Penang
Encyclopedia
Penang is a state
in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia
by the Strait of Malacca
. It is bordered by Kedah
in the north and east, and Perak
in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis
, and the eighth most populous. It is composed of two parts – Penang Island, where the seat of government is, and Seberang Perai
(formerly, and occasionally Province Wellesley) on the Malay Peninsula
. Highly urbanised and industrialised Penang is one of the most developed and economically important states in the country, as well as a thriving tourist destination. Its heterogeneous population is highly diverse in ethnicity, culture, language, and confessions. It is also widely recognised as the most socially progressive, being the home of both the Consumer's Association of Penang, and of the reform group Aliran. A resident of Penang is colloquially known as a Penangite.
of Ming
-dynasty China in his expeditions to the South Seas
. Fifteenth-century Portuguese sailors from Goa
en route to the Spice Islands
often made stopovers on the island which they called Pulo Pinaom. Early Malays called it Pulau Ka-Satu or "First (or Single) Island" because it was the largest island encountered on the trading sea-route between Lingga
and Kedah
. The Siam
ese, then the overlord of the Kedah Sultanate, referred to the island as Koh Maak.
The name "Penang" comes from the modern Malay name Pulau Pinang, which means island of the areca nut palm
(Areca catechu, family Palmae). The name Penang may refer either to the island of Penang (Pulau Pinang) or the state of Penang (Negeri Pulau Pinang). In Malay, Penang's capital George Town
was called and labelled in old maps as Tanjung Penaga (Cape Penaigre), named after the many ballnut trees (also known as Alexandrian laurels, Calophyllum inophyllum
) on the coast, but now usually shortened as Tanjung (the Cape).
Penang is often known as "The Pearl of the Orient", "东方花园" and Pulau Pinang Pulau Mutiara (Penang, Island of Pearls). Penang is shortened as "PG" or "PP" in Malay.
of the Juru and Yen lineage, both now considered extinct cultures. They were hunter-gatherers of the Negrito
stock having short stature and dark complexion, and were dispersed by the Malays as far back as 900 years ago. The last recorded aboriginal settlement in Penang was in the 1920s in Kubang Semang. The first evidence of prehistoric human settlement in what is now Penang were found in Guar Kepah, a cave in Seberang Perai in 1860. Based on mounds of sea shells with human skeletons, stone implements, broken ceramics, and food leftovers inside, the settlement was estimated to be between 3000 to 4000 years old. Other stone tools found in various places on the island of Penang pointed to the existence of Neolithic
settlements dating to 5000 years ago.
One of the very first Englishmen to reach Penang was the navigator and privateer Sir James Lancaster
who on 10 April 1591, commanding the Edward Bonadventure, set sail from Plymouth
for the East Indies
, reaching Penang in June 1592, remaining on the island until September of the same year and pillaging every vessel he encountered, only to return to England in May 1594.
The history of modern Penang, originally part of the Malay Sultanate of Kedah
, began when the island was leased to Captain Francis Light
, an English trader-adventurer working for the Madras-based firm, Jourdain Sullivan and de Souza and the East India Company
, in exchange for military protection from Siam
ese and Burmese armies who were threatening Kedah. For Light, Penang was a convenient magazine for trade and an ideal location to curtail French expansion in Indochina
and Dutch foothold in Sumatra
. On 11 August 1786, Francis Light landed on Penang at what is later called Fort Cornwallis
and took formal possession of the island in the name of His Britannic Majesty, King George III and the Honourable East India Company
, and renamed the island Prince of Wales Island in honour of the heir to the British throne
but the name never caught on. In Malaysian history, the occasion marked the beginning of more than a century of British involvement in Malaya
.
Unfortunately for the Sultan, the EAC's new governor-general Charles Cornwallis made it clear that he could not be party to the Sultan's disputes with the other Malay princes, or promise to protect him from the Siamese or Burmese. Unbeknownst to Sultan Abdullah, Light had decided to conceal the facts of the agreement from both parties. When Light reneged on his promise of protection, the Sultan tried unsuccessfully to recapture the island in 1790, and the Sultan was forced to cede the island to the company for an honorarium
of 6,000 Spanish dollar
s per annum. Light established Penang as a free port to entice traders away from nearby Dutch trading posts. He also encouraged immigrants by promising them as much land as they could clear and by reportedly firing silver dollars from his ship's cannons deep into the jungle. Many early settlers, including Light himself, succumbed to malaria, earning early Penang the epithet "the white man's grave".
After Light's demise, Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Wellesley
arrived in Penang to co-ordinate the defences of the island. In 1800, Lieutenant-Governor Sir George Leith
secured a strip of land across the channel as a buffer against attacks and named it Province Wellesley (today Seberang Prai). The annual payment to Sultan of Kedah was increased to 10,000 Spanish dollars per annum after the acquisition. Today, the Penang state government still pays RM 18,800.00 to the Sultan of Kedah annually.
In 1796 Penang was made a penal settlement when 700 convicts were transferred thither from the Andaman Islands
. In 1805 Penang was made a separate presidency (ranking with Bombay and Madras); and when in 1826 Singapore
and Malacca
were incorporated with it, Penang continued to be the seat of government of the Straits Settlements
, an extension of the British Raj
. In 1829 Penang was reduced from the rank of a presidency, and eight years later the fast-growing town of Singapore was made the capital of the Settlements. In 1867 the Straits Settlements were created a Crown colony
under direct British rule, in which Penang was included.
For ten days in August 1867, Penang was gripped with civil unrest during what was known as the Penang Riot which pitted rival secret societies Kean Teik Tong (the Tua Pek Kong Hoey), led by Khoo Thean Teik
and the Red Flag against the alliance of the Ghee Hin Kongsi
and the White Flag, which the British under newly appointed lieutenant-governor Col. Edward Anson
put down with sepoy
reinforcement after days of chaos.
At the turn of the century, Penang, with her large population of Chinese immigrants, was a natural place for the Chinese nationalist Sun Yat Sen to raise funds for his revolutionary efforts in Qing China. These frequent visits culminated in the famous Penang Conference of 1910 which paved the way to the ultimately triumphant Wuchang Uprising
which overthrew the Manchu
government.
, the German cruiser SMS Emden surreptitiously sailed to Penang and sank two Allied warships off its coast – the Russian cruiser Zhemchug
in the North Channel, and as it was leaving the island, the French torpedo boat, Mosquet 10 miles off Muka Head. During World War II
, Penang, then a British island garrison, suffered devastating aerial bombardments and finally fell to invading Japanese forces on 17 December 1941 as the British withdrew to Singapore after declaring George Town an open city. Penang under Japanese occupation was marked by widespread fear, hunger, and massacres which targeted the local Chinese populace. Especially feared was the Japanese military police Kempeitai
and its network of informants. Penang was administered by four successive Japanese governors, beginning with Lt-Gen Shotaro Katayama. Penang also served as a U-boat base for the Monsun boats
in the Indian Ocean for Japan's ally, Germany during the War. The destruction of the Penang Secretariat building by Allied
bombing in the final months of the Occupation caused the loss of the greater part of the British and Japanese records concerning the island, causing enormous difficulties to compile a comprehensive history of Penang. Following Japanese surrender in the War, on 21 August 1945 the Penang Shimbun published the statement of capitulation issued by the Emperor
. The official British party reached Penang on 1 September, and after a meeting between the Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies Fleet and Rear-Admiral Uzumi on 2 September, a detachment of the Royal Marines
landed and occupied the island on 3 September. A formal ceremony to signify British repossession of Penang took place on Swettenham Pier on 5 September 1945.
>
Incorporated into
Date
Straits Settlements
1826
Crown Colony
1867
Japanese occupation
19 December 1941
Malayan Union
1 April 1946
Federation of Malaya
31 January 1948
Independence
31 August 1957
Malaysia
16 September 1963
into a single administrative entity called the Malayan Union
, but by then British prestige and image of invincibility were already severely dented. The Malayan Union was vehemently rejected by the people, and the Federation of Malaya
was formed in its place in 1948, uniting the then Federated Malay States
, Unfederated Malay States
, and the Straits Settlements
of which Penang was a part. Independence seemed an inevitable conclusion. Nonetheless, the idea of the absorption of the British colony of Penang into the vast Malay heartland alarmed some quarters of the population. The Penang Secessionist Movement (active from 1948 to 1951) was formed to preclude Penang's merger with Malaya, but was ultimately unsuccessful due to British disapproval. Another attempt by the secessionists to join Singapore as a Crown Colony was also unfruitful. The movement was spearheaded by, among others, the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Penang Indian Chamber of Commerce, and the Penang Clerical and Administrative Staff Union.
Penang, with the rest of Malaya gained independence in 1957, and subsequently became a member state of Malaysia in 1963. Wong Pow Nee of the Malaysian Chinese Association
(MCA) party was Penang's first Chief Minister. He presided during the period of the Communist insurgency
and the formation of Malaysia.
The island was, since colonial times, a free port
until its sudden revocation by the federal government in 1969. Despite this abrupt setback, from the 1970s to the late 1990s the state under the administration of Chief Minister Lim Chong Eu
built up one of the largest electronics manufacturing bases in Asia, the Free Trade Zone in Bayan Lepas
located at the southeastern part of the island.
The pre-War houses in the historic centre of George Town was for half a century until January 2001 protected from urban development due to the Rent Control Act which prohibited landlords from arbitrarily raising rentals as a measure to provide affordable housing to the low-income population. Its eventual repeal visibly changed the landscape of Penang's demographic pattern and economic activity: it led to overnight appreciation of house and real estate prices, forcing out tenants of multiple generations out of their homes to the city outskirts and the development of new townships and hitherto sparsely populated areas of Penang; the demolition of many pre-War houses and the mushrooming of high-rise residences and office buildings; and the emptying out and dilapidation of many areas in the city centre. Unperturbed development sparked concerns of the continued existence of heritage buildings and Penang's collection of pre-War houses (southeast Asia's largest), leading to more vigorous conservation efforts. This was paid handsomely when on 7 July 2008, George Town
, the historic capital of Penang, was formally inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
, alongside Malacca. It is officially recognised as having "a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia".
The Indian Ocean tsunami which struck on Boxing Day of 2004 hit the western and northern coasts of Penang island, claiming 52 lives (out of 68 in Malaysia).
The body of water between Penang Island and Seberang Perai consists of the North Channel to the north of George Town
and the South Channel to the south of it. Penang Island is irregularly shaped, with a granitic, hilly and mostly forested interior. The coastal plains are narrow, the most extensive of which is in the northeast. In general, the island can be distinguished into five areas:
The topography of Seberang Perai, comprising more than half of the land area of Penang, is mostly flat save for Bukit Mertajam
, the name of the hillock and the eponymous town at its foot. It has a long coastline, the majority of which is lined with mangrove. Butterworth
, the main town in Seberang Perai, lies along the Perai River estuary and faces George Town at a distance of 3 km (1.9 mi) across the channel to the east.In general, the mainland or Seberang Perai can be distinguished into three districts:
Due to the lack of land for development in Penang, a few land reclamation
projects had been undertaken to provide suitable low-lying land in high-demand areas such as Tanjung Tokong, Jelutong (construction of Jelutong Expressway) and Queensbay. These projects had been implicated in the change of tidal flow along coastal areas of Penang Island and were postulated to have caused the silting of Gurney Drive after the Tanjung Tokong reclamation.
to intermediate microcline
granite, microcline granite, and the Mahang formation (mainly ferruginous spotted slate). Penang Island has no sedimentary rocks and most of the island is underlain by igneous rocks which are granites in the IUGS
or Streckeisen
classification. On the basis of proportions of alkali feldspar
to total feldspar
, granites on Penang island are further distinguished into two main groups: the North Penang Pluton (approximately north of latitude 5° 23'), and the South Penang Pluton. The former group is subdivided into the Ferringhi Granite, the Tanjung Bungah Granite and the Muka Head Microgranite, whereas the latter is subdivided into the Batu Maung Granite and the Sungai Ara Granite. A study of three disparate locations on the island show that the soil profile in Batu Ferringhi
(of early Jurassic
age) is silty whereas those in Paya Terubong
(early Permian
– late Carboniferous
) and Tanjung Bungah
(early Jurassic
) are clayey.
separates Penang from Kedah
in the north, while the Kerian River
forms the boundary between Penang, Kedah, and Perak
. The latter is known for its firefly
colonies.
which is warm and sunny, along with plentiful rainfall, especially during the Southwest Monsoon
from April to September. The climate is very much dictated by the surrounding sea and the wind system. Penang's proximity with Sumatra
, Indonesia makes it susceptible to dust particles carried by wind from perennial but transient forest fires, creating a phenomenon known as the haze
.
The Bayan Lepas Regional Meteorological Office is the primary weather forecast facility for northern Peninsular Malaysia.
Air Itam
–
Bagan Jermal –
Balik Pulau
–
Bandar Baru Air Itam
–
Batu Ferringhi
–
Batu Maung
–
Batu Lanchang
–
Bayan Baru
–
Bayan Lepas
–
Gelugor
–
George Town
–
Gertak Sanggul
–
Green Lane
–
Gurney Drive
–
Tanjung Tokong
–
Jelutong
–
Mount Erskine
–
Pantai Aceh
–
Paya Terubong
–
Pulau Tikus
–
Pulau Betong
–
Relau
–
Sungai Ara
–
Sungai Dua
–
Sungai Nibong
–
Sungai Pinang
–
Tanjung Bungah
–
Tanjung Tokong
–
Teluk Bahang
–
Teluk Kumbar
Seberang Perai
Alma
–
Bagan Ajam
–
Bagan Luar
–
Batu Kawan
–
Bukit Mertajam
–
Bukit Minyak
–
Bukit Tambun
–
Butterworth
–
Ceruk Tok Kun
–
Jawi
–
Juru
–
Kepala Batas
–
Mak Mandin
–
Nibong Tebal
–
Permatang Pauh
–
Perai
–
Seberang Jaya
–
Simpang Ampat
–
Sungai Bakap
–
Bukit Tambun
–
Penaga –
Permatang Tinggi
–
Val d'Or
, is located in the narrow channel between Penang Island and the mainland. Starting as a leper asylum in 1868 and later a maximum-security penal colony (till 1993), Jerejak is now a tourist attraction offering jungle trails and a spa resort. Other islands include Pulau Aman
, Pulau Betong
, Pulau Gedung
, Pulau Kendi
(Coral Island) and Pulau Rimau
.
, Kulim
and the surrounding areas. With a population of approximately two million, it is the second largest metropolitan area in Malaysia after the Conurbation of Kuala Lumpur (Klang Valley
).
This urban area is coterminous with the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER), one of three development regions identified in Peninsular Malaysia, under a repackaging of the Ninth Malaysian Plan (a five-year national development plan). NCER encompases Penang (Penang Island and Seberang Prai), Kedah
(Alor Star, Sungai Petani
and Kulim
), Perlis
(Kangar
) and Northern Perak
. However the Barisan Nasional
-controlled federal government decided to defer the Penang Outer Ring Road
and Penang Monorail
projects following the change of state government in 2008, attributing the decision to economic considerations.
George Town has been ranked as the most liveable city in Malaysia, eighth most liveable in Asia and the 62nd in the world in 2010 by ECA International
, an improvement in ranking from recent years.
The ethnic composition in 2010 was:
Penang was long the only state in Malaysia where ethnic Chinese formed a plurality, but more recent statistical trends show that the Malay community has surpassed the Chinese in numbers. The percentage of people of Chinese descent in the population is expected to drop to 40.9% by the end of 2010, while the percentage of Malays will increase to 43%. Nevertheless, the Chinese remain more visible because most of them live in the urban areas.
Penang is also host to an estimated 70 000 to 80 000 of migrant workers, especially from Indonesia
, Myanmar
, Vietnam
, Thailand
, and South Asian nations
who are mostly involved in domestic help, services, manufacturing, construction, plantations, and agriculture.
In retrospect, colonial Penang was truly a cosmopolitan place. Apart from the Europeans and the already multiracial citizenry, there were communities of Siamese
, Burmese, Filipino
, Ceylonese, Eurasian, Japanese, Sumatran, Arab, Armenian, and Parsee people. A small but commercially significant community of German
merchants also existed in Penang. Even though most of these communities are no longer extant, they lent their legacy to street and place names such as the Burmese Buddhist Temple, Crag Hotel, Siam Rd, Armenian St, Acheen St, and Gottlieb Rd.
There was a Jewish enclave in Penang before World War II
, but few Jews if any remain today. Penang currently has a sizeable expatriate
population especially from Japan, various Asian countries and Britain, many of whom settle in Penang after their retirement as part of the Malaysia My Second Home
programme.
The Peranakan
, also known as the Straits Chinese or Baba-Nyonya
, are the descendants of the early Chinese immigrants to Penang, Malacca
and Singapore
. They have partially adopted Malay customs and speak a Chinese-Malay creole
of which many words contributed to Penang Hokkien
as well (such as "Ah Bah" which means Mister, referring to a man as "Baba"). The Peranakan community possesses a distinct identity in terms of food, dress, rites, crafts and culture. Most of the Peranakan Chinese are not Muslims but practise an eclectic form of ancestor worship
and Chinese religion
, while some were Christians. They prided themselves as being Anglophone
and distinguished themselves from the newly-arrived Chinamen or sinkheh. The Peranakan as a living culture, however, are almost extinct today due to their re-absorption into the mainstream Chinese community, otherwise being Westernised. Still, their legacy lives on in their distinctive architecture (exemplified by the Pinang Peranakan Mansion and the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
), cuisine, elaborate nyonya kebaya
costume and exquisite handicrafts.
of Penang, depending on social classes, social circles, and ethnic backgrounds are English
, Mandarin, Malay
, Penang Hokkien
and Tamil
. Mandarin, which is taught in Chinese-medium schools in the state, is increasingly spoken.
Penang Hokkien
is a variant of Minnan and is widely spoken by a substantial proportion of the Penang populace who are descendants of Chinese settlers. Many police officers also take a course in Hokkien. It bears strong resemblance to the language spoken by Chinese living in the Indonesia
n city of Medan
and is based on the Minnan dialect of Zhangzhou
prefecture in Fujian province, China. It incorporates a large number of loanwords from Malay and English. Most Penang Hokkien speakers are not literate in Hokkien but instead read and write in standard (Mandarin) Chinese, English and/or Malay. Other Chinese dialects, including Hakka
spoken in state and mostly Balik Pulau, Cantonese are also spoken in the state. Teochew is heard more in Seberang Perai than on Penang island.
Malay
, the language of the indigenous population, the official language of the state, as well as the medium of instruction of national schools, is spoken in the northern accent, with characteristic words such as "hang", "depa", and "kupang". Syllables ending with "a" are typically stressed.
English, a colonial legacy, is a working language widely used in commerce, education, and the arts. English used in an official or formal context is predominantly British English
with American influences. Spoken English, as in the rest of Malaysia, is often in the form of Manglish
(Malaysian colloquial English).
is the most widely professed religion in Penang. Other religions include Buddhism
(33.6%, 2000), in the Theravada
, Mahayana
and increasingly also Vajrayana
traditions, Taoism
, Chinese folk religion
, Hinduism
(8.7%); Roman Catholicism and Protestantism (the largest denominations of which are the Methodists, Seventh-day Adventists
, Anglican
, Presbyterian and Baptists) and Sikhism
- reflecting Penang's diverse ethnic and socio-cultural amalgamation. There was also a tiny and little-known community of Jews in Penang
, mainly along Jalan Zainal Abidin (formerly Jalan Yahudi or Jewish Street). The last known native Jew died in 2011, rendering the centuries-old Jewish community in Penang effectively extinct.
The Armenian Apostolic Church
had a presence on the island before World War II, but it was closed down after the post-war emigration of the Armenian diaspora
.
. The other three are Malacca
, also a British settlement whose sultanate was ended by the Portuguese conquest in 1511, and the Borneo
states of Sabah
and Sarawak
.
The head of the state executive is the Yang di-Pertua Negeri
(Governor) appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
(King of Malaysia). The present Governor is Tun Dato' Seri Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Abbas. His consent is required to dissolve the Legislative Assembly. In practice the Governor is a figurehead
whose functions are chiefly symbolic and ceremonial. Actual executive powers lie with the Chief Minister and the State Executive Council whose members he appoints from the Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister is in theory appointed by the Governor from among the elected assemblymen whom in his opinion commands the confidence of the majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly, but in practice is invariably the leader of the party that wins the most seats in the state elections. The State Secretariat heads and coordinates the various departments and agencies of Penang's civil service.
The Chief Minister of Penang is Lim Guan Eng
from the Democratic Action Party
(DAP). Following the 12th general elections of 8 March 2008, the coalition of DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat
(PKR) formed the state government with the chief ministership going to the former for being the single largest party in the state legislature. Penang holds the distinction of being the sole state in Malaysia whose chief ministership has been continuously held by an ethnic Chinese
since independence
.
A Committee of Assessors was formed in 1801 as the first town-planning agency. The Enactment of Act XXVII “An Act For Appointing Municipal Commissioners And For Levying Rates And Taxes In The Several Stations Of The Settlement Of Prince Of Wales Island, Singapore And Malacca” was considered to be the establishment of the first local government in Penang. The first Municipal Council in Malaya, the Municipal Council of George Town was established in 1857, later becoming the City Council of George Town in 1957. In 1974, the City Council of George Town and the Rural District Council of Penang Island were merged into one local authority.
Though Penang in 1951 was the first state in the then Malaya
to hold local elections, local councillors have been appointed by the state government ever since local elections were abolished in Malaysia in 1965 as a result of the Indonesian Confrontation. There are two local authorities in Penang, the Municipal Council of Penang Island (Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang) http://www.mppp.gov.my/ and the Municipal Council of Seberang Perai (Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai)http://www.mpsp.gov.my/. Both municipal councils are made up of a president, a municipal secretary and 24 councillors. The president is appointed by the State Government for a two-year term of office while the councillors are appointed for one-year terms of office. The local councils are responsible, among others, for regulating traffic and parking, maintaining public parks, upkeeping cleanliness and drainage, managing waste disposal, issuing business licenses, and overseeing public health.
The state is divided into five administrative regions, each headed by a district officer:
The unicameral state legislature, whose members are called state assemblymen, convenes at the neoclassical
Penang State Assembly Building
(Dewan Undangan Negeri) at Light Street. It has 40 seats, 19 of which are held by the Democratic Action Party
, 11 by Barisan Nasional
, nine by Parti Keadilan Rakyat
and one by PAS
since the 2008 general elections
. It was a sharp reversal from the 38 seats held by BN in the 2004 elections
and only the second time since Independence that the state fell into non-BN control, the last being in 1969
. As in the national Parliament, Penang practises the Westminster system whereby members of the executive are appointed from amongst the elected assemblymen.
In the Malaysian Parliament
, Penang is represented by 13 elected Members of Parliament in the Dewan Rakyat
(House of Representatives), serving a five-year term, and has two senators] in the Dewan Negara
(Senate), both appointed by the state Legislative Assembly to serve a three-year term.
The Penang State Constitution embodies the state's highest laws which was codified since Independence. Amendments to the Constitution require a two-thirds majority support from members of the Assembly. The Malaysian Federal Constitution enumerates matters which come under federal, state, and joint jurisdictions. The state may legislate on matters pertaining to Malay customs, land, agriculture and forestry, local government, civil and water works, and state administration, whereas matters that fall under joint purview include social welfare, wildlife protection and national parks, scholarships, husbandry, town planning, drainage and irrigation, and public health and health regulations.
was granted to Penang which provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court. This was followed by the appointment of the first Supreme Court judge designated as the “Recorder”. The Supreme Court of Penang was first housed at Fort Cornwallis
and was opened on 31 May 1808.
The first Superior Court Judge in Malaya originated from Penang when Sir Edmond Stanley
assumed office as the First Recorder (later, Judge) of the Supreme Court in Penang in 1808. The legal establishment in Penang was later progressively extended to the whole of British Malaya
by 1951. Post-independence, the Malaysian judiciary has become largely centralised. The courts in Penang consist of the Magistrates, Sessions, and High Court. The Syariah court is a parallel court which hears matters concerning Islamic jurisprudence.
Penang is the third-largest economy amongst the states of Malaysia, after Selangor
and Johor
. Manufacturing is the most important component of the Penang economy, contributing 45.9% of the State's GDP (2000). The southern part of the island is highly industrialised with high-tech electronics plants (such as Dell
, Intel, AMD
, Altera
, Motorola
, Agilent
, Hitachi
, Osram
, Plexus Corporation
, Bosch
and Seagate
) located within the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone – earning Penang the nickname Silicon Island. In January 2005, Penang was formally accorded the Multimedia Super Corridor Cyber City status, the first outside of Cyberjaya
, with the aim of becoming a high-technology industrial park that conducts cutting-edge research. In recent years, however, the state is experiencing a gradual decline of foreign direct investments due to factors such as cheaper labour costs in China and India. In 2010, Penang had the highest total of capital investments in the country. The state attracted RM 12.2 billion worth of investments, up fivefold from RM 2.2 billion last year and a total increase of 465%. Other than that, Penang also accounted 26% of Malaysia's total investments in 2010.
The entrepôt
trade has greatly declined, due in part to the loss of Penang's free-port status, but also due to the active development of Port Klang
near the federal capital Kuala Lumpur
. However, there is a container terminal in Butterworth
which continues to service the northern area.
Other important sectors of Penang's economy include tourism, finance, shipping and other services.
The Penang Development Corporation (PDC) is a self-funding statutory body aiming enhance Penang's socio-economic development and to create employment opportunities whereas InvestPenang is a non-profit entity of the state government with the sole purpose of promoting investments within Penang.
(13,504 hectares), paddy
(12,782), rubber (10,838), fruits (7,009), coconut
(1,966), vegetables (489), cash crops (198), spices (197), cocoa (9), and others (41). Two local produce for which Penang is famous for are durian
s and nutmeg
s. Livestock is dominated by poultry and domestic pig
s. Other sectors include fisheries and aquaculture
, and new emerging industries such as ornamental fish and floriculture
.
Owing to limited land size and the highly industrialised nature of Penang's economy, agriculture is given little emphasis. In fact, agriculture is the only sector to record negative growth in the state, contributing only 1.3% to the state GDP in 2000. The share of Penang's paddy area to the national paddy area accounts for only 4.9%.
Penang was the centre of banking of Malaysia at a time when Kuala Lumpur
was still a small outpost. The oldest bank in Malaysia, Standard Chartered Bank
(then the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China
) opened its doors in 1875 to cater to the financial requirements of early European traders. The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, now known as HSBC
, opened its first branch in Penang in 1885. This was followed by the UK-based Royal Bank of Scotland
(then ABN AMRO
) in 1888. Most of the older banks still maintain their local headquarters on Beach Street, the old commercial centre of George Town.
Today, Penang remains a banking hub with branches of Citibank
, United Overseas Bank
, Bank of China
and Bank Negara Malaysia
(the Malaysian central bank) together with local banks such as Public Bank
, Maybank
, Ambank and CIMB Bank
.
Bangsawan
is a Malay theatre art form (often referred to as the Malay opera) which originated from India, developed in Penang with Indian, Western, Islamic, Chinese and Indonesian influences. It went into decline in the latter decades of the 20th century and is a dying art form today. Boria is another traditional dance drama indigenous to Penang featuring singing accompanied by violin, maracas and tabla.
Chinese opera
(usually the Teochew and Hokkien
versions) is frequently performed in Penang, often in specially built platforms, especially during the annual Hungry Ghost Festival
. There are also puppetry performances although they are less performed today.
houses relics, photographs, maps, and other artefacts that document the history and culture of Penang and its people. The Penang Islamic Museum at the former Syed Alatas Mansion highlights the history of Islam in Penang from its beginnings until today. The tragedy of the Second World War is vividly depicted in the Penang War Museum, a former fortress constructed by the British in anticipation of an amphibious invasion by the Japanese that never materialised. The Universiti Sains Malaysia
Museum and Gallery, located within the university campus contains an extensive exhibition relating to ethnographic and performing arts, and features various art works by Malaysian artists. Also, Penang Toy Museum
is located at Tanjung Bungah
and there is a forestry museum within the Teluk Bahang Forest Park. The Penang State Art Gallery at Dewan Sri Pinang showcases a permanent collection of local artists as well as special exhibitions. The birthplace of Malaysia's legendary singer-actor P. Ramlee
has been restored and turned into a museum.
at the Esplanade was the first structure the British built in Penang. Outstanding examples of colonial period buildings include the Municipal Council and Town Hall buildings, the buildings in the old commercial district, the Penang Museum, the Eastern and Oriental Hotel, and St George's Anglican Church – all of which are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Suffolk House
, the former residence of Penang's British governors, on the banks of the Air Itam river is an example of the Anglo-Indian garden house. The stately Seri Mutiara (formerly known as the Residency), completed in 1890 as the residence of Penang's British Resident Councillors, is today the official residence of the Governor.
Chinese influence is visible at the many ornate clan houses, temples, pre-war shophouses, and mansions such as the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
. The Clan Jetties are a collection of water villages at Weld Quay. The Indian community built many elaborate temples such as the Mahamariamman temple, while Muslim influence can be seen at the Kapitan Keling Mosque, the Acheh Mosque, and the Penang Islamic Museum. The P. Ramlee Museum is an excellent example of traditional Malay stilt houses. Siamese and Burmese architecture can be appreciated at the Sleeping Buddha and Dharmikarama temples.
Modern structures and skyscrapers also abound in Penang, sometimes side by side with heritage buildings. Notable examples include the KOMTAR
tower, the UMNO tower and the Mutiara Mesiniaga building.
, Mid-Autumn Festival
, Hungry Ghost Festival
, Qing Ming
, and the feast days of various deities. The Malays and Muslims celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri
, Hari Raya Haji, and Maulidur Rasul while the Indians observe Deepavali
, Thaipusam
and Thai Pongal. Christmas, Good Friday
and Easter are celebrated by Christians. The annual Saint Anne
's Novena
and Feast Day draws thousands of Catholics to St. Anne's Church
in Bukit Mertajam
. Buddhists observe Wesak Day while the Sikh
s celebrate Vaisakhi
. Many of these festivals are celebrated in a large scale and are also public holidays in Penang. Bon Odori is an annual event held at the Esplanade by the expatriate Japanese population. The Penang Government organises the annual George Town Festival which celebrates the city's World Heritage Site
status with arts and live cultural performances throughout the month of July. The famous Pesta Pulau Pinang (Penang Fest) is a combination of trade expo, family-oriented carnival and cultural events held throughout the month of December since the 1960s primarily at the Pesta site in Sungai Nibong
and other locations in the state.
Penang, long known as the food capital of Malaysia, is renowned for its good and varied food. Penang was recognised as having the Best Street Food in Asia by Time magazine in 2004, citing that "nowhere else can such great tasting food be so cheap". Penang's cuisine reflects the Chinese
, Nyonya
, Malay
and Indian ethnic mix of Malaysia, but also shows some influence of Thailand
. Its especially famous "hawker food", many served al fresco, strongly features noodles, spices, and fresh seafood. The best places to savour Penang's food include Gurney Drive
, Pulau Tikus
, New Lane, New World Park, Penang Road and Chulia Street, as well as Raja Uda and Chai Leng Park over on the mainland. Penang is also famed for its traditional biscuits such as the tau sar pneah (bean paste biscuit).
, Noel Coward
and Queen Elizabeth II among many others, Penang has always been a popular tourist destination, both domestically and internationally. In 2009, Penang attracted 5.96 million tourists, ranking third in tourist arrivals in Malaysia. Penang is known for its rich heritage, multicultural society and its vibrant culture, its hills, parks, and beaches, shopping, and good food.
Penang has been ranked by Yahoo! Travel as one of the "10 Islands to Explore Before You Die" and listed in Patricia Schultz's best-selling 1,000 Places to See Before You Die
travel book.
, Batu Ferringhi
, and Teluk Bahang
, and these contiguous beaches are home to Penang's famed hotel and resort belt. More secluded Muka Head, which hosts a lighthouse and a marine research station, and Monkey Beach – both within the Penang National Park
– offer more pristine water.
Pollution which has been going on for years taints the beauty of the beaches and increasingly turns tourists away to places like Langkawi
and Pangkor. Among the identified sources of pollution include inefficient sewage disposal and unchecked commercial activities.
. Penang Hill
, despite encroaching development, remains thickly forested and lush in vegetation. The Relau Metropolitan Park was opened in 2003. Robina Beach Park is a park by the beach near Butterworth
.
Gazetted in 2003, the Penang National Park (the country's smallest at 2,562 hectares) at the northwestern tip of Penang island boasts of a lowland dipterocarp
forest, mangroves, wetlands, a meromictic
lake, mud flats, coral reefs and turtle nesting beaches in addition to a rich diversity of birdlife. In addition to this, there are nature preserves in Bukit Relau, Teluk Bahang
, Bukit Penara, Bukit Mertajam
, Bukit Panchor, and Sungai Tukun. The Penang Butterfly Farm in Teluk Bahang
, one of few of its kind in the world, is a walk-in free-ranging butterfly habitat, breeding and conservation centre. The Penang Bird Park in Seberang Jaya
is the first aviary
in Malaysia. Other places of special interest include the Tropical Spice Garden and the Tropical Fruit Farm in Teluk Bahang
, and the Bukit Jambul Orchid and Hibiscus Garden.
A small bushy tree, Alchornea rhodophylla, the almost-extinct tree Maingaya malayana, and the toad Ansonia penangensis are endemic only to the island of Penang. Some of the commonly seen birds in Penang include the migratory greater spotted eagle
(Aquila clanga), the blue-tailed bee-eater
(Merops philippinus) and the blue-throated bee-eater
(Merops viridis), and the endemic chestnut-headed bee-eater
(Merops leschenaulti), the Brahmniy kite
(Haliastur indus), the common sandpiper
(Actitis hypoleucos), and the white-bellied sea eagle
. The sandy beaches of the Penang National Park
are the nesting grounds for the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) from April to August, and the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidocchelys olivacea) between September and February. The Irrawaddy dolphin
(Orcaella brevirostris) and the bottlenose dolphin
(Tursiops truncatus) are occasionally sighted in the coastal seas off the Park. Also living in the Park are the leopard cat
(Prionailurus bengalensis), the flying lemur (Galeopterus variegatus), and one of the world's largest arboreal rodents, the cream-coloured giant squirrel
(Ratufa affinis))
(Penang's largest), Gurney Plaza
at the famed Gurney Drive
, KOMTAR (Penang's first modern shopping mall) and Penang Times Square
(an integrated commercial and residential complex near Komtar). Notable shopping malls in Seberang Perai are Sunway Carnival Mall
at Seberang Jaya and Seberang Prai City Perdana Mall at Bandar Perda.
Traditional bazaars such as the Chowrasta Market and Campbell Street, and makeshift open-air night markets known as pasar malam were the precursors to today's shopping malls. They offer goods ranging from modern electronics and textiles to foodstuffs and local produces.
s.
(established 1917), Penang Chinese Girls' High School
(est. 1920), Union High School (est. 1928), Chung Hwa Confucian School (est. 1904), Phor Tay High School
(est. 1940, the first Buddhist school in Malaysia), Jit Sin High School
(est. 1949), Han Chiang School
(est. 1919) and Heng Ee High School
(1957).
(est. 1816, the oldest English school in the country), St. George's Girls' School (est. 1885), Methodist Boys' School (est. 1891), St. Xavier's Institution (est. 1852), and Convent Light Street (est. 1852, the first school for girls in Malaysia).
and Allianze College of Medical Sciences
), a nursing college, a dental training college, two teacher's training colleges, and numerous private and community colleges. The two public universities in Penang are Universiti Sains Malaysia
at Gelugor
and its Engineering campus at Nibong Tebal
, and Universiti Teknologi MARA
at Permatang Pauh
. The former, popularly known by its acronym USM, is one of Malaysia's earliest universities, and is today accorded the status of apex university dedicated to research. Wawasan Open University
is a private university dedicated to distance-learning. Penang also hosts SEAMEO RECSAM, a research and training facility for the enhancement of the science and mathematics education in Southeast Asia. Some of the colleges in Penang include KDU College
, Inti College, Disted-Stamford College, Tunku Abdul Rahman College
(TARC), Han Chiang College
, and Olympia College.
, The New Straits Times, and the free The Sun
; the Malay dailies Berita Harian
, Utusan Malaysia
, Harian Metro
, and Kosmo!
; the Chinese dailies Kwong Wah Yit Poh
, Sin Chew Daily, China Press
, and Oriental Daily News
; and the Tamil dailies Tamil Nesan
, Malaysia Nanban
, and Makkal Osai
. The Malay Mail is an English weekly. Nanyang Siang Pau
is a Chinese-language financial daily while The Edge
is an English-language financial weekly newspaper. All of them are in national circulation.
.
Today public hospitals are funded and administered by the Ministry of Health. The Penang Hospital is a tertiary-care regional referral centre. In addition to public hospitals are numerous smaller community clinics (klinik kesihatan) and private practices. Private hospitals supplement the system with better facilities and speedier care. These hospitals cater not only to the local population but also to patients from other states and health tourists from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia. Penang is actively promoting health tourism. In 2010, 250,000 foreign patients were treated. The state earned an estimated RM 230 million through medical tourism
in 2010, up from RM 162 million in 2009. Penang also contributed 70% to Malaysia's medical tourism revenue. Hospice
s are also increasingly becoming the choice for long-term and terminal care. Infant mortality rate at present is 0.4% while life expectancy at birth is 71.8 years for men and 76.3 years for women.
Flights are available from Kuala Lumpur to Penang by local carriers such as AirAsia.
Penang Island is connected to the mainland by the 13.5-kilometre, three-lane, dual carriageway Penang Bridge
(completed in 1985), one of the longest bridges in Asia. On 31 March 2006, the Malaysian government announced a second bridge project, tentatively named the Penang Second Bridge
. The bridge is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.
Penang on the side of Seberang Perai is connected to the North-South Expressway (Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan), the 966-km long expressway
which traverses the western part of Peninsular Malaysia linking major cities and towns. The expressway also comprises the Penang Bridge.
The proposed Penang Outer Ring Road
(PORR) was mooted to cut travelling time on the eastern part of the island but was subsequently shelved. Concerned citizens voiced protests over the designated route which will cut across quiet residential areas and may also adversely affect the environments.
The Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway formerly known as the Jelutong Expressway, a coastal highway on the eastern part of the island, links the Penang Bridge to George Town.
The Butterworth Outer Ring Road
(BORR) is a 14-km tolled expressway that serves primarily Butterworth
and Bukit Mertajam
to ameliorate the upsurge in vehicular traffic due to intense urban and industrial development.
(jinriksha) gained popularity, until it in turn was rapidly superseded by the trishaw beginning in 1941 and still used in George Town today, mostly for sightseeing rides, albeit in much lesser numbers.
Horse trams, steam trams, electric trams, trolleybuses and double decker
s used to ply the streets of Penang. The first steam tramway started operations in the 1880s and for a time horse-drawn cars were also introduced. Electrical trams were launched in 1905. Trolleybuses commenced in 1925 and they gradually supplanted the trams but they in turn were discontinued in 1961 and regular buses henceforth became the only form of public transport to this day.
For a long time, the Penang public bus service was deemed unsatisfactory. On 1 April 2006, the Penang state government revamped the entire bus network in the hope of improving the bus service in the state. Under the revamped routes, bigger buses were made to run along "trunk" routes while minibuses ran "feeder" routes which branched off trunk routes, but conditions did not improve. On 20 February 2007, the government announced that Rapid KL would operate the public bus service in Penang under the new entity called Rapid Penang
which is formed for this purpose.
Rapid Penang started on 31 July 2007 with 150 buses covering 28 routes on the island and mainland. This services has since been extended. After Rapid Penang came in, the public transportation in Penang has improved and is now better. Public transportation usage in the state has also increased from a lowly 30,000 commuters a day in 2007 to 75,000 commuters a day in 2010. Currently, there are 350 buses plying 41 routes around the state (30 routes on Penang Island
, 9 routes on Seberang Prai and 2 routes connecting Penang Island and Seberang Prai). However, usage of public transport remains low, contributing to traffic jams in the city during rush hours. In light of this, the city council has introduced free shuttle bus services for short intra-city travel to lessen the congestion.
There are two main bus terminals for inter-state express coaches. One is located at the ferry terminal in Seberang Perai, and another at Sungai Nibong on the island.
Taxis in Penang do not use the meter as required by the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board but instead charge fixed fares.
is serviced by the Keretapi Tanah Melayu
(KTM) or Malayan Railway West Coast line which runs from Padang Besar on the Malaysia-Thailand Border
in Perlis
to Singapore
. Senandung Langkawi is the daily night express running from Kuala Lumpur
to Haadyai via Butterworth
.
The Penang Hill Railway
, a funicular railway
to the top of Penang Hill
, was an engineering feat of sorts when it was completed in 1923. The railway underwent an extensive upgrading in 2010 and was reopened in early 2011.
Penang had a monorail proposal under consideration since 1999. The Penang Monorail
project was finally approved on 31 March 2006 under the Ninth Malaysia Plan
but was then deferred indefinitely by the federal government.
, a low-cost carrier wholly owned by Malaysia Airlines
as well as AirAsia
, a pioneer low-cost carrier from Malaysia. Other airlines operating at Penang are national flag carrier Malaysia Airlines
, SilkAir
(a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines
), Thai Airways International
, Tiger Airways
, Jetstar Asia Airways
, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific
and Dragon Air, Taiwan-based China Airlines
, China Southern Airlines
, together with Indonesian airlines Lion Air
, Kartika Airlines
, Sriwijaya Air
and Wings Air
.
Penang Airport has direct flights to other Malaysian cities, namely Kuala Lumpur
, Kuching
, Kota Kinabalu
, Johor Bahru
, Langkawi
, and regular connections to major Asian cities such as Bangkok
, Jakarta
, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei
and Guangzhou
.
The airport also serves as an important cargo hub due to the large presence of multinational factories in the Free Trade Zones as well as catering to the northern states of peninsular Malaysia.
, connect George Town
and Butterworth, and were the only link between the island and the mainland until the bridge was built in 1985. High-speed ferries to the resort island of Langkawi
, Kedah
in the north as well as to Medan
are also available daily.
The Port of Penang is operated by the Penang Port Commission. There are four terminals, one on Penang island (Swettenham Pier) and three on the mainland, namely North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT), Butterworth Deep Water Wharves (BDWW), and Prai Bulk Cargo Terminal (PBCT). With Malaysia being one of the largest exporting nations in the world, the Port of Penang plays a leading role in the nation's shipping industry, linking Penang to more than 200 ports worldwide. The Swettenham Pier Port also accommodates cruise ships and on occasions, warships.
which comes under the state jurisdiction, is wholly managed by the state-owned but autonomous PBA Holdings Bhd whose sole subsidiary is the Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang Sdn Bhd (PBAPP). This public limited company
provides reliable, round-the-clock drinking water throughout the state. Penang was cited by the World Development Movement
as a case study in successful public water scheme. PBA's water rates are also one of the lowest in the world Penang's water supply is sourced from the Air Itam Dam, Mengkuang Dam, Teluk Bahang Dam, Bukit Panchor Dam, Berapit Dam, Cherok Tok Kun Dam, Waterfall Reservoir (at the Penang Botanic Gardens
), Guillemard Reservoir, and also from the Muda River of Kedah
.
Penang was among the first states in Malaya
to be electrified in 1905 upon the completion of the first hydroelectric scheme. At present, electricity for industrial and domestic consumption is provided by the national electricity utility company, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).
Telekom Malaysia Berhad is the landline telephone service provider and an Internet service provider
(ISP) in the state. Mobile network operator
s and mobile ISPs include Maxis, Digi, Celcom, and U Mobile. Currently, Penang is undergoing a statewide Wi-Fi
installation. The Wi-Fi internet connection will be provided by the Penang State Government for free. The Wi-Fi service, named "Penang Free Wi-Fi" has covered some commercial spots and some areas including the state government office, KOMTAR
in Penang Island, and some commercial spots on Seberang Prai. When completed, Penang will be the first state in Malaysia to provide residents with free Internet connection.
Sewage treatment
in Penang is managed by the national sewerage
company, Indah Water Konsortium
. Prior to systematic sewerage piping and treatment, waste water was haphazardly disposed, mostly in the sea, causing coastal water degradation.
, Australia (8 December 1973) Xiamen
, China (1991) Medan
, Indonesia Taipei
, Taiwan (March 2011)
while the Peel Avenue Camp in George Town houses the 509th Regiment of the Rejimen Askar Wataniah
.
Minden Barracks
in Gelugor which is the site of Universiti Sains Malaysia
was formerly a base of the Overseas Commonwealth Land Forces (Malaya) from 1939 to 1971.
is a Royal Malaysian Air Force base. The installation is also the Integrated Air Defence System (IADS) command centre of the Five Power Defence Arrangements
(FPDA). The airbase stations four RMAF squadrons and hosts a Royal Australian Air Force
squadron as part of Australia's commitment to the FPDA.
, one of the world's leading social advocate, together with several individuals, founded the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) in 1969. The country's most vocal and active consumer protection group, CAP strives to protect the interests of consumers. It publishes the Utusan Konsumer, Utusan Pengguna, Utusan Cina, Utusan Tamil, and Majalah Pengguna Kanak-kanak. The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action
is an organisation based in Penang whose objectives are to protect, promote and support breastfeeding globally.
The Penang Heritage Trust is an NGO whose objective is to promote the conservation of Penang's heritage, and to foster cultural education about the history and heritage of Penang. PHT worked to enlist the historic enclave of George Town as a World Heritage Site
and had played an important role in saving many heritage buildings in Penang from demolition.
Friends of the Penang Botanic Gardens Society is a voluntary organisation dedicated to supporting the botanic, horticultural, educational and recreational objectives of the Penang Botanic Gardens
.
The Socio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute (SERI) is a non-profit Penang-based think tank and research institute with a focus on facilitating dynamic and sustainable development for Penang. It publishes the Penang Economic Monthly.
Aliran is a national reform and human rights movement which began in 1977 in Penang. It publishes the Aliran Monthly.
in Southern Seberang Perai. The Penang International Sports Arena (PISA) in Relau
has an indoor stadium and an aquatics centre.
Penang has 4 golf courses, namely the 18-hole Bukit Jambul Country Club (on the island), the 36-hole Bukit Jawi Golf Resort, the 36-hole Penang Golf Resort and the 18-hole Kristal Golf Resort.
Sports clubs in Penang include the Bukit Mertajam Country Club, Penang Club, Chinese Recreation Club (CRC), Penang Sports Club, Penang Rifle Club, Penang Polo Club, Penang Swimming Club, Chinese Swimming Club, and the Penang Squash Centre. The Tanjung City Marina which can accommodate up to 140 yachts and boats of various sizes is located at the historic Weld Quay. The Penang Turf Club
, established in 1864, is Malaysia's oldest horse racing
and equestrian
centre.
The international dragon boat festival is held in Penang annually since 1979 around the fifth day of the fifth moon of the lunar calendar. The Penang International Dragon Boat Festival (PIDBF) which leads the development of the sports successfully held the World Club Crew Championship 2008 at Teluk Bahang Dam. Normally, the state will hold two races in a year, the Penang International Dragon Boat Festival in the month of June and Penang Pesta Dragon Boat race around early December.
The Penang Bridge Marathon is a popular annual event. The full marathon route starts from near Queensbay Mall, to the Bayan Lepas Expressway, then on to the 13.5 km length of the Penang Bridge, and finally back to the starting point for the finish. This event hosted 24 000 runners in 2010.
Penang also hosts the unique Chingay procession which began with its first parade in 1919. It is held in celebration of the birthdays of the Chinese deities or in the procession of the Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin). The procession can be seen yearly on Christmas night or during Chinese festivals such as Chinese New Year
or other major events in Penang.
States of Malaysia
Malaysia is a federation which consists of thirteen states and three federal territories . Eleven states and two federal territories are located on the Malay Peninsula while the remaining two states and one federal territory are on the island of Borneo.-The states and federal territories:Malaysia...
in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
by the Strait of Malacca
Strait of Malacca
The Strait of Malacca is a narrow, stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is named after the Malacca Sultanate that ruled over the archipelago between 1414 to 1511.-Extent:...
. It is bordered by Kedah
Kedah
Kedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
in the north and east, and Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis
Perlis
Perlis is the smallest state in Malaysia. It lies at the northern part of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and has Satun and Songkhla Provinces of Thailand on its northern border. It is bordered by the state of Kedah to the south...
, and the eighth most populous. It is composed of two parts – Penang Island, where the seat of government is, and Seberang Perai
Seberang Perai
Seberang Perai / Beseran Darul Hidayah, formerly Province Wellesley, is a narrow hinterland opposite Penang island on the Malay Peninsula, which together with the island forms the Malaysian state of Penang. Its principal town is Butterworth...
(formerly, and occasionally Province Wellesley) on the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
. Highly urbanised and industrialised Penang is one of the most developed and economically important states in the country, as well as a thriving tourist destination. Its heterogeneous population is highly diverse in ethnicity, culture, language, and confessions. It is also widely recognised as the most socially progressive, being the home of both the Consumer's Association of Penang, and of the reform group Aliran. A resident of Penang is colloquially known as a Penangite.
Name
In the 15th century, the island of Penang was referred to as Bīnláng Yù in the navigational drawings used by Admiral Zheng HeZheng He
Zheng He , also known as Ma Sanbao and Hajji Mahmud Shamsuddin was a Hui-Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat and fleet admiral, who commanded voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa, collectively referred to as the Voyages of Zheng He or Voyages of Cheng Ho from...
of Ming
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
-dynasty China in his expeditions to the South Seas
Nanyang (geographical region)
Nanyang is the Chinese name for the geographical region south of China, particularly Southeast Asia. Literally meaning "Southern Ocean", it came into common usage in self-reference to the large ethnic Chinese migrant population in Southeast Asia, to be more precise, in Singapore, the Philippines,...
. Fifteenth-century Portuguese sailors from Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
en route to the Spice Islands
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
often made stopovers on the island which they called Pulo Pinaom. Early Malays called it Pulau Ka-Satu or "First (or Single) Island" because it was the largest island encountered on the trading sea-route between Lingga
Lingga Islands
Not to be confused with "Linga", a common Scottish island name, see Linga The Lingga Islands or Lingga Archipelago are a group of islands in Indonesia, located south of Singapore, along both sides of the equator, off the eastern coast of Riau Islands province on Sumatra island...
and Kedah
Kedah
Kedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
. The Siam
Ayutthaya kingdom
Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese , Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the walls of the...
ese, then the overlord of the Kedah Sultanate, referred to the island as Koh Maak.
The name "Penang" comes from the modern Malay name Pulau Pinang, which means island of the areca nut palm
Areca catechu
Areca catechu is the areca palm or areca nut palm, , a species of palm which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa. The palm is believed to have originated in either Malaysia or the Philippines...
(Areca catechu, family Palmae). The name Penang may refer either to the island of Penang (Pulau Pinang) or the state of Penang (Negeri Pulau Pinang). In Malay, Penang's capital George Town
George Town, Penang
George Town was voted as one of the best cities in Asia by Asiaweek, ranked 6th in 1998 and 9th in 2000. More recently, George Town has improved a notch to rank as the 9th most liveable city in Asia in a survey of 254 cities worldwide according to an international location ratings survey by , an...
was called and labelled in old maps as Tanjung Penaga (Cape Penaigre), named after the many ballnut trees (also known as Alexandrian laurels, Calophyllum inophyllum
Calophyllum inophyllum
Calophyllum inophyllum is a large evergreen. It is native from East Africa, southern coastal India to Malesia and Australia.-Distribution and description:...
) on the coast, but now usually shortened as Tanjung (the Cape).
Penang is often known as "The Pearl of the Orient", "东方花园" and Pulau Pinang Pulau Mutiara (Penang, Island of Pearls). Penang is shortened as "PG" or "PP" in Malay.
Prehistory
Archaeological evidence shows that Penang (island and its mainland territory) was inhabited by the Semang-PanganSemang
The Semang are a Negrito ethnic group of the Malay Peninsula. Lowland Semang tribes are also known as Sakai, although this term is considered to be derogatory by the Semang people. They are probably the indigenous peoples of this area. They have been recorded to have lived here since before the...
of the Juru and Yen lineage, both now considered extinct cultures. They were hunter-gatherers of the Negrito
Negrito
The Negrito are a class of several ethnic groups who inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia.Their current populations include 12 Andamanese peoples of the Andaman Islands, six Semang peoples of Malaysia, the Mani of Thailand, and the Aeta, Agta, Ati, and 30 other peoples of the Philippines....
stock having short stature and dark complexion, and were dispersed by the Malays as far back as 900 years ago. The last recorded aboriginal settlement in Penang was in the 1920s in Kubang Semang. The first evidence of prehistoric human settlement in what is now Penang were found in Guar Kepah, a cave in Seberang Perai in 1860. Based on mounds of sea shells with human skeletons, stone implements, broken ceramics, and food leftovers inside, the settlement was estimated to be between 3000 to 4000 years old. Other stone tools found in various places on the island of Penang pointed to the existence of Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
settlements dating to 5000 years ago.
Early history and colonial period
See also List of governors of PenangJames Lancaster
Sir James Lancaster was a prominent Elizabethan trader and privateer.Lancaster came from Basingstoke in Hampshire. In his early life, he was a soldier and a trader in Portugal...
who on 10 April 1591, commanding the Edward Bonadventure, set sail from Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
for the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
, reaching Penang in June 1592, remaining on the island until September of the same year and pillaging every vessel he encountered, only to return to England in May 1594.
The history of modern Penang, originally part of the Malay Sultanate of Kedah
Kedah
Kedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
, began when the island was leased to Captain Francis Light
Francis Light
Captain Francis Light was the founder of the British colony of Penang and its capital George Town in 1786.-Early years:...
, an English trader-adventurer working for the Madras-based firm, Jourdain Sullivan and de Souza and the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, in exchange for military protection from Siam
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
ese and Burmese armies who were threatening Kedah. For Light, Penang was a convenient magazine for trade and an ideal location to curtail French expansion in Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
and Dutch foothold in Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
. On 11 August 1786, Francis Light landed on Penang at what is later called Fort Cornwallis
Fort Cornwallis
Fort Cornwallis is an old star-shaped fort located on the northeastern coast of Penang, Malaysia. It is named after the late 18th century Governor-General of Bengal, India, Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis...
and took formal possession of the island in the name of His Britannic Majesty, King George III and the Honourable East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, and renamed the island Prince of Wales Island in honour of the heir to the British throne
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
but the name never caught on. In Malaysian history, the occasion marked the beginning of more than a century of British involvement in Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
.
Unfortunately for the Sultan, the EAC's new governor-general Charles Cornwallis made it clear that he could not be party to the Sultan's disputes with the other Malay princes, or promise to protect him from the Siamese or Burmese. Unbeknownst to Sultan Abdullah, Light had decided to conceal the facts of the agreement from both parties. When Light reneged on his promise of protection, the Sultan tried unsuccessfully to recapture the island in 1790, and the Sultan was forced to cede the island to the company for an honorarium
Honorarium
An honorarium is an ex gratia payment made to a person for their services in a volunteer capacity or for services for which fees are not traditionally required. This is used by groups such as schools or sporting clubs to pay coaches for their costs...
of 6,000 Spanish dollar
Spanish dollar
The Spanish dollar is a silver coin, of approximately 38 mm diameter, worth eight reales, that was minted in the Spanish Empire after a Spanish currency reform in 1497. Its purpose was to correspond to the German thaler...
s per annum. Light established Penang as a free port to entice traders away from nearby Dutch trading posts. He also encouraged immigrants by promising them as much land as they could clear and by reportedly firing silver dollars from his ship's cannons deep into the jungle. Many early settlers, including Light himself, succumbed to malaria, earning early Penang the epithet "the white man's grave".
After Light's demise, Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Wellesley
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
arrived in Penang to co-ordinate the defences of the island. In 1800, Lieutenant-Governor Sir George Leith
George Alexander William Leith
Major General Sir George Alexander William Leith, the second Baronet, , K.C.B. O.B was the first Lieutenant-Governor of Prince of Wales' Island taking the reins over from George Caunter, a Magistrate who was Acting Superintendent following the resignation and departure of the last governor,...
secured a strip of land across the channel as a buffer against attacks and named it Province Wellesley (today Seberang Prai). The annual payment to Sultan of Kedah was increased to 10,000 Spanish dollars per annum after the acquisition. Today, the Penang state government still pays RM 18,800.00 to the Sultan of Kedah annually.
In 1796 Penang was made a penal settlement when 700 convicts were transferred thither from the Andaman Islands
Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
. In 1805 Penang was made a separate presidency (ranking with Bombay and Madras); and when in 1826 Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
were incorporated with it, Penang continued to be the seat of government of the Straits Settlements
Straits Settlements
The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia.Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under direct British control as a crown colony on 1 April 1867...
, an extension of the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. In 1829 Penang was reduced from the rank of a presidency, and eight years later the fast-growing town of Singapore was made the capital of the Settlements. In 1867 the Straits Settlements were created a Crown colony
Crown colony
A Crown colony, also known in the 17th century as royal colony, was a type of colonial administration of the English and later British Empire....
under direct British rule, in which Penang was included.
For ten days in August 1867, Penang was gripped with civil unrest during what was known as the Penang Riot which pitted rival secret societies Kean Teik Tong (the Tua Pek Kong Hoey), led by Khoo Thean Teik
Khoo Thean Teik
Khoo Thean Teik was one of the most powerful and notorious Hokkien leaders of 19th-century Penang. His name, "Thean Teik", means "Heavenly Virtue". He was the leader of the Tokong or Khian Teik society that was involved in the Penang Riots of 1867 and through its connection with the Hai San, the...
and the Red Flag against the alliance of the Ghee Hin Kongsi
Ghee Hin Kongsi
The Ghee Hin Kongsi is a secret society in Singapore and Malaya, formed in 1820. Ghee Hin literally means "the rise of righteousness" in Chinese. The Ghee Hin often fought against the Hakka-dominated Hai San secret society....
and the White Flag, which the British under newly appointed lieutenant-governor Col. Edward Anson
Edward Anson
Major General Archibald Edward Harbord Anson KCMG, was born on 16 April 1826 with a twin sister at 32 Devonshire Place. He was the youngest son of Major General Sir William Anson, 1st Baronet Anson K.C.B. and his mother was from the Dickenson family...
put down with sepoy
Sepoy
A sepoy was formerly the designation given to an Indian soldier in the service of a European power. In the modern Indian Army, Pakistan Army and Bangladesh Army it remains in use for the rank of private soldier.-Etymology and Historical usage:...
reinforcement after days of chaos.
At the turn of the century, Penang, with her large population of Chinese immigrants, was a natural place for the Chinese nationalist Sun Yat Sen to raise funds for his revolutionary efforts in Qing China. These frequent visits culminated in the famous Penang Conference of 1910 which paved the way to the ultimately triumphant Wuchang Uprising
Wuchang Uprising
The Wuchang Uprising began with the dissatisfaction of the handling of a railway crisis. The crisis then escalated to an uprising where the revolutionaries went up against Qing government officials. The uprising was then assisted by the New Army in a coup against their own authorities in the city...
which overthrew the Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
government.
World Wars
During the First World War, in the Battle of PenangBattle of Penang
The Battle of Penang occurred on 28 October 1914, during World War I. It was a naval action in the Strait of Malacca, in which the German cruiser sank two Allied warships.-Background:...
, the German cruiser SMS Emden surreptitiously sailed to Penang and sank two Allied warships off its coast – the Russian cruiser Zhemchug
Russian cruiser Zhemchug
Zhemchug was the second vessel in a two-vessel protected cruisers built for the Imperial Russian Navy. Her name can be translated to mean “Pearl”.-Background:...
in the North Channel, and as it was leaving the island, the French torpedo boat, Mosquet 10 miles off Muka Head. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Penang, then a British island garrison, suffered devastating aerial bombardments and finally fell to invading Japanese forces on 17 December 1941 as the British withdrew to Singapore after declaring George Town an open city. Penang under Japanese occupation was marked by widespread fear, hunger, and massacres which targeted the local Chinese populace. Especially feared was the Japanese military police Kempeitai
Kempeitai
The was the military police arm of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1881 to 1945. It was not an English-style military police, but a French-style gendarmerie...
and its network of informants. Penang was administered by four successive Japanese governors, beginning with Lt-Gen Shotaro Katayama. Penang also served as a U-boat base for the Monsun boats
Monsun Gruppe
The Monsun Gruppe or Monsoon Group was a force of German U-boats that operated in the Pacific and Indian Oceans during World War II...
in the Indian Ocean for Japan's ally, Germany during the War. The destruction of the Penang Secretariat building by Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
bombing in the final months of the Occupation caused the loss of the greater part of the British and Japanese records concerning the island, causing enormous difficulties to compile a comprehensive history of Penang. Following Japanese surrender in the War, on 21 August 1945 the Penang Shimbun published the statement of capitulation issued by the Emperor
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
. The official British party reached Penang on 1 September, and after a meeting between the Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies Fleet and Rear-Admiral Uzumi on 2 September, a detachment of the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
landed and occupied the island on 3 September. A formal ceremony to signify British repossession of Penang took place on Swettenham Pier on 5 September 1945.
Independence and after
The British returned at the end of the war and was intent to consolidate its rule over its possessions in British MalayaBritish Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
into a single administrative entity called the Malayan Union
Malayan Union
The Malayan Union was a federation of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca. It was the successor to British Malaya and was conceived to unify the Malay Peninsula under a single government so as to simplify administration. The Malayan Union later became the independent...
, but by then British prestige and image of invincibility were already severely dented. The Malayan Union was vehemently rejected by the people, and the Federation of Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
was formed in its place in 1948, uniting the then Federated Malay States
Federated Malay States
The Federated Malay States was a federation of four protected states in the Malay Peninsula—Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang—established by the British government in 1895, which lasted until 1946, when they, together with the Straits Settlements and the Unfederated Malay...
, Unfederated Malay States
Unfederated Malay States
The term Unfederated Malay States was the collective name given to five British protected states in the Malay peninsula in the first half of the twentieth century. These states were Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, and Terengganu...
, and the Straits Settlements
Straits Settlements
The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia.Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under direct British control as a crown colony on 1 April 1867...
of which Penang was a part. Independence seemed an inevitable conclusion. Nonetheless, the idea of the absorption of the British colony of Penang into the vast Malay heartland alarmed some quarters of the population. The Penang Secessionist Movement (active from 1948 to 1951) was formed to preclude Penang's merger with Malaya, but was ultimately unsuccessful due to British disapproval. Another attempt by the secessionists to join Singapore as a Crown Colony was also unfruitful. The movement was spearheaded by, among others, the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Penang Indian Chamber of Commerce, and the Penang Clerical and Administrative Staff Union.
Penang, with the rest of Malaya gained independence in 1957, and subsequently became a member state of Malaysia in 1963. Wong Pow Nee of the Malaysian Chinese Association
Malaysian Chinese Association
Malaysian Chinese Association is a uni-racial political party in Malaysia that represents the Malaysian Chinese ethnicity; it is one of the three major component parties of the ruling coalition in Malaysia called the Barisan Nasional in Malay, or National Front in English.Along with the largest...
(MCA) party was Penang's first Chief Minister. He presided during the period of the Communist insurgency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
and the formation of Malaysia.
The island was, since colonial times, a free port
Free port
A free port or free zone , sometimes also called a bonded area is a port, port area or other area with relaxed jurisdiction with respect to the country of location...
until its sudden revocation by the federal government in 1969. Despite this abrupt setback, from the 1970s to the late 1990s the state under the administration of Chief Minister Lim Chong Eu
Lim Chong Eu
Tun Dato' Seri Dr. Lim Chong Eu was a Malaysian politician who served as the second Chief Minister of Penang for a record 21 years. He was also the founding president of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, a member of the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional. He was termed the "Architect of Modern...
built up one of the largest electronics manufacturing bases in Asia, the Free Trade Zone in Bayan Lepas
Bayan Lepas
Bayan Lepas is a town in Penang, Malaysia being home to the Penang International Airport. It has a population of about 141,000 people. Bayan Lepas is the main industrial hub of Penang, being home to the Free Industrial Zone, where factories of many multinational companies are located...
located at the southeastern part of the island.
The pre-War houses in the historic centre of George Town was for half a century until January 2001 protected from urban development due to the Rent Control Act which prohibited landlords from arbitrarily raising rentals as a measure to provide affordable housing to the low-income population. Its eventual repeal visibly changed the landscape of Penang's demographic pattern and economic activity: it led to overnight appreciation of house and real estate prices, forcing out tenants of multiple generations out of their homes to the city outskirts and the development of new townships and hitherto sparsely populated areas of Penang; the demolition of many pre-War houses and the mushrooming of high-rise residences and office buildings; and the emptying out and dilapidation of many areas in the city centre. Unperturbed development sparked concerns of the continued existence of heritage buildings and Penang's collection of pre-War houses (southeast Asia's largest), leading to more vigorous conservation efforts. This was paid handsomely when on 7 July 2008, George Town
George Town, Penang
George Town was voted as one of the best cities in Asia by Asiaweek, ranked 6th in 1998 and 9th in 2000. More recently, George Town has improved a notch to rank as the 9th most liveable city in Asia in a survey of 254 cities worldwide according to an international location ratings survey by , an...
, the historic capital of Penang, was formally inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
, alongside Malacca. It is officially recognised as having "a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia".
The Indian Ocean tsunami which struck on Boxing Day of 2004 hit the western and northern coasts of Penang island, claiming 52 lives (out of 68 in Malaysia).
Geography
Topography
The state is geographically divided into two sections:- Penang IslandPenang IslandPenang Island is part of the state of Penang, on the west coat of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British East India Company on 12 August 1786, in honour of the birthday of the Prince of Wales, later King George IV...
(Pulau Pinang in Malay): an island of 293 square kilometres located in the Straits of Malacca; and - Seberang PeraiSeberang PeraiSeberang Perai / Beseran Darul Hidayah, formerly Province Wellesley, is a narrow hinterland opposite Penang island on the Malay Peninsula, which together with the island forms the Malaysian state of Penang. Its principal town is Butterworth...
: a narrow hinterland of 753 square kilometres on the peninsula across a narrow channel whose smallest width is 4 km (2.5 mi). It is bordered by KedahKedahKedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
in the east and north (demarcated by the Muda RiverMuda RiverMuda River is the longest river in Kedah, Malaysia. The river provides water supply to Kedah and Penang....
), and by PerakPerakPerak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
in the south.
The body of water between Penang Island and Seberang Perai consists of the North Channel to the north of George Town
George Town, Penang
George Town was voted as one of the best cities in Asia by Asiaweek, ranked 6th in 1998 and 9th in 2000. More recently, George Town has improved a notch to rank as the 9th most liveable city in Asia in a survey of 254 cities worldwide according to an international location ratings survey by , an...
and the South Channel to the south of it. Penang Island is irregularly shaped, with a granitic, hilly and mostly forested interior. The coastal plains are narrow, the most extensive of which is in the northeast. In general, the island can be distinguished into five areas:
- The northeastern plains form a triangular promontoryPromontoryPromontory may refer to:*Promontory, a prominent mass of land which overlooks lower lying land or a body of water*Promontory, Utah, the location where the United States first Transcontinental Railroad was completed...
where the state capital is situated. This densely populated inner city is the administrative, commercial, and cultural centre of Penang. - The southeast, once consisting of rice fieldsPaddy fieldA paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
and mangroves, has been completely transformed into new townships and industrial areas. - The northwest consists of a coastal fringe of sandy beaches lined with resort hotels and residences.
- The southwest contains the only large pockets of scenic countryside with fishing villages, fruit orchards, and mangroves.
- The central hill range, with the highest point being Western Hill (part of Penang HillPenang HillPenang Hill is a hill resort comprising a group of peaks in Penang, Malaysia. It is located in Air Itam, which is from the city centre of George Town. The hill stands out prominently from the lowlands as a hilly and forested area...
) at 830 metres above sea level, is an important forested catchment area.
The topography of Seberang Perai, comprising more than half of the land area of Penang, is mostly flat save for Bukit Mertajam
Bukit Mertajam
Bukit Mertajam is the capital of Central Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. It is commonly known as BM among its locals. It is located nearby Kulim, Kedah.-About:...
, the name of the hillock and the eponymous town at its foot. It has a long coastline, the majority of which is lined with mangrove. Butterworth
Butterworth, Penang
Butterworth is the principal town of Seberang Perai in the state of Penang in Malaysia. Named after William John Butterworth, Governor of the Straits Settlements , Butterworth was established in the mid-19th century as a landing place across the channel from the capital of Penang, George Town...
, the main town in Seberang Perai, lies along the Perai River estuary and faces George Town at a distance of 3 km (1.9 mi) across the channel to the east.In general, the mainland or Seberang Perai can be distinguished into three districts:
- The Northern Seberang Perai District
- The Central Seberang Perai District
- The Southern Seberang Perai District
Due to the lack of land for development in Penang, a few land reclamation
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
projects had been undertaken to provide suitable low-lying land in high-demand areas such as Tanjung Tokong, Jelutong (construction of Jelutong Expressway) and Queensbay. These projects had been implicated in the change of tidal flow along coastal areas of Penang Island and were postulated to have caused the silting of Gurney Drive after the Tanjung Tokong reclamation.
Geology
There are three main geological formations in Penang, i.e. the orthoclaseOrthoclase
Orthoclase is an important tectosilicate mineral which forms igneous rock. The name is from the Greek for "straight fracture," because its two cleavage planes are at right angles to each other. Alternate names are alkali feldspar and potassium feldspar...
to intermediate microcline
Microcline
Microcline is an important igneous rock-forming tectosilicate mineral. It is a potassium-rich alkali feldspar. Microcline typically contains minor amounts of sodium. It is common in granite and pegmatites. Microcline forms during slow cooling of orthoclase; it is more stable at lower temperatures...
granite, microcline granite, and the Mahang formation (mainly ferruginous spotted slate). Penang Island has no sedimentary rocks and most of the island is underlain by igneous rocks which are granites in the IUGS
International Union of Geological Sciences
The International Union of Geological Sciences is an international non-governmental organization devoted to international cooperation in the field of geology.-About:...
or Streckeisen
Adolf Streckeisen
Adolf Streckeisen was professor of medicine at Basel University, first forensic physician of Basel and president of the Basel Mission.He was the father of geologist Albert Streckeisen.-References:*...
classification. On the basis of proportions of alkali feldspar
Alkali feldspar
The alkali feldspar group are those feldspar minerals rich in the alkali elements like potassium. The alkali feldspars include: anorthoclase, microcline, orthoclase and sanidine....
to total feldspar
Feldspar
Feldspars are a group of rock-forming tectosilicate minerals which make up as much as 60% of the Earth's crust....
, granites on Penang island are further distinguished into two main groups: the North Penang Pluton (approximately north of latitude 5° 23'), and the South Penang Pluton. The former group is subdivided into the Ferringhi Granite, the Tanjung Bungah Granite and the Muka Head Microgranite, whereas the latter is subdivided into the Batu Maung Granite and the Sungai Ara Granite. A study of three disparate locations on the island show that the soil profile in Batu Ferringhi
Batu Ferringhi
Batu Feringgi is a beach area in Penang, Malaysia. Along this famous beach area, there are numerous large hotels, restaurants, transport rental services, and souvenir stores...
(of early Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
age) is silty whereas those in Paya Terubong
Paya Terubong
Paya Terubong is a small town located in Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia.Paya Terubong used to be a predominantly agriculture area.The residents sold their products in the Air Itam market. Since the late eighties, widespread development has taken over most of the agricultural land. The present...
(early Permian
Permian
The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...
– late Carboniferous
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
) and Tanjung Bungah
Tanjung Bungah
Tanjung Bungah is a suburb in Penang, Malaysia. It is situated in the northern part of Penang Island. Its postal code is 11200. It is one of the many suburbs en route to Batu Ferringhi and thus a popular tourist attraction as well. Many hotels, which are more reasonably priced than those in Batu...
(early Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
) are clayey.
Drainage system
The major rivers in Penang include the Pinang River, Air Itam River, Dondang River, Teluk Bahang River, Tukun River, Betung River, and Prai River. The Muda RiverMuda River
Muda River is the longest river in Kedah, Malaysia. The river provides water supply to Kedah and Penang....
separates Penang from Kedah
Kedah
Kedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
in the north, while the Kerian River
Kerian River
Kerian River is a river in the northern part of the Malaysian state of Perak....
forms the boundary between Penang, Kedah, and Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
. The latter is known for its firefly
Firefly
Lampyridae is a family of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera. They are winged beetles, and commonly called fireflies or lightning bugs for their conspicuous crepuscular use of bioluminescence to attract mates or prey. Fireflies produce a "cold light", with no infrared or ultraviolet frequencies...
colonies.
Climate
Penang enjoys a year-round tropical rainforest climateTropical rainforest climate
A tropical rainforest climate, also known as an equatorial climate, is a tropical climate usually found along the equator...
which is warm and sunny, along with plentiful rainfall, especially during the Southwest Monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
from April to September. The climate is very much dictated by the surrounding sea and the wind system. Penang's proximity with Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, Indonesia makes it susceptible to dust particles carried by wind from perennial but transient forest fires, creating a phenomenon known as the haze
Haze
Haze is traditionally an atmospheric phenomenon where dust, smoke and other dry particles obscure the clarity of the sky. The World Meteorological Organization manual of codes includes a classification of horizontal obscuration into categories of fog, ice fog, steam fog, mist, haze, smoke, volcanic...
.
The Bayan Lepas Regional Meteorological Office is the primary weather forecast facility for northern Peninsular Malaysia.
| Temperature (day) | 28 °C-33 °C |
| Temperature (night) | 22 °C-25 °C |
| Ave annual rainfall | 2670 mm |
| Relative humidity | 70%–90% |
Towns and neighbourhoods
Penang IslandAir Itam
Air Itam
Air Itam is a town in Penang, Malaysia. The famous Kek Lok Si Temple and Penang Hill are situated there. A famous Chinese secondary school, named Chung Ling High School, is located in Jalan Air Itam. The State Mosque, or Masjid Negeri, is also located there...
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Bagan Jermal –
Balik Pulau
Balik Pulau
Balik Pulau is a town in Penang, Malaysia. Durians and other kinds of fruits are planted there. Balik Pulau is famous for its durian plantations which include the 'ang heh' and 'holo' variety...
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Bandar Baru Air Itam
Farlim
Farlim or through its official name Bandar Baru Air Itam is a township area with housing estates located near Air Itam in Penang, Malaysia. The official name refers to it being a new town within Air Itam...
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Batu Ferringhi
Batu Ferringhi
Batu Feringgi is a beach area in Penang, Malaysia. Along this famous beach area, there are numerous large hotels, restaurants, transport rental services, and souvenir stores...
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Batu Maung
Batu Maung
Batu Maung is a small town in Penang, Malaysia. It is located in the southeastern part of Penang Island. It consists of several smaller villages namely Kampung Seronok , Kampung Binjai, Permatang Damar Laut, Kampung Batu Maung, Kampung Teluk Tempoyak and Kampung Jalan Baru.Around 20 years ago, Batu...
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Batu Lanchang
Batu Lanchang
Batu Lanchang is an urban area in Penang near Jelutong. It has a big market, food court, a small shopping complex and it is the location of Lam Wah Ee Hospital....
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Bayan Baru
Bayan Baru
Bayan Baru is a township located in Penang, Malaysia. The town is located near Bayan Lepas, where the Penang International Airport is located. It is next to the Bayan Lepas Free Trade Zone. The town is part of the Penang Cybercity Phase 1, which was obtained in 2005. The town features the Pantai...
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Bayan Lepas
Bayan Lepas
Bayan Lepas is a town in Penang, Malaysia being home to the Penang International Airport. It has a population of about 141,000 people. Bayan Lepas is the main industrial hub of Penang, being home to the Free Industrial Zone, where factories of many multinational companies are located...
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Gelugor
Gelugor
Gelugor is a town located at the southern part of Georgetown, a midway town between Georgetown and Sungai Dua...
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George Town
George Town, Penang
George Town was voted as one of the best cities in Asia by Asiaweek, ranked 6th in 1998 and 9th in 2000. More recently, George Town has improved a notch to rank as the 9th most liveable city in Asia in a survey of 254 cities worldwide according to an international location ratings survey by , an...
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Gertak Sanggul
Gertak Sanggul
Gertak Sanggul is a village in Penang, Malaysia, located southwest coast of Penang island. The main race in this village is Chinese and a small number of Malays. The Chinese names of this village is MeiHu or WeiHu in Chinese Dialects. This is a fishing village. And, there are also pig farmer and...
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Green Lane
Green Lane, Penang
Green Lane refers to an area which covers the stretch of Green Lane or today's Jalan Masjid Negeri, Penang, Malaysia ....
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Gurney Drive
Gurney Drive
Gurney Drive is a popular seafront promenade in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. The road is also one Penang's most popular tourist destinations, famous for the "hawker food" sold from food stalls formerly located along the seafront, now relocated close by...
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Tanjung Tokong
Tanjung Tokong
Tanjung Tokong is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia, bordering Gurney Drive and Tanjung Bungah. Penang's first modern shopping mall Island Plaza, is located here. The state's first megamall, Gurney Plaza is also located here...
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Jelutong
Jelutong, Penang
Jelutong is a town in Penang, Malaysia in the outskirts of Georgetown, the capital of Penang. The main road leading to Jelutong town centre is Jalan Jelutong. As this is a predominantly residential area, the major areas of interest are its famous local food stalls...
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Mount Erskine
Mount Erskine
Mount Erskine is a township in Penang, Malaysia....
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Pantai Aceh
Pantai Aceh
Pantai Aceh is a town in Penang, Malaysia. The Sheikh Tahir Jalaluddin Falak Observatory is located here to look for the crescent moon to mark the beginning of Muslim month of Ramadhan, Shawwal, and Zulhijjah, to celebrate fasting month of Ramadhan, Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Hari Raya Aidiladha. The...
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Paya Terubong
Paya Terubong
Paya Terubong is a small town located in Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia.Paya Terubong used to be a predominantly agriculture area.The residents sold their products in the Air Itam market. Since the late eighties, widespread development has taken over most of the agricultural land. The present...
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Pulau Tikus
Pulau Tikus
Pulau Tikus is a small island off the coast of Penang, Malaysia. It should not be confused with a suburb of the same name on the main Penang Island....
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Pulau Betong
Pulau Betong
Pulau Betong is a small island in Penang, Malaysia.Made up of 2 islands, it is approximately in area and is privately owned. Pulau Betong is situated within the parliamentary constituency of P53: Balik Pulau and state seat of N39: Pulau Betong. Represented by MP Yusmadi Yusof in parliament from...
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Relau
Relau
Relau is a town located just before Sungai Ara, Penang, Malaysia. There is a school in Relau named SJK Min Sin.Pekan Relau is a small traditional Malay rural township tucked away in the Bandar Baharu district which lies in the Southern part of Kedah Darul Aman...
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Sungai Ara
Sungai Ara
Sungai Ara a.k.a Sinkang is a big township located in Penang, Malaysia. The name Sungai Ara comes from a river flow through the town from the hill behind it...
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Sungai Dua
Sungai Dua
Sungai Dua is a town in Penang, Malaysia. It is located in the east part of Penang Island. The nearest town from Sungai Dua is Gelugor.-History:...
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Sungai Nibong
Sungai Nibong
Sungai Nibong is a town located near Batu Uban in Penang, Malaysia. Penang's main express bus terminal and the annual Penang Festival site are all located there....
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Sungai Pinang
Sungai Pinang
Sungai Pinang is a township located just next to Jelutong, Penang, Malaysia....
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Tanjung Bungah
Tanjung Bungah
Tanjung Bungah is a suburb in Penang, Malaysia. It is situated in the northern part of Penang Island. Its postal code is 11200. It is one of the many suburbs en route to Batu Ferringhi and thus a popular tourist attraction as well. Many hotels, which are more reasonably priced than those in Batu...
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Tanjung Tokong
Tanjung Tokong
Tanjung Tokong is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia, bordering Gurney Drive and Tanjung Bungah. Penang's first modern shopping mall Island Plaza, is located here. The state's first megamall, Gurney Plaza is also located here...
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Teluk Bahang
Teluk Bahang
Teluk Bahang is a fishing village situated on the northwestern part of Penang Island in Malaysia. The Teluk Bahang Dam is situated here. Teluk Bahang is also the entry point for the Penang National Park, which was previously known as the Pantai Aceh Forest Reserve.The expensive Mutiara Beach Resort...
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Teluk Kumbar
Teluk Kumbar
Teluk Kumbar is a small fishing village, located just between Bayan Lepas and Balik Pulau in Penang, Malaysia. The main attraction around the Telok Kumbar village is fishing village. This meant various kinds fresh fish for seafood....
Seberang Perai
Alma
Alma
- Print media :* Alma , a 1922 novel by Oswald de Andrade* Alma , a drama by Joshua Sobol about Alma Mahler-Werfel* Alma Cogan , a 1991 novel by Gordon Burn...
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Bagan Ajam
Bagan Ajam
Bagan Ajam is a small town in Penang, Malaysia. It is best known for its morning market, where most residents will be, especially on weekends. Pantai Bagan Ajam is a beach here that is popular among the locals. Bagan Ajam and the whole of Butterworth have gone through changes with construction of...
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Bagan Luar
Bagan Luar
Bagan Luar is a town located in Penang, Malaysia....
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Batu Kawan
Batu Kawan
Batu Kawan is an island with a small town in the area of Penang, Malaysia. The island is situated off Seberang Perai, which is on the mainland. One of the ends of the future Penang Second Bridge is in Batu Kawan...
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Bukit Mertajam
Bukit Mertajam
Bukit Mertajam is the capital of Central Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. It is commonly known as BM among its locals. It is located nearby Kulim, Kedah.-About:...
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Bukit Minyak
Bukit Minyak
Bukit Minyak is an industrial zone located near Permatang Tinggi, Penang, Malaysia. The town is usually busy in the morning, quiet at night. Driving tests are also held there...
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Bukit Tambun
Bukit Tambun
Bukit Tambun is a town located at the south of the mainland of Penang. It is linked to Bukit Minyak, Simpang Empat, Penang and Batu Kawan. One of the most convenient place to stay in the Southern Seberang Perai District...
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Butterworth
Butterworth, Penang
Butterworth is the principal town of Seberang Perai in the state of Penang in Malaysia. Named after William John Butterworth, Governor of the Straits Settlements , Butterworth was established in the mid-19th century as a landing place across the channel from the capital of Penang, George Town...
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Ceruk Tok Kun
Ceruk Tok Kun
Cheruk To'kun is a small town in Penang, Malaysia. Located in eastern of Bukit Mertajam Province situated in the mainland side of Penang state, northern part of Malaysia. It has few interesting sites as mountain climbing and tracking near the To'kun Dam which name "Hutan Lipur". St...
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Jawi
Jawi, Penang
Jawi is a town on the mainland side of Penang, Malaysia. It is located in the parliamentary constituency of Nibong Tebal.It is bordered by Nibong Tebal and Sungai Bakap in Penang...
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Juru
Juru
Juru is a town in Penang, Malaysia. It situated in Seberang Prai Tengah. The Juru Highway Auto-City and 1 Stop Auto & Food is located here...
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Kepala Batas
Kepala Batas, Penang
Kepala Batas is a town in the northern part of Penang, Malaysia, in Seberang Perai Utara district. The Member of Parliament for Kepala Batas is the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as this is his hometown...
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Mak Mandin
Mak Mandin
Mak Mandin is an industrial town located in Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia.There are Chinese ,Tamil and National schools there. There is a post office there....
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Nibong Tebal
Nibong Tebal
Nibong Tebal 高淵 is a town under parliamentary constituency P047. It is situated in Seberang Perai on the mainland side of Penang, Malaysia, bordered by Parit Buntar in Perak and Bandar Baharu in Kedah....
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Permatang Pauh
Permatang Pauh
Permatang Pauh is a town in Seberang Perai, the hinterland portion of the island-state of Penang, Malaysia. Permatang Pauh is now led by Anwar Ibrahim who is the Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh....
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Perai
Perai
Perai is a main industrial area in Penang, Malaysia. It is situated in Seberang Perai, which is on the mainland....
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Seberang Jaya
Seberang Jaya
Seberang Jaya is a new township near Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia. The state Immigration office and Malaysian Road Transport Department is situated here. This township is served by two hypermarkets, Carrefour and TESCO Extra...
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Simpang Ampat
Simpang Empat, Penang
Simpang Ampat is a small town located in Penang, Malaysia....
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Sungai Bakap
Sungai Bakap
Sungai Bakap is a town in Penang, Malaysia. It is situated in Seberang Prai Selatan. It is located immediately to the south of Valdor.Sungai Bakap is part of a vast sugar plantation that has now been largely replaced with palm oil. It is still a rural community at the edge of urban development...
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Bukit Tambun
Bukit Tambun
Bukit Tambun is a town located at the south of the mainland of Penang. It is linked to Bukit Minyak, Simpang Empat, Penang and Batu Kawan. One of the most convenient place to stay in the Southern Seberang Perai District...
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Penaga –
Permatang Tinggi
Permatang Tinggi
Permatang Tinggi is a small town located in Penang, Malaysia. There are houses and shops found there. There is also a Catholic church situated there.More information on the small town can be found as follows:...
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Val d'Or
Outlying islets
There are a number of small islets off the coast of Penang, the biggest of which, Pulau JerejakJerejak
Jerejak, or Pulau Jerejak , is a 362 hectare island located off the southeastern tip of Penang, Malaysia, a short ferry ride from Bayan Lepas, Penang...
, is located in the narrow channel between Penang Island and the mainland. Starting as a leper asylum in 1868 and later a maximum-security penal colony (till 1993), Jerejak is now a tourist attraction offering jungle trails and a spa resort. Other islands include Pulau Aman
Pulau Aman
Pulau Aman is a small island in Penang, Malaysia. Famously known as the "Island of Peace", it is a home to a traditional Malay village. There are many interesting places to visit in Pulau Aman such as Jalan Telaga Emas, Batu Perompak and the nearby island of Pulau Gedung.It is said that Pulau Aman...
, Pulau Betong
Pulau Betong
Pulau Betong is a small island in Penang, Malaysia.Made up of 2 islands, it is approximately in area and is privately owned. Pulau Betong is situated within the parliamentary constituency of P53: Balik Pulau and state seat of N39: Pulau Betong. Represented by MP Yusmadi Yusof in parliament from...
, Pulau Gedung
Pulau Gedung
Pulau Gedung is a small island in Penang, Malaysia....
, Pulau Kendi
Pulau Kendi
Pulau Kendi is a small island in Penang, Malaysia. Pulau Kendi is often frequented by tourists for leisure fishing....
(Coral Island) and Pulau Rimau
Pulau Rimau
Pulau Rimau is a small island in Penang, Malaysia. It is located off the southeastern coast of Penang island....
.
Greater Penang (Conurbation of George Town)
The National Physical Plan of Malaysia envisages a "Conurbation of George Town" encompassing George Town and surrounding areas. The greater metropolitan area of Penang consists of highly urbanised Penang Island, Seberang Prai, Sungai PetaniSungai Petani
Sungai Petani is a town in the state of Kedah, in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. Sungai Petani is the second largest town in Kedah after Alor Star.-Etmylogy:...
, Kulim
Kulim
Kulim is the third largest town in Kedah after Alor Star and Sungai Petani is located at the South East of Kedah state and East of Penang state in Malaysia. Kulim is a district consist of 15 smaller sub-districts also known as "mukim"...
and the surrounding areas. With a population of approximately two million, it is the second largest metropolitan area in Malaysia after the Conurbation of Kuala Lumpur (Klang Valley
Klang Valley
Klang Valley is an area in Malaysia comprising Kuala Lumpur and its suburbs, and adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. An alternative reference to this would be Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Area or Greater Kuala Lumpur. It is geographically delineated by Titiwangsa Mountains to the...
).
This urban area is coterminous with the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER), one of three development regions identified in Peninsular Malaysia, under a repackaging of the Ninth Malaysian Plan (a five-year national development plan). NCER encompases Penang (Penang Island and Seberang Prai), Kedah
Kedah
Kedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
(Alor Star, Sungai Petani
Sungai Petani
Sungai Petani is a town in the state of Kedah, in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. Sungai Petani is the second largest town in Kedah after Alor Star.-Etmylogy:...
and Kulim
Kulim
Kulim is the third largest town in Kedah after Alor Star and Sungai Petani is located at the South East of Kedah state and East of Penang state in Malaysia. Kulim is a district consist of 15 smaller sub-districts also known as "mukim"...
), Perlis
Perlis
Perlis is the smallest state in Malaysia. It lies at the northern part of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and has Satun and Songkhla Provinces of Thailand on its northern border. It is bordered by the state of Kedah to the south...
(Kangar
Kangar
Kangar is the state capital of Perlis, Malaysia. It has a population of 48,898 and an area of 2,619.4 ha. It is located in the northern most point of Peninsular Malaysia and is situated by the Perlis River. The center of Kangar is Sena Province, which is referred to by few locals as 'Uptown Sena'...
) and Northern Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
. However the Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
-controlled federal government decided to defer the Penang Outer Ring Road
Penang Outer Ring Road
Penang Outer Ring Road or PORR is a planned expressway in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. If constructed, it will connect Gelugor in the south, near Penang Bridge to Tanjung Bungah in the north...
and Penang Monorail
Penang Monorail
The Penang Monorail is a proposed monorail line to be constructed under the Ninth Malaysia Plan and Northern Corridor Economic Region . It will be located on Penang Island. Two lines will be built, with possible extensions to Seberang Perai in the future. The 37km system is expected to cost RM 1.6...
projects following the change of state government in 2008, attributing the decision to economic considerations.
George Town has been ranked as the most liveable city in Malaysia, eighth most liveable in Asia and the 62nd in the world in 2010 by ECA International
ECA International
ECA International is a consulting firm that provides data and software solutions to assist companies in the management of international assignees around the world...
, an improvement in ranking from recent years.
Demographics
The state has the highest population density in Malaysia. The whole of Penang State has a density of 1,450.5 people per square kilometre and has a population of 1,520,143 as of 2010.| 1786 | less than 100 | |
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- Penang Island has a population of 704,376 in 2010 and a density of 2,372 people per square kilometre. Penang Island is the most populated island in Malaysia, and also an island which has the highest density in the country.
- Seberang PeraiSeberang PeraiSeberang Perai / Beseran Darul Hidayah, formerly Province Wellesley, is a narrow hinterland opposite Penang island on the Malay Peninsula, which together with the island forms the Malaysian state of Penang. Its principal town is Butterworth...
is the hinterland portion of Penang State populated by 815,767 people in the 2010 Census, and has a density of 1,086 people per square kilometre.
The ethnic composition in 2010 was:
- Malay: 653,600 (43%)
- ChineseMalaysian ChineseMalaysian Chinese is a Malaysian of Chinese origin. Most are descendants of Chinese who arrived between the fifteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Within Malaysia, they are usually simply referred to as "Chinese" in all languages. The term Chinese Malaysian is also sometimes used to refer to...
: 623,200 (41%) - Indian: 152,000 (10%)
- Others:
- Bumiputra – other than Malay: 7,600 (0.5%)
- Other races: 7,600 (0.5%)
- Non-Malaysian citizens: 83,600 (5.5%)
Penang was long the only state in Malaysia where ethnic Chinese formed a plurality, but more recent statistical trends show that the Malay community has surpassed the Chinese in numbers. The percentage of people of Chinese descent in the population is expected to drop to 40.9% by the end of 2010, while the percentage of Malays will increase to 43%. Nevertheless, the Chinese remain more visible because most of them live in the urban areas.
Penang is also host to an estimated 70 000 to 80 000 of migrant workers, especially from Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and South Asian nations
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
who are mostly involved in domestic help, services, manufacturing, construction, plantations, and agriculture.
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
, Burmese, Filipino
Filipinos in Malaysia
Filipinos in Malaysia comprise migrants and residents from the Philippines and their descendants living in Malaysia. Because of the short distance between the two nations, many Filipinos have emigrated there. Between 245,000 and 637,000 Filipinos live in Malaysia...
, Ceylonese, Eurasian, Japanese, Sumatran, Arab, Armenian, and Parsee people. A small but commercially significant community of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
merchants also existed in Penang. Even though most of these communities are no longer extant, they lent their legacy to street and place names such as the Burmese Buddhist Temple, Crag Hotel, Siam Rd, Armenian St, Acheen St, and Gottlieb Rd.
There was a Jewish enclave in Penang before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but few Jews if any remain today. Penang currently has a sizeable expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
population especially from Japan, various Asian countries and Britain, many of whom settle in Penang after their retirement as part of the Malaysia My Second Home
Malaysia My Second Home
The Malaysia My Second Home program is an international residency scheme enacted by the Government of Malaysia to allow foreigners to live in the country on a long-stay visa of up to 10 years. To qualify for the program, applicants must meet certain financial and medical criteria...
programme.
Peranakan
Peranakan
Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to the Indonesian archipelago of Nusantara during the Colonial era....
, also known as the Straits Chinese or Baba-Nyonya
Peranakan
Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to the Indonesian archipelago of Nusantara during the Colonial era....
, are the descendants of the early Chinese immigrants to Penang, Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. They have partially adopted Malay customs and speak a Chinese-Malay creole
Creole language
A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
of which many words contributed to Penang Hokkien
Penang Hokkien
Penang Hokkien is a local variant of Hokkien spoken in Penang, Malaysia. It is the lingua franca among the majority Chinese population in Penang as well as other northern states of Malaysia surrounding it, and is characterised by the pronunciation of words according to the Zhangzhou dialect,...
as well (such as "Ah Bah" which means Mister, referring to a man as "Baba"). The Peranakan community possesses a distinct identity in terms of food, dress, rites, crafts and culture. Most of the Peranakan Chinese are not Muslims but practise an eclectic form of ancestor worship
Veneration of the dead
Veneration of the dead is based on the belief that the deceased, often family members, have a continued existence and/or possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living...
and Chinese religion
East Asian religions
In the study of comparative religion, the East Asian religions form a subset of the Eastern religions...
, while some were Christians. They prided themselves as being Anglophone
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and distinguished themselves from the newly-arrived Chinamen or sinkheh. The Peranakan as a living culture, however, are almost extinct today due to their re-absorption into the mainstream Chinese community, otherwise being Westernised. Still, their legacy lives on in their distinctive architecture (exemplified by the Pinang Peranakan Mansion and the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion is located at 14 Leith Street, 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The mansion's indigo-blue outer wall makes it a very distinct building in the area....
), cuisine, elaborate nyonya kebaya
Kebaya
A Kebaya is a traditional blouse-dress combination worn by women in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Burma, Singapore, southern Thailand. It is sometimes made from sheer material and usually worn with a sarong or batik kain panjang, or other traditional woven garment such as ikat, songket with a...
costume and exquisite handicrafts.
Language
The common languagesLingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
of Penang, depending on social classes, social circles, and ethnic backgrounds are English
Malaysian English
Malaysian English , formally known as Malaysian Standard English , is a form of English used and spoken in Malaysia as a second language...
, Mandarin, Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
, Penang Hokkien
Penang Hokkien
Penang Hokkien is a local variant of Hokkien spoken in Penang, Malaysia. It is the lingua franca among the majority Chinese population in Penang as well as other northern states of Malaysia surrounding it, and is characterised by the pronunciation of words according to the Zhangzhou dialect,...
and Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
. Mandarin, which is taught in Chinese-medium schools in the state, is increasingly spoken.
Penang Hokkien
Penang Hokkien
Penang Hokkien is a local variant of Hokkien spoken in Penang, Malaysia. It is the lingua franca among the majority Chinese population in Penang as well as other northern states of Malaysia surrounding it, and is characterised by the pronunciation of words according to the Zhangzhou dialect,...
is a variant of Minnan and is widely spoken by a substantial proportion of the Penang populace who are descendants of Chinese settlers. Many police officers also take a course in Hokkien. It bears strong resemblance to the language spoken by Chinese living in the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n city of Medan
Medan
- Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang....
and is based on the Minnan dialect of Zhangzhou
Zhangzhou
Zhangzhou is a prefecture-level city in southern Fujian province, People's Republic of China. Located on the banks of the Jiulong River , Zhangzhou borders the cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou to the northeast, Longyan City to the northwest and the province of Guangdong to the southwest.Zhangzhou...
prefecture in Fujian province, China. It incorporates a large number of loanwords from Malay and English. Most Penang Hokkien speakers are not literate in Hokkien but instead read and write in standard (Mandarin) Chinese, English and/or Malay. Other Chinese dialects, including Hakka
Hakka
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
spoken in state and mostly Balik Pulau, Cantonese are also spoken in the state. Teochew is heard more in Seberang Perai than on Penang island.
Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
, the language of the indigenous population, the official language of the state, as well as the medium of instruction of national schools, is spoken in the northern accent, with characteristic words such as "hang", "depa", and "kupang". Syllables ending with "a" are typically stressed.
English, a colonial legacy, is a working language widely used in commerce, education, and the arts. English used in an official or formal context is predominantly British English
British English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
with American influences. Spoken English, as in the rest of Malaysia, is often in the form of Manglish
Manglish
Manglish is an English based creole spoken in Malaysia.The vocabulary of Manglish consists of words originating from English, Malay, Hokkien, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tamil, and to a lesser extent various other European languages, while Manglish syntax resembles southern varieties of Chinese...
(Malaysian colloquial English).
Religion
IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
is the most widely professed religion in Penang. Other religions include Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
(33.6%, 2000), in the Theravada
Theravada
Theravada ; literally, "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching", is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It was founded in India...
, Mahayana
Mahayana
Mahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
and increasingly also Vajrayana
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
traditions, Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
, Chinese folk religion
Chinese folk religion
Chinese folk religion or Shenism , which is a term of considerable debate, are labels used to describe the collection of ethnic religious traditions which have been a main belief system in China and among Han Chinese ethnic groups for most of the civilization's history until today...
, Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
(8.7%); Roman Catholicism and Protestantism (the largest denominations of which are the Methodists, Seventh-day Adventists
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
, Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
, Presbyterian and Baptists) and Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
- reflecting Penang's diverse ethnic and socio-cultural amalgamation. There was also a tiny and little-known community of Jews in Penang
History of the Jews in Malaysia
Malaysian Jews is a term used to refer to Jews living in Malaysia, or those originally from the country. A good number used to live openly in the state of Penang until towards the end of the 1970s. They were also found elsewhere in the nation, especially in Negri Sembilan and Malacca...
, mainly along Jalan Zainal Abidin (formerly Jalan Yahudi or Jewish Street). The last known native Jew died in 2011, rendering the centuries-old Jewish community in Penang effectively extinct.
The Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
had a presence on the island before World War II, but it was closed down after the post-war emigration of the Armenian diaspora
Armenian diaspora
The Armenian diaspora refers to the Armenian communities outside the Republic of Armenia and self proclaimed de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
.
Governance and law
The state has its own state legislature and executive, but they have relatively limited powers in comparison with those of the Malaysian federal government, chiefly in areas of revenues and taxation.Executive
Penang, being a former British settlement, is one of only four states in Malaysia not to have a hereditary Malay Ruler or SultanSultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
. The other three are Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
, also a British settlement whose sultanate was ended by the Portuguese conquest in 1511, and the Borneo
East Malaysia
East Malaysia, also known as Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia located on the island of Borneo. It consists of the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, and the Federal Territory of Labuan. It lies to the east from Peninsular Malaysia , which is located on the Malay Peninsula. The two are...
states of Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
and Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
.
The head of the state executive is the Yang di-Pertua Negeri
Yang di-Pertua Negeri
The Yang di-Pertua Negeri is the official title of the ceremonial heads of state of the Malaysian states without hereditary rulers, namely Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak...
(Governor) appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence....
(King of Malaysia). The present Governor is Tun Dato' Seri Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Abbas. His consent is required to dissolve the Legislative Assembly. In practice the Governor is a figurehead
Figurehead
A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and 19th century.-History:Although earlier ships had often had some form of bow ornamentation A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and...
whose functions are chiefly symbolic and ceremonial. Actual executive powers lie with the Chief Minister and the State Executive Council whose members he appoints from the Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister is in theory appointed by the Governor from among the elected assemblymen whom in his opinion commands the confidence of the majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly, but in practice is invariably the leader of the party that wins the most seats in the state elections. The State Secretariat heads and coordinates the various departments and agencies of Penang's civil service.
The Chief Minister of Penang is Lim Guan Eng
Lim Guan Eng
Lim Guan Eng is the 4th Chief Minister of the State of Penang and Secretary-General of the Malaysian Democratic Action Party . He is the son of Lim Kit Siang, Leader of the Opposition in the Dewan Rakyat from 1973 to 1999 and 2004 to 2008....
from the Democratic Action Party
Democratic Action Party
The Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties...
(DAP). Following the 12th general elections of 8 March 2008, the coalition of DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
The People's Justice Party , often known simply as KeADILan) is a centrist political party in Malaysia formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party...
(PKR) formed the state government with the chief ministership going to the former for being the single largest party in the state legislature. Penang holds the distinction of being the sole state in Malaysia whose chief ministership has been continuously held by an ethnic Chinese
Malaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese is a Malaysian of Chinese origin. Most are descendants of Chinese who arrived between the fifteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Within Malaysia, they are usually simply referred to as "Chinese" in all languages. The term Chinese Malaysian is also sometimes used to refer to...
since independence
Hari Merdeka
Hari Merdeka is a national day of Malaysia commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial rule in 1957, celebrated on August 31 each year. It is not to be confused with the formation of Malaysia...
.
Local authorities
Though Penang in 1951 was the first state in the then Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
to hold local elections, local councillors have been appointed by the state government ever since local elections were abolished in Malaysia in 1965 as a result of the Indonesian Confrontation. There are two local authorities in Penang, the Municipal Council of Penang Island (Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang) http://www.mppp.gov.my/ and the Municipal Council of Seberang Perai (Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai)http://www.mpsp.gov.my/. Both municipal councils are made up of a president, a municipal secretary and 24 councillors. The president is appointed by the State Government for a two-year term of office while the councillors are appointed for one-year terms of office. The local councils are responsible, among others, for regulating traffic and parking, maintaining public parks, upkeeping cleanliness and drainage, managing waste disposal, issuing business licenses, and overseeing public health.
The state is divided into five administrative regions, each headed by a district officer:
- Penang Island:
- North-East Penang Island District (Daerah Timur Laut)
- South-West Penang Island District (Daerah Barat Daya)
- Seberang Perai:
- Northern Seberang Perai District (Daerah Seberang Perai Utara)
- Central Seberang PeraiCentral Seberang PeraiCentral Seberang Perai or Central of Province Wellesley , is a district in the state of Penang, Malaysia. It covers an area of 2391 square kilometres, and had a population of 361,791 at the 2010 Census . The capital of this district is Bukit Mertajam...
District (Daerah Seberang Perai Tengah) - Southern Seberang Perai District (Daerah Seberang Perai Selatan)
Legislature
| Political Party/ Alliance |
State Legislative Assembly |
Dewan Rakyat |
|---|---|---|
| Pakatan Rakyat Pakatan Rakyat Pakatan Rakyat or PR is an informal Malaysian political coalition. It currently controls four state governments while in opposition to the ruling Barisan Nasional at the federal level.... |
29 (72.5%) | 9 (69.2%) |
| Barisan Nasional Barisan Nasional Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence... |
11 (27.5%) | 2 (15.4%) |
| Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
0 (0%) | 2 (15.4%) |
| Source: Election Commission of Malaysia. | ||
The unicameral state legislature, whose members are called state assemblymen, convenes at the neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
Penang State Assembly Building
Penang State Assembly Building
The Penang State Assembly Building is the historical Penang's state administrative building. It is located between Light Street and Farquhar Street near Fort Cornwallis in George Town, Malaysia.-History:...
(Dewan Undangan Negeri) at Light Street. It has 40 seats, 19 of which are held by the Democratic Action Party
Democratic Action Party
The Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties...
, 11 by Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
, nine by Parti Keadilan Rakyat
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
The People's Justice Party , often known simply as KeADILan) is a centrist political party in Malaysia formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party...
and one by PAS
PAS (political party)
The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party commonly known as PAS or Pas, is an Islamist political party in Malaysia and is currently headed by Dato' Seri Abdul Hadi Awang...
since the 2008 general elections
Malaysian general election, 2008
The 12th Malaysian general election was held on March 8, 2008, in accordance with Malaysian laws for national elections, which states that a general election must be held no later than five years subsequent to the previous elections; the previous general election was held in 2004...
. It was a sharp reversal from the 38 seats held by BN in the 2004 elections
Malaysian general election, 2004
General elections were held in Malaysia on March 21, 2004. The incumbent National Front government of Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was re-elected with an increased majority.-Election results:...
and only the second time since Independence that the state fell into non-BN control, the last being in 1969
Malaysian general election, 1969
General elections were held in Malaysia on 10 May 1969, although voting was postponed until between 21 and 27 June in Sabah and Sarawak. It resulted in the return to power, with a reduced majority, of the ruling Alliance Party, comprising the United Malays National Organization , the Malayan...
. As in the national Parliament, Penang practises the Westminster system whereby members of the executive are appointed from amongst the elected assemblymen.
In the Malaysian Parliament
Parliament of Malaysia
The Parliament of Malaysia is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system. The bicameral parliament consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The King as the Head of State is the third component of Parliament....
, Penang is represented by 13 elected Members of Parliament in the Dewan Rakyat
Dewan Rakyat
The Dewan Rakyat is the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia. All bills must usually be passed by both the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara , before they are given Royal Assent by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong...
(House of Representatives), serving a five-year term, and has two senators] in the Dewan Negara
Dewan Negara
The Dewan Negara is the upper house of the Parliament of Malaysia. The Dewan Negara consists of 70 members, of which 26 are indirectly elected by the states, with two senators for every state in the Federation, and the other 44 being appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong .The Dewan Negara...
(Senate), both appointed by the state Legislative Assembly to serve a three-year term.
The Penang State Constitution embodies the state's highest laws which was codified since Independence. Amendments to the Constitution require a two-thirds majority support from members of the Assembly. The Malaysian Federal Constitution enumerates matters which come under federal, state, and joint jurisdictions. The state may legislate on matters pertaining to Malay customs, land, agriculture and forestry, local government, civil and water works, and state administration, whereas matters that fall under joint purview include social welfare, wildlife protection and national parks, scholarships, husbandry, town planning, drainage and irrigation, and public health and health regulations.
Judiciary
The Malaysian legal system had its roots in nineteenth-century Penang. By 1807, a Royal CharterRoyal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
was granted to Penang which provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court. This was followed by the appointment of the first Supreme Court judge designated as the “Recorder”. The Supreme Court of Penang was first housed at Fort Cornwallis
Fort Cornwallis
Fort Cornwallis is an old star-shaped fort located on the northeastern coast of Penang, Malaysia. It is named after the late 18th century Governor-General of Bengal, India, Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis...
and was opened on 31 May 1808.
The first Superior Court Judge in Malaya originated from Penang when Sir Edmond Stanley
Edmond Stanley
Sir Edmond Stanley SL was an Anglo-Irish lawyer and politician who served as Serjeant-at-Law of the Parliament of Ireland, Recorder of Prince of Wales Island, now Penang, and subsequently Chief Justice of Madras....
assumed office as the First Recorder (later, Judge) of the Supreme Court in Penang in 1808. The legal establishment in Penang was later progressively extended to the whole of British Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
by 1951. Post-independence, the Malaysian judiciary has become largely centralised. The courts in Penang consist of the Magistrates, Sessions, and High Court. The Syariah court is a parallel court which hears matters concerning Islamic jurisprudence.
Economy
| Agriculture, hunting & forestry | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| Fishing | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Mining & quarrying | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Manufacturing | 34.7 | 29.9 |
| Electricity, gas & water supply | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Construction | 7.8 | 6.4 |
| Wholesale & retail trade; repair of motor vehicles, and personal & household goods |
14.0 | 17.6 |
| Hotels & restaurants | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| Transport, storage & communication | 5.1 | 7.2 |
| Financial intermediation | 2.2 | 3.0 |
| Real estate, renting & business activities | 5.5 | 6.7 |
| Public administration & defence; compulsory social security |
4.2 | 3.8 |
| Education | 4.9 | 5.1 |
| Health & social work | 3.5 | 2.8 |
| Other community, social & personal service | 2.9 | 2.6 |
| Private households with employed persons | 2.8 | 3.4 |
| TOTAL | 100.0 | 100.0 |
Industry
Selangor
Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
and Johor
Johor
Johor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
. Manufacturing is the most important component of the Penang economy, contributing 45.9% of the State's GDP (2000). The southern part of the island is highly industrialised with high-tech electronics plants (such as Dell
Dell
Dell, Inc. is an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest...
, Intel, AMD
Advanced Micro Devices
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. or AMD is an American multinational semiconductor company based in Sunnyvale, California, that develops computer processors and related technologies for commercial and consumer markets...
, Altera
Altera
Altera Corporation is a Silicon Valley manufacturer of PLDs . The company offered its first programmable logic device in 1984. PLDs can be reprogrammed during the design cycle as well as in the field to perform multiple functions, and they support a fairly fast design process...
, Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
, Agilent
Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies , or Agilent, is a company that designs and manufactures electronic and bio-analytical measurement instruments and equipment for measurement and evaluation...
, Hitachi
Hitachi, Ltd.
is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company is the parent of the Hitachi Group as part of the larger DKB Group companies...
, Osram
Osram
Osram, founded 1919, is part of the industry sector of Siemens AG and one of the two leading lighting manufacturers in the world. The name is derived from osmium and Wolfram , as both these elements were commonly used for lighting filaments at the time the company was founded...
, Plexus Corporation
Plexus Corporation
Plexus Corp , is an Electronics Manufacturing Services provider to the wireline/networking, wireless infrastructure, medical, commercial and defense/security/aerospace industries. With headquarters in Neenah, Wisconsin, Plexus has engineering and manufacturing facilities in China, Malaysia,...
, Bosch
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...
and Seagate
Seagate Technology
Seagate Technology is one of the world's largest manufacturers of hard disk drives. Incorporated in 1978 as Shugart Technology, Seagate is currently incorporated in Dublin, Ireland and has its principal executive offices in Scotts Valley, California, United States.-1970s:On November 1, 1979...
) located within the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone – earning Penang the nickname Silicon Island. In January 2005, Penang was formally accorded the Multimedia Super Corridor Cyber City status, the first outside of Cyberjaya
Cyberjaya
Cyberjaya is a town with a science park as the core that forms a key part of the Multimedia Super Corridor in Malaysia. It is located in the district of Sepang, Selangor and is situated about 50 km south of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia...
, with the aim of becoming a high-technology industrial park that conducts cutting-edge research. In recent years, however, the state is experiencing a gradual decline of foreign direct investments due to factors such as cheaper labour costs in China and India. In 2010, Penang had the highest total of capital investments in the country. The state attracted RM 12.2 billion worth of investments, up fivefold from RM 2.2 billion last year and a total increase of 465%. Other than that, Penang also accounted 26% of Malaysia's total investments in 2010.
The entrepôt
Entrepôt
An entrepôt is a trading post where merchandise can be imported and exported without paying import duties, often at a profit. This profit is possible because of trade conditions, for example, the reluctance of ships to travel the entire length of a long trading route, and selling to the entrepôt...
trade has greatly declined, due in part to the loss of Penang's free-port status, but also due to the active development of Port Klang
Port Klang
Port Klang is a town and the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Colonially known as Port Swettenham, it is also the location of the largest and busiest port in the country. As such, its economic progress has been greatly influenced by the port activities in its area...
near the federal capital Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
. However, there is a container terminal in Butterworth
Butterworth, Penang
Butterworth is the principal town of Seberang Perai in the state of Penang in Malaysia. Named after William John Butterworth, Governor of the Straits Settlements , Butterworth was established in the mid-19th century as a landing place across the channel from the capital of Penang, George Town...
which continues to service the northern area.
Other important sectors of Penang's economy include tourism, finance, shipping and other services.
The Penang Development Corporation (PDC) is a self-funding statutory body aiming enhance Penang's socio-economic development and to create employment opportunities whereas InvestPenang is a non-profit entity of the state government with the sole purpose of promoting investments within Penang.
Agriculture
Agricultural land in 2008 is used for (in descending total area) oil palmOil palm
The oil palms comprise two species of the Arecaceae, or palm family. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis is native to West Africa, occurring between Angola and Gambia, while the American Oil Palm Elaeis oleifera is native to...
(13,504 hectares), paddy
Paddy field
A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
(12,782), rubber (10,838), fruits (7,009), coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
(1,966), vegetables (489), cash crops (198), spices (197), cocoa (9), and others (41). Two local produce for which Penang is famous for are durian
Durian
The durian is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio and the Malvaceae family . Widely known and revered in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk...
s and nutmeg
Nutmeg
The nutmeg tree is any of several species of trees in genus Myristica. The most important commercial species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas of Indonesia...
s. Livestock is dominated by poultry and domestic pig
Domestic pig
The domestic pig is a domesticated animal that traces its ancestry to the wild boar, and is considered a subspecies of the wild boar or a distinct species in its own right. It is likely the wild boar was domesticated as early as 13,000 BC in the Tigris River basin...
s. Other sectors include fisheries and aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
, and new emerging industries such as ornamental fish and floriculture
Floriculture
Floriculture, or flower farming, is a discipline of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry, comprising the floral industry...
.
Banking
Thaipusam Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai . It is celebrated not only in countries where the Tamil community constitutes a majority, but also in countries where Tamil communities are smaller, such as Singapore and Malaysia... |
|
Chinese New Year Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration... |
Jan/Feb |
Birthday Mawlid Mawlid or sometimes ميلاد , mīlād is a term used to refer to the observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad which occurs in Rabi' al-awwal,... |
|
Heritage City Day |
|
the Koran Day |
|
(variable) |
|
Muharram Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited... |
|
Penang was the centre of banking of Malaysia at a time when Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
was still a small outpost. The oldest bank in Malaysia, Standard Chartered Bank
Standard Chartered Bank
Standard Chartered PLC is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom with operations in more than seventy countries...
(then the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China
Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China
The Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China was a bank founded in London in 1851/1853 by Scotsman James Wilson following the grant of a Royal Charter from Queen Victoria. It opened its first branches in 1858 in Calcutta and Bombay and then in 1863 in Karachi and Shanghai...
) opened its doors in 1875 to cater to the financial requirements of early European traders. The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, now known as HSBC
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
, opened its first branch in Penang in 1885. This was followed by the UK-based Royal Bank of Scotland
Royal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...
(then ABN AMRO
ABN AMRO
ABN AMRO Bank N.V. is a Dutch state-owned bank with headquarters in Amsterdam. It was re-established, in its current form, in 2009 following the acquisition and break up of ABN AMRO Group by a banking consortium consisting of Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Santander and Fortis...
) in 1888. Most of the older banks still maintain their local headquarters on Beach Street, the old commercial centre of George Town.
Today, Penang remains a banking hub with branches of Citibank
Citibank
Citibank, a major international bank, is the consumer banking arm of financial services giant Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, later First National City Bank of New York...
, United Overseas Bank
United Overseas Bank
United Overseas Bank Limited , abbreviated as UOB is a bank incorporated in Singapore. It was founded 6 August 1935 by Kuching-born Datuk Wee Kheng Chiang, father of the present United Overseas Bank Group Chairman, Mr...
, Bank of China
Bank of China
Bank of China Limited is one of the big four state-owned commercial banks of the People's Republic of China. It was founded in 1912 by the Government of the Republic of China, to replace the Government Bank of Imperial China. It is the oldest bank in China...
and Bank Negara Malaysia
Bank Negara Malaysia
Bank Negara Malaysia is the Malaysian central bank. Established on January 26, 1959 as the Bank Negara Malaya, its main purpose was to issue currency, act as banker and adviser to the Government of Malaysia and regulate the country's credit situation...
(the Malaysian central bank) together with local banks such as Public Bank
Public Bank
Public Bank Berhad is a bank based in Malaysia. Public Bank is currently the biggest domestic bank in Malaysia by shareholders' funds. It focuses on retail customers and small to medium sized enterprises. The bank was founded in 1966 by Teh Hong Piow, the then general manager of Malayan Banking...
, Maybank
Maybank
Maybank , a trade name for Malayan Banking Berhad is the largest bank and financial group in Malaysia, with significant banking operations in Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. The bank also has large interests in Islamic banking through Maybank Islamic Berhad and insurance via its Etiqa...
, Ambank and CIMB Bank
CIMB
CIMB Group CIMB Group is a regional universal bank operating in high growth economies in ASEAN. CIMB Group has the widest retail branch network across the region and is an indigenous ASEAN investment bank....
.
Arts
There are two major Western orchestras in Penang – the Penang Philharmonic (formerly Penang State Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (PESSOC), and the Penang Symphony Orchestra (PSO). The ProArt Chinese Orchestra is an orchestra playing traditional Chinese musical instruments. There are also many other chamber and school-based musical ensembles. The Actors Studio at Straits Quay is a theatre group which started in 2002.Bangsawan
Bangsawan
Bangsawan is a type of traditional Malay opera. It was known to have developed from a sort of Indian theatre performance during the 19th century by visiting Indian travellers....
is a Malay theatre art form (often referred to as the Malay opera) which originated from India, developed in Penang with Indian, Western, Islamic, Chinese and Indonesian influences. It went into decline in the latter decades of the 20th century and is a dying art form today. Boria is another traditional dance drama indigenous to Penang featuring singing accompanied by violin, maracas and tabla.
Chinese opera
Chinese opera
Chinese opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century CE...
(usually the Teochew and Hokkien
Hokkien
Hokkien is a Hokkien word corresponding to Standard Chinese "Fujian". It may refer to:* Hokkien dialect, a dialect of Min Nan Chinese spoken in Southern Fujian , Taiwan, South-east Asia, and elsewhere....
versions) is frequently performed in Penang, often in specially built platforms, especially during the annual Hungry Ghost Festival
Ghost Festival
The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries...
. There are also puppetry performances although they are less performed today.
Museums and galleries
The Penang Museum and Art Gallery in George TownGeorge Town, Penang
George Town was voted as one of the best cities in Asia by Asiaweek, ranked 6th in 1998 and 9th in 2000. More recently, George Town has improved a notch to rank as the 9th most liveable city in Asia in a survey of 254 cities worldwide according to an international location ratings survey by , an...
houses relics, photographs, maps, and other artefacts that document the history and culture of Penang and its people. The Penang Islamic Museum at the former Syed Alatas Mansion highlights the history of Islam in Penang from its beginnings until today. The tragedy of the Second World War is vividly depicted in the Penang War Museum, a former fortress constructed by the British in anticipation of an amphibious invasion by the Japanese that never materialised. The Universiti Sains Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia is a public university with its main campus in Penang, Malaysia. There are three branch campuses: one in mainland Penang , one in Kelantan on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, and a offshore collaboration with a university in India...
Museum and Gallery, located within the university campus contains an extensive exhibition relating to ethnographic and performing arts, and features various art works by Malaysian artists. Also, Penang Toy Museum
Penang Toy Museum
Penang Toy Museum is a toy museum located at Tanjung Bungah Road, Penang, Malaysia. With more than 110,000 toys, dolls and other collectible items, it is the largest toy museum in the world. The 60.39 square meters museum, opened in 2005, was also recognized by the Malaysian Book of Records as the...
is located at Tanjung Bungah
Tanjung Bungah
Tanjung Bungah is a suburb in Penang, Malaysia. It is situated in the northern part of Penang Island. Its postal code is 11200. It is one of the many suburbs en route to Batu Ferringhi and thus a popular tourist attraction as well. Many hotels, which are more reasonably priced than those in Batu...
and there is a forestry museum within the Teluk Bahang Forest Park. The Penang State Art Gallery at Dewan Sri Pinang showcases a permanent collection of local artists as well as special exhibitions. The birthplace of Malaysia's legendary singer-actor P. Ramlee
P. Ramlee
Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr. P. Ramlee, was a Malaysian film actor, director, singer, songwriter, composer, and producer. Due to his contributions to the movie and music industry and his literary work, he is often considered the icon of Malay entertainment in Malaysia, Singapore, and Sumatra .-Biography:P...
has been restored and turned into a museum.
Architecture
The architecture of Penang is a durable testament of her history – a culmination of over a century and a half of British presence, as well as the confluence of immigrants and the culture they brought with them. Fort CornwallisFort Cornwallis
Fort Cornwallis is an old star-shaped fort located on the northeastern coast of Penang, Malaysia. It is named after the late 18th century Governor-General of Bengal, India, Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis...
at the Esplanade was the first structure the British built in Penang. Outstanding examples of colonial period buildings include the Municipal Council and Town Hall buildings, the buildings in the old commercial district, the Penang Museum, the Eastern and Oriental Hotel, and St George's Anglican Church – all of which are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Suffolk House
Suffolk House, Penang
In Penang, Malaysia, the Suffolk House refers to two early residences built on the same site located some four miles west of George Town, Penang, on the banks of the Air Itam River...
, the former residence of Penang's British governors, on the banks of the Air Itam river is an example of the Anglo-Indian garden house. The stately Seri Mutiara (formerly known as the Residency), completed in 1890 as the residence of Penang's British Resident Councillors, is today the official residence of the Governor.
Chinese influence is visible at the many ornate clan houses, temples, pre-war shophouses, and mansions such as the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion is located at 14 Leith Street, 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The mansion's indigo-blue outer wall makes it a very distinct building in the area....
. The Clan Jetties are a collection of water villages at Weld Quay. The Indian community built many elaborate temples such as the Mahamariamman temple, while Muslim influence can be seen at the Kapitan Keling Mosque, the Acheh Mosque, and the Penang Islamic Museum. The P. Ramlee Museum is an excellent example of traditional Malay stilt houses. Siamese and Burmese architecture can be appreciated at the Sleeping Buddha and Dharmikarama temples.
Modern structures and skyscrapers also abound in Penang, sometimes side by side with heritage buildings. Notable examples include the KOMTAR
KOMTAR
Komtar Tower, or Menara Komtar Complex is Penang's tallest building and the sixth tallest building in Malaysia located in the heart of George Town, dominating the island's skyline. KOMTAR is a portmanteau of Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak. When the skyscraper topped out it was the second tallest building...
tower, the UMNO tower and the Mutiara Mesiniaga building.
Festivals
The cultural mosaic of Penang naturally means that they are a great many number of festivals to celebrate. The Chinese celebrate, among others, the Chinese New YearChinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
, Mid-Autumn Festival
Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival , also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival or Zhongqiu Festival, is a popular lunar harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people. A description of the festival first appeared in Rites of Zhou, a written collection of rituals of the Western Zhou...
, Hungry Ghost Festival
Ghost Festival
The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries...
, Qing Ming
Qingming Festival
The Qingming Festival , Pure Brightness Festival or Clear Bright Festival, Ancestors Day or Tomb Sweeping Day is a traditional Chinese festival on the 104th day after the winter solstice , usually occurring around April 5 of the Gregorian calendar...
, and the feast days of various deities. The Malays and Muslims celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Eid ul-Fitr
Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr, Id-ul-Fitr, or Id al-Fitr , often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting . Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity," while Fiṭr means "breaking the fast"...
, Hari Raya Haji, and Maulidur Rasul while the Indians observe Deepavali
Diwali
Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
, Thaipusam
Thaipusam
Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai . It is celebrated not only in countries where the Tamil community constitutes a majority, but also in countries where Tamil communities are smaller, such as Singapore and Malaysia...
and Thai Pongal. Christmas, Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
and Easter are celebrated by Christians. The annual Saint Anne
Saint Anne
Saint Hanna of David's house and line, was the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ according to Christian and Islamic tradition. English Anne is derived from Greek rendering of her Hebrew name Hannah...
's Novena
Novena
In the Catholic Church, a novena is a devotion consisting of a prayer repeated on nine successive days, asking to obtain special graces. The prayers may come from prayer books, or consist of the recitation of the Rosary , or of short prayers through the day...
and Feast Day draws thousands of Catholics to St. Anne's Church
St. Anne's Church, Bukit Mertajam
St Anne's Church, Bukit Mertajam is a famous Roman Catholic church located in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, Malaysia. It is one of the parishes in the Diocese of Penang. Its annual celebration of the feast of St Anne regularly attracts over 100,000 pilgrims from Malaysia as well as neighbouring countries...
in Bukit Mertajam
Bukit Mertajam
Bukit Mertajam is the capital of Central Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. It is commonly known as BM among its locals. It is located nearby Kulim, Kedah.-About:...
. Buddhists observe Wesak Day while the Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
s celebrate Vaisakhi
Vaisakhi
Vaisakhi is an ancient harvest festival celebrated across North Indian states, especially Punjab by all Punjabis regardless of religion. In Sikhism the Khalsa was founded on same day as the Vaisakhi festival, so Sikhs celebrate twice as much....
. Many of these festivals are celebrated in a large scale and are also public holidays in Penang. Bon Odori is an annual event held at the Esplanade by the expatriate Japanese population. The Penang Government organises the annual George Town Festival which celebrates the city's World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
status with arts and live cultural performances throughout the month of July. The famous Pesta Pulau Pinang (Penang Fest) is a combination of trade expo, family-oriented carnival and cultural events held throughout the month of December since the 1960s primarily at the Pesta site in Sungai Nibong
Sungai Nibong
Sungai Nibong is a town located near Batu Uban in Penang, Malaysia. Penang's main express bus terminal and the annual Penang Festival site are all located there....
and other locations in the state.
Food
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
, Nyonya
Peranakan
Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to the Indonesian archipelago of Nusantara during the Colonial era....
, Malay
Malay people
Malays are an ethnic group of Austronesian people predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula, including the southernmost parts of Thailand, the east coast of Sumatra, the coast of Borneo, and the smaller islands which lie between these locations...
and Indian ethnic mix of Malaysia, but also shows some influence of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. Its especially famous "hawker food", many served al fresco, strongly features noodles, spices, and fresh seafood. The best places to savour Penang's food include Gurney Drive
Gurney Drive
Gurney Drive is a popular seafront promenade in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. The road is also one Penang's most popular tourist destinations, famous for the "hawker food" sold from food stalls formerly located along the seafront, now relocated close by...
, Pulau Tikus
Pulau Tikus
Pulau Tikus is a small island off the coast of Penang, Malaysia. It should not be confused with a suburb of the same name on the main Penang Island....
, New Lane, New World Park, Penang Road and Chulia Street, as well as Raja Uda and Chai Leng Park over on the mainland. Penang is also famed for its traditional biscuits such as the tau sar pneah (bean paste biscuit).
Tourism
Visited by Somerset Maugham, Rudyard KiplingRudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
, Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
and Queen Elizabeth II among many others, Penang has always been a popular tourist destination, both domestically and internationally. In 2009, Penang attracted 5.96 million tourists, ranking third in tourist arrivals in Malaysia. Penang is known for its rich heritage, multicultural society and its vibrant culture, its hills, parks, and beaches, shopping, and good food.
Penang has been ranked by Yahoo! Travel as one of the "10 Islands to Explore Before You Die" and listed in Patricia Schultz's best-selling 1,000 Places to See Before You Die
1,000 Places to See Before You Die
1,000 Places to See Before You Die is a 2003 travel book by Patricia Schultz.Among the "1,000 places" in the book are historic ones such as Robert Louis Stevenson's home in Western Samoa and the trail of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the United States, cultural ones such as the Oregon...
travel book.
Beaches
The most popular beaches in Penang are located at Tanjung BungahTanjung Bungah
Tanjung Bungah is a suburb in Penang, Malaysia. It is situated in the northern part of Penang Island. Its postal code is 11200. It is one of the many suburbs en route to Batu Ferringhi and thus a popular tourist attraction as well. Many hotels, which are more reasonably priced than those in Batu...
, Batu Ferringhi
Batu Ferringhi
Batu Feringgi is a beach area in Penang, Malaysia. Along this famous beach area, there are numerous large hotels, restaurants, transport rental services, and souvenir stores...
, and Teluk Bahang
Teluk Bahang
Teluk Bahang is a fishing village situated on the northwestern part of Penang Island in Malaysia. The Teluk Bahang Dam is situated here. Teluk Bahang is also the entry point for the Penang National Park, which was previously known as the Pantai Aceh Forest Reserve.The expensive Mutiara Beach Resort...
, and these contiguous beaches are home to Penang's famed hotel and resort belt. More secluded Muka Head, which hosts a lighthouse and a marine research station, and Monkey Beach – both within the Penang National Park
Penang National Park
Penang National Park was declared a national park by the then Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on April 2003. It was formerly known as the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve. Covering an area of , it is the smallest national park in the world...
– offer more pristine water.
Pollution which has been going on for years taints the beauty of the beaches and increasingly turns tourists away to places like Langkawi
Langkawi
Langkawi, officially known as Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah is an archipelago of 104 islands in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. The islands are a part of the state of Kedah, which is adjacent to the Thai border...
and Pangkor. Among the identified sources of pollution include inefficient sewage disposal and unchecked commercial activities.
Parks, gardens and natural history
Despite its limited land size and dense population, Penang has managed to retain a considerable area of natural environment. As of 2011, 7% of the state's total surface area or 7524 hectares was forested. Located at the fringe of George Town, at the foot of Penang Hill are two adjacent green areas – the Penang Municipal Park (popularly known as Youth Park) and the Penang Botanic GardensPenang Botanic Gardens
The Penang Botanic Gardens, also known as the "Waterfall Gardens" because of the cascading waterfall nearby, is a public park situated on Jalan Air Terjun in George Town on Penang Island, Malaysia...
. Penang Hill
Penang Hill
Penang Hill is a hill resort comprising a group of peaks in Penang, Malaysia. It is located in Air Itam, which is from the city centre of George Town. The hill stands out prominently from the lowlands as a hilly and forested area...
, despite encroaching development, remains thickly forested and lush in vegetation. The Relau Metropolitan Park was opened in 2003. Robina Beach Park is a park by the beach near Butterworth
Butterworth, Penang
Butterworth is the principal town of Seberang Perai in the state of Penang in Malaysia. Named after William John Butterworth, Governor of the Straits Settlements , Butterworth was established in the mid-19th century as a landing place across the channel from the capital of Penang, George Town...
.
Gazetted in 2003, the Penang National Park (the country's smallest at 2,562 hectares) at the northwestern tip of Penang island boasts of a lowland dipterocarp
Dipterocarpaceae
Dipterocarpaceae is a family of 17 genera and approximately 500 species of mainly tropical lowland rainforest trees. The family name, from the type genus Dipterocarpus, is derived from Greek and refers to the two-winged fruit...
forest, mangroves, wetlands, a meromictic
Meromictic
A meromictic lake has layers of water that do not intermix. In ordinary, "holomictic" lakes, at least once each year there is a physical mixing of the surface and the deep waters...
lake, mud flats, coral reefs and turtle nesting beaches in addition to a rich diversity of birdlife. In addition to this, there are nature preserves in Bukit Relau, Teluk Bahang
Teluk Bahang
Teluk Bahang is a fishing village situated on the northwestern part of Penang Island in Malaysia. The Teluk Bahang Dam is situated here. Teluk Bahang is also the entry point for the Penang National Park, which was previously known as the Pantai Aceh Forest Reserve.The expensive Mutiara Beach Resort...
, Bukit Penara, Bukit Mertajam
Bukit Mertajam
Bukit Mertajam is the capital of Central Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. It is commonly known as BM among its locals. It is located nearby Kulim, Kedah.-About:...
, Bukit Panchor, and Sungai Tukun. The Penang Butterfly Farm in Teluk Bahang
Teluk Bahang
Teluk Bahang is a fishing village situated on the northwestern part of Penang Island in Malaysia. The Teluk Bahang Dam is situated here. Teluk Bahang is also the entry point for the Penang National Park, which was previously known as the Pantai Aceh Forest Reserve.The expensive Mutiara Beach Resort...
, one of few of its kind in the world, is a walk-in free-ranging butterfly habitat, breeding and conservation centre. The Penang Bird Park in Seberang Jaya
Seberang Jaya
Seberang Jaya is a new township near Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia. The state Immigration office and Malaysian Road Transport Department is situated here. This township is served by two hypermarkets, Carrefour and TESCO Extra...
is the first aviary
Aviary
An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages...
in Malaysia. Other places of special interest include the Tropical Spice Garden and the Tropical Fruit Farm in Teluk Bahang
Teluk Bahang
Teluk Bahang is a fishing village situated on the northwestern part of Penang Island in Malaysia. The Teluk Bahang Dam is situated here. Teluk Bahang is also the entry point for the Penang National Park, which was previously known as the Pantai Aceh Forest Reserve.The expensive Mutiara Beach Resort...
, and the Bukit Jambul Orchid and Hibiscus Garden.
A small bushy tree, Alchornea rhodophylla, the almost-extinct tree Maingaya malayana, and the toad Ansonia penangensis are endemic only to the island of Penang. Some of the commonly seen birds in Penang include the migratory greater spotted eagle
Greater Spotted Eagle
The Greater Spotted Eagle , occasionally just called the spotted eagle, is a large bird of prey. Like all typical eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae...
(Aquila clanga), the blue-tailed bee-eater
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
The Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Merops philippinus is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It breeds in southeastern Asia. It is strongly migratory, seen seasonally in much of peninsular India....
(Merops philippinus) and the blue-throated bee-eater
Blue-throated Bee-eater
The Blue-throated Bee-eater is a species of bird in the Meropidae family.It is found in Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam....
(Merops viridis), and the endemic chestnut-headed bee-eater
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
The Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Merops leschenaulti is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It is a resident breeder in southern Asia from India east to southeast Asia and Indonesia....
(Merops leschenaulti), the Brahmniy kite
Brahminy Kite
The Brahminy Kite , also known as the Red-backed Sea-eagle, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. They are found in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia...
(Haliastur indus), the common sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
The Common Sandpiper is a small Palearctic wader. This bird and its American sister species, the Spotted Sandpiper , make up the genus Actitis. They are parapatric and replace each other geographically; stray birds of either species may settle down with breeders of the other and hybridize...
(Actitis hypoleucos), and the white-bellied sea eagle
White-bellied Sea Eagle
The White-bellied Sea Eagle , also known as the White-breasted Sea Eagle, is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Originally described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788, it is closely related to Sanford's Sea Eagle of the Solomon Islands, and the two are considered a superspecies...
. The sandy beaches of the Penang National Park
Penang National Park
Penang National Park was declared a national park by the then Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on April 2003. It was formerly known as the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve. Covering an area of , it is the smallest national park in the world...
are the nesting grounds for the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) from April to August, and the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidocchelys olivacea) between September and February. The Irrawaddy dolphin
Irrawaddy dolphin
The Irrawaddy dolphin is a euryhaline species of oceanic dolphin found in discontinuous subpopulations near sea coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia.-Etymology and taxonomic history:...
(Orcaella brevirostris) and the bottlenose dolphin
Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Recent molecular studies show the genus contains two species, the common bottlenose dolphin and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin , instead of one...
(Tursiops truncatus) are occasionally sighted in the coastal seas off the Park. Also living in the Park are the leopard cat
Leopard Cat
The leopard cat is a small wild cat of South and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern by IUCN as it is widely distributed but threatened by habitat loss and hunting in parts of its range...
(Prionailurus bengalensis), the flying lemur (Galeopterus variegatus), and one of the world's largest arboreal rodents, the cream-coloured giant squirrel
Cream-coloured Giant Squirrel
The cream-coloured giant squirrel is a large tree squirrel in the genus Ratufa found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. It is probably extinct in Singapore, as no recent sightings have been made...
(Ratufa affinis))
Shopping
Penang is a major shopping destination in the northern region of Malaysia. It has several modern shopping malls offering a wide range of merchandise. Among the more popular ones on Penang island are Queensbay MallQueensbay Mall
Queensbay Mall is a shopping mall situated in Penang, Malaysia. It is in the heart of the Queensbay development, formerly known as Bayan Bay before it was abandoned during the East Asian financial crisis. At that time, the mall was referred to as Bayan World Megamall...
(Penang's largest), Gurney Plaza
Gurney Plaza
Gurney Plaza is a shopping mall located at Gurney Drive promenade in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. It is the second largest shopping mall in Penang after Queensbay Mall. It was completed in 2001...
at the famed Gurney Drive
Gurney Drive
Gurney Drive is a popular seafront promenade in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. The road is also one Penang's most popular tourist destinations, famous for the "hawker food" sold from food stalls formerly located along the seafront, now relocated close by...
, KOMTAR (Penang's first modern shopping mall) and Penang Times Square
Penang Times Square
Penang Times Square is a planned urban centre in Georgetown on Penang Island, situated on the land of the former Escoy Smelting Company.Penang Times Square is located in the heart of Georgetown, along Jalan Dato Keramat...
(an integrated commercial and residential complex near Komtar). Notable shopping malls in Seberang Perai are Sunway Carnival Mall
Sunway Carnival Mall
Sunway Carnival Mall is a shopping mall located at the center of the Seberang Jaya area in Penang, Malaysia.The four story mall opened in June 2007. It is located beside the Sunway Hotel within the town center of Seberang Jaya, a township initiated by the Government to boost the administrative,...
at Seberang Jaya and Seberang Prai City Perdana Mall at Bandar Perda.
Traditional bazaars such as the Chowrasta Market and Campbell Street, and makeshift open-air night markets known as pasar malam were the precursors to today's shopping malls. They offer goods ranging from modern electronics and textiles to foodstuffs and local produces.
Schools
Penang was a pioneer in education in Malaysia, having some of the earliest established schools in the country. The public school system comprises national schools, vernacular (Chinese and Tamil) schools, vocational schools, and religious schools. There are also a few international schools, such as Dalat International School, Tenby International School, The International School of Penang (Uplands), and the Penang Japanese School. The state has five Chinese Independent High SchoolChinese Independent High School
Chinese Independent High Schools is a type of private high school in Malaysia. They provide secondary education in the Chinese language as the continuation of the primary education in Chinese national-type primary schools...
s.
Chinese schools
Penang has long been the centre of a well-developed Chinese-language schooling system. These schools were set up by local Chinese associations with donations from philanthropists, and have historically attracted students from Chinese communities in Thailand and Indonesia, where Chinese education was banned. These schools are well-supported by the community and many consistently produce good results, thus attracting non-Chinese students too. There are 90 Chinese primary schools and 10 Chinese secondary schools in Penang. Among them are Chung Ling High SchoolChung Ling High School
Chung Ling High School is a boys' secondary school in Malaysia, located in George Town, Penang.-The school:...
(established 1917), Penang Chinese Girls' High School
Penang Chinese Girls' High School
Penang Chinese Girls' High School is a secondary school for girls. Often referred to as "Bīn huá" among the local Chinese community in Penang, is one of the leading girls' schools in Malaysia...
(est. 1920), Union High School (est. 1928), Chung Hwa Confucian School (est. 1904), Phor Tay High School
Phor Tay High School
Phor Tay High School , is a government-aided, Buddhist, co-educational school, situated in Sungai Dua, Penang, Malaysia...
(est. 1940, the first Buddhist school in Malaysia), Jit Sin High School
Jit Sin High School
Jit Sin High School is a secondary school located in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, Malaysia.-Background:...
(est. 1949), Han Chiang School
Han Chiang School
Han Chiang School is a group of three schools in Malaysia. The first school was founded on 10 October 1919 in Jalan Lim Lean Teng, Penang. All three schools are controlled by the Han Chiang Board of Directors...
(est. 1919) and Heng Ee High School
Heng Ee High School
Heng Ee High School is a secondary school located in George Town, Penang.- The Founder :...
(1957).
Formerly missionary schools
Formal education in Penang stretches back to the early days of British administration. Many of the public schools in Penang are among the oldest in the country and even in the region as a whole but has since been turned into national schools. They educated generations of important personages in the country's history, which included royalty, ministers, lawmakers, sportsmen, artists, and musicians. Most notable of these are Penang Free SchoolPenang Free School
Penang Free School is a secondary school located on Jalan Masjid Negeri , George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Although the medium of instruction is now Malay, Penang Free School was the first English-medium school in South East Asia. It is widely recognised as one of Penang's premier schools and alumni...
(est. 1816, the oldest English school in the country), St. George's Girls' School (est. 1885), Methodist Boys' School (est. 1891), St. Xavier's Institution (est. 1852), and Convent Light Street (est. 1852, the first school for girls in Malaysia).
National, vocational, and religious schools
National schools use Malay as their medium of instruction. Unlike early Chinese and missionary schools, national schools are mostly built and funded by the government. The student population in these schools tend to be more multiracial. Examples are Bukit Jambul Secondary School, Sri Mutiara Secondary School and Air Itam Secondary School. The Tunku Abdul Rahman Technical Institute and the Batu Lanchang Vocational School are two of Penang's vocational schools. The Al-Mashoor School is a religious school in Penang.Colleges and universities
Penang is home to two medical schools (Penang Medical CollegePenang Medical College
Penang Medical College is a partnership in medical education between the Penang State Government and the Irish Medical Colleges of the National University of Ireland : the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the University College Dublin...
and Allianze College of Medical Sciences
Allianze University College of Medical Sciences
Allianze University College of Medical Sciences , located in Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia is an established college that specializes in Medicine and Allied Health Sciences courses...
), a nursing college, a dental training college, two teacher's training colleges, and numerous private and community colleges. The two public universities in Penang are Universiti Sains Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia is a public university with its main campus in Penang, Malaysia. There are three branch campuses: one in mainland Penang , one in Kelantan on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, and a offshore collaboration with a university in India...
at Gelugor
Gelugor
Gelugor is a town located at the southern part of Georgetown, a midway town between Georgetown and Sungai Dua...
and its Engineering campus at Nibong Tebal
Nibong Tebal
Nibong Tebal 高淵 is a town under parliamentary constituency P047. It is situated in Seberang Perai on the mainland side of Penang, Malaysia, bordered by Parit Buntar in Perak and Bandar Baharu in Kedah....
, and Universiti Teknologi MARA
Universiti Teknologi MARA
Universiti Teknologi MARA is a coeducational public university with its main campus located in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.It is the flagship institution of the Universiti Teknologi MARA...
at Permatang Pauh
Permatang Pauh
Permatang Pauh is a town in Seberang Perai, the hinterland portion of the island-state of Penang, Malaysia. Permatang Pauh is now led by Anwar Ibrahim who is the Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh....
. The former, popularly known by its acronym USM, is one of Malaysia's earliest universities, and is today accorded the status of apex university dedicated to research. Wawasan Open University
Wawasan Open University
Wawasan Open University is an institution of higher education based in Malaysia that allows adult students to pursue tertiary level qualifications through Open Distance Learning ....
is a private university dedicated to distance-learning. Penang also hosts SEAMEO RECSAM, a research and training facility for the enhancement of the science and mathematics education in Southeast Asia. Some of the colleges in Penang include KDU College
KDU College
KDU University College is a private college in Malaysia. Originally, it was established with the campus in Petaling Jaya, but a second was later built in Penang. KDU offers education programmes at the Certificate, Diploma, Degree and Masters levels...
, Inti College, Disted-Stamford College, Tunku Abdul Rahman College
Tunku Abdul Rahman College
Tunku Abdul Rahman College, often known as TARC or KTAR, is a public institution of higher learning in Malaysia. It has six campuses located in six states across Malaysia. While having close links to Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman , the college and the university are separate entities...
(TARC), Han Chiang College
Han Chiang College
Han Chiang College is a private college located in Penang, Malaysia.Established in July 1999, Han Chiang College is a not-for-profit institution of higher learning...
, and Olympia College.
Libraries
The Penang Public Library Corporation in 1973 replaced the Penang Library which in turn was set up in 1817. It operates the main Penang Public Library in Seberang Prai, the George Town Branch Library, the Children's Library, and three smaller libraries.Media
The mainstream newspapers in Penang include the English dailies The StarThe Star (Malaysia)
The Star is an English-language, tabloid-format newspaper in Malaysia. It is the largest in terms of circulation in Malaysia, according to the . It has a daily circulation of between 290,000 to 300,000...
, The New Straits Times, and the free The Sun
The Sun (Malaysia)
The Sun is Malaysia's first national free daily newspaper in tabloid form. Available from Mondays to Fridays except on public holiday, with a target audience of white-collar workers and urban youth....
; the Malay dailies Berita Harian
Berita Harian
Berita Harian is a major Malay language newspaper in Malaysia. Its Sunday Edition is called Berita Minggu. It was founded on 31 August 1957, which also marks the date of Malaya's independence...
, Utusan Malaysia
Utusan Malaysia
Utusan Malaysia is a Malay language pro-government newspaper in Malaysia. First published in Jawi, the newspaper is now published in romanised letters...
, Harian Metro
Harian Metro
Harian Metro is a Malaysian newspaper published in Malay language and available in the afternoon. It was launched on 25 March 1991. A Sunday edition, Metro Ahad was launched on August 19, 1995.The format of the newspaper is tabloid...
, and Kosmo!
Kosmo!
Kosmo! is a Malay language compact format newspaper in Malaysia owned by Utusan Melayu Berhad. It is available in Malaysia at most newsstands....
; the Chinese dailies Kwong Wah Yit Poh
Kwong Wah Yit Poh
Kwong Wah Yit Poh or Kwong Wah Daily is a Malaysian Chinese daily that was founded in 20 December 1910 by Dr. Sun Yat Sen. The daily is based in Penang, where it has the largest readership in the northern region....
, Sin Chew Daily, China Press
China Press
China Press is a Malaysian Chinese-language newspaper set up by Tun Henry Lee Hau Shik and first published on 1 February 1946....
, and Oriental Daily News
Oriental Daily News (Malaysia)
Oriental Daily News is one of Malaysia's daily Chinese-language newspapers. It was officially launched on New Year's Day 2003. The newspaper group is owned by KTS Group, a Sarawak timber company founded by late Datuk Lau Hui Kang....
; and the Tamil dailies Tamil Nesan
Tamil Nesan
The Tamil Nesan is a Tamil newspaper published in Malaysia, and the oldest Tamil newspaper in the country, established in 1924. The first issue was published on September 24, 1924....
, Malaysia Nanban
Malaysia Nanban
The Malaysia Nanban is a Tamil daily newspaper based in Malaysia, one of only three Tamil-language dailies in the country, alongside the Makkal Osai and the Tamil Nesan.- Overview :...
, and Makkal Osai
Makkal Osai
The Makkal Osai is a Tamil daily newspaper based in Malaysia, one of only three Tamil-language dailies in the country, alongside the Malaysia Nanban and the Tamil Nesan.- Overview :...
. The Malay Mail is an English weekly. Nanyang Siang Pau
Nanyang Siang Pau
Nanyang Siang Pau or Nanyang Business Daily was founded by philanthropist-entrepreneur Tan Kah Kee on 6 September 1923 in Singapore, currently published in Malaysia...
is a Chinese-language financial daily while The Edge
The Edge (Malaysia)
The Edge is a Malaysian financial and investment weekly published by The Edge Communications Sdn. Bhd. It was launched in 1994 to cater to corporate executives and the general public with interest in the Malaysian financial market. It is distributed nationwide in Malaysia via newsstands...
is an English-language financial weekly newspaper. All of them are in national circulation.
Health care
Health care in Penang is provided by public as well as private hospitals. The public health care system first established by the colonial authorities was supplemented by health care provided by local Chinese charities, and Christian missionaries such as the Roman Catholic and the Seventh-day AdventistSeventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
.
Today public hospitals are funded and administered by the Ministry of Health. The Penang Hospital is a tertiary-care regional referral centre. In addition to public hospitals are numerous smaller community clinics (klinik kesihatan) and private practices. Private hospitals supplement the system with better facilities and speedier care. These hospitals cater not only to the local population but also to patients from other states and health tourists from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia. Penang is actively promoting health tourism. In 2010, 250,000 foreign patients were treated. The state earned an estimated RM 230 million through medical tourism
Medical tourism
Medical tourism is a term initially coined by travel agencies and the mass media to describe the rapidly-growing practice of travelling across international borders to obtain health care...
in 2010, up from RM 162 million in 2009. Penang also contributed 70% to Malaysia's medical tourism revenue. Hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
s are also increasingly becoming the choice for long-term and terminal care. Infant mortality rate at present is 0.4% while life expectancy at birth is 71.8 years for men and 76.3 years for women.
Public hospitals Penang Island
Seberang Perai
|
Private hospitals Penang Island
Seberang Perai
|
Transportation
Getting to Penang both from within and outside Malaysia is easy as Penang is well-connected by road, rail, sea and air.Flights are available from Kuala Lumpur to Penang by local carriers such as AirAsia.
Bridges, roads and highways
Penang Bridge
Penang Bridge is a dual carriageway toll bridge connects Gelugor on the island of Penang and Seberang Prai on the mainland of Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula. The bridge is also linked to the North-South Expressway in Prai and Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway in Penang. It was officially opened to...
(completed in 1985), one of the longest bridges in Asia. On 31 March 2006, the Malaysian government announced a second bridge project, tentatively named the Penang Second Bridge
Penang Second Bridge
The Penang Second Bridge is a new bridge under construction in Penang, Malaysia. It will connect Batu Kawan on the mainland Seberang Perai and Batu Maung on Penang Island. It will be the second bridge to link the island to the mainland after Penang Bridge...
. The bridge is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.
Penang on the side of Seberang Perai is connected to the North-South Expressway (Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan), the 966-km long expressway
Controlled-access highway
A controlled-access highway is a highway designed exclusively for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow and ingress/egress regulated...
which traverses the western part of Peninsular Malaysia linking major cities and towns. The expressway also comprises the Penang Bridge.
The proposed Penang Outer Ring Road
Penang Outer Ring Road
Penang Outer Ring Road or PORR is a planned expressway in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. If constructed, it will connect Gelugor in the south, near Penang Bridge to Tanjung Bungah in the north...
(PORR) was mooted to cut travelling time on the eastern part of the island but was subsequently shelved. Concerned citizens voiced protests over the designated route which will cut across quiet residential areas and may also adversely affect the environments.
The Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway formerly known as the Jelutong Expressway, a coastal highway on the eastern part of the island, links the Penang Bridge to George Town.
The Butterworth Outer Ring Road
Butterworth Outer Ring Road
Butterworth Outer Ring Road or BORR is an expressway in Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia. This expressway connects Sungai Dua in the north until Perai in the south.- History :...
(BORR) is a 14-km tolled expressway that serves primarily Butterworth
Butterworth, Penang
Butterworth is the principal town of Seberang Perai in the state of Penang in Malaysia. Named after William John Butterworth, Governor of the Straits Settlements , Butterworth was established in the mid-19th century as a landing place across the channel from the capital of Penang, George Town...
and Bukit Mertajam
Bukit Mertajam
Bukit Mertajam is the capital of Central Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. It is commonly known as BM among its locals. It is located nearby Kulim, Kedah.-About:...
to ameliorate the upsurge in vehicular traffic due to intense urban and industrial development.
Public transport
One of the earliest modes of transportation in Penang was the horse hackney carriage which was popular throughout the last quarter of the 18th century until 1935, when the rickshawCycle rickshaw
The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport; it is also known by a variety of other names such as velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab, cyclo, becak, trisikad, or trishaw or, simply, rickshaw which also refers to auto rickshaws, and the, now uncommon, rickshaws pulled by a person on foot...
(jinriksha) gained popularity, until it in turn was rapidly superseded by the trishaw beginning in 1941 and still used in George Town today, mostly for sightseeing rides, albeit in much lesser numbers.
Horse trams, steam trams, electric trams, trolleybuses and double decker
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
s used to ply the streets of Penang. The first steam tramway started operations in the 1880s and for a time horse-drawn cars were also introduced. Electrical trams were launched in 1905. Trolleybuses commenced in 1925 and they gradually supplanted the trams but they in turn were discontinued in 1961 and regular buses henceforth became the only form of public transport to this day.
For a long time, the Penang public bus service was deemed unsatisfactory. On 1 April 2006, the Penang state government revamped the entire bus network in the hope of improving the bus service in the state. Under the revamped routes, bigger buses were made to run along "trunk" routes while minibuses ran "feeder" routes which branched off trunk routes, but conditions did not improve. On 20 February 2007, the government announced that Rapid KL would operate the public bus service in Penang under the new entity called Rapid Penang
Rapid Penang
Rapid Penang, an abbreviation for Rapid Penang Sendirian Berhad, is a government-owned company set up to operate bus services in Penang state in Malaysia. Rapid Penang began operations on 31 July 2007....
which is formed for this purpose.
Rapid Penang started on 31 July 2007 with 150 buses covering 28 routes on the island and mainland. This services has since been extended. After Rapid Penang came in, the public transportation in Penang has improved and is now better. Public transportation usage in the state has also increased from a lowly 30,000 commuters a day in 2007 to 75,000 commuters a day in 2010. Currently, there are 350 buses plying 41 routes around the state (30 routes on Penang Island
Penang Island
Penang Island is part of the state of Penang, on the west coat of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British East India Company on 12 August 1786, in honour of the birthday of the Prince of Wales, later King George IV...
, 9 routes on Seberang Prai and 2 routes connecting Penang Island and Seberang Prai). However, usage of public transport remains low, contributing to traffic jams in the city during rush hours. In light of this, the city council has introduced free shuttle bus services for short intra-city travel to lessen the congestion.
There are two main bus terminals for inter-state express coaches. One is located at the ferry terminal in Seberang Perai, and another at Sungai Nibong on the island.
Taxis in Penang do not use the meter as required by the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board but instead charge fixed fares.
Rail and monorail
Penang has 34.9 km of rail track within its border. The Butterworth railway stationButterworth railway station
The Butterworth railway station is a Malaysian train station located at and named after the town of Butterworth, Penang. It is the only railway station in Penang and it is one of the stops along the Eastern and Oriental Express route....
is serviced by the Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad or Malayan Railways Limited is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin...
(KTM) or Malayan Railway West Coast line which runs from Padang Besar on the Malaysia-Thailand Border
Malaysia-Thailand border
The Malaysia-Thailand border consists of both a land boundary across the Malay Peninsula and maritime boundaries in the Straits of Malacca and the Gulf of Thailand/South China Sea. Malaysia lies to the south of the border while Thailand lies to the north...
in Perlis
Perlis
Perlis is the smallest state in Malaysia. It lies at the northern part of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and has Satun and Songkhla Provinces of Thailand on its northern border. It is bordered by the state of Kedah to the south...
to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. Senandung Langkawi is the daily night express running from Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
to Haadyai via Butterworth
Butterworth, Penang
Butterworth is the principal town of Seberang Perai in the state of Penang in Malaysia. Named after William John Butterworth, Governor of the Straits Settlements , Butterworth was established in the mid-19th century as a landing place across the channel from the capital of Penang, George Town...
.
The Penang Hill Railway
Penang Hill Railway
The Penang Hill Railway is a one section funicular railway which climbs Penang Hill from Air Itam, near George Town on the island of Penang in Malaysia. The total journey takes about ten to twenty minutes. The train may stop at other intermediate stations upon request.Construction of the railway...
, a funicular railway
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
to the top of Penang Hill
Penang Hill
Penang Hill is a hill resort comprising a group of peaks in Penang, Malaysia. It is located in Air Itam, which is from the city centre of George Town. The hill stands out prominently from the lowlands as a hilly and forested area...
, was an engineering feat of sorts when it was completed in 1923. The railway underwent an extensive upgrading in 2010 and was reopened in early 2011.
Penang had a monorail proposal under consideration since 1999. The Penang Monorail
Penang Monorail
The Penang Monorail is a proposed monorail line to be constructed under the Ninth Malaysia Plan and Northern Corridor Economic Region . It will be located on Penang Island. Two lines will be built, with possible extensions to Seberang Perai in the future. The 37km system is expected to cost RM 1.6...
project was finally approved on 31 March 2006 under the Ninth Malaysia Plan
Ninth Malaysia Plan
Ninth Malaysian Plan abbreviated as '9MP', is a comprehensive blueprint prepared by the Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister's Department and the Finance Ministry of Malaysia with approval by the Cabinet of Malaysia to allocate the national budget from the year 2006 to 2010 to all...
but was then deferred indefinitely by the federal government.
Airport
Penang International Airport (PEN) is located at Bayan Lepas in the south of the island. The airport serves as the northern gateway to Malaysia and is the secondary hub of FireflyFirefly (airline)
FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd, operating as Firefly, is a full service point to point carrier and a full subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines. Its head office is located on the grounds of Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, Selangor. It claims to be the first community airline in Malaysia...
, a low-cost carrier wholly owned by Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines
Malaysian Airline System Berhad , DBA Malaysia Airlines , is the government-owned flag carrier of Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines operates flights from its home base, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and its eastern hub in Kota Kinabalu. It has its headquarters on the grounds of Sultan Abdul Aziz...
as well as AirAsia
AirAsia
AirAsia Berhad is a Malaysian-based low-cost airline. AirAsia is Asia's largest low-fare, no-frills airline and a pioneer of low-cost travel in Asia. AirAsia group operates scheduled domestic and international flights to over 400 destinations spanning 25 countries. Its main hub is the Low-Cost...
, a pioneer low-cost carrier from Malaysia. Other airlines operating at Penang are national flag carrier Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines
Malaysian Airline System Berhad , DBA Malaysia Airlines , is the government-owned flag carrier of Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines operates flights from its home base, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and its eastern hub in Kota Kinabalu. It has its headquarters on the grounds of Sultan Abdul Aziz...
, SilkAir
SilkAir
SilkAir Private Limited is an airline based in Singapore. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines and operates scheduled passenger services from Singapore to 31 cities in Southeast Asia, South Asia and China. It has its head office on the fifth storey of SIA Superhub 1...
(a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...
), Thai Airways International
Thai Airways International
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited is the national flag carrier and largest airline of Thailand. Formed in 1988, the airline's headquarters are located in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, and operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Thai is a...
, Tiger Airways
Tiger Airways
Tiger Airways Singapore Pte Ltd, operating as Tiger Airways Singapore, is a low cost airline which commenced services on 25 March 2005. It is a subsidiary of Tiger Airways Holdings, a Singapore-based company, which is owned partially by Singapore Airlines...
, Jetstar Asia Airways
Jetstar Asia Airways
Jetstar Asia Airways Private Limited , operating as Jetstar Asia, is a low-cost airline headquartered in Singapore. It is the Asian offshoot of Qantas Jetstar Airways...
, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport, although the airline's registered office is on the 33rd floor of One Pacific Place...
and Dragon Air, Taiwan-based China Airlines
China Airlines
China Airlines is both the flag carrier and the largest airline of Republic of China . Although not directly state-owned, the airline is owned by China Airlines Group, which is owned by the China Aviation Development Foundation...
, China Southern Airlines
China Southern Airlines
China Southern Airlines is an airline headquartered in Baiyun District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. It is the world's sixth-largest airline measured by passengers carried, and Asia's largest airline in terms of both fleet size and passengers carried...
, together with Indonesian airlines Lion Air
Lion Air
Not to be confused with the Sri Lankan airline Lionair.PT Lion Mentari Airlines, operating as Lion Air, is Indonesia’s largest private carrier and Asia’s first hybrid carrier which offers both economy and business-class seating, based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Lion Air also flies to Singapore,...
, Kartika Airlines
Kartika Airlines
Kartika Airlines is an airline based in Jakarta, Indonesia. It operates domestic services from Jakarta. Its main base is Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta. Kartika Airlines is listed in category 2 by Indonesian Civil Aviation Authority for airline safety quality.- History :The airline...
, Sriwijaya Air
Sriwijaya Air
Sriwijaya Air is an airline based in Jakarta with headquarters in Central Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia. It offers domestic flights to major cities in Indonesia and limited International destinations...
and Wings Air
Wings Air
Wings Abadi Airlines, usually shortened to Wings Air, is a scheduled commuter passenger airline based in Jakarta, Indonesia, operating out of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport...
.
Penang Airport has direct flights to other Malaysian cities, namely Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Kuching
Kuching
Kuching , officially the City of Kuching, and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the largest city on the island of Borneo, and the fourth largest city in Malaysia....
, Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount...
, Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland...
, Langkawi
Langkawi
Langkawi, officially known as Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah is an archipelago of 104 islands in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. The islands are a part of the state of Kedah, which is adjacent to the Thai border...
, and regular connections to major Asian cities such as Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
and Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
.
The airport also serves as an important cargo hub due to the large presence of multinational factories in the Free Trade Zones as well as catering to the northern states of peninsular Malaysia.
Ferry and seaports
Cross-channel ferry services, provided by the Penang Ferry ServicePenang Ferry Service
Penang Ferry Service is the oldest ferry service in Malaysia. Located in the state of Penang, this famous ferry service connects Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal in Butterworth to Raja Tun Uda ferry terminal at Weld Quay in George Town in Penang Island....
, connect George Town
George Town, Penang
George Town was voted as one of the best cities in Asia by Asiaweek, ranked 6th in 1998 and 9th in 2000. More recently, George Town has improved a notch to rank as the 9th most liveable city in Asia in a survey of 254 cities worldwide according to an international location ratings survey by , an...
and Butterworth, and were the only link between the island and the mainland until the bridge was built in 1985. High-speed ferries to the resort island of Langkawi
Langkawi
Langkawi, officially known as Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah is an archipelago of 104 islands in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. The islands are a part of the state of Kedah, which is adjacent to the Thai border...
, Kedah
Kedah
Kedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
in the north as well as to Medan
Medan
- Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang....
are also available daily.
The Port of Penang is operated by the Penang Port Commission. There are four terminals, one on Penang island (Swettenham Pier) and three on the mainland, namely North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT), Butterworth Deep Water Wharves (BDWW), and Prai Bulk Cargo Terminal (PBCT). With Malaysia being one of the largest exporting nations in the world, the Port of Penang plays a leading role in the nation's shipping industry, linking Penang to more than 200 ports worldwide. The Swettenham Pier Port also accommodates cruise ships and on occasions, warships.
Utilities
Water supplyWater supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
which comes under the state jurisdiction, is wholly managed by the state-owned but autonomous PBA Holdings Bhd whose sole subsidiary is the Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang Sdn Bhd (PBAPP). This public limited company
Public limited company
A public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
provides reliable, round-the-clock drinking water throughout the state. Penang was cited by the World Development Movement
World Development Movement
The World Development Movement is a membership organisation in the United Kingdom which campaigns on issues of global justice and development in the Global South....
as a case study in successful public water scheme. PBA's water rates are also one of the lowest in the world Penang's water supply is sourced from the Air Itam Dam, Mengkuang Dam, Teluk Bahang Dam, Bukit Panchor Dam, Berapit Dam, Cherok Tok Kun Dam, Waterfall Reservoir (at the Penang Botanic Gardens
Penang Botanic Gardens
The Penang Botanic Gardens, also known as the "Waterfall Gardens" because of the cascading waterfall nearby, is a public park situated on Jalan Air Terjun in George Town on Penang Island, Malaysia...
), Guillemard Reservoir, and also from the Muda River of Kedah
Kedah
Kedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
.
Penang was among the first states in Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
to be electrified in 1905 upon the completion of the first hydroelectric scheme. At present, electricity for industrial and domestic consumption is provided by the national electricity utility company, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).
Telekom Malaysia Berhad is the landline telephone service provider and an Internet service provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
(ISP) in the state. Mobile network operator
Mobile network operator
A mobile network operator , also known as mobile phone operator , carrier service provider , wireless service provider, wireless carrier, or cellular company, or mobile network carrier is a telephone company that provides services for mobile phone subscribers.One essential...
s and mobile ISPs include Maxis, Digi, Celcom, and U Mobile. Currently, Penang is undergoing a statewide Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
installation. The Wi-Fi internet connection will be provided by the Penang State Government for free. The Wi-Fi service, named "Penang Free Wi-Fi" has covered some commercial spots and some areas including the state government office, KOMTAR
KOMTAR
Komtar Tower, or Menara Komtar Complex is Penang's tallest building and the sixth tallest building in Malaysia located in the heart of George Town, dominating the island's skyline. KOMTAR is a portmanteau of Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak. When the skyscraper topped out it was the second tallest building...
in Penang Island, and some commercial spots on Seberang Prai. When completed, Penang will be the first state in Malaysia to provide residents with free Internet connection.
Sewage treatment
Sewage treatment
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...
in Penang is managed by the national sewerage
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
company, Indah Water Konsortium
Indah Water Konsortium
Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd is a national sewerage company in Malaysia. IWK is wholly government-owned company which has been entrusted with the task of developing and maintaining a modern and efficient sewerage system for all Malaysians....
. Prior to systematic sewerage piping and treatment, waste water was haphazardly disposed, mostly in the sea, causing coastal water degradation.
Sister cities
AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Australia (8 December 1973) Xiamen
Xiamen
Xiamen , also known as Amoy , is a major city on the southeast coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with an area of and population of 3.53 million...
, China (1991) Medan
Medan
- Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang....
, Indonesia Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Taiwan (March 2011)
Army
The Tun Razak Camp at Bukit Gedong on the island is home to the 2nd Infantry Division of the Malaysian ArmyMalaysian Army
The Malaysian Army is the land component of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Steeped in British Army traditions, the Malaysian Army does not carry the title ‘royal’ as do the Royal Malaysian Air Force and the Royal Malaysian Navy...
while the Peel Avenue Camp in George Town houses the 509th Regiment of the Rejimen Askar Wataniah
Rejimen Askar Wataniah
The Rejimen Askar Wataniah is the military reserve force of the Malaysian Army. An equivalent formation in the British Army would be the Territorial Army....
.
Minden Barracks
Minden Barracks
Minden Barracks was a military barracks located in the south-eastern town of Gelugor in Penang, Malaysia approximately away from the city of Georgetown...
in Gelugor which is the site of Universiti Sains Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia is a public university with its main campus in Penang, Malaysia. There are three branch campuses: one in mainland Penang , one in Kelantan on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, and a offshore collaboration with a university in India...
was formerly a base of the Overseas Commonwealth Land Forces (Malaya) from 1939 to 1971.
Air Force
RMAF Butterworth in ButterworthButterworth, Penang
Butterworth is the principal town of Seberang Perai in the state of Penang in Malaysia. Named after William John Butterworth, Governor of the Straits Settlements , Butterworth was established in the mid-19th century as a landing place across the channel from the capital of Penang, George Town...
is a Royal Malaysian Air Force base. The installation is also the Integrated Air Defence System (IADS) command centre of the Five Power Defence Arrangements
Five Power Defence Arrangements
The Five Power Defence Arrangements are a series of defence relationships established by a series of bilateral agreements between the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore signed in 1971, whereby the five states will consult each other in the event of external aggression...
(FPDA). The airbase stations four RMAF squadrons and hosts a Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
squadron as part of Australia's commitment to the FPDA.
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
Penang is one of the hotbeds of social activism in the country. Anwar FazalAnwar Fazal
Anwar Fazal is a grassroots environmental activist. He was trained at the University of Malaya in Economics and Education...
, one of the world's leading social advocate, together with several individuals, founded the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) in 1969. The country's most vocal and active consumer protection group, CAP strives to protect the interests of consumers. It publishes the Utusan Konsumer, Utusan Pengguna, Utusan Cina, Utusan Tamil, and Majalah Pengguna Kanak-kanak. The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action
World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action
The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action is a network of people working on a global scale to eliminate obstacles to breastfeeding and to act on the Innocenti Declaration...
is an organisation based in Penang whose objectives are to protect, promote and support breastfeeding globally.
The Penang Heritage Trust is an NGO whose objective is to promote the conservation of Penang's heritage, and to foster cultural education about the history and heritage of Penang. PHT worked to enlist the historic enclave of George Town as a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
and had played an important role in saving many heritage buildings in Penang from demolition.
Friends of the Penang Botanic Gardens Society is a voluntary organisation dedicated to supporting the botanic, horticultural, educational and recreational objectives of the Penang Botanic Gardens
Penang Botanic Gardens
The Penang Botanic Gardens, also known as the "Waterfall Gardens" because of the cascading waterfall nearby, is a public park situated on Jalan Air Terjun in George Town on Penang Island, Malaysia...
.
The Socio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute (SERI) is a non-profit Penang-based think tank and research institute with a focus on facilitating dynamic and sustainable development for Penang. It publishes the Penang Economic Monthly.
Aliran is a national reform and human rights movement which began in 1977 in Penang. It publishes the Aliran Monthly.
Sports
The state has good sporting facilities which include two major stadia – the City Stadium in George Town and the Batu Kawan StadiumNegeri Pulau Pinang Stadium
Negeri Pulau Pinang Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Batu Kawan, Penang, Malaysia. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 40,000 people. It was built in 2000. The stadium has been built to host the 8th Sukma Games on 2000. This stadium currently is...
in Southern Seberang Perai. The Penang International Sports Arena (PISA) in Relau
Relau
Relau is a town located just before Sungai Ara, Penang, Malaysia. There is a school in Relau named SJK Min Sin.Pekan Relau is a small traditional Malay rural township tucked away in the Bandar Baharu district which lies in the Southern part of Kedah Darul Aman...
has an indoor stadium and an aquatics centre.
Penang has 4 golf courses, namely the 18-hole Bukit Jambul Country Club (on the island), the 36-hole Bukit Jawi Golf Resort, the 36-hole Penang Golf Resort and the 18-hole Kristal Golf Resort.
Sports clubs in Penang include the Bukit Mertajam Country Club, Penang Club, Chinese Recreation Club (CRC), Penang Sports Club, Penang Rifle Club, Penang Polo Club, Penang Swimming Club, Chinese Swimming Club, and the Penang Squash Centre. The Tanjung City Marina which can accommodate up to 140 yachts and boats of various sizes is located at the historic Weld Quay. The Penang Turf Club
Penang Turf Club
Penang Turf Club is a major horse racing course in Penang, Malaysia which was established in 1864. In addition to racing, the club also provides equestrian facilities and a golf course....
, established in 1864, is Malaysia's oldest horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
and equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
centre.
The international dragon boat festival is held in Penang annually since 1979 around the fifth day of the fifth moon of the lunar calendar. The Penang International Dragon Boat Festival (PIDBF) which leads the development of the sports successfully held the World Club Crew Championship 2008 at Teluk Bahang Dam. Normally, the state will hold two races in a year, the Penang International Dragon Boat Festival in the month of June and Penang Pesta Dragon Boat race around early December.
The Penang Bridge Marathon is a popular annual event. The full marathon route starts from near Queensbay Mall, to the Bayan Lepas Expressway, then on to the 13.5 km length of the Penang Bridge, and finally back to the starting point for the finish. This event hosted 24 000 runners in 2010.
Penang also hosts the unique Chingay procession which began with its first parade in 1919. It is held in celebration of the birthdays of the Chinese deities or in the procession of the Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin). The procession can be seen yearly on Christmas night or during Chinese festivals such as Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
or other major events in Penang.
Penang's firsts
- Penang became the first British outpost in the then Malaya and Southeast Asia in 1786.
- The country's first newspaper made its appearance in Penang in 1805 – the Prince of Wales Island Gazette. This was followed by the Penang Gazette, first published in 1837.
- The Royal Malaysian Police was established when King George III awarded Penang a 'Charter of Justice’ in 1807 to form the police force and the Court of Justice.
- Penang Free SchoolPenang Free SchoolPenang Free School is a secondary school located on Jalan Masjid Negeri , George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Although the medium of instruction is now Malay, Penang Free School was the first English-medium school in South East Asia. It is widely recognised as one of Penang's premier schools and alumni...
founded by Rev. Sparke Hutchings in 1816, is the first and oldest English School in Southeast Asia. - St George's Anglican Church on Farquhar Street, established in 1816, is the oldest Anglican Church in South East Asia and the only building from Penang that was declared one of the 50 National Treasures by the Malaysian Government.
- The Sekolah Kebangsaan Gelugor in Penang founded in 1826 is the first Malay school to be established in Malaysia.
- The St Xavier's InstitutionSt Xavier's InstitutionSt Xavier's Institution is a boys' school in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. It was established in 1852 and named after Saint Francis Xavier, the pioneering Christian missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus . While being a boys' school, girls are also admitted, albeit only in Form 6...
established in 1852, is the first school established in Malaysia to be administered and fully owned by the La Salle Brothers. - Convent Light Street or the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus, a girls' school established by a French Sisters' Mission in 1852, is the oldest girls' school in Southeast Asia.
- Chung Hwa Confucian School founded by Cheong Fatt TzeCheong Fatt TzeCheong Fatt Tze was a Chinese businessman and politician born in 1840 in Dabu, Guangdong Province in South China. He was a powerful Nanyang industrialist and a first-class Mandarin in the Manchu government; he was made Consul-General in Singapore and economic advisor to the Empress Dowager...
in 1904, was one of the oldest formal Chinese Schools established in South-east Asia as a result of influence by the educational reforms in China in early 1900s. Mandarin is the school’s medium of instruction. - The Municipal Council of Penang Island (Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang), is the successor of the Municipal Council of George Town, which was established in 1857 as Malaysia's first local authority.
- The Penang Turf ClubPenang Turf ClubPenang Turf Club is a major horse racing course in Penang, Malaysia which was established in 1864. In addition to racing, the club also provides equestrian facilities and a golf course....
, established in 1864, is Malaysia's oldest horse racingHorse racingHorse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
and equestrianEquestrianismEquestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
centre. - Standard Chartered BankStandard Chartered BankStandard Chartered PLC is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom with operations in more than seventy countries...
, the oldest bank in Malaysia, opened its doors in 1875. - In 1905 Penang completed its first hydroelectric scheme.
- In 1906 Penang's first electric tramway made its appearance.
- Malaysia's oldest Chinese newspaper still in circulation today, Kwong Wah Yit PohKwong Wah Yit PohKwong Wah Yit Poh or Kwong Wah Daily is a Malaysian Chinese daily that was founded in 20 December 1910 by Dr. Sun Yat Sen. The daily is based in Penang, where it has the largest readership in the northern region....
or Kwong Wah Daily (光华日报) was founded on 20 December 1910 by Dr. Sun Yat-SenSun Yat-senSun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
in Penang. - The Penang Players Music and Drama Society, the oldest English amateur theatre group in Malaysia, was founded in the early 1950s by a group of expatriates residing in Penang.
- George TownGeorge Town, PenangGeorge Town was voted as one of the best cities in Asia by Asiaweek, ranked 6th in 1998 and 9th in 2000. More recently, George Town has improved a notch to rank as the 9th most liveable city in Asia in a survey of 254 cities worldwide according to an international location ratings survey by , an...
, the state capital of Penang, became a city by a royal charter granted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 1 January 1957, becoming the first town in the Federation of Malaya to become a city. (For further discussion on the disputed city status, refer Municipal Council of Penang IslandMunicipal Council of Penang IslandThe Municipal Council of Penang Island or Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang ' is a local authority which administers the city of George Town and Penang Island. This agency is under Penang state government...
.) - George TownGeorge Town, PenangGeorge Town was voted as one of the best cities in Asia by Asiaweek, ranked 6th in 1998 and 9th in 2000. More recently, George Town has improved a notch to rank as the 9th most liveable city in Asia in a survey of 254 cities worldwide according to an international location ratings survey by , an...
together with Malacca TownMalacca TownMost tourist attractions are concentrated in its small city centre which encompasses Jonker Walk which houses Malacca's traditional Chinatown that exhibits Peranakan architecture. A Famosa Fort, St. Paul Hill are among the tourist attractions located in the Bandar Hilir, old city area. There are...
are the first cities in Malaysia to be granted the UNESCO World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
status. - Penang's water rates/tariffs are amongst the lowest in Malaysia (the other being KelantanKelantanKelantan is a state of Malaysia. The capital and royal seat is Kota Bharu. The Arabic honorific of the state is Darul Naim, ....
). - Covering 738 km², the Seberang Perai Municipal Council (Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai) is the largest local authority in Malaysia.
- The 2,562-hectare Penang National Park in Teluk Bahang gazetted in 2003 is the world’s smallest national park.
- Penang Botanic GardensPenang Botanic GardensThe Penang Botanic Gardens, also known as the "Waterfall Gardens" because of the cascading waterfall nearby, is a public park situated on Jalan Air Terjun in George Town on Penang Island, Malaysia...
, established in 1884, is the first botanic gardens in Malaysia. - Phor Tay High SchoolPhor Tay High SchoolPhor Tay High School , is a government-aided, Buddhist, co-educational school, situated in Sungai Dua, Penang, Malaysia...
, founded in 1940, is the first Buddhist school in Malaysia. - Diocese of PenangRoman Catholic Diocese of PenangThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Penang is situated in the northern region of Malaysia covering 5 states, namely Penang, Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Kelantan. It was created in 25 February 1955 together with the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur.-History:...
, together with Archdiocese of Kuala LumpurRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala LumpurThe Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Malaysia. It was erected as the Diocese of Kuala Lumpur by Pope Pius XII on February 25, 1955, and was elevated to the rank of a Metropolitan Archdiocese on...
in 1955 is the first Catholic diocese to have a local bishop at helm. - College GeneralCollege GeneralThe College General is a Roman Catholic seminary located in Tanjung Bungah, Penang, Malaysia. The college's foundation can be traced back to the 1665 establishment of the Seminary of Saint Joseph in Ayuthia which was then the capital of Siam .- Ayuthia :The College General traces its history to...
is the first and only Catholic seminary in Peninsular Malaysia founded in 1665 in Ayutthya, ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and then relocated to Penang in 1808. - Penang IslandPenang IslandPenang Island is part of the state of Penang, on the west coat of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British East India Company on 12 August 1786, in honour of the birthday of the Prince of Wales, later King George IV...
is the first and only island in Malaysia to be connected to the mainland through land transport when the Penang BridgePenang BridgePenang Bridge is a dual carriageway toll bridge connects Gelugor on the island of Penang and Seberang Prai on the mainland of Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula. The bridge is also linked to the North-South Expressway in Prai and Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway in Penang. It was officially opened to...
was completed in 1985. - The Penang Ferry ServicePenang Ferry ServicePenang Ferry Service is the oldest ferry service in Malaysia. Located in the state of Penang, this famous ferry service connects Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal in Butterworth to Raja Tun Uda ferry terminal at Weld Quay in George Town in Penang Island....
is the oldest ferry services in Malaysia, connecting George TownGeorge Town, PenangGeorge Town was voted as one of the best cities in Asia by Asiaweek, ranked 6th in 1998 and 9th in 2000. More recently, George Town has improved a notch to rank as the 9th most liveable city in Asia in a survey of 254 cities worldwide according to an international location ratings survey by , an...
on Penang island to ButterworthButterworth, PenangButterworth is the principal town of Seberang Perai in the state of Penang in Malaysia. Named after William John Butterworth, Governor of the Straits Settlements , Butterworth was established in the mid-19th century as a landing place across the channel from the capital of Penang, George Town...
in Seberang Perai. - The Penang Hill RailwayPenang Hill RailwayThe Penang Hill Railway is a one section funicular railway which climbs Penang Hill from Air Itam, near George Town on the island of Penang in Malaysia. The total journey takes about ten to twenty minutes. The train may stop at other intermediate stations upon request.Construction of the railway...
, opened in 1923, is the first funicular hill railway in Malaysia. - George Town Dispensary was the earliest dispensary in the then MalayaBritish MalayaBritish Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
. It was opened in 1895. - Penang is the first state in Malaysia to launch the "No Plastic Bag Day" campaign.
- Penang Butterfly Farm, established in 1986, is the world's 1st butterfly and insect sanctuary to be setup in the tropical world.
Famous Penangites
- Tunku Abdul RahmanTunku Abdul RahmanTunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, AC, CH was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955, and the country's first Prime Minister from independence in 1957. He remained as the Prime Minister after Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore joined the...
, 1st Prime Minister of Malaysia; studied in Penang Free School and retired in Penang. - Tun Abdullah Ahmad BadawiAbdullah Ahmad BadawiTun Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi is a Malaysian politician who served as Prime Minister from 2003 to 2009. He was also the President of the United Malays National Organisation , the largest political party in Malaysia, and led the governing Barisan Nasional parliamentary coalition...
, Malaysia's fifth Prime Minister, hails from the mainland town of Kepala Batas, PenangKepala Batas, PenangKepala Batas is a town in the northern part of Penang, Malaysia, in Seberang Perai Utara district. The Member of Parliament for Kepala Batas is the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as this is his hometown...
. - Ah NiuAh NiuAh Niu , is the nickname and stage name of Tan Kheng Seong , a popular singer in Malaysia and Singapore in the late 1990s....
, artist, popular across Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and China. - AlleycatsAlleycatsThe Alleycats is a Malaysian band which was formed in 1969, and gained popularity in the late 1970s. They consist of musicians from Penang, and gained popularity in their home state earlier on in their career.-Band members:Members include:...
, popular Malaysian band formed in the 1960s. - Anwar FazalAnwar FazalAnwar Fazal is a grassroots environmental activist. He was trained at the University of Malaya in Economics and Education...
, who Mother Earth News called in 1983 "probably the most influential figure in the worldwide consumer movement". - Anwar IbrahimAnwar IbrahimAnwar bin Ibrahim is a Malaysian politician who served as Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister from 1993 to 1998. Early in his career, Anwar was a close ally of Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad but subsequently emerged as the most prominent critic of Mahathir's government.In 1999, he was sentenced...
, the ex-Deputy Prime Minister, currently the MP representing Permatang Pauh and leader of parliamentary opposition. - Jill Bennett (1931–1990), actress, born in Penang.
- Cheong Fatt TzeCheong Fatt TzeCheong Fatt Tze was a Chinese businessman and politician born in 1840 in Dabu, Guangdong Province in South China. He was a powerful Nanyang industrialist and a first-class Mandarin in the Manchu government; he was made Consul-General in Singapore and economic advisor to the Empress Dowager...
(1840–1916), Chinese Consul for the Qing Emperor, based in Penang in 1890. A street in Penang was named after him. - Professor Chin Fung KeeChin Fung KeeChin Fung Kee was a respected and outstanding Malaysian civil engineer in engineering practice, as well as engineering research and education. He is known for his excellence in geotechnical, structural and hydraulic engineering. He was a local pioneer engineer who played a key role in the...
from Nibong TebalNibong TebalNibong Tebal 高淵 is a town under parliamentary constituency P047. It is situated in Seberang Perai on the mainland side of Penang, Malaysia, bordered by Parit Buntar in Perak and Bandar Baharu in Kedah....
, the designer of the Penang BridgePenang BridgePenang Bridge is a dual carriageway toll bridge connects Gelugor on the island of Penang and Seberang Prai on the mainland of Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula. The bridge is also linked to the North-South Expressway in Prai and Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway in Penang. It was officially opened to... - Jimmy ChooJimmy ChooDato' Jimmy Choo, OBE, born Choo Yeang Keat, is a Malaysian fashion designer based in London, United Kingdom. He is best known for founding Jimmy Choo Ltd that became known for its handmade women's shoes....
, the famous shoe designer. - Eddy ChoongEddy ChoongEddy Choong Ewe Beng is a retired Chinese badminton player from Malaysia. He is David Ewe Choong's brother and they played men's doubles together....
, the four-time All EnglandAll England Open Badminton ChampionshipsThe All England Open Badminton Championships, or simply All England, is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious badminton tournaments. Played annually, it developed after the success of world's first badminton tournament held in Guildford in 1898...
champion - Chung Keng QueeChung Keng QueeKapitan China Chung Keng Quee was the founder and administrator of modern Taiping. He was a millionaire philanthropist and known as an innovator in the mining of tin. He was involved in many other industries including farming, pawnbroking and logging. He was respected by both Chinese and European...
- Chung Thye PhinChung Thye PhinKapitan Chung, Thye Phin , MSC, JP was a wealthy Malayan tin miner and rubber planter of Hakka ancestry who was raised on the island of Penang in the state of the same name in Malaysia, known at that time as British Malaya. He was a member of the Perak Advisory Board and the last Kapitan China of...
- Gu Hongming (1857–1928), famous Chinese scholar from Penang.
- Hon Sui SenHon Sui SenHon Sui Sen was born in Penang in the British Straits Settlements.-Early life:A Hakka, he was educated at Saint Xavier's Institution. Hon was top-placed in the 1932 Senior Cambridge Certificate Examination...
(1916–1983), Minister for Finance, Singapore from 1970 to 1983. A Penang-born Hakka, he was educated at St Xavier's Institution, Penang. - Karpal SinghKarpal SinghKarpal Singh is a Malaysian lawyer and politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for the neighbourhood of Bukit Gelugor in the state of Penang since 2004...
, Member of Parliament and Chairman of Democratic Action PartyDemocratic Action PartyThe Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties...
. A prominent lawyer and opposition politician widely known as "Tiger of Jelutong". - Khaw Boon WanKhaw Boon WanKhaw Boon Wan is a politician from Singapore. He is currently the country's Minister for National Development and the Chairman of the governing People's Action Party . He was previously the Minister for Health from August 2004 to May 2011...
, Minister for Health, Singapore (2004 – ). Penang-born and educated at Chung Ling High School, Penang. - Koh Tsu KoonKoh Tsu KoonTan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon is a Malaysian politician. He was the Chief Minister of Penang from 1990 to 2008 and is currently a member of the Dewan Negara, the upper house of the Malaysian Parliament...
, former Chief Minister of Penang, now a federal minister in Prime Minister's Department. - Lee Chong WeiLee Chong WeiDatuk Lee Chong Wei is a professional badminton player from Malaysia who resides in Bukit Mertajam. Lee won the silver medal in the 2008 Olympic Games, thus becoming the first Malaysian to reach the final of the men's singles event and ending Malaysia's Olympic medal drought since the 1996 Games...
, currently ranked No.1 badminton player in the world (22 January 2009) - Li Yi (李逸, birth name 李金标) (1952–1980), Chinese singer of the 1970s whose promising singing career was cut short by a fatal road mishap in 1980. His illustrious singing career took off after emerging as the winner at the RTM national level singing contest (全国天才园地歌唱比赛) in 1971.
- Lim Chong EuLim Chong EuTun Dato' Seri Dr. Lim Chong Eu was a Malaysian politician who served as the second Chief Minister of Penang for a record 21 years. He was also the founding president of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, a member of the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional. He was termed the "Architect of Modern...
(1919–2010) former Chief MinisterChief MinisterA Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
of Penang. He was known as the Father of Modern Penang - Loh Boon SiewLoh Boon SiewTan Sri Dato' Loh Boon Siew also known as “Mr Honda”, was a Penangite tycoon and the first sole distributor of Honda motorcycles in Malaysia.-Early life:...
(1915–1995), founder of Boon Siew Honda and sole distributor of Honda motorcycles in Malaysia. - Nicol DavidNicol DavidDatuk Nicol Ann David is a Malaysian female professional squash player. She is currently ranked world number 1 in women's squash, and is the first Asian woman to achieve this...
, women's squash world champion. - Nor Mohamed YakcopNor Mohamed YakcopTan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop is currently the Malaysian Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, in charge of Economic Planning Unit. He was the prior Minister of Finance II, a post he has held since 2004 until 9 April 2009...
, currently the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department. Penang-born and educated at St Xavier's Institution, Penang - Danny QuahDanny QuahDanny Quah is Professor of Economics and Co-Director LSE Global Governance at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is currently Council Member on Malaysia's National Economic Advisory Council, Consultant for Bank of England, World Bank, and Monetary Authority of Singapore...
, economist, head of the Economics Department (2006–2009), Professor of Economics, and Co-Director of Global Governance at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK. Council Member, Malaysia's National Economic Advisory Council (2009–) - P. RamleeP. RamleeTan Sri Datuk Amar Dr. P. Ramlee, was a Malaysian film actor, director, singer, songwriter, composer, and producer. Due to his contributions to the movie and music industry and his literary work, he is often considered the icon of Malay entertainment in Malaysia, Singapore, and Sumatra .-Biography:P...
(1929–1973), Malaysia's legendary actor/singer/director. - Tan Twan EngTan Twan EngTan Twan Eng is a Malaysian author born in Penang in 1972. His first novel The Gift of Rain was published in 2007 and long-listed for the Man Booker Prize that year; it is set in Penang in the years before and during the Japanese occupation of Malaya in World War II and has received critical...
, novelist, nominated for the 2007 Man Booker PrizeMan Booker PrizeThe Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The winner of the Man Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and...
for the novel The Gift of RainThe Gift of RainThe Gift of Rain is the first novel by Tan Twan Eng published in 2007 by Myrmidon Books in the UK and by Weinstein Books in the US. It was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize that year.-Plot introduction:...
. - Lillian TooLillian TooLillian Too is a best-selling author, television personality and Feng Shui practitioner from Malaysia. She has written over 80 books on the subject of Feng Shui, which have been translated into more than 30 languages...
, feng shuiFeng shuiFeng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
consultant and best-selling author of feng shui books. - John H. Whyte (1928–1990), a political scientist born in Penang.
- Tan Sri Wong Pow Nee (1911–2002), former Chief Minister of Penang
- Wu Lien-tehWu Lien-tehDr. Wu Lien-teh was a Malayan-born Chinese and the first medical student of Chinese descent to study at University of Cambridge. He was also the first Malaysian Chinese nominated to receive a Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1935...
(1879–1960), renowned plague fighter and pioneer in the modernisation of China's public health system. - Ken YeangKen YeangDr. Ken Yeang [Chinese]: 杨经文/楊經文; [pinyin]: Yáng Jīngwén; born 1948) is a prolific Malaysian architect and writer best known for advancing green design and planning, differentiated from other green architects by his comprehensive ecological approach....
, architect famous for his bioclimatic skyscrapers. - Yeap Chor EeYeap chor eeYeap Chor Ee was a businessman and philanthropist. He was born in the village of Nan'an, Fujian, China, in 1867. Armed only with indefatigable energy and strong business acumen, he came to Penang at a mere age of 17 in the 1890s and grew to become Penang's richest man of his time and one of the...
(1867–1952), prominent businessman and philanthropist. - Yong Mun SenYong Mun SenYong Mun Sen . Born Yong Yen Lang in Kuching, Sarawak. He changed his name to Yong Mun Sen in 1922.He is widely known as the Father of Malaysian Painting...
(1896–1962), pioneer artist, father of Malaysian painting. - Kimberley Leggett, Miss Universe MalaysiaMiss MalaysiaMiss Malaysia represents Malaysia in two of the major international pageants.Miss Universe is a beauty pageant run by the New York-based partnership between NBC and Donald Trump....
2012.
Quotes
See also
- Architecture of PenangArchitecture of PenangThe architecture of Penang reflects the 171 years of British presence on the island, coalescing with local, Chinese, Indian, Islamic and other elements to create a unique and distinctive brand of architecture. Along with Malacca, Penang is an architectural gem of Malaysia and Southeast Asia...
- British MalayaBritish MalayaBritish Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
- Battle of PenangBattle of PenangThe Battle of Penang occurred on 28 October 1914, during World War I. It was a naval action in the Strait of Malacca, in which the German cruiser sank two Allied warships.-Background:...
- Street names of George Town, Penang
- KulimKulimKulim is the third largest town in Kedah after Alor Star and Sungai Petani is located at the South East of Kedah state and East of Penang state in Malaysia. Kulim is a district consist of 15 smaller sub-districts also known as "mukim"...
Sources
- The Penang Tourism Action Council. The "Light" Years and Beyond. Retrieved 2005-07-26.
- Khoo Salma Nasution: More Than Merchants: A History of the German-speaking Community in Penang, 1800s–1940s, Areca Books, 2006
- www.penang-artists.com/Yong%20Mun%20Sen.htm
External links
- Listing Penang's Events
- UNESCO World Heritage Listing
- Penang State Government
- Penang Heritage Trust
- Penang World Heritage Web
- Photographs of Penang by Peter Loud
- VisitPenang the Official web site of Penang State Tourism Development, Culture, Arts & Heritage committee.
- Penang Tourism Website
- Penang Travel Guide
- Penang economic data and reports by Socio-Economic & Environmental Research Institute (SERI)
- Traveller's guide to Penang written and maintained by locals
- Tropical Spice Garden’s (TSG) Cooking School
- Are you ready for yet another Durian season in 2011 in Penang?