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Bayan Lepas is a suburb of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located near the southeastern tip of Penang Island, south of the city centre, it is home to the Penang International Airport, the third busiest airport in Malaysia, as well as one of the oldest free industrial zones in the country.
Established sometime in the 19th century, Bayan Lepas had been an agricultural village, with rice production as its mainstay. The British built what is now the Penang International Airport in 1935, but it was only in the 1970s when Bayan Lepas witnessed widescale transformation with the creation of the eponymous free industrial zone.
Today, electronics manufacturing and logistics have replaced agriculture as the major economic sectors at Bayan Lepas, while residential and commercial developments have accelerated, including Queensbay Mall, one of the largest shopping malls in George Town.
The 'old town' of Bayan Lepas is located at the intersection of Jalan Bayan Lepas and Jalan Dato Ismail Hashim, to the west of the Penang International Airport.
The British also built a fortification at nearby Batu Maung to defend Penang Island and the RMAF Butterworth on the mainland against amphibious invasion. However, the fort was abandoned after the advancing Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.
Until the 1970s, Bayan Lepas was a relatively rural village, with rice farming being the main economic activity. As a result, the town was nicknamed the "rice bowl" of Penang.
In 1972, the then Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Chong Eu, opened the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone (Bayan Lepas FIZ) to alleviate an economic crisis and rising unemployment in Penang at the time. Industrialisation necessitated the development of newer townships such as Bayan Baru and accelerated commercial developments at the area.Natacha Aveline-Dubach Sue-Ching Jou, Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao (2026). 9789863500216, National Taiwan University. ISBN 9789863500216
In 2021 alone, the Bayan Lepas FIZ received almost RM71 billion of investments, about 93% of Penang's total investments that year. An estimated RM295,173 million worth of exports also passed through the Penang International Airport throughout 2021, the largest among all entry and exit points in Malaysia. Owing to the high trade volumes at Bayan Lepas, logistics has become a crucial supporting industry, with several logistics providers such as DHL, Schenker AG and Expeditors International opening branches within the area., the largest shopping mall in George Town|left]]
Rapid Penang bus routes 302, 308, 401 and 401E include stops within Bayan Lepas proper, while the Penang International Airport is served by routes 102, 306, 401, 401E and AT. These routes link Bayan Lepas to various destinations on Penang Island, including the city centre, Balik Pulau and Teluk Kumbar. Aside from these routes, Rapid Penang operates an additional three cross-strait shuttle bus routes - BEST A, BEST B and BEST C - between the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone and Seberang Perai on the mainland; the three routes mainly cater to industrial workers who reside on the mainland.
In 2017, LinkBike, a local public bicycle sharing service, launched its southernmost station at Queensbay Mall. This, along with the Summerton station nearby, provides bikers with an alternative mode of transportation between Bayan Lepas and the city centre.
Primary schools
High schools
International school In addition, the Penang Skills Development Centre (PSDC), a nonprofit institute specialising in tertiary-level skills training, is situated within the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone.
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