History of Bukit Mertajam

Briefly translated and modified from source: 王琛发 (2008), 大山脚历史，Zoom Penang. URL: http://zoompg.com.my/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=32, retrieved 19 June 2012. 

Brief History

Bukit Mertajam is town in the Malaysian state of Penang, located in Central Seberang Perai, with the Chinese community forming the majority of the total population. Jit Sin High School is one of the top performing schools in Malaysia. The town is also famed for the St. Anne’s Catholic Church, with its annual St. Anne’s Novena and Feast being held every year at the end of July which attracts thousands of devotees from all around the country.

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 has been early settlement of Bukit Mertajam some 1500 years ago in the 5^th 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.

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 community, with the Pek Kong Temple as a town core while the shops, markets and bazaars radiating around the temple.

The Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple along Pasar Road not only serves as a centre for Chinese folk religious worship, but also functions as an administrative body for the Chinese community, which consists of four clan associations. At that time, the temple community is responsible for the economic and social welfare of the Chinese community including schools, graveyards, events, social activities, and properties.

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.

Antiquity

In the Malay archipelago during the 1^st and 6^th century is known as the Indian cultural era in which Malay kingdoms at that time embraced Hinduism. Evidence arising from the discovery of the Cheork Tokun Relics has shown that the early settlers of Bukit Mertajam have Hindu influence.

The Indians have long discovered the Malay Peninsula. In Indian literature which is known as the Ramayana text, they had referred to the Malay Peninsula as Suvarnabhumi (Land of Gold). During the 3rd century AD, the Indians begin to trade in the Malay Archipelago regions. These traders are mainly from the Southern Indian kingdom of Chola and Pallava. Soon the Kedah plain has large influences of Hinduism and Buddhism with the construction of many temples and candis. Kedah kingdom had been the trading hub and centre of Hindu civilization in the Malay Archipelago region. Paddy is mainly cultivated in Bukit Mertajam during that period.

The region of Bukit Mertajam is followed by Thai influence during the 18^th century. During this era, Bukit Mertajam existed as a quaint Malay village which is based on paddy cultivation. However, these villagers were either persecuted by the Siamese or had fled.

Early Discovery

According to the Huizhou clan association, the town’s history can be traced back to 1822 when the immigrants from Huizhou begin to settle in Penang, involving in farming. Agriculture was once a major industry in Penang.

When Sir Francis Light discovered Penang in 1786, Penang has become a centre for spice trade in the East Indies to supply the European market. Then there was a ten-year conflict between the Dutch and the British in South-east Asia. In order to dominate the spice trade and prevent from further and supply disruptions, the British has started the cultivation of spice in British colonial settlements like Province Wellesley.

Major Forbes Ross MacDonald was the superintendent of Prince of Wales Island (Penang Island) in 1799. In his report, he brought in the Huizhou people and assisted them by providing transportation to travel to Penang from their homeland, land for cultivation, housing and social welfare. This has opened up the floodgates for more Chinese to venture into farming in Province Wellesley. At that time, many people in the Huizhou region in China suffered from famine, drought and violence due to land disputes. People from Huizhou came to Penang to look for greener pastures.

In June 1800, the Huizhou people began to settle within the vicinity of the present day Bukit Mertajam. Earlier in that year, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Prince of Wales Island, Sir George Alexander William Leith, had negotiated a further treaty with the Sultan of Kedah for the cession for a strip of land in Kedah in the mainland which is later known as Province Wellesley. Province Wellesley is named after Richard Wellesley, the Governor-General of India.

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.

It is known that during the 19^th century Bukit Mertajam is the largest producer of granite in the Northern region. At that time, the quarrying areas in the town are the areas surrounding St. Anne’s Church and Berapit. Granite was used to construct the Penang prison in the island. They were transported by ferrying the rocks across the sea. Huizhou people had been dominating the granite quarrying industry until the Second World War.

During the 1930’s the Chinese began mass plantation of sugarcane in Bukit Mertajam as a source of sucrose to be exported to England. Sugarcane plantations are concentrated in key areas in Bukit Mertajam surrounding the town area and Bukit Mertajam High School near the railway tracks.

The rivers and streams that flow from the Bukit Mertajam hill into the low plains are now replaced by the large urban drainage systems to cope with the large amount of storm water. Around the newly built temple which is constructed along the river bank, the Huizhou people first settled as farmers in hilly terrains, farming lands, as well as hills. The marketplace is established with hillocks surrounding the valley with the river flowing through the centre.

The region surrounding Bukit Mertajam during the spice trade era in the 19^th 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 were the main harbour that served the town. There was no land transportation that connects the town, except mud roads that lead to Butterworth. Therefore, all trades and products such as spices and granites have to be transported through the river.

Early Development

Records have shown the demographics of Seberang Perai in 1861, which at that time has a total population of 64000. Ethnic breakdown is as follows: Europeans 76, Malays 56236, Chinese 7204, Indians 3515 and Siamese 186. Majority of Malays settle in the northern portion of Seberang Perai as fisherman and farmers, while the Bengalis involve in the livestock industry. Many Chinese conduct business in the town areas, especially in Bukit Mertajam.

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 is the main production in Bukit Mertajam.

With the rapid development and improvement of the transportation system, the population of the town increased dramatically. The first Malay vernacular school was set up in 1800 in Cherok Tokun. Another Malay school was opened in Sungai Rambai 3 years later. The first Chinese vernacular school, Jit Sin School, was opened in 3 March 1918. Jit Sin School was first established by the Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple committee along Jalan Pasar. Hock Teik Cheng Sin had purchased 120,000 dollars worth of land for the building of the school. Bukit Mertajam High School was first opened in 1927, the Convent school was founded in 1931, while Kim Sen School was established in 1939.

The first motorcar in Bukit Mertajam was in 1920. By 1930, there are 15 private motorcars owned by the residents of Bukit Mertajam.

Development had been slow before the Second World War. In 18 December 1941, the Japanese troops attacked Pearl Harbour with Indochina as their military base. Japanese troops first landed in Kota Bharu, Songkhla and Pattani by sea in the same year and then travelled by land to conquer Malaya. 

On 17^th December Japanese troops conquered Penang, and at the same time Bukit Mertajam was also affected. 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 uses 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. Development was rapid. Entertainment such as Cinemas and theatres and were opened between 1956 and 1957.

There is significant urbanisation of the town in 1957 which started as a village and later developed into a major urban area. Recent development is followed by establishment of new townships such as Taman Sri Rambai, Taman Kota Permai, Taman Desa Damai, Taman Alma, Taman Sentosa, Taman Bukit and Taman Tenang and Taman Mutiara.

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.