“Bagan” means pier in Bahasa Melayu, an old name locals gave to the Butterworth port and its adjoining town area which has been around since the early 19th century.
Today, the names Bagan and Butterworth are used interchangeably, with the area often romanticised by Penangites like what Kowloon is to Hong Kong.
This comes as no surprise as the island and mainland are only 3km apart at the narrowest point of the separating channel.
There are no junk ships a la Hong Kong, but the channel is home to the iconic ferry service, a busy container port, fast trains and a bus terminal bursting at its seams.
It is also home to Apollo, touted as Penang’s busiest market, and the Butterworth air base.
One of the market’s businessmen who wanted to be known as Ah Seng, 60, said things had changed for the better in Butterworth over the past 10 years.
He said the streets were cleaner, with the Apollo market spruced up, thanks to the current state government.
“Our drains are clean, rubbish is collected on time, and business is good. No complaints,” he told FMT.
Staging ground for DAP
Politically, Butterworth town is under the Bagan parliamentary seat, which is seen as a staging ground for DAP’s strength in Penang’s politics.
That strength is often measured in the form of die-hard supporters of DAP, who voted for a parliamentarian from the party for the past seven elections.
In the past, the state seats of Bagan Dalam, Bagan Jermal and Sungai Puyu were hit and miss for DAP, with the party losing out to Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates.
But DAP solidified its grip on Bagan during the 2008 opposition tsunami, sweeping all three state seats. Now, it appears unlikely that any BN candidate will be able to swim against the tide and regain power there.
Bagan Jermal and Sungai Puyu are currently served by two Penang executive councillors.
Another wow factor for Bagan is none other than its incumbent two-term MP, Lim Guan Eng, who is Penang chief minister and DAP secretary-general.
Lim won the seat with a staggering 34,159-vote majority in the 2013 polls. He had won with a 22,070-vote majority in the 2008 polls.
Those taking on DAP are often likened to David, from the David vs Goliath legend. Ironically, the candidate who stood in the last polls in Bagan was MCA’s David Chua.
Economic boom
Speaking to FMT, Lim said over the past 10 years, Bagan had seen a revival and vast economic improvements. There had also been an influx of tourists, mostly Thais and locals.
He said at the pinnacle of Bagan’s growth is Jalan Raja Uda, a 4.5km road with shophouses on both sides.
The state government had upgraded the existing roads to open up four lanes to keep up with the popularity of Jalan Raja Uda, he added.
“You seldom see a 4km stretch where both sides are filled with shophouses. There are all sorts of businesses there. It is a major hotspot in mainland Penang.
“It is one place where land is also scarce. Any houses built near there are snapped up very quickly.”
Lim said the Penang government had placed a lot of emphasis on Bagan, making it cleaner, upgrading the back lanes and opening more parks.
He said urban renewal was part of the initiative by the state and local municipality to make Bagan more liveable.
With the aid of Think City, he added, an art and culture hub had also been conceptualised for Butterworth.
Think City is a special project vehicle established by Khazanah Nasional Berhad to transform George Town into a culturally vibrant and sustainable city.
“We are also building the largest banquet hall on the mainland where you can fit 400 tables,” Lim said.
He said the Penang government had also offered a 8ha piece of prime riverfront land for non-Muslim places of worship at a special rate in Ampang Jajar, Butterworth.
According to Lim, the state had received overwhelming response for the land, with over 60 applicants for the 32 pieces of land on offer.
Ferry service
On the weaknesses of Butterworth, Lim said some matters were out of his control. For example, he said, the ferry services between the mainland and George Town were extremely poor despite the federal government-linked Prasarana taking over the services.
Despite talk of launching catamaran services, nothing has taken off yet.
“The last two very severe jams on the bridges go to highlight how important (an undersea) tunnel is.
“But in the absence of a tunnel, a proper ferry service would alleviate traffic. But that too cannot be done properly. We are vomiting blood because of the horrid service,” Lim said.
“If you want to see how Penang would be run if BN takes over, just look at the ferry service.
“See how it is run and you can see what a future under BN will look like. It was bad 10 years ago, and it is worse now.”
When asked if he would contest in Bagan again in the coming election, Lim said anything was possible.
“It all depends on the party to decide. This type of election, it is all about positioning… it is part of political strategising. Anything can change at the last minute. But at the moment, it is likely I will contest in Bagan.”
MCA: DAP has done nothing
MCA’s hopeful, Tan Chuan Hong, is eager to face off with Lim, saying DAP has rested on its laurels for the past 10 years, doing “nothing for the people”.
Tan, who is Penang MCA organising secretary, said Lim’s government had not helped create jobs in the larger Bagan area.
He said to create a booming economy in Bagan, there needs to be a catalyst for new small and medium industries and enterprises. This would provide more jobs for the people there, he added.
“If I stand in Bagan, I will help create more jobs and more business opportunities,” said the insurance agency owner who has been operating for 25 years.
Tan said the Bagan electorate had “given DAP a chance” in the last two polls.
“But after years of not doing anything at all, the voters must think again. What actual changes can we see in Bagan?”
Tan, who was born and bred in Butterworth, said it would be an honour to represent his hometown if he was selected to contest.
“I love it here. That is why I want to do something for the people of my hometown.
“The voters of Penang are smart and they know if their YBs (elected reps) are doing their work properly.”
In the last polls, Bagan had 68,503 voters, 70% of them Chinese, 15% Indians and 15% Malays.
The area is currently served by three DAP assemblymen: Phee Boon Poh in Sungai Puyu, Lim Hock Seng in Bagan Jermal and A Tanasekharan in Bagan Dalam.