Relau, Penang

Relau is a neighbourhood in the south-central part of Penang Island. It is believed to have been named after charcoal kilns or relau which were located there. The area is mostly agricultural until the early 1980's, when the land began to be cleared for development. By the 1990's much of Relau has transformed into residential estates, mostly in the form of apartments ranging from low to medium cost.

Public Transport

Relau is served by Rapid Penang Bus 301 and 306.

Distance from Magazine Circus: 14.3 km

Amenities

The nearest schools include Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan Relau, Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Sungai Ara, Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) Chong Cheng, Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) Min Sin and Sekolah Menengah Sungai Ara. The nearest shopping mall is Bukit Jambul Complex in neighbouring Bukit Jambul. Sunshine Square, Queensbay Mall and Giant Hypermarket are a short distance from Relau. The petrol stations in Relau include a Shell and a Petronas. The nearest hospital is Hospital Pantai Mutiara.

Traffic

Relau is a bit landlocked, with the hills of Paya Terubong to the north of it. Access is through Jalan Paya Terubong from the north, Jalan Dato Ismail Hashim from the south, and Tingkat Bukit Jambul from the east. Traffic is heavy on the main road especially during the morning and evening rush hour. A large amount of the traffic comes from vehicles passing through Relau from Air Itam and Paya Terubong. The flow is southbound in the morning, as workers head to Bayan Lepas for work, and in the opposite direction in the evening. This often cause much congestion at the Relau junction as well as at the junction of Persiaran Bukit Jambul with Jalan Dato Ismail Hashim.

Relau is one of the places where you can get relatively inexpensive housing. However, you need to bear with the heavy traffic during rush hour. On the plus side, Relau is relatively close to many shopping malls. Schools are also relatively closeby.