NIBONG TEBAL: Have you ever imagined being able to be in three states within a few minutes? It might seem impossible, but for the residents of Sungai Bakap, it's a normal occurrence.
This is because Sungai Bakap, a town in the South Seberang Perai district, which is one of the three state constituencies under the Nibong Tebal Parliament in Penang, is located right on the border between Parit Buntar, Perak, and Bandar Baharu, Kedah, making this area known as the 'Northern Triangle'.
Nor Hannani Aminah Mahmud, a 41-year-old Quran and Fardu Ain class (KAFA) teacher, said its strategic location allows residents to cross three states at any time without having to travel long distances like in other places in Malaysia.
"Sungai Bakap is unique. To go to work, we have to pass through Kedah first, then have lunch in Perak.
"Even when going back to celebrate Aidilfitri, we don't get stressed about long journeys because in less than an hour, we can reach our hometown," Nor Hannani Aminah, who teaches at Sekolah Rendah Agama Rakyat (SRAR) An Najah told Bernama.
However, Nor Hannani Aminah, who lives in Taman Pekaka here, admits that this advantage certainly has its own challenges, especially during the early stages of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in March 2020.
"Usually, if people from Nibong Tebal or Sungai Bakap want to buy goods, they will go to Parit Buntar. So, during the MCO, it was quite difficult because crossing state borders was not allowed.
"The same issue was faced by people in Bandar Baharu. If they needed to go to the bank, they had to go to Parit Buntar to withdraw money because there are no banks in their area. Fortunately, there were some relaxations given for urgent matters," she said.
Meanwhile, based on Facebook comments, some residents mentioned that they also share the same postcode starting with the number 34 for the areas of Parit Buntar and Bandar Baharu.
"Not only that, we also share the same telephone code, which is 05. Some areas are only separated by a single road. It is interesting and a bit exciting for outsiders who have just moved here," according to a post shared by Azril Ahmad on his Facebook account.
Sungai Bakap has been in the spotlight for the past few weeks due to the upcoming by-election following the death of incumbent state assemblyman Nor Zamri Latiff on May 24 due to stomach inflammation.
In the by-election on July 6, Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Dr Joohari Ariffin will face Nibong Tebal PAS vice-chief Abidin Ismail, representing Perikatan Nasional, in a straight fight. – BERNAMA