Is it possible that the island of Penang got its name from the Pinang Palm? From this viewpoint called Nam Shan you can see the beauty of Penang. The island is located in the Strait of Malacca. It has been an important trade route for Europe, the Middle East, India and China. Because of this, the island has such a diverse melting pot of cultures. Travelers all brought their own culture to Penang.
Merchants used Penang on their route because of the monsoon. The Strait of Malacca is exactly on the crossing of two monsoon periods. They could not set sail until the winds were favorable. Before Penang got its own government, the island was part of the state of Kedah. Kedah was an important Indian center of influence and trade. Kedah would also have an important role in the history of Malaysia. The Indian merchants came to Peninsular Malaysia before the 1st century. They collected merchandise such as herbs, spices and gold. The Indians brought their own religion and culture. This is how Buddhism and Hinduism were introduced to Penang.
Around the 9th century Muslim merchants from India and the Middle East set foot ashore Penang. They were there for trade to Southeast Asia. Unlike the Indians and Chinese, the Muslims spent a lot of time spreading the Islamic religion. Islam spread quickly in this region. Penang was discovered by Chinese merchants in the 15th century. It was then that the island was first charted. It was later changed to Penang, which in Malaysia’s native language means areca nut. Under the command of admiral Cheng Ho China became an important trading partner in Penang. Ping-Lang-Seu is the name he gave the island. The Chinese were especially interested in goods and materials. In exchange the Chinese brought their own goods and techniques to Penang.
Around the 14th century European merchants set foot on Penang. The first ones were Portuguese. By keeping the maps secret the Portuguese had a monopoly in Southeast Asia. It was not till 1595 that the Dutch arrived in Southeast Asia. Not long after that the English arrived. The Englishman Francis Light convinced the Sultan of Kedah to handover Penang to the British East-India Company. Francis Light founded Georgetown, after the English king George IV.
According to old documents Light used the following solution to make Penang accessible. It was a dense jungle at the time. To motivate laborers he fired a cannon filled with silver coins into the jungle. The jungle was cleared in a short period of time. This made the construction of Georgetown possible. Before the 20th century merchants mostly came to Penang for the merchandise. This is why the island is known as ‘Pearl of the Orient’.
Penang was ceded to the British East India Company in 1786. This was in exchange for military protection from Siamese and Burmese armies. They were threatening Kedah. Sir Francis Light founded Georgetown. This was the first British settlement in Southeast Asia. In 1805, Penang’s colonial status was elevated to that of a Residency. The English and the Dutch divided parts of Indonesia and Malaysia in 1824. The Dutch took over Indonesia. The English took Malaysia.
Penang, along with Malacca and Singapore, became part of the Straits Settlements in 1826. This was under the British administration in India. From 1840 there was discovery of huge supplies of tin in the state of Perak. As a result Penang evolved into an important trade center. In 1941, Penang was heavily bombed by the Japanese invaders. Soon after this the English gave up Penang. Japan surrendered in 1945. They were chased away from Malaysia. Soon after the 2nd World War ended. As a result the English came back to Penang. However their position would never be that strong again.
Penang was recognized as having the Best Street Food in Asia by TIME magazine in 2004. In 2008, Penang was formally inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with Malacca. Over 1.6 million people inhabit the island of Penang. Penang attracted 5.96 million tourists in 2009. It ranked third in tourist arrivals in Malaysia. Penang had the highest total of capital investments in the country in 2010. The state attracted RM12.2 billion worth of investments.