Governance and law of Penang

The state of Penang, Malaysia has its own state legislature and executive, but these have very limited powers in comparison with those of the Malaysian federal authorities. 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 Portuguese conquest in 1511, and the Borneo 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 Dewan Sri Penang.

The City Hall housing the Municipal Council of Penang Island.

Chef Minister

The Chief Minister of Penang is Mr. Lim Guan Eng from the Democratic Action Party (DAP). Following the 12th general election of 8 March 2008, the coalition of DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) formed the state government, with the chief ministership going to the former that emerged as the single largest party in the state legislature. Penang is the only state in Malaysia in which its chief ministership has been continuously held by a non-Malay ethnic Chinese since independence, reflecting the state's ethnic majority. Penang has two deputy chief ministers: Mr. Mansor Othman from PKR is Deputy Chief Minister I and Dr. P. Ramasamy of DAP is Deputy Chief Minister II. The latter made history by becoming by becoming the first ethnic Tamil to hold the deputy chief minister post. Ever since coming into power, Chief Minister Lim has been espousing a clean and efficient government based on CAT (Competency, Accountability, and Transparency)

Lim Guan Eng, The Chief Minister Of Penang.

When Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, a coalition member of the Barisan Nasional (BN), headed the then state government, there have been occasional calls by United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) its other coalition member, to rotate the position of chief minister among the BN component parties. However, this has consistently been rejected by the BN 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 former Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun 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.

Local Authorities

There are two local authorities 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:

Penang Island:

• -North-East District (Daerah Timur Laut)
• -South-West District (Daerah Barat Daya)

Province Wellesley (Seberang Perai):

• Central Province Wellesley (Seberang Perai Tengah) 
• Northern Province Wellesley (Seberang Perai Utara) 
• Southern Province Wellesley (Seberang Perai Selatan)

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.

Legislature

The unicameral state legislature, whose members are called state assemblymen, convenes at the neoclassical state Legislative Assembly (Dewan Undangan Negeri) building at Light Street. It has 40 seats, 19 of which are held by the Democratic Action Party, 11 by Barisan Nasional, nine by Parti Keadilan Rakyat and one by PAS since the 2008 general elections. It was a sharp reversal from the 38 seats held by BN in the 2004 elections and only the second time since Independence that the state fell into non-BN control, the last being in 1969. 

In the Malaysian Parliament, 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. This was followed by the appointment of the first Supreme Court judge designated as the 'Recorder' and Sir Edmond Stanley assumed office as the First Recorder of the Supreme Court of Penang in 1808. At the same time, Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore, was the first registrar of the Supreme Court. The designation 'Judge' was subsequently substituted for that of 'Recorder'. The Supreme Court of Penang was first housed at Fort Cornwallis and was opened on 31 May 1808.

Today, the judicial power is almost completely vested in the federal court system. 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.

Coat of arms of the Municipal Council of Penang Island (MPPP)

Headquarters of MPSP at Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam

The State Assembly Building

Tourism

Penang is a very popular tourist destination and have been visited by the likes of Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling, Noël Coward and Queen Elizabeth II among many others. Penang has always been a popular tourist destination, both domestically and internationally. Penang is known for its rich heritage, multicultural society and its vibrant culture, its hills, parks, and beaches, shopping, and good food. Penang has been ranked by Yahoo! Travel as one of the "10 Islands to Explore Before You Die" and listed in Patricia Schultz's best-selling "1,000 Places to See Before You Die" travel book.

BEACH

Example of beaches in Penang.

The most popular beaches in Penang are located at Tanjung Bungah, Batu Ferringhi, and Teluk Bahang, and these contiguous beaches are home to Penang's famed hotel and resort belt. More secluded Muka Head, which hosts a lighthouse and a marine research station, and Monkey Beach – both within the Penang National Park – offer more pristine water.

Tanjung Bungah's Beach

Batu Ferringhi's Beach

Teluk Bahang's Beach

Pollution which has been going on for years taints the beauty of the beaches and increasingly turns tourists away to places like Langkawi and Pangkor. Among the identified sources of pollution include inefficient sewage disposal and unchecked commercial activities.

PARKS GARDEN AND NATURAL HISTORY

Despite its limited land size and dense population, Penang has managed to retain a considerable area of natural environment. As of 2011, 7% of the state's total surface area or 7524 hectares was forested. Located at the fringe of George Town, at the foot of Penang Hill are two adjacent green areas – the Penang Municipal Park (popularly known as Youth Park) and the Penang Botanic Gardens. Penang Hill, despite encroaching development, remains thickly forested and lush in vegetation.

In addition to this, there are nature preserves in Bukit Relau, Teluk Bahang, Bukit Penara, Bukit Mertajam, Bukit Panchor, and Sungai Tukun. The Penang Butterfly Farm in Teluk Bahang, one of few of its kind in the world, is a walk-in free-ranging butterfly habitat, breeding and conservation centre. The Penang Bird Park in Seberang Jaya is the first aviary in Malaysia.[154] Other places of special interest include the Tropical Spice Garden and the Tropical Fruit Farm in Teluk Bahang, and the Bukit Jambul Orchid and Hibiscus Garden.

Penang's Botanic Garden.

A small bushy tree, Alchornea rhodophylla, the almost-extinct tree Maingaya malayana, and the toad Ansonia penangensis are endemic only to the island of Penang. Some of the commonly seen birds in Penang include the migratory greater spotted eagle (Aquila clanga), the blue-tailed bee-eater (Merops philippinus) and the blue-throated bee-eater (Merops viridis), and the endemic chestnut-headed bee-eater (Merops leschenaulti), the Brahmniy kite (Haliastur indus), the common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), and the white-bellied sea eagle. The sandy beaches of the Penang National Park are the nesting grounds for the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) from April to August, and the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidocchelys olivacea) between September and February. The Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) and the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) are occasionally sighted in the coastal seas off the Park. Also living in the Park are the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), the flying lemur (Galeopterus variegatus), and one of the world's largest arboreal rodents, the cream-coloured giant squirrel (Ratufa affinis).

The flora and fauna of Penang.

Maingaya malayana

Greater Spotted Eagle

The Green Turtle of Penang.

The Best Street Food in Asia

Penang, long known as the food capital of Malaysia, is renowned for its good and varied food. 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, Nyonya, Malay and Indian ethnic mix of Malaysia, but also shows some influence of Thailand. Its especially famous "hawker food", many served al fresco, strongly features noodles, spices, and fresh seafood. The best places to savour Penang's food include Gurney Drive, Pulau Tikus, New Lane, New World Park, Penang Road and Chulia Street, as well as Raja Uda and Chai Leng Park over on the mainland.

Why Stay in Penang?

New World Park, George Town

Teochew Chendul- One of the most famous "ice kacang" in Penang

(Penang Road)

Festivals

The cultural mosaic of Penang naturally means that they are a great many number of festivals to celebrate. The Chinese celebrate, among others, the Chinese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, Hungry Ghost Festival, Qing Ming, and the feast days of various deities. The Malays and Muslims celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Hari Raya Haji, and Maulidur Rasul while the Indians observe Deepavali, Thaipusam and Thai Pongal. Christmas, Good Friday and Easter are celebrated by Christians. The annual Saint Anne's Novena and Feast Day draws thousands of Catholics to St. Anne's Church in Bukit Mertajam. Buddhists observe Wesak Day while the Sikhs celebrate Vaisakhi. Many of these festivals are celebrated in a large scale and are also public holidays in Penang. Bon Odori is an annual event held at the Esplanade by the expatriate Japanese population. The Penang Government organises the annual George Town Festival which celebrates the city's World Heritage Site status with arts and live cultural performances throughout the month of July. The famous Pesta Pulau Pinang (Penang Fest) is a combination of trade expo, family-oriented carnival and cultural events held throughout the month of December since the 1960s primarily at the Pesta site in Sungai Nibong and other locations in the state.

Penang Lion Dance- Chinese New Year

Maulidur Rasul

Christmas Celebration

Deepavali

Demographics

 Penang are among the states with the highest population density in Malaysia with  1,450.5 people per square kilometre which would make it the 5th most densely populated in the country if Penang were a district. As of 2010, the population of Penang grew to 1,520,143 people per square.
As of 2010, the ethnic groups in Penang are consist of:

Chinese -45.6%

Bumiputra (Malay, Iban and Kelabit) -43.6%

Indian - 10.4%

Others -0.4%

Penang hosts an estimated 70 000 to 80 000 of migrant workers, especially from Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, and South Asian nations who are mostly involved in domestic help, services, manufacturing, construction, plantations, and agriculture.

In retrospect, colonial Penang was truly a cosmopolitan place. Apart from the Europeans and the already multiracial citizenry, there were communities of Siamese, Burmese, Filipino, Ceylonese, Eurasian, Japanese, Sumatran, Arab, Armenian, and Parsee people. A small but commercially significant community of German merchants also existed in Penang. Even though most of these communities are no longer extant, they lent their legacy to street and place names such as the Burmese Buddhist Temple, Crag Hotel, Siam Rd, Armenian St, Acheen St, and Gottlieb Rd. There was a Jewish enclave in Penang before World War II, but few Jews if any remain today. Penang currently has a sizeable expatriate population especially from Japan, various Asian countries and Britain, many of whom settle in Penang after their retirement as part of the Malaysia My Second Home programme.

Others:

Peranakan

The Peranakan, also known as the Straits Chinese or Baba-Nyonya, are the descendants of the early Chinese immigrants to Penang, Malacca and Singapore. They have partially adopted Malay customs and speak a Chinese-Malay creole of which many words contributed to Penang Hokkien as well (such as "Ah Bah" which means Mister, referring to a man as "Baba"). The Peranakan community possesses a distinct identity in terms of food, dress, rites, crafts and culture. Most of the Peranakan Chinese are not Muslims but practise an eclectic form of ancestor worship and Chinese religion, while some were Christians. They prided themselves as being Anglophone and distinguished themselves from the newly-arrived Chinamen or sinkheh. The Peranakan as a living culture, however, are almost extinct today due to their re-absorption into the mainstream Chinese community, otherwise being Westernised. Still, their legacy lives on in their distinctive architecture (exemplified by the Pinang Peranakan Mansion and the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion), cuisine, elaborate nyonya kebaya costume and exquisite handicrafts.

RELIGION

As of 2010, the population of Penang categorize by their religion are:

44.6% - Muslim

35.6% - Buddhist((in the Theravada, Mahayana and increasingly also Vajrayana traditions.)

8.7% - Hindu

5.1% - Christian (Include Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, the largest denominations of which are the Methodists, Seventh-day Adventists, Anglican, Presbyterian and Baptists)

4.6% - Chinese religion followers ( Include Taoist, etc, etc.)

0.4% - Atheist

This reflects Penang's diverse ethnic and socio-cultural amalgamation. There was also a tiny and little-known community of Jews in Penang, mainly along Jalan Zainal Abidin (formerly Jalan Yahudi or Jewish Street). The last known native Jew died in 2011, rendering the centuries-old Jewish community in Penang effectively extinct.