The Kulai District is a district in the state of Johor, Malaysia. Its district capital is Kulai Town. It covers Kulai Town, Ayer Bemban, Bandar Putra Kulai, Bukit Batu, Indahpura, Bandar Baru Kangkar Pulai, Kelapa Sawit, Saleng, Sedenak, Seelong, Senai, and Sengkang. Kulai is also within Iskandar Malaysia economic zone.
Kulai District | |
|---|---|
District of Malaysia | |
| Daerah Kulai | |
| Other transcription(s) | |
| • Jawi | دايره كولاي |
| • Chinese | 古来县 |
| • Tamil | கூலாய் |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Kulai District in Johor | |
 | |
  Kulai District Location of Kulai District in Malaysia | |
| Coordinates: 1°38′51″N 103°37′28″E / 1.6476098°N 103.6245690°E | |
| Country | Malaysia |
| State |  Johor |
| Seat | Kulai |
| Local area government(s) | Kulai Municipal Council |
| Government | |
| • District officer | Haji Mohd Khir Johari bin Salleh |
| Area | |
• Total | 753.75 km2 (291.02 sq mi) |
| Population (2020)[2] | |
• Total | 329,497 |
| • Density | 440/km2 (1,100/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+8 (Not observed) |
| Postcode | 81xxx |
| Calling code | +6-07 |
| Vehicle registration plates | J |
Name
editThe district was formerly a part of the Pulai Valley, which covered Mukim Pulai and the current subdistrict. The name Kulai 龟来 (pinyin: Guīlái), which means turtles are coming, was a Chinese mispronounciation of Pulai. Chinese Hakka peoples led by a man named Huang Guo Mao emigrated to Johor from Qing China during the late 19th century and opened a settlement in the area, and had renamed the place after the influx of turtles coming to the area after heavy flooding.[3]
Geography
editKulai is one of three landlocked districts of Johor (the other two being Kluang and Segamat) with an area of 753.75 km2 (291.02 sq mi), which is slightly smaller than the size of Singapore, a sovereign country situated approximately 12 km (7.5 miles) to the south of the district.[4] It has a population of 223,306 at the 2010 Census (provisional result). It has a mix of urban and rural settlements with a majority of the population settling in towns near Johor Bahru. These population centers, such as Kulai and Senai effectively became suburbs of the greater metropolitan area in Kulai district.
History
edit
The earliest settlement in Kulai is located at Sayong River, now at Bandar Tenggara, which have existed since the Srivijayan era. The Orang Asli settlement at the upstream of Sayong River was the hometown to the Malay Singaporean folklore hero Badang. Badang was the Hulubalang during the reign of Sri Rana Wikrama of the Kingdom of Singapura, a city kingdom prior to the establishment of Sultanate of Malacca. This suggest that the settlement in Sungai Sayong should have been established no later than the 12th century.[5]
In 1548, after the demise of last Sultan of Melaka in exile, Mahmud Shah, his prince Alauddin Shah moved his capital from Kampar, Sumatra to Sayong and established the new Kota Sayong Pinang. Kota Sayong was the first capital of Sultanate of Johor on the peninsular mainland. The Sultan later moved the capital city to Kota Batu at the mouth of Johor River.
The modern district of Kulai was a former sub-district of Johor Bahru. The subdistrict was upgraded to the full district status on 1 January 2008 as District of Kulaijaya.[6] The district is recognised as the state's 9th district.[7] On 28 August 2015, Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Ismail ibni Sultan Iskandar decreed to revert Kulaijaya's name back to its original name.[8][9]
Government
edit
The local authorities of Kulai are Kulai Municipal Council and Iskandar Puteri City Council, the part of southern Kulai, etc.: Kangkar Pulai. Kulai Town also the administry centre of Kulai District and Kulai Municipal Council.
Administrative divisions
edit
Demography
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 245,294 | — | |
| 2020 | 329,497 | +34.3% | |
| |||
| Figures before 2008 is included under Johor Bahru District. Source: [11] | |||
Malay made up 55% of the total population in Kulai. This is followed by Malaysian Chinese (33.7%) and Malaysian Indian (10.7%).[12]
Federal Parliament and State Assembly Seats
editList of Kulai district representatives in the Federal Parliament (Dewan Rakyat)
| Parliament | Seat Name | Member of Parliament | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| P158 | Tebrau | Jimmy Puah Wee Tse | Pakatan Harapan (PKR) |
| P162 | Iskandar Puteri | Liew Chin Tong | Pakatan Harapan (DAP) |
| P163 | Kulai | Teo Nie Ching | Pakatan Harapan (DAP) |
List of Kulai district representatives in the State Legislative Assembly (Dewan Undangan Negeri)
| Parliament | State | Seat Name | State Assemblyman | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P158 | N41 | Puteri Wangsa | Amira Aisya | MUDA |
| P162 | N49 | Kota Iskandar | Pandak Ahmad | Barisan Nasional (UMNO) |
| P163 | N50 | Bukit Permai | Mohd Jafni Md Shukor | Barisan Nasional (UMNO) |
| P163 | N51 | Bukit Batu | Arthur Chiong Sen Sern | Pakatan Harapan (PKR) |
| P163 | N52 | Senai | Wong Bor Yang | Pakatan Harapan (DAP) |
Other Towns
editEconomy
editThe main economy activities in the district are information and communication technology, biotechnology and logistics.[13]
Tourist attractions
edit
- Johor Premium Outlets
- Mount Pulai
- Hutan Bandar Putra Kulai (Putra Recreation Forest)
- Nanyan Aquarium Centre, Ayer Bemban
- Hua Guo Shan Temple, Sedenak (士年纳路口花果山)
- Kulai Putuo Village (古来普陀村)
Transportation
editRoads
edit
Skudai Highway or Federal route 1 is the most important inner link in Kulai District, with many access along the road such as Senai Airport Highway 16, Skudai–Pontian Highway 5, Jalan Kulai-Kota Tinggi 94, Diamond Interchange (access to Bandar Putra, Indahpura and proposed new NSE exit), proposed Kulai Inner Ring Road. The government proposed to open a new road, Kulai-Senai Bypass, to resolve the traffic jam problem of the Skudai Highway.
Kulai was an important stopover on the Johor Bahru-Kuala Lumpur trunk road in the 1970s and 1980s until the North–South Expressway (NSE) E2 opened in 1994, which bypassed the town. Senai North Interchange (NSE)253 is the connection to Singapore (from the east to the west).NSE is also one of the access points to the Mount Pulai nature reserve. Senai Airport, the international airport which serves Johor is within the municipality.
The Second Link Expressway E3 is also an access to connect to Iskandar Puteri, Singapore (Tuas). The Senai–Desaru Expressway (SDE) Senai–Desaru Expressway connects Senai and Desaru more quickly.
Rails
editThe district also has one railway station run by the Malayan Railway (KTM) in Kulai Town.
Airport
edit
The district houses the Senai International Airport which is located in Senai. The airport has flights to as far as China, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia.[14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Profil Daerah". ptj.johor.gov.my. Archived from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ "Population Distribution and Basic Demographic Characteristics, 2010" (PDF). Department of Statistics, Malaysia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
- ^ "Kulai". Tourism Johor. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
- ^ "Jabatan Perancangan Bandar dan Desa Negeri Johor" (PDF). Plan Malaysia @ Johor (in Malay). Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ^ "Berita Harian 24th February 2017". 7 February 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "Daerah Kecil Kulai dinaik taraf". Archived from the original on 12 February 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2008.
- ^ "Ledang set to become Johor's newest district – Nation – The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my.
- ^ "Sultan: Change Kulaijaya's name back to Kulai". 29 August 2015.
- ^ hermesauto (7 December 2015). "Johor's administrative capital Nusajaya to be renamed Iskandar Puteri". The Straits Times.
- ^ Profil_Februari.pdf. "Dokumen/Kulaijaya" (PDF). apps.water.gov.my. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
- ^ "Key Findings of Population and Housing Census of Malaysia 2020" (pdf) (in Malay and English). Department of Statistics, Malaysia. ISBN 978-967-2000-85-3.
- ^ "Census 2010".
- ^ "Muafakat ke Arah #Johor Berkemajuan" (PDF). Muafakat Johor (in Malay). Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- ^ "Senai International Airport - Airlines & Destinations".