A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE

A BRIEF HISTORY THAT LED US TO BE RECOGNIZED
AS A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE

Penang has been the destination
of choice of many people
from all over the world and as
a result, it has been considered
one of the best real estate not
just in Malaysia but in the world.
No one could’ve imagined that
this sleepy fishing village would
be such an important part of
Malaysia today.

Multi-cultural and economically
booming, this little island govon
the northwest of Peninsular
Malaysia has been the target
of expatriates and adventure
seekers from all over the world
with the Malaysia My Second
Home (MM2H) program.
Historically, Penang was
originally part of the Kedah Sultanate
until it was colonized as a British Crown Colony by Captain Francis Light who promised the Sultanate British protection from Siamese invasion.
Light die of malaria on October 21, 1794 and was buried at the
Protestant cemetery at the end of Northam Road (now Jalan Sultan
Ahmad Shah). His legacy lives on through his son,Colonel WilliamLight who went
on to found thecity of Adelaide in
Australia.Penang has a part of American history as well.

Fort Cornwallis was built in 1804
and completed in 1810. Fort
Cornwallis was named after
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess
Cornwallis who was the
former British Governor-General
of Bengal, India. Cornwallis was
also the man whose surrender
at Yorktown, Virginia was considered
the end to the American
War of Independence and
led to the birth of a new nation
known today as the United
States of America.
Penang is now considered
a place that welcomes
people from all over the world
with open arms. One can just
drive along Tanjung Bungah
and you can meet people from
all over the world like the USA,
UK, Canada, Germany, Korea,
Japan and many others. There
are many factors to why Penang
has become a melting pot
of sorts in modern Malaysia.
Singaporeans consider
Penang a sister city due to its
ethnic and cultural similarities.
But Penang attracts Singaporeans
all the way up north for its
food as well. Penang has been
known as the food capital of
Malaysia and with right reason
as well. Famous hawker food
like Penang Laksa, Char Kuay
Teow, Hokkien Mee and Chee
Cheong Fun are just among the
few that can be found. Indian
food like chappati, Roti Canai
(Prata) are the most sought
after delicacies for locals as
well and Malay food like Nasi
Briyanni gives visitors a chance
to literally get a “taste of the
world”. Local desserts like chendol
and Ais Kacang are famous
in Penang and recipes for these
delicacies are generally passed
down from generation to generation.
Today, Penang is every bit
a modern city as it is an island resort. With shopping centres
like Gurney Plaza, Queensbay
and Prangin Mall, there’s nothing
like a lazy Sunday where
one can bring one’s family for a
quiet stroll along the corridors of
the shopping mall to see what’s
new in the market.
Yes Penang is every bit as
vibrant as it is different. It took
us all awhile but Georgetown
finally got its recognition as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in
2008.
Recently, Penang celebrated
Georgetown’s 2nd year
anniversary of its recognition as
a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To commemorate this event,
the Georgetown Festival featuring
over 80 programs to promote
ART and HERITAGE was
held from the 1st to the 31st of
July.
The month long celebrations
have made Penangites
proud of their heritage and
past. Ours is a unique culture, a
meeting point of many different
cultures. This amalgamation of
cultures may never be repeated
again for a very long time.

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