“WHY is your state so hot?” I asked a Kedah-based journalist during a political rally in Sungai Petani, where I was based for a week between July 23 and 30 to cover the state election that had just kicked off.

Indeed, the northern states of Kedah, Perlis, and Penang are generally hotter than the rest of the peninsula. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Malaysia was 40.1°C in Chuping, a small town outside of Kangar, the capital of Perlis, in 1998.

However, the hot and dry weather of Kedah is compensated by the idyllic landscape, thanks to the paddy fields that are spread out as far as the eye can see and juxtaposed with the majestic Mount Jerai.

It is a state with a lot of possibilities, if given the chance to develop.

My journey started in KL Sentral as I took the Electric Train Service (ETS) to go to Sungai Petani, the largest city of Kedah. Being located in quite a central location of the state, I decided that Sungai Petani would be the best location for me to base myself, to cover the election campaigning in Kedah.

It was my first time taking the ETS, and the journey was splendid. Since I bought the Business Class ticket, I got to use the lounge at KL Sentral. The lounge is just a small waiting room separated from the rest of the passengers, but enough to allow one some comfort before embarking on a long journey.

However, since departure was at 6pm, I couldn’t enjoy the scenery along the route, as it got dark soon after the journey began. This was a sore point for me as I couldn’t get an earlier ticket, as the seats were all sold out, even in the Business Class.

Nevertheless, the service in ETS, with two meal services and a comfortable seat with ample legroom made me wonder — if we had more of the same service throughout the country, would we even need local air travel?

My trip in Kedah brought me to a seaside town, Pantai Merdeka. Unlike the name, there is no “beach” to speak of in Pantai Merdeka. However, this does not mean that one should not visit Pantai Merdeka, especially if you are looking for a relaxing time with family.

The beachside has been turned into a linear park where children play and families relax, under the shade of casuarina trees. The breeze that blows in from the sea is splendid, allowing visitors to escape the heat. Did I mention that Kedah is hot?

Pantai Merdeka is around 40 minutes by car from Sungai Petani. However, it feels like a world away, as the location is quite remote and the road to reach the beach is quite long and winding.

Of course, being the “rice bowl of Malaysia”, Kedah’s geography is dominated by paddy fields. In fact, I find Alor Setar, the state capital, as being unique among all the state capitals in Malaysia, due to its surrounding paddy fields.  

From the North-South Expressway (NSE), one would not be in any doubt if one has missed the first exit to Alor Setar. This is because if you are on the NSE from the south and you can see Menara Alor Setar on your left amid an expanse of paddy fields, you have definitely missed the exit.

While I didn’t do much visiting in Alor Setar (unfortunately, I was not on vacation), I do remember that the city is neat and offers some interesting architecture. It’s like Georgetown in Penang, minus the international tourists and traffic jams.

However, Mount Jerai is a view on its own, as it is not part of the Titiwangsa Range that forms the backbone of the peninsula. This makes Mount Jerai unmistakable from every angle, if you are in Kedah, as it doesn’t have to share attention with other peaks.

Despite its strategic location being right in the middle of Kedah and not too far away from Penang, Mount Jerai is not as popular as Langkawi for tourism. I wonder why, since tourists could escape from the northern peninsular heat by vacationing on Mount Jerai.

But, I cannot recommend enough the Kedah paddy fields. Visionary leaders are needed to turn this unique landscape into a tourism attraction for Kedah. It would help supplement the incomes of the paddy farmers, who are still among the lowest income earners in the country.

Kedah is unique. Its history is perhaps the longest among Malaysian states. Its vast, flat landscape, juxtaposed with the imposing Mount Jerai, can only be found here. And unlike some other states whose magnificent natural features are being ravaged by development, Kedah is still pristine.

But, it is hot.

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