Butterworth

Butterworth forms the city centre of Seberang Perai. Home to over 1/8 of the city's population, Butterworth not only serves as the commercial heart of Seberang Perai, it is also the main logistical hub of northern Malaysia and home to the Port of Penang, the third busiest seaport in the country.

The settlement of Butterworth was founded in the mid-19th century, named after William John Butterworth, the then Governor of the Straits Settlements. Butterworth grew as Penang's main logistical heart, the mainland counterpart of the island city of George Town. In 1894, a ferry service between George Town and Butterworth was launched; it became the predecessor to today's Rapid Ferry service. By 1900, the Malayan railway network was extended to Butterworth, allowing for the transit of tin and rubber towards George Town. Prior to the Japanese invasion of British Malaya in 1941, the Royal Air Force (RAF) opened the Butterworth airbase, which is still in active use by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).

Butterworth's economy was boosted by the opening of the Mak Mandin Industrial Estate in 1961, as well as the relocation of the Port of Penang from George Town into the city centre in 1974. However, Butterworth also suffered from administrative decentralisation and ageing infrastructure, as Seberang Perai municipal offices and essential services were relocated elsewhere.

Although Butterworth no longer serves as the administrative heart of the entire city of Seberang Perai, it still retains its role as the city's commercial and logistics hub. The latter role has been boosted by the completion of Penang Sentral in 2018, which houses the termini for various transport services, such as interstate trains (Keretapi Tanah Melayu), both intercity and intra-city Rapid Penang buses, and the Rapid Ferry to George Town. The Port of Penang, sited within Butterworth, handled 1.52 million TEU of cargo in 2018, making it the third busiest container seaport in Malaysia. In addition, Butterworth's economy is also driven by heavy manufacturing, particularly at the Mak Mandin Industrial Estate where food processing, tin, steel and metal fabrication factories are situated.

More efforts are slated to be put in place to rejuvenate Butterworth as the city centre of Seberang Perai, including the proposed Penang Bay concept encompassing both Butterworth and the city centre of George Town, a land reclamation project by Rayston Consortium and the Penang Undersea Tunnel.