KEPALA BATAS – Once a quiet and underdeveloped area filled with oil palm estates and paddy fields, Kepala Batas in Penang has today become a thriving centre for commerce, education and public service. And for many locals, the man behind this remarkable transformation is none other than their former member of parliament and prime minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Abdullah, fondly known as “Pak Lah”, passed away on Monday at the age of 85. He had represented Kepala Batas for seven consecutive terms from 1978 until 2013.
Residents say his leadership and vision changed the landscape of the constituency—from what some recall as a “cowboy town” to one filled with banks, hypermarkets, restaurants, government offices and universities, particularly around the Bertam township.
Today, Bertam is home to numerous landed housing developments and continues to attract investors and developers.
“He transformed this formerly oil palm plantation from zero to a site where Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, boarding schools, science schools and Industrial Training Institute (ILP),” said Dr Mohd Fitri Musa, 40, a local clinic owner.
“We now have a five-star hotel being developed here, and a lot of developers have opened up their housing projects here. All these started from Pak Lah’s tenure as the prime minister,” he told Scoop when met in Bertam.
Ah Beng, 50, who runs a car workshop, said Abdullah helped put the town on the map.
“Kepala Batas used to be unknown to the masses. But Pak Lah made it famous during his tenure,” he said when met at his workshop.
Both Beng and another local, Silan, 50, credited Abdullah with improving access to public services for residents, reducing the need to travel to Butterworth for basic government-related matters.
“In the past, a lot of residents here would have to commute all the way to Butterworth to seek government services. But, Abdullah brought these services to Kepala Batas, making it more convenient for the residents here,” said Silan, when met at Jalan Datuk Haji Ahmad Badawi.
Halimahtun Idris, 40, who runs a food stall at Kompleks Dato’ Kailan—a business complex named after Abdullah’s late mother—said Bertam’s growth into a commercial hotspot also created new job opportunities.
A father figure to many
For Fitri and restaurant worker Mohd Shamsul Shamsudin, 45, Abdullah’s passing was a personal loss.
“Every time we look at Pak Lah’s photos, we feel like he is our father. We are well aware of his immense contributions to Kepala Batas since we were little,” said Fitri.
Shamsul, meanwhile, expressed sadness that Abdullah was not laid to rest in Kepala Batas.
“It would be difficult for the elderly to travel far to Kuala Lumpur to pay their last respects to him. But I guess their children wanted him to be laid to rest there so that they can easily visit him,” he said, referring to Abdullah’s ancestral mosque—the Masjid Al Jamiul Badawi—built by his late grandfather.
Lessons from Pak Lah
When asked what current and aspiring politicians could learn from Abdullah, Silan and Beng pointed to his humility and commitment to service. They recalled how he personally oversaw infrastructure improvements and made himself available to his constituents.
Shamsul, on the other hand, praised Abdullah’s generosity towards religious institutions.
Meanwhile, Halimahtun said his dedication to public service stood in contrast to the self-serving attitudes often seen in politics today.
“They need to prioritise public needs the moment they are elected as parliamentarians as a lot of politicians these days prioritise their needs as well as their cronies,” she said. – April 16, 2025.