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Perai | suburb, city district

Malaysia / Pulau Pinang / Perai /
 suburb, city district

Perai is a suburb within the city of Seberang Perai. It lies at the southern bank of Sungai Perai, opposite Butterworth to the north. Perai is also connected with the island city of George Town via the Penang Bridge.

When the British East india Company acquired Province Wellesley (now Seberang Perai) in 1800, Sungai Perai formed the boundary between British Penang to the south and the Siamese vassal state of Kedah to the north. The river was known as plai (ปลาย) in Thai, marking the southernmost limit of Siamese dominion. The British set up sugarcane plantations at the area, but in the 1890s, a railway was built between Perai and Perak to the south. From then on, Perai became a transit point for commodities that were being shipped to George Town.

In the 1970s, the Penang government established the Perai Free Industrial Zone (FIZ), attracting numerous multinational companies (MNCs) to set up factories within the zone. This, combined with the relocation of the Port of Penang to Perai and Butterworth, as well as the completion of the Penang Bridge in 1985, helped transform Perai's economy into a hub for heavy manufacturing and logistics. The establishment of the Perai FIZ not only led to Perai's rapid development, it also became the catalyst for the construction of the adjacent township of Seberang Jaya.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   5°22'47"N   100°23'51"E
This article was last modified 5 years ago