Penang

Penang (pronounced /pə'næŋ/; Malay: Pulau Pinang) is the name of an island in the Straits of Malacca, and also of one of the states of Malaysia, located on the north-west coast of peninsular Malaysia. It is nicknamed Pulau Mutiara or Pearl of the Orient. Penang is the second smallest state in Malaysia after Perlis, and the eighth most populous. A resident of Penang is colloquially known as a Penangite.

[edit] Name

The island was referred to as 檳榔嶼 (Bīnláng Xù) in the navigational drawings used by Admiral Zheng He of Ming-dynasty China in his expeditions to the South Seas in the 15th century. Early Malays called it Pulau Ka-Satu or "First Island".

The name "Penang" comes from the modern Malay name Pulau Pinang, which means island of the betel nut tree (Areca catechu), family Palmae. In Chinese, Penang is known as 檳城 (pinyin: Bīnchéng / Bīngchéng). All three names can refer either to the island of Penang, the state of Penang or sometimes the state capital, George Town.

More specifically, George Town is known as Tanjung in Malay and 喬治市 (Qiáozhì Shì) in Chinese. Penang Island is simply Pulau Pinang (/'pulaʊ 'pinaŋ/) in Malay and 檳榔嶼 (Bīnláng Xù) in Chinese, and Penang state is Negeri Pulau Pinang in Malay and 檳州 (Bīn Zhōu) in Chinese.

[edit] Geography

State of Penang

The state is geographically and administratively divided into two sections:

Penang Island: an island of 293 square kilometres located in the Straits of Malacca; and

Seberang Perai (also known as Province Wellesley): a narrow hinterland of 760 square kilometres on the Malay peninsula across a narrow channel whose smallest width is 4 km (2.5 miles). It is bordered by Kedah in the north (demarcated by the Muda River) and east, and Perak in the south.

The body of water between Penang Island and Seberang Perai is the North Channel to the north of George Town and the South Channel to the south of George Town. Penang Island is irregularly shaped, with a granitic, hilly and mostly forested interior, the highest point being Western Hill (part of Penang Hill) at 830 metres above sea level. The coastal plains are narrow, the most extensive of which is in the northeast which forms a triangular promontory where George Town, the state capital is situated. The topography of Province Wellesley is mostly flat. Butterworth, the main town in Province Wellesley, lies along the Perai River estuary and faces George Town at a distance of 3 km (2 miles) across the channel to the east.

[edit] Towns

Besides George Town and Butterworth, there are several other towns in the State of Penang, including:

[edit] Outlying islets

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

Pulau Gedung
Pulau Kendi (Coral Island)

[edit] Climate

Penang enjoys a year-round equatorial climate which is warm and sunny, along with plentiful rainfall, especially during the southwest monsoon from April to September. The climate is very much dictated by the surrounding sea and the wind system. Penang's proximity with Sumatra, Indonesia makes it susceptible to dust particles carried by wind from perennial but transient forest fires, creating a phenomenon known as the haze.

The Bayan Lepas Regional Meteorological Office is the primary weather forecast facility for northern Peninsular Malaysia.

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

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average min (°C)	23.2	23.5	23.7	24.1	24.2	23.8	23.4	23.4	23.2	23.3	23.3	23.4
Average max (°C)	31.6	32.2	32.2	31.9	31.6	31.4	31.0	30.9	30.4	30.4	30.4	30.7
Lowest recorded (°C)	19	19	19	20	19	20	22	21	20	20	18	20
Highest recorded (°C)	37	36	36	37	35	36	35	35	36	34	35	35
Average rainfall (millimeters)	69	72	146	221	203	178	192	242	356	383	232	114
Ave no of days with 1 mm	5	6	9	14	14	11	12	14	18	19	15	9

Source: National Environment Agency

[edit] Demography

The state has the highest population density in Malaysia with 2,031.74 people per square kilometre on the island and 865.99 people per square kilometre on the mainland. Penang is the only state in Malaysia where ethnic Chinese forms the majority. The ethnic composition in 2006 was:

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

Ethnic Chinese: 638,900 (43.2%)
Malay: 601,200 (40.1%)^{[citation needed]}
Ethnic Indian: 158,000 (9.9%)
Others:
- Bumiputra - other than Malay: 5,600 (0.38%)
- Non-bumiputra: 91,200 (6.1%)

There were Jewish and Armenian communities in Penang before World War II, but these dissipated as a result of the Japanese occupation and the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. A small but commercially significant community of German merchants also existed in Penang. Today, Penang has a sizeable expatriate population especially from Japan and Britain, many of which settling in Penang after their retirement as part of the Malaysia My Second Home programme.

The greater metropolitan area of Penang Island, Seberang Prai and neighbouring towns such as Sungai Petani and Kulim has a population of over 2 million [1], around the same as metropolitan Johor Bahru and second only to the Klang Valley.

[edit] Peranakan

A restaurant serving Baba-Nyonya cuisine.

The Peranakan, also known as the Straits Chinese or Baba-Nyonya, are the descendants of the early Chinese immigrants to Penang as well as to Malacca and Singapore. They have partially adopted Malay customs and speak a Chinese-Malay creole. The Peranakan community possesses a distinct identity in terms of food, costume, rites, crafts and culture. Most of the Peranakan Chinese are not Muslims but practise ancestor worship and Chinese religion. During British rule, the Peranakan had a reputation of being loyal British subjects and many of them adopted British mannerisms. They prided themselves as being Anglophone and distinguished themselves from the newly-arrived Chinamen or sinkheh. The Peranakan, however, are almost extinct today due to their re-absorption into the mainstream Chinese community. However, their legacy lives on in their great cuisine, their intricate nyonya kebaya costume and exquisite handicrafts.

[edit] Language

The common languages of Penang, depending on social classes, social circles, and ethnic backgrounds are English, Penang Hokkien, and Malay. Mandarin, which is taught in Chinese-medium schools in the state, is also increasingly spoken.

Penang Hokkien is a variant of Minnan and is widely spoken by a substantial proportion of the Penang populace who are descendants of early Chinese settlers. It bears strong resemblance to the language spoken by Chinese living in the Indonesian city of Medan and is based on the Minnan dialect of Zhangzhou prefecture in Fujian province, China, but incorporates a large number of loanwords from Malay and English. Many Penangites who are not ethnically Chinese are also able to speak in Hokkien. Most Penang Hokkien speakers are not literate in Hokkien but instead read and write in standard (Mandarin) Chinese, English and/or Malay.

Malay is spoken locally with north-western dialect features, such as hang for "you" and depa for "they/them".

English is a working language widely used in business and commerce, and is also the language of instruction of Science and Mathematics in schools. English used in an official or formal context is predominantly British English with some American influences. Spoken English, as in the rest of Malaysia, is often in the form of Manglish (Malaysian colloquial English).

Other languages, including Cantonese and Tamil, are also spoken in the state. Teochew is heard more in Province Wellesley than on Penang Island.

[edit] Religion

The official religion of Penang is Islam and the head of Islam is the Yang Dipertuan Agong, but other religions are freely practised. These are Buddhism, in the Theravada, Mahayana and increasingly also Vajrayana traditions, Taoism, Chinese folk religion, Hinduism, Catholicism, Protestantism (the largest denominations of which are the Methodists, Seventh-day Adventists, Anglican, Presbyterian and Baptists) and Sikhism- reflecting Penang's diverse ethnic and socio-cultural amalgamation.

[edit] Character of Penang

Being one of the earliest, most established urban centres in Malaya, Penang has often prided herself on her progress while at the same time relishing her traditional and enduring values, way of life and mannerism. Old Penang evoked images of the slow-paced lifestyle of merchants and planters in the Far East, where European culture intermingled with Eastern customs and colonial buildings stood next to attap houses and rickshaw pullers and where electric trams met bullock carts. Chinese influence has always been more evident in urban areas due to their superior numbers while the Malays, until recent times, have largely resided in the rural areas. Malays although given special rights consider themselves a marginalised race in Penang.

21st century Penang remains a thriving commercial (and now industrial) centre with a relatively high standard of living. However, in terms of development it has been overtaken in recent years by the Klang Valley, which is the political and economic heart of modern Malaysia. While the slower rate of development in Penang has left much of its cultural and architectural heritage intact, what development there has been has been poorly managed due to underfunding in infrastructure by the federal government, corruption and the breakdown of participatory local government since the late 1960s. Nonetheless, Penangites maintain a strong civic identity rooted in Penang's former pre-eminence, reinforced by a strong local cultural and linguistic identity.

[edit] History

Main article: History of Penang

Penang, originally part of the Malay sultanate of Kedah, was given to the British East India Company in 1786 by the Sultan of Kedah, in exchange for military protection from Siamese and Burmese armies who were threatening Kedah. On 11 August 1786, Captain Francis Light, known as the founder of Penang, landed in Penang and renamed it Prince of Wales Island in honour of the heir to the British throne.

Unbeknownst to the Sultan, Light had acted without the approval of the East India Company when he promised military protection. When the Company failed to aid Kedah when it was attacked by Siam, the Sultan tried to retake the island in 1790. The attempt was unsuccessful, and the Sultan was forced to cede the island to the Company for an honorarium of 6,000 Spanish dollars per annum. This was later increased to 10,000 dollars, with Province Wellesley (Seberang Prai) being added to Penang in 1800. An annual honorarium of 10,000 ringgits continues to this day to be paid by the Malaysian Federal Government to the state of Kedah.

In 1826, Penang, along with Malacca and Singapore, became part of the Straits Settlements under the British administration in India, moving to direct British colonial rule in 1867. In 1946 it became part of the Malayan Union, before becoming in 1948 a state of the Federation of Malaya, which gained independence in 1957 and became Malaysia in 1963.

The island was a free port until 1969. Despite the loss of the island's free-port status, from the 1970s to the late 1990s the state built up one of the largest electronics manufacturing bases in Asia, in the Free Trade Zone around the airport in the south of the island.

Incorporated into	Date
Straits Settlements	1826
Crown Colony	1867
Japanese occupation	19 December, 1945
Malayan Union	1 April, 1946
Federation of Malaya	1 February, 1948
Independence	31 August, 1957
Malaysia	16 September, 1963

[edit] State government

A view of George Town, with Butterworth in the background on the other side of the North Channel.

The state has its own state legislature and executive, but these have very limited powers in comparison with those of the Malaysian federal authorities.

[edit] Executive

Penang is one of only four states in Malaysia not to have a hereditary Malay Ruler or Sultan, being a former British settlement, the other three being Malacca, also a British settlement, whose sultanate was ended by the Portuguese conquest in 1511, and the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak.

The head of the state executive is a Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia). The present Governor is Tun Dato' Seri Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Abbas. In practice the Governor is a figurehead, and he acts upon the advice of the state Executive Council, which is appointed from the majority party in the Legislative Assembly.

The current Chief Minister of Penang, Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon is from the Gerakan party whose representatives have held the chief-ministership since 1969. It is the only state chief-ministership in Malaysia which is held by an ethnic Chinese, reflecting the state's ethnic majority. The Chief Minister heads the State Executive Council, the highest administrative body in the state, which answers to the Legislative Assembly. The state Secretariat and other state or federal government departments assist the Executive Council in the state administration. Most of the government offices are housed in the 65-storey KOMTAR.

There have been occasional calls by UMNO members of the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional (BN), to rotate the position of Chief Minister between BN component parties, but this has consistently been rejected by the Barisan leadership. Such demand reached new heights in 2006 on allegations of the marginalisation of the Malay populace. Interestingly, one of the more vocal proponents is Khairy Jamaludin, the son-in-law of the current Malaysian Prime Minister, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. It is to be noted that during Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad's tenure of prime ministership, he refuted claims of marginalisation by alluding to the Malay-governed state of Kelantan. In fact, Malays in Penang are only second to their counterparts in the Klang Valley. They fare better than those from other states such as Kedah, Perlis and Terengganu.

The current Malaysian Prime Minister, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, hails from the mainland town of Kepala Batas, whereas the former Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim is from the town of Bukit Mertajam, also in Province Wellesley.

[edit] Local Authorities

There are two local authorities in Penang, the Municipal Council of Penang Island (Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang) [2] and the Municipal Council of Province Wellesley (Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai)[3]. Local councillors have been appointed by the state government since local elections were abolished in Malaysia in the 1960s. Both municipal councils are made up of a president, a municipal secretary and 24 councillors. The president is appointed by the State Government for two-year terms of office while the councillors are appointed for one-year terms of office. The state is divided into 5 administrative divisions:

The City Hall housing the Municipal Council of Penang Island

The Town Hall

Penang Island:
- North-East District (Daerah Timur Laut)
- South-West District (Daerah Barat Daya)

Seberang Perai (Province Wellesley):
- Central Province Wellesley (Seberang Perai Tengah)
- Northern Province Wellesley (Seberang Perai Utara)
- Southern Province Wellesley (Seberang Perai Selatan)

Each district is headed by a district officer.

The following table shows the succession of the heads of governments of Penang from its founding years to the present day.

Head of Government	From	To
British colonial period
Superintendent	11 Aug 1786	1799
Lieutenant governor	1799	1805
Governor	1805	1826
Resident councillor	1849	1941
Japanese occupation (World War II)
Japanese governor	Dec 1941	1945
Postwar British rule
British military governor	1945	1946
Resident commissioner	1946	1947
After Independence
Yang Dipertua Negeri/Governor (ceremonial)	31 Aug 1957	Present
Chief minister	12 June 1959	Present

[edit] Legislature

The State Assembly Building

The unicameral state legislature, whose members are called state assemblymen, convenes at the neoclassical state Legislative Assembly (Dewan Undangan Negeri) building at Light Street. It has 40 seats, 38 of which is held by the ruling Barisan Nasional party while the remaining two are each held by the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and PAS.

In the Malaysian Parliament, Penang is represented by 13 elected Members of Parliament in the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives), serving a five-year term, and has two senators in the Dewan Negara (Senate), both appointed by the state Legislative Assembly to serve a three-year term.

[edit] Judiciary

The court system in the Federation had its origin in the 1807 charter known as the First Charter of Justice whereby the British East India Company obtained from the British Crown the right to establish a permanent Court of Judicature in the settlement of Penang.

Today, the judicial power is almost completely vested in the federal court system. The Supreme Court Building in Light Street and Farquhar Street houses the Penang registry of the High Court of Malaya as well as the George Town Sessions Court and Magistrates courts. The Penang Prison is located at Jalan Penjara (Gaol Road).

[edit] Economy

[edit] Industry

Penang state is today the third-largest economy amongst the states of Malaysia, after Selangor and Johor. Manufacturing is the most important component of the Penang economy, contributing 45.9% of the State's GDP (2000). The southern part of the island is highly industrialised with high-tech electronics plants (such as Dell, Intel, AMD, Altera, Motorola, Agilent, Hitachi, Osram, Plexus, Bosch and Seagate) located within the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone. In January 2005, Penang was formally accorded the Multimedia Super Corridor Cyber City status, the first outside of Cyberjaya, with the aim of becoming a high-technology industrial park that conducts cutting-edge research. In recent years, however, the state is experiencing a gradual decline of foreign direct investments due to factors such as cheaper labour costs in China and India, and arguably, lagging human capital.

The entrepôt trade has greatly declined, due in part to the loss of Penang's free-port status, but also due to the active development of Port Klang near the federal capital Kuala Lumpur. However, there is a container terminal in Butterworth which continues to service the northern area.

Other important sectors of Penang's economy include tourism, finance, shipping and other services.

The Penang Development Corporation (PDC) is the state development agency to develop, plan, implement and promote development projects in the form of socio-economic interests on behalf of the State Government of Penang. It functions as the investment arm of the state government.

[edit] Agriculture

Penang agriculture is mainly made up of the major export crops of rubber and oil palm and some cocoa, the food commodities comprising paddy, fruits, coconut, vegetables, livestock which is dominated by poultry and swine, fisheries and aquaculture, and new emerging industries such as ornamental fishes and floriculture [4].

Owing to limited land size and the highly industrialised nature of Penang's economy, agriculture is given little emphasis. In fact, agriculture is the only sector to record negative growth in the state, contributing only 1.3% to the state GDP in 2000. The share of Penang's paddy area to the national paddy area accounts for only 4.9%

[edit] Banking

The HSBC building at 1 Downing Street

The Standard Chartered Bank building at 2 Beach Street

Penang was the centre of banking of Malaysia at a time when Kuala Lumpur was still a small outpost. The oldest bank in Malaysia, Standard Chartered Bank opened its doors in 1875. The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, now known as HSBC traced its history back to the opening of the first HSBC office in Penang in 1885. The Dutch-based ABN AMRO Bank opened its first office in Penang in 1888 to cater to the financial requirements of the early European traders. Most of the older banks still maintain their local headquarters on Beach Street, the old commercial centre of George Town.

Today, Penang remains a banking hub with branches of Citibank, United Overseas Bank, and Bank Negara Malaysia (the Malaysian central bank) together with local banks like Public Bank, Maybank, Ambank and CIMB Bank.

[edit] Food

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

Hawker food centre at Gurney Drive.

Main article: Penang cuisine

Penang island is a paradise for food lovers who come from all over Malaysia and even Singapore to sample the island's unique cuisine, earning Penang the nickname of the food capital of Malaysia. Penang was recognised as having the Best Street Food in Asia by TIME magazine in 2004, citing that nowhere else can such great tasting food be so cheap. Penang's cuisine reflects the Chinese, Nyonya, Malay and Indian ethnic mix of Malaysia, but is also strongly influenced by the cuisine of Thailand to the north. Its especially famous "hawker food" is sold and eaten by the street feature strongly in noodles and fresh seafood. Great places to savour Penang's food are Gurney Drive, Pulau Tikus, New Lane, Swatow Lane, Penang Road and Chulia Street. Local Chinese restaurants serve excellent fares too. American fast food outlets and coffee joints are readily found throughout the state. Japanese, Korean, Italian and Western food are also popular.

[edit] Arts and Culture

Main article: Culture of Penang

[edit] Architecture

Main article: Architecture of Penang

[edit] Tourism

Tanjung Bunga

Main article: Tourism in Penang

[edit] Education

Main article: Education in Penang

[edit] Infrastructure

[edit] Healthcare

Healthcare in Penang is provided by public as well as private hospitals. The healthcare system in Penang is generally considered to be good, and the public healthcare system first established by the colonial authorities was supplemented by healthcare provided by local Chinese charities, and Christian missionaries such as Roman Catholic and Seventh-day Adventist missionary groups. Hospices are also increasingly becoming the choice for long-term and terminal care.

Public Hospitals

Penang Island

Penang General Hospital (main)
Balik Pulau Hospital

Province Wellesley

Seberang Jaya Hospital (main)
Bukit Mertajam Hospital
Sungai Bakap Hospital
Kepala Batas Hospital

Private Hospitals

Island Hospital
Gleneagles Medical Centre
Pantai Mutiara Hospital
Loh Guan Lye Specialist Centre
Lam Wah Ee Hospital
Penang Adventist Hospital
Tanjung Medical Centre
Mt Miriam Hospital
Srigim Medical Centre
Bukit Mertajam Specialist Hospital

In addition to public hospitals are numerous smaller community clinics. Private hospitals supplement the system with better facilities and equipments. These hospitals cater not only to the local population but also to people from other states and health tourists from neighbouring countries. Patients from the Indonesian city of Medan across the Straits regularly visit these hospitals for quality treatment, and because the cost is less than in places like Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Penang is, therefore, actively promoting health tourism.

[edit] Transportation

Getting to Penang both from within and outside Malaysia is easy as Penang is well-connected by road, rail, sea and air.

[edit] Bridge, roads and highways

The 13.5 km long Penang Bridge

Penang Island is connected to the mainland by the 13.5-kilometre Penang Bridge (completed in 1985), one of the longest bridges in Asia. Due to heavy traffic, the bridge is currently being broadened into 3 lanes from the current two. On March 31, 2006, the Malaysian Government announced a second bridge project, tentatively named the Penang Second Bridge, to be built under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

Penang on the side of Province Wellesley is connected to the North-South Expressway (Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan), the 966-km long expressway which traverses the western part of Peninsular Malaysia linking major cities and towns. The expressway also incorporates the Penang Bridge.

The controversial Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) is now under way. The idea of the project is to cut travelling time on the eastern part of the island. Concerned citizens voiced protests over the designated route which will cut across quiet residential areas and also cause some environmental damage. Another expressway, the Jelutong Expressway has reduced travelling time from the Penang Bridge to the city centre by half.

The Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) is a 14-km tolled expressway that serves primarily Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam to ameliorate the upsurge in vehicular traffic due to intense urban and industrial development.

Unfortunately, modern transportation has also brought the problem of traffic congestion to the roads of Penang, as most of the roads in the city centre are narrow, due to lack of proper planning and also primarily because these lanes and alleys were built so long ago. Many of them have since been converted into one-way streets in order to smoothen traffic flow. Roads in the city outskirts and in Province Wellesley, however, are broad and modern because these areas were more recently populated and thus could anticipate heavier traffic. As traffic congestion worsen by the year, the government desperately needs to come up with a comprehensive solution to the erratic public transportation problem.

[edit] Public transport

Buses and taxis in George Town

Penang boasted an efficient public transport network right up to the 1970s. Electric trams, trolleybuses and double deckers used to ply the streets of Penang. The Penang Hill Railway, a funicular railway to the top of Penang Hill, was an engineering feat of sorts when it was completed in 1923, and is still in use today.

The Penang bus services today are generally unsystematic and do not have a reputation of reliability. Therefore, the usage of public transportation is still low, exacerbating the traffic jams in the city during rush hours. The city council has, however, provided free shuttle bus services for short intra-city travel to lessen the congestion, with mixed success. In April 2006, the local authorities announced a revamp of the public bus service to bring about a more reliable and efficient network without any visible progress. On February 20, 2007, the government announced that Rapid KL will operate the public bus service in Penang under the new entity called Rapid Penang which is formed for this purpose.

There are two main bus terminals for express buses which travel out of the state. One is located at the ferry terminal in Province Wellesley, and a newer one at Sungai Nibong on the island.

Taxis in Penang have not conformed to the meter system as exhorted by the federal authorities, citing unprofitability. A new ruling implemented on August 1, 2006 makes it compulsory for taxis to use the meter system. Although taxi drivers have been repeatedly warned by the state government and the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB), the meter system is still not adhered to by taxi drivers in Penang.

A quaint mode of transportation, the three-wheeled trishaw, still operates in certain parts of George Town. However, with the advent of modern transportation, the trishaw has increasingly become a mere tourist attraction.

[edit] Rail and monorail

Penang has 34.9 km of rail track within its border[5]. Butterworth is serviced by the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) or Malayan Railway West Coast line which runs from Padang Besar on the Malaysia-Thailand Border in Perlis to Singapore. Senandung Malam is the daily night express running from Kuala Lumpur to Haadyai via Butterworth. Trains are not a popular mode of transportation due to their low speed and also because of the availability of buses which are more convenient, as well as high ownership of cars.

Penang has had a monorail under consideration since 1999. The Penang Monorail project was finally approved on March 31, 2006 under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. On August 2, 2006, the federal government has decided to build the monorail transit system in the city of George Town. This monorail line will connect Tanjung Tokong in the north with Bayan Lepas in the south.

[edit] Airport

Penang International Airport (PEN) is located in Bayan Lepas in the south of the island, and international flights are available to London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Medan, Taipei, Bangkok, Seoul, Riau, Xiamen and Guangzhou. The airport serves as the northern gateway to Malaysia.

In 2006, the airport handled 3.1 million passengers, both domestic and international, and 22.22 million metric tonne of cargo in 2005 from within and outside the country[6]. The airport is the hub of Firefly, a low-cost carrier wholly owned by Malaysia Airlines.

[edit] Ferry and seaports

A Penang ferry docking at the Butterworth jetty

Cross-channel ferry services, provided by the Penang Ferry Service, connect George Town and Butterworth, and were the only link between the island and the mainland until the bridge was built in 1985. High-speed ferries to the resort island of Langkawi, Kedah in the north as well as to Medan, Indonesia are also available daily.

The Port of Penang is operated by the Penang Port Commission. There are four terminals, one on Penang island (Swettenham Pier) and three on the mainland, namely North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT), Butterworth Deep Water Wharves (BDWW), and Prai Bulk Cargo Terminal (PBCT). Malaysia being the 13th largest exporting nation, the Port of Penang plays a leading role in the nation's shipping industry, linking Penang to more than 200 ports worldwide. Swettenham Pier also accommodates cruise ships.

[edit] Utilities

Water supply which comes under the state jurisdiction, is wholly managed by the state-owned but autonomous PBA Holdings Bhd whose sole subsidiary is the Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang Sdn Bhd (PBAPP). This public limited company provides reliable, round-the-clock drinking water to 100% of the urban areas and 99.5% of the rural areas throughout the state. Penang was cited by the World Development Movement as a case study in successful public water scheme. PBA's water rates are also one of the lowest in the world [7]. Penang's water supply is sourced from the Air Itam Dam, Mengkuang Dam, Teluk Bahang Dam, Bukit Panchor Dam, Berapit Dam, Cherok Tok Kun Dam, Waterfall Reservoir, Guillemard Reservoir, and also from neighbouring Kedah state.

Penang was among the first states in Malaya to be electrified in 1905 upon the completion of the first hydroelectric scheme. At present, electricity for industrial and domestic consumption is provided by the national electricity utility company, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).

Telekom Malaysia Berhad is the landline telephone service provider as well as the main Internet service provider in the state. Penang also has excellent cell phone coverage. Broadband internet is also widely available.

Garbage collection and disposal is managed by the respective local authorities. The main landfill is the modern Pulau Burung landfill near Nibong Tebal.

Sewage treatment in Penang is managed by the national sewerage company, Indah Water Konsortium. Prior to systematic sewerage piping and treatment, waste water was haphazardly disposed, mostly in the sea, causing environmental pollution. It is not uncommon to see washing water from roadside pushcart stalls simply released into the open drainage system. Litter floating in drains and canals is not an uncommon sight.

[edit] Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)

Penang is one of the hotbeds of social activism in the country. Anwar Fazal, who is one of the world's leading social advocate, together with several individuals founded the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) in 1969. The country's most vocal and active consumer protection group, CAP strives to protect the interests of consumers and is a vociferous critic of both the government and private enterprises. It publishes the Utusan Konsumer, Utusan Pengguna, Utusan Cina, Utusan Tamil, Majalah Pengguna Kanak-kanak. Anwar Fazal is also known as the "Father of the Malaysian NGO Movement" and "Ralph Nader of the East".

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action WABA is an organization based in Penang whose objectives are to protect, promote and support breastfeeding globally. In particular, their objectives are to re-establish and maintain a global breastfeeding culture, to eliminate all obstacles to breastfeeding, to promote more regional and national level co-operation, and to advocate for breastfeeding in development, women, environment and human rights programmes.

The Penang Heritage Trust is an NGO whose objective is to promote the conservation of Penang's heritage, and to foster cultural education about the history and heritage of Penang. PHT works to enlist the historic enclave of George Town as a World Heritage Site. The organisation had played an important role in saving many heritage buildings in Penang from the encroachment of development.

The Women's Centre for Change Penang (WCC) is a non-profit organisation which supports women and children in crisis.

Friends of the Penang Botanic Gardens Society is a voluntary organisation dedicated to supporting the botanic, horticultural, educational and recreational objectives of the Penang Botanic Gardens.

[edit] Crime

Crime is on the rise in Penang, sparking concern among Penangites. A case in point was the daring RM 50 million heist of computer parts at the Batu Maung Free Commercial Zone on 21 November 2006, the nation's biggest robbery to date [8]. The prevalence of petty crimes like snatch thefts is equally disconcerting. This debacle is due in part to the police force which is, for years, markedly understaffed and overstretched. The low presence and visibility of the police force is emboldening potential criminals. The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) has promised major reforms and pledged to increase street and neighbourhood patrols.

[edit] Sports

Tanjung City Marina

The state has good sporting facilities which provide good training grounds for aspiring sportsmen. The two major stadia are the City Stadium in George Town and the Batu Kawan Stadium in southern Province Wellesley. The Penang International Sports Arena (PISA) in Relau has an indoor stadium and an aquatics centre.

Penang has 4 golf courses, namely the 18-hole Bukit Jambul Country Club (on the island), the 36-hole Bukit Jawi Golf Resort, the 18-hole Penang Golf Resort and the 18-hole Kristal Golf Resort.

The Penang Turf Club, established in 1864, is Malaysia's oldest horse racing and equestrian centre. The turf club is to be relocated to a new site now under construction in Province Wellesley.

Eminent sports clubs in Penang include the Bukit Mertajam Country Club, Penang Club, Chinese Recreation Club (CRC), Penang Sports Club, Penang Rifle Club, Penang Polo Club, Penang Swimming Club, Chinese Swimming Club, Penang Squash Centre and the prestigious Penang Yacht Club in Batu Ferringhi. A marina, named Tanjung City Marina which can accommodate up to 140 yachts and boats of various sizes has been built in Weld Quay to attract seafarers from around the world.

Penang also hosts the annual Starwalk and the Penang Bridge Run and Marathon.

[edit] Consulates

Many countries have their consulates in Penang in addition to one in Kuala Lumpur. Foreign representations in Penang are:

Royal Thai Consulate-General [9]
Consulate-General of Japan [10]
Australian Consulate [11]
Royal Danish Consulate
Royal Norwegian Consulate [12]
Russian Consulate [13]
Consulate of Canada [14]
Honorary Consulate of Sweden [15]
German Consulate [16]
Indonesian Consulate [17]
Consulate of the Netherlands [18]
Consulate-General of France [19]
Honorary Consulate of Finland [20]
Sri Lankan Consulate [21]
Hungarian Consulate [22]
Office of the Honorary British Consul [23]

[edit] Penang's Firsts

Penang became the first British outpost in the then Malaya and South East Asia in 1786.
The country's very first newspaper made its appearance in Penang in 1805 - the Prince of Wales Island Gazette. This was followed by the Penang Gazette, first published in 1837.[24]
The Royal Malaysian Police was established when King George III awarded Penang a 'Charter of Justice’ at Fort Cornwallis in 1807 to form the police force and the Court of Justice.
Penang Free School founded by Rev. Sparke Hutchings in 1816, is the first and oldest English School in South East Asia.
St George's Anglican Church on Farquhar Street, established in 1816, is the oldest Anglican Church in South East Asia.
The Sekolah Kebangsaan Gelugor in Penang founded in 1826 is the first Malay school to be established in Malaysia. [25]
Convent Light Street or the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus, a girls' school established by a French Sisters' Mission in 1852, is the oldest girls' school in South East Asia.
The Municipal Council of Penang Island (Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang), is the successor of the Municipal Council of George Town, which was established in 1857 as Malaysia's first local authority.
The Penang Turf Club, established in 1864, is Malaysia's oldest horse racing and equestrian centre.
Standard Chartered Bank, the oldest bank in Malaysia, opened its doors in 1875.
In 1905 Penang completed its first hydroelectric scheme.
in 1906 Penang's first electric tramway made its appearance.
The world's oldest Chinese newspaper still in circulation today, Kwong Wah Yit Poh or Kwong Wah Daily (光华日报) was founded on 20 December 1910 by Dr. Sun Yat-Sen in Penang.
The Penang Players Music and Drama Society, the oldest English amateur theatre group in Malaysia, was founded in the early 1950s by a group of expatriates residing in Penang.
On 1 January 1957, George Town became a city by a royal charter granted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, becoming the first town in the Federation of Malaya to become a city.
Penang's water rates/tariffs are amongst the lowest in Malaysia (the other being Kelantan).
Covering 738 km², the Seberang Perai Municipal Council (Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai) is the largest local authority in Malaysia.
The 2,562-hectare Penang National Park in Teluk Bahang gazetted in 2003 is the world’s smallest national park. [26]

[edit] Famous Penangites

Anwar Fazal, who Mother Earth News called in 1983 "probably the most influential figure in the worldwide consumer movement"[27].
Anwar Ibrahim, the ex-deputy prime minister during Tun Dr Mahathir's administration, whose hometown is Cherok Tok Kun.
Abdullah Ariff, the distinguished Malaysian artist.
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysia's fifth Prime Minister, is from Kepala Batas, Penang.
James W (Jimmy) Boyle, legendary composer, arranger and musician.
Eddy Choong, the four-time All England champion [28] and other badminton legends such as Johnny Heah, Ooi Teik Hock, Lim Say Hup, Teh Kew San, Tan Aik Huang and Tan Aik Mong.
Jimmy Choo, the famous shoe designer.
Nicol David, the current international women's squash champion.
Jack Ong, Head of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and Hon. Secretary of Penang Heritage Trust.
P.Ramlee, Malaysia's legendary actor/singer/director.
Li Yi (李逸), Chinese singer of the 1970s whose promising singing career was cut short by a fatal road mishap in 1980.
Musicians Larry Rodrigues, Rudy Baum, Joe Rozells, Collen Read.
Tan Sri Dato' Loh Boon Siew, a tycoon famous for his Boon Siew Honda.
Dr. Wu Lien Teh (1879 - 1960), world-renowned Plague Fighter and pioneer in the modernization of China's public health system
John H. Whyte, the political scientist, was born in Penang.
Dr Ooi Kee Beng, coordinator of the Institute of South-East Asian Studies' (ISEAS) Malaysia Study programme based in Singapore and author of "The Reluctant Politician: Tun Dr Ismail and His Time", the biography of the first deputy prime minister of Malaysia.

[edit] Quotes

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

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

[edit] References in popular culture

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

Indochine (1992).
Beyond Rangoon (1995).
The Touch (2002) featuring Michelle Yeoh.
20th Century Fox's Anna and the King (1999) featuring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fatt.
Ang Lee's Lust, Caution (in development).

Penang was featured in or alluded to in novels such as:

The Penang Pirate by John Conroy Hutcheson.
The Man Who Could Work Miracles by H. G. Wells [29].
The Phantom Ship by Frederick Marryat [30].
The Crab That Played with the Sea by Rudyard Kipling [31].
Threshold of Hell by Albert J. Rupp, a crew member of the USS Grenadier SS210 submarine who were captured by Japanese in April 1941 along with 75 others, recounted in the book the dark days when he was interned at Convent Light Street in Penang.

[edit] State song

The lyrics of the state anthem are as follows:

Selamat Tuhan kurniakan
Selamat Pulau Pinang
Negeriku yang mulia
Kutaat dan setia
Aman dan bahagia
Majulah jayalah
Negeriku yang ku cinta
Bersatu dan bersama
Untuk negeri kita

[edit] Trivia

Penang was voted as one of the best cities in Asia by Asiaweek. It was ranked 6th in 1998 and 9th in 2000.
Penang ranked as the 10th most liveable city in Asia in 2007, according to an international survey involving 254 cities in Asia by Employment Conditions Abroad Limited (ECA International). Back in 2002, it was placed 12th. A city is judged based on its weather, air quality, infrastructure, health services, housing, security and politics.
Many early settlers succumbed to malaria, earning Penang the unenviable epithet of "the White Man's Grave".

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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

Joshua Eliot & Jane Bickersteth: Malaysia Handbook, 4th edition, Footprint Handbooks Ltd, 2002

Khoo Salma Nasution: More Than Merchants: A History of the German-speaking Community in Penang, 1800s-1940s, Areca Books, 2006

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Penang

Penang Heritage Trust
Penang page on the official portal of the ministry of tourism malaysia
Penang - Articles about Penang
Satellite map of Penang from Google Maps
Penang travel guide from Wikitravel
Penang State Government
Official Penang Tourism Website

	Penang
Districts: North East Penang Island \| South West Penang Island \| North Seberang Perai \| Central Seberang Perai \| South Seberang Perai
City: George Town (capital)
Towns: Air Itam \| Bagan Ajam \| Balik Pulau \| Batu Ferringhi \| Batu Kawan \| Batu Maung \| Bayan Lepas \| Bukit Mertajam \| Butterworth \| Ceruk Tok Kun \| Gelugor \| Jawi \| Jelutong \| Juru \| Kepala Batas \| Nibong Tebal \| Pantai Aceh \| Permatang Pauh \| Perai \| Seberang Jaya \| Sungai Ara \| Sungai Bakap \| Sungai Dua \| Tanjung Bungah \| Tanjung Tokong \| Teluk Bahang \| Val d'Or
Islands: Pulau Aman \| Pulau Betong \| Pulau Gedung \| Pulau Jerejak \| Pulau Kendi \| Pulau Rimau \| Pulau Tikus

v • d • e States and Federal Territories of Malaysia
States	Johor • Kedah • Kelantan • Malacca • Negeri Sembilan • Pahang • Perak • Perlis • Penang • Sabah • Sarawak • Selangor • Terengganu
Federal Territories	Kuala Lumpur • Labuan • Putrajaya

Coordinates: 5°24′N 100°14′E

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../p/e/n/Penang.html"

Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Penang

	Penang
Districts: North East Penang Island \| South West Penang Island \| North Seberang Perai \| Central Seberang Perai \| South Seberang Perai
City: George Town (capital)
Towns: Air Itam \| Bagan Ajam \| Balik Pulau \| Batu Ferringhi \| Batu Kawan \| Batu Maung \| Bayan Lepas \| Bukit Mertajam \| Butterworth \| Ceruk Tok Kun \| Gelugor \| Jawi \| Jelutong \| Juru \| Kepala Batas \| Nibong Tebal \| Pantai Aceh \| Permatang Pauh \| Perai \| Seberang Jaya \| Sungai Ara \| Sungai Bakap \| Sungai Dua \| Tanjung Bungah \| Tanjung Tokong \| Teluk Bahang \| Val d'Or
Islands: Pulau Aman \| Pulau Betong \| Pulau Gedung \| Pulau Jerejak \| Pulau Kendi \| Pulau Rimau \| Pulau Tikus