Pokok Sena District

Pokok Sena District
District of Malaysia
Country	Malaysia
State	Kedah
Seat	Pokok Sena
Government
• District officer	Encik Zahari Ismail
Area
• Total	240 km^2 (90 sq mi)
Population (2010)
• Total	48,428
• Density	200/km^2 (520/sq mi)

The Pokok Sena District is a district and parliamentary constituency in Kedah, Malaysia. It is the 12th district of Kedah which was formerly a subdistrict of Kota Setar, about 20 km east of Alor Setar. The declaration of the 24,000ha district with a population of 50,000 was made by the Sultan of Kedah, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah in conjunction with his 81st birthday. The district is divided into 6 sub-districts: Gajah Mati, Jabi, Tualang, Lesong, Bukit Lada, Derang and consists of 122 villages and 21 residential areas.

Name

Pokok Sena is a Malay name for Angsana (Androcarpus indicus), which is a common shade tree in Kedah. This tree was once usually found along the traditional river routes before the development of roads. Now most of the trees are found along roadsides and within office compounds.

Education

There are a number of schools which serve the population of Pokok Sena. Pokok Sena also has a boarding school Sekolah Menengah Sains Pokok Sena or SAINA. In Pokok Sena also there is Kolej Islam Darul Ulum.

Development

The district was poised for rapid development with ongoing infrastructure projects such as road expansion spanning from Hutan Kampung, Pokok Sena and Kuala Nerang to Sungai Burung to spur new growth areas. Pokok Sena’s landscape will undergo rapid changes. Many housing projects are in the pipeline. A lot of opportunities will open up with construction projects and manufacturing facilities. The state government is currently developing a new township of this district called Bandar Baru Sejahtera Pokok Sena. Scheduled to be completed in 2017, this project costs RM230 million.

Important Places in Pokok Sena

There are a few important places near Pokok Sena, namely Taman Kekal Pengeluaran Makan (TKPM ) Gajah Mati, Agriculture Station Gajah Mati and Veterinary Station Gajah Mati. Another important place in Pokok Sena is Penjara Pokok Sena (Pokok Sena Jail).

Politics and government

The incumbent Member of Parliament for Pokok Sena is Dato' Mahfuz Omar from PAS. The constituency in turn contributes three seats to the Kedah State Legislative Assembly:

• Bukit Lada - held by BN;
• Bukit Pinang - held by PAS; and
• Derga - held by DAP.

Pokok Sena lies within the municipal boundaries of the Alor Setar City Council (Majlis Bandaraya Alor Setar).

Transportation

Pokok Sena is linked to state capital Alor Setar by Highway 175. Other state routes link the town to Padang Terap, Pendang and Kubang Pasu constituencies.