Minden Heights 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
Malaysia is a federation of thirteen states and three federal territories, which form the primary administrative divisions of the country. Eleven states and two territories are part of Peninsular Malaysia, while two states and one territory ...
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 south 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 ...
, this upscale housing estate lies within the
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 ...
suburb and neighbours
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia ( 'University of Science Malaysia'; abbreviated as USM) is a public research university in Malaysia. Founded on 1 June 1969 as a statutory body with its own constitution, it is the oldest institute of higher learning ...
to the south, as well as
Taman Tun Sardon to the north.
Etymology

Minden Heights was named after the
Minden Barracks
Minden Barracks was a military barracks located in the south-eastern town of Gelugor in Northeast Penang Island District, Penang, Malaysia. It was operational from 1939 to 1971 and the site now houses the main campus of Universiti Sains Malaysia ...
, which was established in the area by the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
in 1939. The barracks has since been subsumed as part of
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia ( 'University of Science Malaysia'; abbreviated as USM) is a public research university in Malaysia. Founded on 1 June 1969 as a statutory body with its own constitution, it is the oldest institute of higher learning ...
.
History
Minden Heights was first developed as a housing estate by Dr Che Lah, an
ethnic Malay
Malays ( ; , Jawi: ) are an Austronesian ethnoreligious group native to eastern Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and coastal Borneo, as well as the smaller islands that lie between these locations. These locations are today part of the countries ...
councillor of the Penang Island Municipal Council (now
Penang Island City Council
The Penang Island City Council ( ) is the local government that administers the city of George Town, which includes the entirety of Penang Island. The city council, which has jurisdiction over an area of , falls under the purview of the Penang ...
).
The neighbourhood, which borders
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia ( 'University of Science Malaysia'; abbreviated as USM) is a public research university in Malaysia. Founded on 1 June 1969 as a statutory body with its own constitution, it is the oldest institute of higher learning ...
's main campus, was completed in 1975, four years prior to the opening of the university's medical school.
Transportation
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 102, 301, 303, 304 and 401 include stops along Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, which marks the eastern limits of Minden Heights.
Education
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia ( 'University of Science Malaysia'; abbreviated as USM) is a public research university in Malaysia. Founded on 1 June 1969 as a statutory body with its own constitution, it is the oldest institute of higher learning ...
(USM),
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 ...
's premier public university, is situated immediately south of Minden Heights. One of the top Malaysian public universities, USM was ranked fifth within
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 ...
by the
QS World University Rankings
The ''QS World University Rankings'' is a portfolio of comparative college and university rankings compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds, a higher education analytics firm. Its first and earliest edition was published in collaboration with '' Times ...
.
In addition, two
primary school
A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
s are situated within Minden Heights.
* SK Minden Height
* SRK Sungai Gelugor
See also
*
Taman Tun Sardon
*
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 ...
References
{{Penang
Neighbourhoods in George Town, Penang