Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a
Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia ( ms, Semenanjung Malaysia; Jawi: سمننجڠ مليسيا), or the States of Malaya ( ms, Negeri-negeri Tanah Melayu; Jawi: نڬري-نڬري تانه ملايو), also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, ...
, by the
Malacca Strait
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 ...
. It has two parts:
Penang Island, where the capital city,
George Town, is located, and
Seberang Perai on the
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...
. They are connected by Malaysia's two longest road bridges, the
Penang Bridge and the
Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge; the latter is also the second longest oversea bridge in
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
. The second smallest Malaysian state by land mass, Penang is bordered by
Kedah to the north and the east, and
Perak
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
to the south.
Penang is the 8th most populated state in Malaysia. Its population stood at nearly 1.767 million , while its population density was as high as .
It has among the nation's highest population densities and is one of the country's most urbanised states. Seberang Perai is
Malaysia's second-largest city by population.
Its heterogeneous population is highly diverse in ethnicity,
culture
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...
,
language
Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...
and
religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
. Aside from the three main races, the
Malays
Malays may refer to:
* Malay race, a racial category encompassing peoples of Southeast Asia and sometimes the Pacific Islands
** Overseas Malays, people of Malay race ancestry living outside Malay archipelago home areas
** Cape Malays, a communit ...
,
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
, and
Indians
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
, Penang is home to significant
Eurasian
Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago ...
,
Siamese and expatriate communities.
A resident of Penang is colloquially known as a Penangite or ''Penang Lang'' (
Penang Hokkien: 庇能儂;
Tâi-lô: ''Pī-néeng-lâng'') in
Penang Hokkien due to the significant
Penangite Chinese
Penangite Chinese are ethnic Chinese Malaysians of full or partial Chinese ancestry who either hail from or live within the State of Penang. , nearly 42% of Penang's population belonged to the Chinese ethnic group, making ethnic Chinese the lar ...
population.
Penang's modern history began in 1786, upon the establishment of George Town by
Francis Light. Penang formed part 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 Comp ...
in 1826, which became a
British crown colony in 1867. Direct British rule was only briefly interrupted during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, when
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
occupied Penang; the
British retook Penang in 1945. Penang was later merged with the
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya ( ms, Persekutuan Tanah Melayu; Jawi script, Jawi: ) was a federation of what previously had been British Malaya comprising eleven states (nine Malay states and two of the British Empire, British Straits Settlements, P ...
(now Malaysia), which gained independence from the British in 1957.
Following the decline of its
entrepôt trade towards the 1970s, Penang's economy was reoriented by the central government towards
manufacturing
Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a r ...
.
Today, it has become one of Malaysia's most vital economic powerhouses.
Penang is the nation's third highest
Human Development Index
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, whi ...
(HDI) state, after
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
and
Selangor
Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...
.
Etymology
The name ''Penang'' comes from the modern
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
name ''Pulau Pinang'' which means "
areca nut island". The State of Penang is also referred to as the ''Pearl of the Orient'' and "The Island of Pearls" (in Malay: ''Pulau Mutiara'').
Penang Island was originally known by native seafarers as ''Pulau Ka-Satu'', meaning ''The First Island'', because it was the largest island encountered on the trading sea-route between
Lingga and
Kedah. Similarly, the
Siamese, then the overlord of Kedah, referred to the island as ''Koh Maak'' ( th, เกาะหมาก).
In the 15th century, Penang Island was referred to as ' () in the navigational drawings used by Admiral
Zheng He
Zheng He (; 1371–1433 or 1435) was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty. He was originally born as Ma He in a Muslim family and later adopted the surname Zheng conferred ...
of
Ming China
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...
.
Emanuel Godinho de Eredia
Emanuel may refer to:
* Emanuel (name), a given name and surname (see there for a list of people with this name)
* Emanuel School, Australia, Sydney, Australia
* Emanuel School, Battersea, London, England
* Emanuel (band), a five-piece rock ban ...
, a 16th-century Portuguese historian, also referred to the island as in the ''Description of Malacca''.
History
Prehistory
Human remains, dating back to about 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, have been uncovered in
Seberang Perai, along with seashells, pottery and hunting tools.
These artifacts indicate that the earliest inhabitants of Penang were nomadic
Melanesians
Melanesians are the predominant and indigenous inhabitants of Melanesia, in a wide area from Indonesia's New Guinea to as far East as the islands of Vanuatu and Fiji. Most speak either one of the many languages of the Austronesian language fa ...
during the
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
era.
Early history
The
Cherok Tok Kun
Cherok Tokun, sometimes spelt as Cherok To' Kun or Cherok Tok Kun, is a small town in Penang, Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territor ...
megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea.
The ...
in
Bukit Mertajam, uncovered in 1845, contains
Pali
Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...
inscriptions, indicating that the Hindu-Buddhist
Bujang Valley civilisation based in what is now
Kedah had established control over parts of Seberang Perai by the 6th century. The entirety of what is now Penang would later become part of the Sultanate of Kedah up to the late 18th century.
Founding of Penang
![Fort Cornwallis Eck](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Fort_Cornwallis_Eck.JPG)
The first British vessel arrived in Penang in June 1592. This ship, the ''Edward Bonadventure'', was captained by
James Lancaster
Sir James Lancaster (c. 1554 – 6 June 1618) was an English privateer and trader of the Elizabethan era.
Life and work
Lancaster came from Basingstoke in Hampshire. In his early life, he was a soldier and a trader in Portugal.
On 10 April 159 ...
. However, it was not until the 18th century did the British establish a permanent presence on the island. Prior to the first British settlement, in the early 18th century, three brothers of cross-strait traders from
Minangkabau of
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
establish settlements on the island. They were Nakhoda Bayan, Nakhoda Intan, and Nakhoda Kecil who brought several followers from
Batubara, northeast of Sumatra. They received the appropriate permissions by Ahmad Tajuddin, the sultan of
Kedah, and then establish the settlements in Bayan Lepas, Balik Pulau, Gelugor, and Tanjung (now
George Town). Other
Minang merchants, Datuk Jannaton and Datuk Maharaja Setia who came in 1749, establish
Batu Uban
Batu Uban is a residential neighbourhood at the eastern coast of Penang Island in Malaysia, about south of the centre of George Town, Penang's capital city, and adjacent to the Gelugor suburb. Founded by ethnic Minangkabaus in the early 18th ce ...
area.
In the 1770s,
Francis Light was instructed by the
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
to form trade relations in the
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...
.
Light subsequently landed in
Kedah, which was by then a
Siamese vassal state. Aware that the Sultanate was under external and internal threats, he promised British military protection to the then Sultan of Kedah,
Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin II; in return, the Sultan offered
Penang Island to the British.
![Penang](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Penang.gif)
It was only in 1786 when the British East India Company finally ordered Light to obtain the island from Kedah.
Light negotiated with the new Sultan of Kedah,
Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah
Paduka Sri Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah ibni al-Marhum Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin Mu'adzam Shah II (died 1 September 1797) was the 20th Sultan of Kedah. His reign was from 1778 to 1797. In 1780, he ordered the fortress of Kota Kuala Bah ...
, regarding the cession of the island to the British East India Company in exchange for British military aid.
After an agreement between Light and the Sultan was ratified, Light and his entourage sailed on to Penang Island, where they arrived on 17 July 1786.
Light took formal possession of the island on 11 August "in the name of His Britannic Majesty,
King George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
and the Honourable East India Company".
Penang Island was renamed the Prince of Wales Island after the
heir to the British throne, while the new settlement of George Town was established in honour of King George III.
Unbeknownst to Sultan Abdullah, Light had been acting without the authority or the consent of his superiors in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
When Light reneged on his promise of military protection, the Kedah Sultan launched an attempt to recapture the Prince of Wales Island in 1791; the British East India Company subsequently defeated the Kedah forces.
The Sultan sued for peace and an annual payment of 6000
Spanish dollars to the Sultan was agreed.
In 1800, Lieutenant-Governor Sir
George Leith secured a strip of
hinterland
Hinterland is a German word meaning "the land behind" (a city, a port, or similar). Its use in English was first documented by the geographer George Chisholm in his ''Handbook of Commercial Geography'' (1888). Originally the term was associated ...
across the
Penang Strait
The Penang Strait is an 11 kilometre-wide strait that separates Penang Island from mainland Malay Peninsula. Penang Island is to the west of the channel, while Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the State of Penang, is to the east. The northern ...
which in subsequent years was named Province Wellesley (now
Seberang Perai).
The treaty, negotiated between Leith's First Assistant
George Caunter
George Caunter (c. June 1758 – 25 December 1811) was a British administrator who governed Prince of Wales Island (Penang Island) as Acting Superintendent from 1797 to 1798 and again from 1798 to 1800. As First Assistant under Lieutenant-Gove ...
and the new
Sultan of Kedah
The Kedah Sultanate (كسلطانن قدح) is a Muslim dynasty located in the Malay Peninsula. It was originally an independent state, but became a British protectorate in 1909. Its monarchy was abolished after it was added to the Malayan Uni ...
, superseded Light's earlier agreement and gave the British permanent sovereignty over both Prince of Wales Island and the newly ceded mainland territory. Province Wellesley was then gradually expanded up to its present-day boundaries in 1874.
In exchange for the acquisition, the annual payment to the Sultan of Kedah was increased to 10,000 Spanish dollars per annum. From 1874 until 2018, the
Malaysian federal government
The Government of Malaysia, officially the Federal Government of Malaysia ( ms, Kerajaan Persekutuan Malaysia), is based in the Federal Territory of Putrajaya with the exception of the legislative branch, which is located in Kuala Lumpur. Malays ...
(and its historical predecessors) paid Kedah, on behalf of Penang,
RM 10,000 annually as a symbolic gesture.
Since 2018, the Malaysian federal government revised the payments to Kedah, increasing to RM 10 million a year to Kedah (whilst in 2021, the
Menteri Besar of Kedah
The Menteri Besar of Kedah or the First Minister of Kedah is the head of government in the Malaysian state of Kedah. According to convention, the Menteri Besar is the leader of the majority party or largest coalition party of the Kedah State Legis ...
,
Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, in reference to the annual payments, demanded the payments be raised to RM 100 million annually. Despite claims by Sanusi, there was never a
lease agreement between Kedah and Penang.)
Colonial Penang
Light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 tera ...
founded
George Town as a
free port to entice traders away from nearby
Dutch trading posts.
Simultaneously, spices were harvested on the island, turning it into a regional centre for spice production.
Consequently, maritime trade at the
Port of Penang
The Port of Penang is a deepwater seaport within the Malaysian state of Penang. It consists of terminals along the Penang Strait, including five in Seberang Perai and one in George Town. The Port of Penang was the third busiest harbour in Malaysia ...
grew exponentially; the number of incoming vessels rose from 85 in 1786 to 3,569 in 1802.
In 1805, Penang became a separate
presidency
A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified by a ...
of
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
, sharing similar status with Bombay and Madras.
By 1808, a local government for George Town was in place, whilst the establishment of the
Supreme Court of Penang marked the birth of Malaysia's modern judiciary.
In 1826, Penang,
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
and
Malacca
Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
were incorporated into 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 Comp ...
, with George Town as the capital.
However, Penang's importance was soon supplanted by Singapore, as the latter rapidly outstripped the Port of Penang as the region's premier
entrepôt. In 1832, Singapore replaced George Town as the capital of the Straits Settlements.Even so, the Port of Penang retained its importance as a vital British entrepôt.
Towards the end of the 19th century, it became a major tin-exporting harbour.
George Town concurrently evolved into
Malaya
Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia:
Political entities
* British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...
's principal financial hub, as banks and mercantile firms flocked into the city.
Meanwhile, other towns, including
Bayan Lepas
Bayan Lepas is a town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the southeastern tip of Penang Island. Founded in the 19th century, Bayan Lepas has various industries. History
Bayan Lep ...
on the island, and
Butterworth Butterworth may refer to:
Places
* Butterworth (ancient township), a former township centred on Milnrow, in the then Parish of Rochdale, England, United Kingdom
* Butterworth, Eastern Cape, now also known as Gcuwa, a town located in South Africa
...
and
Bukit Mertajam in ''Province Wellesley'', emerged due to agricultural and logistical developments.
Throughout the century, Penang's cosmopolitan population, comprising
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
,
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
,
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
,
Peranakan,
Eurasian
Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago ...
,
Thai
Thai or THAI may refer to:
* Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia
** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand
** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand
*** Thai script
*** Thai (Unicode block ...
and other ethnicities, grew rapidly in tandem with the economic prosperity. However, the population growth also led to social problems, such as inadequate sanitation and public health facilities, as well as rampant crime, with the latter culminating in the Penang Riots of 1867.
Also in 1867, the Straits Settlements was made a
British crown colony. Direct British rule meant better law enforcement, as the police force was beefed up and the secret societies that had previously plagued Penang were gradually outlawed.
More investments were also made on health care and public transportation.
Due to the improved access to education, the active participation in municipal affairs by its Asian residents and substantial press freedom, George Town was perceived as being more intellectually receptive than Singapore.
The city became a magnet for reputable English authors, Asian intellectuals and revolutionaries, including
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work.
...
,
Somerset Maugham
William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...
and
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen (; also known by several other names; 12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925)Singtao daily. Saturday edition. 23 October 2010. section A18. Sun Yat-sen Xinhai revolution 100th anniversary edition . was a Chinese politician who serve ...
.
World wars
![cenotaph in penang](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Cenotaph_in_penang.JPG)
During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, in the
Battle of Penang, the German cruiser
SMS ''Emden'' surreptitiously sailed to
Penang Island and sank two
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
warships off its coast, Russian
protected cruiser ''Zhemchug'' and the
French destroyer ''Mousquet''.
One hundred and forty-seven French and Russian sailors perished during the battle.
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, on the other hand, led to unparallelled social and political upheaval. Although Penang Island had been designated as a fortress, Penang fell to the
Imperial Japanese Army
The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
on 19 December 1941, after suffering devastating aerial attacks. The British covertly evacuated Penang's European populace; historians have since contended that ''the moral collapse of British rule in Southeast Asia came not at Singapore, but at Penang''.
![Royal_Marines_Parade_in_Penang_(5316034010)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Royal_Marines_Parade_in_Penang_%285316034010%29.jpg)
Penang Island was subsequently renamed ''Tojo-to'', after Japanese Prime Minister
Hideki Tojo
Hideki Tojo (, ', December 30, 1884 – December 23, 1948) was a Japanese politician, general of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), and convicted war criminal who served as prime minister of Japan and president of the Imperial Rule Assistan ...
.
The period of
Japanese occupation was renowned for the Imperial Japanese Army's massacres of
Penang's Chinese populace, known as ''
Sook Ching'' to the locals. Women in George Town were also coerced to work as
comfort women
Comfort women or comfort girls were women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army in occupied countries and territories before and during World War II. The term "comfort women" is a translation of the Japanese '' ia ...
by the Japanese. Meanwhile, the
Port of Penang
The Port of Penang is a deepwater seaport within the Malaysian state of Penang. It consists of terminals along the Penang Strait, including five in Seberang Perai and one in George Town. The Port of Penang was the third busiest harbour in Malaysia ...
was put to use as a major submarine base by the
Axis Powers
The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...
.
In the last years of the war, Allied bombers from India repeatedly
bombed George Town, seeking to destroy the naval facilities and administrative centres.
Several colonial buildings were destroyed or damaged, such as the Government Offices,
St. Xavier's Institution
, motto_translation = Labour Conquers All
, streetaddress = Farquhar Street,
, city = George Town
, state = Penang
, postcode = 10200
, country = Ma ...
and Hutchings School (now
Penang State Museum
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 Malay ...
).
The
Penang Strait
The Penang Strait is an 11 kilometre-wide strait that separates Penang Island from mainland Malay Peninsula. Penang Island is to the west of the channel, while Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the State of Penang, is to the east. The northern ...
was also mined to constrict Japanese shipping. Following the
surrender of Japan
The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ...
, British forces launched
Operation Jurist to recapture Penang Island on 3 September 1945, making
George Town the first city in
Malaya
Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia:
Political entities
* British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...
to be liberated from the Japanese.
Post-war years
![Flag of Penang (1946-1949)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Flag_of_Penang_%281946-1949%29.svg)
Penang was placed under a
military administration
Military administration identifies both the techniques and systems used by military departments, agencies, and armed services involved in managing the armed forces. It describes the processes that take place within military organisations outsid ...
until 1946. Subsequently, 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 Comp ...
was abolished, as the British sought to consolidate the various political entities in
British Malaya
The term "British Malaya" (; ms, Tanah Melayu British) loosely describes a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Singapore that were brought under British hegemony or control between the late 18th and the mid-20th century. U ...
under a single polity named the
Malayan Union
The Malayan Union was a union 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 to simplify administratio ...
. The now separate
Crown Colony of Penang was consequently merged into the Malayan Union, which was then replaced by the
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya ( ms, Persekutuan Tanah Melayu; Jawi script, Jawi: ) was a federation of what previously had been British Malaya comprising eleven states (nine Malay states and two of the British Empire, British Straits Settlements, P ...
in 1948.
The idea of the absorption of Penang into the vast Malay heartland initially proved unpopular amongst Penangites.
Economic and ethnic concerns led to the formation of the Penang Secessionist Committee in 1948. However, the committee's attempt to avert Penang's merger with Malaya ultimately petered out due to British disapproval.
The British government allayed the concerns raised by the secessionists by guaranteeing
George Town's free port status, as well as reintroducing municipal elections in George Town in 1951.
By 1956, George Town became the first fully elected municipality in Malaya and in the following year, it was granted city status by
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
, becoming the first city within the Federation of Malaya, and by extension, Malaysia.
Post-independence era
George Town was, since colonial times, a free port—until its sudden revocation by the
Malaysian federal government
The Government of Malaysia, officially the Federal Government of Malaysia ( ms, Kerajaan Persekutuan Malaysia), is based in the Federal Territory of Putrajaya with the exception of the legislative branch, which is located in Kuala Lumpur. Malays ...
in 1969.
Penang subsequently suffered an economic crisis, with the loss of maritime trade resulting in massive unemployment and brain drain.
To alleviate the downturn, the then
Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
,
Lim Chong Eu, masterminded the construction of the
Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone
Bayan Lepas is a town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the southeastern tip of Penang Island. Founded in the 19th century, Bayan Lepas has various industries. History
Bayan Lep ...
.
The zone, regarded by many as the ''Silicon Valley of the East'', proved instrumental in reversing Penang's economic slump and led to the state's rapid economic growth until the late 1990s.
During Lim's tenure, a number of major infrastructural projects were also undertaken, chiefly the
Penang Bridge, the first road link between
Penang Island and the Malay Peninsula. Completed in 1985, it was the longest bridge in Southeast Asia until 2014 when it was superseded by the
Second Penang Bridge.
![Tanjungtokongwave](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Tanjungtokongwave.png)
However, the persistent brain drain, exacerbated by federal government policies that favoured the development of
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
, meant that Penang was no longer at the forefront of the country's economy by the 2000s.
Penang's economy slowed down in the early 2000s, while the deteriorating state of affairs in general, including an incoherent urban planning policy, poor traffic management and the dilapidation of George Town's heritage buildings due to the repeal of the Rent Control Act in 2001, led to simmering discontent within Penang's society.
In response, George Town's non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the national press galvanised public support and formed strategic partnerships to restore the city to its former glory.
Also as a result of the widespread resentment, the then federal opposition coalition,
Pakatan Rakyat
The People's Alliance ( ms, Pakatan Rakyat; abbrev: PR) was an informal Malaysian political coalition and successor to Barisan Alternatif (BA). The political coalition was formed by the People's Justice Party (PKR), Democratic Action Party (DAP ...
(now
Pakatan Harapan
The Alliance of Hope ( ms, Pakatan Harapan; abbrev: PH; stylized as HARAPAN) is a Malaysian political coalition consisting of centre-left political parties which was formed in 2015 to succeed the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. It has been the r ...
), was voted into power within Penang in the
2008 State Election, replacing the erstwhile administration led by the
Barisan Nasional
The National Front ( ms, Barisan Nasional; abbrev: BN) is a political coalition of Malaysia that was founded in 1973 as a coalition of centre-right and right-wing political parties. It is also the third largest political coalition with 30 se ...
.
Meanwhile, the efforts to conserve George Town's heritage architecture paid off, when in 2008, the city's historical core was inscribed as a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
.
The city of George Town along with
Malacca City
Malacca City ( ms, Bandaraya Melaka or ') is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Malacca. As of 2019 it has a population of 579,000.https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/uploads/files/6_Newsletter/Newsletter%202020/DOSM_DOSM_MELAKA_1_2020_Siri-81. ...
was confirmed as a
a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.
The
Indian Ocean tsunami
An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Suma ...
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
![Penang2021OSM](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Penang2021OSM.png)
With a total land area of just , Penang is the second smallest
state in Malaysia by land mass after
Perlis. Penang, situated at the northwestern coastline of
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia ( ms, Semenanjung Malaysia; Jawi: سمننجڠ مليسيا), or the States of Malaya ( ms, Negeri-negeri Tanah Melayu; Jawi: نڬري-نڬري تانه ملايو), also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, ...
, lies between latitudes 5.59° and 5.12°N, and longitudes 100.17° and 100.56°E. The state consists of
Penang Island,
Seberang Perai (a narrow strip of the
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...
) and a handful of smaller
islets. Its capital city,
George Town, is located at the northeastern tip of Penang Island.
Topography
Penang is geographically divided into two major halves physically divided by the
Penang Strait
The Penang Strait is an 11 kilometre-wide strait that separates Penang Island from mainland Malay Peninsula. Penang Island is to the west of the channel, while Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the State of Penang, is to the east. The northern ...
.
*
Penang Island, a island.
*
Seberang Perai, a hinterland on the Malay Peninsula. It is bordered by
Kedah to the east and north, and by
Perak
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
to the south.
The Penang Strait is further divided into the North Channel and the South Channel. At the strait's narrowest section,
George Town on the island is separated from
Butterworth Butterworth may refer to:
Places
* Butterworth (ancient township), a former township centred on Milnrow, in the then Parish of Rochdale, England, United Kingdom
* Butterworth, Eastern Cape, now also known as Gcuwa, a town located in South Africa
...
on the mainland by a mere .
![Clouds above Penang](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Clouds_above_Penang.jpg)
Penang Island is irregularly shaped, with a hilly and mostly forested interior; its coastal plains are narrow, the most extensive of which is at the northeastern cape. With a height of ,
Penang Hill, at the centre of the island, is the tallest point within Penang. From a small settlement at the northeastern tip of Penang Island, George Town has expanded over the centuries, particularly in the northwestern, western and southern directions, eventually linking up with
Bayan Lepas
Bayan Lepas is a town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the southeastern tip of Penang Island. Founded in the 19th century, Bayan Lepas has various industries. History
Bayan Lep ...
at the island's southeast and urbanising the entire eastern coast of the island. Meanwhile, the topography of Seberang Perai is mostly flat, save for a few hills such as
Bukit Mertajam.
The major rivers within Penang include the
Pinang,
Perai
Perai is an urban settlement in the city of Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. It lies at the southern bank of the Perai River and borders Butterworth to the north. Perai gave its name to the city of Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the State o ...
,
Muda
Muda or MUDA or MuDA may refer to:
People
* Sultan Muda (1579–1579), nominal Sultan of Aceh
* Tycho Muda (born 1988), Dutch rower
* Vincent Muda (born 1988), Dutch rower
Places
* Muda, Estonia, a village
* Mudá, Spain
*Muda River, Malaysi ...
and
Kerian
The Kerian District (alternately Krian) is an administrative district in Perak, Malaysia. It covers the northwestern corner of Perak, bordering the states of Penang and Kedah to the north; the main town of Parit Buntar is located a mere southeast ...
rivers. In particular, the Muda River serves as the northern border between Seberang Perai and Kedah, while the Kerian River forms the southern boundary between Seberang Perai, Kedah and Perak.
Due to land scarcity,
land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamati ...
projects have been undertaken in high-demand areas such as
Tanjung Tokong,
Jelutong
Jelutong is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Located south of the Pinang River, Jelutong has been inhabited since as early as the late 18th century, when traders from Aceh and India settled around the area.
It was once notorious ...
and
Gurney Drive
Gurney Drive (,, ) is a popular seafront promenade within George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The road is also famous for the street cuisine at the seafront's hawker centre and has been listed as one of the 25 best streets worldwide to visit by the A ...
. The latter is being transformed into
Gurney Wharf
Gurney Wharf is a planned seafront park, with land for this purpose currently being reclaimed off Gurney Drive in George Town, Penang. Intended as a "''new iconic waterfront destination for Penang''", Phase 1 of Gurney Wharf is scheduled for compl ...
which is a planned seafront park, with land for this purpose currently being reclaimed off
Gurney Drive
Gurney Drive (,, ) is a popular seafront promenade within George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The road is also famous for the street cuisine at the seafront's hawker centre and has been listed as one of the 25 best streets worldwide to visit by the A ...
in
George Town. Intended as a "''new iconic waterfront destination for Penang''", Phase 1 of the development is scheduled for completion by 2018.
Upon the expected completion of Gurney Wharf by August 2021, the 24.28-hectare seafront park will comprise four distinct recreational areas - a beach, a coastal grove, a water garden, and a seaside retail food and beverages (F&B) area. An additional reclamation project at Bayan Baru themed “Linear Waterfront" would extend the electronics-dominated Free Industrial Zone and would include improving and adding fishermen's wharves set up as well also have hotels, restaurants, medical and other developments.
Nature and parks
![Pg botanic gardens trees](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Pg_botanic_gardens_trees.JPG)
In spite of rapid urbanisation, Penang has still managed to safeguard a considerable area of natural environment. Within the state, have been designated as protected forest reserves.
The central hills of
Penang Island, including
Penang Hill, serve as the green lung for the urbanised island. Two of the major parks within
George Town - the
Penang Botanical Gardens and the
City Park - are situated near the hills.
Penang is also home to the smallest national park in the world - the
Penang National Park. Covering of the northwestern tip of Penang Island, it encompasses mangrove swamps, rainforest interspersed with hiking trails and tranquil beaches.
Other notable natural attractions nearby include the Tropical Spice Garden and the Entopia Butterfly Farm, the latter of which was Malaysia's first butterfly sanctuary.
In
Seberang Perai, the Penang Bird Park, established in 1988 in
Seberang Jaya, was the first aviary in Malaysia.
Outlying islets
Penang also consists of nine other islets off its coasts. The biggest of all,
Jerejak Island
Jerejak Island is an islet off the eastern coast of Penang Island in the State of Penang, Malaysia. Located within the Northeast Penang Island District, it is also a short ferry ride from the town of Bayan Lepas near the southeastern tip of Pe ...
, is located in the South Channel of the
Penang Strait
The Penang Strait is an 11 kilometre-wide strait that separates Penang Island from mainland Malay Peninsula. Penang Island is to the west of the channel, while Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the State of Penang, is to the east. The northern ...
. Once the site of a leper asylum built in 1868, which was later converted into a maximum-security penitentiary, Jerejak Island remains heavily forested. The other islets under the jurisdiction of Penang include
Aman
Aman may refer to:Poli
People First names
* Aman Hambleton (born 1992), Canadian chess grandmaster
* Aman Hayer (born 1979), Bhangra musician
* Aman Verma (actor) (born 1971), Indian actor
Surnames
* Mohammed Aman (born 1994), Ethiopian midd ...
,
Betong,
Gedung,
Kendi and
Rimau.
Climate
As in the rest of Malaysia, Penang has a
tropical rainforest climate
A tropical rainforest climate, humid tropical climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southea ...
bordering on a tropical monsoon climate, although the state does experience slightly drier conditions from December to February of the following year. The climate is very much dictated by the surrounding sea and the prevailing wind system.
Penang's proximity with the island of
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
makes it susceptible to dust particles carried by wind from perennial but transient forest fires, creating a phenomenon known as the
Southeast Asian haze
The Southeast Asian haze is a fire-related recurrent transboundary air pollution issue. Haze events, where air quality reaches hazardous levels due to high concentrations of airborne particulate matter from burning biomass, have caused adver ...
.
The Penang Meteorological Office in
Bayan Lepas
Bayan Lepas is a town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the southeastern tip of Penang Island. Founded in the 19th century, Bayan Lepas has various industries. History
Bayan Lep ...
is the primary weather forecast facility for northern Malaysia.
Urban and suburban areas
George Town Conurbation
Penang forms the heart of the
Greater Penang Conurbation Greater Penang Conurbation is the built-up urban or metropolitan area within and around the state of Penang, Malaysia. The conurbation encompasses most of the state of Penang, which includes Penang Island and Seberang Perai, and parts of the neighbo ...
, Malaysia's second biggest conurbation. Centred in
George Town, the metropolitan area encompasses the entire State of Penang, southern
Kedah and northern
Perak
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
. , Greater Penang had nearly 2.5 million residents, second only to
Greater Kuala Lumpur (
Klang Valley
Klang Valley ( ms, Lembah Klang; zh, 巴生谷; ) is an urban conglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and includes its adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is con ...
). Greater Penang also generated a
GDP of US$13,596,418 in 2010, making the conurbation the second biggest contributor of Malaysia's GDP after Greater Kuala Lumpur.
Governance and law
![Seri Mutiara, George Town, Penang](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Seri_Mutiara%2C_George_Town%2C_Penang.jpg)
Penang, being a former
British crown colony, is one of only four
Malaysian states without hereditary monarchies. The head of state of Penang is the
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
( ms, Yang di-Pertua Negeri), who is appointed by the King of Malaysia ( ms,
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The of ...
). The present Governor of Penang,
Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak, assumed office on 1 May 2021. In practice, the Governor is a
figurehead whose functions are chiefly symbolic and ceremonial.
The
Penang state government
The Government of Penang ( ms, Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang) refers to the government authority of the Malaysian state of Penang. The state government adheres to and is created by both the Constitution of Malaysia, the supreme law of Malaysia, and ...
has its own executive council and legislature, but they have relatively limited powers in comparison with those of the
Malaysian federal government
The Government of Malaysia, officially the Federal Government of Malaysia ( ms, Kerajaan Persekutuan Malaysia), is based in the Federal Territory of Putrajaya with the exception of the legislative branch, which is located in Kuala Lumpur. Malays ...
. According to the
Malaysian Federal Constitution
The Federal Constitution of Malaysia ( ms, Perlembagaan
Persekutuan Malaysia) which was promulgated on 16 September 1963, is the supreme law of Malaysia and contains a total of 183 articles. It is a written legal document which was preceded ...
, 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 the joint purview of both state and federal authorities include social welfare, wildlife protection and national parks, scholarships, husbandry, town planning, drainage and irrigation, and public health and health regulations.
The
Constitution of Penang, codified in 1957, embodies the state's highest laws.
Consisting of 42 articles, the constitution pertains to the proceedings and powers of the state government.
Executive
![2018 New Year Fireworks in George Town, Penang](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/2018_New_Year_Fireworks_in_George_Town%2C_Penang.jpg)
The
Penang State Executive Council is the executive authority of the
Penang state government
The Government of Penang ( ms, Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang) refers to the government authority of the Malaysian state of Penang. The state government adheres to and is created by both the Constitution of Malaysia, the supreme law of Malaysia, and ...
, similar in function to the
national Cabinet
National Cabinet is the Australian intergovernmental decision-making forum composed of the Prime Minister of Australia, prime minister and Premiers and Chief Ministers of the Australian states and territories, state and territory premiers an ...
. It is led by the
Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
, who serves as the head of government in Penang. To this day, Penang remains the only Malaysian state where the position of the head of government has been continuously held by an
ethnic Chinese since the nation's independence in 1957.
The current Chief Minister of Penang is
Chow Kon Yeow of the
Democratic Action Party (DAP), who assumed office after the
2018 State Election. Following the
2008 State Election, the
Pakatan Rakyat
The People's Alliance ( ms, Pakatan Rakyat; abbrev: PR) was an informal Malaysian political coalition and successor to Barisan Alternatif (BA). The political coalition was formed by the People's Justice Party (PKR), Democratic Action Party (DAP ...
coalition (now
Pakatan Harapan
The Alliance of Hope ( ms, Pakatan Harapan; abbrev: PH; stylized as HARAPAN) is a Malaysian political coalition consisting of centre-left political parties which was formed in 2015 to succeed the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. It has been the r ...
), which at the time consisted of the DAP, the
People's Justice Party (PKR) and the
Malaysian Islamic Party
The Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS; ms, Parti Islam Se-Malaysia; ms, ڤرتي إسلام سمليسيا, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset) is an Islamist political party in Malaysia. As the party focused on Islamic fundamentalism, PAS's ...
(PAS), formed the Penang state government, with the head of government going to the former for being the single largest party in the state legislature.
Legislature
![Dewan Undangan Negeri Penang Dec 2006 003](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Dewan_Undangan_Negeri_Penang_Dec_2006_003.jpg)
The unicameral 40-seat
Penang State Legislative Assembly
The Penang State Legislative Assembly is the legislature of the Malaysian state of Penang. It is a unicameral institution, consisting of a total of 40 elected lawmakers representing single-member constituencies throughout Penang. The state legis ...
, whose members are called State Assemblymen, convenes at the
neoclassical Penang State Assembly Building in
George Town. Penang practises the
Westminster system whereby members of the
Penang State Executive Council are appointed from amongst the elected State Assemblymen. Moreover, the dissolution of the Penang State Legislative Assembly, typically conducted prior to a State Election, requires the consent of the
governor of Penang.
Following the
2018 State Election, the
Pakatan Harapan
The Alliance of Hope ( ms, Pakatan Harapan; abbrev: PH; stylized as HARAPAN) is a Malaysian political coalition consisting of centre-left political parties which was formed in 2015 to succeed the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. It has been the r ...
(PH) coalition commands a
supermajority
A supermajority, supra-majority, qualified majority, or special majority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level of support which is greater than the threshold of more than one-half used for a simple majority. Supermajority ru ...
in the legislature by controlling 37 seats. Out of the 37 PH seats, 19 are retained by the
Democratic Action Party (DAP), 14 by the
People's Justice Party (PKR), two by the
Malaysian United Indigenous Party (Bersatu) and two by the
National Trust Party (Amanah). The state opposition is formed by the
Barisan Nasional
The National Front ( ms, Barisan Nasional; abbrev: BN) is a political coalition of Malaysia that was founded in 1973 as a coalition of centre-right and right-wing political parties. It is also the third largest political coalition with 30 se ...
(BN) coalition, which holds two seats, and the
Malaysian Islamic Party
The Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS; ms, Parti Islam Se-Malaysia; ms, ڤرتي إسلام سمليسيا, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset) is an Islamist political party in Malaysia. As the party focused on Islamic fundamentalism, PAS's ...
(PAS), which occupies one seat.
Amendments to
Penang's Constitution require the support of two-thirds of the Penang State Legislative Assembly.
Local governments
![Penang City Hall (II)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Penang_City_Hall_%28II%29.jpg)
There are currently two
local governments
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
in Penang.
* The
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 s ...
administers the entirety of
Penang Island, which includes the city of
George Town. It is made up of a
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
, a city secretary and 24 councillors.
* The
Seberang Perai City Council
The Seberang Perai City Council is the city council which administers Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the Malaysian state of Penang. This agency is under the purview of the Penang state government.
Established in 1976, Seberang Perai City Cou ...
is in charge of
Seberang Perai. It also consists of a mayor, a city secretary and 24 councillors.
Both the mayor of Penang Island and Seberang Perai are appointed by the
Penang state government
The Government of Penang ( ms, Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang) refers to the government authority of the Malaysian state of Penang. The state government adheres to and is created by both the Constitution of Malaysia, the supreme law of Malaysia, and ...
for a two-year term, while the councillors are appointed for one-year terms of office. The local councils are responsible, among others, for regulating traffic and parking, maintaining cleanliness and drainage, managing waste disposal, issuing business licenses, and overseeing public health.
Penang is also divided into five administrative districts - two on
Penang Island and three in
Seberang Perai. Each district is headed by a district officer. The lands and district office in each district deals with land administration and revenue; thus it differs from the local governments (city council) which oversee the provision and maintenance of urban infrastructure.
Judiciary
![Penang High Court (I)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Penang_High_Court_%28I%29.jpg)
The
Malaysian legal system had its roots in 19th-century
George Town. In 1807, a
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...
was granted to Penang which provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court. The Supreme Court of Penang, then sited at
Fort Cornwallis, was opened in 1808.
Sir
Edmond Stanley
Sir Edmond Stanley SL (1760–1843) 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. The elopement of h ...
assumed office as the First Recorder of the Supreme Court in 1808, thus serving as the first Superior Court Judge in
British Malaya
The term "British Malaya" (; ms, Tanah Melayu British) loosely describes a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Singapore that were brought under British hegemony or control between the late 18th and the mid-20th century. U ...
.
The legal establishment in Penang was progressively extended to the whole of Malaya by 1951.
Today, the
Penang High Court
The Penang High Court ( ms, Mahkamah Tinggi Pulau Pinang), founded in 1808, is the birthplace of Malaysia's judiciary system. It is housed inside a Palladian-style building at Light Street, George Town, Penang. To this day, the High Court ...
in
George Town sits at the pinnacle of the hierarchy of courts within Penang. There are also four Magistrates Courts and two Sessions Courts scattered throughout the state.
Foreign relations
A total of 24 countries have either established their consulates or appointed honorary consuls within Penang. The State of Penang has also ratified a sister state agreement with Japan's
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-densest at . Its geographic area of makes it fifth-smallest. Kana ...
and a friendship state agreement with China's
Hainan Province
Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. , the largest and most populous island in China,The island of Taiwan, which is slightly l ...
. In addition,
George Town is twinned with
eight sister cities and five friendship cities, while
Seberang Perai has
four sister cities.
Consulates
Sister cities
*
Jakarta
Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
, Indonesia
*
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
, Thailand
*
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
, Malaysia
*
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
*
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
, Australia
Demographics
Penang, with an estimated population of 1,774,400 , has the 3rd highest population density of all
Malaysian states (excluding
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
and
Putrajaya
Putrajaya (), officially the Federal Territory of Putrajaya ( ms, Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya), is a planned capital city which functions as the administrative capital and the judicial capital of Malaysia. The seat of the federal government ...
), at . In addition, Penang is one of the most urbanised Malaysian states, with an urbanisation level of 90.8% .
Due to its vibrant economy, Penang is also one of the major recipients of interstate migrants within Malaysia. Between 2015 and 2016, Penang achieved the highest migration effectiveness ratio among Malaysian states; for every 100 Malaysians that migrated into and out of Penang, the state's population increased by 58 persons.
The bulk of the interstate immigrants came from
Perak
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
,
Selangor
Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...
,
Kedah,
Johor
Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan ...
and Kuala Lumpur.
Penang's population is almost equally distributed between the island and the mainland.
*
Penang Island had a population of 722,384 and a population density of .
*
Seberang Perai had a population of 838,999 and a population density of .
The
Greater Penang Conurbation Greater Penang Conurbation is the built-up urban or metropolitan area within and around the state of Penang, Malaysia. The conurbation encompasses most of the state of Penang, which includes Penang Island and Seberang Perai, and parts of the neighbo ...
, which also covers parts of neighbouring
Kedah and
Perak
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
, is the second largest
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
in the nation, with almost 2.5 million inhabitants .
Ethnicities
Penang has been regarded as
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
state because of their high population but in recent years, the proportion of
''Bumiputeras'' within the state, which include
ethnic Malays and
East Malaysian indigenous races, has reached parity with that of the Chinese.
2021 estimates from Malaysia's Department of Statistics showed that the ''Bumiputeras'' constituted more than 40% of Penang's population, whereas the Chinese made up another 40%.
Ethnic Indians comprised nearly 10% of the state's populace.
![Pinang Peranakan Mansion, George Town, Penang](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Pinang_Peranakan_Mansion%2C_George_Town%2C_Penang.jpg)
In particular,
George Town remains a Chinese-majority city, with the Chinese making up over half of the city's population .
George Town's Chinese populace includes the
Peranakan, a hybrid ethnicity whose rich legacies can still be seen to this day in the form of distinctive architectures, costumes and
cuisine
A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, customs, and ingredients combine to ...
. Moreover, the city is also renowned for its more cosmopolitan population, which also comprises indigenous East Malaysians, the
Eurasians and the
Siamese.
Meanwhile, the Malays have formed the plurality in
Seberang Perai.
In addition, Penang is home to a sizeable expatriate population, especially from Singapore, Japan and various Asian countries, as well as other
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
nations. Almost 9% of Penang's population consisted of foreigners, reflecting the well-established allure of Penang amongst expatriates.
Most expatriates settle within the vicinity of George Town; the city's northern suburbs, such as
Tanjung Tokong,
Tanjung Bungah and
Batu Ferringhi
Batu Ferringhi is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Located along the northern coast of Penang Island and about northwest of the city centre, it is the prime beach destination in Penang among locals and tourists. To cater to the influ ...
, are particularly popular.
Languages
Major languages spoken in Penang are
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
,
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 ide ...
,
Hokkien
The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages in ...
,
Mandarin
Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to:
Language
* Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country
** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China
** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
, and
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nati ...
. In particular, Penang is well known for its distinctive
Hokkien
The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages in ...
language, known as
Penang Hokkien.
Under British rule, English was the official language in Penang. The mushrooming of English and missionary schools throughout
George Town contributed greatly to the widespread use of the language in the state.
As in the rest of Malaysia, Malay is currently the official language in Penang. The Malays in Penang also use a variant of the
Kedah Malay
Kedah Malay or Kedahan (); also known as ''Pelat Utara'' or ''Loghat Utara'' ('Northern Dialect') or as it is known in Thailand, Syburi Malay () is a variety of the Malayic languages mainly spoken in the northwestern Malaysian states of Perlis ...
dialect, with slight modifications made to the original dialect to suit the conditions of an urban, cosmopolitan society.
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nati ...
is the most widely spoken language amongst Penang's Indian community. There are also other Indian languages spoken by minority Indians such as
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
,
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
and
Punjabi
Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan
* Punjabi language
* Punjabi people
* Punjabi dialects and languages
Punjabi may also refer to:
* Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...
who hailed from diverse ancestries in the Indian subcontinent. Meanwhile, Penang's Chinese population uses a variety of Chinese dialects, including
Hakka
The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka Han, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas are a Han Chinese subgroup whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhej ...
and
Cantonese
Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding are ...
.
Mandarin
Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to:
Language
* Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country
** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China
** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
, more commonly used by youths, has been the medium of instruction in Chinese schools throughout the state.
Penang Hokkien serves as the ''
lingua franca
A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, vehicular language, or link language, is a language systematically used to make communication possible between groups ...
'' among the various ethnic Chinese communities in Penang. Originally a variant of the
Minnan language, Penang Hokkien has absorbed numerous loanwords from Malay and English, yet another legacy of the
Peranakan culture. It is spoken by many Penangites irrespective of race for communication purposes.
Greater emphasis has been placed on preserving the language's relevance in the face of the increasing influence of Mandarin and English among the youth.
Religions
As with other
Peninsular states, Islam is the official religion of the State of Penang.
Even so, other religions are allowed to be practised within the state, contributing to its cosmopolitan society.
![Cmglee Penang Anglican church night](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Cmglee_Penang_Anglican_church_night.jpg)
, Muslims constituted over 44% of Penang's population, followed by Buddhists at nearly 36% and Hindus at almost 9%. Notably, smaller communities of Chinese Muslims and Indian Muslims have long existed within
George Town, while most Buddhists in Penang follow either
Theravada
''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...
,
Mahayana
''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing bra ...
or
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...
traditions. A significant multiracial community of Christians, of both
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
sects, also exist in Penang, consisting of ethnic
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
,
Indians
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
,
Eurasians,
East Malaysian migrants and expatriates.
Meanwhile, more than 10% of the state's Chinese populace adhere to
Taoism
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of Philosophy, philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of China, Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmo ...
and other
Chinese folk religion
Chinese folk religion, also known as Chinese popular religion comprehends a range of traditional religious practices of Han Chinese, including the Chinese diaspora. Vivienne Wee described it as "an empty bowl, which can variously be filled ...
s.
One particular street in George Town exemplifies the harmonious coexistence of the various religions in Penang. Along
Pitt Street, Muslim, Taoist, Hindu and Christian places of worship are situated just metres away from one another, earning the street its nickname, the ''Street of Harmony''.
This reflects Penang's diverse ethnic and socio-cultural amalgamation.
There was once a tiny community of
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
in George Town, who mainly resided along Jalan Zainal Abidin (formerly Yahudi Road).
The last known native Jew died in 2011, rendering the centuries-old Jewish community in Penang effectively extinct.
Economy
In spite of its tiny size, Penang, regarded as the ''Silicon Valley of the East'', has one of the largest economies in Malaysia, contributing as much as RM7 billion of the country's tax income in 2015.
Penang has the highest
Gross Domestic Product
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a money, monetary Measurement in economics, measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjec ...
(GDP) per capita among
Malaysian states. With a GDP per capita of RM49,873 , Penang has also surpassed the
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...
's threshold to be considered a
high-income economy, which was set at US$12,056 within the same year.
Furthermore, Penang consistently records one of the lowest unemployment rates within the nation - 2.1% .
The state has experienced one of the largest reductions in
Gini coefficient within Malaysia as well, at 0.356 in 2016.
Penang is the top destination within Malaysia for foreign investors; the state held the largest share of Malaysia's
foreign direct investment
A foreign direct investment (FDI) is an investment in the form of a controlling ownership in a business in one country by an entity based in another country. It is thus distinguished from a foreign portfolio investment by a notion of direct co ...
(FDI) in 2017, gaining nearly of the nation's overall FDI. In addition,
George Town was ranked Malaysia's most attractive destination for commercial property investment by
Knight Frank in 2016, surpassing even
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
. The bulk of Penang's FDI originated from
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
,
the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
.
It is an attractive destination for FDI as it continued to receive investment during the
Coronavirus disease 2019
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
, when it received the second highest level of investment in Q1 2020.
Penang's economic growth, particularly since 2008, was described by
Bloomberg as Malaysia's "''biggest economic success''", despite the
federal government
A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
's focus on other states such as Johor and Sarawak. Penang's economic performance also allowed the
Penang state government
The Government of Penang ( ms, Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang) refers to the government authority of the Malaysian state of Penang. The state government adheres to and is created by both the Constitution of Malaysia, the supreme law of Malaysia, and ...
to completely eradicate the state's public debt by 2016.
Manufacturing
![Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone, Penang](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Bayan_Lepas_Free_Industrial_Zone%2C_Penang.jpg)
Since the 1970s, manufacturing has formed the backbone of Penang's economy, contributing 44.8% of the state's GDP and attracting as many as 3,000 firms to set up operations within the state.
Machinery and transport equipment accounted for 71% of Penang's total exports during the first nine months of 2014.
The
Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone
Bayan Lepas is a town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the southeastern tip of Penang Island. Founded in the 19th century, Bayan Lepas has various industries. History
Bayan Lep ...
, now regarded as the ''Silicon Valley of the East'', is the main electronics manufacturing hub within Malaysia.
Located at the southeastern corner of
Penang Island, the zone is home to several high-tech multinational firms, including
Dell
Dell is an American based technology company. It develops, sells, repairs, and supports computers and related products and services. Dell is owned by its parent company, Dell Technologies.
Dell sells personal computers (PCs), servers, data ...
,
Intel
Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. It is the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer by revenue, and is one of the developers of the x86 seri ...
,
AMD
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) is an American multinational semiconductor company based in Santa Clara, California, that develops computer processors and related technologies for business and consumer markets. While it initially manufactur ...
,
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. () was an American Multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States. After having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009, the company split into two independent p ...
,
Agilent
Agilent Technologies, Inc. is an American life sciences company that provides instruments, software, services, and consumables for the entire laboratory workflow. Its global headquarters is located in Santa Clara, California. Agilent was establi ...
,
Renesas,
Osram
Osram Licht AG is a German company that makes electric lights, headquartered in Munich and Premstätten (Austria). Osram positions itself as a high-tech photonics company that is increasingly focusing on sensor technology, visualization and tre ...
,
Bosch,
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
and
Seagate and others
Seberang Perai has witnessed massive industrialisation as well, with industrial estates and oil refineries being established in the late 20th century in areas like
Mak Mandin and
Perai
Perai is an urban settlement in the city of Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. It lies at the southern bank of the Perai River and borders Butterworth to the north. Perai gave its name to the city of Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the State o ...
.
The major local firms currently operating in Perai, including Malayan Sugar, Malayawata Steel, Southern Steel, Harvik Rubber and Soon Soon Oilmills, have been joined by multinational companies, such as
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
,
Pensonic
Pensonic Holdings Berhad (stylized as PENSONIC) () founded by Dato Chew Weng Khak () is a company that started business as a small shop in Penang selling electrical appliances trading under the name of ''Keat Radio Co.'' in 1965 as a sole proprie ...
,
Hitachi
() is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...
,
Mitsuoka,
Chevron
Chevron (often relating to V-shaped patterns) may refer to:
Science and technology
* Chevron (aerospace), sawtooth patterns on some jet engines
* Chevron (anatomy), a bone
* ''Eulithis testata'', a moth
* Chevron (geology), a fold in rock lay ...
and
Honeywell Aerospace.
In recent years,
Batu Kawan has also been rapidly industrialised, with a number of international firms, such as
Boston Scientific and
Bose Corporation, setting up manufacturing plants in the town.
Aside from electronics and engineering manufacturing, Penang is Malaysia's main jewellery finishing hub, contributing 85% of the nation's gold and jewellery exports .
Penang's gold and jewellery industry is relatively well-established, dating back to the founding of the Penang Goldsmith Association in 1832.
Jewellery from Penang is exported to over 20 foreign markets, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Canada and the United States.
Services
![Design Village, Batu Kawan, Penang](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Design_Village%2C_Batu_Kawan%2C_Penang.jpg)
The services sector has overtaken the manufacturing sector as the largest economic sector in Penang, with the former accounting for 49.3% of Penang's GDP .
In addition, almost of Penang's workforce are employed in services-related industries, which include retail, accommodation, medical tourism, and food and beverages (F&B) sub-sectors.
Medical tourism has emerged as an integral component of Penang's services sector.
George Town, in particular, has become the centre of medical tourism within Malaysia, attracting approximately half of the nation's medical tourist arrivals in 2013 and generating about 70% of the country's medical tourism revenue.
![Penang Malaysia Mini-market-corner-Lebuh-Gereja-and-Lebuh-King-01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Penang_Malaysia_Mini-market-corner-Lebuh-Gereja-and-Lebuh-King-01.jpg)
Penang also has a vibrant retail sub-sector, which employs as many as 24% of Penang's workforce.
As the main shopping destination in northern Malaysia, Penang is home to several shopping malls, such as
Gurney Plaza
Gurney Plaza() is a shopping mall in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Located at Gurney Drive, it was opened in November 2001 and is now managed by CapitaMalls Asia, a subsidiary of the Singapore-based CapitaLand. Its main anchor tenant is Parkson, ...
,
Gurney Paragon
Gurney Paragon is a residential and retail complex in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Situated at Gurney Drive, it was launched in 2013, and consists of a nine-storey shopping mall, two condominiums and an office block. To date, the twin condomini ...
,
1st Avenue Mall
1st Avenue Mall is a shopping mall in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. It is located at Magazine Road, next to Komtar and Prangin Mall, and is linked to both buildings via overhead bridges.
Development
Initially planned as Phase 4 of the Komtar pr ...
,
Straits Quay
Straits Quay Retail Marina is a shopping mall-cum-marina in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. It is located at Seri Tanjung Pinang, a newly developed township that sits on reclaimed land within the George Town suburb of Tanjung Tokong. Opened in ...
,
Queensbay Mall
Queensbay Mall is the largest shopping mall in Penang, Malaysia. Located in Bayan Lepas, the building was completed in early July 2006 and was opened to the public in December 2006. The mall covers a gross built-up area of and contains over 400 ...
and
Design Village
Design Village is an outlet mall in Batu Kawan, Penang, Malaysia. Opened in 2016, it is Malaysia's biggest outlet mall, spanning a built-up area of . Design Village is reportedly built on a 24-acre tropical garden. At the time of its opening in No ...
and other shopping centre in Mainland and Island (Penang). While shopping malls now dominate the retail scene, centuries-old shophouses are still operating alongside George Town's flea markets and wet markets, all of which cater more to local products, including spices, nutmegs and ''tau sar pneah'', a famous Penang delicacy.
Due to the efforts of the
Penang state government
The Government of Penang ( ms, Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang) refers to the government authority of the Malaysian state of Penang. The state government adheres to and is created by both the Constitution of Malaysia, the supreme law of Malaysia, and ...
to promote the state as a
shared services and outsourcing (SSO) hub, Penang has attracted the second largest share of investments for Global Business Services (GBS) within Malaysia, after
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
.
Penang's SSO industry, which includes international corporations such as
AirAsia
Capital A Berhad, () operating as AirAsia (stylized as ''airasia'') is a Malaysian multinational low-cost airline headquartered near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the largest airline in Malaysia by fleet size and destinations. AirAsia operate ...
,
Citigroup
Citigroup Inc. or Citi (Style (visual arts), stylized as citi) is an American multinational investment banking, investment bank and financial services corporation headquartered in New York City. The company was formed by the merger of banking ...
,
Jabil and
Dell
Dell is an American based technology company. It develops, sells, repairs, and supports computers and related products and services. Dell is owned by its parent company, Dell Technologies.
Dell sells personal computers (PCs), servers, data ...
, has provided more than 8,000 high-income jobs and contributed RM12.79 billion of revenue in 2013.
In addition to these, a startup community has been growing within Penang, including the likes of
Piktochart
Piktochart is a web-based graphic design tool and infographic maker.
History
In March 2012, the first iteration of Piktochart was launched by co-founders, Goh Ai Ching and Andrea Zaggia in Penang, Malaysia. By the end of the same year, Piktochart ...
and DeliverEat.
Attracted by the cheaper living costs and the presence of several multinational technology firms, Penang's startups are also being actively encouraged by the public and private sectors, with initiatives to encourage entrepreneurship and promote the
Internet of Things
The Internet of things (IoT) describes physical objects (or groups of such objects) with sensors, processing ability, software and other technologies that connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet or other comm ...
(IoT).
Furthermore, George Town is Malaysia's second most popular centre for
meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), after Kuala Lumpur. In 2017, Penang hosted 2,511 business events with an estimated economic impact of RM1.002 billion. Among the major MICE venues within Penang are the
SPICE Arena
The SPICE Arena is an indoor arena located in the township of Bayan Baru in Penang, Malaysia. It serves as Penang's main indoor sports centre as well as the preferred venue within the city-state for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitio ...
, Straits Quay and
Prangin Mall.
Commerce
George Town was formerly the financial centre of
British Malaya
The term "British Malaya" (; ms, Tanah Melayu British) loosely describes a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Singapore that were brought under British hegemony or control between the late 18th and the mid-20th century. U ...
. The first international bank to open a branch in George Town (and by extension, Malaysia) was
Standard Chartered
Standard Chartered plc is a multinational bank with operations in consumer, corporate and institutional banking, and treasury services. Despite being headquartered in the United Kingdom, it does not conduct retail banking in the UK, and around 9 ...
in 1875.
This was followed by
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a British multinational universal bank and financial services holding company. It is the largest bank in Europe by total assets ahead of BNP Paribas, with US$2.953 trillion as of December 2021. In 2021, HSBC had $10.8 tri ...
and the
Royal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (RBS; gd, Banca Rìoghail na h-Alba) is a major retail and commercial bank in Scotland. It is one of the retail banking subsidiaries of NatWest Group, together with NatWest (in England and Wales) and Ulster Bank ...
in 1885 and 1888 respectively.
To this day, George Town still serves as the financial centre of northern Malaysia. The city contains various Malaysian and international banks, including Standard Chartered, HSBC,
Citibank
Citibank, N. A. (N. A. stands for " National Association") is the primary U.S. banking subsidiary of financial services multinational Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, and later became First National City ...
,
UOB,
OCBC,
Bank of China
The Bank of China (BOC; ) is a Chinese majority state-owned commercial bank headquartered in Beijing and the fourth largest bank in the world.
The Bank of China was founded in 1912 by the Republican government as China's central bank, repl ...
and
Bank Negara Malaysia
The Central Bank of Malaysia (BNM; ms, Bank Negara Malaysia) is the Malaysian central bank. Established on 26 January 1959 as the Central Bank of Malaya (''Bank Negara Tanah Melayu''), its main purpose is to issue currency, act as banker and ad ...
. Most of the international banks still retain their offices at
Beach Street, which also serves as the city's
main Central Business District.
Since the 1990s,
Northam Road, along with
Gurney Drive
Gurney Drive (,, ) is a popular seafront promenade within George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The road is also famous for the street cuisine at the seafront's hawker centre and has been listed as one of the 25 best streets worldwide to visit by the A ...
, has also emerged as the George Town's
second Central Business District. Northam Road, in particular, hosts an array of financial services, including the
Malaysian Employees Provident Fund, as well as accounting, auditing and insurance offices.
Finance and its related activities, such as insurance, auditing and real estate transactions, accounted for more than 8% of Penang's
Gross Domestic Product
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a money, monetary Measurement in economics, measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjec ...
(GDP) .
Tourism
![BatuFerringhi2006](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/BatuFerringhi2006.JPG)
Penang has always been one of the most popular tourist destinations in Malaysia. Throughout history, the state welcomed some of the most influential personalities, including
W. Somerset Maugham
William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...
,
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work.
...
,
Lee Kuan Yew,
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
and
Prince Charles
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
. Penang is known for its rich heritage and architecture, its vibrant multicultural society, a wide range of modern entertainment and retail choices, natural features such as beaches and hills, and the world-famous
Penang cuisine
Penang cuisine is the cuisine of the multicultural society of Penang, Malaysia. Most of these cuisine are sold at road-side stalls, known as "hawker food" and colloquially as "muckan carts". Local Penangites typically find these hawker fares ...
.
Unlike other Malaysian states, Penang does not rely only on air transportation for tourist arrivals. Aside from the
Penang International Airport,
Swettenham Pier
Swettenham Pier is a pier within the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Established in 1904, it is the busiest port-of-call in Malaysia for cruise shipping. The pier plays a vital role as a major entry point for tourists into Penang, aside ...
, conveniently located within the heart of
George Town, has emerged as one of the major tourist entry points into the state. , Penang attracted nearly 8.6 million tourists, with the airport posting a record 7.2 million passenger arrivals and the pier registering another 1.35 million tourist arrivals.
Within the same year, Penang, which contributed close to RM3.9 million of tourism tax revenue, was Malaysia's third largest tourism tax contributor after
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
and
Sabah
Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indone ...
.
![Penang Port scene overseeing North Butterworth Container Terminal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Penang_Port_scene_overseeing_North_Butterworth_Container_Terminal_.jpg)
In recent years, George Town has received numerous international accolades. The city has been listed by several publications, including the
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books.
History Early years
Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 1972, they embarked ...
,
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
,
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
and
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
, as one of Asia's top travel destinations.
These are in addition to George Town's reputation as a gastronomic haven, with the CNN placing George Town as one of Asia's best street food cities.
Entrepôt trade and shipping
Formerly a vital British
entrepôt, Penang's maritime trade has greatly declined, due to the loss of George Town's free-port status in 1969 and the concurrent development of
Port Klang
Port Klang ( ms, Pelabuhan Klang) is a town and the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Known during colonial times as Port Swettenham ( ms, Pelabuhan Swettenham) but renamed Port Klang in July 1972, it is the largest port in the country. It is l ...
near the federal capital
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
.
In spite of this, the
Port of Penang
The Port of Penang is a deepwater seaport within the Malaysian state of Penang. It consists of terminals along the Penang Strait, including five in Seberang Perai and one in George Town. The Port of Penang was the third busiest harbour in Malaysia ...
remains the main harbour within northern Malaysia. The Port of Penang handled more than 1.52 million
TEUs of cargo in 2017, making it the third busiest seaport by volume in the country.
The Port's strategic location enabled it to service not just northern Malaysia, but also southern Thailand.
Culture
Festivals
Penang's diverse, cosmopolitan society means that there are a great many celebrations and festivities in any given year. The major cultural and religious festivities in the state include, but not limited to, the
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Sinophone, Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly r ...
,
Eid ul-Fitr
, nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast
, observedby = Muslims
, type = Islamic
, longtype = Islamic
, significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan
, dat ...
i,
Deepavali,
Thaipusam,
Vaisakhi
Vaisakhi ( Punjabi: ), also pronounced Baisakhi, marks the first day of the month of Vaisakh and is traditionally celebrated annually on 13 April and sometimes 14 April as a celebration of spring harvest primarily in Northern India. Further, o ...
,
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
,
Vesak Day and
Songkran
Songkran is a term derived from the Sanskrit word, ' (or, more specifically, ') and used to refer to the traditional New Year celebrated in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, parts of northeast India, parts of Vietnam and ...
.
Expatriates residing in Penang have also introduced a host of other celebrations.
Bon Odori is celebrated yearly by the Japanese in
George Town, while
St. Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick ( ga, Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit=the Day of the Festival of Patrick), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patr ...
and
Oktoberfest, traditionally celebrated by the Irish and the Germans respectively, have also been gaining popularity amongst the locals.
Moreover, Penang hosts several major festivals in any given year. The
George Town Festival
The George Town Festival is an annual cultural festival held within the city of George Town, Penang, George Town in Penang, Malaysia.
Inaugurated in 2010, the festival was initially mooted to celebrate the inscription of George Town as a UNESCO W ...
, first held in 2010, has evolved into one of the largest arts events in Southeast Asia, while the
Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
The Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is an annual hot air balloon festival held within the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. The festival, organised by AKA Balloon Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian private limited firm, takes place every February at the ...
attracts close to 200,000 visitors from all over the world.
Performance arts
George Town is the birthplace of a unique form of the
Chingay procession. Introduced in 1919, Penang's variant of Chingay includes the act of balancing gigantic flags on one's forehead or hands.
A yearly Chingay parade is held in the city every December, though Chingay performances are also a common feature of Chinese festivities and major state celebrations in Penang.
Bangsawan, which was also developed in Penang, is a type of Malay theatre that incorporates Indian, Western, Islamic, Chinese and Indonesian influences. Boria is also indigenous to Penang, featuring singing accompanied by violin, maracas and tabla.
Aside from these, the state has orchestras based in George Town, the
Penang Philharmonic Orchestra
The Penang Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO; ms, Orkestra Filharmonik Pulau Pinang) is an amateur orchestra funded by the state of Penang in Malaysia. The formation of the orchestra aims to build a community that enhances the standard of classical mus ...
, Penang Symphony Orchestra, as well as several chamber and musical organisations, including the award-winning social enterprise
The Rondo Production. Dewan Sri Pinang and Penangpac within
Straits Quay
Straits Quay Retail Marina is a shopping mall-cum-marina in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. It is located at Seri Tanjung Pinang, a newly developed township that sits on reclaimed land within the George Town suburb of Tanjung Tokong. Opened in ...
are two of the major performing venues in the city.
Street art
![Penang - Little Children on a Bicycle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Penang_-_Little_Children_on_a_Bicycle.JPG)
In 2012, as part of the
George Town Festival
The George Town Festival is an annual cultural festival held within the city of George Town, Penang, George Town in Penang, Malaysia.
Inaugurated in 2010, the festival was initially mooted to celebrate the inscription of George Town as a UNESCO W ...
, Lithuanian artist
Ernest Zacharevic
Ernest Zacharevic (born 1986 in Lithuania) is a multidiscipline contemporary and public artist based in Penang, Malaysia.
Technique and style
Zacharevic creates oil paintings, installations, sculptures and stencil and spray paint to produce ...
created a series of 6 wall paintings depicting local culture, inhabitants and lifestyles. In addition, several wrought iron caricatures have been installed within
George Town, with each caricature detailing the city's history and the daily lives of its inhabitants. In recent years, the street art scene has also begun to grow out of the city, in areas such as
Balik Pulau
Balik Pulau is a town within the jurisdiction of Penang Island City Council in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located at the southwest of Penang Island, it is also the administrative seat of the Southwest Penang Island District.
The agricultura ...
and
Butterworth Butterworth may refer to:
Places
* Butterworth (ancient township), a former township centred on Milnrow, in the then Parish of Rochdale, England, United Kingdom
* Butterworth, Eastern Cape, now also known as Gcuwa, a town located in South Africa
...
.
In addition, art exhibitions are frequently held at cultural centres within George Town, such as the Hin Bus Depot.
Museums
The
Penang State Museum and Art Gallery
The Penang State Museum and Art Gallery ( ms, Muzium dan Balai Seni Lukis Negeri Pulau Pinang) is a museum and art gallery in George Town, Penang, Malaysia.
History
The museum building used to house the Penang Free School in 1821–1927. Afte ...
in
George Town is the state's primary public museum; it houses relics, photographs, maps, and other artefacts that document the history and culture of Penang.
Other museums in the city focus on religious and cultural aspects, as well as famous personalities, including the
Penang Islamic Museum
The Penang Islamic Museum ( ms, Muzium Islam Pulau Pinang) is a museum about Islam in George Town, Penang, Malaysia.
History
The museum is housed in a restored villa originally built in 1860 that was once the residence of a powerful Acehnese p ...
,
Sun Yat-sen Museum,
Batik Painting Museum, and Universiti Sains Malaysia Museum and Gallery. Besides that, the birthplace of
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
's legendary singer-actor,
P. Ramlee
Tan Sri Datuk Amar Teuku Zakaria bin Teuku Nyak Puteh (later Ramlee bin Puteh) (22 March 1929 – 29 May 1973), better known by his stage name P. Ramlee (Puteh Ramlee), was a Malaysian actor, filmmaker, musician, and composer famous in both m ...
, has been restored and turned into a museum
In recent years, private-run museums have sprung up throughout the city, such as the
Camera Museum
The Camera Museum ( ms, Muzium Kamera; Tamil: நிழற்படக் கருவி அருங்காட்சியகம்) is a museum in George Town, Penang, Malaysia.
History
The museum started its operation on 31 August 2013 ...
and the
Penang Toy Museum
Penang Toy Museum is a toy museum located at 1370, Mk 2, Teluk Bahang (Next to SJK (C) Eok Hua School), Penang, Malaysia. With more than 110,000 toys, dolls and other collectible items, it is the largest toy museum in the world. The 1,000 square ...
. A handful of newer 3D visual and interactive museums have also been established, such as the Made-in-Penang Interactive Museum and the Penang Time Tunnel.
Architecture
![Penang Malaysia Wat-Chaiya-Mangkalaram-Temple-01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Penang_Malaysia_Wat-Chaiya-Mangkalaram-Temple-01.jpg)
Penang is home to a relatively wide variety of architectures, both historical and modern. The historical core of
George Town has been inscribed as a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
due to its ''unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia''.
Fort Cornwallis, in George Town, was the first structure built by the British in Penang. The city's UNESCO World Heritage Site also covers several important landmarks, including the
City Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
, the
Penang High Court
The Penang High Court ( ms, Mahkamah Tinggi Pulau Pinang), founded in 1808, is the birthplace of Malaysia's judiciary system. It is housed inside a Palladian-style building at Light Street, George Town, Penang. To this day, the High Court ...
,
St. George's Church, the
Eastern & Oriental Hotel
The Eastern & Oriental Hotel (popularly known as ''E&O Hotel'') is a British colonial-style luxury hotel in George Town, Penang, Malaysia that was established in 1885 by the Sarkies Brothers. The sea-fronting hotel is known for its luxurious ac ...
and the
Central Business District
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
at
Beach Street. Aside from European architecture, a huge assortment of Asian architectural styles also exists throughout George Town, exemplified by buildings like the
Kong Hock Keong Temple
zh, 觀音亭
, image = Kong Hock Keong Penang Dec 2006 002.jpg
, caption = Front view of Goddess of Mercy Temple
, map_type = Malaysia Penang George Town streets
, map_size = 275px
, l ...
,
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion is a government gazetted heritage building located on Leith Street in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The mansion's external decorations and indigo-blue outer walls make it a very distinctive building, and it is somet ...
, the
Pinang Peranakan Mansion
The Pinang Peranakan Mansion ( ms, Rumah Agam Peranakan Pulau Pinang) in George Town, Penang, George Town, Penang, Malaysia, is a museum dedicated to Penang's Peranakan heritage. The museum itself is housed within a distinctive green-hued mansion ...
,
Khoo Kongsi
The Khoo Kongsi is a large Chinese clanhouse with elaborate and highly ornamented architecture, a mark of the dominant presence of the Chinese in Penang, Malaysia. The famous Khoo Kongsi is the grandest clan temple in the country. It is also one ...
,
Snake Temple,
Kapitan Keling Mosque
The Kapitan Keling Mosque ( ms, Masjid Kapitan Keling, ta, காப்பித்தான் கெலிங மசூதி, Kāppittāṉ Keliṅa Macūti) is a mosque built in the 19th century by Indian Muslim traders in George Town, Pen ...
and
Sri Mahamariamman Temple. Meanwhile, the Siamese and the Burmese have also left a visible impact on certain landmarks within the city, such as
Wat Chaiyamangkalaram
Wat Chayamangkalaram ( th, วัดไชยมังคลาราม; ) (also called as the Chayamangkalaram Buddhist Temple) is a Thai temple in Pulau Tikus suburb of George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Situated in Kelawei Road, the temple ...
,
Dhammikarama Burmese Temple
Dhammikarama Burmese Temple ( my, ဓမ္မိကာရာမမြန်မာကျောင်း) is a Burmese temple in Pulau Tikus suburb of George Town of Penang in Malaysia. Situated in Burmah Road, the temple located close to th ...
and
Kek Lok Si
The Kek Lok Si Temple () is a Buddhist temple situated in Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia. It is the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia, and is also an important pilgrimage centre for Buddhists from Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore and othe ...
.
Aside from the colonial era architecture,
Penang Island contains most of the skyscrapers within Penang, with the state's tallest buildings all located within the island. The tallest skyscrapers in George Town, and by extension, Penang, include the
Komtar Tower,
Setia V,
Gurney Paragon
Gurney Paragon is a residential and retail complex in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Situated at Gurney Drive, it was launched in 2013, and consists of a nine-storey shopping mall, two condominiums and an office block. To date, the twin condomini ...
and
Arte S.
Cuisine
George Town, popularly regarded as ''the food capital of Malaysia'', is renowned for its good and varied cuisine which incorporates
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
,
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
,
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
,
Peranakan,
Thai
Thai or THAI may refer to:
* Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia
** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand
** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand
*** Thai script
*** Thai (Unicode block ...
and
European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
influences. The city has been recognised by various publications, such as ''
Time Magazine
''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Mar ...
'',
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
and
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books.
History Early years
Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 1972, they embarked ...
, as one of the Asian cities with the best street cuisine.
According to ''Time Magazine'' in 2004, "''nowhere else can such great tasting food be so cheap''," whilst Robin Barton of the Lonely Planet described George Town as the ''culinary epicentre'' of the ''many cultures that arrived after it was set up as a trading port in 1786, from Malays to Indians,
Acehenese to Chinese, Burmese to Thais''.
The various street dishes and delicacies of Penang include (but not limited to) ''
asam laksa
Laksa is a spicy noodle dish popular in Southeast Asia. Laksa consists of various types of noodles, most commonly thick rice noodles, with toppings such as chicken, prawn or fish. Most variations of laksa are prepared with a rich and spicy coco ...
'', ''
Nasi Lemuni
Nasi Lemuni is a rice dish originating from Malaysia. It's traditionally eaten as a confinement dish as it is believed that vitex trifolia, the herb, can enhance blood flow, balance hormones, and improve one's digestion. It's similar to nasi l ...
'', ''
char kway teow
''Char kway teow'' () is a stir-fried rice noodle dish from Maritime Southeast Asia and is of southern Chinese origin. In Hokkien and Teochew, ''char'' means 'stir-fried' and ''kway teow'' refers to flat rice noodles. It is made from flat r ...
'',
''curry mee'', ''
Hokkien mee
Hokkien mee, literally "Fujian noodles", is a series of related Southeast Asian dishes that have their origins in the cuisine of China's Fujian (Hokkien) province.
Types
''Hokkien mee'' can refer to four distinct dishes, with each being ubi ...
'', ''
nasi kandar
Nasi kandar is a popular northern Malaysian dish from Penang, originally introduced by Tamil Muslim traders from India. The meal consists of steamed rice combined with an array of distinct curries, sides dishes, and gravies. The selection of curr ...
'', ''oh chien'' (fried oyster omelette),
''lor bak'', ''
rojak'', ''
pasembur'', ''
chendol'', ''
ais kacang,'' and ''tau sar pneah'' (bean paste biscuit).
In art and literature
In her poetical illustration , to a drawing by S. Austin,
Letitia Elizabeth Landon compares the beauties of the island with those of the speaker's beloved.
Education
![Main gate at the Universiti Sains Malaysia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Main_gate_at_the_Universiti_Sains_Malaysia.jpg)
Penang's literacy rate stood at 98.2% , whilst specifically, the literacy rate of Penang's youth between 15 and 24 years of age rose to 99.5% in 2014, after
Selangor
Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...
and
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
.
Correspondingly, Penang has the third highest
Human Development Index
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, whi ...
within Malaysia.
, Penang, including both the mainland and the island contains a total of 48 tertiary institutions (including universities, colleges, medical colleges, industrial training institutes and teaching schools), 12 international schools, 110 secondary schools, 271 primary schools and 602 kindergartens.
![Cmglee Penang Free School main gate](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Cmglee_Penang_Free_School_main_gate.jpg)
In particular,
George Town is home to some of Malaysia's oldest schools. Established in 1816,
Penang Free School is the oldest English school in Southeast Asia, while numerous public schools originally founded during the colonial era in Penang include
St. Xavier's Institution
, motto_translation = Labour Conquers All
, streetaddress = Farquhar Street,
, city = George Town
, state = Penang
, postcode = 10200
, country = Ma ...
,
St. George's Girls' School and
Methodist Boys' School. In addition, the city is a pioneer in Chinese education within the region; following the establishment of
Chung Hwa Confucian High School
Chung Hwa Confucian High School (or 孔圣庙中华中学 in Chinese) is a Chinese conforming (national-type) secondary school located in Green Lane, Penang, Malaysia. The school is one of 10 Chinese secondary schools in Penang and also has a g ...
in 1904, several prominent Chinese schools were built, such as
Chung Ling High School,
Penang Chinese Girls' High School,
Heng Ee High School
Heng Ee High School ( zh, , s=恒毅国民型华文中学, t=恆毅國民型華文中學, p=, poj=Hêng-gī kok-bîn-hêng huâ-bûn tiong-o̍h; ms, Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan Heng Ee) is a Chinese conforming secondary school located ...
,
Jit Sin High School
Founded in 1918, Jit Sin High School (Malay: Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan Jit Sin; ) is a co-educational Chinese vernacular secondary school in Bukit Mertajam, Penang.
Background
Jit Sin High School (JSHS) used to share the same comp ...
and
Phor Tay High School
Phor Tay High School (Chinese: 菩提国民型华文中学 ; Malay: Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan Phor Tay) or SMJK Phor Tay is a public, Buddhist, co-educational high school, located in Sungai Dua, Penang. It is the only Buddhist secondary ...
.
As a popular destination for expatriates, George Town contains a number of international schools as well, such as
Uplands International School,
Dalat International School,
Tenby International School and Hua Xia International School.
These schools offer primary and secondary education up to A Levels and International Baccalaureate.
A few of these schools, such as Penang Japanese School and
Chinese Taipei School, cater to expatriates of specific nationalities.
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is the premier public university within Penang. Established in 1969 as Malaysia's second university, it was originally named ''Universiti Pulau Pinang'' (University of Penang).
The main campus is situated at
Gelugor
Gelugor is a southern suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Named after a plant species, Gelugor lies along the eastern seaboard of Penang Island, between Jelutong and Sungai Dua, and nearly south of the city centre.
Gelugor had been po ...
, while an
engineering campus has been built in
Nibong Tebal
Nibong Tebal ( Jawi: نيبوڠ تبل) is one of the major towns of the city of Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. Located at the northern bank of the Kerian River in South Seberang Perai District, it is the southernmost populated place of Pena ...
. , it was ranked 207th in the
QS World University Rankings
''QS World University Rankings'' is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The QS system comprises three parts: the global overall ranking, the subject rankings (which name the world's top universities for the ...
, the fourth highest within the country.
RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus is a medical university in George Town, with teaching hospitals in Penang and Perak. Founded as a private medical school in 1996, RUMC gained university status in 2018 and is the only Irish university branch campus in Malaysia. Graduates of RUMC are conferred degrees awarded and recognised by the
National University of Ireland
The National University of Ireland (NUI) ( ga, Ollscoil na hÉireann) is a federal university system of ''constituent universities'' (previously called ''university college, constituent colleges'') and ''recognised colleges'' set up under t ...
.
Other tertiary institutions within Penang include
Wawasan Open University
Wawasan Open University, abbreviated as WOU, is a private university located in Penang, Malaysia that provides working adults with access to higher education via open distance learning (ODL).
It was established in 2006 and enrolled its fir ...
,
Han Chiang University College of Communication
Han Chiang University College of Communication, abbreviated as Han Chiang UC, is a non-profit private university college in George Town, Penang, Malaysia.
Han Chiang UC offers a variety of foundation, diploma and undergraduate programmes, ...
,
DISTED College,
Sentral College,
SEGi College,
KDU College KDU may refer to
* Kristdemokratiska Ungdomsförbundet (Christian Democratic Youth), Sweden
* Kristendemokratisk Ungdom (Christian Democratic Youth), Denmark
* Christian and Democratic Union former electoral coalition, Czechoslovakia
* KDU Colle ...
,
INTI International College, Equator Academy of Arts, Penang Skills and Development Centre and
Lam Wah Ee Nursing College.
Aside from these institutions,
RECSAM
The Regional Centre for Education in Science and Mathematics (RECSAM) is a multinational educational corporation headquartered in Penang, Malaysia. It is one of the founding sister centres of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organi ...
, a research and training facility aimed at the enhancement of the science and mathematics education in Southeast Asia, is sited within Penang as well.
The state also contains 107 libraries, including the Penang State Library and the Penang Digital Library. The latter, launched by the
Penang state government
The Government of Penang ( ms, Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang) refers to the government authority of the Malaysian state of Penang. The state government adheres to and is created by both the Constitution of Malaysia, the supreme law of Malaysia, and ...
in 2016, is the first digital library in Malaysia.
Health care
![Penang General Hospital (2011)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Penang_General_Hospital_%282011%29.jpg)
Health care in Penang is adequately provided by the numerous public and private hospitals throughout the state. These hospitals have also helped Penang to emerge as the centre of
Medical tourism in Malaysia. The
Penang General Hospital
The Penang General Hospital ( ms, Hospital Pulau Pinang, ta, பினாங்கு பொது மருத்துவமனை) is the main public hospital in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. The largest public hospital in Pe ...
, administered and funded by the
Malaysian Ministry of Health, is the main
tertiary referral hospital within northern Malaysia. It is supported by five other public hospitals within Penang, all of which also come under the administration of the country's Ministry of Health.
Aside from public hospitals, Penang is home to 15 private hospitals, including
Penang Adventist Hospital
The Penang Adventist Hospital ( ms, Hospital Adventist, ) is a Christian nonprofit medical institution in Penang, Malaysia. It is operated by the Adventist Hospital & Clinic Services (M) (255697-M), and is part of an international network of hosp ...
,
Lam Wah Ee Hospital
Lam Wah Ee Hospital () is a non-profit hospital in George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. The 700-bed tertiary acute care hospital is accredited by the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health. It was established as a provider of tr ...
,
Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital,
Gleneagles Medical Centre
Gleneagles Hospital Penang (GPG) is a tertiary care private hospital in George Town, Penang island, Malaysia. It was established in July 1973. The hospital houses over 85 doctors which cover a wide array of medical specialties, supported by mor ...
,
Island Hospital
Island Hospital, founded in 1996, is a 600-bed hospital located in Penang, Malaysia. The hospital is recognised as one of the leading healthcare providers in Malaysia, serving patients from around the region. Island Hospital offers a wide range of ...
,
Loh Guan Lye Specialists Centre
The Loh Guan Lye Specialists Centre is a 273-bed private hospital in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Located at Macalister Road, it was established in 1975 and has been expanded over the years. The hospital now consists of three win ...
and
Pantai Hospital. These hospitals cater not only to the local population, but also to patients from other states and foreign health tourists.
Infant mortality rate within Penang dropped by 85% between 1970 and 2000 to 5.7 per 1,000 live births, while neonatal mortality rate also decreased by 84.7% within this corresponding period to 4.1 per 1,000 live births.
, Penang's life expectancy at birth stood at 72.5 years for men and 77.7 years for women.
Media
Print
George Town was once the nucleus of
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
's print press. The nation's first newspaper was founded in the city – the ''Prince of Wales Island Gazette'' in 1806.
''
The Star
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'', currently one of Malaysia's top dailies, has its origins as a regional newspaper founded in
George Town in the 1970s, while the country's oldest Chinese newspaper, ''
Kwong Wah Yit Poh'', was also established in the city in 1910.
In 2011, the then
Chief Minister of Penang,
Lim Guan Eng, launched the Penang edition of ''
Time Out
Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to:
Time
* Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team
* Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken
* Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
''. This version of the international listings magazine is published in three versions - a yearly guide, a website and a mobile app.
The
Penang state government
The Government of Penang ( ms, Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang) refers to the government authority of the Malaysian state of Penang. The state government adheres to and is created by both the Constitution of Malaysia, the supreme law of Malaysia, and ...
also publishes its own multi-lingual newspaper, ''Buletin Mutiara'', which is distributed for free every fortnight.
The Penang-centric newspaper focuses on the current issues within Penang.
Film and television
Due to its well-preserved colonial-era cityscape, a number of movies have been filmed within
George Town, such as
''Crazy Rich Asians'', ''
Anna and the King
''Anna and the King'' is a 1999 American biographical period drama film directed by Andy Tennant and written by Steve Meerson and Peter Krikes. Loosely based on the 1944 novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'', which gives a fictionalized account ...
'', ''
Lust, Caution'' and
''You Mean the World to Me'', the latter of which is the first movie to be filmed entirely in
Penang Hokkien.
Singaporean drama series, ''
The Little Nyonya'' and ''
The Journey: Tumultuous Times'', were also filmed within the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition, the city became one of the pit-stops of ''
The Amazing Race 16'', ''
The Amazing Race Asia 4
''The Amazing Race Asia 4'' is the fourth season of ''The Amazing Race Asia'', a reality television game show based on the American series ''The Amazing Race''. The fourth installment of the show features several teams of two, each with a pre-exis ...
'' and ''
The Amazing Race Asia 5
''The Amazing Race Asia 5'' is the fifth season of ''The Amazing Race Asia'', a reality television game show based on the American series ''The Amazing Race''. The fifth installment of the show returned after a 6-year hiatus and featured eleven te ...
''.
Radio broadcasting
The history of Penang radio broadcasting began in 1925 when the Penang Wireless Association was established. With the issuance of the first shortwave radio broadcast licence on 24 August 1934, Station ZHJ – Malaya's first radio station was launched and went on the air from Khoo Sian Ewe's house at Perak Road. It was transmitted via 493 meter waves from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. everyday in Malay, English, Chinese, Hokkien and Tamil. During the Japanese occupation period from 19 December 1941 until 2 September 1945, the Imperial Army used Penang Chinese Recreation Club at
Burmah Road in
George Town as radio station to transmit propaganda and renamed the station as Penang Hoso Kyoku (Penang Broadcasting Corporation). Following the surrender of the Japanese Army, the British came back into power and reclaimed the station and the building, which later became the state branch of Radio Malaya on 1 April 1946. While news programmes were produced in Singapore, the state branch in Penang produces regional programmings for the radio station.
Radio Malaya Penang moved its headquarters from Chinese Recreational Club to United Engineers Building at Bishop Street in 1948 and established its temporary studio in a temporary office building in Gelugor, which moved to Sepoy Lines Road in 1955. In 1961, it moved into its present building at Burmah Road, which was officially opened by
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Raja Uda
Tun Sir Raja Uda Al-Haj bin Raja Muhammad (1894 – 17 October 1976) was a Malaysian statesman during the country's struggle for independence and its early years of nationhood. He was a civil servant under the British Malaya, British colonial a ...
on 30 October 1965. Penang state radio station became part of the Radio Malaysia network on 16 September 1963, when Malaysia was established and the larger
Radio Televisyen Malaysia
Radio Televisyen Malaysia ( en, Radio Television of Malaysia, abbreviated as RTM, stylised as rtm), also known as the Department of Broadcasting, Malaysia ( ms, Jabatan Penyiaran Malaysia) is the national public broadcaster of Malaysia. Establi ...
(RTM) on 11 October 1969, following the merger of the nation's Radio and Television operations. Today, RTM Penang state branch operates one radio channel -
Mutiara FM.
Transportation
Land
Penang Island is connected to the mainland by two bridges. The
Penang Bridge, completed in 1985, spans the
Penang Strait
The Penang Strait is an 11 kilometre-wide strait that separates Penang Island from mainland Malay Peninsula. Penang Island is to the west of the channel, while Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the State of Penang, is to the east. The northern ...
between
Gelugor
Gelugor is a southern suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Named after a plant species, Gelugor lies along the eastern seaboard of Penang Island, between Jelutong and Sungai Dua, and nearly south of the city centre.
Gelugor had been po ...
on the island and
Perai
Perai is an urban settlement in the city of Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. It lies at the southern bank of the Perai River and borders Butterworth to the north. Perai gave its name to the city of Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the State o ...
on the mainland. Spanning , the
Second Penang Bridge is located further south, linking
Batu Maung
Batu Maung is a residential neighbourhood in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the southeastern tip of Penang Island, and adjacent to the town of Bayan Lepas and the Penang International ...
on the island to
Batu Kawan on the mainland. The latter was opened to the public in 2014 and is currently the second longest bridge in Southeast Asia.
The
North–South Expressway, a
expressway
Expressway may refer to:
* Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic.
* Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road.
*Expressway, the fictional s ...
along the western part of Peninsular Malaysia, passes through
Seberang Perai. In addition, about of the
Malayan Railway's
West Coast Line also lies within Seberang Perai, with the
Butterworth railway station serving as the main railway station within northern Malaysia. Aside from the regular Malayan Railway services, the Butterworth railway station is the southernmost terminus of the
State Railway of Thailand
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) ( th, การรถไฟแห่งประเทศไทย, abbrev. รฟท., ) is the state-owned rail operator under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport in Thailand.
History
The SRT was ...
's
Southern Line and the
International Express from
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
. Notably, the train station is also one of the main stops of the
Eastern and Oriental Express service between Bangkok and Singapore.
On
Penang Island, the
Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway
Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway ( zh, 林倉祐大道; ms, Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu) or Federal Route 3113, is an expressway in Penang, Malaysia, that connects the city of George Town to Batu Maung. This expressway stretches along the easte ...
is a vital coastal highway that runs along the island's eastern seaboard, connecting
George Town with the Penang Bridge, the
Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone
Bayan Lepas is a town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the southeastern tip of Penang Island. Founded in the 19th century, Bayan Lepas has various industries. History
Bayan Lep ...
, the
Penang International Airport and the Second Penang Bridge. The
Federal Route 6 is a pan-island trunk road, while the two major ring roads within George Town are the
George Town Inner Ring Road and the Penang Middle Ring Road.
In Seberang Perai, the major ring roads and expressways include the
Butterworth Outer Ring Road
Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) (Malay: ''Lebuhraya Lingkaran Luar Butterworth'') is a coastal expressway located in Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia. This expressway connects Sungai Dua in the north until Perai in the south.
Route background
T ...
(BORR) and the
Butterworth–Kulim Expressway.
Public transportation
![GeorgeTown Altstadt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/GeorgeTown_Altstadt.JPG)
Under British rule,
George Town served as a pioneer in public transportation within
British Malaya
The term "British Malaya" (; ms, Tanah Melayu British) loosely describes a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Singapore that were brought under British hegemony or control between the late 18th and the mid-20th century. U ...
. The city's first tram system, originally powered by steam, began operations in the 1880s. Although the tram lines have since been disused, another colonial legacy, the
trishaw
The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport. It is a type of hatchback tricycle designed to carry passengers on a for-hire basis. It is also known by a variety of other names such as bike taxi, velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab ...
, still plies the city's streets, albeit catering primarily for tourists.
![Funicular to the top of the Penang Hill, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Funicular_to_the_top_of_the_Penang_Hill%2C_Georgetown%2C_Penang%2C_Malaysia.JPG)
Buses now form the backbone of public transportation within Penang. Public bus services are mainly provided by
Rapid Penang, which operates 56 routes within
Greater Penang, including interstate routes into
Kedah and
Perak
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
. Among the routes are free-of-charge transit services such as the Central Area Transit, the Congestion Alleviation Transport and the Pulau Tikus Loop. In addition, the ''
Hop-On Hop-Off'' bus service, which utilises
open-topped double decker buses, has been introduced for tourists within George Town.
Meanwhile, the only rail-based transportation system within Penang is the
Penang Hill Railway
The Penang Hill Railway is a one-section funicular railway which climbs the Penang Hill from Air Itam, on the outskirts of the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. The railway first opened in 1923 as a two-section railway, and th ...
, a funicular railway to the peak of
Penang Hill. Opened in 1923, it is also the sole funicular railway system in Malaysia. The
Penang state government
The Government of Penang ( ms, Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang) refers to the government authority of the Malaysian state of Penang. The state government adheres to and is created by both the Constitution of Malaysia, the supreme law of Malaysia, and ...
has recently drawn up plans to bring in more rail-based transport systems throughout Penang, as part of the Penang Transport Master Plan.
What are purposed are a
Light Rail Transit line between George Town and Bayan Lepas, two
monorail
A monorail (from "mono", meaning "one", and "rail") is a railway in which the track consists of a single rail or a beam.
Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurately, ...
lines that connect
George Town with
Air Itam,
Paya Terubong and
Tanjung Tokong, a
tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
line limited to within
George Town's
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
and a cross-strait cable car line linking
Komtar in
George Town and
Penang Sentral in
Butterworth Butterworth may refer to:
Places
* Butterworth (ancient township), a former township centred on Milnrow, in the then Parish of Rochdale, England, United Kingdom
* Butterworth, Eastern Cape, now also known as Gcuwa, a town located in South Africa
...
Currently, the Light Rapid Transit line between
George Town and the
Penang International Airport, also known as the
Bayan Lepas
Bayan Lepas is a town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the southeastern tip of Penang Island. Founded in the 19th century, Bayan Lepas has various industries. History
Bayan Lep ...
LRT line, is being allocated the top priority by the Penang state government. In April 2019, the
LRT project was received conditional approval from the federal government. Construction was expected to commence in June 2020.
Efforts are also being undertaken to promote pedestrianisation and the use of bicycles as an environmentally friendly mode of transportation.
Dedicated cycling lanes have been paved throughout the city and in 2016, George Town became the first Malaysian city to operate a
public bicycle-sharing service, with the inauguration of
LinkBike
LinkBike is a public bicycle sharing system serving the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Launched in 2016, it is the first such system in Malaysia. Currently, there are 250 LinkBike bicycles and 25 stations throughout the city, includin ...
.
The
Penang Sentral in
Butterworth Butterworth may refer to:
Places
* Butterworth (ancient township), a former township centred on Milnrow, in the then Parish of Rochdale, England, United Kingdom
* Butterworth, Eastern Cape, now also known as Gcuwa, a town located in South Africa
...
is the main rapid transit hub within Penang. Penang Sentral's location, adjacent to the
Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal
The Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal is a ferry slip within Butterworth in Penang, Malaysia. This docking facility is used for Rapid Ferry services between Butterworth and the city of George Town on Penang Island.
In addition to ferry se ...
and the
Butterworth railway station, allows it to function as a termini for public and interstate buses,
ferry
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
and train services.
Air
Penang International Airport (PEN) is located in
Bayan Lepas
Bayan Lepas is a town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the southeastern tip of Penang Island. Founded in the 19th century, Bayan Lepas has various industries. History
Bayan Lep ...
at the southeast of
Penang Island, south of
George Town. It serves as the main airport for northern Malaysia, with frequent links to major regional cities such as
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
,
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
,
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
,
Jakarta
Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
,
Ho Chi Minh City
, population_density_km2 = 4,292
, population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2
, population_demonym = Saigonese
, blank_name = GRP (Nominal)
, blank_info = 2019
, blank1_name = – Total
, blank1_ ...
,
Taipei
Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
,
Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
and
Doha
Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...
. Penang International Airport is
Malaysia's second busiest in terms of cargo traffic and recorded the third highest passenger traffic of all Malaysian airports .
The airport is also a hub for two Malaysian low-cost carriers -
AirAsia
Capital A Berhad, () operating as AirAsia (stylized as ''airasia'') is a Malaysian multinational low-cost airline headquartered near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the largest airline in Malaysia by fleet size and destinations. AirAsia operate ...
and
Firefly
The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...
. Among the international carriers that operate out of the airport are
Scoot,
Jetstar Asia Airways,
China Airlines,
China Southern Airlines,
Thai Smile
THAI Smile Airways is a Thai regional airline and a wholly owned subsidiary of Thai Airways International headquartered in Bangkok.
History
On 20 May 2011, the Thai Airways board announced plans to create a new lower-cost airline, at the time ...
and
Qatar Airways.
Sea
![Penang_ferry](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Penang_ferry.jpg)
The
Port of Penang
The Port of Penang is a deepwater seaport within the Malaysian state of Penang. It consists of terminals along the Penang Strait, including five in Seberang Perai and one in George Town. The Port of Penang was the third busiest harbour in Malaysia ...
, the main harbour in northern Malaysia, is operated by the Penang Port Commission. The Port consists of seven facilities, with six of them in
Butterworth Butterworth may refer to:
Places
* Butterworth (ancient township), a former township centred on Milnrow, in the then Parish of Rochdale, England, United Kingdom
* Butterworth, Eastern Cape, now also known as Gcuwa, a town located in South Africa
...
and
Perai
Perai is an urban settlement in the city of Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. It lies at the southern bank of the Perai River and borders Butterworth to the north. Perai gave its name to the city of Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the State o ...
on the
mainland, including the North Butterworth Container Terminal, Butterworth Deep Water Wharves and the Prai Bulk Cargo Terminal. The Port of Penang, the third busiest seaport in Malaysia, handled more than 1.52 million
TEUs of cargo in 2017.
Meanwhile,
Swettenham Pier
Swettenham Pier is a pier within the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Established in 1904, it is the busiest port-of-call in Malaysia for cruise shipping. The pier plays a vital role as a major entry point for tourists into Penang, aside ...
, situated in the heart of
George Town, is the sole Port facility on
Penang Island. The pier now accommodates cruise ships, making it one of the major entry points into Penang. , Swettenham Pier recorded 1.35 million tourist arrivals, thereby surpassing
Port Klang
Port Klang ( ms, Pelabuhan Klang) is a town and the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Known during colonial times as Port Swettenham ( ms, Pelabuhan Swettenham) but renamed Port Klang in July 1972, it is the largest port in the country. It is l ...
as the busiest cruise shipping terminal in Malaysia; the pier has also attracted some of the world's largest cruise liners, such as the
RMS ''Queen Mary 2''.
The pier also serves as a homeport for regional-based cruise ships.
Occasionally, the Port of Penang hosts warships as well, including those from
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and most recently,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.
The cross-strait
Rapid Ferry
The Penang Ferry Service is the oldest ferry service within the State of Penang, Malaysia, connecting the city of George Town on Penang Island and Butterworth on the mainland. This cross-strait transit has been operational since 1894, making ...
service connects George Town and Butterworth, and was formerly the only transportation link between Penang Island and the mainland until the completion of the
Penang Bridge in 1985. At the time of writing, six ferries ply the
Penang Strait
The Penang Strait is an 11 kilometre-wide strait that separates Penang Island from mainland Malay Peninsula. Penang Island is to the west of the channel, while Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the State of Penang, is to the east. The northern ...
between George Town and Butterworth daily.
Sports
![Penang City Stadium](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Penang_City_Stadium.jpg)
Penang has a relatively well-developed sporting infrastructure. The
Penang State Stadium in
Batu Kawan is the main stadium within the state, whereas the
City Stadium in
George Town is the sole stadium within the city. Both stadia function as the home ground of the
Penang FA.
The
SPICE Arena
The SPICE Arena is an indoor arena located in the township of Bayan Baru in Penang, Malaysia. It serves as Penang's main indoor sports centre as well as the preferred venue within the city-state for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitio ...
in
Bayan Baru is another major sporting venue within Penang, consisting of an indoor arena and an aquatics centre.
![SPICE Arena, Penang (2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/SPICE_Arena%2C_Penang_%282%29.jpg)
The Nicol David International Squash Centre at
Gelugor
Gelugor is a southern suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Named after a plant species, Gelugor lies along the eastern seaboard of Penang Island, between Jelutong and Sungai Dua, and nearly south of the city centre.
Gelugor had been po ...
is one of the major squash training facilities in Malaysia and was reportedly where squash legend
Nicol David
Datuk Nicol Ann David (born August 26, 1983) is a retired female Malaysian professional squash player. Beginning in August 2006, David was the world number one for a record-breaking 108 consecutive months, finally ceding the ranking in Septembe ...
first trained during her childhood years. George Town is also home to Malaysia's oldest equestrian centre, the
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.
See also
* Sport in Malaysia
Sports in Malaysia are an im ...
, which was established in 1864. In addition, Penang contains a total of three golf courses, one of which is on
Penang Island.
The major annual sporting events within Penang include the Penang International Dragon Boat Festival and the
Penang Bridge International Marathon
The Penang Bridge International Marathon ( ms, Maraton Antarabangsa Jambatan Pulau Pinang) or Penang Bridge Marathon is an annual marathon event held at Penang Bridge in Penang, Malaysia, since 1984. It is organised by Penang State Tourism Deve ...
. The former, held every December in
Teluk Bahang
Teluk Bahang is a town within the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the northwestern tip of Penang Island. Established as a fishing village, Teluk Bahang has evol ...
, is a
dragon boat
A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft originating from the Pearl River Delta region of China's southern Guangdong Province. These were made of teak, but in other parts of China, different kinds of wood are used. It is one of a family of t ...
race that has attracted several international teams, including those from Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, China, South Korea and Australia. The latter is a marathon which includes the
Penang Bridge as its route. Held every November, it attracted a record 35,000 participants from 85 countries in 2017.
Among the national and international sporting events that were hosted within Penang include the
2000 Sukma Games, the
2001 Southeast Asian Games
The 2001 Southeast Asian Games ( ms, Sukan Asia Tenggara 2001), officially known as the 21st Southeast Asian Games, was a Southeast Asian multi-sport event held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This was the fifth time that Malaysia plays as SEA Games ...
and the
2013 Women's World Open Squash Championship. Penang has also hosted the
2018 Asia Pacific Masters Games
The 2018 Asia Pacific Masters Games ( ms, Sukan Masters Asia Pasifik 2018), the inaugural edition of the Asia Pacific Masters Games, also known as Penang 2018, was held in the Malaysian state of Penang from 7 to 15 September 2018. Organised by t ...
, the first edition of a
Masters Games
The World Masters Games is an international multi-sport event held every four years which, in terms of competitor numbers, has developed into the largest of its kind. Governed by the International Masters Games Association (IMGA), the World Mast ...
within Asia.
Utilities
Water supply, which comes under the jurisdiction of the
Penang state government
The Government of Penang ( ms, Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang) refers to the government authority of the Malaysian state of Penang. The state government adheres to and is created by both the Constitution of Malaysia, the supreme law of Malaysia, and ...
, is wholly managed by the
Penang Water Supply Corporation
Penang Water Supply Corporation ( ms, Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang; abbreviation PBAPP) a State owned company (not to be confused as a GLC) which responsible for water supply services in Penang.
Sports
PBAPP FC
PBAPP FC is a football clu ...
(PBAPP). The state enjoys the lowest domestic
water tariff A water tariff (often called ''water rate'' in the United States and Canada) is a price assigned to water supplied by a public utility through a piped network to its customers. The term is also often applied to wastewater tariffs. Water and wastewat ...
in Malaysia, at RM0.32 per 1,000 litres. Penang's water supply is obtained from several sources, namely the Air Itam Dam, Teluk Bahang Dam,
Mengkuang Dam
Mengkuang Dam (Malay: Empangan Mengkuang, Tasik Mengkuang) is a dam in Central Seberang Perai District, Penang, Malaysia. It is the only dam situated in Seberang Perai ( Penang Mainland) and the second dam built in Penang after Ayer Itam dam. I ...
, Bukit Panchor Dam, Berapit Dam, Cherok Tok Kun Dam, the Guillemard Reservoir, the
Penang Botanic Gardens
The Penang Botanic Gardens, (Malay: ''Taman Kebun Bunga'';Tamil :பினாங்கு தாவரவியல் பூங்கா,Piṉāṅku Tāvaraviyal pūṅkā) also known as the "Waterfall Gardens" because of the cascading waterfa ...
and the
Muda River. The latter, which forms Penang's northern border with
Kedah, provides up to 80% of Penang's water supply.
In 1904,
George Town became the first city within
British Malaya
The term "British Malaya" (; ms, Tanah Melayu British) loosely describes a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Singapore that were brought under British hegemony or control between the late 18th and the mid-20th century. U ...
to be supplied with electricity, upon the completion of a hydroelectric scheme. Currently, electricity for industrial and domestic consumption is provided by
Tenaga Nasional Berhad
Tenaga Nasional Berhad (, abbreviated as TNB; TENAGA, ), also known as Tenaga Nasional or simply Tenaga, is the Malaysian multinational electricity company and is the only electric utility company in Peninsular Malaysia and also the largest p ...
(TNB), which operates a 398MW oil-powered power plant at
Gelugor
Gelugor is a southern suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Named after a plant species, Gelugor lies along the eastern seaboard of Penang Island, between Jelutong and Sungai Dua, and nearly south of the city centre.
Gelugor had been po ...
.
, Penang had a recorded broadband penetration rate of 80.3%, the highest among all
Malaysian states. Penang is also the first Malaysian state to provide its citizens with free internet connection.
''Penang Free Wi-Fi'', launched by the Penang state government in 2008, aims to boost internet penetration throughout Penang and is provided free-of-charge.
Its bandwidth speeds within the George Town city centre were increased to 3 Mbit/s, while 1,560 hotspots have been installed throughout the state.
See also
*
International rankings of Penang
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
Penang State Government
Penang Island City CouncilSeberang Perai City CouncilTrading Council
{{Authority control
1786 establishments in Asia
Peninsular Malaysia
Populated places established in 1786
States of Malaysia
Strait of Malacca