The Coat of arms of Penang is largely based on the coat of arms of

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Ma ...

first granted to the Settlement (now

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * '' Our ...

) of

, then in the

Federation of Malaya The Federation of Malaya ( ms, Persekutuan Tanah Melayu; Jawi: ) was a federation of what previously had been British Malaya comprising eleven states (nine Malay states and two of the British Straits Settlements, Penang and Malacca)''See'' ...

, by a Royal Warrant of

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952. ...

dated 11 September 1949. Between 1911 (the date of a previous Royal Warrant) and 1946, when the colony of the

Straits Settlements The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. Headquartered in Singapore for more than a century, it was originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Co ...

was dissolved, the Settlement was represented in the

' coat of arms by the second quarter, ''Argent on a mount an areca nut palm tree Proper''. The Areca-nut palm is the tree from which

(''Pulau Pinang'', Malay: "''Areca-nut-palm Island''") derives its name.

Settlement and state arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in it ...

as granted was

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visua ...

ed: :Shield: ''Barry wavy of eight Azure and Argent upon a chief crenellée Or a plume of three ostrich feathers surmounted by a riband of the First on the riband the words Ich Dien in letters of the Third'' :Crest: ''On a wreath of the Colours upon a mount a Pinang or Areca-nut palm leaved and fructed Proper''. The

Prince of Wales's feathers The Prince of Wales's feathers is the heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales, during the use of the title by the English and later British monarchy. It consists of three white ostrich feathers emerging from a gold coronet. A ribbon below the corone ...

and the motto ''Ich Dien'' referred to the fact that Penang was founded in 1786 as the ''Prince of Wales Island'', while the blue and white bars are in reference to the

Malacca Straits The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, 500 mi (800 km) long and from 40 to 155 mi (65–250 km) wide, between the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia) to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, conne ...

that surround

Penang Island Penang Island ( ms, Pulau Pinang; zh, 檳榔嶼; ta, பினாங்கு தீவு) is part of the state of Penang, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British Ea ...

, separating it from Province Wellesley (now

Seberang Perai Seberang Perai is a city in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is situated on the Malay Peninsula opposite Penang Island, bordering Kedah to the north and east and Perak to the south. Its city centre is located in Butterworth, while its local ...

) on the mainland. The Areca-nut palm on the crest represents the origins of the Island's name. The motto ''Bersatu dan Setia'' ( Malay: "''United and Loyal''") was adopted by the

Settlement Council Settlement may refer to: *Human settlement, a community where people live * Settlement (structural), the distortion or disruption of parts of a building *Closing (real estate), the final step in executing a real estate transaction * Settlement (fi ...

in 1950. As this was during the height of the

secessionist movement, the motto may have implied loyalty to the

British crown The Crown is the state (polity), state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, British Overseas Territories, overseas territories, Provinces and territorie ...

, rather than to the

also has an unofficial motto, "''Let Penang Lead''".

Present-day state arms

Subsequently, after the construction of the

Penang Bridge The Penang Bridge is a dual carriageway toll bridge and controlled-access highway in the state of Penang, Malaysia. The bridge connects Perai on the mainland side of the state with Gelugor on the island, crossing the Penang Strait. The b ...

from 1982 to 1985, the state coat of arms was changed to the present design, which can be blazoned as: :Shield: ''Barry wavy of ten Azure and Argent upon a chief Or a depiction of the Penang Bridge Proper'' :Crest: ''On a wreath of the Colours upon a mount a Pinang or Areca-nut palm leaved and fructed Proper'' :Motto: ''"Bersatu dan Setia"''.

Historical state arms

City council arms

George Town City Council

The arms of the Municipal Council (from 1 January 1957, City Council) of George Town were granted by the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sover ...

on 4 September 1953, based on the arms of the Settlement of Penang: :Shield: ''Barry wavy of eight Azure and Argent a plume of three ostrich feathers Proper tied with a riband Or a chief embattled of the Last'' :Crest: ''On a helmet o the dexter mantled Azure doubled Argent, on a wreath of the Colours issuant from a wreath of palm Vert a lion passant guardant Azure'' :Motto: ''"Leading We Serve"'' The motto is a combination of the motto of the Prince of Wales, ''Ich Dien'' (I serve), and the unofficial motto of

, "''Let Penang Lead''".

Penang Island City Council The City Council of Penang Island is the council that administers the city of Pulau Pinang, which includes the entirety of Penang Island, Malaysia. The city council, which has jurisdiction over an area of , falls under the purview of the Penang ...

In 1974, the George Town City Council was merged with the Penang Island Rural District Council to form the Penang Island Municipal Council (now

Penang Island City Council The City Council of Penang Island is the council that administers the city of Pulau Pinang, which includes the entirety of Penang Island, Malaysia. The city council, which has jurisdiction over an area of , falls under the purview of the Penang ...

). The arms of the municipality is displayed on a native shield and contains much local symbolism, but generally conforms to traditional English heraldic principles, and may be blazoned as follows.MPPP - Introduction/Logo
:Shield: ''Barry wavy of eight Azure and Argent a chief embattled Or overall a Pinang or areca-nut palm leaved and fructed Proper'' :Crest: ''On a wreath of the Colours mantled Vert doubled Or a crescent therefrom issuant a mullet of the Last'' :Supporters: ''On a compartment of waves barry wavy Azure and Argent issuant therefrom a mount Vert two dolphins hauriant torqued of the First finned Or'' :Motto: "''Memimpin Sambil Berkhidmat''" ( Malay: "''Leading We Serve''") The municipal arms is retained by the

when it was accorded city status for the entire

in 2015, hence succeeding the Municipal Council.

Notes

{{Heraldry in Malaysia Penang

1949 establishments in Malaya