Perai

Perai is a suburb of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. It lies at the southern bank of the Perai River and borders Butterworth to the north. The area now known as Perai was obtained by the British East India Company in 1800, with the Perai River serving as the boundary between the newly acquired British territory and Kedah to the north. A nascent railway line was built between Perai and Perak in the 1890s, transforming Perai into a transit point for the export of tin. Perai became heavily industrialised in the late 20th century. Today, Perai is home to an eponymous industrial zone, as well as the adjacent township of Seberang Jaya. The town is connected to Penang Island via the Penang Bridge and contains several facilities of the Port of Penang.

Perai is a suburb of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. It lies at the southern bank of the Perai River and borders Butterworth to the north. The area now known as Perai was obtained by the British East India Company in 1800, with the Perai River serving as the boundary between the newly acquired British territory and Kedah to the north. A nascent railway line was built between Perai and Perak in the 1890s, transforming Perai into a transit point for the export of tin. Perai became heavily industrialised in the late 20th century. Today, Perai is home to an eponymous industrial zone, as well as the adjacent township of Seberang Jaya. The town is connected to Penang Island via the Penang Bridge and contains several facilities of the Port of Penang.

History

estuary with Bagan Dalam (left) and Perai (right)|left]] The settlement of Perai was formed in the early 19th century, following the acquisition of the area by the British East India Company. In its early years, agriculture formed the mainstay of Perai's economy, with sugar plantations being established within the settlement. Perai was developed into an entrepôt towards the end of the 19th century. At the height of a tin-mining boom in the Malay Peninsula, a nascent rail line was built between Perai and the neighbouring state of Perak in the 1890s. Perai then became a transportation hub, where tin imported from Perak was loaded onto vessels to be shipped to George Town. The industrialisation of Perai began in 1980, when the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) commenced the development of the Perai Free Industrial Zone and the nearby township of Seberang Jaya. In 1974, the Port of Penang was relocated from George Town to Seberang Perai. Cargo and container facilities were built in both Perai and neighbouring Butterworth, substantially boosting the economy of the area. In 1985, the Penang Bridge which links Perai and Penang Island was completed. The bridge was the longest in Southeast Asia until 2014, upon the opening of the Second Penang Bridge further south.

Transportation

References

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1377362349 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.