Farlim, officially Bandar Baru Ayer Itam, is a residential

neighbourhood A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neighbourh ...

within the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of

Penang Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...

. Located southwest of the

city centre A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the Commerce, commercial, Culture, cultural and often the historical, Politics, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely e ...

, the township was created in the 1980s. Over the recent decades, Farlim has witnessed rapid development with several residential and commercial developments within the area.

History

The area where Farlim is located was previously known as Thean Teik Estate, which was named after Khoo Thean Teik, a local Chinese merchant. The area was owned by the

Khoo Kongsi The Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi () or "Khoo Kongsi" for short, is the largest Hokkien clanhouse in Malaysia with elaborate and highly ornamented architecture, a mark of the dominant presence of the Chinese in Penang, Malaysia. The famous Khoo K ...

, a Chinese clan association in which Khoo was a director. In 1978, Khoo Kongsi had reached an agreement with Farlim Group to develop Thean Teik Estate into a residential township. At the time, the project was the single largest property development ever undertaken by the private sector on

Penang Island Penang Island is the main constituent island of the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located off the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Malacca Strait, with the Penang Strait separating the island from Seberang Perai on the mainla ...

, with an area of being originally earmarked for development. However, the commencement of construction works in 1982 was met by deadly protests by local residents. In the incident which pitted the residents against the police, one resident was killed and another four were injured.

Transportation

Thean Teik Road and Thean Teik Highway are the two major roads that cut through the township. The former links Ayer Itam Road and the

Paya Terubong Paya Terubong is a suburb of George Town, Penang, George Town in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of Penang. Located nearly southwest of the Central George Town, Penang, city centre, it is nestled within the central ...

suburb to the southwest, whereas the latter serves as a major thoroughfare between

and

Batu Lanchang Batu Lanchang is a residential neighbourhood within the Central George Town, Penang, downtown core of George Town, Penang, George Town in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of Penang. It is sandwiched between Farlim to ...

to the east. Construction of the long Ayer ItamTun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway Bypass, part of the Penang Transport Master Plan, is expected to be completed by 2025. The bypass will offer a direct route to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway and it is projected to reduce commuting time by 50%.

Rapid Penang Rapid Penang (stylised as ''rapidPenang'') is a public bus brand operating within the George Town Conurbation in Malaysia. Established in 2007 as a subsidiary of Prasarana Malaysia, it serves as the main public transport system within the sta ...

bus routes 13, 202, 203 and 306 also include stops within Farlim, thus connecting the township with the

, the

Penang International Airport Penang International Airport (PIA) is an international airport in George Town, Penang, George Town, the capital city of the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of Penang. The airport is located at the southeastern tip of ...

and

Queensbay Mall Queensbay Mall is a shopping mall within George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located at the suburb of Bayan Lepas, the mall was opened to the public in 2006. It covers a gross built-up area of and contains over 400 shop lots spread o ...

, as well as the

and

Gelugor Gelugor is a suburb of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Named after a plant species, Gelugor lies along the eastern seaboard of Penang Island, between Jelutong and Sungai Dua, and nearly south of the city centre. Gelugor had bee ...

suburbs.

Education

There are two primary schools and a high school within the Farlim neighbourhood. Primary schools * SK Seri Indah * SJK (C) Chiao Nan * SJK (C) Sin Kang High school * SMK Air Itam

Shopping

All Seasons Place, Penang's first and only

strip mall A strip mall, strip center, strip plaza or simply plaza is a type of shopping mall, shopping center common in North America and Australia where the stores are arranged in a row, with a footpath in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a ...

, was completed in 2012 and serves as the sole shopping mall within Farlim. It is anchored by HeroMarket, replacing the previous

Giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''wiktionary:gigas, gigas'', cognate wiktionary:giga-, giga-) are beings of humanoid appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''gia ...

and consists of several eateries and health-related outlets which are arranged along the Thean Teik Highway. In 2024, Suiwah Corporation, a local retail firm, launched Sunshine Central, a mixed-use development that includes a nine-storey shopping mall. The local community's retail needs are also met by a Bandar Baru supermarket at the heart of the township.

References

External links