Lighthouses of West Malaysia

Lighthouses of Malaya (West Malaysia)

The nation of Malaysia is in two parts: West Malaysia on the southern end of the Malay Peninsula and East Malaysia on the island of Borneo roughly 700 km (450 mi) to the east. West Malaysia is the former Federation of Malaya, a union of 11 states placed under British protectorate in the late 1800s. In 1963 the British granted independence to Malaysia, a new country formed by uniting Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, and Sabah (North Borneo). Singapore, a predominantly Chinese city just off the tip of Malay Peninsula, left the union in 1965 and has been independent since.

Malaya faces one of the world's most important waterways, often called simply The Straits. The Strait of Malacca opens westward to the Indian Ocean and separates Malaya from the Indonesian island of Sumatra. At its southeastern end, the Strait of Malacca joins the Singapore Strait, which connects to the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean.

Aids to navigation in Malaysia (except for Pulau Pisang) are the responsibility of the Marine Department (Jabatan Laut). The Malay term for a lighthouse is rumah api; an island is a pulau, a cape is a tanjung, and a hill is a bukit.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume F of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112.

Kuala Selangor Light, May 2007
anonymous Creative Commons photo

Malaya East Coast (South China Sea) Lighthouses
* Tumpat: Date unknown (1920s?). Inactive, probably since World War II. 23 m (85 ft) round brick tower with gallery; lantern removed. The history of this lighthouse is unclear; apparently it was in use for only a short time prior to World War II. Located near the harbor entrance of Tumpat. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS WMA-032.
* Pantai Senok (Pengkalan Daty): Date unknown (recent). Active; focal plane approx. 19 m (62 ft); white flash every 5 s. 14 m (46 ft) white round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. A photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. This light was built to guide ships to a new harbor facility on the coast of Kelantan state, near the Thai border. Located on the east breakwater at Pantai Senok, about 15 km (9 mi) northeast of Kota Baharu, the capital of Kelantan state. ARLHS WMA-021; Admiralty F2889; NGA 20934.
Seabelle Rock: 2002. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); white flash every 4 s. 9 m (30 ft) white concrete post light with gallery, mounted on an octagonal platform supported by eight concrete piles. A closeup photo is available. This interesting modern light is off the east coast of Terengganu state in the Perhentian islands, an archipelago of coral islands and reefs. The region is included in a national park. Located about 20 km (13 mi) northeast of Kampong Kuala Besut. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Pulau Redang Marine Park. ARLHS WMA-022; Admiralty F2885.6; NGA 20942.
Singapore Strait Lighthouses (see also Singapore and Indonesia)
Pulau Mungging: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 3 s. 8 m (26 ft) square skeletal tower, the upper 3/4 enclosed by white panels as a daymark. Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks the extreme southeastern tip of the Malay Peninsula and stands at the north side of the eastern entrance to Singapore Strait. Located just offshore, about 12 km (7.5 mi) south of Kampong Punggai. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS WMA-025; Admiralty F1822; NGA 21180.
Tanjung Setapa: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 33 m (108 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted orange. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. This light marks the eastern entrance to the Johore Strait, which separates Malaysia from Singapore. Located on a cape about 5 km (3 mi) east of the easternmost point of Singapore. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1737; NGA 21184.
Tanjung Piai: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 3 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower on a platform supported by four piles. The relatively unimpressive Tanjung (Cape) Piai, marked by this distinctly unimpressive modern light, is actually the southernmost tip of the mainland of Asia, 139 km (86 mi) north of the equator. This lighthouse also marks the west side of the entrance to Johore Strait, which separates Malaysia from Singapore. Located just offshore, about 5 km (3 mi) south of Serkat. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS WMA-026; Admiralty F1674.5; NGA 22586.
Malaya West Coast (Strait of Malacca) Lighthouses
Panjang Selatan: Date unknown (recent). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white flash every 5 s. 26 m (85 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower mounted on a concrete platform on pilings. A series of shock absorbing structures is built beside the lighthouse as protection against collision with ships. Entire lighthouse painted white. SYS Marine Civil Engineering, the contractor which built the lighthouse, has posted a photo, but it's not clear if the photo shows this lighthouse or its companion (next entry). Located about 19 km (12 mi) southeast of Pulau Pisang in the Strait of Malacca. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS WMA-027; Admiralty F1669.1; NGA 21691.
Mudah Selatan: Date unknown (recent). Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 25 m (82 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower mounted on a concrete platform on pilings. A series of shock absorbing structures is built beside the lighthouse as protection against collision with ships. Entire lighthouse painted white. SYS Marine Civil Engineering, the contractor which built the lighthouse, has posted a photo, but it's not clear if the photo shows this lighthouse or its companion (previous entry). Located about 13 km (8 mi) southeast of Pulau Pisang in the Strait of Malacca. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS WMA-028; Admiralty F1669; NGA 21690.
Pulau Pisang: 1914. Active; focal plane 150 m (492 ft); white flash every 10 s. 16 m (52 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. No current photo available, but Google has a good satellite view. The lighthouse stands atop a wooded island in the Strait of Malacca. The British government of Singapore, then called Straits Settlements, obtained the land for the light station and its access road in an agreement with the Sultan of Johore in 1900. Singapore continues to operate the light, which is the cause of some friction with Malaysia, but Singapore recognizes Malaysian sovereignty over the island. In May 2008, after Malaysia lost its case before the International Court of Justice for sovereignty over the Horsburgh lighthouse islet, Malaysian MPs began calling for negotiations with Singapore about transferring the lighthouse to Malaysian control. Located on the highest point of Pulau Pisang, about 15 km (9 mi) east of Pontian Kechin. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/operator: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. ARLHS WMA-010; Admiralty F1668; NGA 21692.
Pulau Sialu (Sungai Batu Pahat) (2?): Date unknown (station established 1913). Inactive since 1978. 15 m (49 ft) masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Mohd Razali has a 2008 photo. Pulau Sialu is a small, uninhabited island off the Batu Pahat estuary. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1978 in favor of the Bukit Segenting lighthouseon the mainland. The original lighthouse had a focal plane height of only 12 m (40 ft). Located roughly 2 km (1.2 mi) southwest of Bukit Segenting (next entry). Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS WMA-012; Admiralty F1652; NGA 21708.

*** Tanjung Tuan (Cape Rachado): 1863. Active; focal plane 118 m (387 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 24 m (79 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. 1° Fresnel lens in use. Original 1-story masonry keeper's house. A modern concrete tower, built in 1990, carries radar to monitor ship traffic in the narrow Strait of Malacca. Auria Abraham has a closeup photo, Horng Yih Wong has another good photo, the Malaysian edition of Wikipedia has a closeup photo, the lighthouse appeared on a commemorative postal sheet, and Google has a satellite view. This is Malaysia's oldest active lighthouse and probably its most important; it stands at the end of a prominent ridge jutting out into the Strait at the northern end of the narrower part of the waterway. The forested ridge has long been recognized as one of the country's most important forest and wildlife reserves. The site figures in Malay legends and history; the 15th century warrior Hang Tuah is said to have meditated here and left his footprint in a boulder. According to other local accounts, the Portuguese built a lighthouse here in the 1500s, and the Dutch built another in 1817; we have no verification of these claims. The coast of Sumatra, on the other side of the strait, can be seen from the top of the lighthouse. Located on a very prominent cape about 20 km (13 mi) south of Port Dickson. Site open, tower open for climbing by arrangement with the keepers. ARLHS WMA-003; Admiralty F1626; NGA 21748.
* Bukit Jugra: 1976. Active; focal plane 146 m (479 ft); white flash every 10 s. 25 m (82 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. A second concrete tower carries radar to monitor ship traffic. Tian Yake has a photo and a closeup. Located on a conspicuous hill on the east side of a river at Permatang Pasir. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS WMA-001; Admiralty F1614; NGA 21780.
* Kuala Selangor (Altingsburg, Bukit Melawati): 1907. Active; focal plane 73 m (240 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 27 m (89 ft) round two-stage tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. The lower half of the tower is cylindrical masonry, and the upper half is a conical cast iron tower. A photo appears at the top of the page; another closeup photo is available, also a second photo. The lighthouse stands on the hill known as Bukit Melawati, in the center of a 250 ha (600 acre) nature reserve adjoining the town of Kuala Selangor. Ruins of the Dutch Fort Altingsburg, built in 1784, can be seen near the lighthouse. The road to the lighthouse is closed on weekends due to limited parking, but trams are provided. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS WMA-005; Admiralty F1578; NGA 21860.
Pulau Sembilan (White Rock) (2): Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. Approx. 14 m (46 ft) post light mounted on a square equipment enclosure. Entire lighthouse is white. A 2007 photo is available. NGA lists a skeletal tower at this location. Located on a dangerous rock about 25 km (15 mi) off Kampong Sungai Ular, Perak state. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS WMA-020; Admiralty F1565; NGA 21900.
Pulau Katak (3): Date unknown (station established 1888). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white flash every 4 s. 11 m (36 ft) round brick tower, painted white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. The original light on a mast was replaced in 1919 by a tower with a focal plane height of 27 m (89 ft). Located on a small island off a promontory about 10 km (6 mi) south of Lumut on the coast of Perak state. Site status unknown. ARLHS WMA-009; Admiralty F1558.5; NGA 21912.
Penang Island Lighthouses
Note: Penang is a large island (293 km² or 113 mi²) off the northwestern coast of Malaya; together with a strip of land on the adjoining mainland it forms the state also called Penang. Ceded to Britain by the Sultan of Kedah in 1786, the island was the first British base in Malaysia. It is accessible from the mainland by air, by a bridge, or by ferry from Butterworth on the mainland to George Town on the island.

Pulau Tikus (2?): Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 3 s. 7 m (23 ft) post light with gallery, mounted on a small 1-story equipment room. Entire lighthouse painted white. There is a house, presumably an abandoned keeper's house, adjacent to the light, as well as the grave (probably of a former keeper). No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Pulau Tikus (Rat Island) is a small island just off the northeast coast of Penang Island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS WMA-031; Admiralty F1490; NGA 22092.