Bayan Baru is a neighbourhood of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang.[3] Located 11 km (6.8 mi) south of the city centre, it lies within the suburb of Bayan Lepas, and adjacent to the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone, Relau, Sungai Ara and Bukit Jambul.

Bayan Baru
Neighbourhood of George Town
Other transcription(s)
 • Mandarin峇央峇鲁
Bā yāng bā lǔ (Pinyin)
 • Tamilபயான் பாரு
Payāṉ pāru (Transliteration)
Map
Bayan Baru is located in Central George Town, Penang
Bayan Baru
Bayan Baru
Location within    George Town in    Penang
Coordinates: 5°19′32.757″N 100°17′8.0592″E / 5.32576583°N 100.285572000°E / 5.32576583; 100.285572000
Country Malaysia
State Penang
City George Town
Founded1972[1][2]
Government
 • Local governmentPenang Island City Council
 • Mayor of Penang IslandRajendran P. Anthony
 • Pantai Jerejak State AssemblymanFahmi Zainol (PKR)
 • Bayan Baru Member of ParliamentSim Tze Tzin (PKR)
Time zoneUTC+8 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)Not observed
Postal code
11950
Websitembpp.gov.my

The township was created in the 1970s following the establishment of the zone.[1][2][4] Since then, Bayan Baru has evolved into a booming neighbourhood, with various commercial and retail developments.

Aerial view of Bayan Baru, with the high-rises of Relau forming the background
Muze Block B is the third tallest skyscraper in the city of George Town

History edit

Bayan Baru was first developed by the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) in 1972, in tandem with the construction of the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone.[1][2][4] The creation of the new township was aimed at providing a housing area adjacent to the newly built industries in Bayan Lepas, and erasing social and economic inequalities between the urban and rural inhabitants.[1][5] The first residential developments in the area were in the form of landed properties, such as terraced houses and semi-detached houses.[4]

Economy edit

In recent years, the Penang state government has allocated investments towards the development of Bayan Baru into a Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) hub. These investments include the construction of Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC)-status infrastructure, such as SUNTECH Tower and One Precinct.[6] A number of multinational firms, including Celestica, Keyence, Swarovski, Jabil, Teleperformance, Kuehne + Nagel and Zurich Insurance, have already set up business outsourcing centres within the area as well.[7][8][9]

The supply of office space in Bayan Baru will also be supplemented by ongoing commercial developments within the neighbourhood, such as Quartermile and the Penang International Commercial City (PICC).[10][11] The latter, developed by local property developer Hunza, is envisaged as Penang's answer to KLCC, with construction currently in progress within a 17.2-hectare (0.172 km2) site. PICC's residential component Muze also contains the third tallest skyscraper in George Town.[12]

 
Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah is the main road running through Bayan Baru.

Transportation edit

The main road within Bayan Baru is Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, which forms part of the Gelugor Highway. The thoroughfare cuts through the neighbourhood, linking Gelugor to the north with Bayan Lepas to the south.

Several Rapid Penang bus routes serve the area, including 102, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 401, 401E and AT (Airport Transit).[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] These routes connect the township with the city centre and various destinations within the city, such as the Penang International Airport, Batu Maung, Sungai Nibong and Gertak Sanggul. These routes are complemented by Rapid Penang's Congestion Alleviation Transport (CAT), a free-of-charge transit service within Bayan Baru.[23]

In addition, Rapid Penang's cross-strait BEST shuttle services, BEST A and BEST B, are available for employees transiting between Bayan Baru and Seberang Perai on the mainland.[24][25]

Education edit

There are two primary schools and two high schools within Bayan Baru.

Primary schools

High school

 
SPICE Aquatic Centre
 
Sunshine Square, with SPICE Arena visible in the background.

Health care edit

The 190-bed Pantai Hospital is the sole hospital within Bayan Baru.[30] The private hospital, established in 1997, now forms part of Parkway Pantai's group of hospitals and offers specialist treatments for a variety of medical conditions.[30][31]

 
SPICE Arena

Sports edit

Completed in 2000, the SPICE Arena is one of the major sports venues in Penang, capable of hosting various indoor sports events, including squash, badminton and martial arts. It has also emerged as the preferred venue within Penang for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE). The SPICE Arena was recently renovated and is now complemented in its role as a MICE venue by the GBI-certified SPICE Convention & Exhibition Centre, the world's first hybrid solar-powered convention centre.[32][33][34] Adjacent to the SPICE Arena, the SPICE Aquatics Centre not only serves as a venue for national and international aquatic sports events such as swimming and diving, it is also put to use as a community swimming facility when not in use for tournaments.

Shopping edit

A number of shopping centres have been built within Bayan Baru to cater for a relatively sizable catchment area, including shoppers from the surrounding areas such as Bayan Lepas, Batu Maung and Sungai Nibong.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Peter Nijkamp, Amitrajeet A. Batabyal (2016). Regional Growth and Sustainable Development in Asia. Springer. ISBN 9783319275895.
  2. ^ a b c Sue-Ching Jou, Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao, Natacha Aveline-Dubach (2014). Globalization and New Intra-Urban Dynamics in Asian Cities. Taipei: National Taiwan University. ISBN 9789863500216.
  3. ^ "George Town meliputi 'pulau', jelas Datuk Bandar" (PDF). Buletin Mutiara. 1 May 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Ooi, Kee Beng (2010). Pilot Studies for a New Penang. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 9789814279697.
  5. ^ Shahril Cheah (October 2010). "Penang's development still depends on the PDC". Penang Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
  6. ^ "Penang property projects worth RM11.3b on hold". The Edge Markets. 2017-01-23. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
  7. ^ "Canadian company opens in Penang, offers 200 jobs". 2016-10-25. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
  8. ^ "Local Offices | KEYENCE Malaysia". www.keyence.com.my. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
  9. ^ "One-stop services at insurance firm's new office in Penang - News | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
  10. ^ "Hunza puts in motion plans to develop mega project – Business News | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
  11. ^ "DONE DEAL: Second storey of a three-storey shoplot at Quartermile, Bayan Baru, Penang". The Edge Markets. 2017-03-10. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
  12. ^ "Phase 2 of Bayan Lepas commercial hub project kicks off". The Star. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
  13. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-06-30. Retrieved 2017-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-07-02. Retrieved 2017-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ^ "Archived copy". rapidpg.com.my. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-07-02. Retrieved 2017-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-07-02. Retrieved 2017-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-07-02. Retrieved 2017-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-07-02. Retrieved 2017-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-07-02. Retrieved 2017-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-07-02. Retrieved 2017-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  22. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-03-20. Retrieved 2017-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  23. ^ "Buletin Mutiara". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-04-01.
  24. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-07-02. Retrieved 2017-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  25. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-07-02. Retrieved 2017-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  26. ^ "Sekolah Kebangsaan Bayan Baru". Sekolah Kebangsaan Bayan Baru. Archived from the original on 2020-11-27. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
  27. ^ "SK SERI PERMAI – PULAU PINANG – Carian Sekolah Malaysia". www.sekolahmy.com (in Malay). Retrieved 2017-12-12.
  28. ^ "SMK RAJA TUN UDA – PULAU PINANG – Carian Sekolah Malaysia". www.sekolahmy.com (in Malay). Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  29. ^ "Johnson Lee's RM1mil gift to old school – Nation | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  30. ^ a b "About Us". www.pantai.com.my. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
  31. ^ "Pantai Hospital Penang". Penang Centre of Medical Tourism. 2016-01-21. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
  32. ^ "One of Penang's most iconic landmarks, The Subterranean Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre". www.setiaspice.com. Retrieved 2017-12-11.
  33. ^ "Setia SPICE Convention Centre to hold maiden event in first weekend – Metro News | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2017-12-11.
  34. ^ "SPICE Convention Centre runs on hybrid solar power – Metro News | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2017-12-11.
  35. ^ "Adding fuel to shopping spree – Metro News | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2017-12-12.