Pontian District
The district is home to Tanjung Piai, the southernmost point of the Malay Peninsula and mainland Eurasia as a whole.
Etymology
The name of Pontian was derived from the Malay word “Perhentian” which means a stop, a reference to the sailors travelling to and from Singapore or Malacca stopping at Pontian Besar River for shelter from the rough waters in the Strait of Malacca.
Administrative divisions
Pontian District is divided into 11 mukims, which are:
- Api-Api
- Ayer Baloi
- Ayer Masin
- Benut
- Jeram Batu
- Pengkalan Raja
- Pontian
- Rimba Terjun
- Serkat
- Sungai Karang
- Sungai Pinggan
Federal Parliament and State Assembly Seats
List of Pontian district representatives in the Federal Parliament (Dewan Rakyat):
| Parliament | Seat Name | Member of Parliament | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| P164 | Pontian | Ahmad Maslan | Barisan Nasional (UMNO) |
| P165 | Tanjung Piai | Wee Jeck Seng | Barisan Nasional (MCA) |
List of Pontian district representatives in the State Legislative Assembly (Dewan Undangan Negeri):
| Parliament | State | Seat Name | State Assemblyman | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P164 | N53 | Benut | Hasni Mohammad | Barisan Nasional (UMNO) |
| P164 | N54 | Pulai Sebatang | Hasrunizzah Hassan | Barisan Nasional (UMNO) |
| P165 | N55 | Pekan Nanas | Tan Eng Meng | Barisan Nasional (MCA) |
| P165 | N56 | Kukup | Jefridin Atan | Barisan Nasional (UMNO) |
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 129,356 | — | ||
| 2000 | 142,697 | +10.3% | ||
| 2010 | 149,938 | +5.1% | ||
| 2020 | 173,318 | +15.6% | ||
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In 2000, the annual population growth of Pontian District was 2.36%.
Economy
The main economic activities in the district are agriculture, construction, ecotourism, fishery and marine and food processing industries. The former includes pineapple farms and palm oil plantations, which are mainly focused in the town of Pekan Nanas.
Transportation
Road
The district is accessible by bus from Larkin Sentral (Mybas Johor- T50, Maju - 96) in Johor Bahru.
Sea
There are regularly scheduled ferries connecting fishing village Kukup in Serkat Mukim with Tanjung Balai Karimun in Riau Islands, Indonesia.