Pontian District

Pontian District
Daerah Pontian
Motto: 
Setia Khidmat (Malay)
"Faithfully We Serve"
(motto of Pontian Municipal Council)
Location of Pontian District in Johor
Interactive map of Pontian District
Pontian District
Location of Pontian District in Malaysia
Coordinates: 1°35′N 103°25′E / 1.583°N 103.417°E / 1.583; 103.417
Country Malaysia
State Johor
District Council
Established
1 November 1976
Granted
Municipal Status
31 July 2021
SeatPontian Kechil
Local area government(s)Pontian Municipal Council
Government
 • District officerHaji Zulkifly bin Haji Mohd Tahir
 • Pontian Member of ParliamentAhmad Maslan (UMNO)
Area
 • Total
932.64 km2 (360.09 sq mi)
Population
 (2010)[2]
 • Total
144,324
 • Density154.75/km2 (400.79/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+8 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+8 (Not observed)
Postcode
82xxx
Calling code+6-07
Vehicle registration platesJ

Pontian District (Malay: Daerah Pontian) is a district located in southwest part of the Malaysian state of Johor. It borders Batu Pahat and Kluang Districts to the north and Kulai and Johor Bahru Districts to the east.[3]

The district is home to Tanjung Piai, the southernmost point of the Malay Peninsula and mainland Eurasia as a whole.

Etymology

The name of Pontian was derived from the Malay word “Perhentian” which means a stop, a reference to the sailors travelling to and from Singapore or Malacca stopping at Pontian Besar River for shelter from the rough waters in the Strait of Malacca.[4]

Administrative divisions

Pontian District is divided into 11 mukims:[5]

  • Api-Api
  • Ayer Baloi
  • Ayer Masin
  • Benut
  • Jeram Batu
  • Pengkalan Raja
  • Pontian
  • Rimba Terjun
  • Serkat
  • Sungai Karang
  • Sungai Pinggan

2 big towns (bandar):

And 1 small town (pekan):

Administration

Pontian Municipal Council

Majlis Perbandaran Pontian
Type
Type
History
Founded31 July 2021
Preceded byPontian District Council
Leadership
President
Abdul Azim Shamsuddin
(since 3 February 2025)
Secretary
Tifla Mohd Addi
(since 15 January 2024)
Structure
Seats23
Political groups
Councillors:

  BN (23)

Length of term
1 April 2024–31 December 2025
Motto
Setia Khidmat
(Faithfully We Serve)
Meeting place
Jalan Alsagoff, 82000 Pontian,Johor Darul Ta'zim
Website
www.mppn.gov.my

The entire Pontian District is administered by the Pontian Municipal Council (Malay: Majlis Perbandaran Pontian, MPPN), which was previously known as the Pontian District Council (Malay: Majlis Daerah Pontian, MDPontian). The latter was formed on 1 November 1976 by merging the Pontian Town Council and the local councils of Pekan Nanas, Benut, Ayer Baloi and Permas. The upgradation of the District Council as the Municipal Council took place on 31 July 2021.[6]

Presidents

No Name Term start Term end
1 Mohd Ezuddin Sanusi[7] 1 February 2021 31 December 2023
2 Abdul Razak Khalid[8] 1 January 2024 31 January 2025
3 Abdul Azim Shamsuddin[9] 3 February 2025 Present

Departments

  • Management Services (Khidmat Pengurusan)
  • Treasury (Perbendaharaan)
  • Valuation and Property Management (Penilaian dan Pengurusan Harta)
  • Urban Planning and Landscape (Perancang Bandar dan Landskap)
  • Public Health (Kesihatan Awam)
  • Licensing and Enforcement (Pelesenan dan Penguatkuasaan)
  • Engineering and Building (Kejuruteraan dan Bangunan)
  • Community Development (Pembangunan Masyarakat)

Units

  • Public Relations and Corporate (Perhubungan Awam dan Korporat)
  • Law (Undang-undang)
  • Internal Audit (Audit Dalam)
  • One Stop Centre (Pusat Sehenti)
  • Tourism (Pelancongan)

Administration areas (zones)

As of 2025, Pontian District is divided into 23 zones represented by 23 councillors to act as mediators between residents and the municipal council.[10] The councillors for the 1 April 2024 to 31 December 2025 session are as below:

Zone Councillor Political affiliation
Pontian A Jamaludin Abd Majid UMNO
Pontian B Faridah A Kadir UMNO
Pontian C Oh Jit Hwa MCA
Pontian D Rosdi Hassan UMNO
Pontian E Mohd Iskandar Selamat UMNO
Pontian F Heng Zhi Li MCA
Pontian G Mohd Isa Ismail UMNO
Pontian H Mohd Mokhtar Tang Abdullah UMNO
Pontian I Md Israk Abdullah UMNO
Pontian J Tan Lye Huat MCA
Pekan Nanas A Abdul Razif Ruhani UMNO
Pekan Nanas B Teo Yi Chang MCA
Pekan Nanas C Zarina Mohamed Baen UMNO
Pekan Nanas D Krishnan Kumar Letchumenan MIC
Benut A Bariman Ahmad UMNO
Benut B Tan Wei Jie MCA
Benut C Mohamad Jahis Othman UMNO
Benut D Siti Zaharah Jumat UMNO
Permas A Kok See Chin MCA
Permas B Syahdan Rahmat UMNO
Permas C Tan Jia Liang MCA
Ayer Baloi A Ajit Singh Jasbir Singh MIC
Ayer Baloi B Tan Sing Ling MCA

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1991 129,356—    
2000 142,697+10.3%
2010 149,938+5.1%
2020 173,318+15.6%
Source: [11]

In 2000, the annual population growth of Pontian District was 2.36%.[12]

Economy

The main economic activities in the district are agriculture, construction, ecotourism, fishery and marine and food processing industries. The former includes pineapple farms and palm oil plantations, which are mainly focused in the town of Pekan Nanas.[13][14][15]

Transportation

Road

The district is accessible by bus from Larkin Sentral (BAS.MY Johor Bahru - J50) in Johor Bahru.[16][17]

Sea

There are regularly scheduled ferries connecting fishing village Kukup in Serkat Mukim with Tanjung Balai Karimun in Riau Islands, Indonesia.[18]

References

  1. ^ "Rancangan Tempatan Daerah Pontian (Penggantian) 2030" (ZIP) (in Malay).
  2. ^ "Population Distribution and Basic Demographic Characteristics, 2010" (PDF). Department of Statistics, Malaysia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  3. ^ "Pontian". tourismjohor.my. 16 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Pontian". tourism.johor.my. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018.
  5. ^ "Pejabat Tanah Pontian" [Pontian Land Office]. Pentadbiran Tanah Johor (in Malay). Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Background". mppn.gov.my.
  7. ^ https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=756384623202170&set=pcb.756386629868636
  8. ^ https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1009079091266054&set=pcb.1009081464599150
  9. ^ "President Profile". mppengerang.gov.my.
  10. ^ "Councillor Profiles". mppn.gov.my.
    https://www.facebook.com/100064919161353/posts/senarai-zon-zon-ahli-majlismajlis-perbandaran-pontianberkuatkuasa-sehingga-31-di/920519950121969/
  11. ^ "Key Findings of Population and Housing Census of Malaysia 2020" (pdf) (in Malay and English). Department of Statistics, Malaysia. ISBN 978-967-2000-85-3.
  12. ^ "Johor State Town and Country Planning Department Handbook" (PDF).
  13. ^ "Pontian". Tourism Johor. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  14. ^ Benjamin, Nelson (15 January 2018). "A positive change in its fortunes". The Star Online. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  15. ^ "Muafakat ke Arah #Johor Berkemajuan" (PDF). Muafakat Johor (in Malay). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  16. ^ "Bus Routes in Johor Bahru". BusInterchange.net. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  17. ^ "Bus Routes and Schedule". Pengangkutan Awam Johor. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  18. ^ (in Malay) Terminal Feri Kukup kembali sibuk