Mersing (

Terengganu Malay Terengganu Malay (; Terengganu Malay: ) is a Malayic languages, Malayic language spoken in the Malaysian state of Terengganu all the way southward to coastal Pahang and northeast Johor. It is the native language of Terengganuan Malays, Terengganu ...

: ''Merecing'' or ''Ngesing'') is a town, mukim and the capital of Mersing District,

Johor Johor, also spelled Johore,'' is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. It borders with Pahang, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the north. Johor has maritime borders with Singapore ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

. The town is located at the southern end of the east coast of

Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia, historically known as Malaya and also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, is the western part of Malaysia that comprises the southern part of the Malay Peninsula on Mainland Southeast Asia and the list of isla ...

. As of 2010, the town has an estimated population of 70,894. Mersing town is particularly significant for a number of reasons: it is one of only two major towns in the eastern half of

state (the other being Kota Tinggi); it lies on the main trunk road that connects southern as well as eastern Johor with the east coast of

Pahang {{Infobox political division , name = Pahang , official_name = Pahang Darul Makmur , native_name = , settlement_type = States and federal territories of Malaysia, State , image_skyline = , imagesize ...

state including Pahang's capital

Kuantan Kuantan (Pahang Malay: ''Kontaeng''; Terengganu Malay: ''Kuatang/Kuantang'') is a city and the state capital of Pahang, Malaysia. It is located near the mouth of the Kuantan River. Kuantan is the Largest cities in Malaysia, 12th largest city ...

(part of Federal Route; and it is the main departure point for ferries to the nearby offshore islands such as Rawa Island of Sultan Iskandar Marine Park ( Malay: ''Taman Laut Sultan Iskandar'') and also Tioman Island,

Government and politics

Mersing District Council () is the local authority of the whole Mersing District including Mersing town. It was formed on 26 May 1977 through the merger of the Mersing Town Council () and the local councils () of Jemaluang, Kampung Hubong, Kampung Pengkalan Batu, Kampung Sri Pantai and Mersing Kecil.

Climate

Culture

The Malays of Mersing are unique compared to the rest of Johor is that many of them are of

Terengganu Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu) is a sultanate and States and federal territories of Malaysia, federal state of Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l-Iman (c ...

ancestry, this are proven by the Keropok Lekor industries which is popular in the town and many still speak

along with the Johor dialect of Malay. The Chinese community in Mersing mainly belongs to the

Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...

dialect group and speak

, however, many locals, especially business owners have no issue conversing in Mandarin.

Transportation

Mersing - bus terminal front entrance - May 2024

Car

Being located along Federal Route 3, Mersing is relatively accessible for a town its size. Northward this highway goes to

Kuala Terengganu Kuala Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay language, Terengganu Malay: ''Kole Tranung''), colloquially referred to as KT, is the administrative, economic and royal List of capitals in Malaysia, city of the state of Terengganu, Malaysia. Kuala Tereng ...

and

Kota Bharu Kota Bharu ( Kelantanese: ''Koto Baghu''), colloquially referred to as KB, is a town in Malaysia that serves as the state capital and royal seat of Kelantan. It is situated in the northeastern part of Peninsular Malaysia and lies near the mout ...

before terminating at Rantau Panjang at the border with

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. Southwards highway 3 goes to Jemaluang and Kota Tinggi and terminates at Johor Bahru, the state capital. Jalan Felda Nitar connects Felda Nitar, Kluang, Ayer Hitam and Batu Pahat, also connects to North–South Expressway Southern Route via Ayer Hitam Interchange to

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...

Bus

Mersing Bus and Taxi Terminal () on Jalan Tepian Sungai is served by various companies including Transnasional and Causeway Link. Long-distance services are offered to most major cities in peninsular Malaysia such as Kuala Lumpur,

Ipoh Ipoh (, ) is the capital city of the Malaysian States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Perak. Located on the Kinta River, it is nearly north of Kuala Lumpur and southeast of George Town, Penang, George Town in neighbouring Penang ...

and

Malacca Malacca (), officially the Historic State of Malacca (), is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia located in the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, southern region of the Malay Peninsula, facing the Strait of Malacca ...

, as well as local buses to towns and cities around Johor state.

Water

Mersing port in the mouth of Mersing River is also the main port for ferries to Tioman Island and the more than 40 other islands in the Seribuat Archipelago.

References

External links

Mersing In facebook
{{Authority control Towns in Johor Mersing District Mukims of Johor