PENANG HOW NOW: STREETS OF HARMONY BUKIT MERTAJAM

Bukit Mertajam (BM) is a hinterland at the feet of Mertajam hill and has been an agricultural centre since the 1800s under the British. Sugarcanes, palm oil and rubber are the main produce that has contributed to the economic growth in BM. The township was once a transportation hub, with roads and railway tracks that connects the north (Bangkok) to the south (Singapore), and a railway connection to Perai Port in between. The population in BM has grown substantially since the 1850s, with an influx of labourers brought in to work on the fields and estates. Oral history has recorded the Mertajam Hill as the direction marker for many settlers as they got off their boats on Sungai Juru and Sungai Rambai, looking for a place to call home.
As communities are settling in BM, houses of worship for various religions were established as a community centre, a gathering place and an avenue for spiritual fulfilment & sense of belonging for each one's respective community. The 9 houses of worship highlighted in Streets of Harmony Bukit Mertajam is the reflection of the early settlement history in BM old town since the 19th century. The early community demography in BM old town comprised of the Malays, Chinese, Indians and Siamese. The wet market on Jalan Pasar is the point where all communities would intersect and cross-interact with one another. The streets of the old town had witnessed a variety of religious rituals and procession like Pangguni Utthiram, Feast of St. Anne and Hungry Ghost Festival. All of these rituals are still practiced today and are attracting devotees from all around Malaysia.
The center of BM is a town beautifully frozen in time, coloured with historical buildings, religious houses and vibrant cultural traditions. With the rise of urbanization all around the world, BM is a diamond waiting to be discovered.

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