Balik Pulau (literally meaning back of the island) is a town in
Penang, Malaysia. Durians and other kinds of fruits are planted there. Balik
Pulau is famous for its durian plantations which include the 'ang heh' (meaning
red prawns) and 'holo' (meaning gourd like) variety. The area was affected by
the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
Balik Pulau is also one of the thirteen parliamentary
constituencies in Penang, possibly the largest in land size, stretching about
half of Penang Island, from Batu Feringhi (famous for modern resorts and
beaches) at its north to Teluk Kumbar (traditionally a fishing village but now
a booming town close to Bayan Lepas) at its south.
Modern Balik Pulau is a self-sufficient township, serving the
greater Southwest District (Daerah Barat Daya), one of the five districts in
the state of Penang with basic municipal facilities including a hospital, a
police headquarters, a fire station, a post office (postcode: 11000), a TNB
power station, a TM telecommunications station, a PBA water authority office, a
provincial court, an Islamic Syariah court, a government-owned Bank Simpanan
Nasional (BSN), a bus station and a new big wet market complex and food court
(opened in December 2007 to replace the much smaller older market located less
than 500 metres away), all within a 5-minute driving distance from its
three-junction town centre (an subtown area called "Kongsi"). Taman
Pondok Upeh is teres housing located near Maktab Rendah Sains MARA Balik Pulau
(MRSM BP).
Balik Pulau is also home to several schools and higher learning
institutions. Among the secondary schools located around Balik Pulau are SK
Saint George, SK Kongsi, SK Balik Pulau, SK Genting, SK Pulau Betong, Maktab
Rendah Sains MARA (MRSM), SMK Seri, SMK St. George, SMJK (C ) Sacred Heart and
many other primary and secondary schools. A new international secondary school,
the Prince of Wales Island International School, will be opening in September
2011 on the outskirts of the town. Its higher learning institutions include
Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi MARA (KKTM), Kolej Teknologi Pulau (KTP) and there is also
a Tourism University being developed near its western coast of Pantai Acheh.
Commerce-wise, the town has several major banks (Ambank, Maybank
and CIMB), many Indian Muslim restaurants operating since very long time like
Restoran Kalik including at least three Indian-Muslim Nasi Kandar outlets
operating around the clock (24x7: one at Kongsi (Bharvin), one at Taman Indah
(Habeeb Mohamed) and another (Bharvin) at Simpang Empat), two 24-hour
convenience shop (7-eleven), at least three petrol stations (two Petronas and
one Shell), several clinics and various types of shops supporting its local
residents numbering around 50,000 (or 38,610 qualified voters as of March
2008), many of whom however commute daily to towns like Ayer Itam, Georgetown
and Bayan Lepas to work. Broadband Internet connectivity is available from
TMNET (DSL), and all major mobile providers (3G and GPRS Edge).
Besides great food and breathtaking sightings (from the three
major roads connecting the town to other parts of the island), another attraction
for visitors include its remote beaches at Pantai Pasir Panjang at its south
and Pantai Kerechut at its north, two rather clean and normally quiet beaches.
Pantai Pasir Panjang which is located near the tiny Pulau Betong Island, had
witness the terrible tsunami that happened in 2004. The beach also hosts the
White Resort Camp, which is the National Service Training Centre ("Pusat
Latihan Khidmat Negara (PLKN)") for selected secondary school graduates.
Most famous in Balik Pulau are Laksa
Jangus & Durians with several of brands.
