Kuantan

Kuantan is the state capital of Pahang, the 3rd largest state in Malaysia. It is situated near the mouth of the Kuantan River and faces the South China Sea. If one measures the distance along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it is located roughly halfway between Singapore and Kota Bharu. Kuantan is the 9th largest city in Malaysia.

Recently, the National Physical Plan 2005 identified Kuantan as one of the future growth centres and a hub for trade, commerce, transportation and tourism. Kuantan is also considered as the social, economic and commercial hub for the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia due to its strategic location. Rapid development has transformed and modernized Kuantan. Since 2005, Kuantan has had many development projects across the city, including Putra Square, Mahkota Square, Bukit Gambang Water Resort, Kuantan Sentral, Pahang Tech Park and Kuantan Port City under the Kuantan District Locality Plan 2004-2015. Recently, the introduction of Malaysia's first Special Economic Zone (SEZ) located at Kuantan is designed to boost the regional economy, tourism and growth. In an effort to catalyse the growth of the Kuantan Metropolitan Precinct, the government has sited a petroleum manufacturing area in Pekan, a neighbouring town of Kuantan.