Seberang Perai

Seberang Perai is a city in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located on the Malay Peninsula and separated from Penang Island by the Penang Strait, it shares borders with Kedah to the north and east and Perak to the south. The city spans an area of 748 km² (289 sq mi) and had a population of 946,092 as of 2020^[update], making it the third largest city in Malaysia.

Originally a part of Kedah, the territory containing the city was ceded to the British East India Company in 1800. It was named Province Wellesley and has been administered as part of Penang ever since. The territory became a centre for cash crop agriculture, while the development of new towns such as Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam followed with the advent of roads and railways towards the end of the 19th century.

After Malaya's independence, Seberang Perai benefitted from the development spillover from George Town. The Port of Penang, the third busiest seaport in the country, was relocated to the municipality in 1974, bolstering its industrial-based economy that has attracted numerous multinational companies. Two road bridges were constructed to physically connect Seberang Perai with George Town, complementing an existing ferry service between the two cities. Penang Sentral, a new transit-oriented development, has strengthened Seberang Perai's role as the logistics hub of northwestern Malaysia. Following decades of rapid urbanisation and infrastructural developments, Seberang Perai was conferred city status in 2019.

Seberang Perai was originally named Province Wellesley after Richard Wellesley, who was the Governor-General of India when the territory was acquired by the British East India Company (EIC) in 1800. The term "Seberang Perai" is believed to have emerged from a local expression used to refer to the northern banks of the Perai River. After the acquisition of Province Wellesley, the river became the boundary between British-held territory to the south and Kedah to the north. Seberang means "the other side" in Malay. The Thai word plāi (Thai: ปลาย), meaning "the end", referred to the southern limits of Kedah, which were formed by the river.

The Hokkiens referred to the northern banks of the river as koay kang, which means "across the river". At the time, passengers from George Town would land at Perai and cross the river to get to Butterworth and the hinterland beyond. The term koay kang coincides with the Malay name Seberang Perai.

British East India Company 1800–1858
British Raj 1858–1867
Straits Settlements 1826–1941; 1945–1946
Empire of Japan 1941–1945
Malayan Union 1946–1948
Federation of Malaya 1948–1963
Malaysia 1963–present

Seberang Perai bears evidence of human habitation during the Neolithic era. The site of Guar Kepah, located on the southern banks of the Muda River, is home to human remains found in shell middens that indicate the settlement of the area in that period. Guar Kepah remains the only known example of coastal adaptation among Neolithic humans in Malaysia.

Seberang Perai was once a part of the Bujang Valley civilisation. The Mahanavika Buddhagupta plaque and the Cherok Tok Kun megalith, found at Bukit Mertajam, both indicate significant Hindu influence at the area between the 5th and 6th centuries.