Glugor (Gelugor), Penang

The Light Linear Park in Gelugor, Penang (30 January 2022)


Gelugor (GPS: 5.38003, 100.30785; Tamil: குளுகோர்) is an area of Penang Island located immediately outside George Town. Until the 1960's, the city limits of George Town ends at the Glugor Roundabout. Gelugor itself is said to start from that roundabout. Gelugor includes the Malay settlements of Sungai Gelugor, and the hilly area called Bukit Gelugor. The Gelugor postcode zone encompasses an even wider area that includes Minden Heights, Batu Uban, Pantai Jerejak, Sungai Nibong and Sungai Dua.

In 2019, the Penang State Government decides to revert to the gazetted spelling of Glugor, but "Gelugor" remains the popular choice of many.

Gelugor was first cleared and developed for agriculture - coconut groves and cow herding - by David Brown, whose estate covers much of the land in the central east coast of the island. The people living there comprised Indians who were estate workers for Brown, and the Malays in the traditional estuarine settlement of Sungai Gelugor.

Location of Gelugor

Measured from the Gelugor Roundabout (GPS: 5.37995, 100.30793), Gelugor is 7.3 km to Komtar, 5.6 km to the Penang Bridge, 13.6 km to the Second Penang Bridge and 11.2 km to the Penang International Airport.

Videos about Gelugor

Map of Gelugor, Penang

Chinese Temples in Gelugor

Sights in alphabetical order

Amenities in Gelugor

Apartments and condominiums in Gelugor

Commercial Properties

Hindu Temples in Gelugor

Landed Residential Properties

Low-, Medium-Cost & Affordable Residential Properties

Markets in Gelugor

Mosques in Gelugor

Neighbourhoods and Housing Estates in Gelugor

Office Buildings in Gelugor

Petrol Stations in Gelugor

Restaurants patronized by Food Universe Members in Gelugor

Private clinics in Gelugor

Sights in Gelugor

Streets in Gelugor

Roundabouts in Gelugor

About Gelugor

In the 20th century, the land in Gelugor was gradually converted from agriculture for other uses. Nevertheless as late as the mid 1950's, Gelugor was still a rural part of Penang. An army camp was set up at the southern part of Sungai Gelugor. In the late 1960's, Malaysia's second university, USM, was established in Gelugor, in an area to be known as Minden, which was also part of the army camp.

When Bukit Gelugor was developed for housing, many who bought there considered the place "out of town". An enclave was created for government housing, and was named Brown Garden, to commemorate the original land owner. Other parts of Bukit Gelugor became government land, and government quarters were built at Hilir Pemancar, along with a transmission station.

The grazing land and animal husbandry dwindled in size into a few pockets within Gelugor, the last significant remainder of David Brown's legacy being Kampung Buah Pala, a traditional Indian village that endured to as recent as 2009.

The affluent neighborhood of Minden Heights and the whole area of Universiti Sains Malaysia are all within Gelugor. Gelugor proper ends at Batu Uban, and from there Sungai Nibong begins. However, the Gelugor postal code includes all of Sungai Nibong Besar, Pantai Jerejak, Pesta Site, as well as the residential neighborhoods of Lip Sin Garden, Taman Pekaka and parts of Bukit Jambul.

Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah is the main thoroughfare in Gelugor. The Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway and Jalan Bukit Gambir are the auxiliary arteries allowing traffic to bypass Gelugor. The town of Gelugor is nothing more than a few shophouses along Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, and is centred near the Brown Garden junction, close to Masjid Jamek Sungai Gelugor.

Until development reached Gelugor in the late 1960's, the area was inhabited mostly by Malays and Tamils. The Indians, whose primary occupation was cattle breeding, called this area Perai Tholam, meaning Large Estate. One can still see traces of the early Tamil settlements in Gelugor through the Hindu shrines along the road. The biggest has been made a proper temple called Sri Veerama Kaliamman Devasthanam.

The Penang Aquarium, operated by the Fisheries Department, used to be located in Gelugor in the 1970s. It was closed down following the discovery of cracks. A new Penang Aquarium had since been opened by the department in Batu Maung.

Updates on Gelugor

9 May, 2019
The Star Penang state executive member Zairil Khir Johari announced that the Bahasa Malaysia spelling various places in Penang will be changed back to the gazetted. Penang Travel Tips likewise makes this update to its pages, updating "Gelugor" to "Gelugor". Some entities will continue to bear the spelling "Gelugor" if they were spelled that way from their founding. ref

Getting to Gelugor by public transport

Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah is the main artery through Gelugor. Rapid Penang bus 102, 206, 301, 302, 303, 304 and 401 pass through this road.

For long-distance buses, the Sungai Nibong Express Bus Terminal provides connection with all major towns on the mainland.

Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway in Gelugor (12 March 2013)


The Light Waterfront, the new face of Gelugor (9 March 2013)


Flat Koperasi Sungai Gelugor aka Kampungku, the old face of Gelugor (27 October 2012)


View of Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah in Gelugor (27 October 2012)


Sri Veerama Kaliamman Devasthanam, the biggest Hindu temple in Gelugor (27 October 2012)

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Disclaimer

Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.