Batu Kawan | |
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.svg)  Batu Kawan | |
| Coordinates:5°13′52.32″N100°26′38.97″E / 5.2312000°N 100.4441583°E /5.2312000; 100.4441583 | |
| Country |  Malaysia |
| State |  Penang |
| City | _Logo.png){kind=logo} Seberang Perai |
| District | South Seberang Perai |
| Area | |
• Total | 29.5 km2 (11.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2020)[1] | |
• Total | 11,409 |
| • Density | 390/km2 (1,000/sq mi) |
| Demographics | |
| • Ethnic groups |
|
| Time zone | UTC+8 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | Not observed |
| Postal code | 141xx |
Batu Kawan is an island and suburb ofSeberang Perai in theMalaysian state ofPenang. It is geographically separated from the rest of Seberang Perai by the Jawi and Tengah rivers. As of 2020[update], Batu Kawan contained a population of 11,409.[1]
Long considered a quiet agricultural backwater, Batu Kawan is undergoing rapid development, which was sparked by the completion of theSecond Penang Bridge that connects the town withBatu Maung onPenang Island in 2014.[2][3] A host of multinational firms, includingBoston Scientific,Western Digital Corporation,Bose Corporation,Dexcom andBosch, have set up manufacturing plants within the Batu Kawan Industrial Park.[4] In addition, Batu Kawan is home toDesign Village, Malaysia's largestoutlet mall.
Among the ongoing developments within Batu Kawan are anIKEA store, Aspen Vision City and Utropolis, the latter of which is expected to serve as a hub for tertiary education.[5][6][7]
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The agricultural village of Batu Kawan had been in existence since the 19th century, when the area was home to sugar, coconut and rubber estates.[7][8] In particular, sugar plantations in the area had been run by Chinese settlers as early as 1796.[9] Granite was extracted from the area as well; the granite was then sent across thePenang Strait toGeorge Town ontongkangs departing from the Batu Musang Jetty.[8]
In the 1960s, the aforementioned plantations were cleared to make way for larger palm oil estates.[7][2][3]
In 1990, thePenang Development Corporation (PDC), a statutory body of thePenang state government, acquired 6,000 hectares (60 km2) of land in Batu Kawan.[7][2] ThePenang State Stadium, completed in 2000, was one of the first development projects undertaken by the PDC, followed by the Batu Kawan Industrial Park and the Penang Science Park.[7][2][3]
In 2008, theMalaysian federal government commenced the construction of theSecond Penang Bridge, which links Batu Kawan withBatu Maung onPenang Island.[3] The completion of the bridge in 2014 proved to be a catalyst to Batu Kawan's contemporary development, with the town being touted as "Penang's third satellite township" afterBayan Baru on the island andSeberang Jaya inCentral Seberang Perai.[7][2] In 2012, the PDC launched theBandar Cassia residential development, which is modelled afterSingapore'sHousing and Development Board schemes.[2][10] This was soon followed by larger property developments, such as Utropolis and Aspen Vision City.[4][6]
In 2015, the Penang state government declared the launch of a new development corridor within theSouth Seberang Perai District, which encompasses Batu Kawan andNibong Tebal.[11]
Batu Kawan forms an island offSeberang Perai; it is physically cut off from the mainland by the Jawi River to the north and the Tengah River to the south. The suburb neighboursBukit Minyak (inCentral Seberang Perai District) to the north,Bukit Tambun to the east andSungai Jawi to the south.
| Ethnicities within Batu Kawan in 2020[1] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnicities / Nationality | Percentage | |||
| Malays | 60.1% | |||
| Other Bumiputeras | 0.1% | |||
| Chinese | 15.2% | |||
| Indians | 18.5% | |||
| Others | 0.3% | |||
| Non-Malaysians | 5.7% | |||
As of 2020[update], Mukim 13, the subdivision that contains Batu Kawan, was home to a population of 11,409.[1]Malays formed 60% of the population, followed byIndians at 18% andChinese at 15%.
Lebuhraya Bandar Cassia is the main expressway within Batu Kawan.[12] The highway is, in turn, linked to theNorth–South Expressway, which passes by the town.
TheSecond Penang Bridge, which links Batu Kawan withBatu Maung onPenang Island, spans a total length of 24 km (15 miles), making it the longest bridge inSoutheast Asia at the time of its completion, a title that has since been taken up by theSultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Bridge. The completion of the bridge in 2014 also brought about the rapid development of Batu Kawan.[2] The bridge is atolled expressway, with a toll plaza situated at the entrance of the bridge in Batu Kawan.
Batu Kawan is used to serve byRapid Penang's Congestion Alleviation Transport (CAT), a free-of-charge transit bus service within Batu Kawan.[13] However this service have ceased operations since the pandemic in 2020, making Batu Kawan is inaccessible via normal public transportation methods other than e-hailing or taxi.
Batu Kawan is served by twoprimary schools and onehigh school.
Primary schools
High schools
A number of tertiary institutions have planned to establish their campuses within Batu Kawan as well, includingUniversity of Hull,KDU University College and Peninsula College.[17][18][19] In particular, the 10-acre (40,000 m2) KDU University campus, scheduled for completion by 2018, will be the largest tertiary institution within Batu Kawan.[17][20]
ThePenang State Stadium, completed in 2000, is the main sporting stadium of theState of Penang and the home ground of the state's football association,Penang FA. The stadium, which has a capacity of 40,000, also played host to national-level sporting events, such as the2000 Sukma Games.
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Opened in 2016,Design Village, with a built-up area of 37,161 m2 (400,000 sq ft), is the biggestoutlet mall in Malaysia.[21] Among the tenants within the mall areGap,Timberland,Pierre Cardin,Sacoor Brothers,Superdry,Kate Spade New York,Padini,Adidas,Body Glove,Levi's,Guess,Samsonite,Esprit andCotton On.[22]
In 2017, the construction of the IKEA Batu Kawan store was launched by theChief Minister of Penang,Lim Guan Eng.[5] Slated for completion by 2019, it is the firstIKEA store in northern Malaysia and spans a built-up area of 39,979 m2 (430,330 sq ft).[5][23]
TheBatu Kawan Industrial Park encompasses the southern portion of Batu Kawan and is bounded by theSecond Penang Bridge to the north.[24] The 2,680-hectare (26.8 km2) industrial zone has attracted a host of multinational firms, such asBoston Scientific,Bose Corporation,Bosch,ViTrox,Western Digital,Dexcom andHewlett-Packard.[4][2][25] In addition, a 4.2-acre (17,000 m2) gold and jewellery hub is being built within the industrial park.[26]
The major residential developments within Batu Kawan includeAspen Vision City andUtropolis@Batu Kawan, undertaken byAspen Group andParamount Property respectively.[4][6][7] The former includes a financial hub, aColumbia Asia hospital, an international school and other commercial properties, whilst the latter consists of the campus ofKDU University College and various other properties.[4][27] Other ongoing projects within the town include the EcoHorizon residential development by EcoWorld.[28]
In an effort to promote environmental conservation, all development projects within the town are required to abide by a 30% green area ruling, enacted by theSeberang Perai City Council.[29]
Bandar Cassia or Cassia City is a township in Batu Kawan. The township was developed by the Penang Development Corporation (PDC, PERDA) in 1993.[30]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Places adjacent to Batu Kawan | |
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