Pontian District

The Pontian District is a district in southwest Johor, Malaysia. The name Pontian is also used in the names of two towns in the district, Pontian Besar and Pontian Kechil, of which the latter serves as its district capital. The capital was formerly a fishing village which has developed into a small town.

Pontian is noted for its variety of seafood which is sold at reasonable prices. Kukup is a famous fishing village about 20 km from Pontian Kechil. Notable national parks in Pontian include Tanjung Piai.

Pontian Kechil is situated 1.5 hours (via bus) from Johor Bahru (Capital of Johor State) via Jalan Johor. Other notable towns in Pontian include Ayer Baloi and Benut, north of Pontian Kechil. To the south and east of Pontian Kechil respectively are the towns of Teluk Kerang and Pekan Nanas.

Especially along coastal areas, Pontian is populated by Malays of Bugis and Javanese descent. The Chinese community in Pontian predominantly belongs to the Fujian (Hokkien) dialect group.

This town is also a site for the observatory to look for the crescent moon to mark the beginning of Muslim month of Ramadhan, Shawwal, and Zulhijjah, to celebrate fasting month of Ramadhan, Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Hari Raya Aidiladha.

History

The name of Pontian transformed from a Malay word "Perhentian" which means a stop. Previously Pontian was a stop for both merchants and pirates. Pontian was also the landing point for Indonesian navy during Konfrontasi Malaysia-Indonesia during the 1960s.

Places of interest

Seaside places

Old Pontian seaside near Padang; has been a must-see photography spot for couples from the 1950s-2000s. This area includes a rest-house, a helipad, children's playground and a newly-built royal park.

Perdagangan Pontian Seaside; A land reclamation area which created Pontian Business Centre, the New Bus Station and a longer sea line for Pontian. Here you can have tea and mamak food by the sea.

Rambah Seaside; A renovated seaside located at Rambah Village. It is a wonderful seaside for couples to stargaze and enjoy at night.

Telok Kerang seaside; Very nice seaside with a sandy beach.

Pulau Pisang; An island with a lighthouse famous for its Kuini Fruit.

Pasar Awam Pontian (Public Market); Famous for its fresh-from-the-sea products and vegetables. Their Pontian Black Pomfret are a must buy.

Pineapple Plantation - Hundreds of acres of pineapples located at Ayer Baloi, Pekan Nanas and Parit Sikom. Has an endless view of pineapples. A nice place for photography. Pontian was once the largest exporter of pineapples in the world.

Tanjung Piai

Kukup

Entertainment

Show box Karaoke - A new karaoke outlet, the first family karaoke in Tenggayu

Landmarks

Laman Diraja Pontian. A new landmark that has a smaller Royal Crown of Johor replica same as the one in Istana Bukit Serene.

Lian Hua Theater

Emporium

Parkson Ria

Nilai

Old Pasar now transformed to Billion Building

Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontian_District