Batu Pahat is a district in the state of Johor, Malaysia. It lies southeast of Muar, southwest of Kluang, northwest of Pontian, and south of Segamat and the new Tangkak district. The capital of the district is Bandar Penggaram, Batu Pahat.
The capital of the district Bandar Penggaram,Batu Pahat is located at 1°51′N 102°56′E / 1.850°N 102.933°E / 1.850; 102.933. It is 239 km (150 miles) from Kuala Lumpur. The next nearest town is Muar which is 50 km (30 miles) northwest of Batu Pahat. The town of Kluang is located about 52 km (32 miles) to the northeast. Johor Baru is located about 70 km to 100 km (43 miles to 62 miles) to the southeast of the town.
The district itself borders the districts of Segamat and Tangkak to the north, Kluang to the east, Muar to the west and shares a border in the southeast with the district of Pontian. The coast of the Straits of Melaka lies to the south.
The town acquired the name Batu Pahat, which means "chiselled stone", from the quarries near the estuary. There are multiple theories as to the origin of this name. In around 1456, the Siamese army, led by Admiral Awi Di Chu, camped in Batu Pahat before attacking Malacca. Legend has it that the invading Siamese troops were chiselling rocks at a rocky spot in the coastal village of Kampung Minyak Beku, in hope to get fresh water during their retreat from the Melaka troops, led by Tun Perak, the famous Bendahara (Prime Minister) of the Malacca Empire. Another possible explanation for the origin of the name is the fortress ("a famosa") built by the Portuguese after capturing Melaka, which was made from granite rocks taken from the mouth of Sungai Batu Pahat.
Not to be confused with Batu Pahat, district area included Batu Pahat town and Yong Peng
Batu Pahat town (Bandar Penggaram or BP;) is located on the northwest coast of the state of Johor, Malaysia within a district of the same name. It lies south-east of Muar a royal city, south-west of Kluang, north-west of Pontian and south of Segamat. The town area is located inside Simpang Kanan parishes.
As of 2009, Batu Pahat town is the 20th largest urban area in Malaysia in terms of population. In 2006, Batu Pahat surpassed Muar to become the second largest urban area in Johor and by 2012, Batu Pahat is the 16th largest urban area in Malaysia in terms of population.(Malaysia Population). As for the racial demography, Chinese make up the majority of the population at 62% followed by the Malay at 36% and Indians at 2%.
The name Batu Pahat means "chiselled rock" in Malay. The origin of this name can be traced back to a local lore in the 1546, when the invading Siamese troops led by Admiral Awi Di Chu were chiselling rocks at a rocky spot in the coastal village of Kampung Minyak Beku, in hope of getting fresh water during their siege on the Malacca .