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George Town, Penang

January 08, 2023

George Town is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang. George Town is Malaysia's sixth most populous city with 708,127 inhabitants as of 2010, while Greater Penang, with a population of 2,412,616, is the second largest conurbation in the country after Greater Kuala Lumpur.[6][7][8] The historical core of George Town has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.[9]

George Town
City and state capital
City of Penang Island
Bandaraya Pulau Pinang
Other transcription(s)
 • Jawiجورج تاون‎
 • Mandarin乔治市 (Simplified)
喬治市 (Traditional)
 • Hokkien坡底 / 喬治市
Pho-té / Kiâu-tī-tshī (Tâi-lô)
 • Tamilஜார்ஜ் டவுன்
Jārj Ṭavuṉ (Transliteration)
From top, left to right:
Coat of arms
Nickname: 
Pearl of the Orient[1]
Motto(s): 
Leading We Serve
(Malay: Memimpin Sambil Berkhidmat)
OpenStreetMap
Location of George Town in Penang
George Town
   George Town in    Malaysia
George Town
George Town (Malaysia)
George Town
George Town (Asia)
George Town
George Town (Earth)
Coordinates: 05°24′52″N 100°19′45″E / 5.41444°N 100.32917°E / 5.41444; 100.32917Coordinates: 05°24′52″N 100°19′45″E / 5.41444°N 100.32917°E / 5.41444; 100.32917
Country Malaysia
State Penang
Administrative Areas
List
Founded11 August 1786
Incorporated1857
British crown colony1 April 1867 – 31 August 1957
Japanese occupation19 December 1941 – 3 September 1945
City status1 January 1957[2]
Government
 • TypeLocal government
 • BodyPenang Island City Council
 • MayorYew Tung Seang
Area
[3]
 • City and state capital305.77 km2 (118.06 sq mi)
 • Metro
2,563.15 km2 (989.64 sq mi)
Elevation
[4]
14 m (46 ft)
Population
 (2010)[5]
 • City and state capital708,127 (3rd)
 • Density2,372/km2 (6,140/sq mi)
 • Metro
2,412,616 (2nd)
Time zoneUTC+8 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)Not observed
Postal code
100xx to 108xx
111xx to 118xx
Area code(s)+6042
Vehicle registrationP
Websitewww.mbpp.gov.my
Part ofMelaka and George Town, the Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca
CriteriaCultural: ii, iii, iv
Reference1223-002
Inscription2008 (32nd Session)
Area109.38 ha
Buffer zone150.04 ha

Established as an entrepôt by Francis Light of the East India Company in 1786, George Town was the first British settlement in Southeast Asia.[10] Together with Singapore and Malacca, George Town formed part of the Straits Settlements, which became a British crown colony in 1867. It was subjugated by Japan during World War II, before being recaptured by the British at war's end. Shortly before Malaya attained independence from the British in 1957, George Town was declared a city by Queen Elizabeth II, making it the first city in the country's modern history.

Due to the intermingling of the various ethnicities and religions that arrived on its shores, George Town acquired a large eclectic assortment of colonial and Asian architectural styles.[11] It also gained a reputation as Malaysia's gastronomic capital for its distinct and ubiquitous street food.[12][13][14] Moreover, the city hosts unique cultural heritage, such as the Peranakans, whose legacies are still visible on Penang's architecture and cuisine.

The city of George Town includes the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone, a high-tech manufacturing hub regarded as the "Silicon Valley of the East".[15][16] The city also serves as the financial centre of northern Malaysia and the nation's most vital medical tourism hub.[17][18][19] Logistically, the Penang International Airport links George Town with several major regional cities, while a ferry service, the Penang Bridge and the Second Penang Bridge connect the city with the rest of Peninsular Malaysia. Meanwhile, George Town's Swettenham Pier has emerged as the busiest port of call in Malaysia for cruise ships.[20][21]

Etymology

The city's name comes from the original British settlement that was named in honour of King George III.[22][23] The area before this has also been named "Tanjung Penaga" (Jawi: تنجوڠ ڤناݢ‎‎) due to the abundance of a tree called penaga laut (Calophyllum inophyllum) found in the present town's cape (tanjung).[24] It is often erroneously spelt "Georgetown", which was never the city's official name; such misspelling may have arisen in confusion with other places having the same name.

History

Main article: History of George Town, Penang
Historical affiliations Period
  Kedah Sultanate 1136–1786
  British East India Company 1786–1867
  Straits Settlements 1826–1941; 1945–1946
  Empire of Japan 1941–1945
  Malayan Union 1946–1948
  Federation of Malaya 1948–1963
  Malaysia 1963–Present
 
Fort Cornwallis was built in 1786 to protect Penang Island from amphibious invasion.

Establishment

In the 1770s, the British East India Company instructed Francis Light, a British Royal Navy captain, to form trade relations in the Malay Peninsula.[25][26] Light subsequently landed in Kedah, a Siamese vassal state threatened by both Siam and Burma, as well as an internal Bugis revolt.[25][27] Aware of this situation, Light formed friendly relations with the then Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin II, and promised British military protection, while the Sultan reciprocally offered Penang Island, then part of Kedah.[25][28][29]

Although Light subsequently reported on this offer to his superiors, it was only in 1786 when he was finally ordered to obtain Penang Island from Kedah.[10][25][28] The British East India Company sought control of the island as a Royal Navy base, and as a trading post between China and India.[26] To that end, Light negotiated with the new Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah, regarding the cession of the island to the British East India Company in exchange for British military aid.[10][25][30] After an agreement was signed between Light and the Sultan, Light and his entourage sailed on to Penang Island, where they arrived on 17 July 1786.[31][32]

The area where Light first landed, which is now the Esplanade, was originally a swamp covered in thick jungle.[25][26] Once the area was cleared, a simple ceremony was held on 11 August, during which the Union Jack was raised. Penang Island was renamed the Prince of Wales Island after the heir to the British throne, while the new settlement was given the name George Town.[22][23]

Light developed George Town as a free port, thus allowing merchants to trade without having to pay any form of tax or duties. The policy's intent was to entice traders from the Dutch ports in the region.[33] The number of incoming vessels rose from 85 in 1786 to 3,569 in 1802; George Town's population had also increased to 10,000 by 1792.[34][35][36]

A committee of assessors was established in 1800, making it the first local council to be established in British Malaya.[37] Meanwhile, a Supreme Court was established at Fort Cornwallis in 1808.[38][39]

Colonial era

 
A 1799 map of George Town

In the early 19th century, Penang Island became a centre of spice production within Southeast Asia. Spices such as nutmeg, clove and pepper, produced from the spice farms throughout the island, were exported via the Port of Penang in George Town.[40][41] The spice trade also allowed the British East India Company to cover the administrative costs of Penang.[42]

In 1826, George Town was made the capital of the Straits Settlements, an administrative polity that was also composed of Singapore and Malacca. However, the capital was then shifted to Singapore in 1832, as the latter had usurped George Town's position as the region's preeminent harbour.[43]

 
The Port of Penang at Weld Quay in the 1910s

Nonetheless, George Town retained its importance as a vital British entrepôt.[44][45] Due to the opening of the Suez Canal, the advent of steam ships and a tin mining boom in the Malay Peninsula, the Port of Penang became a major tin-exporting harbour.[46][47] By the end of the 19th century, as mercantile firms and banks, including Standard Chartered and HSBC, flocked into George Town, the city also evolved into a leading financial centre in Malaya.[32][47]

Throughout the century, George Town's population grew rapidly in tandem with the city's economic prosperity. A cosmopolitan, multi-cultural population emerged, comprising Chinese, Malay, Indian, Peranakan, Eurasian, Thai and other ethnicities. However, the population growth also created social problems, such as inadequate sanitation and public health facilities, as well as rampant crime.[48] The latter culminated in the Penang Riots of 1867, during which rival Chinese triads clashed in the streets of George Town.[49][50]

Also in the same year, the Straits Settlements was made a British crown colony, to be governed directly by the Colonial Office in London.[51][52] For George Town, direct British rule meant better law enforcement, as the police force was vastly improved and the secret societies that had previously plagued the city were gradually outlawed.[44][53] More investments were also made on the city's health care and public transportation.[48][54][55]

With improved access to education, a greater level of participation in municipal affairs by its Asian residents and substantial press freedom, George Town was perceived as being more intellectually receptive than Singapore.[44][55][56] The city became a magnet for well known English authors, Asian intellectuals and revolutionaries, including Rudyard Kipling, Somerset Maugham and Sun Yat-sen.[57][58][59]

World Wars

 
The Cenotaph was built in honour of fallen Allied servicemen of World War I.[60]
 
British Royal Marines liberating George Town from the Japanese on 3 September 1945.

At the start of World War I in 1914, the Battle of Penang occurred, during which SMS Emden, an Imperial German Navy cruiser, sank two Allied warships off the coast of George Town. 147 French and Russian sailors were killed.[61]

World War II, on the other hand, brought unparalleled social and political upheaval to Penang. In early December 1941, Japanese warplanes indiscriminately strafed and bombed George Town, and wiped out the defending Allied air squadrons.[62][63] While the British Army had earlier designated Penang Island as a fortress, Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival then ordered a withdrawal from Penang. Not only did the British abandon the Batu Maung Fort south of the city, they also covertly evacuated Penang's European population, leaving the rest of the populace to their fates.[64] Some historians have argued that the withdrawal and the silent evacuation of the European population led to the loss of the British sense of invincibility, and that the collapse of British rule in Southeast Asia came not in Singapore, but in Penang.[65]

George Town fell to the Imperial Japanese Army on 19 December 1941, marking the start of a brutal period of Japanese occupation.[62][66] Penang Island was renamed Tojo-to, after the then Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo.[65] This period was known for the Imperial Japanese Army's massacres of Penang's Chinese populace, known as Sook Ching to the locals.[67] Women in George Town were also coerced to work as comfort women by the Japanese.[68][69]

George Town's harbour facilities were also put to use as a major U-boat base by Nazi Germany.[70][71] Between 1942 and 1944, the Port of Penang was utilised by submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the Kriegsmarine and the Regia Marina.[72][73]

Between 1944 and 1945, Allied bombers based in India repeatedly bombed George Town, seeking to destroy the naval facilities and administrative centres.[62] Several colonial buildings were destroyed or damaged, including the Government Offices, St. Xavier's Institution, Hutchings School (now Penang State Museum) and the Penang Secretariat Building.[47] The Penang Strait was also mined to impede Japanese shipping.[74]

Following the Japanese surrender on 15 August 1945, the Penang Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper, published the proclamation of surrender issued by the Emperor of Japan. Under Operation Jurist, the British Royal Marines accepted the surrender of the Japanese garrison in Penang and retook Penang Island on 3 September 1945.[62]

Post-war

 
The Esplanade, where Francis Light had founded George Town in 1786, was also where George Town's city status was proclaimed in 1957.[75]

After a period of military administration, the British dissolved the Straits Settlements in 1946 and proceeded to merge the Crown Colony of Penang into the Malayan Union, which was then replaced with the Federation of Malaya in 1948. However, the absorption of the British colony of Penang into Malaya alarmed Penang's population over economic and ethnic concerns.[76] Between 1948 and 1951, the Penang Secessionist Committee was formed to avert Penang's merger with Malaya, but ultimately petered out due to British disapproval.[77][78][79]

The British government responded to 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.[77] By 1956, George Town had become the first municipality in the Malayan Federation to have a fully elected local council.[80]

On 1 January 1957, George Town was accorded city status by Queen Elizabeth II, becoming the first city within the Federation of Malaya, and by extension, Malaysia.[81][82][83]

Post-independence

In the following years, George Town retained its free port status, as guaranteed by the British colonial authorities before granting independence to Malaya. This was not to last, however – in 1969, the Malaysian federal government revoked George Town's free port status, sparking massive unemployment in the city.[56][78][84]

This also marked the start of George Town's decline, which lasted up to the early 2000s.[85] As the Malaysian federal government continued to develop Kuala Lumpur and nearby Port Klang, Penang began to suffer considerable brain drain.[56][86][87]

In a bid to revitalise George Town, the Komtar project was launched in 1974. Hundreds of shophouses, schools and temples, as well as whole streets, were demolished in order to make way for the construction of Penang's tallest skyscraper.[56] However, instead of arresting George Town's decline, Komtar itself became a white elephant by the 2000s.[88][89]

In 1974, the George Town City Council was merged with the Penang Island Rural District Council to form the Penang Island Municipal Council, sparking a decades-long debate over George Town's city status.[81][90][91]

Renaissance

 
The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hit the northern coastline of George Town.

The city's decline continued into the early 2000s. In 2001, the Rent Control Act, which had protected the low-income residents and smaller businesses within the city centre from arbitrary rental hikes, was repealed.[56][92][93] Consequently, residents moved out of the city's historical core, leaving its colonial-era buildings in disrepair. Meanwhile, an incoherent urban planning policy and poor traffic management led to worsening traffic congestion, while decades of brain drain also took its toll as the city lacked the expertise to regulate urban development.[30][94][95]

In response, George Town's non-governmental organisations and the national press galvanised public support and formed strategic partnerships for the conservation of the historic buildings, and to restore the city to its former glory.[95][96][97] As a result of the widespread resentment over George Town's decline, the then federal opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat (now Pakatan Harapan), was voted into power within Penang in the 2008 State Election.[30][98][99]

Also in 2008, George Town was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[9] Subsequent efforts to clean up the city, and measures to improve traffic flow, cultural and environmental aspects by the new state government led to George Town being ranked Asia's 8th most liveable city by ECA International in 2010.[100][101][102] The city's services sector has since been boosted by the private sector and an influx of foreign investors.[103][104][105]

The Indian Ocean tsunami which struck in 2004 hit the western and northern coasts of Penang Island, including George Town, claiming 52 lives (out of 68 in Malaysia).[106]

Whilst George Town had been declared a city by Queen Elizabeth II in 1957, the jurisdiction of the city was expanded by the Malaysian federal government to encompass the entirety of Penang Island in 2015.[107][108]

Geography

The jurisdiction of George Town covers an area of 305.77 km2 (118.06 sq mi), encompassing the entirety of Penang Island and five of the surrounding islets, including Jerejak Island.[3][108][109] George Town is only slightly more than a third the size of Singapore with a population density of 2,372/km2 (6,140/sq mi); thus the city has one of the highest population densities of all Malaysian cities.[110][111]

The contiguous hotel and resort belts of Batu Ferringhi and Tanjung Bungah and Tanjung Tokong along the northern beaches of Penang Island form the northwestern fringes of George Town.[112][113] The central hills of Penang Island, including Penang Hill, serve as a giant green lung for George Town and an important forested catchment area. While the central hills have somewhat limited the westward urban sprawl, George Town's expansion is more evident southward along the eastern seaboard of Penang Island, creating the suburbs of Jelutong and Gelugor, the latter merging with the northward development of Bayan Lepas.[112][114]

As with most island cities, land scarcity is a pressing issue in George Town. Land reclamation projects have been carried out to provide more low-lying land at high-demand areas, such as at Gurney Drive, Tanjung Tokong and Jelutong.[115][116][117]

Cityscape

 
Skyline of George Town, as seen from Gurney Drive
 
Skyline of George Town

UNESCO World Heritage Site

The oldest portion of the city centre has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site since 2008.[9] Recognised as having a "unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia", George Town contains one of the largest collections of pre-war buildings in Southeast Asia.[9][118][119]

The World Heritage Site covers nearly 260 ha (2.6 km2) of the city centre, roughly bounded by Transfer Road to the west and Prangin Road to the south.[120] The zone includes the city's administrative precinct, which is home to the most historic landmarks like Fort Cornwallis, City Hall and the Penang State Museum, as well as the main Central Business District along Beach Street.[47] The zone also covers various places of worship, such as St. George's Church, the Kapitan Keling Mosque and the Goddess of Mercy Temple, as well as the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and the Eastern & Oriental Hotel.[121]

Among the restrictions in force within the zone is a ban on the construction of any structure exceeding 18 m (59 ft) in height, and that any new building which is located adjacent to a historically important structure must not exceed the height of the latter.[122][123]

Street names

Main article: List of streets in George Town, Penang
 
A bilingual road sign at Victoria Street

Unlike other cities in Malaysia, George Town still retains most of its English street names.[124][125][126] Even for roads that have been renamed in Malay, such as Jalan Masjid Negeri, Penangites in general still prefer to use the road's former colonial name, which in this particular case is Green Lane.[citation needed] This is partly because the new names are often unwieldy (e.g. Pitt Street vs Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, Northam Road vs Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah), but also reflects a strong conservatism in the local population, who see Penang's colonial history as part of their local identity.[127]

Since 2008, multi-lingual road signs have been in use throughout Penang Island. Each of the new road signs shows the street's official Malay name and either the street's English, Chinese, Tamil or Arabic name.[128][129]

class=notpageimage|
Locations of George Town and its suburbs

Suburbs

The expansion of George Town has created suburbs to its northwest, west and south. The northwestern suburbs are somewhat more affluent, given their seafront locations which attract tourists and expatriates.[130][131][132] The southern suburbs, such as Jelutong, grew due to industrial activities.[133] On the other hand, Air Itam and Paya Terubong emerged to the west of George Town as a result of agricultural plantations on the central hills of Penang Island.[134][135]

Since the 1970s, massive industrialisation around Bayan Lepas, which created the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone, led to the rapid urbanisation of the southeastern corner of Penang Island as well.[94] The western half of the island, where Balik Pulau forms the main population centre, remains sparsely-populated, although urbanisation has encroached into the area in recent years.[114][136]

Beaches and seafronts

 
Gurney Drive also forms part of the city's new Central Business District.[137]

The most popular beaches of George Town are situated along the city's northwestern suburbs, specifically Batu Ferringhi, Tanjung Bungah and Tanjung Tokong. Several hotels and resorts have been established along these locations, including Hard Rock Hotel.[130][131] Aside from these, George Town is home to popular promenades such as Gurney Drive, the Esplanade and Karpal Singh Drive. In particular, Gurney Drive forms part of the city's second Central Business District, and is a shopping haven with two upmarket shopping malls – Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon.[137][138] Land reclamation is currently ongoing off Gurney Drive in a state-led effort to create a seafront public park, named Gurney Wharf.[139]

Hills

The central hills of Penang Island, situated to the west of George Town, serve as a gigantic green lung and water catchment area for the urbanised island.[140] Rising 833 m (2,733 ft) above sea level, the peak of Penang Hill is accessible via the Penang Hill Railway from its base station off Hill Railway Road. Once a retreat used by British officials and Queen Elizabeth II, Penang Hill is one of Penang's most well-known tourist attractions.[141][142]

Parks

 
The City Park is also colloquially known as the Youth Park.

Founded in 1884 as an offshoot of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the Penang Botanic Gardens is Malaysia's oldest botanical garden. Today, it serves as a major recreational area, receiving about 5,000 visitors every weekend.[143] This botanical garden also encompasses Penang's biggest waterfall, which forms part of George Town's water supply.[144] Meanwhile, the nearby 172-acre (70 ha) City Park was officially opened in 1972.[145]

The city is also home to the world's smallest national park – the Penang National Park. Covering 2,562 ha (25.62 km2) of the northwestern tip of Penang Island, it contains mangrove swamps, rainforest interspersed with hiking trails and tranquil beaches.[146] 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.[147][148]

Climate

The city features a tropical rainforest climate, under the Köppen climate classification (Af). George Town experiences relatively consistent temperatures throughout the course of the year, with an average high of about 32 °C (90 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (70 °F).[149] The city sees on average about 2,477 millimetres (97.5 in) of precipitation annually.[150]

George Town's proximity to the island of Sumatra makes it susceptible to dust particles carried by wind from the perennial but transient forest fires, creating a yearly phenomenon known as the Southeast Asian haze.[151]

Weather forecast in George Town is served by the Penang Meteorological Office in Bayan Lepas, which acts as the primary weather forecast facility for northern Peninsular Malaysia.[152]

Climate data for George Town (Bayan Lepas) 1981–2010
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 35.2
(95.4) 		34.7
(94.5) 		36.0
(96.8) 		36.0
(96.8) 		36.0
(96.8) 		33.8
(92.8) 		33.8
(92.8) 		32.9
(91.2) 		33.0
(91.4) 		34.0
(93.2) 		34.0
(93.2) 		34.0
(93.2) 		36.0
(96.8)
Average high °C (°F) 31.8
(89.2) 		32.2
(90.0) 		32.3
(90.1) 		32.1
(89.8) 		31.9
(89.4) 		31.7
(89.1) 		31.3
(88.3) 		31.1
(88.0) 		30.8
(87.4) 		30.7
(87.3) 		30.9
(87.6) 		31.2
(88.2) 		31.5
(88.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 27.5
(81.5) 		27.9
(82.2) 		28.0
(82.4) 		28.1
(82.6) 		28.1
(82.6) 		27.9
(82.2) 		27.5
(81.5) 		27.3
(81.1) 		27.0
(80.6) 		26.9
(80.4) 		27.0
(80.6) 		27.2
(81.0) 		27.5
(81.6)
Average low °C (°F) 24.2
(75.6) 		24.3
(75.7) 		24.5
(76.1) 		24.8
(76.6) 		24.9
(76.8) 		24.7
(76.5) 		24.2
(75.6) 		24.1
(75.4) 		24.0
(75.2) 		23.9
(75.0) 		24.0
(75.2) 		24.1
(75.4) 		24.3
(75.8)
Record low °C (°F) 19.0
(66.2) 		18.0
(64.4) 		20.5
(68.9) 		22.0
(71.6) 		20.5
(68.9) 		20.0
(68.0) 		20.0
(68.0) 		21.0
(69.8) 		20.0
(68.0) 		20.5
(68.9) 		19.5
(67.1) 		19.5
(67.1) 		18.0
(64.4)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 68
(2.7) 		87
(3.4) 		152
(6.0) 		204
(8.0) 		220
(8.7) 		172
(6.8) 		198
(7.8) 		257
(10.1) 		319
(12.6) 		347
(13.7) 		215
(8.5) 		108
(4.3) 		2,347
(92.6)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) 8 8 13 17 16 13 14 16 20 22 19 12 178
Average relative humidity (%) 75 78 81 84 85 84 84 85 86 87 85 78 83
Mean monthly sunshine hours 191 204 201 191 178 171 172 169 167 161 164 169 2,138
Source 1: Ogimet[153]
Source 2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (extremes and humidity),[154] NOAA[155]

Governance and politics

Local government

 
The City Hall, built in 1903, now serves as the headquarters of the Penang Island City Council.
Main article: Penang Island City Council

Local administration of George Town and all of Penang Island is carried out by the Penang Island City Council, which comes under the purview of the Penang state government. With a history dating back to 1800, it is Malaysia's oldest local government and the successor to the nation's first city council – the George Town City Council.[37]

Headquartered in the City Hall, the city council is responsible for urban planning, heritage preservation, public health, sanitation, waste management, traffic management, environmental protection, building control, social and economic development, and general maintenance of urban infrastructure.[156] In 2018, George Town was recognised as one of the cleanest cities in ASEAN, following a 2017 ranking which placed George Town as Malaysia's second cleanest city.[157][158]

The Mayor of Penang Island is appointed by the Penang state government every two years, while each of the 24 councillors is appointed for a one-year term.[159] The current Mayor is Yew Tung Seang, who took office in 2018.[160] Penang-based non-governmental organisations are also allocated four of the 24 councillor positions.[161]

State government

See also: Penang State Legislative Assembly, Penang State Executive Council, and Constituencies of Penang

As the capital of the State of Penang, George Town is the seat of the Penang state government. The Office of the Chief Minister of Penang is housed within the Komtar Tower, Penang's tallest skyscraper.[162] The unicameral Penang State Legislative Assembly convenes inside the State Assembly Building at Light Street.[32] The Governor of Penang, the head of state, also has his official residence within the city.[41]

In the State Legislative Assembly, George Town is represented by 19 state constituencies, namely Padang Kota, Pengkalan Kota, Komtar, Kebun Bunga, Pulau Tikus, Tanjong Bunga, Air Putih, Air Itam, Paya Terubong, Seri Delima, Datok Keramat, Sungai Pinang, Batu Lancang, Batu Uban, Pantai Jerejak, Batu Maung, Bayan Lepas, Pulau Betong and Telok Bahang.[163][164] The members of the State Legislative Assembly, known as State Assemblymen, are elected into office via the Penang State Election, which by convention is held simultaneously with the Malaysian General Election every five years.[165]

The city is also represented by six Members of Parliament in the Malaysian Parliament, who are elected via the Malaysian General Election.[166] The parliamentary constituencies are Tanjong, Bukit Bendera, Jelutong, Bukit Gelugor, Bayan Baru and Balik Pulau.[163][164]

Judiciary

The Malaysian legal system had its roots in George Town. By 1807, Penang was accorded a Royal Charter which provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court and the appointment of the first Supreme Court judge, designated as the Recorder.[38][39]

The Supreme Court of Penang (now High Court of Penang) was first opened at Fort Cornwallis on 31 May 1808.[38][39] Edmond Stanley assumed office as the First Recorder of the Supreme Court of Penang in 1808, thus serving as Malaya's first Superior Court Judge.[38] The Supreme Court was then relocated a short distance away to Light Street, where the present building was built in 1903.[32][167]

Today, the Malaysian judiciary has become largely centralised. The courts in George Town consist of the Magistrates, Sessions and the High Court, the latter of which sits at the top of Penang's judicial system. The High Court remains at Light Street to this day, along with the Magistrates and Sessions Court across the street.[168] Another Sessions Court has also been established in Balik Pulau to the west.[169]

Demographics

According to the 2010 Census conducted by the Malaysian federal government, George Town had a population of 708,127.[7] More recent estimates from Malaysia's Department of Statistics indicated that about 738,500 inhabitants lived within this cosmopolitan city as of 2012.[170] These figures placed George Town as Malaysia's second largest city by population.[7]

In addition, Greater Penang, which also covers Seberang Perai, and parts of neighbouring Kedah and Perak, was home to 2,412,616 residents as of 2010.[7] Thus, Greater Penang is the most populous metropolitan area in Malaysia outside the Klang Valley (Greater Kuala Lumpur).[171]

Ethnicities

Ethnic composition of George Town (2010)[172]
Ethnicities / Nationality Percentage
Chinese
 
 53.07%
Malays
 
 31.20%
Other Bumiputeras
 
 0.47%
Indians
 
 8.98%
Others
 
 0.39%
Non-Malaysians
 
 5.89%

According to Malaysia's Department of Statistics, George Town is a Chinese-majority city; as of 2010, over 53% of the urban population consisted of ethnic Chinese, including the Peranakans.[172] The Bumiputeras, which include ethnic Malays and East Malaysian indigenous races like the Dayaks and Kadazans, collectively made up almost 32% of the city's population.[173][174] Ethnic Indians comprised another 9% of George Town's population. These are in addition to small, but prominent, Eurasian and Siamese minorities.[175] In particular, most of the nearly 1,500 Eurasians remain concentrated at the Pulau Tikus suburb.[176][177]

 
The Pinang Peranakan Mansion houses thousands of Peranakan antiques.

The Peranakans, descendants of mixed Malay and Chinese ancestries, were once the political and business elites in George Town. They held the top positions in some of the city's most influential associations, such as the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Penang Straits Chinese British Association.[76] As the Peranakans tended to be more loyal to the British Crown than to China, they were also known as the King's Chinese.[178][179] In spite of Malaysia's ethnic policies that have effectively forced the Peranakans to identify themselves as Chinese, Peranakan culture still thrives in George Town to this day, in the form of Straits Chinese architectural styles and dishes like asam laksa.[180]

George Town currently has a sizeable expatriate population, especially from Singapore, Japan and various Asian countries as well as the United Kingdom, many of whom chose to retire in Penang as part of Malaysia My Second Home programme. In recent years, George Town has been acknowledged as one of the best cities for retirement within Southeast Asia by the likes of CNN and Forbes.[181][182] As of 2010, expatriates made up nearly 6% of George Town's population, reflecting the city's popularity amongst foreigners.[172][183]

 
The Jewish Cemetery at Jalan Zainal Abidin (formerly Yahudi Road) is believed to be the oldest in Southeast Asia.[41]

The city was also once home to Burmese, Filipino, Sinhalese, Japanese, Sumatran, Arab, Armenian and Persian communities.[184] A small but commercially significant community of German merchants existed in George Town as well, as did a Jewish enclave.[185] Even though most of these other communities, including the Jews, are no longer extant, they lent their legacy to numerous street and place names such as the Dhammikarama Temple, Burmah Road, Armenian Street, Jewish Cemetery and Gottlieb Road.[184][186][187]

Languages

As with other multi-ethnic cities in Malaysia, all four major languages are widely spoken in George Town – Malay, English, Mandarin and Tamil. However, George Town, and by extension Penang, is best known for its distinct Hokkien dialect, known as Penang Hokkien.[188]

During the British colonial era, English was the official language. This was helped by the mushrooming of missionary schools throughout George Town, all of which used English as their medium of instruction and were held in high esteem by the locals.[189] Most Penangites still maintain reasonable command of the language; while British English is formally used, spoken English usually takes the form of Manglish.[190]

As in the rest of Malaysia, Malay is currently the official language in George Town. The city's Malays also use a variant of the Kedah Malay dialect, with slight modifications made to the original dialect to suit the conditions of a cosmopolitan city.[191] These modifications include the use of words of Indian origin and the alteration of the final l syllable into i.[191]

Due to their Tamil/South Indian ancestry, most Indians in George Town speak Tamil. Punjabi and Telugu are also spoken by a very smaller numbers of Indians.[192][193]

Mandarin, more widely used by youths, has been the medium of instruction in Chinese schools throughout Penang.[194]

However, Penang Hokkien serves as the lingua franca of George Town. Originally a variant of the Minnan dialect, over the centuries, Penang Hokkien has incorporated a large number of loanwords from Malay and English. It is spoken by many Penangites regardless of race for communication purposes.[188][195][196] In recent years, there have been more efforts to maintain the dialect's relevance in the face of the increasing influence of Mandarin and English among the younger populace.[197][198]

Economy

As the capital city of Penang, one of the most urbanised states in Malaysia, George Town is one of the top contributors of Malaysia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and tax income.[199][200][201] According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, the city contributed US$12,044, or nearly 8%, of Malaysia's personal disposable income in 2015, second only to Kuala Lumpur.[202] In 2016, George Town was ranked Malaysia's most attractive destination for commercial property investment by Knight Frank, surpassing even Kuala Lumpur.[203] By 2017, Penang's GDP per capita, already the highest among Malaysian states, rose to RM49,873, thereby surpassing the World Bank's threshold to be considered a high-income economy.[204][205] George Town's popularity amongst foreign investors has contributed to Penang gaining the largest share of Malaysia's foreign direct investments within the same year.[206]

Originally established as an entrepôt by the British, George Town's economy is now dominated by other tertiary sub-sectors ranging from manufacturing to finance, whilst newer industries, including entrepreneurial startups, are taking root within the city as well.[15] In addition, George Town serves as the economic pole of northern Malaysia, with relatively wide logistical connectivity.[200] The Penang International Airport is one of the nation's busiest, whilst Swettenham Pier has cemented the city's reputation as a popular destination for cruise shipping.[20][201][207]

Manufacturing

 
Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone, also known as the Silicon Valley of the East

Since the 1970s, manufacturing formed the backbone of Penang's economy, generating 44.8% of the state's GDP as of 2017 and attracting about 3,000 firms to set up operations within the state.[204][208] The Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone, dubbed the Silicon Valley of the East, is the main electronics manufacturing hub within Malaysia.[15][16][209] Located at the southeastern corner of Penang Island, the zone is home to various high-tech multinational firms, including Dell, Intel, AMD, Motorola, Agilent, Renesas, Osram, Bosch, Sony and Seagate.

Finance

George Town was the centre of banking in Malaysia at a time when Kuala Lumpur was still a small outpost. The oldest bank in Malaysia, Standard Chartered, opened its main branch in George Town in 1875 to cater to the financial requirements of early European traders.[32][47] This was followed by HSBC in 1885 and the Royal Bank of Scotland in 1888.[32][47]

Today, George Town remains the banking hub of northern Malaysia, with branches of major international banks such as Standard Chartered, HSBC, Citibank, UOB, OCBC, Bank of China and Bank Negara Malaysia (Malaysian central bank).[210] Most of the foreign banks still maintain their Penang headquarters at Beach Street, which serves as the city's main Central Business District.[47]

Since the 1990s, Northam Road, along with Gurney Drive, has evolved into George Town's second Central Business District.[211] Northam Road is now home to a cluster of financial services, with a number of accounting, auditing and insurance firms based along this coastal road.[212] In addition to these, the Employees Provident Fund, run by the Malaysian federal government, operates an office at the road as well.[213]

The financial sector and its related industries, such as insurance, auditing and real estate transactions, accounted for over 8% of Penang's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as of 2017.[204]

Tourism

 
The Church of the Assumption is the oldest Catholic church in northern Malaysia.[214]
See also: International rankings of George Town, Penang

George Town has always been one of the most popular tourist destinations in Malaysia. Throughout history, the city has even welcomed some of the most influential personalities, including Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling, Noël Coward, Lee Kuan Yew and Queen Elizabeth II.[215][216]

 
The Rainbow Skywalk at the top of Komtar Tower is the highest outdoor glass footwalk in Malaysia.[217]

In recent years, George Town has received numerous international accolades, further putting the city on the world stage.[218] The city has been listed by various publications, including the Lonely Planet, Forbes and Time, as one of the top travel destinations in Asia.[14][219][220][221][222] These are in addition to George Town's reputation as a gastronomic haven, with the CNN placing the city as one of Asia's best street food cities.[12]

Unlike most other Malaysian cities, George Town does not rely only on air transportation for tourist arrivals. Aside from the Penang International Airport, Swettenham Pier, conveniently located within the city centre, also serves as one of the major tourist entry points into Penang. As of 2017, Penang attracted almost 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.[223][224] Within the same year, Penang became the third largest contributor of Malaysia's tourism tax revenue after Kuala Lumpur and Sabah.[225]

The state government launched its ten-year Penang Tourism Master Plan in February 2019 with the goal of ensuring sustainable development and making Penang a hub for tourism, heritage, culture and arts in the region.[226] George Town World Heritage Incorporated – the state government's independent heritage agency responsible for managing the George Town World Heritage Site – has produced a Sustainable Tourism Strategy action plan.[227]

Services

 
A row of renovated shophouses in George Town, repainted in vibrant colours.

With nearly 3⁄5 of Penang's workforce employed in services-related fields, the services sector has marginally overtaken manufacturing as Penang's biggest economic sector, contributing 49.3% of Penang's total GDP in 2017.[204][228] The largest share of employment was recorded in the retail, accommodation, and food and beverages (F&B) sub-sectors, clearly depicting the influence of tourist arrivals on service-related industries.[228] Since the inscription of George Town as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, an emerging trend is the acquisition of heritage shophouses within the zone by foreign investors, especially from Singapore and Hong Kong.[103][104][229]

In addition, a startup community has been growing in the city, which include the likes of Piktochart and DeliverEat.[15] Attracted by the city's cheaper living costs and the presence of several multinational technology firms in Penang, the city's startups are also being actively encouraged by the Penang state government and the private sector, with initiatives to encourage entrepreneurship and promote the Internet of Things (IoT).[230][231]

This services sector has also been boosted by firms seeking to establish shared services outsourcing (SSO) operations within or around George Town, including AirAsia, Citigroup, Dell, Jabil and Temasek Holdings.[208][232] Consequently, Penang has emerged as the second most important Global Business Services (GBS) hub within Malaysia, after Kuala Lumpur.[233]

Medical tourism

An integral part of Penang's services sector is medical tourism, which has made George Town the medical tourism hub of Malaysia. The city has attracted approximately half of Malaysia's medical tourist arrivals in 2013 and generated about 70% of the nation's medical tourism revenue.[18][19][87] About 1,000 patients arrive in George Town daily, mostly from Asian countries such as Indonesia, Singapore and Japan.[18][19]

The success of George Town's medical tourism industry is mainly due to the specialised medical treatments offered at more affordable costs by the city's numerous private hospitals, coupled with well-trained professionals and advanced equipment.[87] Indirect factors that were cited include the relatively low cost of living and the ease of travel facilitated by the well-developed logistical infrastructure.[18]

Retail

As many as 24% of Penang's workforce are employed in the retail sub-sector, the largest of all economic sub-sectors in Penang.[228] Due to the numerous shopping malls and hypermarkets in George Town, the city is the main shopping hub of northern Malaysia. Since 2001, shopping complexes in George Town registered the biggest increases in Malaysia.[234] Among the more well-known shopping malls within the city are Gurney Plaza, Gurney Paragon, 1st Avenue and Queensbay Mall.[235]

While shopping malls now dominate the retail scene in George Town, many centuries-old shophouses are still operating alongside the city's flea markets and wet markets, such as Chowrasta Market.[234][236] These traditional retail establishments cater more to locally made products, including spices, nutmegs and tau sar pneah, a famous Penang delicacy.[237]

Architecture

Main article: Architecture of Penang

Centuries of development have brought a mix of architectural styles to George Town, both historical and modern. The oldest portion of the city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while outside the UNESCO zone lies the modern cityscape, with skyscrapers, residential high-rises, office blocks and shopping malls built all over the city.[9][118]

Historic architecture

 
Wat Chaiyamangkalaram at Pulau Tikus was constructed in 1845 by ethnic Siamese.

Most of George Town's famous heritage landmarks, including Fort Cornwallis, the City Hall, the High Court, St. George's Church and the Eastern & Oriental Hotel are located within the UNESCO World Heritage Site.[47] The city's main Central Business District at Beach Street, also within the UNESCO zone, is home to banks built in various Art Deco-based hybrid styles.[32][47][238] Colonial-era bungalows, such as The Residency and Suffolk House, can be found throughout the city as well.[32]

 
The area of Little India.

Aside from colonial European architecture, a huge assortment of Asian architectural styles also exist throughout the city. Buildings like the Kapitan Keling Mosque, Kong Hock Keong Temple, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and the Pinang Peranakan Mansion are notable for their architectural styles, which combine diverse cultural influences. Peranakan townhouses, exemplified by the Sun Yat-sen Museum, dominate the cityscape as well.[239] Meanwhile, Indian architecture is more prominent within the city's Little India, which also contains the Sri Mahamariamman Temple.[240]

In the suburbs, the Siamese and Burmese communities have left their mark too; the Buddhist temples at Pulau Tikus include Wat Chaiyamangkalaram and the Dhammikarama Temple. Another example of a hybrid Asian architecture is the Kek Lok Si Temple at Air Itam, which merges Chinese, Siamese and Burmese influences.[241]

Modern architecture

Since the mid 20th century, modern urbanisation has transformed much of George Town. Just south of the UNESCO World Heritage Site stands the Komtar Tower, the tallest skyscraper in Penang at nearly 250 m (820 ft) tall. The second Central Business District at Northam Road and Gurney Drive, which lies along the city's northern shoreline, is also home to some of Penang's tallest skyscrapers, including Setia V, Gurney Paragon and BHL Tower.[242]

With increasing urbanisation, high-rises are also springing up within the suburbs of George Town.[243]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Penang

Food

 
A bowl of asam laksa, Penang's most famous hawker dish. It was ranked 7th in CNN's list of the world's 50 best foods.[244]
Main article: Penang cuisine

George Town, long known as the food capital of Malaysia, is renowned for its good and varied street food, incorporating Malay, Chinese, Indian, Peranakan, Thai and European influences into its literal melting pot.[13]

The city has been recognised as one of Asia's top street food cities by CNN, as well the world's top culinary destination by the Lonely Planet in 2014.[12][13] These were in addition to the Time magazine in 2004, which acclaimed Penang as having the best street food in Asia.[citation needed]

The best places to savour street cuisine include Gurney Drive, Pulau Tikus, Chulia Street, Kimberley Street, New Lane, New World Park, Penang Road and Air Itam.[245][246][247] The more prominent local dishes include asam laksa, char kway teow, curry mee, Hokkien mee, nasi kandar, oh chien (fried oyster omelette), rojak and chendol.[245][246][247] Besides these, several tau sar pneah shops can be found throughout the city, selling bean paste biscuits.[236]

Performance arts

 
A member of a Chingay troupe balancing a giant flag in the city.

George Town is the birthplace of a unique form of Chingay procession, which began with its first parade in 1919.[45][248] Penang's variant of Chingay includes the act of balancing gigantic flags on one's forehead or hands. An annual 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.[249]

Bangsawan is a form of Malay theatre which was developed in Penang with Indian, Western, Islamic, Chinese and Indonesian influences. It went into decline in the latter decades of the 20th century and is now a dying art form.[250][251] Boria is another traditional dance drama indigenous to Penang, featuring singing accompanied by violin, maracas and tabla.[252]

Aside from these, there are two Western orchestras based in George Town – the Penang Philharmonic and the Penang Symphony Orchestra (PSO) – as well as several chamber and school-based musical ensembles.[253][254] Dewan Sri Pinang and Penangpac within Straits Quay are two of the major performing venues in the city.[255]

Street art

 
One of the dozens of wrought iron caricatures that have been put up within George Town.

In 2012, as part of the annual George Town Festival, Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic created a series of wall murals depicting local culture, inhabitants and lifestyles.[256] They now stand as celebrated cultural landmarks of George Town, with Children on a Bicycle becoming one of the most photographed spots in the city.[257]

Since then, the street art scene has blossomed. Arts exhibitions are held at the city's numerous cultural centres, such as the Hin Bus Depot.[258] Aside from wall art, several wrought iron caricatures, each depicting a unique aspect of George Town's history and culture, have been installed throughout the city centre.[259]

Museums

 
The Penang State Museum and Art Gallery formerly housed the Penang Free School until 1927.[47]

The Penang State Museum and Art Gallery houses relics, photographs, maps, and other artifacts that document the history and culture of Penang.[260] Other museums within the city focus on religious and cultural aspects, as well as famous personalities, including the Penang Islamic Museum, Sun Yat-sen Museum, P. Ramlee's House, Batik Painting Museum, and Universiti Sains Malaysia Museum and Gallery.[261][262]

In recent years, private-run museums have sprung up all over the city, such as the Camera Museum and the Penang Toy Museum. A handful of newer visual museums have also been launched, such as the Made-in-Penang Interactive Museum and the Penang Time Tunnel.[263][264]

Festivals

George Town's cultural melting pot of various races and religions means that there are a great many celebrations and festivities in any given year. The major cultural and religious festivities in George Town include, but not limited to, the Chinese New Year, Chap Goh Meh, Songkran, Wesak Day, Seventh Month Festival, Nine Emperor Gods Festival, Eid ul-Fitri, Deepavali, Thaipusam, Vaisakhi and Christmas.[265][266]

The city's expatriates have introduced a host of other celebrations as well. Bon Odori is celebrated yearly at the Esplanade by the Japanese, while St. Patrick's Day and Oktoberfest, traditionally celebrated by the Irish and the Germans respectively, have also been gaining popularity amongst the locals.[267][268][269]

In addition, the city hosts several major festivals in any given year. The George Town Festival, first held in 2010, has evolved into one of the top arts events in Southeast Asia, while the Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta attracts close to 200,000 visitors from all over the world.[270][271]

Sports

 
The City Stadium was where Mohd Faiz Subri, a Penang FA player, scored the goal that won him the FIFA Puskás Award.

George Town has a relatively well-developed sporting infrastructure. The City Stadium is Penang Island's main football stadium, with a capacity of about 25,000.[272][273] It is the home ground of Penang FA, and was where Penang footballer Mohd Faiz Subri scored the goal that won him the 2016 FIFA Puskás Award.[274] The SPICE Arena at Bayan Baru consists of an indoor stadium, an aquatics centre and a convention centre, while the Nicol David International Squash Centre at Gelugor is a major squash training facility.[275] In addition, the Penang Turf Club, established in 1864, is Malaysia's oldest horse racing and equestrian centre.[232]

The Penang Bridge International Marathon is a popular annual event. The full marathon route starts from near Queensbay Mall, then on to the 13.5 km (8.4 mi) length of the Penang Bridge, and finally back to the starting point for the finish.[276]

The national and international sporting events that were held in George Town include the 2001 Southeast Asian Games and the 2013 Women's World Open Squash Championship.[277][278] In addition, George Town will host the Asia Pacific Masters Games in 2018, the first Malaysian city to be selected to host this regional multi-sports tournament.[279]

Education

See also: Education in Penang

George Town is home to some of the oldest schools in Malaysia, making it a pioneer in the country's education system. Under British rule, missionary schools were set up across George Town. They were followed by Chinese schools, some of which are also among the oldest in the nation, thus making George Town the nucleus of Chinese education in Southeast Asia.[45][280] More recently, international schools have also been established to cater to the growing expatriate population.

In addition, George Town contains a number of private tertiary educational institutions, as well as one of the premier Malaysian public universities – Universiti Sains Malaysia. Aside from these, the city has a handful of language institutions, such as the British Council, Alliance Française and the Malaysian German Society.[281][282][283]

Schools

 
Penang Free School, the oldest English school in Southeast Asia
See also: List of schools in Penang

There are a total of 117 primary schools, 49 high schools, four Islamic religious schools, two vocational colleges and a technical school throughout George Town.[284] The breakdown of these schools is as follows.

Type Total
Primary schools National 53
National-type Chinese 51
National-type Tamil 7
Private 4
Special needs 2
High schools National 42
Private 6
Special needs 1
Islamic 4
Technical/vocational 3

Some of the oldest missionary schools in George Town include the Penang Free School, St. Xavier's Institution, Convent Light Street, St. George's Girls' School and Methodist Boys' School.[285] Meanwhile, the Chung Hwa Confucian School, founded in 1904, was the first Chinese school in Southeast Asia.[45]

Aside from government-run and private schools, the city has 11 international schools. Of these, Dalat, Uplands, Tenby, Fairview, Pelita, Hua Xia and Wesley Methodist offer both primary and secondary education.[286][287][288] The Penang Japanese School is the only international school in George Town that caters for expatriates of a specific nationality.[289]

Tertiary education

 
Wawasan Open University is a private institution specialising in open-distance learning.

Universiti Sains Malaysia, situated at Gelugor, is one of the premier Malaysian public universities. Established in 1969 as Malaysia's second university, it was originally named Universiti Pulau Pinang (University of Penang).[290] As of 2018, it was ranked 207th in the QS World University Rankings, the fourth highest in Malaysia.[291]

Several private universities and colleges have also been set up across George Town, including Wawasan Open University, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and University College Dublin Malaysia Campus, Han Chiang University College of Communication, DISTED College, SEGi College, Sentral College, Lam Wah Ee Nursing College, Adventist College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Equator Academy of Arts and KDU University College.[292][293]

Libraries

 
Northeast District library

George Town contains a total of 30 libraries.[284] Among the libraries in the city are the Penang State Library at Scotland Road and the Penang Digital Library at Green Lane.[294][295] The latter, which was opened by the Penang state government in 2016, is Malaysia's first digital library and houses a digitalised collection of over 3,000 publications.[296][297]

 
Kapitan Keling Mosque, one of the religious buildings located along Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, which was formerly known as Pitt Street.

Health care

The numerous public and private hospitals in George Town has helped the city to emerge as the centre of medical tourism in Malaysia. The Penang General Hospital, administered and funded by the Ministry of Health, is the main public hospital in George Town and serves as the tertiary referral hospital within northern Malaysia.[298] It is complemented by the Balik Pulau Hospital, which is also managed by the country's Ministry of Health.[299]

There are also 54 government-run clinics throughout George Town, supported by 11 private hospitals and 352 private clinics.[300] The private hospitals within George Town include Penang Adventist Hospital, Island Hospital, Gleneagles Medical Centre, Loh Guan Lye Specialists Centre, Lam Wah Ee Hospital, Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital and Pantai Hospital.

George Town became the first Malaysian city to install public automated external defibrillators (AEDs), with the launch of the first device in Komtar in 2015.[301][302] Since then, AEDs have been installed at several public locations throughout the city.[303][304]

Media

Print

George Town was once the centre of Malaysia's print media. The country's first newspaper – the Prince of Wales Island Gazette – was established in the city in 1806.[305] One of Malaysia's top dailies currently in circulation, The Star, was founded in George Town in the 1970s, while the country's oldest Chinese newspaper, Kwong Wah Yit Poh, was also founded in the city in 1910.[305]

In 2011, the then Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng, officiated the launch of the Penang edition of Time Out.[306] This version of the international listings magazine is currently published in three versions – an annual guide, a website and a mobile app.[307]

The Penang state government also publishes its own multi-lingual newspaper, Buletin Mutiara, which is circulated for free every fortnight.[308] The Penang-centric newspaper focuses on the current issues affecting Penang.[308]

Television

Due to its well-preserved heritage cityscape, George Town served as the filming location for a number of movies, such as Anna and the King, Lust, Caution and You Mean the World to Me, the latter of which is the first movie to be filmed entirely in Penang Hokkien.[309] Singaporean drama series, The Little Nyonya and The Journey: Our Homeland, were also shot within the UNESCO zone.[310][311] In addition, the city was one of the pit-stops of The Amazing Race 16, The Amazing Race Asia 4 and The Amazing Race Asia 5.

Radio

The available FM radio stations in George Town, both government (including Penang-based Mutiara FM) and commercial, are as listed below.[312]

Frequency Station Operator Language
87.8 One FM Media Prima Mandarin, Cantonese
88.2 Hot FM Media Prima Malay
89.9 Fly FM Media Prima English
90.2 Kool FM Media Prima Malay
91.0 Mix FM Astro Radio English
92.8 Hitz FM Astro Radio English
94.5 988 FM Star RFM Radio Mandarin, Cantonese
94.9 Klasik FM RTM Malay
95.7 Mutiara FM RTM Malay
96.7 Minnal FM RTM Tamil
97.1 Sinar FM Astro Radio Malay
98.7 TraXX FM RTM English
99.3 THR Raaga Astro Radio Tamil
99.7 My FM Astro Radio Mandarin, Cantonese
101.3 Ai FM RTM Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien
103.6 Era FM Astro Radio Malay
104.4 Lite FM Astro Radio English
106.5 Melody Astro Radio Mandarin, Cantonese
106.9 Suria FM Star RFM Radio Malay
107.6 goXuan Astro Radio Mandarin, Cantonese

Transportation

Main article: Transport in Penang
 
The Penang Bridge, completed in 1985, was formerly the longest bridge in Southeast Asia.

Land

Development of George Town's streets and roads is an ongoing process that dates back to the early years of British rule. The city's oldest streets, including Light Street, Beach Street, Chulia Street and Pitt Street, were arranged in a grid pattern.[313]

The Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway runs along the eastern coastline of Penang Island between the city centre and the Penang International Airport, linking both locations with the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone and the Penang Bridge. The George Town Inner Ring Road and the Penang Middle Ring Road are the two major ring roads around the city centre. The city centre is also linked with the western parts of Penang Island, such as Balik Pulau, via the pan-island Federal Route 6.

Both the 13.5 km (8.4 mi)-long Penang Bridge and the 24 km (15 mi)-long Second Penang Bridge link George Town with the rest of Peninsular Malaysia. The former bridge was completed in 1985, while the latter, opened in 2014, is currently the longest bridge in Southeast Asia.[314]

Public transportation

 
The new Penang Hill Railway funicular train, which has been in use since 2011.[315]
See also: Cycling in Penang Island; List of bus routes in Penang; and Trolleybuses in George Town, Penang

George Town was once a pioneer of public transportation in British Malaya. The city's first tram system, then powered by steam, commenced operations in the 1880s.[316][317] While the tram lines have since been disused, another colonial legacy, the trishaw, remains in use throughout the city, albeit catering primarily for tourists.[318][319]

Today, buses form the backbone of public transportation within George Town. Rapid Penang, with over 30 routes on Penang Island, is the sole public bus service provider within George Town. In addition, open-topped double deckers, known as Hop-On Hop-Off buses, have been introduced for tourists in the city.[320] Meanwhile, the Penang Hill Railway is a funicular railway to the peak of Penang Hill.

Efforts are also being undertaken to promote pedestrianisation and the use of bicycles as a greener transportation mode.[101][321] Dedicated cycling lanes have been marked throughout the city and in 2016, George Town became the first Malaysian city to operate a public bicycle-sharing service, with the launch of LinkBike.[322]

Air

Main article: Penang International Airport
 
View of Penang International Airport and the Second Penang Bridge in 2017

The Penang International Airport, 16 km (9.9 mi) south of the city centre, was opened in 1935. It serves as the main airport for northern Malaysia, with frequent links to major Asian cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Taipei, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Doha. It is also a hub for two Malaysian low-cost carriers – AirAsia and Firefly.[323] The airport is Malaysia's second busiest in terms of cargo traffic and recorded the third highest passenger traffic of all Malaysian airports as of 2013.[324]

Sea

Main article: Swettenham Pier
 
A cruise liner docked at Swettenham Pier

The Port of Penang consists of seven facilities along the Penang Strait, including Swettenham Pier in George Town.[325] Renovated in 2009 as a cruise shipping terminal, Swettenham Pier is one of the major tourist entry points into George Town.[21][207] As of 2017, the pier recorded 1.35 million tourist arrivals, thereby surpassing Port Klang as the busiest port-of-call in Malaysia for cruise shipping.[20][326] The pier has also attracted some of the world's largest cruise liners, such as the RMS Queen Mary 2.[21]

A number of cruise ships call Swettenham Pier as their homeport, bringing tourists into and out of George Town towards regional destinations like Phuket and Singapore.[327] Occasionally, the pier hosts warships as well, including those from Singapore, Thailand and the United States.[328][329][330]

Ferry

 
A Rapid Ferry crossing the Penang Strait towards George Town.
Main article: Rapid Ferry

Rapid Ferry is a cross-strait shuttle ferry service that connects George Town with the town of Butterworth on the Malay Peninsula. It is the oldest ferry service in Malaysia, dating back to 1894 when the first passenger ferry commenced operations.[60] Currently, six ferries ply the Penang Strait between George Town and Butterworth daily.[331]

International relations

Consulates

Several nations have either established their consulates or appointed honorary-consulates within George Town.[332]

Sister cities

George Town has eight sister cities.

The State of Penang also has a sister area partnership with Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan, which was ratified in 1991.[360]

Sister subdivision

Friendship cities

In addition to the sister cities and areas, George Town has inked five other friendship city agreements.

In 2013, the State of Penang signed a friendship state agreement with Hainan Province in China.[365]

Friendship subdivision

See also

References

  1. ^ Mike Aquino (30 August 2012). "Exploring Georgetown, Penang". Asian Correspondent. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  2. ^ Goh Ban Lee (19 May 2014). "The Penang Island City agenda". The Sun. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  3. ^ a b Cavina Lim (25 March 2015). "Penang's First Mayor A Woman". The Star. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  4. ^ . Flood Map : Water Level Elevation Map. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  5. ^ "The Penang Island City agenda". The Sun. 19 May 2014.
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January 08, 2023
george, town, penang, george, town, capital, city, malaysian, state, penang, george, town, malaysia, sixth, most, populous, city, with, inhabitants, 2010, update, while, greater, penang, with, population, second, largest, conurbation, country, after, greater, . George Town is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang George Town is Malaysia s sixth most populous city with 708 127 inhabitants as of 2010 update while Greater Penang with a population of 2 412 616 is the second largest conurbation in the country after Greater Kuala Lumpur 6 7 8 The historical core of George Town has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008 9 George TownCity and state capitalCity of Penang IslandBandaraya Pulau PinangOther transcription s Jawiجورج تاون Mandarin乔治市 Simplified 喬治市 Traditional Hokkien坡底 喬治市 Pho te Kiau ti tshi Tai lo Tamilஜ ர ஜ டவ ன Jarj Ṭavuṉ Transliteration From top left to right The historical core zone of George Town Penang Bridge Penang Road Khoo Kongsi Penang High Court Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion Tun Abdul Razak Complex KOMTAR Gurney DriveCoat of armsNickname Pearl of the Orient 1 Motto s Leading We Serve Malay Memimpin Sambil Berkhidmat OpenStreetMapLocation of George Town in PenangGeorge Town George Town in MalaysiaShow map of PenangGeorge TownGeorge Town Malaysia Show map of MalaysiaGeorge TownGeorge Town Asia Show map of AsiaGeorge TownGeorge Town Earth Show map of EarthCoordinates 05 24 52 N 100 19 45 E 5 41444 N 100 32917 E 5 41444 100 32917 Coordinates 05 24 52 N 100 19 45 E 5 41444 N 100 32917 E 5 41444 100 32917Country MalaysiaState PenangAdministrative AreasList City CentrePulau TikusTanjung TokongTanjung BungahBatu FerringhiAir ItamPaya TerubongJelutongBatu LanchangGelugorBayan LepasBalik PulauTeluk BahangFounded11 August 1786Incorporated1857British crown colony1 April 1867 31 August 1957Japanese occupation19 December 1941 3 September 1945City status1 January 1957 2 Government TypeLocal government BodyPenang Island City Council MayorYew Tung SeangArea 3 City and state capital305 77 km2 118 06 sq mi Metro2 563 15 km2 989 64 sq mi Elevation 4 14 m 46 ft Population 2010 5 City and state capital708 127 3rd Density2 372 km2 6 140 sq mi Metro2 412 616 2nd Time zoneUTC 8 MST Summer DST Not observedPostal code100xx to 108xx111xx to 118xxArea code s 6042Vehicle registrationPWebsitewww wbr mbpp wbr gov wbr myUNESCO World Heritage SitePart ofMelaka and George Town the Historic Cities of the Straits of MalaccaCriteriaCultural ii iii ivReference1223 002Inscription2008 32nd Session Area109 38 haBuffer zone150 04 haEstablished as an entrepot by Francis Light of the East India Company in 1786 George Town was the first British settlement in Southeast Asia 10 Together with Singapore and Malacca George Town formed part of the Straits Settlements which became a British crown colony in 1867 It was subjugated by Japan during World War II before being recaptured by the British at war s end Shortly before Malaya attained independence from the British in 1957 George Town was declared a city by Queen Elizabeth II making it the first city in the country s modern history Due to the intermingling of the various ethnicities and religions that arrived on its shores George Town acquired a large eclectic assortment of colonial and Asian architectural styles 11 It also gained a reputation as Malaysia s gastronomic capital for its distinct and ubiquitous street food 12 13 14 Moreover the city hosts unique cultural heritage such as the Peranakans whose legacies are still visible on Penang s architecture and cuisine The city of George Town includes the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone a high tech manufacturing hub regarded as the Silicon Valley of the East 15 16 The city also serves as the financial centre of northern Malaysia and the nation s most vital medical tourism hub 17 18 19 Logistically the Penang International Airport links George Town with several major regional cities while a ferry service the Penang Bridge and the Second Penang Bridge connect the city with the rest of Peninsular Malaysia Meanwhile George Town s Swettenham Pier has emerged as the busiest port of call in Malaysia for cruise ships 20 21 Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2 1 Establishment 2 2 Colonial era 2 3 World Wars 2 4 Post war 2 5 Post independence 2 6 Renaissance 3 Geography 3 1 Cityscape 3 1 1 UNESCO World Heritage Site 3 1 2 Street names 3 1 3 Suburbs 3 1 4 Beaches and seafronts 3 1 5 Hills 3 1 6 Parks 3 2 Climate 4 Governance and politics 4 1 Local government 4 2 State government 4 3 Judiciary 5 Demographics 5 1 Ethnicities 5 2 Languages 6 Economy 6 1 Manufacturing 6 2 Finance 6 3 Tourism 6 4 Services 6 4 1 Medical tourism 6 4 2 Retail 7 Architecture 7 1 Historic architecture 7 2 Modern architecture 8 Culture 8 1 Food 8 2 Performance arts 8 3 Street art 8 4 Museums 8 5 Festivals 9 Sports 10 Education 10 1 Schools 10 2 Tertiary education 10 3 Libraries 11 Health care 12 Media 12 1 Print 12 2 Television 12 3 Radio 13 Transportation 13 1 Land 13 1 1 Public transportation 13 2 Air 13 3 Sea 13 3 1 Ferry 14 International relations 14 1 Consulates 14 2 Sister cities 14 2 1 Sister subdivision 14 3 Friendship cities 15 See also 16 References 17 Literature 18 External linksEtymology EditThe city s name comes from the original British settlement that was named in honour of King George III 22 23 The area before this has also been named Tanjung Penaga Jawi تنجوڠ ڤناݢ due to the abundance of a tree called penaga laut Calophyllum inophyllum found in the present town s cape tanjung 24 It is often erroneously spelt Georgetown which was never the city s official name such misspelling may have arisen in confusion with other places having the same name History EditMain article History of George Town Penang Historical affiliations Period Kedah Sultanate 1136 1786 British East India Company 1786 1867 Straits Settlements 1826 1941 1945 1946 Empire of Japan 1941 1945 Malayan Union 1946 1948 Federation of Malaya 1948 1963 Malaysia 1963 Present Fort Cornwallis was built in 1786 to protect Penang Island from amphibious invasion Establishment Edit In the 1770s the British East India Company instructed Francis Light a British Royal Navy captain to form trade relations in the Malay Peninsula 25 26 Light subsequently landed in Kedah a Siamese vassal state threatened by both Siam and Burma as well as an internal Bugis revolt 25 27 Aware of this situation Light formed friendly relations with the then Sultan of Kedah Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin II and promised British military protection while the Sultan reciprocally offered Penang Island then part of Kedah 25 28 29 Although Light subsequently reported on this offer to his superiors it was only in 1786 when he was finally ordered to obtain Penang Island from Kedah 10 25 28 The British East India Company sought control of the island as a Royal Navy base and as a trading post between China and India 26 To that end Light negotiated with the new Sultan of Kedah Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah regarding the cession of the island to the British East India Company in exchange for British military aid 10 25 30 After an agreement was signed between Light and the Sultan Light and his entourage sailed on to Penang Island where they arrived on 17 July 1786 31 32 The area where Light first landed which is now the Esplanade was originally a swamp covered in thick jungle 25 26 Once the area was cleared a simple ceremony was held on 11 August during which the Union Jack was raised Penang Island was renamed the Prince of Wales Island after the heir to the British throne while the new settlement was given the name George Town 22 23 Light developed George Town as a free port thus allowing merchants to trade without having to pay any form of tax or duties The policy s intent was to entice traders from the Dutch ports in the region 33 The number of incoming vessels rose from 85 in 1786 to 3 569 in 1802 George Town s population had also increased to 10 000 by 1792 34 35 36 A committee of assessors was established in 1800 making it the first local council to be established in British Malaya 37 Meanwhile a Supreme Court was established at Fort Cornwallis in 1808 38 39 Colonial era Edit A 1799 map of George Town In the early 19th century Penang Island became a centre of spice production within Southeast Asia Spices such as nutmeg clove and pepper produced from the spice farms throughout the island were exported via the Port of Penang in George Town 40 41 The spice trade also allowed the British East India Company to cover the administrative costs of Penang 42 In 1826 George Town was made the capital of the Straits Settlements an administrative polity that was also composed of Singapore and Malacca However the capital was then shifted to Singapore in 1832 as the latter had usurped George Town s position as the region s preeminent harbour 43 The Port of Penang at Weld Quay in the 1910s Nonetheless George Town retained its importance as a vital British entrepot 44 45 Due to the opening of the Suez Canal the advent of steam ships and a tin mining boom in the Malay Peninsula the Port of Penang became a major tin exporting harbour 46 47 By the end of the 19th century as mercantile firms and banks including Standard Chartered and HSBC flocked into George Town the city also evolved into a leading financial centre in Malaya 32 47 Throughout the century George Town s population grew rapidly in tandem with the city s economic prosperity A cosmopolitan multi cultural population emerged comprising Chinese Malay Indian Peranakan Eurasian Thai and other ethnicities However the population growth also created social problems such as inadequate sanitation and public health facilities as well as rampant crime 48 The latter culminated in the Penang Riots of 1867 during which rival Chinese triads clashed in the streets of George Town 49 50 Also in the same year the Straits Settlements was made a British crown colony to be governed directly by the Colonial Office in London 51 52 For George Town direct British rule meant better law enforcement as the police force was vastly improved and the secret societies that had previously plagued the city were gradually outlawed 44 53 More investments were also made on the city s health care and public transportation 48 54 55 With improved access to education a greater level of participation in municipal affairs by its Asian residents and substantial press freedom George Town was perceived as being more intellectually receptive than Singapore 44 55 56 The city became a magnet for well known English authors Asian intellectuals and revolutionaries including Rudyard Kipling Somerset Maugham and Sun Yat sen 57 58 59 World Wars Edit The Cenotaph was built in honour of fallen Allied servicemen of World War I 60 British Royal Marines liberating George Town from the Japanese on 3 September 1945 At the start of World War I in 1914 the Battle of Penang occurred during which SMS Emden an Imperial German Navy cruiser sank two Allied warships off the coast of George Town 147 French and Russian sailors were killed 61 World War II on the other hand brought unparalleled social and political upheaval to Penang In early December 1941 Japanese warplanes indiscriminately strafed and bombed George Town and wiped out the defending Allied air squadrons 62 63 While the British Army had earlier designated Penang Island as a fortress Lieutenant General Arthur Percival then ordered a withdrawal from Penang Not only did the British abandon the Batu Maung Fort south of the city they also covertly evacuated Penang s European population leaving the rest of the populace to their fates 64 Some historians have argued that the withdrawal and the silent evacuation of the European population led to the loss of the British sense of invincibility and that the collapse of British rule in Southeast Asia came not in Singapore but in Penang 65 George Town fell to the Imperial Japanese Army on 19 December 1941 marking the start of a brutal period of Japanese occupation 62 66 Penang Island was renamed Tojo to after the then Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo 65 This period was known for the Imperial Japanese Army s massacres of Penang s Chinese populace known as Sook Ching to the locals 67 Women in George Town were also coerced to work as comfort women by the Japanese 68 69 George Town s harbour facilities were also put to use as a major U boat base by Nazi Germany 70 71 Between 1942 and 1944 the Port of Penang was utilised by submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy the Kriegsmarine and the Regia Marina 72 73 Between 1944 and 1945 Allied bombers based in India repeatedly bombed George Town seeking to destroy the naval facilities and administrative centres 62 Several colonial buildings were destroyed or damaged including the Government Offices St Xavier s Institution Hutchings School now Penang State Museum and the Penang Secretariat Building 47 The Penang Strait was also mined to impede Japanese shipping 74 Following the Japanese surrender on 15 August 1945 the Penang Shimbun a Japanese newspaper published the proclamation of surrender issued by the Emperor of Japan Under Operation Jurist the British Royal Marines accepted the surrender of the Japanese garrison in Penang and retook Penang Island on 3 September 1945 62 Post war Edit The Esplanade where Francis Light had founded George Town in 1786 was also where George Town s city status was proclaimed in 1957 75 After a period of military administration the British dissolved the Straits Settlements in 1946 and proceeded to merge the Crown Colony of Penang into the Malayan Union which was then replaced with the Federation of Malaya in 1948 However the absorption of the British colony of Penang into Malaya alarmed Penang s population over economic and ethnic concerns 76 Between 1948 and 1951 the Penang Secessionist Committee was formed to avert Penang s merger with Malaya but ultimately petered out due to British disapproval 77 78 79 The British government responded to 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 77 By 1956 George Town had become the first municipality in the Malayan Federation to have a fully elected local council 80 On 1 January 1957 George Town was accorded city status by Queen Elizabeth II becoming the first city within the Federation of Malaya and by extension Malaysia 81 82 83 Post independence Edit In the following years George Town retained its free port status as guaranteed by the British colonial authorities before granting independence to Malaya This was not to last however in 1969 the Malaysian federal government revoked George Town s free port status sparking massive unemployment in the city 56 78 84 This also marked the start of George Town s decline which lasted up to the early 2000s 85 As the Malaysian federal government continued to develop Kuala Lumpur and nearby Port Klang Penang began to suffer considerable brain drain 56 86 87 In a bid to revitalise George Town the Komtar project was launched in 1974 Hundreds of shophouses schools and temples as well as whole streets were demolished in order to make way for the construction of Penang s tallest skyscraper 56 However instead of arresting George Town s decline Komtar itself became a white elephant by the 2000s 88 89 In 1974 the George Town City Council was merged with the Penang Island Rural District Council to form the Penang Island Municipal Council sparking a decades long debate over George Town s city status 81 90 91 Renaissance Edit The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hit the northern coastline of George Town The city s decline continued into the early 2000s In 2001 the Rent Control Act which had protected the low income residents and smaller businesses within the city centre from arbitrary rental hikes was repealed 56 92 93 Consequently residents moved out of the city s historical core leaving its colonial era buildings in disrepair Meanwhile an incoherent urban planning policy and poor traffic management led to worsening traffic congestion while decades of brain drain also took its toll as the city lacked the expertise to regulate urban development 30 94 95 In response George Town s non governmental organisations and the national press galvanised public support and formed strategic partnerships for the conservation of the historic buildings and to restore the city to its former glory 95 96 97 As a result of the widespread resentment over George Town s decline the then federal opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat now Pakatan Harapan was voted into power within Penang in the 2008 State Election 30 98 99 Also in 2008 George Town was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site 9 Subsequent efforts to clean up the city and measures to improve traffic flow cultural and environmental aspects by the new state government led to George Town being ranked Asia s 8th most liveable city by ECA International in 2010 100 101 102 The city s services sector has since been boosted by the private sector and an influx of foreign investors 103 104 105 The Indian Ocean tsunami which struck in 2004 hit the western and northern coasts of Penang Island including George Town claiming 52 lives out of 68 in Malaysia 106 Whilst George Town had been declared a city by Queen Elizabeth II in 1957 the jurisdiction of the city was expanded by the Malaysian federal government to encompass the entirety of Penang Island in 2015 107 108 Geography EditThe jurisdiction of George Town covers an area of 305 77 km2 118 06 sq mi encompassing the entirety of Penang Island and five of the surrounding islets including Jerejak Island 3 108 109 George Town is only slightly more than a third the size of Singapore with a population density of 2 372 km2 6 140 sq mi thus the city has one of the highest population densities of all Malaysian cities 110 111 The contiguous hotel and resort belts of Batu Ferringhi and Tanjung Bungah and Tanjung Tokong along the northern beaches of Penang Island form the northwestern fringes of George Town 112 113 The central hills of Penang Island including Penang Hill serve as a giant green lung for George Town and an important forested catchment area While the central hills have somewhat limited the westward urban sprawl George Town s expansion is more evident southward along the eastern seaboard of Penang Island creating the suburbs of Jelutong and Gelugor the latter merging with the northward development of Bayan Lepas 112 114 As with most island cities land scarcity is a pressing issue in George Town Land reclamation projects have been carried out to provide more low lying land at high demand areas such as at Gurney Drive Tanjung Tokong and Jelutong 115 116 117 Cityscape Edit Skyline of George Town as seen from Gurney Drive Skyline of George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site Edit The oldest portion of the city centre has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site since 2008 9 Recognised as having a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia George Town contains one of the largest collections of pre war buildings in Southeast Asia 9 118 119 The World Heritage Site covers nearly 260 ha 2 6 km2 of the city centre roughly bounded by Transfer Road to the west and Prangin Road to the south 120 The zone includes the city s administrative precinct which is home to the most historic landmarks like Fort Cornwallis City Hall and the Penang State Museum as well as the main Central Business District along Beach Street 47 The zone also covers various places of worship such as St George s Church the Kapitan Keling Mosque and the Goddess of Mercy Temple as well as the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and the Eastern amp Oriental Hotel 121 Among the restrictions in force within the zone is a ban on the construction of any structure exceeding 18 m 59 ft in height and that any new building which is located adjacent to a historically important structure must not exceed the height of the latter 122 123 Street names Edit Main article List of streets in George Town Penang A bilingual road sign at Victoria StreetUnlike other cities in Malaysia George Town still retains most of its English street names 124 125 126 Even for roads that have been renamed in Malay such as Jalan Masjid Negeri Penangites in general still prefer to use the road s former colonial name which in this particular case is Green Lane citation needed This is partly because the new names are often unwieldy e g Pitt Street vs Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling Northam Road vs Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah but also reflects a strong conservatism in the local population who see Penang s colonial history as part of their local identity 127 Since 2008 multi lingual road signs have been in use throughout Penang Island Each of the new road signs shows the street s official Malay name and either the street s English Chinese Tamil or Arabic name 128 129 George Town Batu Ferringhi Tanjung Tokong Tanjung Bungah Pulau Tikus Jelutong Gelugor Batu Lanchang Air Itam Paya Terubong Bayan Lepas Balik Pulau Teluk Bahang Intl Airportclass notpageimage Locations of George Town and its suburbs Suburbs Edit The expansion of George Town has created suburbs to its northwest west and south The northwestern suburbs are somewhat more affluent given their seafront locations which attract tourists and expatriates 130 131 132 The southern suburbs such as Jelutong grew due to industrial activities 133 On the other hand Air Itam and Paya Terubong emerged to the west of George Town as a result of agricultural plantations on the central hills of Penang Island 134 135 Since the 1970s massive industrialisation around Bayan Lepas which created the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone led to the rapid urbanisation of the southeastern corner of Penang Island as well 94 The western half of the island where Balik Pulau forms the main population centre remains sparsely populated although urbanisation has encroached into the area in recent years 114 136 Beaches and seafronts Edit Gurney Drive also forms part of the city s new Central Business District 137 The most popular beaches of George Town are situated along the city s northwestern suburbs specifically Batu Ferringhi Tanjung Bungah and Tanjung Tokong Several hotels and resorts have been established along these locations including Hard Rock Hotel 130 131 Aside from these George Town is home to popular promenades such as Gurney Drive the Esplanade and Karpal Singh Drive In particular Gurney Drive forms part of the city s second Central Business District and is a shopping haven with two upmarket shopping malls Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon 137 138 Land reclamation is currently ongoing off Gurney Drive in a state led effort to create a seafront public park named Gurney Wharf 139 Hills Edit The central hills of Penang Island situated to the west of George Town serve as a gigantic green lung and water catchment area for the urbanised island 140 Rising 833 m 2 733 ft above sea level the peak of Penang Hill is accessible via the Penang Hill Railway from its base station off Hill Railway Road Once a retreat used by British officials and Queen Elizabeth II Penang Hill is one of Penang s most well known tourist attractions 141 142 Parks Edit The City Park is also colloquially known as the Youth Park Founded in 1884 as an offshoot of the Singapore Botanic Gardens the Penang Botanic Gardens is Malaysia s oldest botanical garden Today it serves as a major recreational area receiving about 5 000 visitors every weekend 143 This botanical garden also encompasses Penang s biggest waterfall which forms part of George Town s water supply 144 Meanwhile the nearby 172 acre 70 ha City Park was officially opened in 1972 145 The city is also home to the world s smallest national park the Penang National Park Covering 2 562 ha 25 62 km2 of the northwestern tip of Penang Island it contains mangrove swamps rainforest interspersed with hiking trails and tranquil beaches 146 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 147 148 Climate Edit The city features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification Af George Town experiences relatively consistent temperatures throughout the course of the year with an average high of about 32 C 90 F and an average low of 21 C 70 F 149 The city sees on average about 2 477 millimetres 97 5 in of precipitation annually 150 George Town s proximity to the island of Sumatra makes it susceptible to dust particles carried by wind from the perennial but transient forest fires creating a yearly phenomenon known as the Southeast Asian haze 151 Weather forecast in George Town is served by the Penang Meteorological Office in Bayan Lepas which acts as the primary weather forecast facility for northern Peninsular Malaysia 152 Climate data for George Town Bayan Lepas 1981 2010Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 35 2 95 4 34 7 94 5 36 0 96 8 36 0 96 8 36 0 96 8 33 8 92 8 33 8 92 8 32 9 91 2 33 0 91 4 34 0 93 2 34 0 93 2 34 0 93 2 36 0 96 8 Average high C F 31 8 89 2 32 2 90 0 32 3 90 1 32 1 89 8 31 9 89 4 31 7 89 1 31 3 88 3 31 1 88 0 30 8 87 4 30 7 87 3 30 9 87 6 31 2 88 2 31 5 88 7 Daily mean C F 27 5 81 5 27 9 82 2 28 0 82 4 28 1 82 6 28 1 82 6 27 9 82 2 27 5 81 5 27 3 81 1 27 0 80 6 26 9 80 4 27 0 80 6 27 2 81 0 27 5 81 6 Average low C F 24 2 75 6 24 3 75 7 24 5 76 1 24 8 76 6 24 9 76 8 24 7 76 5 24 2 75 6 24 1 75 4 24 0 75 2 23 9 75 0 24 0 75 2 24 1 75 4 24 3 75 8 Record low C F 19 0 66 2 18 0 64 4 20 5 68 9 22 0 71 6 20 5 68 9 20 0 68 0 20 0 68 0 21 0 69 8 20 0 68 0 20 5 68 9 19 5 67 1 19 5 67 1 18 0 64 4 Average rainfall mm inches 68 2 7 87 3 4 152 6 0 204 8 0 220 8 7 172 6 8 198 7 8 257 10 1 319 12 6 347 13 7 215 8 5 108 4 3 2 347 92 6 Average rainy days 1 0 mm 8 8 13 17 16 13 14 16 20 22 19 12 178Average relative humidity 75 78 81 84 85 84 84 85 86 87 85 78 83Mean monthly sunshine hours 191 204 201 191 178 171 172 169 167 161 164 169 2 138Source 1 Ogimet 153 Source 2 Deutscher Wetterdienst extremes and humidity 154 NOAA 155 Governance and politics EditLocal government Edit The City Hall built in 1903 now serves as the headquarters of the Penang Island City Council Main article Penang Island City CouncilLocal administration of George Town and all of Penang Island is carried out by the Penang Island City Council which comes under the purview of the Penang state government With a history dating back to 1800 it is Malaysia s oldest local government and the successor to the nation s first city council the George Town City Council 37 Headquartered in the City Hall the city council is responsible for urban planning heritage preservation public health sanitation waste management traffic management environmental protection building control social and economic development and general maintenance of urban infrastructure 156 In 2018 George Town was recognised as one of the cleanest cities in ASEAN following a 2017 ranking which placed George Town as Malaysia s second cleanest city 157 158 The Mayor of Penang Island is appointed by the Penang state government every two years while each of the 24 councillors is appointed for a one year term 159 The current Mayor is Yew Tung Seang who took office in 2018 160 Penang based non governmental organisations are also allocated four of the 24 councillor positions 161 State government Edit Penang State Assembly Building at Light Street home to Penang s legislature See also Penang State Legislative Assembly Penang State Executive Council and Constituencies of PenangAs the capital of the State of Penang George Town is the seat of the Penang state government The Office of the Chief Minister of Penang is housed within the Komtar Tower Penang s tallest skyscraper 162 The unicameral Penang State Legislative Assembly convenes inside the State Assembly Building at Light Street 32 The Governor of Penang the head of state also has his official residence within the city 41 In the State Legislative Assembly George Town is represented by 19 state constituencies namely Padang Kota Pengkalan Kota Komtar Kebun Bunga Pulau Tikus Tanjong Bunga Air Putih Air Itam Paya Terubong Seri Delima Datok Keramat Sungai Pinang Batu Lancang Batu Uban Pantai Jerejak Batu Maung Bayan Lepas Pulau Betong and Telok Bahang 163 164 The members of the State Legislative Assembly known as State Assemblymen are elected into office via the Penang State Election which by convention is held simultaneously with the Malaysian General Election every five years 165 The city is also represented by six Members of Parliament in the Malaysian Parliament who are elected via the Malaysian General Election 166 The parliamentary constituencies are Tanjong Bukit Bendera Jelutong Bukit Gelugor Bayan Baru and Balik Pulau 163 164 Judiciary Edit The High Court of Penang at Light Street The Malaysian legal system had its roots in George Town By 1807 Penang was accorded a Royal Charter which provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court and the appointment of the first Supreme Court judge designated as the Recorder 38 39 The Supreme Court of Penang now High Court of Penang was first opened at Fort Cornwallis on 31 May 1808 38 39 Edmond Stanley assumed office as the First Recorder of the Supreme Court of Penang in 1808 thus serving as Malaya s first Superior Court Judge 38 The Supreme Court was then relocated a short distance away to Light Street where the present building was built in 1903 32 167 Today the Malaysian judiciary has become largely centralised The courts in George Town consist of the Magistrates Sessions and the High Court the latter of which sits at the top of Penang s judicial system The High Court remains at Light Street to this day along with the Magistrates and Sessions Court across the street 168 Another Sessions Court has also been established in Balik Pulau to the west 169 Demographics EditAccording to the 2010 Census conducted by the Malaysian federal government George Town had a population of 708 127 7 More recent estimates from Malaysia s Department of Statistics indicated that about 738 500 inhabitants lived within this cosmopolitan city as of 2012 update 170 These figures placed George Town as Malaysia s second largest city by population 7 In addition Greater Penang which also covers Seberang Perai and parts of neighbouring Kedah and Perak was home to 2 412 616 residents as of 2010 update 7 Thus Greater Penang is the most populous metropolitan area in Malaysia outside the Klang Valley Greater Kuala Lumpur 171 Ethnicities Edit Ethnic composition of George Town 2010 172 Ethnicities Nationality PercentageChinese 53 07 Malays 31 20 Other Bumiputeras 0 47 Indians 8 98 Others 0 39 Non Malaysians 5 89 According to Malaysia s Department of Statistics George Town is a Chinese majority city as of 2010 update over 53 of the urban population consisted of ethnic Chinese including the Peranakans 172 The Bumiputeras which include ethnic Malays and East Malaysian indigenous races like the Dayaks and Kadazans collectively made up almost 32 of the city s population 173 174 Ethnic Indians comprised another 9 of George Town s population These are in addition to small but prominent Eurasian and Siamese minorities 175 In particular most of the nearly 1 500 Eurasians remain concentrated at the Pulau Tikus suburb 176 177 The Pinang Peranakan Mansion houses thousands of Peranakan antiques The Peranakans descendants of mixed Malay and Chinese ancestries were once the political and business elites in George Town They held the top positions in some of the city s most influential associations such as the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Penang Straits Chinese British Association 76 As the Peranakans tended to be more loyal to the British Crown than to China they were also known as the King s Chinese 178 179 In spite of Malaysia s ethnic policies that have effectively forced the Peranakans to identify themselves as Chinese Peranakan culture still thrives in George Town to this day in the form of Straits Chinese architectural styles and dishes like asam laksa 180 George Town currently has a sizeable expatriate population especially from Singapore Japan and various Asian countries as well as the United Kingdom many of whom chose to retire in Penang as part of Malaysia My Second Home programme In recent years George Town has been acknowledged as one of the best cities for retirement within Southeast Asia by the likes of CNN and Forbes 181 182 As of 2010 update expatriates made up nearly 6 of George Town s population reflecting the city s popularity amongst foreigners 172 183 The Jewish Cemetery at Jalan Zainal Abidin formerly Yahudi Road is believed to be the oldest in Southeast Asia 41 The city was also once home to Burmese Filipino Sinhalese Japanese Sumatran Arab Armenian and Persian communities 184 A small but commercially significant community of German merchants existed in George Town as well as did a Jewish enclave 185 Even though most of these other communities including the Jews are no longer extant they lent their legacy to numerous street and place names such as the Dhammikarama Temple Burmah Road Armenian Street Jewish Cemetery and Gottlieb Road 184 186 187 Languages Edit As with other multi ethnic cities in Malaysia all four major languages are widely spoken in George Town Malay English Mandarin and Tamil However George Town and by extension Penang is best known for its distinct Hokkien dialect known as Penang Hokkien 188 During the British colonial era English was the official language This was helped by the mushrooming of missionary schools throughout George Town all of which used English as their medium of instruction and were held in high esteem by the locals 189 Most Penangites still maintain reasonable command of the language while British English is formally used spoken English usually takes the form of Manglish 190 As in the rest of Malaysia Malay is currently the official language in George Town The city s Malays also use a variant of the Kedah Malay dialect with slight modifications made to the original dialect to suit the conditions of a cosmopolitan city 191 These modifications include the use of words of Indian origin and the alteration of the final l syllable into i 191 Due to their Tamil South Indian ancestry most Indians in George Town speak Tamil Punjabi and Telugu are also spoken by a very smaller numbers of Indians 192 193 Mandarin more widely used by youths has been the medium of instruction in Chinese schools throughout Penang 194 However Penang Hokkien serves as the lingua franca of George Town Originally a variant of the Minnan dialect over the centuries Penang Hokkien has incorporated a large number of loanwords from Malay and English It is spoken by many Penangites regardless of race for communication purposes 188 195 196 In recent years there have been more efforts to maintain the dialect s relevance in the face of the increasing influence of Mandarin and English among the younger populace 197 198 Economy EditAs the capital city of Penang one of the most urbanised states in Malaysia George Town is one of the top contributors of Malaysia s Gross Domestic Product GDP and tax income 199 200 201 According to the Economist Intelligence Unit the city contributed US 12 044 or nearly 8 of Malaysia s personal disposable income in 2015 second only to Kuala Lumpur 202 In 2016 George Town was ranked Malaysia s most attractive destination for commercial property investment by Knight Frank surpassing even Kuala Lumpur 203 By 2017 Penang s GDP per capita already the highest among Malaysian states rose to RM49 873 thereby surpassing the World Bank s threshold to be considered a high income economy 204 205 George Town s popularity amongst foreign investors has contributed to Penang gaining the largest share of Malaysia s foreign direct investments within the same year 206 Originally established as an entrepot by the British George Town s economy is now dominated by other tertiary sub sectors ranging from manufacturing to finance whilst newer industries including entrepreneurial startups are taking root within the city as well 15 In addition George Town serves as the economic pole of northern Malaysia with relatively wide logistical connectivity 200 The Penang International Airport is one of the nation s busiest whilst Swettenham Pier has cemented the city s reputation as a popular destination for cruise shipping 20 201 207 Manufacturing Edit Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone also known as the Silicon Valley of the East Since the 1970s manufacturing formed the backbone of Penang s economy generating 44 8 of the state s GDP as of 2017 update and attracting about 3 000 firms to set up operations within the state 204 208 The Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone dubbed the Silicon Valley of the East is the main electronics manufacturing hub within Malaysia 15 16 209 Located at the southeastern corner of Penang Island the zone is home to various high tech multinational firms including Dell Intel AMD Motorola Agilent Renesas Osram Bosch Sony and Seagate Finance Edit Standard Chartered and HSBC left at Beach Street George Town was the centre of banking in Malaysia at a time when Kuala Lumpur was still a small outpost The oldest bank in Malaysia Standard Chartered opened its main branch in George Town in 1875 to cater to the financial requirements of early European traders 32 47 This was followed by HSBC in 1885 and the Royal Bank of Scotland in 1888 32 47 Today George Town remains the banking hub of northern Malaysia with branches of major international banks such as Standard Chartered HSBC Citibank UOB OCBC Bank of China and Bank Negara Malaysia Malaysian central bank 210 Most of the foreign banks still maintain their Penang headquarters at Beach Street which serves as the city s main Central Business District 47 Since the 1990s Northam Road along with Gurney Drive has evolved into George Town s second Central Business District 211 Northam Road is now home to a cluster of financial services with a number of accounting auditing and insurance firms based along this coastal road 212 In addition to these the Employees Provident Fund run by the Malaysian federal government operates an office at the road as well 213 The financial sector and its related industries such as insurance auditing and real estate transactions accounted for over 8 of Penang s Gross Domestic Product GDP as of 2017 update 204 Tourism Edit The Church of the Assumption is the oldest Catholic church in northern Malaysia 214 See also International rankings of George Town PenangGeorge Town has always been one of the most popular tourist destinations in Malaysia Throughout history the city has even welcomed some of the most influential personalities including Somerset Maugham Rudyard Kipling Noel Coward Lee Kuan Yew and Queen Elizabeth II 215 216 The Rainbow Skywalk at the top of Komtar Tower is the highest outdoor glass footwalk in Malaysia 217 In recent years George Town has received numerous international accolades further putting the city on the world stage 218 The city has been listed by various publications including the Lonely Planet Forbes and Time as one of the top travel destinations in Asia 14 219 220 221 222 These are in addition to George Town s reputation as a gastronomic haven with the CNN placing the city as one of Asia s best street food cities 12 Unlike most other Malaysian cities George Town does not rely only on air transportation for tourist arrivals Aside from the Penang International Airport Swettenham Pier conveniently located within the city centre also serves as one of the major tourist entry points into Penang As of 2017 update Penang attracted almost 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 223 224 Within the same year Penang became the third largest contributor of Malaysia s tourism tax revenue after Kuala Lumpur and Sabah 225 The state government launched its ten year Penang Tourism Master Plan in February 2019 with the goal of ensuring sustainable development and making Penang a hub for tourism heritage culture and arts in the region 226 George Town World Heritage Incorporated the state government s independent heritage agency responsible for managing the George Town World Heritage Site has produced a Sustainable Tourism Strategy action plan 227 Services Edit A row of renovated shophouses in George Town repainted in vibrant colours With nearly 3 5 of Penang s workforce employed in services related fields the services sector has marginally overtaken manufacturing as Penang s biggest economic sector contributing 49 3 of Penang s total GDP in 2017 204 228 The largest share of employment was recorded in the retail accommodation and food and beverages F amp B sub sectors clearly depicting the influence of tourist arrivals on service related industries 228 Since the inscription of George Town as a UNESCO World Heritage Site an emerging trend is the acquisition of heritage shophouses within the zone by foreign investors especially from Singapore and Hong Kong 103 104 229 In addition a startup community has been growing in the city which include the likes of Piktochart and DeliverEat 15 Attracted by the city s cheaper living costs and the presence of several multinational technology firms in Penang the city s startups are also being actively encouraged by the Penang state government and the private sector with initiatives to encourage entrepreneurship and promote the Internet of Things IoT 230 231 This services sector has also been boosted by firms seeking to establish shared services outsourcing SSO operations within or around George Town including AirAsia Citigroup Dell Jabil and Temasek Holdings 208 232 Consequently Penang has emerged as the second most important Global Business Services GBS hub within Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur 233 Medical tourism Edit An integral part of Penang s services sector is medical tourism which has made George Town the medical tourism hub of Malaysia The city has attracted approximately half of Malaysia s medical tourist arrivals in 2013 and generated about 70 of the nation s medical tourism revenue 18 19 87 About 1 000 patients arrive in George Town daily mostly from Asian countries such as Indonesia Singapore and Japan 18 19 The success of George Town s medical tourism industry is mainly due to the specialised medical treatments offered at more affordable costs by the city s numerous private hospitals coupled with well trained professionals and advanced equipment 87 Indirect factors that were cited include the relatively low cost of living and the ease of travel facilitated by the well developed logistical infrastructure 18 Retail Edit Gurney PlazaAs many as 24 of Penang s workforce are employed in the retail sub sector the largest of all economic sub sectors in Penang 228 Due to the numerous shopping malls and hypermarkets in George Town the city is the main shopping hub of northern Malaysia Since 2001 shopping complexes in George Town registered the biggest increases in Malaysia 234 Among the more well known shopping malls within the city are Gurney Plaza Gurney Paragon 1st Avenue and Queensbay Mall 235 While shopping malls now dominate the retail scene in George Town many centuries old shophouses are still operating alongside the city s flea markets and wet markets such as Chowrasta Market 234 236 These traditional retail establishments cater more to locally made products including spices nutmegs and tau sar pneah a famous Penang delicacy 237 Architecture EditMain article Architecture of PenangCenturies of development have brought a mix of architectural styles to George Town both historical and modern The oldest portion of the city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site while outside the UNESCO zone lies the modern cityscape with skyscrapers residential high rises office blocks and shopping malls built all over the city 9 118 Historic architecture Edit Wat Chaiyamangkalaram at Pulau Tikus was constructed in 1845 by ethnic Siamese Most of George Town s famous heritage landmarks including Fort Cornwallis the City Hall the High Court St George s Church and the Eastern amp Oriental Hotel are located within the UNESCO World Heritage Site 47 The city s main Central Business District at Beach Street also within the UNESCO zone is home to banks built in various Art Deco based hybrid styles 32 47 238 Colonial era bungalows such as The Residency and Suffolk House can be found throughout the city as well 32 The area of Little India Aside from colonial European architecture a huge assortment of Asian architectural styles also exist throughout the city Buildings like the Kapitan Keling Mosque Kong Hock Keong Temple Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and the Pinang Peranakan Mansion are notable for their architectural styles which combine diverse cultural influences Peranakan townhouses exemplified by the Sun Yat sen Museum dominate the cityscape as well 239 Meanwhile Indian architecture is more prominent within the city s Little India which also contains the Sri Mahamariamman Temple 240 In the suburbs the Siamese and Burmese communities have left their mark too the Buddhist temples at Pulau Tikus include Wat Chaiyamangkalaram and the Dhammikarama Temple Another example of a hybrid Asian architecture is the Kek Lok Si Temple at Air Itam which merges Chinese Siamese and Burmese influences 241 Modern architecture Edit Since the mid 20th century modern urbanisation has transformed much of George Town Just south of the UNESCO World Heritage Site stands the Komtar Tower the tallest skyscraper in Penang at nearly 250 m 820 ft tall The second Central Business District at Northam Road and Gurney Drive which lies along the city s northern shoreline is also home to some of Penang s tallest skyscrapers including Setia V Gurney Paragon and BHL Tower 242 With increasing urbanisation high rises are also springing up within the suburbs of George Town 243 Culture EditMain article Culture of Penang Food Edit A bowl of asam laksa Penang s most famous hawker dish It was ranked 7th in CNN s list of the world s 50 best foods 244 Main article Penang cuisine George Town long known as the food capital of Malaysia is renowned for its good and varied street food incorporating Malay Chinese Indian Peranakan Thai and European influences into its literal melting pot 13 The city has been recognised as one of Asia s top street food cities by CNN as well the world s top culinary destination by the Lonely Planet in 2014 12 13 These were in addition to the Time magazine in 2004 which acclaimed Penang as having the best street food in Asia citation needed The best places to savour street cuisine include Gurney Drive Pulau Tikus Chulia Street Kimberley Street New Lane New World Park Penang Road and Air Itam 245 246 247 The more prominent local dishes include asam laksa char kway teow curry mee Hokkien mee nasi kandar oh chien fried oyster omelette rojak and chendol 245 246 247 Besides these several tau sar pneah shops can be found throughout the city selling bean paste biscuits 236 Performance arts Edit A member of a Chingay troupe balancing a giant flag in the city George Town is the birthplace of a unique form of Chingay procession which began with its first parade in 1919 45 248 Penang s variant of Chingay includes the act of balancing gigantic flags on one s forehead or hands An annual 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 249 Bangsawan is a form of Malay theatre which was developed in Penang with Indian Western Islamic Chinese and Indonesian influences It went into decline in the latter decades of the 20th century and is now a dying art form 250 251 Boria is another traditional dance drama indigenous to Penang featuring singing accompanied by violin maracas and tabla 252 Aside from these there are two Western orchestras based in George Town the Penang Philharmonic and the Penang Symphony Orchestra PSO as well as several chamber and school based musical ensembles 253 254 Dewan Sri Pinang and Penangpac within Straits Quay are two of the major performing venues in the city 255 Street art Edit One of the dozens of wrought iron caricatures that have been put up within George Town In 2012 as part of the annual George Town Festival Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic created a series of wall murals depicting local culture inhabitants and lifestyles 256 They now stand as celebrated cultural landmarks of George Town with Children on a Bicycle becoming one of the most photographed spots in the city 257 Since then the street art scene has blossomed Arts exhibitions are held at the city s numerous cultural centres such as the Hin Bus Depot 258 Aside from wall art several wrought iron caricatures each depicting a unique aspect of George Town s history and culture have been installed throughout the city centre 259 Museums Edit The Penang State Museum and Art Gallery formerly housed the Penang Free School until 1927 47 The Penang State Museum and Art Gallery houses relics photographs maps and other artifacts that document the history and culture of Penang 260 Other museums within the city focus on religious and cultural aspects as well as famous personalities including the Penang Islamic Museum Sun Yat sen Museum P Ramlee s House Batik Painting Museum and Universiti Sains Malaysia Museum and Gallery 261 262 In recent years private run museums have sprung up all over the city such as the Camera Museum and the Penang Toy Museum A handful of newer visual museums have also been launched such as the Made in Penang Interactive Museum and the Penang Time Tunnel 263 264 Festivals Edit George Town s cultural melting pot of various races and religions means that there are a great many celebrations and festivities in any given year The major cultural and religious festivities in George Town include but not limited to the Chinese New Year Chap Goh Meh Songkran Wesak Day Seventh Month Festival Nine Emperor Gods Festival Eid ul Fitri Deepavali Thaipusam Vaisakhi and Christmas 265 266 The city s expatriates have introduced a host of other celebrations as well Bon Odori is celebrated yearly at the Esplanade by the Japanese while St Patrick s Day and Oktoberfest traditionally celebrated by the Irish and the Germans respectively have also been gaining popularity amongst the locals 267 268 269 In addition the city hosts several major festivals in any given year The George Town Festival first held in 2010 has evolved into one of the top arts events in Southeast Asia while the Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta attracts close to 200 000 visitors from all over the world 270 271 Sports Edit The City Stadium was where Mohd Faiz Subri a Penang FA player scored the goal that won him the FIFA Puskas Award George Town has a relatively well developed sporting infrastructure The City Stadium is Penang Island s main football stadium with a capacity of about 25 000 272 273 It is the home ground of Penang FA and was where Penang footballer Mohd Faiz Subri scored the goal that won him the 2016 FIFA Puskas Award 274 The SPICE Arena at Bayan Baru consists of an indoor stadium an aquatics centre and a convention centre while the Nicol David International Squash Centre at Gelugor is a major squash training facility 275 In addition the Penang Turf Club established in 1864 is Malaysia s oldest horse racing and equestrian centre 232 The Penang Bridge International Marathon is a popular annual event The full marathon route starts from near Queensbay Mall then on to the 13 5 km 8 4 mi length of the Penang Bridge and finally back to the starting point for the finish 276 The national and international sporting events that were held in George Town include the 2001 Southeast Asian Games and the 2013 Women s World Open Squash Championship 277 278 In addition George Town will host the Asia Pacific Masters Games in 2018 the first Malaysian city to be selected to host this regional multi sports tournament 279 Education EditSee also Education in Penang George Town is home to some of the oldest schools in Malaysia making it a pioneer in the country s education system Under British rule missionary schools were set up across George Town They were followed by Chinese schools some of which are also among the oldest in the nation thus making George Town the nucleus of Chinese education in Southeast Asia 45 280 More recently international schools have also been established to cater to the growing expatriate population In addition George Town contains a number of private tertiary educational institutions as well as one of the premier Malaysian public universities Universiti Sains Malaysia Aside from these the city has a handful of language institutions such as the British Council Alliance Francaise and the Malaysian German Society 281 282 283 Schools Edit Penang Free School the oldest English school in Southeast Asia See also List of schools in PenangThere are a total of 117 primary schools 49 high schools four Islamic religious schools two vocational colleges and a technical school throughout George Town 284 The breakdown of these schools is as follows Type TotalPrimary schools National 53National type Chinese 51National type Tamil 7Private 4Special needs 2High schools National 42Private 6Special needs 1Islamic 4Technical vocational 3Some of the oldest missionary schools in George Town include the Penang Free School St Xavier s Institution Convent Light Street St George s Girls School and Methodist Boys School 285 Meanwhile the Chung Hwa Confucian School founded in 1904 was the first Chinese school in Southeast Asia 45 Aside from government run and private schools the city has 11 international schools Of these Dalat Uplands Tenby Fairview Pelita Hua Xia and Wesley Methodist offer both primary and secondary education 286 287 288 The Penang Japanese School is the only international school in George Town that caters for expatriates of a specific nationality 289 Tertiary education Edit Wawasan Open University is a private institution specialising in open distance learning Universiti Sains Malaysia situated at Gelugor is one of the premier Malaysian public universities Established in 1969 as Malaysia s second university it was originally named Universiti Pulau Pinang University of Penang 290 As of 2018 update it was ranked 207th in the QS World University Rankings the fourth highest in Malaysia 291 Several private universities and colleges have also been set up across George Town including Wawasan Open University Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and University College Dublin Malaysia Campus Han Chiang University College of Communication DISTED College SEGi College Sentral College Lam Wah Ee Nursing College Adventist College of Nursing and Health Sciences Equator Academy of Arts and KDU University College 292 293 Libraries Edit Northeast District library George Town contains a total of 30 libraries 284 Among the libraries in the city are the Penang State Library at Scotland Road and the Penang Digital Library at Green Lane 294 295 The latter which was opened by the Penang state government in 2016 is Malaysia s first digital library and houses a digitalised collection of over 3 000 publications 296 297 Kapitan Keling Mosque one of the religious buildings located along Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling which was formerly known as Pitt Street Health care Edit Gleneagles Medical Centre The numerous public and private hospitals in George Town has helped the city to emerge as the centre of medical tourism in Malaysia The Penang General Hospital administered and funded by the Ministry of Health is the main public hospital in George Town and serves as the tertiary referral hospital within northern Malaysia 298 It is complemented by the Balik Pulau Hospital which is also managed by the country s Ministry of Health 299 There are also 54 government run clinics throughout George Town supported by 11 private hospitals and 352 private clinics 300 The private hospitals within George Town include Penang Adventist Hospital Island Hospital Gleneagles Medical Centre Loh Guan Lye Specialists Centre Lam Wah Ee Hospital Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital and Pantai Hospital George Town became the first Malaysian city to install public automated external defibrillators AEDs with the launch of the first device in Komtar in 2015 301 302 Since then AEDs have been installed at several public locations throughout the city 303 304 Media EditPrint Edit George Town was once the centre of Malaysia s print media The country s first newspaper the Prince of Wales Island Gazette was established in the city in 1806 305 One of Malaysia s top dailies currently in circulation The Star was founded in George Town in the 1970s while the country s oldest Chinese newspaper Kwong Wah Yit Poh was also founded in the city in 1910 305 In 2011 the then Chief Minister of Penang Lim Guan Eng officiated the launch of the Penang edition of Time Out 306 This version of the international listings magazine is currently published in three versions an annual guide a website and a mobile app 307 The Penang state government also publishes its own multi lingual newspaper Buletin Mutiara which is circulated for free every fortnight 308 The Penang centric newspaper focuses on the current issues affecting Penang 308 Television Edit Due to its well preserved heritage cityscape George Town served as the filming location for a number of movies such as Anna and the King Lust Caution and You Mean the World to Me the latter of which is the first movie to be filmed entirely in Penang Hokkien 309 Singaporean drama series The Little Nyonya and The Journey Our Homeland were also shot within the UNESCO zone 310 311 In addition the city was one of the pit stops of The Amazing Race 16 The Amazing Race Asia 4 and The Amazing Race Asia 5 Radio Edit The available FM radio stations in George Town both government including Penang based Mutiara FM and commercial are as listed below 312 Frequency Station Operator Language87 8 One FM Media Prima Mandarin Cantonese88 2 Hot FM Media Prima Malay89 9 Fly FM Media Prima English90 2 Kool FM Media Prima Malay91 0 Mix FM Astro Radio English92 8 Hitz FM Astro Radio English94 5 988 FM Star RFM Radio Mandarin Cantonese94 9 Klasik FM RTM Malay95 7 Mutiara FM RTM Malay96 7 Minnal FM RTM Tamil97 1 Sinar FM Astro Radio Malay98 7 TraXX FM RTM English99 3 THR Raaga Astro Radio Tamil99 7 My FM Astro Radio Mandarin Cantonese101 3 Ai FM RTM Mandarin Cantonese Hokkien103 6 Era FM Astro Radio Malay104 4 Lite FM Astro Radio English106 5 Melody Astro Radio Mandarin Cantonese106 9 Suria FM Star RFM Radio Malay107 6 goXuan Astro Radio Mandarin CantoneseTransportation EditMain article Transport in Penang The Penang Bridge completed in 1985 was formerly the longest bridge in Southeast Asia Land Edit Development of George Town s streets and roads is an ongoing process that dates back to the early years of British rule The city s oldest streets including Light Street Beach Street Chulia Street and Pitt Street were arranged in a grid pattern 313 The Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway runs along the eastern coastline of Penang Island between the city centre and the Penang International Airport linking both locations with the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone and the Penang Bridge The George Town Inner Ring Road and the Penang Middle Ring Road are the two major ring roads around the city centre The city centre is also linked with the western parts of Penang Island such as Balik Pulau via the pan island Federal Route 6 Both the 13 5 km 8 4 mi long Penang Bridge and the 24 km 15 mi long Second Penang Bridge link George Town with the rest of Peninsular Malaysia The former bridge was completed in 1985 while the latter opened in 2014 is currently the longest bridge in Southeast Asia 314 Public transportation Edit The new Penang Hill Railway funicular train which has been in use since 2011 315 See also Cycling in Penang Island List of bus routes in Penang and Trolleybuses in George Town Penang George Town was once a pioneer of public transportation in British Malaya The city s first tram system then powered by steam commenced operations in the 1880s 316 317 While the tram lines have since been disused another colonial legacy the trishaw remains in use throughout the city albeit catering primarily for tourists 318 319 Today buses form the backbone of public transportation within George Town Rapid Penang with over 30 routes on Penang Island is the sole public bus service provider within George Town In addition open topped double deckers known as Hop On Hop Off buses have been introduced for tourists in the city 320 Meanwhile the Penang Hill Railway is a funicular railway to the peak of Penang Hill Efforts are also being undertaken to promote pedestrianisation and the use of bicycles as a greener transportation mode 101 321 Dedicated cycling lanes have been marked throughout the city and in 2016 George Town became the first Malaysian city to operate a public bicycle sharing service with the launch of LinkBike 322 Air Edit Main article Penang International Airport View of Penang International Airport and the Second Penang Bridge in 2017The Penang International Airport 16 km 9 9 mi south of the city centre was opened in 1935 It serves as the main airport for northern Malaysia with frequent links to major Asian cities such as Kuala Lumpur Singapore Bangkok Jakarta Ho Chi Minh City Taipei Hong Kong Guangzhou and Doha It is also a hub for two Malaysian low cost carriers AirAsia and Firefly 323 The airport is Malaysia s second busiest in terms of cargo traffic and recorded the third highest passenger traffic of all Malaysian airports as of 2013 update 324 Sea Edit Main article Swettenham Pier A cruise liner docked at Swettenham Pier The Port of Penang consists of seven facilities along the Penang Strait including Swettenham Pier in George Town 325 Renovated in 2009 as a cruise shipping terminal Swettenham Pier is one of the major tourist entry points into George Town 21 207 As of 2017 update the pier recorded 1 35 million tourist arrivals thereby surpassing Port Klang as the busiest port of call in Malaysia for cruise shipping 20 326 The pier has also attracted some of the world s largest cruise liners such as the RMS Queen Mary 2 21 A number of cruise ships call Swettenham Pier as their homeport bringing tourists into and out of George Town towards regional destinations like Phuket and Singapore 327 Occasionally the pier hosts warships as well including those from Singapore Thailand and the United States 328 329 330 Ferry Edit A Rapid Ferry crossing the Penang Strait towards George Town Main article Rapid Ferry Rapid Ferry is a cross strait shuttle ferry service that connects George Town with the town of Butterworth on the Malay Peninsula It is the oldest ferry service in Malaysia dating back to 1894 when the first passenger ferry commenced operations 60 Currently six ferries ply the Penang Strait between George Town and Butterworth daily 331 International relations EditConsulates Edit Several nations have either established their consulates or appointed honorary consulates within George Town 332 Australia 333 Austria 334 Bangladesh 335 Brazil 332 China 336 Denmark 337 France 338 Finland 339 Germany 340 Hungary 341 Indonesia 342 Japan 343 Nepal 344 Norway 345 Pakistan 346 Poland 347 Russia 348 Sweden 349 South Africa 350 Thailand 351 United Kingdom 352 Ukraine 353 Sister cities Edit George Town has eight sister cities Adelaide Australia 354 Xiamen China 354 Xi an China 355 Arles France 356 Medan Indonesia 354 Taipei Taiwan 357 Bangkok Thailand 358 Phuket Thailand 359 The State of Penang also has a sister area partnership with Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan which was ratified in 1991 360 Sister subdivision Edit Kanagawa Prefecture JapanFriendship cities Edit In addition to the sister cities and areas George Town has inked five other friendship city agreements Sanya China 361 Zhongshan China 362 Busan South Korea 363 Changwon South Korea 364 Kaohsiung Taiwan 363 In 2013 the State of Penang signed a friendship state agreement with Hainan Province in China 365 Friendship subdivision Hainan Province ChinaSee also Edit Malaysia portalInternational rankings of George TownReferences Edit Mike Aquino 30 August 2012 Exploring Georgetown Penang Asian Correspondent Retrieved 1 January 2016 Goh Ban Lee 19 May 2014 The Penang Island City agenda The Sun Retrieved 25 January 2016 a b Cavina Lim 25 March 2015 Penang s First Mayor A Woman The Star Retrieved 24 January 2016 Malaysia Elevation Map Elevation of George Town Flood Map Water Level Elevation Map Archived from the original on 16 March 2015 Retrieved 25 September 2015 The Penang Island City agenda The Sun 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