Kepala Batas, Seberang Perai Explained

Official Name:	Kepala Batas
Settlement Type:	Suburb of Seberang Perai and district capital
Translit Lang1:	Other
Translit Lang1 Type1:	Mandarin
Translit Lang1 Info1:	甲抛峇底
Translit Lang1 Type2:	Tamil
Translit Lang1 Info2:	கெப்பாலா பத்தாஸ்
Pushpin Map:	Malaysia Penang Seberang Perai city centre
Pushpin Label Position:	right
Pushpin Map Caption:	Location within Seberang Perai in Penang
Subdivision Type:	Country
Subdivision Type1:	State
Subdivision Type2:	City
Subdivision Name2:	Seberang Perai
Leader Title:	Local government
Leader Name:	Seberang Perai City Council
Leader Title1:	Mayor of Seberang Perai
Leader Name1:	Azhar Arshad
Timezone:	MST
Utc Offset:	+8
Timezone Dst:	Not observed
Postal Code Type:	Postal code
Postal Code:	13200
Coordinates:	5.5167°N 100.4167°W
Area Code Type:	Area code(s)
Area Code:	+6045
Subdivision Type3:	District
Subdivision Name3:	North Seberang Perai
Population Total:	361
Population Footnotes:	^[1]
Population Density Km2:	auto
Population As Of:	2020
Area Total Km2:	0.2
Demographics Type1:	Demographics
Demographics1 Title1:	Ethnic groups
Demographics1 Info1:	36.3% Chinese 35.7% Bumiputera 35.7% Malay 27.7% Indian 0.3% Non-citizens

Kepala Batas (pronounced as /ms/) is a suburb of Seberang Perai and the seat of the Northern Seberang Perai District in the Malaysian state of Penang. It lies about 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Butterworth and 15km (9.3 mi) southwest of Sungai Petani.

Etymology

Kepala Batas means "front end of the paddy field" in Malay; Kepala is the top or front end of something, and Batas is the earthern dykes bordering a paddy field.^[2] ^[3]

Kepala Batas is mostly a muddy region, where paddy cultivation became a major agricultural activity for its residents.^[4] The abundance of paddy fields in the area thus gave rise to the place's name.

Demographics

, Kepala Batas had a population of 361. Chinese and Malays each formed about 36% of the population, followed by Indians at 27%.

In popular culture

A British plantation bungalow in Kepala Batas, the Bertam House, was featured in A House Of its Time, a documentary series created by Freestate Productions and broadcast by Mediacorp.^[5] ^[6]

Notable people

Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi, 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia (31 October 2003 – 3 April 2009).^[7]
Abdul Rahman Abbas, 7th Yang di-Pertua Negeri of the state of Penang, Malaysia (2001–2021).^[8]
Nor Mohamed Yakcop, former Malaysian Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and Minister of Finance II.
Reezal Merican bin Naina Merican, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (29 July 2015 - 9 May 2018), Minister of Youth and Sports (10 March 2020 - 16 August 2021), Minister of Housing and Local Government (30 August 2021 - 24 November 2022), Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the seat of Kepala Batas (2013-2022) in the state of Penang and Member of the Penang State Legislative Assembly for the seat of Bertam (since 2023).

References

5.52°N 100.43°W

Notes and References

February 2024 . MyCensus 2020: Mukim/Town/Pekan . . . 174–175 . 9789672537069.
Web site: Kepala - Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu . https://web.archive.org/web/20231121021757/https://prpm.dbp.gov.my/Cari1?keyword=kepala . 21 November 2023 . 19 May 2024 . Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu . Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Web site: Batas - Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu . https://web.archive.org/web/20231129074802/https://prpm.dbp.gov.my/Cari1?keyword=batas . 29 November 2023 . 19 May 2024 . Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu . Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Book: Low, James . James Low (East India Company officer) . A Dissertation on the Soil & Agriculture of the British Settlement of Penang, Or Prince of Wales Island, in the Straits of Malacca: Including Province Wellesley on the Malayan Peninsula. With Brief References to the Settlements of Singapore & Malacca, and Accompanied by Incidental Observations on Various Subjects of Local Interest in These Straits. . . 1836 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240603202900/https://books.google.com.my/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ScsNAAAAQAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=province+wellesley+agriculture&ots=oWZqc2rNDp&sig=b2AJDHQ26AZZBCKq42UU-17ccns&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false . 3 June 2024.
Web site: 2 January 2016 . A House of Its Time . https://web.archive.org/web/20240110060332/https://www.mewatch.sg/season/A-House-of-Its-Time-31901 . 10 January 2024 . 10 January 2024 . . . Ep 7 MALAYSIA: Plantation Bungalows . Video . MOV IMX30.
Web site: 10 January 2016 . A House Of Its Time . https://web.archive.org/web/20240110062022/https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/audiovisual_records/record-details/b874ef78-6dbf-11e6-9af5-0050568939ad . 10 January 2024 . 10 January 2024 . . Mediacorp.
Web site: 1 Nov 2003 . Pak Lah is Prime Minister . subscription . https://web.archive.org/web/20190805074202/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2003/11/01/pak-lah-is-prime-minister . 5 Aug 2019 . 12 Apr 2024 . The Star . en.
Web site: Kaur . Balvin . 29 Apr 2017 . Penang Governor Abdul Rahman sworn in for seventh term . https://web.archive.org/web/20240412195906/https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2017/04/234918/penang-governor-abdul-rahman-sworn-seventh-term . 12 Apr 2024 . 12 Apr 2024 . NST Online . en.