State Emblem
The betelnut tree gave the island its name.
The Penang Bridge is not only a source of pride to the people of Pulau Pinang; it also unites the island with the mainland and part of the State. In addition, it symbolises the unity between the State and the Federation. The two pillars of the bridge stand for two basic features of the new Economic Policy, namely the eradication of poverty and the restructuring of society. The four cables represent the four major races of the nation – Malays, Chinese, Indians and others.
The five blue and white waves symbolise the five principles of the Rukunegara (Principles of Malaysian Nationhood) and also the five administrative districts of the State. The five colours at the base of the betelnut tree have the same meaning.
State Flag
The Penang flag consists of three vertical stripes of equal width of light blue, white and yellow; the white stripe in the centre has an areca nut palm on a mount.
The light blue signifies the sea which surrounds the island of Penang. The white represents the State itself in its serenity. The yellow signifies prosperity. The betelnut tree (pokok pinang) is the name of the tree from which the island takes its name.
Location
Penang is popularly known as Pearl of the Orient and also dubbed as Silicon Valley of the East. Bounded to the north and east by the State of Kedah and to the south by the State of Perak, it consists of a turtle-shaped island and a coastal strip on the mainland called Province Wellesley (Seberang Prai). The island measure 292 square kilometers and is situated on the north-western coast of the Malay Peninsula at the entrance to the Straits of Malacca while the mainland measures 738 square kilometers. The capital of Penang is George Town.
The island and mainland are separated by a channel 3 km wide at the narrowest point and 13 km at the widest. They are linked by the 13.5 km Penang Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world, and a ferry service.
Ferry service at the Raja Tun Uda terminal (on the island) operates from 5.30 am to 1.00 am while that at the Sultan Abdul Halim terminal (mainland) operates from 6.00 am to 12.30 am.
Population
Penang has 1,469 million people, of which over 678,000 live on the island. The population is multi-racial, young and almost equally distributed between male and female. The racial breakdown is as follows: Chinese 43.0 percent, Malay 40.9 percent, Indian 10.0 percent, others 0.8 percent and non-citizens 5.3 percent.
Place to Visit in Penang
Local Cuisine
Having a reputation as a food paradise, be it haute cuisine, or cuisine bourgeoise (hawker fare), Penang offers a heady and exotic mix of delicious cuisine to choose from.
In a word, Penang food is both famous and fabulous. When people mention Penang food, they are more often than not referring to hawker food and coffee shop dining. It's true that some of the hype is overblown but it cannot be denied that Penang is home to many uniquely delicious chow. Ironically, hawkers in other states or towns have been known to pull the crowd by simply advertising their food as hailing from Penang, regardless of its authenticity or quality. Then there are the Penang hawkers who advertise their cusine as specialties from another state, like Johor bak kut teh, Ipoh chicken and bean sprouts or laksa Kedah. In short, an infinite variety of dishes are yours to savour – all you need do is pick and choose.
Penang hawker food can be broken down roughly into several varieties, with each being attributable to Penang's multi-cultural character: Nyonya, Chinese, vegetarian, Indian, Malay, Hakka-styled Western, seafood and desserts. Hybrids are also known to exist, and some famous examples are Malay style chicken rice and char koay teow, and Chinese satay and nasi lemak. Prices are cheap and reasonable.
With fishing being a major economic activity on the island, Penang is naturally a haven for sea food, and a handful of restaurants have already achieved legendary status among locals and foreigners.
Tucked away in remote corners, these eateries are not easy to find without local guidance but are definitely worth the extra effort seeking out.
Desserts play a major role in Penang gastronomy. There are as many varieties as there are races in Penang! To mention a few would do injustice to the rest, so you'll just have to let your eyes and your nose be your guide. A word of warning though – most local desserts tend to be sweet and rich, as coconut milk, flour and sugar are main ingredients.
Thanks to early Chinese migrants, Chinese cuisine ranges from Cantonese to Teochew to Hokkien to Hainanese to Szechuan cooking. There's also Penang Nyonya food, which is a combination of Chinese, Malay and some Thai. The Penang variety of Nyonya food, apparently, is different from the Malaccan or even Singaporean versions. For a touch of luxury, try a five or ten-course Chinese meal at one of the restaurants or hotels in town.
Indian cuisine goes by two names generally – banana leaf rice and nasi kandar. Both are hot and savoury with rice being the main staple, and a menu from north Indian tandoori and nan bread, to South Indian rice and capati (photo left).
Nasi kandar is famously popular with Penangites, and many restaurants selling it are well known not only to those on the island but those in other states as well. It is quite common to find people from other states detouring to Penang just to stop for a meal of nasi kandar before proceeding on their journey elsewhere...
