An Introduction to Kedah

Kedah

Known for its rolling paddy fields and rich ethnic heritage, Kedah is one of the hot spots in Malaysia that one must visit when in the country. While drawing groups of people who enjoy a combination of traditional and rustic as well as a modern and comfortable atmosphere, Kedah has much to offer. Its main attraction is to the west which consists of islands that make up Langkawi. Often called the ‘rice bowl of Malaysia’, Kedah’s history dates back to the time of the Hindus and because of its ideal location on the East-West trade route, it was an important site for trading and settlement. Traders who travelled between China and India often stopped over in Bujang Valley when the waters got rough. Both Bujang Valley and Bukit Meriam are historical sites where the former tells of the early civilization in Kedah and the latter the beginnings of the Kedah Sultanate.

Alor Setar is the state capital and other major towns are Kulim and Sungai Petani as well as Kuah in Langkawi. Kedah occupies an area of 9000 km² and has a population of about two million with 75.5 % Malays, 14.2% Chinese, 6.9% Indians, 1.9% non-citizens and 1.5% people from other ethnic groups. Kedah borders the state of Perlis sharing the Thai boundary with Songkhla and Yala in the north and bordering Perak to the south.

Economy

Kedah is primarily an agricultural state with up and coming developments in the industry and the tourism sectors. Its strategic location and its ample natural resources also contribute to the state’s economy including the recent introduction of high technology and heavy industries. Also, there has been a move towards the aerospace and automotive industries. New business opportunities are also becoming prevalent such as R&D, high-tech, bio-tech, healthcare, manufacturing, petroleum refinery and education. The Kulim Hi-Tech Park was opened in 1996 and some of the foreign and local companies that have relocated here have been Intel, Fuji Elcetric, Sowa Denko, Infineon Technologies, Integris, First Solar and SilTerra. The NCER (Northern Corridor Economic Region) is also important being one of the three economic regions developed according to the ninth Malaysian Plan. The state’s GDP was 10,967.58 in 2005 while it was 11, 543,22 in 2006.

Transportation

For those travelling by air, Malaysian Airlines operates from Kuala Lumpur to Alor Setar and Langkawi. Those driving can take the North-South Expressway from Kuala Lumpur to Alor Setar. The drive takes about 5 hours. One can also take the regular ferries from Kuala Kedah to Langkawi. Other than that, there are coaches and taxis that operate between states and rental cars and local taxis that operate in the state.

Amenities and Facilities

Places of interest in Kedah range from islands to nature. Some of the attractions are watching the collection of honey by the local bee handlers in the Pedu Jungle, the Gunung Jerai resort near Gurun, Bukit Hjau, Bukit Wang, Batu Hampar, Gunung Kerian Recreation Park and the limestone formations found in caves to name a few. Other facilities include the Zahir mosque, the Royal museum, the house where YAB Dato’ Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad grew up in, the Galeria Perdana, Pulau Payar Marine Club, Langkawi Book Village, Mahser Mauseleum and the Field Of Burnt Rice.

Not to be left out are the breath-taking islands in Langkawi some of which are Tanjung Rhu, Pantai Cenang, Pantai Kok and Datai Bay. Hospitals in the area are Kedah Medical Centre, Metro Specialist Hospital, Pusat Rawatan Mahsuri Sdn Bhd, Putra Medical Centre, Hospital Pantai Utara Sungai Petani and Amanjaya Specialist Centre Sdn Bhd. The schools in Kedah are Universiti Utara Malaysia in Sintok, Universiti Teknologi MARA in Merbok, and the Asian Insitute of Medicine, Science and Technology in Bedong. Others include private universities and colleges such as the Open University of Malaysia and other technical institutes and boarding schools.

Development

Kedah is ideal for golf courses with its wide landscape and green fields. Some of the popular ones are the Black Forest Golf and Country Club, the Cinta Sayang Golf & Country Club, the Darulaman Golf And Country Club, the Pedu Golf & Lake Resort, the Langkawi Golf Club and the Golf Club Datai Bay.

There are quite a number of shopping centres located in Kedah too for the convenience and needs of the public. Some are the Alor Setar Mall, Central Square, Langkawi Fair Shopping Mall, Langkawi Parade and Kedah Shopping Centre. Some of the projects in the area are the 493 acre of Kedah’s first gated and guarded community called Bandar Laguna Merbok developed by Paramount Property Development Sdn Bhd., the 100 acre stratospheric airship plant in Kulim, the Sapura Motors assembly plant in Gurun and the 85-acre facility adjacent to the UUM campus in Sintok developed by TSR Bina Sdn Bhd teamed with Uniutama Management Holdings Sdn Bhd. The project is a RM90 million dollar one which will have 600 housing units, 28,000 square feet shopping centre, a bus and taxi terminal and an 88 room hotel.

Property Developers

Some of the movers and the shakers in the property industry are property developers such as Kam Pian Garden Development Sdn Bhd, Idaman Warisan Sdn Bhd, DXN Development Sdn Bhd., SP Boon Seng Projects Sdn Bhd, OSK Properties Sdn Bhd, Isaga Mergong Sdn Bhd, KTPC Resort Development Berhad and Jesin Construction Sdn Bhd. If not already so, Kedah has become high on the list in terms of its residential areas mostly because of its up and coming image and local attractions.

Some of the residential properties in Kedah are Bandar Laguna Merbok Phase 9, Bandar Puteri Jaya, Desa Bayanmas, Kulim Perdana, Star City Taman Bandar Baru Megong, Taman Keranji Fasa 2 and Fasa 4 and Taman Mahsuri and Taman Rambai Lot 4932. The residential projects underway are Desa Aman Kulim developed by Mulpha International Bhd mainly for the executives working in the Kulim Hi-Tech Park and the 1,200 residential units within Ambangan Heights in Bandar Aman Jaya, Sungai Petani by Syarikat Permodalan Kebangsaan Berhad (SPK).

The year 2004 saw SPK launching 600 semi-detached residential units and many more such houses in latter years.

Meanwhile, Darulaman Realty Sdn Bhd launched its RM500 million project in Sungai Petani named Darulaman Perdana.

Industrial Properties

Kedah has around 25 industrial properties including the 1,000 acre industrial park in Mergong, Alor Setar and the Kulim Hi-Tech Park, the first high-technology industrial park in Malaysia. It is also known as the ‘Science City Of The Future’. View more