Once sleepy Kepala Batas now an educational hub and bustling township

Masjid Abdullah Fahim is one of the landmarks in Kepala Batas.– BERNAMA

IT is hard to believe that thefast-evolving Kepala Batas constituency on mainland Penang was once a sleepy one-street town in the 1970s.

The constituency comprising Penaga, Bertam and Pinang Tunggal is becoming a bustling township, thanks in no small part to former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was Kepala Batas MP between 1978 and 2013.

Many higher education institutions have made Kepala Batas their home over the years.

Among them are Mara Skills Training Centre, Industrial Training Institute, Dental Institute, Kepala Batas Community College and Bertam Nursing College.

The town also has its signature dish which is grilled fish with Restoran Ikan Bakar Din in Kampung Permatang Manggis along the federal route to Butterworth well-known for this delicacy.

The restaurant opens only in the afternoons and offers a wide array of seafood. Yet its speciality is daging harimau menangis (crying tiger meat), made from perfectly seasoned grilled juicy beef.

When it comes to issues, many locals interviewed worry about an unstable economy.

Zaidi (right), the Kepala Batas parliamentary seat candidate from Amanah, meeting members of the Chinese community in Bertam, Kepala Batas.

Ooi Chan Sang, 62, who runs a chicken rice stall along Jalan Padang Kelab, grumbled about competition among eateries.

“I am new to this food business. I was a lorry driver for over 40 years till I retired.

Jambatan Merdeka in Kepala Batas, straddling Muda River. — Photos: ASRI ABDUL GHANI and ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

“There is too much competition. Look at all the new food joints opening everywhere,” he said.

Ooi has lived in Kepala Batas all his life and said although his town was relatively safe, it still needed better lit roads as some areas become very dark at night.

(From second left) The four Barisan candidates for the Kepala Batas constituency – Shariful Azhar Othman (Bertam), Roslan Saidin (Pinang Tunggal), Kepala Batas parliamentary seat incumbent Reezal Merican Naina Merican and Mohd Zain Ahmad (Penaga) –walking with supporters to the nomination centre.

Housewife N. Letchimee, 56, said she moved to Kepala Batas after getting married 26 years ago.

“When I first moved here from the island, Kepala Batas was a quiet place but it has since developed quite a bit.

“It is nice but things have become very expensive.

“I have a family of over 10 people. The water and electricity charges are heavy.

PAS candidate for Kepala Batas Siti Mastura Muhammad (green scarf) talking to market traders during her walkabout in Pinang Tunggal.

“Before, food used to be cheaper as well and you needed only a few ringgit to have a meal but now outside food is so expensive.

“I am not sure if this is due to development and more people moving here,” she said.

Pakatan Harapan’s Kepala Batas parliamentary seat candidate Dr Zaidi Zakaria (Amanah) said as a doctor, he felt Kepala Batas Hospital needed to be upgraded to a specialist hospital.

“Penang has only two government-owned specialist hospitals – Penang Hospital and Seberang Jaya Hospital – so there should be another one on the mainland,” he said.

“As there are a lot of senior citizens here, I will also propose a geriatric centre,” said the paediatrician, who works in a private hospital in Bukit Mertajam.