Paya Terubong is a suburb of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located nearly 7 km (4.3 mi) southwest of the city centre, it is nestled within the central valleys of Penang Island and south of Air Itam. Originally an agricultural village, rapid development in the last decades of the 20th century has transformed the area into a residential suburb.

Quick Facts Other transcription(s), • Mandarin ...

Paya Terubong
Suburb of George Town
Other transcription(s)
• Mandarin	垄尾 (Simplified) 壟尾 (Traditional) Lǒng wěi (Pinyin)
• Hokkien	Lóng-bué (Tâi-lô)
• Tamil	பாயா தெருபோங் Pāyā terupōṅ (Transliteration)
Paya Terubong Location within    George Town in    Penang
Coordinates: 5°22′22″N 100°16′47″E
Country	Malaysia
State	Penang
City	George Town
Government
• Local government	Penang Island City Council
• Mayor of Penang Island	Rajendran P. Anthony
• Paya Terubong State Assemblyman	Wong Hon Wai (DAP)
• Bukit Gelugor Member of Parliament	Ramkarpal Singh (DAP)
Area
• Total	32.7 km2 (12.6 sq mi)
Population  (2020)[1]
• Total	226,712
• Density	6,900/km2 (18,000/sq mi)
Demographics [1]
• Ethnic groups	56.2% Chinese 23.7% Bumiputera 23.0% Malay 0.7% indigenous groups from Sabah and Sarawak 9.4% Indian 1.0% Other ethnicities 9.6% Non-citizens
Time zone	UTC+8 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	Not observed
Postal code	11060
Website	www.mbpp.gov.my

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Paya Terubong was named after a species of grass known in Malay as terubong. Its scientific name is Cyrtococcum oxyphyllum.^[2]

Similar to Air Itam to the north, Paya Terubong was where agricultural farms were established, providing fresh produce to be traded in markets elsewhere in George Town. In the past, Paya Terubong Road was merely a hill path.

The area was developed in the 1980s with the construction of residential high-rises to alleviate land scarcity in the city. New townships such as Farlim were created, leading to an increase in population.

The subdivision of Paya Terubong covers an area of 32.7 km² (12.6 sq mi), forming a corridor that stretches from the central valleys of Penang Island to Jerejak Island off the eastern coast. It encompasses a varied topography and includes several neighbourhoods, namely Farlim, Bukit Jambul, Sungai Dua, Batu Uban and parts of Sungai Nibong.^[3]

As of 2020^[update], Paya Terubong was home to a population of 226,712, making it the most populated subdivision within the city of George Town.^[1] The suburb had a population density of 6,933/km² (17,960/sq mi). Ethnic Chinese constituted over 56% of Paya Terubong's population, while Malays formed another 23%. Non-citizens comprised almost 10% of the population, followed by Indians at over 9%.

Paya Terubong Road remains the main thoroughfare within the suburb. The road connects with Ayer Itam Road to the north and stretches towards the neighbourhood of Relau near the southern end of the central valleys. As Paya Terubong Road is the sole road which links the north and south of Penang Island through the central valleys, heavy traffic congestion occurs on a frequent basis.^[2][4] In 2022, part of the Jalan Bukit Kukus Paired Road was opened for use, intended to alleviate congestion between Paya Terubong and other suburbs to the south.

Rapid Penang buses 13, 201, 202, 306 and 502 serve the residents of the suburb, by connecting Paya Terubong with the city centre and various other destinations, such as Ayer Itam, the Penang International Airport, Queensbay Mall and Balik Pulau.^{[5][6][7][8][9]}

Paya Terubong is served by a handful of neighbourhood retail centres, such as Bukit Jambul Complex and All Seasons Place. The six-storey Bukit Jambul Complex at Bukit Jambul was opened in 1997, while All Seasons Place at Farlim was touted as the first strip mall in Penang upon its launch in 2012.^[10][11][12]