Balik Pulau

For the federal constituency represented in the Malaysian Parliament, see Balik Pulau (federal constituency).
Balik Pulau
Suburb of George Town and district capital
Other transcription(s)
 • Mandarin浮罗山背 (Simplified)
浮羅山背 (Traditional)
Fú luó shān bèi (Pinyin)
 • Hokkien浮羅
Phû-lô (Tâi-lô)
 • Tamilபாலிக் புலாவ்
Pālik pulāv (Transliteration)
Map
Balik Pulau is located in Central George Town, Penang
Balik Pulau
Balik Pulau
Location within    George Town in    Penang
Coordinates: 5°21′N 100°14′E / 5.350°N 100.233°E / 5.350; 100.233
Country Malaysia
State Penang
City George Town
Founded1794
Government
 • Local governmentPenang Island City Council
 • Mayor of Penang IslandRajendran P. Anthony
 • Pulau Betong State AssemblymanMohamad Shukor Zakariah (PAS)
 • Balik Pulau Member of ParliamentMuhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (PKR)
Area
 • Total0.1 km2 (0.04 sq mi)
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Total109
 • Density1,100/km2 (2,800/sq mi)
Demographics
[1]
 • Ethnic groups
Time zoneUTC+8 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)Not observed
Postal code
11000
Area code(s)+6048
Websitewww.mbpp.gov.my

Balik Pulau is a suburb of George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. Located 12.7 km (7.9 mi) southwest of the city centre, it lies near the southwestern corner of Penang Island and is also the administrative seat of the island's Southwest district.

The agricultural town of Balik Pulau was established in 1794 by the British East India Company. To this day, the economy of Balik Pulau still relies heavily on agriculture; Penang's most famous produce, including nutmegs, cloves and durians, are grown and harvested in the town.[2][3] These have also contributed to the town's growing tourism sector; Balik Pulau's reputation for its wide variety of durians, for instance, attracts hordes of tourists between May and August each year.[4][5][6]

While Balik Pulau is generally seen as quieter in comparison to the bustling city centre on the other side of the island, urbanisation has also reached the town in recent years, with more residential developments being planned within the area.[7]

  1. ^ a b "MyCensus 2020: Mukim/Town/Pekan". Department of Statistics Malaysia. Putrajaya: 174–175. February 2024. ISBN 9789672537069.
  2. ^ II, Administrator. "The Back of the Island - Balik Pulau". www.visitpenang.gov.my. Archived from the original on 2017-04-20. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  3. ^ "myPenang - A Day in Balik Pulau". mypenang.gov.my. Archived from the original on 2017-03-15. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  4. ^ jalmsab@st (2015-07-13). "Forget D24 and Maoshan, try kampong durians in Penang". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  5. ^ Marco Ferrarese. "9 reasons Penang will rock your socks off". CNN. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  6. ^ "From jungle durians to a tour, our pick of farms to visit in Balik Pulau". 2015-06-28. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  7. ^ "RM20bil projects in Penang S-W district - Business News | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2017-03-15.