The History of Parit Buntar, Perak
Parit Buntar is the last town in the state of Perak, with the surrounding area extending into the state of Penang. The town of Parit Buntar also serves as a junction for entry into Serdang and Lubuk Buntar, Kedah, from the highway.
Alternative routes from Parit Buntar to Butterworth can be accessed via the Jawi exit and Bandar Baharu towards Kuala Lumpur. The history of the town's name, Parit Buntar, is said to have originated from the name of a leader, Tok Buntar.
He was very famous and made significant contributions in the past because he and his followers built a canal (parit) from Sungai Kerian to irrigate the rice fields. The canal was originally known as Parit Tok Buntar and subsequently became known as Parit Buntar. The clock tower in the old town of Parit Buntar is one of the town's landmarks. This clock tower was inaugurated by Tunku Abdul Rahman on August 24, 1961, to commemorate the progress and prosperity of all the residents of Parit Buntar. Bandar Baharu, Kedah, is also connected to Parit Buntar via a bridge crossing Sungai Kerian towards the PLUS highway, making both towns river-estuary settlements.
Sungai Kerian also holds a dark history; on September 13, 1972, a ferry tragedy occurred that claimed the lives of 27 people, the majority of whom were students from SMJK (Cina) Kerian. In the past, the riverbank was famous for food stalls known as 'Gerai Terapung' (Floating Stalls). At that time, the Gerai Terapung was a major focal point for the community in Parit Buntar. In the past, the shops along this riverbank were the main places for the people of Parit Buntar to buy branded sportswear, hardware supplies, kitchenware, and other goods. There were 6 rice mill branches, including storage warehouses owned by LPN (National Paddy and Rice Board). There were two cinemas: the Cathay cinema on Jalan Syarikat and the Capitol cinema on Jalan Ria. The main public transport from the 60s until 2005 was the bus, where the Red Omnibus company operated, connecting the town of Tanjung Piandang via Sungai Bakau/Kedai Empat (Lower Road) and Titi Serong (Upper Road), connecting the town of Kuala Kurau via Batu Lima, and connecting the towns of Bagan Serai and Taiping via the Federal Road. The main bus station was once located in front of the Kerian District Mosque, Jalan Taiping (5.128458°N, 100.489652°E). Besides taxis, there was also long-distance transport such as Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) (5.128832°N, 100.486718°E), while now a Hentian Raya (bus terminal) has been established to connect to major cities in Peninsular Malaysia. Currently, local bus services have been terminated due to a lack of demand. The socioeconomic activities of the local residents are primarily farming, involving rice, palm oil, and rubber, while the rest work as traders or as public/private sector employees.
