About Penang

The history of modern Penang can be traced back to 1786 when Sir Francis Light persuaded the Sultan of Kedah to cede 'Pulau Pinang' (Betel Nut Island) to the British East India Company. Originally named the Prince of Wales Island, the settlement that soon grew was named Georgetown after King George III. In 1800, the Sultan of Kedah further ceded a strip of land on the mainland across the channel. In 1832, Penang formed part of the Straits Settlement with Malacca and Singapore. For more than a hundred years, it remained under British Colonial Rule until 1957 when it gained independence and became part of the Federation of Malaya.

Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south.

Penang commonly referred to as the Pearl of the Orient, is one of Asia’s famous islands. Penang entices many tourists who are drawn to the beautiful beaches and to the deep culture embedded within the island.

The History of Penang Bridge

In actual fact, the talk about having a bridge linking to Penang was first mooted out in 1950s when traffic condition is in deep chaos. During that time, Penang economy was booming, causing a massive congestion on the Ferry terminal. Ferry’s during that time was the only mode of transport to connect Penang Island to the Mainland.

Some suggesting extending the ferry’s service, building a tunnel and some come out with the ideas of a bridge. However the bridge stood out as the firm favorites for the Penangtes. Many hope that with the bridge, their long battle with endless jammed will be eliminated thus brings more business & prosperity to the island.

Using the Penang Bridge as manifesto, Dr Lim Chong Eu, former Chief Minister of Penang swept to a landslide victory in Penang party election in 1950s. After that, Penang Bridge has become a standing joke of town as nothing materializes. It has face many obstacle - High construction cost, opposition objection & complication of building such a massive project.

The dream of having a bridge finally triumph when Dr Mahathir took over as Malaysia prime minister. He pushed on with the mega scale project despite many objection and obstacle. His persistency and acute thinking made the reality of Penang having a bridge comes true.

On 23 July 1981, Work Minister S. Samy Velu announced that the Penang Bridge would be constructed using the cable-stayed concrete girder of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge instead of the steel-tied arch in the style of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This marks the starts of massive construction projects that will be implemented. Dr Mahathir sank the first pile in April 1982 to kick off the grand projects and the dream of having a bridge in Penang finally becomes a reality. There will be no more u-turn, says a beaming Mr Loh - One of the many Penangtes that supported the bridge projects from the beginning.

Variety of Food

One can find a great variety of food in Penang. It is often said that Penangites don't eat to live but live to eat! Hawker stalls, of which Penang is famous for, can be found almost anywhere on the island: by the roadside and shopping complexes. Penang is regarded as a paradise for food lovers.