Macalister Road, George Town, Penang (7 December 2009)
Macalister Road, or
Jalan Macalister (Traditional/Simplified Chinese: 中路,
Penang Hokkien: Teong3 Lor33), is one of the main thoroughfares radiating out of
George Town, Penang. It was named after Colonel Norman Macalister. A confidante to
Captain Francis Light, Colonel Macalister served as Governor of Penang from 1807 to 1811.
Macalister Road was built in stages to eventually achieve its present length. For much of the first hundred years of its existence, it was a dirt track out of George Town. It starts at
Magazine Circus, the six-point junction (with
Gladstone Road removed, now there's only five points to the junction) in front of present-day
Komtar, and ends at
Jalan Utama.
As with all main roads in Penang, Macalister Road follows a complicated traffic flow. From Komtar to
Anson Road, traffic flows both ways. From Anson Road to
Perak Road, it flows eastward. From Perak Road to
Residency Road, it flows westward while from Residency Road to Western Road, it again flows eastward.
The character of Macalister Road is as diverse as its traffic flow. From Komtar to Anson Road, it is a concrete jungle with trees and built-up area close to the road. Within this section is the former
King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, the
Menara JKP and the
Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall. Roads branching out on both sides on the stretch are
Macalister Lane,
New Lane,
Kinta Lane,
Madras Lane,
Kek Chuan Road,
Jalan Zainul Abidin,
Lorong Susu,
Lorong Selamat,
Rangoon Road,
Naning Street,
Aboo Sittee Lane and
Krian Road.
Macalister Road becomes increasingly leafy beyond the Anson Road junction. Tall Angsana trees (
Pterocarpus indicus), a Penang living heritage, were planted along Macalister Road by Charles Curtis, curator of the
Penang Botanic Gardens in the late 19th century. The famous Sisters
Char Koay Teow is located near the junction with Perak Road.
Macalister Road is a thoroughfare between Perak Road and Residency Road.
YMCA and
Island Hospital are located on this stretch. Roads branching from Macalister Road on this stretch include
Halaman Macalister,
Jalan Barnett and
Jalan Adams. The famous
Baobab Tree 
tree planted by Captain Speedy is at the junction of Residency Road.
The final stretch of Macalister Road is also a fast-speed thoroughfare, but runs in oppose direction from the earlier stretch. The official residence of the Penang Chief Minister,
Sri Teratai, is located here, as is the
St George's Girls School. Two Buddhist welfare associations,
Tzu Chi and
Che Hoon Khor, are also found along this stretch.
Condominiums along Macalister Road
Petrol stations along Macalister Road
- Petron Jalan Macalister (5.41616, 100.32357)

Hotels along Macalister Road
Sights along Macalister Road
Between Komtar and Anson Road
Between Anson Road and Residency Road
Between Residency Road and Western Road
Eateries along Macalister Road
- Craven Cafe (GPS: 5.41414, 100.32838)

- De Wok & Pan Cafe (GPS: 5.41908, 100.31768)

- DeHappy Seafood Restaurant (GPS: 5.415, 100.32719)

- Hin Leong Coffee Shop
- Hong Kong Tea Garden (GPS: 5.41644, 100.32391)

- Hwa Wei Cafe (GPS: 5.41685, 100.32245)

- Kafe Dalong (GPS: 5.41498, 100.32629)

- Kedai Kopi Tien Lai (GPS: 5.41649, 100.32383)

- Kedai Makanan Sin Nam Huat (GPS: 5.41906, 100.31795)

- Kiah Hong Coffee Garden
- Lam Heng Cafe (Sisters Char Koay Teow)
- LK Western & Fruit Tea Cafe (GPS: 5.41625, 100.32433)
- Luk Yea Yan Vegetarian Restaurant
- Mahkota Padang (Yang Sheng Cafe)
- New Lane Hawker Centre (GPS: 5.41488, 100.32662)

- Pelita Nasi Kandar, Macalister Branch (GPS: 5.41618, 100.32452)

- Pinang Delicious Food Court (GPS: 5.4168, 100.32265)

- Restoran Sup Hameed (GPS: 5.41428, 100.32802)

- Restoran Xiang Peng Peng (GPS: 5.417, 100.32273)

- Restoran Zim Sum (GPS: 5.41508, 100.32707)

- Seahorse Cafeteria (GPS: 5.41662, 100.32359)

- Sin Kim Sun Coffee Centre (GPS: 5.41656, 100.3238)

- Sin Yin Nam Cafe (GPS: 5.41492, 100.32638)

- Sri Ananda Bahwan (GPS: 5.41492, 100.32638)

- Sri Moorthy Restaurant (nasi kandar)
- Town Steamboat Restaurant (GPS: 5.41577, 100.32483)

- Yi Garden Cafe (GPS: 5.41632, 100.32416)

- Yi Xiang Bak Kut Teh (GPS: 5.41517, 100.32674)

- Yummy Cottage (GPS: 5.41659, 100.32307)

- ZEST Bar Cafe
Banks along Macalister Road
Hospitals along Macalister Road
Schools along Macalister Road
Mosques along Macalister Road
Churches along Macalister Road
Clinics on Macalister Road
Organisations on Macalister Road
Commercial Properties along Macalister Road
Government Properties along Macalister Road
Schools along Macalister Road
Apartments along Macalister Road
Businesses along Macalister Road
- 7 Eleven Macalister Road (GPS: 5.41612, 100.32462)
- Aegean Flowers & Gifts
- Affin Bank
- Aspial Wedding
- Avion Holidays (travel agency)
- Ban Heang Biscuit Shop (GPS: 5.4167, 100.32342)
- Bank Simpanan Nasional
- Choo Dental Surgery
- Crystal Brides
- Filtered Water Car Wash
- Ghee Hiang (local pastries) (GPS: 5.41784, 100.32164)

- Guang Ming Daily (GPS: 5.41581, 100.32408)

- Happy Mart
- Jigsaw Hair Salon
- K-9 Pets (GPS: 5.41968, 100.3176)
- La Berry Wedding & Decoration (GPS: 5.41715, 100.32187)
- Lite-Glow (lighting store)
- Men's Tailor
- Neighbourhood Pharmacy (GPS: 5.41648, 100.32333)
- Nutrimed Pharmacy
- Passion School of Hair Design
- Pusat Cuci Kereta Automatik (GPS: 5.41594, 100.32534)

- Red Knot Wedding (bridal house)
- Sam Ah Chow & Co.
- Sin Chew Daily (GPS: 5.41592, 100.32396)

- Sin-Pen Travel (GPS: 5.4171, 100.32192)
- Techcom Solutions
Macalister Road, Penang (23 January 2019)
Macalister Road, George Town (30 June 2018)
Updates on Macalister Road
13 June, 2013: A severe thunderstorm caused the spire (lightning arrestor) of Menara UMNO to fall off and crash onto Macalister Road. It killed a lorry attendant Jahir Hussain Sulaiman, 46, and a hawker, Lim Chin Aik, 44, whose car was forced six meters into the ground.
Getting there
Due to its length, several buses pass through Macalister Road. Check the
Rapid Penang Bus Routes to determine the right bus to go to specific stretch of the road. Buses 10,
101,
104 and
304 pass through Macalister Road.
Coffee shop along Macalister Road, at the junction with Jalan Zainul Abidin (25 November 2012)
Loh Guan Lye Specialist Centre (8 December 2009)
King Edward VII Memorial Hospital Building on Macalister Road, today part of the Penang State Museum (3 August 2008)
Copyright ©
2003-2025 Timothy Tye. All Rights Reserved.