Skudai is a rapidly
expanding suburb of Johor
Bahru
, the largest city in and the capital of the state
of Johor
in southern
Malaysia
.
Skudai is
part of the new growth corridor of southwest Johor, which includes
the Senai International
Airport, Tanjung Pelepas
Port and the proposed new administrative capital of Johor,
Bandar
Nusajaya
. Its
population ranges between 160,000 and 210,000. It is the
headquarters of the Johor Bahru Central Municipal Council and it is
home to the
Universiti
Teknologi Malaysia campus.
Skudai is
located 8 km, 4 km and 16 km from Kulai
, Senai
and Johor Bahru
city (bandaraya) respectively.
Nearby towns and housing areas are
Taman Universiti, Taman Sri Skudai, Taman
Desa Skudai, Taman Sri Putri, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Taman Pulai
Utama, Mutiara Rini, Taman Melawati, Taman Damai Jaya, Taman Nesa,
Taman Nesa 2, Taman Bukit Gemilang, Taman Impian Skudai, Taman
Sutera Utama, Bandar Selesa Jaya, Taman Bukit Indah, Taman Timor,
Taman Seri Orkid, Taman Tan Sri Yaakob, Taman Jaya, Taman Skudai
Baru, Taman Pulai Utama, Taman Pulai flora,
Taman Skudai Indah,
Taman Nusa Bestari,
Taman Nusa Bestari
2, Taman Skudai Ria and Taman Impian Emas.
Mas Selamat bin Kastari of the Jamah Islamiah terrorist
organisation was a most wanted fugitive who escaped from Singapore
police custody. He was recaptured in the vicinity of Skudai in
April 2009.
Shopping
Skudai has a large
catchment area, hence the
number of shopping centres built around Skudai. The shopping
centres that are in and within Skudai are Skudai Parade,
Jusco Taman Universiti, KIP Mart, Skudai Mall, The
Store in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Sutera Mall in Taman Sutera Utama,
U Mall in Taman Pulai Utama, Bestmart in Taman Nusa Bestari, Giant
Hypermarket which along the Jalan Skudai and Kemayan City. The
latter two shopping centres were abandoned. Skudai plaza was
abandoned due to bankruptcy attributing to poor business while
Kemayan City was abandoned during construction for unknown
reasons.
Food
Malay, Chinese, and Indian food are being served in restaurants and
food stalls. A large variety is available throughout the area.
Mamak restaurants are mostly available in Taman Universiti.
Economy
As is the norm with many parts of southern johor, many people in
Skudai are from other states in Malaysia, attracted by better
employment opportunities and double the exchange rate in neighbor
Singapore. These immigrants would rent houses in Skudai and other
parts of johor, with many preferring to settle down here some years
down the road. This has created a housing boom in this area as many
local young people are also starting families of their own. The
higher income that residents can earn from working in Singapore
have resulted in higher disposable income too, thus spurring the
entertainment and automotive sectors in johor.
Schools
The secondary schools in Skudai are
- SEKOLAH MENENGAH KEBANGSAAN TAMAN TUN AMINAH
- SEKOLAH MENENGAH TAMAN SKUDAI BARU,
- SEKOLAH MENENGAH TAMAN BANDAR SELESA JAYA 1,
- SEKOLAH MENENGAH TAMAN BANDAR SELESA JAYA 2,
- SEKOLAH MENENGAH TAMAN UNIVERSITI,
- SEKOLAH MENENGAH TAMAN UNIVERSITI 2,
- SEKOLAH MENENGAH KEBANGSAAN SKUDAI,
- SEKOLAH MENENGAH TAMAN DESA SKUDAI,
- SEKOLAH MENENGAH TAMAN MUTIARA RINI 1,
- SEKOLAH MENENGAH TAMAN MUTIARA RINI 2,
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is a leading university in
Engineering in Malaysia and its main is situated 3 km from at
Taman Universiti.