Penang

This article is about the state of Penang. For the island, see Penang Island. For the capital and largest city of Penang, see George Town, Penang. For the mainland territory, see Seberang Prai.

Penang Pulau Pinang 槟城 பினாங்கு
State
Pulau Pinang Pulau Mutiara
From upper right: Penang Skyline, Penang City Hall & Penang Bridge, Khoo Kongsi, Beach Street & Rapid Penang From upper right: Penang Skyline, Penang City Hall & Penang Bridge, Khoo Kongsi, Beach Street & Rapid Penang
Flag Coat of arms of Penang Pulau Pinang 槟城 பினாங்கு Coat of arms
Nickname(s):  Pearl of The Orient, Pulau Pinang Pulau Mutiara (Pearl Island of Penang)
Motto(s):  Bersatu dan Setia ("United and Loyal"). "Let Penang Lead" (unofficial)
Anthem: Untuk Negeri Kita ("For Our State")
Penang in    Malaysia
Capital	George Town
Government
• Ruling party	Pakatan Rakyat
• Governor	TYT Tun Datuk Seri Utama Abdul Rahman bin Haji Abbas
• Chief Minister	Lim Guan Eng (11 March 2008 – present)
Area
• Total	1,048 km2 (405 sq mi)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,520,143
• Density	1,500/km2 (3,800/sq mi)
Human Development Index
• HDI (2009)	0.773 (medium) (2nd)
Time zone	UTC+8 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	Not observed
Postal code	10000 - 19500
Calling code	+604
Vehicle registration	P
Ceded by Kedah to British	11 August 1786
Japanese occupation	19 December 1942
Accession into Federation of Malaya	31 January 1948
Independence from the United Kingdom (through the Federation of Malaya)	31 August 1957
Website	http://www.penang.gov.my
^[a] 2,491 people per km² on Penang Island and 1,049 people per km² in Seberang Perai

Penang is a state in Malaysia, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. Penang is the second smallest state in Malaysia by area after Perlis, and the eighth most populous. A resident of Penang is colloquially known as a Penangite.

Name

The island of Penang was referred to as Bīnláng Yù ([檳榔嶼] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-t (help), [槟榔屿] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-s (help)) in the navigational drawings used by Admiral Zheng He of Ming-dynasty China in his 15th century 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 Island", owing to the fact that it was the largest island encountered on the trading sea-route between Lingga and Kedah.

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.

Aerial evening scene of Penang Island.

History

Main article: History of Penang

Archaeological evidence shows that Penang (island and its mainland territory) was inhabited by the Semang-Pangan 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 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, in exchange for military protection from Siamese and Burmese armies who were threatening Kedah. On 11 August 1786, Francis Light landed on Penang at what is later called Fort Cornwallis and renamed the island Prince of Wales Island in honour of the heir to the British throne. In Malaysian history, the occasion marked the beginning of more than a century of British involvement in Malaya.

Unbeknownst to Sultan Abdullah of Kedah, Light had acted without the approval of the company when he promised military protection. When Light reneged on his promise, the Sultan tried to recapture the island in 1790. The attempt was unsuccessful, and the Sultan was forced to cede the island to the company for an honorarium of 6,000 Spanish dollars 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. He reportedly fired silver dollars from his ship's cannons deep into the jungle to expedite the process. Many early settlers, including Light himself, succumbed to malaria, earning early Penang the epithet "the white man's grave".

The cenotaph at the Esplanade, erected after World War I, commemorates fallen soldiers

After Light's demise, Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Wellesley arrived in Penang to coordinate 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 (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 1826, Penang, along with Malacca and Singapore, became part of the Straits Settlements under the British administration in India, moving to direct British colonial rule in 1867. For ten days in August 1867, Penang was gripped with civil unrest during what was known as the Penang Riot, pitting rival secret societies Kean Teik Tong (the Tua Pek Kong Hoey) and the Red Flag against the alliance of the Ghee Hin Kongsi and the White Flag, and which the British put down with sepoy reinforcement. During the First World War, in the Battle of Penang, the German cruiser SMS Emden sank two allied warships off the coasts of George Town.

Penang suffered devastating aerial bombardments during World War II 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.

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

The British returned at the end of the war and in 1946 Penang was reorganized into the Malayan Union, before becoming in 1948 a state of the Federation of Malaya which gained independence in 1957, and subsequently became part of Malaysia in 1963. Wong Pow Nee of the MCA party was Penang's first Chief Minister.

The island was a free port until 1969. Despite the revocation of the island's free-port status, 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 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).

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 recognized as having "a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia".

Geography

State of Penang map with the George Town capital labelled

Topography

The state is geographically divided into two sections:

• Penang Island (Pulau Pinang in Malay): an island of 293 square kilometres located in the Straits of Malacca; and
• Province Wellesley (also known as Seberang Perai in Malay): a narrow hinterland of 753 square kilometres on the peninsula across a narrow channel whose smallest width is 4 km (2.5 miles). It is bordered by Kedah in the east and north (demarcated by the Muda River), and by Perak in the south.

The body of water between Penang Island and Province Wellesley 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 northeastern plains form a triangular promontory 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 fields 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.
• 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 Hill) at 830 metres above sea level, is an important forested catchment area.

The topography of Province Wellesley, 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 Province Wellesley, lies along the Perai River estuary and faces George Town at a distance of 3 km (2 miles) across the channel to the east.

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.

Towns

Penang Island

Air Itam - Balik Pulau - Bandar Baru Air Itam - Batu Ferringhi - Batu Maung - Batu Lanchang - Bayan Baru - Bayan Lepas - Gelugor - George Town - Green Lane - Gurney Drive - Tanjung Tokong - Jelutong - Pantai Aceh - Paya Terubong - Pulau Tikus - Pulau Betong - Sungai Ara - Sungai Dua - Sungai Nibong - Tanjung Bungah - Tanjung Tokong - Teluk Bahang

Province Wellesley

Alma - Bagan Ajam - Bagan Luar - Batu Kawan - Bukit Mertajam - Bukit Minyak - Butterworth - Jawi - Juru - Kepala Batas - Mak Mandin - Nibong Tebal - Permatang Pauh - Perai - Seberang Jaya - Simpang Ampat - Sungai Bakap - Bukit Tambun - Penaga - Permatang Tinggi

Greater Metropolitan Area of 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 urbanized Penang Island, Seberang Prai, Sungai Petani, 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.

Penang Global City Centre (PGCC), another high-impact project of NCER featuring futuristic landmark twin towers, has also run aground following its rejection by the Penang Municipal Council in September 2008. It remains to be seen if the PGCC will be resurrected.

Outlying Islets

There are a number of small islets off the coast of Penang, the biggest of which, Pulau Jerejak, is located in the narrow channel between Penang Island and the mainland. It was previously a leper and penal colony, but 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.

Climate

Penang enjoys a year-round tropical rainforest climate 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.

Temperature (day)	27°C-30°C
Temperature (night)	22°C-24°C
Ave annual rainfall	2670 mm
Relative humidity	70%-90%

Climate data for Penang
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	31.6 (88.9)	32.2 (90.0)	32.2 (90.0)	31.9 (89.4)	31.6 (88.9)	31.4 (88.5)	31.0 (87.8)	30.9 (87.6)	30.4 (86.7)	30.4 (86.7)	30.4 (86.7)	30.7 (87.3)	31.2 (88.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	23.2 (73.8)	23.5 (74.3)	23.7 (74.7)	24.1 (75.4)	24.2 (75.6)	23.8 (74.8)	23.4 (74.1)	23.4 (74.1)	23.2 (73.8)	23.3 (73.9)	23.3 (73.9)	23.4 (74.1)	23.5 (74.3)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	68.7 (2.70)	71.7 (2.82)	146.4 (5.76)	220.5 (8.68)	203.4 (8.01)	178.0 (7.01)	192.1 (7.56)	242.4 (9.54)	356.1 (14.02)	383.0 (15.08)	231.8 (9.13)	113.5 (4.47)	2,407.6 (94.78)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm)	5	6	9	14	14	11	12	14	18	19	15	9	146
Mean monthly sunshine hours	248.0	234.5	235.6	225.0	204.6	201.0	204.6	189.1	162.0	170.5	183.0	207.7	2,465.6
Source 1: National Environment Agency
Source 2: Hong Kong Observatory

Demographics

Historical Population
of Penang

Census	Population
1786	<100
1812	26,107
1820	35,035
1842	40,499
1860	124,772
1871	133,230
1881	188,245
1891	232,003
1901	248,207
1921	292,484
1931	340,259
1941	419,047
1947	446,321
1957	572,100
1970	776,124
1980	900,772
1991	1,064,166
2000	1,313,449
2010	1,520,143

The state has the highest population density in Malaysia. The whole of Penang state has a density of 1,451 people per square kilometre and has a population of 1,520,143 as of 2010.

• Penang Island has an estimated population of 730,000 and a density of 2,491 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.

• Province Wellesley is the hinterland portion of Penang populated by an estimate 790,000 people and has a density of 1,049 people per square kilometre.

The ethnic composition in 2010 was:

• Malay: 653,600 (43%)
• Chinese: 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.

Jewish Cemetery in George Town

Armenian Street (Lebuh Armenian)

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 these communities are no longer extant, they lent their legacy to street and place names such as the Burmese Buddhist Temple, Siam Rd, Armenian St, Acheen St, and Gottlieb Rd. There was a Jewish enclave in Penang before World War II, but few Jews 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.

Peranakan

A restaurant serving Baba-Nyonya cuisine.

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, 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.

Language

The common languages 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 early Chinese settlers. It bears strong resemblance to the language spoken by Chinese living in the Indonesian 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. Many Penangites who are not ethnically Chinese are also able to speak Hokkien, including some non-Chinese police officers who undergo Hokkien language courses. 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 Cantonese and Hakka 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).

Kong Hock Keong Temple, also known as the Goddess of Mercy temple, a major Taoist temple in Penang

Religion

Islam is the religion of a minority in Penang and the head of Islam is the Yang Dipertuan Agong, but other religions are freely practised. These include Buddhism (33.6%, 2000), in the Theravada, Mahayana and increasingly also Vajrayana traditions, Taoism, Chinese folk religion, Hinduism (8.7%), Christianity: 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 is also a tiny and little-known community of Jews in Penang, mainly along Jalan Zainal Abidin (formerly Jalan Yahudi or Jewish Street).

The Dewan Sri Penang

Governance and Law

Main article: Governance and law of Penang

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 Sultan. 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 the event of elections. 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 appoint from the Legislative Assembly. The State Secretariat heads and coordinates the various departments and agencies of Penang's civil service.

Main article: Chief Minister of Penang

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 being the single largest party in the state legislature. Penang is the only state in Malaysia whose chief ministership has been continuously held by a non-Malay ethnic Chinese since independence.

Local Authorities

File:Penang City Hall2.JPG

The City Hall housing the Municipal Council of Penang Island

The State Assembly Building

Though Penang in 1951 was the first state in 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) [4] and the Municipal Council of Province Wellesley (Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai)[5]. 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 state is divided into 5 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)

• Province Wellesley (Malay: Seberang Perai):
  • Northern Seberang Perai District (Daerah Seberang Perai Utara)
  • Central Seberang Perai District (Daerah Seberang Perai Tengah)
  • Southern Seberang Perai District (Daerah Seberang Perai Selatan)

Legislature

See also: State Seats Representatives, 12th Malaysian General Election § Penang

Political Party/ Alliance	State Legislative Assembly	Dewan Rakyat
Barisan Nasional	11 (27.5%)	2 (15.4%)
Pakatan Rakyat	29 (72.5%)	9 (69.2%)
Independent	0 (0%)	2 (15.4%)
Source: Election Commission of Malaysia.

The High Court building in George Town

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.

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.

Judiciary

The Malaysian legal system had its roots in nineteenth-century Penang. By 1807, a Royal Charter 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 centralized. 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

Employment by Industry (%) in Penang, 2008-2009 (Q3)

INDUSTRY	2008	2009
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

The iconic 65-storey KOMTAR tower in the heart of George Town is Penang's tallest building

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, 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.

Agriculture

Agricultural land in 2008 is used for (in descending total area) oil palm (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 durians and nutmegs. Livestock is dominated by poultry and domestic pigs. Other sectors include fisheries and aquaculture, and new emerging industries such as ornamental fish and floriculture.

View of Beach Street with the HSBC building at 1 Downing Street

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%.

Banking

Penang Thaipusam Festival

Penang Nine Emperor Gods Festival

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, and Bank Negara Malaysia (the Malaysian central bank) together with local banks such as Public Bank, Maybank, Ambank and CIMB Bank.

Culture and Heritage

Main article: Culture of Penang

Arts

There are two major Western orchestras in Penang - the 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 Greenhall is a theatre group which started in 2002.

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.

Museums and Galleries

The Penang Museum and Art Gallery in George Town 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. There is also a toy museum in Tanjung Bungah and 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.

Architecture

Main article: Architecture of Penang

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 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, 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. 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.

A colonial-era house with a Straits-Chinese art deco eclectic architecture

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 Year, 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 Sikhs celebrate Vaisakhi. Many of these festivals are celebrated in a large scale and are also public holidays in Penang.

Food

Main article: Penang cuisine

A hawker stall selling rojak, a fruit dish in shrimp and chilli paste

Hawker food centre at Gurney Drive.

Penang, long known as the food capital of Malaysia, is renowned for its good and varied food, and most Malaysians claim that the best food is found here. 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. Local Chinese restaurants serve excellent fare too.

The Penang Botanic Gardens

Tourism

Visited by Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling, 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.

Kek Lok Si Temple

Beaches

The most popular beaches in Penang are located at Tanjung Bungah, 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.

Parks, Gardens and Natural Environment

Despite its limited land size and dense population, Penang has managed to retain a considerable area of natural environment. 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 Gardens. 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. 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.

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.

Shopping

See also: Category:Shopping malls in Penang

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 Mall (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.

Education

Main article: Education in Penang

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, Sri Pinang School, The International School of Penang (Uplands), and Penang Japanese School. The state has five Chinese Independent schools.

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 School (est. 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), and Han Chiang School (est. 1919).

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 Malay Rulers, Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers, lawmakers, sportsmen, artists, and musicians. Most notable of these are Penang Free School (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, two teacher's training colleges, and numerous private and community colleges. The two public universities in Penang are Universiti Sains Malaysia at Gelugor and Universiti Teknologi MARA at Permatang Pauh. 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.

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.

Healthcare

Healthcare in Penang is provided by public as well as private hospitals. The public healthcare system first established by the colonial authorities was supplemented by healthcare provided by local Chinese charities, and Christian missionaries such as the Roman Catholic and the Seventh-day Adventist. Today public hospitals are funded and administered by the Ministry of Health. 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. Hospices 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 Penang General Hospital (main) Balik Pulau Hospital Province Wellesley Seberang Jaya Hospital (main) Bukit Mertajam Hospital Sungai Bakap Hospital Kepala Batas Hospital

Private Hospitals Penang Island Island Hospital Gleneagles Medical Centre Pantai Mutiara Hospital Loh Guan Lye Specialist Centre Lam Wah Ee Hospital Penang Adventist Hospital Tanjung Medical Centre Mt Miriam Hospital Tropicana Medical Centre Penang Province Wellesley Bukit Mertajam Specialist Hospital Bagan Specialist Centre

Transportation

Main article: Transport in Penang

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

The 13.5 km long Penang Bridge

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 Province Wellesley 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. Concerned citizens voiced protests over the designated route which will cut across quiet residential areas and may also adversely affect the environments. On the 26 June 2008, the Prime Minister of Malaysia announced that the project has been deferred in the Mid-Term Review of Ninth Malaysia Plan as it was said to be not people-centric and would not have an immediate impact on the residents of Penang.

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.

Public Transport

Buses and taxis in George Town

Horse trams, steam trams, electric trams, trolleybuses and double deckers 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. 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. It was closed in February 2010 for a major system upgrading and is expected to reopen in January 2011.

For a long time, the Penang public bus service was 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 Province Wellesley, 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.

A legacy from the past, the quaint three-wheeled trishaw still operates in parts of George Town. Once widely taken by locals, today they are used chiefly to offer city tour rides.

Rail and Monorail

Penang has 34.9 km of rail track within its border. The Butterworth railway station 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.

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.

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 Firefly, 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, Guangzhou, Macau and Chennai.

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

Penang at dawn

A Penang ferry docking at the Butterworth jetty

Cross-channel ferry services, provided by the Penang Ferry Service, 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). Malaysia being the 13th largest exporting nation, the Port of Penang plays a leading role in the nation's shipping industry, linking Penang to more than 200 ports worldwide. Swettenham Pier Port also accommodates cruise ships and on occasions, warships.

Utilities

Water supply 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 operators 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.

Sister Cities

• Adelaide, Australia (8 December 1973)
• Xiamen, China (1991)
• Medan, Indonesia
• Chicago, United States of America

Military

Army

The Tun Razak Camp (Malay: Kem Tun Razak) at Bukit Gedong on the island is home to the 2nd Infantry Division of the Malaysian Army while the Peel Avenue Camp (Malay: Kem Lebuhraya Peel) in George Town houses the 509th Regiment of the Rejimen Askar Wataniah.

Minden Barracks in Gelugor which is currently the site of Universiti Sains Malaysia was formerly a base of the Overseas Commonwealth Land Forces (Malaya) from 1939 to 1971.

Air Force

RMAF Butterworth (Malay: TUDM Butterworth) in Butterworth 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.

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)

Penang is one of the hotbeds of social activism in the country. Anwar Fazal, 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 organization 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.

Sports

Tanjung City Marina

The state has good sporting facilities which include two major stadia — the City Stadium in George Town and the Batu Kawan Stadium in Southern Province Wellesley. 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 over 16,000 runners in 2008.

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.

Penang's Firsts

Fort Cornwallis in George Town, British outpost

St. George's Church, first Anglican church in Southeast Asia

The Standard Chartered Bank building at 2 Beach Street

• 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 School 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 Institution 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 Tze 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 Club, established in 1864, is Malaysia's oldest horse racing and equestrian centre.
• Standard Chartered Bank, 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 Poh or Kwong Wah Daily (光华日报) was founded on 20 December 1910 by Dr. Sun Yat-Sen 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 Town, 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 Island.)
• George Town together with Malacca Town are the first cities in Malaysia to be granted the UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
• Penang's water rates/tariffs are amongst the lowest in Malaysia (the other being Kelantan).
• 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 Gardens, established in 1884, is the first botanic gardens in Malaysia.
• Phor Tay High School, founded in 1940, is the first Buddhist school in Malaysia.
• Diocese of Penang, together with Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur in 1955 is the first Catholic diocese to have a local bishop at helm.
• College General is the first and only Catholic seminary in Peninsular Malaysia founded in 1665 in Ayutthya, Thailand and then relocated to Penang in 1808.
• Penang Island is the first and only island in Malaysia to be connected to the mainland through land transport when the Penang Bridge was completed in 1985.
• The Penang Ferry Service is the oldest ferry services in Malaysia, connecting George Town on Penang island to Butterworth in Province Wellesley.
• The Penang Hill Railway, opened in 1923, is the first funicular hill railway in Malaysia.
• George Town Dispensary was the earliest dispensary in the then Malaya. It was opened in 1895.
• Penang is the first state in Malaysia to launch the "No Plastic Bag Day" campaign.

Famous Penangites

• Tunku Abdul Rahman, 1st Prime Minister of Malaysia; studied in Penang Free School and retired in Penang.
• Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysia's fifth Prime Minister, hails from the mainland town of Kepala Batas, Penang.
• Ah Niu, artist, popular across Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and China.
• Alleycats, popular Malaysian band formed in the 1960s.
• Anwar Fazal, who Mother Earth News called in 1983 "probably the most influential figure in the worldwide consumer movement".
• Anwar Ibrahim, 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 Tze (1840–1916), Chinese Consul for the Qing Emperor, based in Penang in 1890. A street in Penang was named after him.
• Professor Chin Fung Kee from Nibong Tebal, the designer of the Penang Bridge
• Jimmy Choo, the famous shoe designer.
• Eddy Choong, the four-time All England champion
• Chung Keng Quee
• Chung Thye Phin
• Gu Hongming (1857–1928), famous Chinese scholar from Penang.
• Hon Sui Sen(1916–1983), Minister for Finance, Singapore from 1970 to 1983. A Penang-born Hakka, he was educated at St Xavier's Institution, Penang.
• Khaw Boon Wan, Minister for Health, Singapore from 2004 until now. Penang-born and educated at Chung Ling High School, Penang.
• Koh Tsu Koon, former Chief Minister of Penang, now a federal minister in Prime Minister's Department.
• Lee Chong Wei, currently ranked No.1 badminton player in the world (22 January 2009)
• Lim Chong Eu (1919–2010) former Chief Minister of Penang.He was known as the Father of Modern Penang
• Loh Boon Siew (1915–1995), founder of Boon Siew Honda and sole distributor of Honda motorcycles in Malaysia.
• Nicol David, women's squash world champion.
• Nor Mohamed Yakcop, currently the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department. Penang-born and educated at St Xavier's Institution, Penang
• Danny Quah, 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. Ramlee (1929–1973), Malaysia's legendary actor/singer/director.
• Tan Twan Eng, novelist, nominated for the 2007 Man Booker Prize for the novel The Gift of Rain.
• Lillian Too, feng shui 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-teh (1879–1960), renowned plague fighter and pioneer in the modernization of China's public health system.
• Ken Yeang, architect famous for his bioclimatic skyscrapers.
• Yeap Chor Ee (1867–1952), prominent businessman and philanthropist.
• Yong Mun Sen (1896–1962), pioneer artist, father of Malaysian painting.

Image Gallery

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  Stone carving at Kek Lok Si temple
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  Goddess of Mercy/Kuan Yin at Kek Lok Si Temple
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  Statues of Buddha at Kek Lok Si Temple
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  Penang's famed Eastern & Oriental Hotel had Kipling, Maugham, Coward, and Sun Yat Sen among others as guests.
• 
  Temple Guardian at Wat Chaiyamangalaram Thai Temple
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  Statue of goddess at Wat Chaiyamangalaram Thai Temple
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  The Islamic Museum
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  Dharmikarama Burmese Temple, Penang

Quotes

As one lands on Penang one is impressed even before reaching the shore by the blaze of colour in the costumes of the crowds which throng the jetty.

— Isabella Bird, 19th century English traveller and writer.

References in Popular Culture

• Penang was the shooting location for a number of movies, most notably:

1. Indochine (France, 1992) featuring Catherine Deneuve and Vincent Perez.
2. Beyond Rangoon (USA/UK, 1995).
3. Paradise Road (USA/Australia - 1997) starring Glenn Close and Frances McDormand.
4. Anna and the King (USA, 1999) featuring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-fat.
5. The Touch (Hong Kong, 2002) featuring Michelle Yeoh.
6. Lust, Caution (Taiwan, 2007) directed by Ang Lee.
7. Sun Yat-sen biography film Road to Dawn (China, 2007) featuring Winston Chao and Angelica Lee.

• Penang was featured in or alluded to in books such as:

1. The Phantom Ship by Frederick Marryat (1792–1848).
2. Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana, Jr. (1815–1882).
3. A Retrospect by Protestant Christian missionary J. Hudson Taylor (1832–1905), which documented how he founded the China Inland Mission (rename in 1964 Overseas Missionary Fellowship and now OMF International).
4. The Penang Pirate by John Conroy Hutcheson (1840–1897).
5. An Outcast of the Islands by Joseph Conrad (1857–1924).
6. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930).
7. Around the World in Seventy-Two Days by American woman journalist Nellie Bly (birth name Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman, 1864–1922). It is a true account of her journey in 1889 to see if she could beat the fictional journey in Jules Verne’s 1873 novel, Around the World in Eighty Days.
8. The Man Who Could Work Miracles by H. G. Wells (1866–1946).
9. Threshold of Hell by Albert J. Rupp, a crew member of the USS Grenadier SS210 submarine who were captured by Japanese in April 1941 along with 75 others, recounted in the book the dark days when he was interned at Convent Light Street in Penang.
10. The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng set in World War Two Penang, was nominated for 2007 Man Booker Prize.

See also

• Architecture of Penang
• British Malaya
• Battle of Penang
• Street names of George Town, Penang

References

Sources

• The Penang Tourism Action Council. The "Light" Years and Beyond. Retrieved Jul. 26, 2005.

• 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

• UNESCO World Heritage Listing
• Penang State Government
• Penang Heritage Trust
• Penang World Heritage Web
• VisitPenang the Official web site of Penang State Tourism Development, Culture, Arts & Heritage committee.
• Penang Tourism Website
• Penang & Batu Feringgi Info
• Template:Wikitravelpar
• 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