What is Batu Pahat?

Districts of Johor Darul Ta'zim
Batu Pahat باتو ڤاه?
Location of
District office location	Batu Pahat
District officer	Yahya Mohd Salleh
Parliamentary seat(s)	Dewan Rakyat
State Assembly seat(s)	Dewan Undangan Negeri
Area
- Total	1872.56 km
Population
- 2000 estimate	335,368
- Density	179.1/km

Batu Pahat (also known as Bandar Penggaram) is a town and a district located on the west coast of the state of Johor, Malaysia. It lies south-east of Muar, south-west of Kluang, north-west of Pontian and south of Segamat.

Geography

Batu Pahat is located at . It is 239 km from Kuala Lumpur. Next nearest town is Muar which is 50 km northwest of Batu Pahat. The town of Kluang is located about 52 km to the southeast. Johor Baru is located about 70 to 100 km to the south east of the town.

The district itself borders the district of Segamat to the north, Kluang to the east, Muar to the west and shares a border in the southeast with the district of Pontian. The coast of the Straits of Melaka lies to the south.

Origin

The name Batu Pahat means 'chiseled rock' in Malay. The origin of this name can be traced back to a legend in the 15th century; when the invading Siamese troops were chiselling rocks at a rocky spot in the coastal village of Kampung Minyak Beku, in hope to get fresh water during their retreat. They were being chased by the Melaka troops, being led by Tun Perak, the famous Bendahara (Prime Minister) of the Malacca Empire. In fact, in around 1456, the Siamese army was led by Admiral Awi Di Chu camped in Batu Pahat before attacking Malacca ^[1]. Another story goes like this - after capturing Melaka, the Portuguese built a fortress - "A Famosa" of granite rocks taken from the mouth of Sungai Batu Pahat. The town acquired its name, which means "Chiselled Stone" from the quarries near the estuary^[2]. Renowned for its salted fish in the past, Batu Pahat was formerly known as Bandar Penggaram, which means town of salt-makers. In 1893, the present township was founded by Dato Bentara Luar, Mohamed Salleh bin Perang, acting on the orders of the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Abu Bakar ^[3].

Today, the ancient well can still be found in Minyak Beku, though little was done to maintain this ancient landmark which gives name to the town. For the town's centennial celebration in the early 90's, a quaint monument depicting a 'floating hand chiselling a rock' was set up in the town square. It became the landmark of the town instantaneously. Currently, the newly refurbished town square is popular with locals to chill out on weekend nights and also provides as a venue for many public festive celebrations.

Subdivisions and administration

The district (daerah) is further divided into mukim-mukim (pl.) or subdistricts. The subdistricts are designated with a number (Mukim 1 until 12,17 and 18):

1. Lubok (Mukim I)
2. Bagan (Mukim II)
3. Peserai (Mukim III)
4. Simpang Kiri (Mukim IV)
5. Simpang Kanan (Mukim V)
6. Linau (Mukim VI)
7. Tanjung Semberong (Mukim VII)
8. Sri Gading (Mukim VIII)
9. Minyak Beku (Mukim IX)
10. Kampung Bahru (Mukim X)
11. Sungai Punggor (Mukim XI)
12. Sungai Kluang (Mukim XII)
13. Chaah Bahru (Mukim XVII)
14. Sri Medan (Mukim XVIII)

Batu Pahat is administered by Majlis Perbandaran Batu Pahat or Batu Pahat Municipal Council which was upgraded from the previous District Council (Majlis Daerah Batu Pahat).

Batu Pahat district has 525 gazetted villages (kampung-kampung pl.) and village-clusters (kampung rangkaian) where smaller villages were annexed to their bigger immediate neighbours for the purpose of administration. The villages are represented by Ketua-Ketua Kampung (village heads), answering to the Penghulu (subdistrict chief) administering the mukim. The mukim itself however is under the jurisdiction of the District Officer or Pegawai Daerah. The district office of Batu Pahat also have five district engineers (Jurutera Daerah) to oversee all the subdistricts.

Demographics

The town of Batu Pahat has a population of about 140,000 local residents. There are about 59,587 households with 335,368 population in this district. The most populated mukim is Simpang Kanan with 139,640 people and the least populated is Bagan with a population of only 4,692.

Overall district-wide population distribution based on gender are almost equal with a male population of 169,087 and female population of 166,281. ^[4]

Economy

Batu Pahat has Johor's second largest manufacturing industry; encompassing textiles, electronics, food-processing, timber, porcelain and plastic industry. It produces 50% of the textile exported from Malaysia and there are about 300 garment and textile factories. There are several industrial zones including Tongkang Pecah, Parit Raja and Sri Gading. Private industrial zones include Sri Sulong, Lian Aik and Buditama, ranging from 20 acres to 200 acres. Foreign investments include Sharp Roxy, Sony, Fujitsu and Mitsumi. There over 20 public listed companies, including: Harta Packaging, PCCS, Baneng Holdings, S&P, Sharp Roxy, Ramatex, Southex, Prolexus, Fujitsu, Yong Tai, Hwa Tai, AE, Kia Lim, Kayu Wangi, Hup Seng, Xiang Leng, Magnum, SKP, SPI Plastics, BP Plastics, Cheng Yap Sdn. Bhd.and Fast Track Solutions Bhd.

Agriculture is another important source of income for the locals. Batu Pahat has some of the largest rubber, oil palm, coconut and cocoa plantations in Johor. Fruit produce such as water-melons, papayas, bananas, pineapples and durians and 20 varieties of vegetables are being exported. Besides, there are several fishing villages near the Straits of Malacca, providing rich sources of fisheries. Ornamental fishes such as the Arowana are some of the major export from some companies such as Xiang Leng.

Education

Educational institutions in Batu Pahat encompass primary to tertiary education. There are 101 national primary schools whose medium of instruction is Malay language and 38 Chinese primary schools.

In Batu Pahat, there are 24 national seconary schools, 3 independent Chinese secondary schools and a vocational school. Among some of the secondary schools in Batu Pahat are:

• SMK Tinggi Batu Pahat (High School)
• The Chinese High School Batu Pahat (华仁中学）
• SMK Convent
• SMK Jalan Kolam Air
• SMK (P) Temenggong Ibrahim (Temenggong Ibrahim Girl's School)
• SMK Munshi Sulaiman
• SMK Dato Bentara Luar
• SMK Datin Onn Jaafar
• SMK Tun Aminah
• SM Teknik
• SMK Yong Peng
• MRSM Batu Pahat

For tertiary education, there are 2 polytechnics, 1 university (Tun Hussein Onn University of Malaysia) or locally known as Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia UTHM and 1 teachers' training college.

Transport

Batu Pahat is served by excellent land transport, both locally and intercities. Local stage buses in Batu Pahat offer daily services for passengers to travel around Batu Pahat town, rural areas as well as those commuting to nearby Johor districts such as Muar and Kluang. These local buses are generally cheap and friendly and stop to take up passengers who wave to them along the road other than bus stops.

• Johore Motor Bus Co Sdn Bhd

38-A, Jln Mohd Akil, 83000 Batu Pahat, Johor Phone: 07-432 1109 Main service: starts from Batu Pahat bus terminal, travel along Jalan Rahmat and Jalan Kluang and passes by Sri Gading, Parit Raja and stops at Air Hitam. It will then continue until it reaches Kluang. Other services includes services to Taman Soga, a residential area.

• Costal Omnibus Co Sdn Bhd

No. 4415, Jln Tanjong Laboh Batu 3, 83000 Batu Pahat, Johor Phone: 07-431 7133 Fax: 607-4349912 Main service: starts from Batu Pahat bus terminal, travel along Jalan Rahmat then Jalan Tanjung Laboh and passes by Senggarang then Rengit.

• Lian Hoe Omnibus Co Bhd

37-3, Jln Bakri, 84000 Muar, Johor Phone: 06-952 1484 or 12/4 Jln Peserai Lama 83000 Batu Pahat Batu Pahat Johor 83000 Malaysia Phone: 607-4139611 Main service: starts from Batu Pahat bus terminal, travel along Jalan Bakau Condong, passes by Sri Medan, Tongkang Pechah and finally reached Muar.

• Syarikat Pengangkutan Maju Bhd

No. 9995, Jln Muar, 83500 Parit Sulong, Johor Phone: 07-418 6026 To Parit Sulong...

• Syarikat Tanjau Jaya Melayu Sdn. Bhd.

Phone : 607 4137677 Jalan Kluang and Taman Broleh. Also to The Summit.

New ferry terminal located at Minyak Beku servicing Indonesia port of Tanjung Balai, Bangkalis and Batam ([1]

Interesting Facts and Legends

Batu Pahat is the home of Puteri Gunung Banang which is the family member of the traditional fable Puteri Gunung Ledang ^[5].

The first Malay dragon dance (Chinese culture) troop in Malaya was formed by Dato' Bentara Luar Mohd.Salleh Perang in Batu Pahat, only to have its final public performance in 1955, when cultural exchange gave way to racial politics. ^[6]

The place of Parit Sulong Massacre (The Bridge of Pekan Parit Sulong) was situated in this district. It is located in Mukim Simpang Kiri at Pekan Parit Sulong. The original bridge has now been demolished and it was replaced by new bridge, the plaque of the massacre exists until today. On the 4th of September 2007, Parit Sulong Memorial ^[7] was officially open in the Community Park at Parit Sulong. The memorial consists of a central memorial area and two interpretive panels.

There used to be a Batu Pahat Bank. However, in 1963 OCBC created Pacific Bank to acquire 97% of Batu Pahat Bank. Singaporean businessmen incorporated the OCBC bank in 1919 to serve the needs of the local Chinese community. At the time Batu Pahat in Johore was a center for the production of rubber. OCBC bought the bank in anticipation of the union between Malaya and Singapore ^[8]. Until the 80's, both OCBC and Pacific banks were still located, face to face at the junction of Jalan Soga and Jalan Rahmat. On 1 January 2001, Pacific Bank Berhad merged with MayBank Berhad and PhileoAllied Bank Berhad after Malaysian Government directive.

On 16 October 1980, Batu Pahat police killed 8 members of a sword-wielding mob led by a Cambodian refugee-cum-cult leader, Ahmad Nasir Ismail, who claimed to be Imam Mahadi, a sort of messiah. They had stormed the police headquarter in Batu Pahat, injuring 14 policemen and 9 civilians. The self-styled Mahadi was among those killed.

Batu Pahat celebrated its 100th year of foundation in 1994. The delayed celebration was held in the town area with street cultural performances at night and ended with a firework display near the Dataran (town square).

The outskirts of Batu Pahat were severely affected by the Typhoon Utor associated floods not only once, but twice in a span of a month from December 2006 to January 2007 (2006-2007 Malaysian floods). Affected areas include Senggarang, Sr Gading, Parit Yanni, Parit Ahmad and Parit Besar.

Nature and Wildlife

Batu Pahat is a sanctuary for the endangered Lesser Adjutant Stork (Leptoptilos javanicus). Known locally as burung botak or bald bird, this migratory bird belongs to the ciconidae family. The current population in Peninsular Malaysia is estimated to be less than 250. These giant birds, which can be as tall as a man, have attracted many curious residents and nature lovers to Taman Parit Labis in the evenings for bird-watching sessions. The housing estate, which is sandwiched between a rapidly developing town and the fringe of a secondary forest, has now become the best viewing spot for the bird ^[9].

Local Attractions

The Batu Pahat town square was renovated in the 1990s on the occasion of the town's centennial celebration. Sitting right in the middle of the square is the landmark, which depicts a floating hand chiselling a rock, is popular among locals to chill out at night. Common activities in the square such as children playing with balloon, remote-control cars and kite-flying can be seen during weekend nights. Surrounding the square are some old government offices. A recreational lake, named Tasik Y, is a favourite place for morning walk and exercise for the townfolks.

Batu Pahat is famous for its local delicacies and textile industry. Once regarded as the 'Little Paris' of Malaysia, Batu Pahat was famed for its 'red-light town' reputation in the 1960s - 1970's. However, there are only 1-2 bars of such kind left in town now like Tiong Ah Bar, the oldest bar in town.

Things to do

Shopping

Batu Pahat is one shopping paradise which offers more value for your money, compared to other cities in Malaysia due to its lower cost of living. The Summit^[10], a shopping complex, established in 1996, is popular among townsfolks and also attracting Singaporean tourists for a stop-over shopping day tour on the weekends.

In September 2006, the French retail giant Carrefour invested a total of RM90 million to set up its latest chain of hypermarkets in Taman Flora Utama. This is the second Carrefour to be built in Johore, and the tenth in Malaysia. In January 2007, Batu Pahat Mall, a new hypermarket retail development, opened along the now burgeoning Jalan Kluang. This raised the profile of the surrounding area from a once squalid area of workshops, textile and apparel manufacturing to that of a commercial and retail area away from the town centre.

Besides, local "pasar malam" or night markets are held in residential area with petty traders setting up stalls, selling all sorts of food and daily necessicities with very cheap prices. These night markets are held every night in different places with a rotation schedule of a week.

• Monday - Parit Raja and Taman Bukit Pasir
• Tuesday - Kampung Istana and Taman Soga
• Wednesday - Taman Perdana and Tongkang Pechah
• Thursday - Jalan Omar and Parit Raja
• Friday - Peserai, Rengit, Taman Setia Jaya and Taman Intan and Taman Sri Jaya.
• Saturday - Kampung Kenangan Dato' Onn, Sri Gading and Senggarang
• Sunday - Taman Nira
• Everyday except Thursday - Jalan Ibrahim

In the older part of the town, Jalan Penggaram is a street specializing in garment trading and goldsmiths. These are old but still functional and well-maintained shop houses that remind Batu Pahat of its colonial past. Local Chinese prefer to call it "Japan Street" or "Hakka Street", probably due to the dominant Hakka population managing the garment stores.

Gastronomy

Batu Pahat is reputed for its food, not only due to its varieties (Malay, Indian, Chinese or Western), taste but also its affordability. The Glutton Square, situated along Jalan Shahbandar, is the oldest hawker street in Batu Pahat, tracing its roots in the 70's. Jalan Rahmat, the main road in Batu Pahat business district, transforms into beautifully lit Batu Pahat Walk at night along which are some of the best food and bevearges stores. Centred on a renovated old cinema building (Rex), BP Walk is popular among locals and a bustling place for networking at the same time enjoying the local cuisines.

Recreation

Religious activities

There are 2 majestic mosques in Batu Pahat - Masjid Jamek and Masjid Batu Pahat. Batu Pahat also has over 400 Chinese temples, a reflection of it racial harmony. Very often, we can see busloads of Singapore tourists visiting these temples and this has become part of the income for the locals. There is a strong belief that good luck is bestowed on the prayers and they do come back very often. Some of these temples are beautifully renovated and thus have also become tourist attractions.

Nature and wildlife photography

Accommodation

There are also a few hotels which cater to tourists who wish to stay overnight in Batu Pahat town. These include:

• Batu Pahat Dragon Hotel
• California Inn
• Carnival Hotel
• Crystal Inn
• Garden Hotel
• Hotel Katerina
• International Hotel
• Merlin Hotel
• Novo Park Hotel
• Pelican Hotel
• Rest House Batu Pahat
• The Landmark Hotel
• Sentosa Hotel
• Vinna Hotel

Notable people from Batu Pahat

• Dato Onn Ja'afar - the founder of UMNO in 1946 once resided in Sri Gading
• Tun Hussein Onn - the 3rd Prime Minister of Malaysia, son of Dato Onn Ja'afar
• Dr Chua Soi Lek - current Minister of Health, Malaysia
• Mr Lim Kit Siang - current leader of the Democratic Action Party
• Dr Syed Husin Ali - Deputy President of Parti Keadlian Rakyat
• Mr Vincent Tan - Entrepreneur
• Lee Kim Yew - the chairman of Country Heights Group

More photos

The old Rex Cinema currently being used as part of the BP Walk food square.	Swampy riparian land of Batu Pahat River moored with fishing and trading boats.	The few remaining old shophouses with residents still living on the second floor.	Art Deco eagles
Art Deco lion at a goldsmith.	Ornate door handle, prewar shophouses.	Another Art Deco example at corner of Jalan Rahmat and Hakka Street.	Warehouse at market area, next to Batu Pahat River.
Warehouse and office at market area 2.	The hidden back area of the Malay market.	Views of the shophouses' 'rear towers' taken at one of the backlane.	A tree growing out of a building at one of the backlane near the market area.

See also

• Cities of Malaysia

References

External links

• Batu Pahat Travel Guide
• 83000 Batu Pahat Blog
• Maps of Batu Pahat
• Ferry Terminal Batu Pahat
• 爆米花论坛 Batu Pahat Forum

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