Malaysia's need for beef, which comes in handy especially during Malaysia's many festivals such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Hari Raya Qurban.
Highway 1 is the main route into Jitra town, from the state capital Alor Setar, and all the way to Bukit Kayu Hitam and the border with Thailand.
KTM Intercity/ETS however does not serve Jitra. Closest stations are Anak Bukit (with intercity and Komuter services) and Kodiang (Komuter only).
