The Residency (

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 ...

: ''Seri Mutiara'') is the

official residence An official residence is the House, residence of a head of state, head of government, governor, Clergy, religious leader, leaders of international organizations, or other senior figure. It may be the same place where they conduct their work-relate ...

of Penang's head of state, the

governor of Penang The governor of Penang ( ms, Yang di-Pertua Negeri Pulau Pinang) is the head of state of the Malaysian state of Penang. The role of governor is largely ceremonial with the power vested in the executive branch of the state government led by the ...

. Located in the city of George Town in

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

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 ...

, it was built by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

in 1888 and the mansion used to served as the official residence of the highest-ranking British officer in Penang until the Malayan independence in 1957. The grounds of The Residency, through which the Waterfall River flows, is home to several rare species of plants, such as a

baobab tree ''Adansonia'' is a genus made up of eight species of medium-to-large deciduous trees known as baobabs ( or ). They are placed in the Malvaceae family, subfamily Bombacoideae. They are native to Madagascar, mainland Africa, and Australia.Tropi ...

(one of only three such trees in Penang), the

Brazil nut The Brazil nut (''Bertholletia excelsa'') is a South American tree in the family Lecythidaceae, and it is also the name of the tree's commercially harvested edible seeds. It is one of the largest and longest-lived trees in the Amazon rainforest. ...

, Indian ebony and the cannon-ball tree.

History

The Residency, designed by a

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

engineer, Sir Maurice Cameron, was constructed in 1888. The mansion took two years to complete and cost $48,000 (

Straits dollar The Straits dollar was the currency of the Straits Settlements from 1898 until 1939. At the same time, it was also used in the Federated Malay States, the Unfederated Malay States, Kingdom of Sarawak, Brunei, and British North Borneo. Histor ...

). Fittings and furnishing pushed the overall cost of the mansion to $81,000, and includes a manually-powered Indian

punkah A punkah, also pankha (, Hindi: , ), is a type of fan used since the early 6th century BC. The word ''pankha'' originated from'' pankh'', the wings of a bird which produce a draft when flapped. In its original sense in South Asia, ''pankah' ...

within its Banquet Hall. Upon its completion, The Residency became the official residence of the

, a role which it fulfills to this day. Prior to the construction of The Residency, the highest ranking British administrators in Penang had resided along Northam Road, along the city's northern shoreline. The mansion's first occupant was A.M. Skinner, who served as the Resident Councillor of Penang between 1887 and 1897. As the Resident Councillor was also the chairman of the newly established Penang Botanic Gardens, a garden was created within the compound of The Residency, filled with native and rare species of tropical plants. After the independence of Malaya in 1957, the position of the governor of Penang was officially renamed in

as the ''Yang di-Pertua Negeri''. Similarly, the residence, now a property 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, an ...

, has been officially renamed as ''Seri Mutiara'', a reflection of

's fame as the ''Pearl of the Orient'' (

: ''Pulau Mutiara'').

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Residency, Penang Official residences of Malaysian state leaders Buildings and structures in George Town, Penang Houses completed in 1890

History

See also

References