Rifle Range Flats

Rifle Range Flats, Air Itam, Penang (7 December 2009)


Hok1kien3

Rifle Range Flats (GPS: 5.41114, 100.28939) are one of the Penang state government's earliest low-cost housing projects. It is located at the junction of Jalan Padang Tembak with Boundary Road (some times translated as Jalan Sempadan). It is known as Phak1 Cheng1 Por1 in Hokkien, a direct translation of "rifle range". The name hails back to the 1950's, when the place was used for target practices. At that time, it was at the edge of town, next to the Batu Gantong Cemetery, which was also regarded as "rural countryside".

The transformation of the area from a rifle range to a low-cost residential neighbourhood began in 1968. When Rifle Range Flats - comprising nine blocks with heights of 17 and 18 storeys - were completed in the early 1970's, they were the tallest buildings in Penang. None of the units were big - they were almost like pigeon holes. Nonetheless they provided housing for many hardcore poor. Over the years, however, the general condition of Rifle Range Flats deteriorated rapidly. Eventually they were in Penang synonymous with squalor.

Perhaps the advantage of living in Rifle Range is that it is relatively close to town - just a little over 5 km from Komtar, the property is cheap, and if you are a single person living alone, the space is sufficient. However, for most people who live here, it is a mere temporary abode until they can afford to live elsewhere.

Today, Rifle Range and the Batu Gantong Cemetery next to it are right at the edge of town. It is only due to the hills hemming the way that prevents further development taking shape here.

Configuration of Rifle Range Flats

Rifle Range Flats proper comprises nine blocks, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and J. Westernmost are Blocks A and B, while Blocks C, D and E are located on the west side of Boundary Road. Blocks F, G and H are on the south side of Rifle Range Road and east side of Boundary Road. Finally, Block J is to the east of Block H, south of Sekolah Kebangsaan Padang Tembak, and west of the Rifle Range Market.

Facilities at Rifle Range Flats

No other facilities except lift. Car parks are grossly insufficient.

Public Transport at Rifle Range Flats

Rapid Penang Bus 201, 202, 204 and 206 pass through Jalan Padang Tembak and Jalan Boundary.

Amenities in Rifle Range Flats

The nearest school is Sekolah Kebangsaan Padang Tembak. The nearest market is the Rifle Range Market. The nearest hypermarket is Sunshine Farlim. The nearest petrol stations are the BHP before Jalan Boundary, Shell after Jalan Boundary, and Mobil near Jalan La Salle. The nearest hospital is Lam Wah Ee Hospital.

Updates on Rifle Range Flats

7 December, 2013: According to reader Kow Moy, writing to The Star, the Rifle Range Flats were the initiative of the late Tan Sri Wong Pow Nee, and that the flats were already completed when Gerakan came into power in 1969.

Traffic situation in Rifle Range Flats

Rifle Range is horrendously overcrowded. Traffic often comes to a crawl on the approach to the junction (or rather, cornering) between Jalan Padang Tembak and Jalan Boundary.

Aerial view of Rifle Range Flats (10 December 2020)


Rifle Range Flats, as seen from Taman Seri Air Itam (7 January 2018)


Rifle Range Flats (8 December 2009)


Rifle Range Flats, Ayer Itam, Penang (1 January 2014)

Rifle Range Flats are on the Map of Jalan Padang Tembak

Other Versions

Read also Rifle Range Flats in Penang Hokkien.

List of Flats in Penang and Flats in Malaysia

 Buy, rent or sell properties in Penang

Do you have a property for sale or to rent out? Are you looking to buy or rent a property? Get in touch with me. WhatsApp me (Timothy Tye) at 012 429 9844, and I will assign one of my property agents to serve you. I will choose the agent for you, according to your property needs. So when you message me, provide me some details of what you need, whether to sell, to buy, to rent or to rent out, and what type of property, is it condo, apartment, house, shop, office or land.

Adakah anda mempunyai hartanah untuk dijual atau disewakan? Adakah anda ingin membeli atau menyewa hartanah? Hubungi saya. WhatsApp saya (Timothy Tye) di 012 429 9844, dan saya akan menugaskan salah seorang ejen hartanah saya untuk berkhidmat kepada anda. Saya akan pilih ejen untuk anda, mengikut keperluan hartanah anda. Oleh itu, apabila anda menghantar mesej kepada saya, berikan saya beberapa butiran tentang apa yang anda perlukan, sama ada untuk menjual, untuk membeli, untuk disewakan atau untuk disewakan, dan jenis hartanah apakah itu kondo, pangsapuri, rumah, kedai, pejabat atau tanah.

您有待出售或出租的房产吗？ 您想购买或租赁房产吗？ 与我联系。 WhatsApp 我 (Timothy Tye) 012 429 9844，我将指派一名房地产经纪人为您服务。 我会根据您的房产需求，为您选择代理。 因此，当您给我发消息时，请向我提供一些您需要的详细信息，无论是出售、购买、出租还是出租，以及房产类型，是公寓、公寓、房屋、商店、办公室还是土地。

 New Properties in Penang

Looking to buy property in Penang? Get the e-brochures right here without having to visit or contact individual developers.

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

 Discover with Timothy YouTube Channel

 PG Food Channel

 Learn Penang Hokkien YouTube Channel

SojiMart Videos

 Share your travels and/or ask a travel-related question

Join the Penang Travel Tips Facebook Group to share photos, tips and anything related to your travels, or ask travel-related questions.

Map of Roads in Penang

Looking for information on Penang? Use this Map of Roads in Penang to zoom in on information about Penang, brought to you road by road.

Discover with Timothy

Let me take you to explore and discover Penang through my series of walking tours on YouTube. You may use these videos as your virtual tour guide. At the beginning of each video, I provide the starting point coordinates which you may key into your GPS, Google Maps or Waze, to be navigated to where I start the walk, and use the video as your virtual tour guide.

Disclaimer

Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.

Latest from Discover with Timothy: Gurney Bay - what to see and do there

About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

Robbie's Roadmap