Bukit Mertajam - History

History

As a major town in Central Seberang Perai, Bukit Mertajam serves as one of the many economic hubs in the northern region. Hundred years ago, Bukit Mertajam is merely a barren wasteland filled with wild animals and swampy marshlands infested with crocodiles.

Although so far there is no complete written record on the early settlement of Bukit Mertajam, archeologists had recently discovered much evidence on the antiquity of the town.

According to archeological findings, there had been early settlement of Bukit Mertajam some 1500 years ago in the 5th century based on the discovery of the Cherok Tokun Relics, which is a stone tablet carved with ancient Sanskrit writings, which is now displayed in the church grounds of the St. Anne’s Church along Kulim Road. During the Kedah kingdom in the 3rd century with heavy influence of Hinduism, paddy was largely cultivated in Bukit Mertajam.

The town’s history can be traced back to 1822 when the immigrants from Huizhou, Guangdong, China began to settle in Penang, involving in farming. Agriculture was once a major industry in Penang. When Penang had become a centre for spice trade in the East Indies to supply the European market, the Huizhou people started cultivation of spice in British colonial settlements in Province Wellesley. Before East India Company gained control of Province Wellesley, the Chinese had already begun their sugarcane plantation in Batu Kawan. In 1800, seeing the high demand of herbs and spices in Europe, the British had encouraged the residents of Bukit Mertajam to grow various spices such as pepper, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. Besides agriculture, the residents of Bukit Mertajam begin to engage in alternative income such as quarrying. Bukit Mertajam was the largest producer of granite in the Northern region of Peninsula Malaysia. Granite was used as a construction material for the Penang Prison in Penang island.

The region surrounding Bukit Mertajam during the spice trade era in the 19th century is only accessible by boat and junk. Sungai Juru and Sungai Rambai was the main transportation waterway in the town, with Sungai Rambai and Padang Lalang regions as the main pier that served the town. There was no land transportation that connects the town.

Based on the early Chinese settlers of Bukit Mertajam, the urban planning of the old section of the town was established in 1886 by the Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple Committee, with the Pek Kong Temple as a town core while the shops, markets and bazaars radiating around the temple. The Chinese community in Bukit Mertajam is mostly from the Teochew clan. They hail mostly from Huizhou, Guangdong, China and speaks the Teochew dialect. The Teochews once made up nearly half of the total population in Seberang Perai.

In 1899, rubber plantation has replaced the sugarcane plantation. During that time, the railway system that connects Prai, Nibong Tebal and Bukit Mertajam has been completed. The railway track which connects Kuala Lumpur and Singapore has been completed in 1909, making railway as the main transportation system. In 1914, rubber was the main production in Bukit Mertajam.

With the rapid development and improvement of the transportation system, the population of the town increased dramatically, with the first Malay school opened in Cherok Tok Kun in 1900. The first Chinese vernacular school, Jit Sin School, was opened in 3 March 1918, which was established by the Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple committee along Jalan Pasar. Bukit Mertajam High School was first opened in 1927, the Convent school was founded in 1931, while Kim Sen School was established in 1939.

Development had been slow before the Second World War. Before the British retreat in 1941 the railway station in Bukit Mertajam had been blown up. The railway station was constructed again in 1942 by the Japanese and used Bukit Mertajam High School as a military base. At that time, Bukit Mertajam High School was forced to close down.

After the Second World War had ended in 1945, Bukit Mertajam had been a thriving town with bustling of business activities and trade. There was a rapid urbanization of the town in 1957. The new hospital along Kulim Road was built in 1960; the new post office was built in 1968, while the new train station was built in 1983. Today, Bukit Mertajam is one of the trading and economic hubs in the northern region in Peninsular Malaysia.