Penang 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. 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.
Penang Island: an island of 293 square kilometres located in the Straits of Malacca; and
Seberang Perai (used to be 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.
Towns
Besides George Town and Butterworth, there are several other towns in the State of Penang, including:
Greater Metropolitan Area of Penang
A view of George Town, with Butterworth in the background on the other side of the North Channel.
Due to rapid urbanization of Penang and its surrounding area, an entity of metro area is formed in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. This urban area will eventually transform into a conurbation known as the Conurbation of George Town as indicated in National Physical Plan of Malaysia. The Conurbation of George Town, together with the Conurbation of Johor Bahru are designated as Regional Growth Conurbations while the Conurbation of Kuala Lumpur is the National Growth Conurbation.
The greater metropolitan area of Penang consists of highly urbanized Penang Island, Seberang Prai, Sungai Petani, Kulim and the surrounding areas. In terms of population, it is the second largest urban area in Malaysia after the Conurbation of Kuala Lumpur (Klang Valley). According to the 2000 national census, the population of this urban area is about 1.6 million. As for the Conurbation of Kuala Lumpur, the population in 2000 is about 4.9 million while the population of Johor Bahru is 1 million. Currently, the population of this urban area is approximately 2 million.[1],
Under 9th Malaysia Plan, this urban area is referred to as the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER). The Northern Corridor Economic Region is one of the three development regions formed in Peninsular Malaysia, other development regions being the South Johor Economic Region (SJER) or Iskandar Development Region (IDR) and the East Coast Development Region. The Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) encompases Penang (Penang Island and Seberang Prai), Kedah (Alor Star, Sungai Petani and Kulim) and Northern Perak.
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:
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
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, along with
Melacca, are the only states in Malaysia where ethnic Chinese form a plurality. The ethnic composition in 2006 was:
A colonial-era house with a Straits-Chinese art deco eclectic architecture
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 settle in Penang after their retirement as part of the Malaysia My Second Home programme.
Peranakan
A restaurant serving Baba-Nyonya cuisine.
The Peranakan, also known as the Straits Chinese or Baba-Nyonya, are the descendants of the early Chinese immigrants to Penang 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.
Language
The common languages of Penang, depending on social classes, social circles, and ethnic backgrounds are English, Penang Hokkien, Tamil 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.
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.
Characteristics of Penang
Being one of the earliest, most established urban centres in
Malaysia, 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.
History
-
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.
State government
The state has its own state legislature and executive, but these
have very limited powers in comparison with those of the Malaysian
federal authorities.
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 has been continuously held by an ethnic Chinese
since independence, 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 Tun Abdul Razak Complex
(KOMTAR) in the heart of George Town.
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.
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
- 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 |
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.
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