Sungai Petani
Sungai Petani is a
town in the
state of
Kedah, in the northern part of Peninsular
Malaysia. Sungai Petani is the second largest town in Kedah after
Alor Setar. The name Sungai Petani has its roots from the
Petani River with
sungai meaning river in the
Malay language. Sungai Petani in full means "Farmer River", due to the huge concentration of
paddy fields and
farmers in the state.
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Silver Jubilee Clock Tower |
Sungai Petani has a medium-sized business community which is largely made up of the
middle and
upper middle class of society. 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.
The town is easily accessible through the Federal Route 1 and also the
North-South Expressway. Sungai Petani has two highway exits while the Federal Route I runs across the city. Apart from that, it also has a train station and an express bus hub that caters to any destination within Penisular Malaysia,
Thailand and
Singapore. The nearest airport is the Kepala Batas Airport near
Alor Setar (the capital of Kedah State) and also the
Bayan Lepas International Airport on
Penang Island.
The public transport system is one of the best in Malaysia with shuttle buses, taxis and rental cars.
Health
Sungai Petani has various first class amenities such as the Sungai Petani Hospital, a USD150 million hospital currently in its final phases of construction and also various private medical facilities. There are also 2 private hospitals The Metro Specialist Hospital [
1] and Strand Specialist Hospital.
Education
Sungai Petani also hosts a large number of top-class schools and academia. Ibrahim Secondary School and Sin Min Secondary School are some of top schools in the state. Saraswathi Tamil School is also one of the premier Tamil primary schools in Kedah. The Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology is situated in Amanjaya, while the new Semeling campus is in the final stages of construction.
Others
Public phone booths can be found anywhere with an average distant of 50 metres between any two booths.
Clock Tower
The major landmark of Sungai Petani is a clocktower 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 structure. The tower was said to be a present from Lim Lean Teng to
George V and Queen Mary to commemorate the Silver Jubilee.
Parks and Gardens
Sungai Petani is also known for its green lungs and attractions. In the heart of the town is the famous Jubli Perak (Silver Jubilee) public park and also Bird Park. There are more than 5 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.
Mount Jerai
In the northern part of the town, about 20 miles away, is the famous
Mount Jerai. 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. The trekking route takes you on a 18km journey 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 temple on top of the mountain that was build nearly a thousand years ago during the Bujang Valley Hindu Civilization. It was consequently destroyed by the Malaysian authorities to make way for development.
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Sungai Petani Yahoo! Group* [
2]
