BATU PAHAT

also called Bandar Penggaram, port, West Malaysia (Malaya), on the Strait of Malacca at the mouth of the Batu Pahat River. It is a fishing town and a distribution centre; and, until the completion of a bridge in 1968, it was a ferry point for road traffic across the river. Sago palms, rubber, coconuts, and fruit are grown in the area. Batu Pahat ("Carved Rock") is also a petroleum depot. Iron is mined at Seri Medan to the northeast. There is a lighthouse at nearby Cape Segenting. Pop. (1980) 64,727.