GEORGE TOWN: Penang has officially gazetted amendments to municipal boundaries, expanding the limits of 10 existing towns and creating 25 new towns across the state.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the decision was made through the Penang State Government Gazette dated September 4, 2025, in line with Sections 11(ca) and 11(d) of the National Land Code (Act 828).
He stated that the amendment involves more than 210,000 land titles and 184,000 strata titles, which will be reclassified according to the new land status.
Chow explained that this step is crucial to realign land classification throughout the state in tandem with the rapid pace of economic and social development in these areas.
Following the gazettement, Penang now has a total of 42 towns comprising 10 with expanded boundaries, 25 newly established towns and seven towns with unchanged boundaries.
The Chief Minister noted that the last gazettement of municipal boundaries was in 1966, and since then, many areas that were still designated as villages had grown rapidly.
He specifically mentioned Bayan Baru, Bukit Jambul, Seberang Jaya, Bandar Perda, Bandar Cassia, Simpang Ampat, Telok Air Tawar and Bertam as areas that have experienced significant development.
Based on the urban hierarchy, George Town remains designated as the State Capital, while seven areas are classified as major towns.
These major towns include Balik Pulau, Batu Kawan-Cassia, Bayan Baru, Bukit Mertajam, Butterworth, Kepala Batas and Nibong Tebal.
Chow added that 31 other areas across the state have been gazetted as local towns, including Batu Ferringhi, Tanjong Bungah, Tanjung Pinang, Ayer Itam, Bayan Lepas, Bertam, Tasek Gelugor, Telok Air Tawar, Seberang Jaya, Prai, Simpang Ampat, Sungai Bakap, Juru and Jawi.
He explained that according to PLANMalaysia, 11 criteria were used as the basis for town boundary demarcation, including population size, topography, environmentally sensitive areas, committed development and socio-economic potential.
Through this boundary revision, the state government is confident of strengthening the land and tax management system to ensure more organised development.
The Chief Minister added that the amendments also involve changes to land tax and parcel tax rates, which will take effect from 2026 in line with the change in land status from rural to urban.
However, he said the state government has agreed to defer the implementation of new strata parcel tax rates affecting more than 184,000 titles until 2027 to ease the burden on property owners. – Bernama
