Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Penang shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Penang offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Penang at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Penang? Wrong! If the Penang is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Penang then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Penang? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Penang and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Penang wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Penang then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Penang site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Penang, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Penang, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox States of Malaysia| native_name=''Pulau Pinang'' | conventional_long_name=Penang | image_flag=Flag of Penang (Malaysia).svg | image_coat=Coat of arms of Penang.jpg | state_motto=''Bersatu dan Setia'' (United and Loyal) (formerly Let Penang Lead) | state_anthem=[Pulau Pinang State Anthem | image_skyline=[Georgetown.jpg | image_map=Penangpic.jpg | common_name=Penang | capital=[George Town, Penang | latd=5|latm=25|latNS=N|longd=100|longm=19|longEW=E | entryFederationdate=1957 | ruling_party=[Barisan Nasional | leader_title1=Yang Di-Pertua Negeri | leader_name1=Tuan Yang Terutama Abdul Rahman bin Haji Abbas | leader_title2=[Chief Minister | leader_name2=[Koh Tsu Koon | sovereignty_type=History | established_event1=Ceded by Kedah to British | established_date1=11 August 1786 | established_event2=[Japanese occupation of Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak | established_date2= | established_event3=Accession into Federation of Malaya | established_date3=1948 | area=1,046.3 | population_estimate=1.47 million | population_estimate_year=2006 | population_estimate_rank=1 | population_density=1404.9[#Infobox footnotes | population_density_rank=1 | HDI=0.828 | HDI_year=2000 | HDI_category= high | national_calling_code=+604 | national_postal_code=10000 - 19500 | license_plate=P | website=http://www.penang.gov.my | footnotes= 1 2,031.74 people per km² on Penang Island and 865.99 people per km² in Seberang Perai -->

Penang (pronounced ; Malay language: Pulau Pinang), is the name of an island in the Straits of Malacca, and also of one of the States of Malaysia of Malaysia, located on the north-west coast of peninsular Malaysia. Penang is the second smallest state in Malaysia after Perlis, and the eighth most populous. A resident of Penang is colloquially known as a Penangite.

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

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

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

Geography The state is geographically and administratively divided into two sections:





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

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

{| cellpadding="10"|- valign="top"| |||| |||| |||| |}

Greater Metropolitan Area of Penang

The National Physical Plan of Malaysia envisages a Conurbation of George Town encompassing George Town and surrounding areas. The Conurbation of George Town, together with the Conurbation of Johor Bahru are designated as Regional Growth Conurbations while the Conurbation of Kuala Lumpur is the National Growth Conurbation.

The greater metropolitan area of Penang consists of highly urbanized Penang Island, Seberang Prai, Sungai Petani, Kulim and the surrounding areas. In terms of population, it is the second largest urban area in Malaysia after the Conurbation of Kuala Lumpur (Klang Valley). According to the 2000 national census, the population of this urban area is about 1.6 million. As for the Conurbation of Kuala Lumpur, the population in 2000 is about 4.9 million while the population of Johor Bahru is 1 million. Currently, the population of this urban area is approximately 2 million.,

Under 9th Malaysia Plan, this urban area is referred to as the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER). The Northern Corridor Economic Region is one of the three development regions formed in Peninsular Malaysia, other development regions being the South Johor Economic Region (SJER) or Iskandar Development Region (IDR) and the East Coast Development Region. The Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) encompases Penang (Penang Island and Seberang Prai), Kedah (Alor Star, Sungai Petani and Kulim) and Northern Perak.

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

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

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

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

{| class="wikitable"! style="background: #C38EC7; color: #000080" height="17" | Month! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Jan! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Feb! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Mar! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Apr! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | May! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Jun! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Jul! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Aug! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Sep! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Oct! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Nov! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Dec|-! style="background: #6AFB92; color:#000080;" | Average min (°C)| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.2| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.5| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.7| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 24.1| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 24.2| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.8| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.4| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.4| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.2| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.3| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.3| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.4|-! style="background: #6AFB92; color:#000080;" height="16;" | Average max (°C)| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 31.6| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 32.2| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 32.2| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 31.9| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 31.6| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 31.4| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 31.0| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 30.9| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 30.4| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 30.4| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 30.4| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 30.7|-! style="background: #339966; color:#000080;" | Lowest recorded (°C)| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 19| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 19| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 19| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 20| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 19| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 20| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 22| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 21| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 20| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 20| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 18| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 20|-! style="background: #339966; color:#000080;" | Highest recorded (°C)| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 37| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 36| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 36| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 37| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 35| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 36| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 35| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 35| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 36| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 34| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 35| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 35|-! style="background: #6698FF; color:#000080;" | Average rainfall (millimeters)| style="background: #5CB3FF;" | 69| style="background: #5CB3FF;" | 72| style="background: #1589FF;" | 146| style="background: #2554C7;" | 221| style="background: #2554C7;" | 203| style="background: #306EFF;" | 178| style="background: #306EFF;" | 192| style="background: #2554C7;" | 242| style="background: #15317E;" | 356| style="background: #15317E;" | 383| style="background: #2554C7;" | 232| style="background: #1589FF;" | 114|-! style="background: #6698FF; color:#000080;" | Ave no of days with 1 mm| style="background: #5CB3FF;" | 5| style="background: #5CB3FF;" | 6| style="background: #1589FF;" | 9| style="background: #2554C7;" | 14| style="background: #2554C7;" | 14| style="background: #306EFF;" | 11| style="background: #306EFF;" | 12| style="background: #2554C7;" | 14| style="background: #15317E;" | 18| style="background: #15317E;" | 19| style="background: #2554C7;" | 15| style="background: #1589FF;" | 9|}Source: National Environment Agency

Demography The state has the highest population density in Malaysia with 2,031.74 people per square kilometre on the island and 865.99 people per square kilometre on the mainland. Penang, along with Malacca, are the only states in Malaysia where ethnic Chinese form a plurality. The ethnic composition in 2006 was:





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

Peranakan

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

Language The lingua franca of Penang, depending on social classes, social circles, and ethnic backgrounds are Malaysian English, Penang Hokkien, Tamil and Malay language. Mandarin language, which is taught in Chinese-medium schools in the state, is also increasingly spoken.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{] 1945 [1946 [1948 [1957 [1963|-|}

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

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

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

The current Chief Minister of Penang, Koh Tsu Koon is from the Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia party whose representatives have held the chief-ministership since 1969. It is the only state chief-ministership in Malaysia which has been continuously held by an Chinese Malaysian since independence, reflecting the state's ethnic majority. The Chief Minister heads the State Executive Council, the highest administrative body in the state, which answers to the Legislative Assembly. The state Secretariat and other state or federal government departments assist the Executive Council in the state administration. Most of the government offices are housed in the 65-storey Tun Abdul Razak Complex (KOMTAR) in the heart of George Town.

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

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

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









Each district is headed by a district officer.

The following table shows the succession of the heads of governments of Penang from its founding years to the present day.{| class="wikitable"!Head of Government!From!To|-| British colonial period|||-| Superintendent| 11 August 1786 [1957 [1959| Present|-|}

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Food

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

Shopping Penang also has various of modern shopping complexes located within the state. Among of them are:

Arts and Culture Architecture Tourism Penang may be the most famous island in Malaysia. Priceless architecture centres mainly in George Town, the capital of The Pearl of the Orient. Its endless rows of 100 year-old shophouses and colonial villas give Georgetown its distinctive atmosphere. Did you know that Penang was venue to several chartbuster movies like the remake of “Anna and the King” (starring Jodie Foster), and the French film “Indochine” (starring Catherine Deneuve)? A glimpse of George Town and one will understand how this unique capital seduced the many film directors as well as tourists.

The best way to capture Penang’s mix heritage is to stroll around town. Be charmed by aged buildings with their faded colours and crumbling walls. Let your eyes be affixed on the slowly changing architectural details of yesteryear houses with their columns or multi-coloured Peranakan tiles. There is a sense of being back in time surrounded by worship houses and shelters. A peaceful atmosphere rests on the streets where Aceh Mosque resides, the oldest house of worship in the city. The smell of incense drifts in the air amidst gold settings of Burmese, Thai and Chinese temples. The magnificent Khoo Kongsi is a true form of Chinese art with its delicately carved wooden panels. Other old-time occupants include Chinese shopkeepers who seem to have lived here forever, colourful Indian food stalls and rickshaws and their drivers. The George Town of yesterday continues to create history today.

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

{| cellpadding="10"|- valign="top"|Public Hospitals

Penang Island



Province Wellesley

||||Private Hospitals

Penang Island



Province Wellesley

|}

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

Transportation Getting to Penang both from within and outside Malaysia is easy as Penang is well-connected by road, rail, sea and air. AirAsia flies daily to Penang from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok with other services to Sarawak and Sabah. A subsidiary of MAS, Firefly, has established six routes within Malaysia and two to Thailand with Penang as its hub using Fokker 50 aircraft. Other airlines operating to Penang are Singapore Airlines, MAS, together with Indonesian airlines Lion Air and Mandala November 2007.

Bridge, roads and highways

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

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

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

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

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

Public transport

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

The Penang bus services today are generally unsystematic and do not have a reputation of reliability. Therefore, the usage of public transportation is still low, exacerbating the traffic jams in the city during rush hours. The city council has, however, provided free shuttle bus services for short intra-city travel to lessen the congestion, with mixed success. In April 2006, the local authorities announced a revamp of the public bus service to bring about a more reliable and efficient network without any visible progress. On February 20, 2007, the government announced that Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd (Rapid KL) will operate the public bus service in Penang under the new entity called Rapid Penang which is formed for this purpose. The services started on 31 July 2007 with 150 buses covering 38 routes on the island and mainland.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ferry and seaports

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

Sister Cities Medan, North Sumatera Indonesia

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

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

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

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

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

Crime Crime is on the rise in Penang, sparking concern among Penangites. A case in point was the daring RM 50 million heist of computer parts at the Batu Maung Free Commercial Zone on 21 November 2006, the nation's biggest robbery to date . The prevalence of petty crimes like snatch thefts is equally disconcerting. This debacle is due in part to the police force which is, for years, markedly understaffed and overstretched. The low p {{Infobox States of Malaysia| native_name=''Pulau Pinang'' | conventional_long_name=Penang | image_flag=Flag of Penang (Malaysia).svg | image_coat=Coat of arms of Penang.jpg | state_motto=''Bersatu dan Setia'' (United and Loyal) (formerly Let Penang Lead) | state_anthem=[Pulau Pinang State Anthem | image_skyline=[Georgetown.jpg | image_map=Penangpic.jpg | common_name=Penang | capital=[George Town, Penang | latd=5|latm=25|latNS=N|longd=100|longm=19|longEW=E | entryFederationdate=1957 | ruling_party=[Barisan Nasional | leader_title1=Yang Di-Pertua Negeri | leader_name1=Tuan Yang Terutama Abdul Rahman bin Haji Abbas | leader_title2=[Chief Minister | leader_name2=[Koh Tsu Koon | sovereignty_type=History | established_event1=Ceded by Kedah to British | established_date1=11 August 1786 | established_event2=[Japanese occupation of Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak | established_date2= | established_event3=Accession into Federation of Malaya | established_date3=1948 | area=1,046.3 | population_estimate=1.47 million | population_estimate_year=2006 | population_estimate_rank=1 | population_density=1404.9[#Infobox footnotes | population_density_rank=1 | HDI=0.828 | HDI_year=2000 | HDI_category= high | national_calling_code=+604 | national_postal_code=10000 - 19500 | license_plate=P | website=http://www.penang.gov.my | footnotes= 1 2,031.74 people per km² on Penang Island and 865.99 people per km² in Seberang Perai -->

Penang (pronounced ; Malay language: Pulau Pinang), is the name of an island in the Straits of Malacca, and also of one of the States of Malaysia of Malaysia, located on the north-west coast of peninsular Malaysia. Penang is the second smallest state in Malaysia after Perlis, and the eighth most populous. A resident of Penang is colloquially known as a Penangite.

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

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

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

Geography The state is geographically and administratively divided into two sections:





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

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

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Greater Metropolitan Area of Penang

The National Physical Plan of Malaysia envisages a Conurbation of George Town encompassing George Town and surrounding areas. The Conurbation of George Town, together with the Conurbation of Johor Bahru are designated as Regional Growth Conurbations while the Conurbation of Kuala Lumpur is the National Growth Conurbation.

The greater metropolitan area of Penang consists of highly urbanized Penang Island, Seberang Prai, Sungai Petani, Kulim and the surrounding areas. In terms of population, it is the second largest urban area in Malaysia after the Conurbation of Kuala Lumpur (Klang Valley). According to the 2000 national census, the population of this urban area is about 1.6 million. As for the Conurbation of Kuala Lumpur, the population in 2000 is about 4.9 million while the population of Johor Bahru is 1 million. Currently, the population of this urban area is approximately 2 million.,

Under 9th Malaysia Plan, this urban area is referred to as the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER). The Northern Corridor Economic Region is one of the three development regions formed in Peninsular Malaysia, other development regions being the South Johor Economic Region (SJER) or Iskandar Development Region (IDR) and the East Coast Development Region. The Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) encompases Penang (Penang Island and Seberang Prai), Kedah (Alor Star, Sungai Petani and Kulim) and Northern Perak.

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

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

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

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

{| class="wikitable"! style="background: #C38EC7; color: #000080" height="17" | Month! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Jan! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Feb! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Mar! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Apr! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | May! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Jun! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Jul! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Aug! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Sep! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Oct! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Nov! style="background: #C38EC7; color:#000080;" | Dec|-! style="background: #6AFB92; color:#000080;" | Average min (°C)| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.2| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.5| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.7| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 24.1| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 24.2| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.8| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.4| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.4| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.2| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.3| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.3| style="background: #1589FF; color:#000080;" | 23.4|-! style="background: #6AFB92; color:#000080;" height="16;" | Average max (°C)| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 31.6| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 32.2| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 32.2| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 31.9| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 31.6| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 31.4| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 31.0| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 30.9| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 30.4| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 30.4| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 30.4| style="background: #E55B3C; color: black;" | 30.7|-! style="background: #339966; color:#000080;" | Lowest recorded (°C)| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 19| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 19| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 19| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 20| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 19| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 20| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 22| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 21| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 20| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 20| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 18| style="background: #00FFFF; color:#000080;" | 20|-! style="background: #339966; color:#000080;" | Highest recorded (°C)| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 37| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 36| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 36| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 37| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 35| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 36| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 35| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 35| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 36| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 34| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 35| style="background: #E42217; color:#000080;" | 35|-! style="background: #6698FF; color:#000080;" | Average rainfall (millimeters)| style="background: #5CB3FF;" | 69| style="background: #5CB3FF;" | 72| style="background: #1589FF;" | 146| style="background: #2554C7;" | 221| style="background: #2554C7;" | 203| style="background: #306EFF;" | 178| style="background: #306EFF;" | 192| style="background: #2554C7;" | 242| style="background: #15317E;" | 356| style="background: #15317E;" | 383| style="background: #2554C7;" | 232| style="background: #1589FF;" | 114|-! style="background: #6698FF; color:#000080;" | Ave no of days with 1 mm| style="background: #5CB3FF;" | 5| style="background: #5CB3FF;" | 6| style="background: #1589FF;" | 9| style="background: #2554C7;" | 14| style="background: #2554C7;" | 14| style="background: #306EFF;" | 11| style="background: #306EFF;" | 12| style="background: #2554C7;" | 14| style="background: #15317E;" | 18| style="background: #15317E;" | 19| style="background: #2554C7;" | 15| style="background: #1589FF;" | 9|}Source: National Environment Agency

Demography The state has the highest population density in Malaysia with 2,031.74 people per square kilometre on the island and 865.99 people per square kilometre on the mainland. Penang, along with Malacca, are the only states in Malaysia where ethnic Chinese form a plurality. The ethnic composition in 2006 was:





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

Peranakan

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

Language The lingua franca of Penang, depending on social classes, social circles, and ethnic backgrounds are Malaysian English, Penang Hokkien, Tamil and Malay language. Mandarin language, which is taught in Chinese-medium schools in the state, is also increasingly spoken.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{] 1945 [1946 [1948 [1957 [1963|-|}

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

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

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

The current Chief Minister of Penang, Koh Tsu Koon is from the Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia party whose representatives have held the chief-ministership since 1969. It is the only state chief-ministership in Malaysia which has been continuously held by an Chinese Malaysian since independence, reflecting the state's ethnic majority. The Chief Minister heads the State Executive Council, the highest administrative body in the state, which answers to the Legislative Assembly. The state Secretariat and other state or federal government departments assist the Executive Council in the state administration. Most of the government offices are housed in the 65-storey Tun Abdul Razak Complex (KOMTAR) in the heart of George Town.

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

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

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









Each district is headed by a district officer.

The following table shows the succession of the heads of governments of Penang from its founding years to the present day.{| class="wikitable"!Head of Government!From!To|-| British colonial period|||-| Superintendent| 11 August 1786 [1957 [1959| Present|-|}

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Food

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

Shopping Penang also has various of modern shopping complexes located within the state. Among of them are:

Arts and Culture Architecture Tourism Penang may be the most famous island in Malaysia. Priceless architecture centres mainly in George Town, the capital of The Pearl of the Orient. Its endless rows of 100 year-old shophouses and colonial villas give Georgetown its distinctive atmosphere. Did you know that Penang was venue to several chartbuster movies like the remake of “Anna and the King” (starring Jodie Foster), and the French film “Indochine” (starring Catherine Deneuve)? A glimpse of George Town and one will understand how this unique capital seduced the many film directors as well as tourists.

The best way to capture Penang’s mix heritage is to stroll around town. Be charmed by aged buildings with their faded colours and crumbling walls. Let your eyes be affixed on the slowly changing architectural details of yesteryear houses with their columns or multi-coloured Peranakan tiles. There is a sense of being back in time surrounded by worship houses and shelters. A peaceful atmosphere rests on the streets where Aceh Mosque resides, the oldest house of worship in the city. The smell of incense drifts in the air amidst gold settings of Burmese, Thai and Chinese temples. The magnificent Khoo Kongsi is a true form of Chinese art with its delicately carved wooden panels. Other old-time occupants include Chinese shopkeepers who seem to have lived here forever, colourful Indian food stalls and rickshaws and their drivers. The George Town of yesterday continues to create history today.

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

{| cellpadding="10"|- valign="top"|Public Hospitals

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

Transportation Getting to Penang both from within and outside Malaysia is easy as Penang is well-connected by road, rail, sea and air. AirAsia flies daily to Penang from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok with other services to Sarawak and Sabah. A subsidiary of MAS, Firefly, has established six routes within Malaysia and two to Thailand with Penang as its hub using Fokker 50 aircraft. Other airlines operating to Penang are Singapore Airlines, MAS, together with Indonesian airlines Lion Air and Mandala November 2007.

Bridge, roads and highways

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

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

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

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

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

Public transport

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

The Penang bus services today are generally unsystematic and do not have a reputation of reliability. Therefore, the usage of public transportation is still low, exacerbating the traffic jams in the city during rush hours. The city council has, however, provided free shuttle bus services for short intra-city travel to lessen the congestion, with mixed success. In April 2006, the local authorities announced a revamp of the public bus service to bring about a more reliable and efficient network without any visible progress. On February 20, 2007, the government announced that Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd (Rapid KL) will operate the public bus service in Penang under the new entity called Rapid Penang which is formed for this purpose. The services started on 31 July 2007 with 150 buses covering 38 routes on the island and mainland.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ferry and seaports

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

Sister Cities Medan, North Sumatera Indonesia

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

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

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

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

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

Crime Crime is on the rise in Penang, sparking concern among Penangites. A case in point was the daring RM 50 million heist of computer parts at the Batu Maung Free Commercial Zone on 21 November 2006, the nation's biggest robbery to date . The prevalence of petty crimes like snatch thefts is equally disconcerting. This debacle is due in part to the police force which is, for years, markedly understaffed and overstretched. The low p

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