:George Town, Penang

George Town was named in honour of King George III, the ruler of Great Britain and Ireland between 1760 and 1820.{{Cite book|title=The A to Z of Malaysia|last=Ooi|first=Keat Gin|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2010|isbn=9780810876415}}{{Cite book|title=The Concise Dictionary of World Place Names|last=Everett-Heath|first=John|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2017|isbn=9780192556462}} Prior to the arrival of the British, the geographical area had been known as {{lang|ms|Tanjung Penaga}}, due to the abundance of {{lang|ms|penaga laut}} trees (Calophyllum inophyllum) found at the cape ({{lang|ms|tanjung}}) of the city.{{cite news |date=28 July 2008 |title=Penaga Laut trees are Back in George Town |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2008/07/28/penaga-laut-trees-are-back-in-george-town |access-date=18 March 2022 |work=The Star |language=en |archive-date=7 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407060054/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2008/07/28/penaga-laut-trees-are-back-in-george-town |url-status=live }}

The city is often mistakenly spelled as "Georgetown", which was never the city's official name. This misspelling may be due to confusion with other places worldwide that share the same name.{{cite web |author=Sanjay, CS |date=16 July 2015 |title=The Right Spelling is George Town |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/Opinion/Letters/2015/07/16/The-right-spelling-is-George-Town |access-date=21 February 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=22 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230222025510/https://www.thestar.com.my/Opinion/Letters/2015/07/16/The-right-spelling-is-George-Town |url-status=live }} In common parlance, the city of George Town is also called "Penang", which is the name of the larger state.{{Cite journal |last=Tennant |first=Paul |date=March 1973 |title=The Abolition of Elective Local Government in Penang |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-southeast-asian-studies/article/abs/abolition-of-elective-local-government-in-penang/56E67B1A7D00189AC8E6546C959D382A |journal=Journal of Southeast Asian Studies |language=en |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=72–87 |doi=10.1017/S0022463400016428 |s2cid=159521756 |issn=1474-0680 |access-date=18 December 2023 |archive-date=7 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107203409/https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-southeast-asian-studies/article/abs/abolition-of-elective-local-government-in-penang/56E67B1A7D00189AC8E6546C959D382A |url-status=live }}

{{Main|History of George Town, Penang}}

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File:The Map of Early Penang Showing the Malay Town on the South of the Town Center by Popham 1799.jpg. Fort Cornwallis at the tip of the cape is depicted in the map.|alt=A map depicting the settlement of George Town. Fort Cornwallis at the tip of the cape is prominently shown amidst a grid of streets, surrounded by plantations and a cemetery.]]

In 1771, Francis Light, a former Royal Navy captain, was instructed by the British East India Company (EIC) to establish trade relations in the Malay Peninsula. He arrived in Kedah, a Siamese vassal state facing threats from the Bugis of Selangor.{{Cite journal |last=Samuel Wee |first=Tien Wang |date=1992 |title=British Strategic Interests in the Straits of Malacca 1786–1819 |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/56368037.pdf |journal=Simon Fraser University |access-date=18 December 2023 |archive-date=9 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109142140/https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/56368037.pdf |url-status=live }} Kedah's ruler Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin II offered Light Penang Island in exchange for British military protection. Light noted the strategic potential of the island as a "convenient magazine for trade" that could enable the British to check Dutch and French territorial ambitions in Southeast Asia, and tried unsuccessfully to persuade his superiors to accept the Sultan's offer.{{Cite book |last=Lewis |first=Su Lin |title=Cities in Motion: Urban Life and Cosmopolitanism in Southeast Asia, 1920–1940 |publisher=University of Cambridge |year=2016 |isbn=9781107108332}}

Light was finally authorised to negotiate the British acquisition of Penang Island in 1786. After the cession was finalised with Muhammad Jiwa's successor Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah, Light and his entourage landed on the island on 17 July that year. They took formal possession of the island "in the name of King George III of England" on 11 August.{{Cite journal |last=Merican |first=Ahmad Murad |date=29 October 2021 |title=The 1786 Acquisition of Pulau Pinang: Unveiling the Light Letters, Revisiting Legal History Case Materials and R. Bonney's Kedah 1771–1821 |url=http://web.usm.my/kajh/vol28_2_2021/kajh28022021_08.pdf |journal=Universiti Sains Malaysia |access-date=18 December 2023 |archive-date=17 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231017050928/http://web.usm.my/kajh/vol28_2_2021/kajh28022021_08.pdf |url-status=live }} Penang Island was renamed Prince of Wales Island after the heir to the British throne.{{Cite book |last=Ooi |first=Keat Gin |title=The A to Z of Malaysia |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2010 |isbn=9780810876415}}{{Cite book |last=Everett-Heath |first=John |title=The Concise Dictionary of World Place Names |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2017 |isbn=9780192556462 }}{{Cite journal |last=Pampus |first=Mareike |date=September 2021 |title=Multiple Motives and a Malleable Middleman: The Founding of George Town (Malaysia) |journal=Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg}} George Town was the first British colonial possession in Southeast Asia and marked the beginning of the gradual British colonisation in Malaya.{{Cite book |last=Shennan |first=Margaret |title=Out in the Midday Sun: The British in Malaya, 1880-1960 |publisher=John Murray |year=2000 |isbn=9780719557163}}

When Light first landed on the cape, it was densely covered in jungle.{{Cite journal |last=Zhao |first=Long |date=2 December 2018 |title=The Townscape Evolution of Historic Port Settlement of George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia |url=https://frsb.upm.edu.my/upload/dokumen/20181224115748artikel_09.pdf |journal=University of Putra Malaysia |volume=11 |access-date=18 December 2023 |archive-date=18 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231218151505/https://frsb.upm.edu.my/upload/dokumen/20181224115748artikel_09.pdf |url-status=live }} After the area was cleared, Light oversaw the construction of Fort Cornwallis, the first structure in the newly established settlement.{{Cite book |last=Langdon |first=Marcus |title=George Town's Historic Commercial and Civic Precincts |publisher=George Town World Heritage Incorporated |year=2014 |isbn=9789671228128 |publication-date=2015}} The first roads of George Town {{Endash}} Light, Beach, Chulia and Pitt streets {{Endash}} were created in a grid-like configuration.{{Cite journal |last=Fadzlin Bakri |first=Aidatul |date=October 2018 |title=Negotiating Identities and 'Sense of Place' in a World Heritage City: The Case of George Town, Penang, Malaysia |url=https://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/9206/7/Bakri2019PhD_Redacted.pdf |journal=University of Birmingham |access-date=18 December 2023 |archive-date=18 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231218151505/https://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/9206/7/Bakri2019PhD_Redacted.pdf |url-status=live }} This urban planning method facilitated the easy division, transaction and assessment of land, as well as efficient military deployment. The grid pattern was also replicated in Singapore following the acquisition of the island by Stamford Raffles in 1819.

File:KITLV - 80020 - Kleingrothe, C.J. - Medan - Quay in Penang - circa 1910.tif at Weld Quay {{Circa|1910}}, photo by C.J. Kleingrothe. Port functions were eventually relocated to mainland Seberang Perai in 1974.|alt=Vessels docked along a seafronting street in the city circa 1910.]]

As Light intended, George Town grew rapidly as a free port and a conduit for spice trade, taking maritime commerce from Dutch posts in the region.{{cite book |author=Ashley Jackson |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_Rv7AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA7 |title=Buildings of Empire |date=November 2013 |publisher=OUP Oxford |isbn=978-0-19-958938-8 |pages=7 |access-date=21 February 2016 |archive-date=16 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240316153055/https://books.google.com/books?id=_Rv7AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA7#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Ooi |first=Kee Beng |date=2014 |title=When Penang Became a Spice Island |url=http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=4394&name=when_penang_became_a_spice_island |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170529215436/http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=4394&name=when_penang_became_a_spice_island |archive-date=29 May 2017 |access-date=25 May 2017 |website=Penang Monthly}}{{Cite book |last=Khoo |first=Su Nin |url=https://archive.org/details/streetsofgeorget00khoo |title=Streets of George Town, Penang |publisher=Areca Books |year=2007 |isbn=978-983-9886-00-9 |url-access=registration}} The spice trade allowed the EIC to cover the administrative costs of Penang.{{Cite book |last=Ludher |first=Swaran |title=They Came to Malaya |publisher=Xlibris Corporation |year=2015 |isbn=9781503500365}} The threat of French invasion in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars forced the British to enlarge and reinforce Fort Cornwallis as the garrison for the settlement.

Local governance committees were formed from 1796 to resolve specific matters of administration.{{Cite web |last=Koay Su Lin |first=Steven Sim |date=2014 |title=A History of Local Elections in Penang Part I: Democracy Comes Early |url=http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=4390&name=a_history_of_local_elections_in_penangpart_i_democracy_comes_early |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918154421/http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=4390&name=a_history_of_local_elections_in_penangpart_i_democracy_comes_early |archive-date=18 September 2017 |access-date=25 May 2017 |website=Penang Monthly}} However, there were no unified legal systems in place to maintain order in the settlement. Light, who believed that feudal laws instituted by the newly-immigrated settlers were incompatible with British law, initially implemented a system in 1792 whereby matters of justice were partially delegated to local leaders.{{Cite journal |last=Tan |first=Soo Chye |date=1950 |title=A Note on Early Legislation in Penang |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41559485 |journal=Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society |volume=1 |issue=151 |pages=100–107 |jstor=41559485 |access-date=30 December 2023 |archive-date=27 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227154156/https://www.jstor.org/stable/41559485 |url-status=live }} This decision was ratified by Lieutenant-Governor George Leith in 1800. However, further legal disputes meant that under the directives of the Bengal Presidency, this system was replaced by a set of regulations in 1805, drafted by Leith and revised by John Dickens, the presidency's appointed judge and magistrate for Penang.{{Sfn|Tan|1950|pp=104{{ndash}}105}}

In 1807, a Charter of Justice was granted which mandated the establishment of a "Court of Judicature" composed of the Governor, a recorder and three councillors.{{Cite journal |last=Keat Gin |first=Ooi |date=2015 |title=Disparate Identities: Penang from a Historical Perspective, 1780–1941 |url=http://web.usm.my/km/33(Supp.2)2015/km33s22015_03.pdf |journal=Kajian Malaysia – Journal of Malaysian Studies |publisher=Universiti Sains Malaysia |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=27–52 |access-date=22 December 2023 |archive-date=7 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207031500/http://web.usm.my/km/33%28Supp.2%292015/km33s22015_03.pdf |url-status=live }} The high court was inaugurated at Fort Cornwallis in the following year, with Edmond Stanley as recorder.{{Cite book |last=Kyshe |first=Norton |url=https://eservice.nlb.gov.sg/flipviewer/data/booksg_publish/1/1d705815-ea3f-4bd3-be62-038443bb230f/web/html5/index.html?opf=tablet/BOOKSG.xml&launchlogo=tablet/BOOKSG_BrandingLogo_.png&pn=49 |title=Cases Heard and Determined in Her Majesty's Supreme Court of the Straits Settlements, 1808–1884. Vol. I, Civil Cases |publisher=Singapore and Straits Print |year=1885 |volume=1 |access-date=30 December 2023 |archive-date=16 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240316153049/https://eservice.nlb.gov.sg/flipviewer/data/booksg_publish/1/1d705815-ea3f-4bd3-be62-038443bb230f/web/html5/index.html?opf=tablet/BOOKSG.xml&launchlogo=tablet/BOOKSG_BrandingLogo_.png&pn=49 |url-status=live }} With the establishment of the court, George Town became the first settlement in British Malaya to possess a modern judicial system.{{Cite book |url=https://www.kehakiman.gov.my/sites/default/files/documents/Laporan_Tahunan/YearBook2016.pdf |title=The Malaysian Judiciary: Yearbook 2016 |publisher=Federal Court of Malaysia |year=2016 |page=XV |access-date=30 December 2023 |archive-date=30 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230082715/https://www.kehakiman.gov.my/sites/default/files/documents/Laporan_Tahunan/YearBook2016.pdf |url-status=live }}

In 1826, George Town was made the capital of the Straits Settlements, which also comprised Singapore and Malacca. In 1832, the administrative centre was relocated to Singapore, as it surpassed George Town in commercial and strategic prominence.{{Cite web |title=Singapore Becomes Admin Centre of the Straits Settlements |url=https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=e9600931-19db-4a18-8366-8ae5aea35464 |access-date=13 January 2024 |website=National Library Board |archive-date=13 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240113125241/https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=e9600931-19db-4a18-8366-8ae5aea35464 |url-status=live }} Despite its secondary importance to Singapore, George Town continued to play a crucial role as a British entrepôt. Following the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and a tin mining boom in the Malay Peninsula, the Port of Penang became a leading exporter of tin.{{Cite book |last=Wong |first=Yee Tuan |title=Penang Chinese Commerce in the 19th Century: The Rise and Fall of the Big Five |publisher=ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute |year=2015 |isbn=978-981-4515-02-3}} By the end of the 19th century, George Town emerged as the foremost financial centre of British Malaya, as mercantile firms and international banks were established.{{Cite book |last=Hockton |first=Keith |title=Penang: An Inside Guide to Its Historic Homes, Buildings, Monuments and Parks. |publisher=MPH Group |year=2012 |isbn=978-967-415-303-8 }}

Throughout the century, George Town's population grew rapidly in tandem with economic prosperity. Between 1797 and 1830, an influx of immigrants from all over Asia quadrupled its population. A cosmopolitan population emerged, comprising Chinese, Malay, Indian, Peranakan, Siamese and migrants of mixed European-Asian lineage referred to as "Eurasians". The population growth also created social problems, such as inadequate health facilities and rampant crime, with the latter culminating in rioting in 1867.{{Cite journal |last=Ooi |first=Giok Ling |date=2 September 1991 |title=British Colonial Health Care Development and the Persistence of Ethnic Medicine in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore |url=https://kyoto-seas.org/pdf/29/2/290202.pdf |journal=National University of Singapore |via=Kyoto University |access-date=14 February 2024 |archive-date=14 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214024559/https://kyoto-seas.org/pdf/29/2/290202.pdf |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=16 September 1867 |title=The Disturbances at Penang |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28607543 |access-date=25 May 2017 |via=Trove |archive-date=16 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240316153058/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28607543 |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Wong |first=Chun Wai |date=20 April 2013 |title=A cowboy town that was old Penang |work=The Star |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2013/04/20/a-cowboy-town-that-was-old-penang_1/ |access-date=30 December 2017 |archive-date=20 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170920001924/http://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2013/04/20/a-cowboy-town-that-was-old-penang_1/ |url-status=live }}

George Town came under direct British rule when the Straits Settlements became a British crown colony in 1867.{{Cite web |last=Jaime Koh |title=Straits Settlements |url=https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=b0d91ecc-3de3-4e79-a132-b2d0d886bb98#:~:text=The%20Straits%20Settlements%2C%20comprising%20Penang,East%20India%20Company%20in%20India. |access-date=13 January 2024 |website=National Library Board |archive-date=13 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240113125242/https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=b0d91ecc-3de3-4e79-a132-b2d0d886bb98#:~:text=The%20Straits%20Settlements%2C%20comprising%20Penang,East%20India%20Company%20in%20India. |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Straits Settlements |url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2014-07-30_084623.html |access-date=25 May 2017 |publisher=National Library Board |archive-date=28 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928044501/http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2014-07-30_084623.html |url-status=live }} Law enforcement and immigration control were gradually strengthened to suppress organised crime.{{Cite journal |last=Turnbull |first=C. M. |author-link=Mary Turnbull |title=The Penang Story |url=https://tsnra.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/the-pg-story.pdf |journal=Penang's Changing Role in the Straits Settlements, 1826–1946 |access-date=6 February 2024 |archive-date=6 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240206142055/https://tsnra.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/the-pg-story.pdf |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |title=Asian Studies |journal=Government Legislation for Chinese Secret Societies in the Straits Settlements in the Late 19th. Century}} More investments were also made on the settlement's health care and public transportation.

Advances in education and living standards gave rise to a non-European gentry and middle class, which in turn fostered nascent intellectual activities and political movements. George Town, according to historian Mary Turnbull, emerged as "a Mecca for Asian intellectuals", who perceived it to be more intellectually receptive than Singapore.{{Cite journal |last=Daniel Goh |first=P. S. |date=2014 |title=Between History and Heritage: Post-Colonialism, Globalisation, and the Remaking of Malacca, Penang and Singapore |url=http://profile.nus.edu.sg/fass/socgohd/trans_2.1.pdf |journal=Trans-Regional and -National Studies of Southeast Asia |volume=2 |access-date=13 October 2016 |archive-date=21 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021051627/http://profile.nus.edu.sg/fass/socgohd/trans_2.1.pdf |url-status=live }} The settlement was a centre for reformist newspapers, and attracted political and intellectual figures such as Rudyard Kipling, W. Somerset Maugham and Sun Yat-sen. However, political turmoil in Qing China and the influx of Chinese migrants posed security concerns among the British authorities. Sun chose George Town as the headquarters for revolutionary activities by the Tongmenghui in Southeast Asia that eventually launched the Wuchang Uprising, a precursor to the Xinhai Revolution that ushered in the beginning of Republican China.{{Cite news |date=21 January 2007 |title=Chinese Hero's Memory Burns Bright in Penang House |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-china-revolutionary-idUSKLR3439920070103 |access-date=13 October 2023 |work=Reuters |language=en |archive-date=15 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015020205/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-china-revolutionary-idUSKLR3439920070103 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Sun Yat Sen |url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_845__2009-01-07.html |access-date=25 May 2017 |publisher=National Library Board |archive-date=10 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710105618/http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_845__2009-01-07.html |url-status=live }}

File:Royal Marines Parade in Penang (5316034010).jpg liberating George Town from the Japanese on 3 September 1945|left|alt=Civilians lining the city's streets to welcome British troops arriving on jeeps in 1945]]George Town emerged from World War I relatively unscathed, except for the Battle of Penang where the Imperial German Navy cruiser SMS Emden sank two Allied warships off the settlement.{{cite news |author=Ajay Kamalakaran |date=20 May 2015 |title=Battle of Penang: When Malay Fishermen Rescued Russian Sailors |url=http://rbth.com/arts/2015/05/20/battle_of_penang_when_malay_fishermen_rescued_russian_sailors_46165.html |access-date=12 January 2016 |newspaper=Russia Beyond |archive-date=12 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112123256/http://rbth.com/arts/2015/05/20/battle_of_penang_when_malay_fishermen_rescued_russian_sailors_46165.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite book |last=Barber |first=Andrew |title=Penang At War : A History of Penang During and Between the First and Second World Wars 1914–1945 |publisher=AB&B |year=2010}} World War II, on the other hand, caused unprecedented social and political turmoil in George Town.

In mid-December 1941, the settlement was subjected to severe Japanese aerial bombardment, forcing inhabitants to flee George Town and take refuge in the jungles. While Penang Island had been designated a fortress before the outbreak of fighting, the British high command led by Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival decided to abandon the island and secretly evacuate George Town's European population, leaving the settlement's Asian residents undefended against the Japanese advance.{{Cite web |date=20 December 1941 |title=Penang Evacuated – British Garrison Withdrawn New Jap Thrusts in Malaya London, December 19 – Northern Times (Carnarvon, WA : 1905–1952) – 20 December 1941 |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75131511 |access-date=15 October 2016 |newspaper=Northern Times |archive-date=16 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240316153101/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/75131511 |url-status=live }} According to historian Raymond Callahan, "the moral collapse of British rule in Southeast Asia came not at Singapore, but at Penang".{{Cite book |last=Bayly |first=Christopher |title=Forgotten Armies: The Fall of British Asia, 1941–1945 |publisher=Harvard University |year=2005}}{{Cite book |last=B. Frank |first=Richard |title=Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War: July 1937-May 1942 |publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |year=2020 |isbn=9781324002116 |author-link=Richard B. Frank}}

The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) seized George Town on 19 December without encountering any resistance. During Japanese occupation, George Town was only lightly garrisoned by the IJA, while the Imperial Japanese Navy converted Swettenham Pier into a major submarine base for the Axis powers.{{Cite web |last=Stevens |first=David |title=German U-Boat Operations in Australian Waters |url=https://www.navy.gov.au/history/feature-histories/german-u-boat-operations-australian-waters |access-date=19 December 2023 |website=Royal Australian Navy |archive-date=10 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210050245/https://www.navy.gov.au/history/feature-histories/german-u-boat-operations-australian-waters |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Eugene Quah |date=December 2023 |title=When Penang Was an Axis Submarine Base |url=https://penangmonthly.com/article/21056/when-penang-was-an-axis-submarine-base |access-date=27 December 2023 |website=Penang Monthly |language=en |archive-date=27 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227060034/https://penangmonthly.com/article/21056/when-penang-was-an-axis-submarine-base |url-status=live }} Japanese military police imposed order by massacring Chinese civilians under the Sook Ching policy; the victims were buried in mass graves all over the island, such as at Rifle Range, Bukit Dumbar and Batu Ferringhi. Poverty and wanton Japanese brutality towards the local population also forced women into sexual slavery.

Between 1944 and 1945, Allied bombers based in India targeted naval and administrative buildings in George Town, damaging and destroying several colonial buildings in the process. The Penang Strait was mined to constrict Japanese shipping.{{cite book |author=Paul H. Kratoska |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bePxcx7BFLEC&pg=PA296 |title=The Japanese Occupation of Malaya: A Social and Economic History |publisher=C. Hurst & Co. Publishers |year=1998 |isbn=978-1-85065-284-7 |page=296 |access-date=21 February 2016 |archive-date=16 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240316153051/https://books.google.com/books?id=bePxcx7BFLEC&pg=PA296 |url-status=live }} Following Japan's surrender, on 3 September 1945, British Royal Marines launched Operation Jurist to retake George Town, making it the first settlement in British Malaya to be liberated from the Japanese.

File:Photo of ancient Penang inside a room.jpg {{Circa|1950}}]]

File:George Town Padang Kota 2023.jpg was where George Town's city status was proclaimed in 1957.{{Cite news |date=2 January 1957 |title=Penang's Big Day—What a Day! |url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19570102-1.2.3?ST=1&AT=filter&K=George+Town+Penang&KA=George+Town+Penang&DF=31/12/1956&DT=08/01/1957&Display=0&AO=false&NPT=&L=English&CTA=&NID=&CT=ARTICLE&WC=&YR=&QT=george,town,penang&oref=article |access-date=8 December 2017 |work=The Straits Times |pages=1 |archive-date=9 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209152319/http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19570102-1.2.3?ST=1&AT=filter&K=George+Town+Penang&KA=George+Town+Penang&DF=31/12/1956&DT=08/01/1957&Display=0&AO=false&NPT=&L=English&CTA=&NID=&CT=ARTICLE&WC=&YR=&QT=george,town,penang&oref=article |url-status=live }}|left|alt=Aerial view of the Esplanade seafront, flanked by the City Hall to the right. The cityscape forms the backdrop.]]

After a period of military administration, the British dissolved the Straits Settlements in 1946 and merged the Crown Colony of Penang into the Malayan Union, which was then replaced with the Federation of Malaya in 1948. At first, the impending annexation of the British colony of Penang into the vast Malay heartland proved unpopular among Penangites.{{Cite web |last=Koay |first=Su Lin |date=2016 |title=Penang: The Rebel State (Part One) |url=http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=2370&name=penang_the_rebel_state_part_one |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201034025/http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=2370&name=penang_the_rebel_state_part_one |archive-date=1 December 2017 |access-date=26 May 2017 |work=Penang Monthly}} Partly due to concerns that George Town's free port status would be at risk in the event of Penang's absorption into Malaya's customs union, the Penang Secessionist Committee was founded in 1948 and attempted to avert Penang's merger with Malaya. A petition at the time warned that the incorporation of Penang into Malaya would "reduce it to the churn of filth of a fishing village... trade assiduously built up during the last one and a half centuries will be turned to nothing, entailing untold monetary losses and hardship to the merchants in Penang".

The secessionist movement was ultimately met with British disapproval.{{Cite news |last=Koay |first=Su Lin |date=1 October 2016 |title=Penang: The Rebel State (Part Two) |language=en-US |newspaper=Penang Monthly |url=http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=1287&name=penang_the_rebel_state_part_two |url-status=dead |access-date=15 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201031555/http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=1287&name=penang_the_rebel_state_part_two |archive-date=1 December 2017}}{{Cite book |last=Christie |first=Clive |title=A Modern History of Southeast Asia: Decolonization, Nationalism and Separatism |publisher=I.B.Tauris |year=1998 |isbn=978-1-86064-354-5}}{{Cite journal |last=Sopiee |first=Mohd. Noordin |date=7 April 2011 |title=The Penang Secession Movement, 1948–1951 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-southeast-asian-studies/article/abs/penang-secession-movement-19481951/59F3FC746C4981BBA5B36DB491A48F11 |journal=Cambridge University Press |volume=4 |pages=52–71 |doi=10.1017/S0022463400016416 |s2cid=154817139 |access-date=19 December 2023 |archive-date=19 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219160945/https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-southeast-asian-studies/article/abs/penang-secession-movement-19481951/59F3FC746C4981BBA5B36DB491A48F11 |url-status=live }} To assuage the concerns raised by the secessionists, the British government guaranteed George Town's free port status and promised greater decentralisation. Meanwhile, municipal elections, which had been abolished in 1913, were reintroduced in 1951, further diminishing the secessionists' commitment to their cause. Nine councillors were to be elected from George Town's three electoral wards, while the British High Commissioner held the power to appoint six more.{{Cite web |last=Abdullah |first=Saifuddin |title=George Town: Malaysia's First Local Democracy |url=https://penanginstitute.org/happenings/in-the-mass-media/913-george-town-malaysia-s-first-local-democracy/ |access-date=19 December 2023 |website=Penang Institute |archive-date=28 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928212406/https://penanginstitute.org/happenings/in-the-mass-media/913-george-town-malaysia-s-first-local-democracy/ |url-status=live }} In 1957, George Town became Malaya's first fully-elected municipality and was granted city status by Queen Elizabeth II. This made George Town the first city within the Malayan Federation, and by extension, Malaysia.{{Cite news |last=Wong |first=Chun Wai |date=5 October 2013 |title=George Town's First Mayor Ramanathan was a Fiery Man, Politician, Educationist and Unionist |url=http://www.starproperty.my/index.php/articles/property-news/george-towns-first-mayor-ramanathan-was-a-fiery-man-politician-educationist-and-unionist/?search=Penang |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219210847/http://www.starproperty.my/index.php/articles/property-news/george-towns-first-mayor-ramanathan-was-a-fiery-man-politician-educationist-and-unionist/?search=Penang |archive-date=19 February 2018 |access-date=19 February 2018 |work=The Star}}

File:Komtar at dusk, George Town, Penang.jpg was for a brief period the tallest skyscraper in Southeast Asia.]]

During the early years of Malaya's independence, George Town retained its free port status, which had been guaranteed by the British. The George Town City Council enjoyed full financial autonomy and by 1965, it was the wealthiest local government in Malaysia, with an annual revenue almost double that of the Penang state government. This financial strength allowed the Labour-led city government to implement progressive policies, and to take control of George Town's infrastructure and public transportation. These included the maintenance of its own public bus service, as well as the construction of public housing schemes and the Ayer Itam Dam.{{Cite journal |date=2015 |title=REFSA Quarterly issue 1 2015 |url=https://refsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/REFSA-Quarterly-2015.pdf |journal=REFSA |access-date=19 December 2023 |archive-date=2 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602041112/https://refsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/REFSA-Quarterly-2015.pdf |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |date=January 1980 |title=Urban Transport Study in Greater Metropolitan Areas of George Town, Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam |url=https://openjicareport.jica.go.jp/pdf/10766954.pdf |journal=Japan International Cooperation Agency |access-date=19 December 2023 |archive-date=19 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219160947/https://openjicareport.jica.go.jp/pdf/10766954.pdf |url-status=live }}

However, longstanding political differences between the George Town City Council and the Alliance-controlled state government led to allegations of maladministration against the city government.{{Cite news |date=10 June 1966 |title=Minister to Take Over City Council |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19660610-1.2.39 |access-date=20 December 2023 |work=The Straits Times |archive-date=20 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220055403/https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19660610-1.2.39 |url-status=live }} In response, Chief Minister of Penang, Wong Pow Nee, took over the powers of the George Town City Council in 1966.{{Cite news |last=Khor |first=Cheang Kee |date=3 August 1966 |title=City Hall Drama |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19660803-1.2.4 |access-date=20 December 2023 |work=The Straits Times |archive-date=20 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220055404/https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19660803-1.2.4 |url-status=live }} Local government elections nationwide were also suspended in the aftermath of the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, never to be reinstated.

The period of relative prosperity vis-à-vis the rest of Malaysia came to an end in 1969, when the Malaysian federal government rescinded George Town's free port status. This sparked massive unemployment, brain drain and urban decay within the city.{{Cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Chet |title=From Free Port to Modern Economy: Economic Development and Social Change in Penang, 1969 to 1990 |last2=Rasiah |first2=Rajah |last3=Wong |first3=Yee Tuan |publisher=Penang Institute |year=2019 |isbn=9789814843966}}{{Cite web |last=Ooi |first=Kee Beng |date=December 2009 |title=Tun Lim Chong Eu: The Past is Not Passé |url=http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=7680&name=tun_lim_chong_eu_the_past_is_not_pass |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808051103/https://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=7680&name=tun_lim_chong_eu_the_past_is_not_pass |archive-date=8 August 2020 |access-date=30 November 2017 |website=Penang Monthly}}{{Cite web |last=Evelyn Teh |date=July 2016 |title=Where the Sea Meets the City is Where the World Meets Penang |url=https://penangmonthly.com/article/2568/where-the-sea-meets-the-city-is-where-the-world-meets-penang-1 |access-date=19 December 2023 |website=Penang Monthly |language=en |archive-date=19 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219060008/https://penangmonthly.com/article/2568/where-the-sea-meets-the-city-is-where-the-world-meets-penang-1 |url-status=live }} The federal government also began channelling resources towards the development of Kuala Lumpur and Port Klang, leading to George Town's protracted decline.

To revive Penang's fortunes, newly-elected Chief Minister Lim Chong Eu launched the Komtar project in 1974 and spearheaded the establishment of the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone (Bayan Lepas FIZ) which, at the time, was outside the city. Although these were successful in transforming Penang into a tertiary-based economy, they also led to the decentralisation of the urban population as residents gravitated towards newer suburban townships closer to the Bayan Lepas FIZ.{{Cite book |last=Nancy Duxbury, W.F. Garrett-Petts |first=David MacLennan |title=Cultural Mapping as Cultural Inquiry |publisher=Routledge |year=2015 |isbn=9781317588016}} The destruction of hundreds of shophouses and whole streets for the construction of Komtar further exacerbated the hollowing out of George Town.

Between 1974 and 1976, the George Town City Council and the Penang Island Rural District Council were merged to form the Penang Island Municipal Council. This led to a prolonged debate over George Town's city status, in spite of Clause 3 of the Local Government (Merger of the City Council of George Town and the Rural District Council of Penang Island) Order, 1974, which stated that "the status of the City of George Town as a city shall continue to be preserved and maintained and shall remain unimpaired by the merger hereby effected".{{Cite web |last=Goh |first=Ban Lee |date=February 2010 |title=Remember the City Status of George Town |url=http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=9315&name=remember_the_city_status_of_george_town |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209152315/http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=9315&name=remember_the_city_status_of_george_town |archive-date=9 December 2017 |access-date=9 December 2017 |work=Penang Monthly}}

File:Panorama of George Town from the air, Dec 2023.jpg in 2023, with Penang Hill in the background.|alt=Aerial view of the city centre of George Town, situated at a cape flanked by the sea.]]

George Town had benefitted from a real estate boom towards the end of the 20th century, but in 2001, the Rent Control Act was repealed, worsening the depopulation of the city's historical core and leaving colonial-era buildings in disrepair.{{Cite journal |last=Li |first=Ho Fai |date=September 2011 |title=The Politics of Heritage Conservation in a Southeast Asian Postcolonial City: The Case of Georgetown in Penang, Malaysia |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/48550279.pdf |journal=Chinese University of Hong Kong |access-date=19 December 2023 |archive-date=14 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190314125358/https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/48550279.pdf |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Rananawa |first=Arjuna |date=30 March 2000 |title=A City at a Crossroad |url=http://edition.cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/magazine/2000/0331/as.heritage.html |access-date=19 December 2023 |work=CNN |archive-date=20 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020200214/http://edition.cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/magazine/2000/0331/as.heritage.html |url-status=live }} The city also suffered from incoherent urban planning, poor traffic management and a brain drain which left it without the expertise to regulate urban development and arrest its decline.{{Cite book|title=Contested Space: Cultural Heritage and Identity Reconstructions : Conservation Strategies Within a Developing Asian City|last=Jenkins|first=Gwynn|publisher=LIT Verlag Münster|year=2008|isbn=9783825813666}}{{Cite book|title=Globalization and New Intra-Urban Dynamics in Asian Cities|last=Sue-Ching Jou, Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao|first=Natacha Aveline-Dubach|publisher=National Taiwan University|year=2014|isbn=9789863500216}}

In response, George Town's civil societies banded together and galvanised public support for the conservation of historic buildings, and to restore the city to its former glory.{{Cite news |last=Ng |first=Su-Ann |date=7 November 2004 |title=Penang Losing Its Tourism Lustre |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2004/11/07/penang-losing-its-tourism-lustre/ |work=The Star |access-date=10 December 2017 |archive-date=6 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206150039/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2004/11/07/penang-losing-its-tourism-lustre/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=16 December 2004 |title=Penang – Who Should Stop the Rot? |url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/32226 |access-date=6 December 2017 |work=Malaysiakini |language=en-GB |archive-date=6 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206162017/https://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/32226 |url-status=live }} Following subsequent heritage conservation efforts, a portion of the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.

Widespread resentment over the city's decline also resulted in the then opposition Pakatan Rakyat bloc (now Pakatan Harapan) wresting power in Penang from the incumbent Barisan Nasional (BN) administration in the 2008 state election.{{Cite book |last=Ooi |first=Kee Beng |title=Pilot Studies for a New Penang |publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies |year=2010 |isbn=9789814279697}}{{Cite book |last=Saravanamuttu Jayaratnam, Lee Hock Guan |first=Ooi Kee Beng |title=March 8: Eclipsing May 13 |publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies |year=2008 |isbn=9789812308962}} The newly-elected state government took a more inclusive approach to heritage conservation and sustainable urban development, while concurrently pursuing economic diversification.{{Cite web |date=2021 |title=From Port City to World Heritage Site: Case Study of George Town (Malaysia) |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/canopy/georgetown-2/ |access-date=19 December 2023 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |language=en |archive-date=19 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219160945/https://whc.unesco.org/en/canopy/georgetown-2/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |last=Tricia Yeoh |first=Su-Wern |date=January 2022 |title=Opposition Subnational Strongholds in Dominant Party Authoritarian Regimes (DPARs): The Pakatan Coalition in Selangor and Penang from 2008 to 2018 |url=https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/69483/1/FINAL%20PHD%20THESIS%20SUBMISSION%20POST-VIVA%20June2022_Yeoh%20Su%20Wern.pdf |journal=University of Nottingham |access-date=27 December 2023 |archive-date=27 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227060034/https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/69483/1/FINAL%20PHD%20THESIS%20SUBMISSION%20POST-VIVA%20June2022_Yeoh%20Su%20Wern.pdf |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |last=Hutchinson |first=Francis |date=23 November 2023 |title=The August Poll in Penang: A Perspective on Pakatan, its Partners and its Prospects |url=https://www.iseas.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ISEAS_Perspective_2023_93.pdf |journal=ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute |access-date=19 December 2023 |archive-date=24 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231124081938/https://www.iseas.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ISEAS_Perspective_2023_93.pdf |url-status=live }} The city has since witnessed an economic rejuvenation, boosted by a growth in the private sector.{{Cite news |last=Eileen Ng |date=14 May 2016 |title=The Big Read: Penang Takes a Leaf from S'pore, and Bids to Become a Competitor |url=https://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/big-read-penang-takes-leaf-spore-and-bids-become-competitor |access-date=19 December 2023 |work=Today |archive-date=19 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219160945/https://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/big-read-penang-takes-leaf-spore-and-bids-become-competitor |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=12 June 2016 |title=Singapore Investors 'Invading' Pre-War Properties in Penang |url=http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/singapore-investors-invading-pre-war-properties-in-penang |access-date=28 May 2017 |work=The Straits Times |language=en |archive-date=4 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171004141840/http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/singapore-investors-invading-pre-war-properties-in-penang |url-status=live }}

George Town's jurisdiction was expanded by the Malaysian federal government to encompass the entirety of Penang Island and the surrounding islets in 2015.{{Cite news |last=Looi |first=Sue Chern |date=25 March 2015 |title=George Town A City Again |url=https://theedgemalaysia.com/article/george-town-city-again |access-date=26 December 2023 |work=The Edge |archive-date=26 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226161457/https://theedgemalaysia.com/article/george-town-city-again |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=1 May 2015 |title=George Town Meliputi 'Pulau', Jelas Datuk Bandar |url=http://www.buletinmutiara.com/download/2015/BuletinMutiaraMay12015-BM.pdf |work=Buletin Mutiara |pages=24 |language=MS |quote=Dari segi sejarah, pengiktirafan George Town sebagai 'bandar raya' oleh Ratu Elizabeth II pada 1 Januari 1957 tidak pernah ditarik balik hingga kini. Bagaimanapun, Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang (MPPP) pula ditubuhkan semula pada 15 Disember 1976 berdasarkan Akta Kerajaan Tempatan, 1976. Justeru, sempadan sebenar George Town meliputi seluruh bahagian 'pulau', sebagaimana kekal dipertanggungjawabkan ke atas MBPP. |access-date=22 June 2018 |archive-date=22 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622140339/http://www.buletinmutiara.com/download/2015/BuletinMutiaraMay12015-BM.pdf |url-status=live }} This expansion resulted in an enlargement of the city government's manpower and responsibilities, as well as enhancing the regulation of heritage conservation.{{Cite journal |last=Katahenggam |first=Nagathisen |title=Fiscal Analysis and Governance of the City Council of Penang Island 2002–2011 |url=http://eprints.usm.my/40851/1/ART_68.pdf |journal=Taylor's University |access-date=4 February 2024 |archive-date=4 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204031830/http://eprints.usm.my/40851/1/ART_68.pdf |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=31 March 2015 |title=Council president now Penang's first mayor |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2015/03/31/council-president-now-penangs-first-mayor/869717 |access-date=4 February 2024 |work=Malay Mail |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003072509/https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2015/03/31/council-president-now-penangs-first-mayor/869717 |url-status=live }}

File:Silicon Island in George Town, Penang Dec2024-1.jpg reclamation project {{Circa|2024}}. Reclamation allows the creation of valuable land for urban development, particularly in land-scarce George Town.{{Cite journal |last=Ramly |first=Salwa |date=January 2008 |title=Impact on the Coastal Areas of the Tanjung Tokong Land Reclamation Project, Penang, Malaysia |url=https://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=1317634&fileOId=1317635 |journal=Lund University |access-date=12 December 2023 |archive-date=12 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212143809/https://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=1317634&fileOId=1317635 |url-status=live }}]]

The jurisdiction of George Town covers an area of approximately {{convert|306|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, encompassing the entirety of Penang Island and nine surrounding islets.{{Cite journal |title=Draf Rancangan Tempatan Pulau Pinang (Pulau) 2030 Jilid 1 |journal=Penang Island City Council}} George Town is slightly more than two-fifths the size of Singapore.{{ref|Alpha|α}} The {{convert|295|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|adj=on}} Penang Island has an uneven terrain with a mountainous topography down the middle.{{Cite journal |last=Lim |first=H. S. |date=2011 |title=TSS Mapping Using THEOS Imagery over Penang Island, Malaysia |journal=Universiti Sains Malaysia}} The island's coastal plains are narrow, with the most extensive plain located at the northeastern cape, where the {{Convert|25.5|km2|abbr=on|adj=on}} city centre is situated. Over the centuries, the built-up area of George Town has expanded in three directions {{Ndash}} along the island's northern coast, south down the eastern shoreline and towards Penang Hill to the west.{{Cite journal |last=Chau |first=Loon Wai |date=2005 |title=Probing Different Centralities in City Regions: A Space-Syntactic Approach |url=http://eprints.utm.my/6177/1/Chau_5SSS_FAB.pdf |journal=Techne Press |volume=1 |access-date=7 January 2024 |archive-date=7 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107063817/http://eprints.utm.my/6177/1/Chau_5SSS_FAB.pdf |url-status=live }}

The surrounding islets within George Town's jurisdiction are Jerejak, Andaman, Udini, Tikus, Lovers', Betong, Betong Kecil, Kendi and Rimau islands. The riverine systems within the city include the Kluang, Dua, Glugor and Pinang rivers. The Pinang River, which is {{Convert|3.5|km|abbr=on|adj=on}} long, flows through the city centre.{{Cite news |last=Hilmy |first=Imran |date=5 October 2023 |title=Long Road to Improved Water from a Clean Sg Pinang |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/10/05/long-road-to-improved-water-from-a-clean-sg-pinang |access-date=20 December 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=20 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220142905/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/10/05/long-road-to-improved-water-from-a-clean-sg-pinang |url-status=live }}

Penang Hill, with a height of {{Convert|833|m|abbr=on}}, is the highest point in Penang, serving as a water catchment area and a green lung for the city. In 2021, the {{Convert|12481|ha|km2|abbr=on|adj=on}} Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, which includes the Penang Botanic Gardens and the {{Convert|2562|ha|km2|abbr=on|adj=on}} Penang National Park, was inscribed as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in recognition of the area's biodiversity.{{Cite web |date=June 2022 |title=Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve |url=https://en.unesco.org/biosphere/aspac/penang-hill |access-date=13 November 2023 |website=UNESCO |language=en |archive-date=6 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231206144838/https://en.unesco.org/biosphere/aspac/penang-hill |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Kevin Vimal |date=11 June 2022 |title=Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve Officially Receives Its Recognition Certificate |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/penang-hill-biosphere-reserve-officially-receives-its-recognition-certificate/ |access-date=20 December 2023 |work=Buletin Mutiara |archive-date=20 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220142906/https://www.buletinmutiara.com/penang-hill-biosphere-reserve-officially-receives-its-recognition-certificate/ |url-status=live }}

As land scarcity is a pressing issue in George Town, land reclamation has been extensively undertaken at high-demand areas, such as at Tanjong Tokong and Bayan Lepas.{{Cite journal |last=Chee |first=Su Yin |date=13 August 2017 |title=Land Reclamation and Artificial Islands: Walking the Tightrope Between Development and Conservation |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/131015356.pdf |journal=Universiti Sains Malaysia |volume=12 |page=80 |doi=10.1016/j.gecco.2017.08.005 |bibcode=2017GEcoC..12...80C |access-date=20 December 2023 |archive-date=17 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217135426/https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/131015356.pdf |url-status=live }} Between 1960 and 2015, George Town expanded by more than {{Convert|9|km2||abbr=on}} due to land reclamation that altered much of the city's eastern shoreline. In 2023, a massive reclamation project commenced off Bayan Lepas to build the {{Convert|920|ha|km2|abbr=on|adj=on}} Silicon Island, envisioned as a new hub for high-tech manufacturing and commerce.{{Cite web |last=Opalyn Mok |date=1 September 2023 |title=Penang CM: Preliminary Works on Man-Made Silicon Island Starts Today |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/09/01/penang-cm-preliminary-works-on-man-made-silicon-island-starts-today/88405 |access-date=26 October 2023 |website=Malay Mail |language=en |archive-date=8 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208095356/https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/09/01/penang-cm-preliminary-works-on-man-made-silicon-island-starts-today/88405 |url-status=live }} Reclamation projects to create Gurney Bay and the nearby mixed-use precinct of Andaman Island are also ongoing.{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=23 February 2016 |title=Gurney Wharf, Penang's New Waterfront Park-in-the-City |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2016/02/23/gurney-wharf-penangs-new-waterfront-park-in-the-city/1066141 |access-date=15 December 2023 |work=Malay Mail |archive-date=15 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215151224/https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2016/02/23/gurney-wharf-penangs-new-waterfront-park-in-the-city/1066141 |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Kevin Vimal |date=26 May 2023 |title=E&O's Andaman Island Project a Great Push for Penang Green Agenda, Says CM Chow |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/eos-andaman-island-project-a-great-push-for-penang-green-agenda-says-cm-chow/ |access-date=20 December 2023 |work=Buletin Mutiara |archive-date=20 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220142906/https://www.buletinmutiara.com/eos-andaman-island-project-a-great-push-for-penang-green-agenda-says-cm-chow/ |url-status=live }}

{{Map of subdivisions in George Town, Penang}}

George Town features a tropical rainforest climate, under the Köppen climate classification (Af). Weather forecast in George Town is served by the Penang Meteorological Office at Bayan Lepas, which acts as the primary weather forecast facility for northwestern Peninsular Malaysia.{{Cite web |title=Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission |url=http://ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_oe&task=viewInstitutionRecord&institutionID=18555 |access-date=28 February 2018 |publisher=UNESCO |language=en-gb |archive-date=28 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928044221/http://ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_oe&task=viewInstitutionRecord&institutionID=18555 |url-status=live }} The city experiences relatively consistent temperatures throughout the course of the year, with an average high of about 32 °C and an average low of 24°C.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h17MWNlkEcwC&pg=PA400 |title=The Penny Cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge |publisher=Charles Knight |year=1840 |page=400 |access-date=21 February 2016 |archive-date=16 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240316153053/https://books.google.com/books?id=h17MWNlkEcwC&pg=PA400#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }} It sees on average about {{convert|2477|mm|in}} of precipitation annually.{{cite book |author1=Tijs Neutens |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9Xl-QL8qJTIC&pg=PA206 |title=Developments in 3D Geo-Information Sciences |author2=Philippe de Maeyer |date=16 October 2009 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-3-642-04791-6 |page=206}} Its proximity to the island of Sumatra makes George Town susceptible to dust particles carried by wind from transient forest fires that cause the perennial Southeast Asian haze.{{Cite news |date=7 July 2013 |title=Why is South-East Asia's Annual Haze So Hard to Deal with? |url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2013/07/economist-explains-3 |access-date=15 October 2016 |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=23 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180423200401/https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2013/07/economist-explains-3 |url-status=live }}{{George Town weatherbox}}

{{Main|Penang Island City Council}}

{{multiple image

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| image1 = Official flag of the Penang Island City Council.svg

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| caption2 = Above: Flag of the Penang Island City Council

Below: The City Hall, built in 1903 as a combination of Edwardian and Baroque architectural styles, has been listed as a national monument since 1982.

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| alt1 = Flag of the Penang Island City Council, depicting the city's coat of arms within a white disc on top of a yellowish field.

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In 1796, a committee was formed to record trade revenue, and another committee responsible for property valuation was established in 1800. The latter committee was assembled through an election of ratepaying representatives, making it the first political election ever held in the settlement. Although the committees were organised ad hoc and lacked regulatory power, these early measures marked the beginning of a systematic approach to municipal governance in Penang.

In 1856, the India Board, an administrative body of British India, passed Act No. XXVII, which mandated the appointment of Municipal Commissioners and taxation of the Straits Settlements.{{Cite book |url=https://www.indiacode.nic.in/repealed-act/repealed_act_documents/A1856-27.pdf |title=Act No. XXVII of 1856 |publisher=Legislative Council of India |year=1856 |pages=1–9 |quote=An Act to comprise in one Act the provisions necessary for the assessment and collection of Municipal rates and taxes in the Towns of Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay, and the several stations of the Settlement of Prince of Wales' Island, Singapore, and Malacca, is incorporated with this act. |access-date=9 February 2023 |archive-date=24 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124220138/https://www.indiacode.nic.in/repealed-act/repealed_act_documents/A1856-27.pdf |url-status=live }} A Municipal Commission for George Town came into being the following year. In 1957, prior to Malaya's independence, Queen Elizabeth II granted George Town city status, making it the first city in the new nation. By then, George Town had also become the first municipality in Malaya to have a fully-elected local government. Following the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, local government elections across the country have been suspended since 1965.

The Penang Island City Council (MBPP), headquartered in the City Hall, carries out the official administrative and legislative duties of the city. One of the two city governments in Penang, MBPP is led by a mayor, assisted by a secretary and 24 councillors who perform oversight responsibilities over 19 departments.{{Cite web |title=Carta Organisasi |url=https://www.mbpp.gov.my/ms/korporat/pengurusan/carta-organisasi |access-date=30 December 2023 |website=Penang Island City Council |archive-date=30 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230084213/https://www.mbpp.gov.my/ms/korporat/pengurusan/carta-organisasi |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Councillor's Profile |url=https://www.mbpp.gov.my/en/corporate/pengurusan/pengurusan-tertinggi/profil-ahli-majlis |access-date=30 December 2023 |website=Penang Island City Council |archive-date=13 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231213152714/https://www.mbpp.gov.my/en/corporate/pengurusan/pengurusan-tertinggi/profil-ahli-majlis |url-status=live }} Each councillor is appointed by the Penang state government under an extendable one-year term.{{Cite web |title=Background |url=https://www.mbpp.gov.my/en/corporate/background |access-date=30 December 2023 |website=Penang Island City Council |archive-date=30 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230082711/https://www.mbpp.gov.my/en/corporate/background |url-status=live }} {{As of|2023}}, one of the 24 councillor positions has been allocated to the city's non-governmental organisations (NGOs), while the remaining 23 are occupied by component parties of the ruling state government.{{Cite news |last=Hilmy |first=Imran |date=2 October 2023 |title=23 MBPP Councillors Sworn In for 2023–2024 Term |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/10/02/23-mbpp-councillors-sworn-in-for-2023-2024-term |access-date=30 December 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=30 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230082710/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/10/02/23-mbpp-councillors-sworn-in-for-2023-2024-term |url-status=live }} The mayor since 2023 is Rajendran P. Anthony, the second mayor of Indian descent in the city's history after D. S. Ramanathan and the first since 2015.{{Cite news |last=Trisha |first=N. |date=9 May 2023 |title=Rajendran Sworn In as Fourth Mayor of Penang Island City Council |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/05/09/rajendran-sworn-in-as-fourth-mayor-of-penang-island-city-council |access-date=30 December 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=30 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230084214/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/05/09/rajendran-sworn-in-as-fourth-mayor-of-penang-island-city-council |url-status=live }}

MBPP's current urban planning strategy is set out in the Penang Island Local Plan 2030, first published in 2022.{{Cite news |last=McIntyre |first=Ian |date=20 October 2022 |title=Penang Unveils Island's Draft Local Plan after Long Delay |url=https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/74769/penang-unveils-islands-draft-local-plan-after-long-delay |access-date=30 December 2023 |work=The Vibes |archive-date=28 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128153401/https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/74769/penang-unveils-islands-draft-local-plan-after-long-delay |url-status=live }} The city government is responsible for municipal services including waste management, public maintenance and community service.{{Cite web |title=Function |url=https://www.mbpp.gov.my/en/corporate/function |access-date=30 December 2023 |website=Penang Island City Council}} It is also involved in major infrastructural projects such as the Jalan Bukit Kukus Paired Road.{{Cite news |last=Lo |first=Tern Chern |date=14 January 2022 |title=In Awe of Tallest Elevated Road |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2022/01/14/in-awe-of-tallest-elevated-road |access-date=27 November 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=17 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217100646/https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2022/01/14/in-awe-of-tallest-elevated-road |url-status=live }} Since 2009, it has operated the Central Area Transit (CAT) bus service in collaboration with Rapid Penang.{{Cite web |title=Age Friendly City – Page 2 of 8 |url=https://www.mbpp.gov.my/en/services/bandar-mesra-usia?start=1 |access-date=30 December 2023 |website=Penang Island City Council |archive-date=16 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240316153509/https://www.mbpp.gov.my/en/services/bandar-mesra-usia?start=1 |url-status=live }} In 2025, MBPP projected its estimated revenue at RM433.3 million and an estimated expenditure of RM466.3 million, which included allocations for smart city projects, economic growth, cleanliness, sustainability and urban mobility.{{Cite news |last=Edmund Lee |date=11 September 2024 |title=MBPP's Budget 2025 Focuses on Cleanliness and Sustainability |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/mbpps-budget-2025-focuses-on-cleanliness-and-sustainability/ |access-date=3 November 2024 |work=Buletin Mutiara}}{{ref|Gamma|γ}}

After Pakatan Rakyat (predecessor to the incumbent Pakatan Harapan) was voted into power in 2008, the newly-elected state government attempted to reinstate local government elections within Penang.{{Cite journal |last=Gooi Hsiao Leung |title=Enabling Decentralisation and Improving Federal-State Relations in the Federation of Malaysia |url=https://penanginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/web_version_final.pdf |journal=Penang Institute |access-date=30 December 2023 |archive-date=30 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230082711/https://penanginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/web_version_final.pdf |url-status=live }} Backed by strong support from George Town's NGOs, the Local Government Elections (Penang Island and Province Wellesley) Enactment was passed in 2012, which would have allowed city government elections for the first time since the 1960s. However, the Barisan Nasional-controlled federal government objected to the move and the Federal Court later ruled that local government elections are not within the purview of state governments.{{Cite news |date=13 June 2012 |title=Chor: Penang Local Govt Polls Act Not Valid |url=https://theedgemalaysia.com/article/chor-penang-local-govt-polls-act-not-valid |access-date=30 December 2023 |work=The Edge |archive-date=30 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230082710/https://theedgemalaysia.com/article/chor-penang-local-govt-polls-act-not-valid |url-status=live }}

{{Main|Government of Penang}}

{{See also|List of electoral districts in Penang}}

File:Dewan_Undangan_Negeri_Penang_Dec_2006_003.jpg in Light Street houses Penang's legislature.|alt=The front façade of the Penang State Assembly Building features columns supporting the pediment atop the portico.]]

George Town is the administrative capital of Penang. The offices of the Chief Minister of Penang and the Penang state government are located in Komtar, while the official residence of the Governor of Penang is located in Scotland Road.{{Cite web |last=Jennifer Choo |date=28 September 2021 |title=Architectural Icon: How Komtar, Penang's First Modernist Skyscraper, Changed The Face Of George Town |url=https://www.tatlerasia.com/homes/architecture-design/architecture-icon-komtar-penang |access-date=30 December 2023 |website=Tatler |language=en |archive-date=4 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204151723/https://www.tatlerasia.com/homes/architecture-design/architecture-icon-komtar-penang |url-status=live }} Penang's legislature has been convened in the State Assembly Building in Light Street since 1959.{{Cite news |last=Ong |first=K. H. |date=3 October 2020 |title=Visitor Restriction for Coming Penang State Legislative Assembly Sitting |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/visitor-restriction-for-coming-penang-state-legislative-assembly-sitting/ |access-date=30 December 2023 |work=Buletin Mutiara |archive-date=30 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230082710/https://www.buletinmutiara.com/visitor-restriction-for-coming-penang-state-legislative-assembly-sitting/ |url-status=live }}

George Town is represented by six Members of Parliament and 19 state constituencies. Prior to 2023, state elections had been conducted simultaneously with nationwide general elections every five years. Tanjong is the smallest parliamentary constituency in Malaysia by area.{{Cite news |last=Ahmad |first=Razak |date=1 November 2022 |title=Interactive: Interesting Facts on Malaysia's Parliamentary Seats |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/11/01/interactive-interesting-facts-on-malaysias-parliamentary-seats |access-date=30 December 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=30 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230084217/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/11/01/interactive-interesting-facts-on-malaysias-parliamentary-seats |url-status=live }} Padang Kota is the least populated state constituency by population, while Pengkalan Kota is the densest in the country.{{Cite news |date=23 May 2023 |title=Pengkalan Kota is State Constituency with Highest Population Density, Says Stats Dept |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/05/23/pengkalan-kota-is-state-constituency-with-highest-population-density-says-stats-dept |access-date=30 December 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=12 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112065437/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/05/23/pengkalan-kota-is-state-constituency-with-highest-population-density-says-stats-dept |url-status=live }} Batu Lancang has the largest proportion of Chinese residents in any state constituency.

Due to George Town's predominantly Chinese population and the longstanding political consciousness, the city has been regarded as a stronghold for the incumbent Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.{{Cite news |last=Mahmud |first=Aqil Haziq |date=16 April 2023 |title=In Penang, Pakatan Harapan Braces for Inroads by Perikatan Nasional During Upcoming State Polls |url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-penang-state-election-dap-ph-pn-green-wave-3416916 |access-date=30 December 2023 |work=Channel News Asia |archive-date=30 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230082710/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-penang-state-election-dap-ph-pn-green-wave-3416916 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Karee Chan |date=4 April 2018 |title=Our Study Trip to Penang |url=https://lkyspp.nus.edu.sg/cag/news/details/our-study-trip-to-penang |access-date=30 December 2023 |website=Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy |archive-date=16 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240316153617/https://lkyspp.nus.edu.sg/cag/news/details/our-study-trip-to-penang |url-status=live }} {{As of|2023}}, non-Malays formed the majority in 15 out of the 19 state constituencies in George Town, particularly around the city centre. In the 2023 state election, PH retained 17 of George Town's state constituencies, with the far-right Perikatan Nasional (PN) opposition bloc seizing two of the Malay-majority seats at the western edge of the city.

Parliamentary constituencies{{Div col|colwidth=10em}}

• Bukit Bendera
• Tanjong
• Jelutong
• Bukit Gelugor
• Bayan Baru
• Balik Pulau{{Div col end}}State constituencies{{Div col|colwidth=10em}}
• Padang Kota
• Pengkalan Kota
• Komtar
• Kebun Bunga
• Pulau Tikus
• Tanjong Bunga
• Air Putih
• Air Itam
• Paya Terubong
• Seri Delima
• Datok Keramat
• Sungai Pinang
• Batu Lancang
• Batu Uban
• Pantai Jerejak
• Batu Maung
• Bayan Lepas
• Pulau Betong
• Telok Bahang {{Div col end}}

George Town is the judicial capital of Penang. The city's judicial system consists of the magistrate, sessions and the high court. The Penang High Court, the state's supreme judicial authority, is located in Light Street. Established in 1808, the high court is regarded as the birthplace of the modern Malaysian judiciary. Notable lawyers who served the Penang High Court include Tunku Abdul Rahman, Cecil Rajendra and Karpal Singh.{{Cite news |date=21 April 2014 |title=Thousands Pay Last Respects to Karpal Singh |url=https://www.theborneopost.com/2014/04/21/thousands-pay-last-respects-to-karpal-singh/ |access-date=30 December 2023 |work=The Borneo Post |archive-date=30 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230082710/https://www.theborneopost.com/2014/04/21/thousands-pay-last-respects-to-karpal-singh/ |url-status=live }}

The city also has two magistrate and sessions courts serving the Northeast and Southwest districts respectively, with the former located in Light Street and the latter housed in Balik Pulau.{{Cite web |date=15 January 2018 |title=Court Directory |url=http://penangbar.org/court-directory/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203002653/http://penangbar.org/court-directory/ |archive-date=3 December 2016 |access-date=22 June 2018 |website=penangbar.org |publisher=Penang Bar Committee}} The Royal Malaysia Police is responsible for law enforcement within George Town, establishing a total of 22 police stations throughout the city {{As of|2022|lc=y}}. Traffic law enforcement is augmented by MBPP's traffic warden unit, the first unit of its kind outside Kuala Lumpur.{{Cite news |last=Nambiar |first=Predeep |date=16 January 2020 |title=Penang Unveils Traffic Wardens with Powers over 44 offences |url=https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/01/16/penang-unveils-traffic-wardens-with-powers-over-44-offences/ |access-date=31 December 2023 |work=Free Malaysia Today |archive-date=31 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231024244/https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/01/16/penang-unveils-traffic-wardens-with-powers-over-44-offences/ |url-status=live }}

{{Historical populations|1890|86900|1901|94409|1911|101182|1921|123069|1931|149408|1947|189068|1957|234903|1970|269247|1980|250578|1991|219603|2000|180573|2010|198298|2020{{ref|Beta|β}}|794313|source={{my10|2020kf}}{{Cite book |url=https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/p-library/singapore-malaysia/City%20Council%20Of%20Georgetown/Penang%20Past%20Present%20%281712%29/Penang%20Past%20Present%20-%20City%20Council%20Of%20Georgetown.pdf |title=Penang Past and Present, 1786-1963 |publisher=George Town City Council |year=1966|via=Wasabi Technologies}}{{Cite journal |author1=Usman Yaakob |author2=Tarmiji Masron |author3=Fujimaki Masami |title=Ninety Years of Urbanization in Malaysia: A Geographical Investigation of Its Trends and Characteristics |url=https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/acd/re/k-rsc/hss/book/pdf/vol04_05.pdf |journal=Ritsumeikan University |access-date=21 December 2023 |archive-date=26 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226212926/https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/acd/re/k-rsc/hss/book/pdf/vol04_05.pdf |url-status=live }}|align=right|shading=off}}

{{See also|Demographics of Penang}}

According to the 2020 Malaysian census, George Town's population was 794,313, out of which 158,336 {{Ndash}} or almost 20% {{Ndash}} resided within the city centre.{{my10|2020kf}} With a population density of approximately {{convert|2595.8|/km2|abbr=on}}, George Town is also one of the most densely populated cities in Malaysia.{{my10|2020kf}} The city's identity has been largely shaped by centuries of intermingling between the various cultures on its shores. The George Town Conurbation, which also covers Seberang Perai, and parts of neighbouring Kedah and Perak, was home to 2,843,344 residents {{As of|2020|lc=y}}, making it the second largest metropolitan area in Malaysia after the Klang Valley.{{my10|2020kf}}{{Cite journal |date=November 2015 |title=Achieving A System of Competitive Cities in Malaysia: Main Report |url=https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/709061475743434007/pdf/102222-v1-REVISED-PUBLIC-Malaysia-Competitive-Cities-Main-Report-low-res-final.pdf |journal=World Bank |pages=16 |access-date=27 December 2023 |archive-date=6 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240306175936/https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/709061475743434007/pdf/102222-v1-REVISED-PUBLIC-Malaysia-Competitive-Cities-Main-Report-low-res-final.pdf |url-status=live }}

{{Bar box|title=Ethnicities of George Town in 2020{{my10|2020kf}}|left1=Ethnicities / Nationality|right1=Percentage|float=right|bars={{Bar percent|Chinese|Red|51.2}}{{Bar percent|Malays|Green|30.7}}{{Bar percent|Other Bumiputeras|Teal|0.6}}{{Bar percent|Indians|Orange|8.2}} {{Bar percent|Others|DarkGray|0.8}}{{Bar percent|Non-Malaysians|Purple|8.5}}}}

File:Map of George Town by ethnic proportions 2020.svg |pages=174–175 |isbn=9789672537069}}|alt=A map depicting the distribution of Chinese and Malay populations in George Town by subdivisions]]

Historically, George Town has been a predominantly Chinese city. According to the 1891 Straits Settlements census, about 68% of George Town's population of 51,627 were ethnic Chinese.{{Cite journal |last=M. Merewether |first=E. |date=1892 |title=Report on the Census of the Straits Settlements Taken on the 5th of April 1891 |url=https://statsdigital.stats.gov.my/Penerbitan/penerbitan/view?id=5bc68d0dd5bc73855e4aae5e |journal=Straits Settlements |via=Department of Statistics Malaysia |access-date=21 December 2023 |archive-date=21 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221170227/https://statsdigital.stats.gov.my/Penerbitan/penerbitan/view?id=5bc68d0dd5bc73855e4aae5e |url-status=live }} {{As of|2020}}, Chinese formed more than half of the city's population.{{my10|2020kf}}

During British rule, the Chinese in George Town were categorised based on their dialects, such as Hokkien, Cantonese, Hainanese and Teochew, as well as place of birth. In contrast to newer arrivals known colloquially as sinkheh, the Peranakan Chinese, descendants of mixed Malay and Chinese ancestries who had inhabited the Straits Settlements for generations, formed an influential group within the Chinese community. They generally preferred Western education, and held leadership positions in some of George Town's commercial and community associations.{{Cite web |last=Jaime Koh |title=Peranakan (Straits Chinese) Community |url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2013-08-30_181745.html |access-date=26 May 2017 |website=National Library Board |archive-date=4 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170604004706/http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2013-08-30_181745.html |url-status=live }} As the Peranakan Chinese tended to be more loyal to the British Crown than to China, they were also known as the "King's Chinese".{{Cite news |last=Heaver |first=Stuart |date=10 May 2014 |title=High Society |url=http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1506517/high-society-preserving-peranakan-culture |access-date=29 May 2017 |work=South China Morning Post |archive-date=3 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170603144323/http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1506517/high-society-preserving-peranakan-culture |url-status=live }} Although Malaysia's ethnic policies have effectively forced the Peranakan Chinese to identify themselves with the larger Chinese community, Peranakan Chinese culture still thrives in the city, visible in Straits Chinese architectural styles and dishes like asam laksa.{{Cite journal |last=Lee |first=Su Kim |date=2008 |title=The Peranakan Baba Nyonya Culture: Resurgence or Disappearance? |url=http://library1.utem.edu.my/e-melaka/koleksi%20melaka/geografi/Peranakan%20Melaka.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517033233/http://library1.utem.edu.my/e-melaka/koleksi%20melaka/geografi/Peranakan%20Melaka.pdf |archive-date=17 May 2017 |access-date=30 May 2017}}

The Bumiputeras, which include ethnic Malays and East Malaysian indigenous races like the Dayaks and Kadazans, collectively made up 31% of the city's population in 2020.{{my10|2020kf}}{{Cite web |date=28 May 2017 |title=Peninsula States Asked to Give East Malaysians Time Off for Festivals |url=https://www.theborneopost.com/2017/05/28/peninsula-states-asked-to-give-east-malaysians-time-off-for-festivals/ |access-date=28 May 2017 |website=The Borneo Post |archive-date=27 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170527182903/http://www.theborneopost.com/2017/05/28/peninsula-states-asked-to-give-east-malaysians-time-off-for-festivals/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=10 May 2016 |title=Time to Celebrate with Sabah and Sarawak People |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2016/05/10/time-to-celebrate-with-sabah-and-sarawak-people/ |work=The Star |access-date=28 August 2017 |archive-date=20 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170920004055/http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2016/05/10/time-to-celebrate-with-sabah-and-sarawak-people/ |url-status=live }} {{As of|2022}}, George Town has seen growing arrivals of Sabahan and Sarawakian natives migrating to the city for employment opportunities in sectors like manufacturing, healthcare and the civil service.{{Cite news |last=McIntyre |first=Ian |date=15 September 2022 |title=Celebrating the Ties between Penang and East Malaysia |url=https://www.thevibes.com/articles/lifestyles/71467/Celebrating-the-ties-between-Penang-and-East-Malaysia |access-date=15 September 2022 |work=The Vibes |archive-date=15 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915031927/https://www.thevibes.com/articles/lifestyles/71467/Celebrating-the-ties-between-Penang-and-East-Malaysia |url-status=live }} Ethnic Indians comprised another 8% of George Town's population.{{my10|2020kf}} Additionally, there are small but prominent Eurasian and Siamese enclaves such as Kampung Siam and Kampong Serani.{{Cite web |last=Johnson Lee |first=Chong Fatt |date=November 2018 |title=Siamese Ties in Need of Preservation |url=https://penangmonthly.com/article/15338/siamese-ties-in-need-of-preservation-1 |access-date=21 December 2023 |website=Penang Monthly |language=en |archive-date=21 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221170225/https://penangmonthly.com/article/15338/siamese-ties-in-need-of-preservation-1 |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Filmer |first=Andrea |date=22 August 2023 |title=Penang Exhibition Offers a Photographic Exploration of Serani Identity |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/culture/2023/08/22/penang-exhibition-offers-a-photographic-exploration-of-serani-identity |access-date=21 December 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=21 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221170224/https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/culture/2023/08/22/penang-exhibition-offers-a-photographic-exploration-of-serani-identity |url-status=live }}

Close to 8.5% of the city's population consisted of non-Malaysian citizens.{{my10|2020kf}} George Town's affordable living costs, natural destinations, advanced healthcare infrastructure, its established ecosystem of multinational companies (MNCs) and the widespread use of English have been cited as factors that made the city attractive to expatriates.{{Cite news |last=Saieed |first=Zunaira |date=18 March 2023 |title=Penang's Easy Living is Big Draw for Expats Looking to Retire |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/penang-s-easy-living-is-big-draw-for-expats-looking-to-retire |access-date=21 December 2023 |work=The Straits Times |archive-date=21 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221170224/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/penang-s-easy-living-is-big-draw-for-expats-looking-to-retire |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |last=Beh |first=May Ting |date=19 October 2023 |title=Imagine an Education Hub: Leveraging Penang's International School Ecosystem |url=https://penanginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Education-Hub.pdf |journal=Penang Institute |access-date=21 December 2023 |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225054613/https://penanginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Education-Hub.pdf |url-status=live }} {{As of|2023}}, George Town was ranked second in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur and 122nd globally for liveability by ECA International.{{Cite web |date=8 February 2023 |title=Malaysia rises in global liveability ranking |url=https://www.eca-international.com/news/february-2023/malaysia-rises-in-global-liveability-ranking |access-date=14 December 2024 |website=ECA International}} It has also been described by news outlets such as CNN as one of the best cities for retirement in the world.{{Cite news |last=Lobosco |first=Katie |date=6 January 2016 |title=Best Places to Retire Abroad in 2016 |url=https://money.cnn.com/gallery/retirement/2016/01/06/best-places-to-retire-abroad/6.html |access-date=26 May 2017 |work=CNN |archive-date=18 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518000240/http://money.cnn.com/gallery/retirement/2016/01/06/best-places-to-retire-abroad/6.html |url-status=live }}

Throughout George Town's history as a cosmopolitan port of clearance and departure, it attracted a polyglot society consisting of various other communities such as Burmese, Acehnese, Arabs, Jews, Japanese and Armenians. While most of these other communities no longer exist, they left their legacy to several landmarks and street names such as the Dhammikarama Burmese Temple, Armenian Street and the Jewish Cemetery.{{Cite news |last=Wong |first=Chun Wai |date=6 July 2013 |title=The Jewish Community in Penang is All but Gone Leaving Only Tombs Behind |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2013/07/06/leaving-only-tombs-behind-the-jewish-community-in-penang-is-all-but-gone-with-the-death-of-its-last/ |work=The Star |access-date=30 December 2017 |archive-date=23 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923195904/http://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2013/07/06/leaving-only-tombs-behind-the-jewish-community-in-penang-is-all-but-gone-with-the-death-of-its-last/ |url-status=live }}

File:Victoria St, George Town, Penang.jpg, Chinese, Tamil or Arabic names, such as this at Victoria Street, have been installed throughout the city since 2008.{{Cite news |last=Ng |first=Su-Ann |date=22 November 2008 |title=Multilingual Road Signs Put Up to Boost Penang's Tourism |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2008/11/22/multilingual-road-signs-put-up-to-boost-penangs-tourism/ |work=The Star |access-date=28 August 2017 |archive-date=19 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819185734/http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2008/11/22/multilingual-road-signs-put-up-to-boost-penangs-tourism/ |url-status=live }}|alt=A bilingual street sign in George Town depicting the street's Malay and English names]]

Major languages in common use by George Town's multilingual, cosmopolitan society are Malay, English, Hokkien, Mandarin and Tamil.{{Cite journal |last=Teresa Wai |first=See Ong |date=May 2022 |title=Building Relationships with Community Members: Lessons Learnt from Fieldwork in Penang, Malaysia |url=https://repository.nie.edu.sg/server/api/core/bitstreams/57a48a8d-6fab-4c08-a012-5ad54c6fddc9/content |journal=Griffith University |access-date=22 December 2023 |archive-date=16 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216191515/https://repository.nie.edu.sg/server/api/core/bitstreams/57a48a8d-6fab-4c08-a012-5ad54c6fddc9/content |url-status=live }} Penang Hokkien, a local variant of the Hokkien dialect, is widely used as the unofficial lingua franca between the various ethnic groups in the city.{{Cite journal |date=2021 |title=George Town World Heritage Site: Population and Land Use Census 2009—2019 |url=https://thinkcityinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/George-Town-A-City-in-Transition.pdf |journal=Think City |access-date=22 December 2023 |archive-date=4 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204233214/https://thinkcityinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/George-Town-A-City-in-Transition.pdf |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=2 August 2016 |title=Penang Hokkien Will Be 'Dead' in 40 years If People Stop Using It, Says Language Expert |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2016/08/02/penang-hokkien-will-be-dead-in-40-years-if-people-stop-using-it-says-langua/1174401 |work=Malay Mail |access-date=22 December 2023 |archive-date=16 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216114848/https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2016/08/02/penang-hokkien-will-be-dead-in-40-years-if-people-stop-using-it-says-langua/1174401 |url-status=live }}

During British rule, English was the official language in Penang, and was used as the medium of instruction in secular and mission schools. The combination of Western education and the importance of English for global trade has created distinct English-speaking groups within the Chinese and Indian communities, in contrast to those who have received vernacular education.

Like in the rest of Malaysia, Malay is currently Penang's official language. The Malays and Jawi Peranakans in the city often use Bahasa Tanjong, a variant of the Kedah Malay dialect that is slightly modified to suit the conditions of a cosmopolitan society.{{Cite journal |last=Abdul Rahim |first=Hajar |date=2015 |title=Bahasa Tanjong: The Heritage Language of the Jawi Peranakans of Penang |url=http://web.usm.my/km/33(Supp.2)2015/km33s22015_06.pdf |journal=Kajian Malaysia |volume=33 |access-date=27 May 2017 |archive-date=13 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913230755/http://web.usm.my/km/33(Supp.2)2015/km33s22015_06.pdf |url-status=live }} Meanwhile, the Tamils form the bulk of George Town's Indian community. Tamil is used as the medium of instruction in Tamil-medium primary schools.{{Cite web |date=May 2017 |title=Dialects and Languages in Numbers |url=http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=7447&name=dialects_and_languages_in_numbers |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516160537/http://www.penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=7447&name=dialects_and_languages_in_numbers |archive-date=16 May 2017 |access-date=27 May 2017 |website=Penang Monthly}} Other Indian languages that are spoken in the city include Telugu and Punjabi.{{Cite news |last=Lin |first=Rouwen |date=3 October 2010 |title=The Telugu Heritage |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/features/2010/10/03/the-telugu-heritage/ |work=The Star |access-date=28 August 2017 |archive-date=5 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805141527/http://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/features/2010/10/03/the-telugu-heritage/ |url-status=live }}

George Town's Chinese community uses a variety of Chinese dialects, including Teochew, Hakka and Cantonese. Mandarin is the medium of instruction in Chinese schools, contributing to its more prevalent use among youths.{{Cite web |last=Ooi Kok Hin |first=Julia Tan |title=Penang Hokkien On Life Support |url=http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=7412&name=penang_hokkien_on_life_support |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170615140306/http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=7412&name=penang_hokkien_on_life_support |archive-date=15 June 2017 |access-date=27 May 2017 |website=Penang Monthly}} Originally a variant of the Southern Min group of languages, Penang Hokkien has absorbed numerous loanwords from Malay and English, yet another legacy of the Peranakan Chinese culture.{{Cite news |date=17 August 2016 |title=Translating Penang Hokkien to English with Ease |url=https://thesun.my/archive/1939512-GSARCH388293 |access-date=22 December 2023 |work=The Sun |archive-date=16 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216164654/https://thesun.my/archive/1939512-GSARCH388293 |url-status=live }} Although Penang Hokkien is still widely spoken within the city centre, its use has been waning in recent years in the face of the increasing prevalence of Mandarin and English.

In 2008, the newly-elected Pakatan Rakyat state government introduced bilingual street signs throughout George Town. These street signs display the names of streets in either English, Chinese, Tamil or Arabic alongside the official Malay language, highlighting the city's multilingual character.{{Cite news |last=Christina Chin |date=3 November 2008 |title=Penang to Stick with Multilingual Road Signs |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2008/11/03/penang-to-stick-with-multilingual-road-signs |access-date=22 December 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=22 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231222055711/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2008/11/03/penang-to-stick-with-multilingual-road-signs |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |last=Teresa Ong |first=Wai See |date=September 2018 |title=Language Maintenance in Malaysia: A Case Study of the Chinese Community in Penang |url=https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au/bitstream/handle/10072/382738/Ong%2CTeresa_Final%20Thesis_redacted.pdf |journal=Griffith University |access-date=22 December 2023 |archive-date=22 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231222055713/https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au/bitstream/handle/10072/382738/Ong,Teresa_Final%20Thesis_redacted.pdf |url-status=live }} However, this move was not without controversy, as the street signs occasionally became targets of vandalism by political extremists opposing the city's cosmopolitanism.{{Cite news |last=Ann Tan |date=24 November 2008 |title=Road Signs Vandalised |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2008/11/24/road-signs-vandalised |access-date=22 December 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=22 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231222055713/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2008/11/24/road-signs-vandalised |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Sofia Nasir |date=26 October 2020 |title=Penang Council Lodges Report over Vandalised Dual-Language Road Signs |url=https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/4009/penang-council-lodges-report-over-vandalised-dual-language-road-signs |access-date=22 December 2023 |work=The Vibes |archive-date=22 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231222055711/https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/4009/penang-council-lodges-report-over-vandalised-dual-language-road-signs |url-status=live }}

{{Pie chart|caption=Economic sectors in George Town by GDP share (2020)|label1=Services|label2=Manufacturing|value1=52.0|value2=43.9|thumb=right|color1=red|color2=green|value3=2.6|value4=0.7|value5=0|label3=Construction|label4=Mining|label5=Agriculture|color3=blue|color4=orange|color5=yellow}}

{{See also|Economy of Penang}}

As the capital city of Penang, one of the only four high-income territories in Malaysia, George Town has a diversified service sector. The city's economy is largely driven by services and manufacturing, particularly electronics and optical manufacturing, hospitality, wholesale and retail trade, logistics, finance, and real estate.{{Cite journal |date=August 2023 |title=Laporan Sosioekonomi Negeri Pulau Pinang 2022 |url= |journal=Department of Statistics Malaysia |issn=2600-9854}} In 2020, George Town's GDP was RM51.935 billion (US$12.464 billion), accounting for 53.5% of Penang's total GDP. George Town's GDP per capita was RM65,383 (US$15,692), surpassing the World Bank's threshold of US$12,696 to be considered a high-income economy.{{Cite journal |title=DAC List of ODA Recipients |url=https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/topics/policy-sub-issues/oda-eligibility-and-conditions/DAC-List-of-ODA-Recipients-for-reporting-2022-23-flows.pdf |journal=OECD}}

With at least 300 multinational companies (MNCs), the robust manufacturing sector has contributed to George Town emerging as Malaysia's leading exporter and one of the major destinations for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country.{{Cite news |date=13 September 2022 |title=Delegates from over 60 Countries Attended the Opening of WCIT 2022 Malaysia |url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/brandedcontent/635635 |access-date=11 December 2023 |work=Malaysiakini |archive-date=11 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211105127/https://www.malaysiakini.com/brandedcontent/635635 |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |date=July 2023 |title=Final External Trade Statistics 2023 |journal=Department of Statistics Malaysia |pages=89 |issn=2180-1827}} George Town is the core city of the George Town Conurbation, which had a GDP worth US$30.2 billion in 2020, the second largest economy in Malaysia after the Klang Valley.{{Cite journal |date=Nov 2024 |title=Gross Domestic Product by Administrative District: Kerian, Perak 2015–2020 |journal=Department of Statistics Malaysia |isbn=978-967-253-797-7}}{{Cite journal |date=Nov 2024 |title=Gross Domestic Product by Administrative District: Kuala Muda, Kedah 2015–2020 |journal=Department of Statistics Malaysia |isbn=978-967-253-748-9}}

According to Euromonitor International in 2023, George Town exhibits the greatest potential among Malaysian cities for revenue growth.{{Cite web |date=September 2023 |title=Malaysia Cities Review |url=https://www.euromonitor.com/malaysia-cities-review/report |access-date=12 December 2023 |website=Euromonitor International |archive-date=12 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212143809/https://www.euromonitor.com/malaysia-cities-review/report |url-status=live }} The Economist Intelligence Unit had also reported that in 2015, the city contributed US$12,044 {{Ndash}} or almost 8% {{Ndash}} of Malaysia's personal disposable income in 2015, second only to Kuala Lumpur.{{Cite journal |date=2016 |title=ASEAN Cities: Stirring the Melting Pot |url=https://www.eiu.com/public/topical_report.aspx?campaignid=aseancities2016 |journal=Economist Intelligence Unit |page=8 |access-date=13 January 2024 |archive-date=13 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240113125240/https://www.eiu.com/public/topical_report.aspx?campaignid=aseancities2016 |url-status=live }} Knight Frank's 2016 rankings positioned George Town as Malaysia's most attractive destination for commercial property investment, surpassing even the federal capital.{{Cite journal|title=Malaysia Commercial Real Estate Investment Sentiment Survey 2016|url=http://content.knightfrank.com/research/795/documents/en/malaysia-sentiment-survey-2016-3567.pdf|journal=Knight Frank|access-date=23 November 2017|archive-date=11 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011131438/http://content.knightfrank.com/research/795/documents/en/malaysia-sentiment-survey-2016-3567.pdf|url-status=live}} George Town was rated a "Gamma −" level global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network in 2020, due to its capacity in "advanced producer services" {{Ndash}} namely finance and insurance.{{Cite web |date=21 August 2020 |title=The World According to GaWC 2020 |url=https://www.lboro.ac.uk/microsites/geography/gawc/world2020t.html |access-date=13 January 2024 |website=Globalization and World Cities Research Network |publisher=Loughborough University |archive-date=12 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220612112616/https://www.lboro.ac.uk/microsites/geography/gawc/world2020t.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |last=Li |first=Zeyun |year=2017 |title=Examining Inter-City Connections in Southeast Asia Based upon Interlocking City Network Model |url=https://www.academia.edu/35786800 |journal=International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=114 |doi=10.21833/ijaas.2017.01.016 |via=Academia.edu |doi-access=free |access-date=19 February 2024 |archive-date=16 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240316153620/https://www.academia.edu/35786800 |url-status=live }} In 2024, George Town ranked 351st in the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index, the eighth highest within the ASEAN region and the second in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur.{{Cite news |last=Jessie Lee |date=13 June 2024 |title=KK ranked 391st out of 1,000 cities worldwide |url=https://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/235960/kk-ranked-391st-out-of-1-000-cities-worldwide/ |access-date=2 July 2024 |work=Daily Express}} Additionally, the city has developed extensive logistical connections through the Penang International Airport and Swettenham Pier.

File:Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone 2023.jpg. In the foreground is a facility owned by Intel, one of the first multinational companies to establish a presence within the zone in the 1970s.{{Cite news |last=Roughneen |first=Simon |date=15 July 2015 |title=Styling Itself as the 'Silicon Valley of the East' |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Policy-Politics/Styling-itself-as-the-Silicon-Valley-of-the-East |work=Nikkei Asian Review |access-date=22 June 2018 |archive-date=22 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622140254/https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Policy-Politics/Styling-itself-as-the-Silicon-Valley-of-the-East |url-status=live }}|alt=Aerial view of factories at an industrial zone in the city. An expressway lines the shore to the left of the zone.]]

Following the revocation of George Town's free port status and the fall of the Alliance-led state government in 1969, newly-elected Chief Minister Lim Chong Eu sought to revamp Penang's economy and commissioned Robert R. Nathan Associates to formulate strategies.{{Cite journal |last=Athukorala |first=Prema-chandra |title=Growing with Global Production Sharing: The Tale of Penang Export Hub, Malaysia |url=https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/gep/documents/conferences/2012/malaysia-conference/prema-chandra-athukorala.pdf |journal=Australian National University |access-date=24 December 2023 |archive-date=5 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305053346/https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/gep/documents/conferences/2012/malaysia-conference/prema-chandra-athukorala.pdf |url-status=live }} The resulting Nathan Report of 1970 recommended an export-led growth strategy and the strengthening of linkages with the global economy.

As a part of this economic transformation, the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone (Bayan Lepas FIZ) was established in 1972. The zone has played a significant role in Penang's economic growth over the decades since. It is regarded as the Silicon Valley of the East, home to more than 300 multinational companies (MNCs) including 39 Fortune 1000 companies.{{Cite news |last=Parker |first=Pamela |date=22 January 2018 |title=The Malaysian Region that Became a Hardware Hub |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/business-42686192/the-malaysian-region-that-became-a-hardware-hub |work=BBC |access-date=21 July 2018 |archive-date=24 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624204450/https://www.bbc.com/news/av/business-42686192/the-malaysian-region-that-became-a-hardware-hub |url-status=live }} Among the MNCs within the Bayan Lepas FIZ are technology firms such as AMD, Bosch, HP Inc., Intel, Motorola, Osram and Renesas.{{Cite web |date=18 November 2021 |title=Creating the Silicon Valley of the East 2.0 |url=https://www.mida.gov.my/mida-news/creating-the-silicon-valley-of-the-east-2-0/ |access-date=6 December 2023 |website=Malaysian Investment Development Authority |language=en-US |archive-date=7 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207225805/https://www.mida.gov.my/mida-news/creating-the-silicon-valley-of-the-east-2-0/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Danny Ooi |date=5 November 2018 |title=CM Urge Motorola Solutions to Partner State Government in Vision 2030 |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/cm-urge-motorola-solutions-to-partner-state-government-in-vision-2030/ |access-date=11 December 2023 |work=Buletin Mutiara |archive-date=11 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211134643/https://www.buletinmutiara.com/cm-urge-motorola-solutions-to-partner-state-government-in-vision-2030/ |url-status=live }}

The electronics ecosystem and supply chain comprising both MNCs and large local companies (LLCs) have solidified George Town's position as a major destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) and Malaysia's top exporter. In 2021, Penang captured RM74.4 billion in inbound FDI, with the Bayan Lepas FIZ contributing over 95%.{{Cite web |date=9 March 2022 |title=Penang's 2021 Approved Manufacturing Investments Hit All-Time High of RM76.2 Billion |url=https://investpenang.gov.my/press-release-penangs-2021-approved-manufacturing-investments-hit-all-time-high-of-rm76-2-billion/ |access-date=5 December 2023 |website=InvestPenang |archive-date=5 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231205164413/https://investpenang.gov.my/press-release-penangs-2021-approved-manufacturing-investments-hit-all-time-high-of-rm76-2-billion/ |url-status=live }} In 2022, the Penang International Airport (PIA), which lies adjacent to the zone, saw an estimated RM385 billion worth of exports, making it the largest exporter of all ports of entry in Malaysia. The successful electronics manufacturing sector has also encouraged a growth in start-ups, driven by home-grown companies like Piktochart and DeliverEat.{{Cite news |last=Lianne Chia |date=26 January 2017 |title=A Silicon Valley of the East: Penang's Thriving Start-Up Community |url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/a-silicon-valley-of-the-east-penang-s-thriving-start-up-communit-7576346 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129141207/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/a-silicon-valley-of-the-east-penang-s-thriving-start-up-communit-7576346 |archive-date=29 January 2018 |access-date=27 May 2017 |work=Channel NewsAsia |language=en-US}}

File:Northam Road, George Town, Penang 2023.jpg, part of the city's Central Business District (CBD).|alt=Aerial view of skyscrapers along a tree-lined street in the city,|227x227px]]George Town was once the financial centre of British Malaya. During the late 19th century, many international banks such as Standard Chartered, HSBC, and the Royal Bank of Scotland established themselves in the city, leading to the clustering of mercantile trade around the northern end of Beach Street.{{cite book |author=Jin Seng Cheah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ftEFcwwx20C&pg=PT71 |title=Penang 500 Early Postcards |date=19 February 2013 |publisher=Editions Didier Millet |isbn=978-967-10617-1-8 |page=71}} Post-independence, George Town continues to function as the financial hub of northern Malaysia.{{Cite journal |last=Yeap |first=Soon Lye |date=November 1998 |title=Urban Revitalization of Historical Town Centre: A Case Study of the Cultural Heritage Zone of George Town, Penang |url=http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/11940/1/FRSB_1998_1_A.pdf |journal=University of Putra Malaysia |access-date=24 January 2024 |archive-date=24 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191124055140/http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/11940/1/FRSB_1998_1_A.pdf |url-status=live }} The city's financial and commercial precincts expanded around Northam Road and Pulau Tikus by the 1990s.{{Cite book |last=Goh |first=Beng Lan |title=Modern Dreams: An Inquiry Into Power, Cultural Production and the Cityscape in Contemporary Urban Penang, Malaysia |publisher=SEAP Publications |year=2002 |isbn=9780877277309}}{{Cite news |last=David Tan |date=15 December 2003 |title=Penang's New Financial Hub |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2003/12/15/penangs-new-financial-hub/ |access-date=25 December 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=28 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428194613/https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2003/12/15/penangs-new-financial-hub/ |url-status=live }}

The Penang Island City Council formally proposed the Central Business District (CBD) as one of the city's four economic zones in its Local Plan 2030, along with the Bayan Baru{{Ndash}}Bayan Lepas, Tanjong Tokong{{Ndash}}Tanjong Bungah and Batu Ferringhi{{Ndash}}Teluk Bahang corridors. Designated as a financial and banking district, the CBD covers a significant portion within the city centre up to the northern bank of the Pinang River, including existing financial precincts of Beach Street, Northam Road and Pulau Tikus, as well as a Business Improvement District (BIDS) around Komtar.{{Cite journal |title=Betting on BIDS: Asia's first Business Improvement District |url=https://www.thinkcity.com.my/pdf/betting-on-bids.pdf |journal=Think City |access-date=25 December 2023 |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225070108/https://www.thinkcity.com.my/pdf/betting-on-bids.pdf |url-status=live }} Apart from banking and ancillary services, the CBD is home to federal financial institutions like Bank Negara and the Employees Provident Fund.{{Cite web |title=Our Offices and SST |url=https://www.kwsp.gov.my/reach-us/offices-kiosks |access-date=7 December 2023 |website=Employees Provident Fund |archive-date=7 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180619/https://www.kwsp.gov.my/reach-us/offices-kiosks |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=BNMLINK & BNM Offices |url=https://www.bnm.gov.my/about-us/locations |access-date=7 December 2023 |website=Central Bank of Malaysia |archive-date=7 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180812/https://www.bnm.gov.my/about-us/locations |url-status=live }} In 2022, finance and ancillary services contributed 9.1% of Penang's GDP.

File:Batu Ferringhi, George Town, Penang 2023.jpg were among the top five destinations in Penang among domestic tourists in 2022.|alt=Aerial view of a beach in the city, flanked by buildings and hills forming the backdrop.]]

George Town has traditionally been one of Malaysia's most popular tourist destinations. It has attracted influential personalities like Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling, Noël Coward, Lee Kuan Yew and Queen Elizabeth II.{{Cite journal|title=E&O Edition 20|url=https://www.easternandoriental.com/uploads/publications-eo-edition/EO-Edition-v20.pdf|journal=Eastern & Oriental Berhad|access-date=23 March 2018|archive-date=23 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323155957/https://www.easternandoriental.com/uploads/publications-eo-edition/EO-Edition-v20.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |last=Koay |first=Su Lyn |date=December 2014 |title=A History of Local Elections in Penang Part II: A Legacy to Protect |url=http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=4160&name=a_history_of_local_elections_in_penang_part_ii_a_legacy_to_protect |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612202319/http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=4160&name=a_history_of_local_elections_in_penang_part_ii_a_legacy_to_protect |archive-date=12 June 2018 |access-date=23 March 2018 |work=Penang Monthly}}{{Cite news |date=6 November 2017 |title=Prince Charles, Camilla Arrive in Penang for One-Day Official Visit |url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/401009 |access-date=7 December 2023 |work=Malaysiakini |archive-date=13 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240213114905/https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/401009 |url-status=live }} The city is recognised for its architecture and diverse cultures, natural attractions like beaches and hills, and its culinary scene.{{Cite journal |last1=Ghaderi |first1=Z. |last2=Som |first2=A.P.M. |last3=Henderson |first3=J.C. |date=April–July 2012 |title=Tourism Crises and Island Destinations: Experiences in Penang, Malaysia |journal=Tourism Management Perspectives |volume=2–3 |pages=79–84 |doi=10.1016/j.tmp.2012.03.006 |pmc=7147625 |pmid=32289006}}

Unlike most cities in Malaysia, George Town is not solely dependent on air transportation for tourist arrivals. Swettenham Pier, the busiest port-of-call in Malaysia for cruise shipping, serves as a major entry point into the city along with PIA.{{Cite news |date=20 December 2017 |title=Swettenham Pier Surpasses Port Klang as Top Port of Call for Cruise Ships |url=https://thesun.my/archive/swettenham-pier-surpasses-port-klang-top-port-call-cruise-ships-BUARCH513414 |access-date=10 December 2023 |work=The Sun |archive-date=10 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210152444/https://thesun.my/archive/swettenham-pier-surpasses-port-klang-top-port-call-cruise-ships-BUARCH513414 |url-status=live }} In addition to its role as a freight exporter, the PIA ranks as the second busiest airport in the country in aircraft movements.{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=24 Jan 2025 |title=Penang airport ranks second in Malaysia for aircraft movements |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/01/24/penang-airport-ranks-second-in-malaysia-for-aircraft-movements/164452 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |work=Malay Mail}}

Measures to promote economic diversification have led to George Town expanding tourism offerings in specific areas such as healthcare, business events, ecotourism and cruise arrivals.{{Cite journal |date=May 2021 |title=Penang Tourism Master Plan 2021–2030 |url=https://gtwhi.com.my/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Penang-Tourism-Master-Plan-2021-2030-Report.pdf |journal=Penang state government |isbn=9789671966105 |access-date=7 January 2024 |archive-date=13 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240313113425/https://gtwhi.com.my/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Penang-Tourism-Master-Plan-2021-2030-Report.pdf |url-status=live }} The city is home to several private hospitals, contributing to Penang's emergence as the leading destination in Malaysia for medical tourism.{{Cite news |last=Mulyanto |first=Randy |date=21 November 2023 |title=Malaysia's Penang Lures Medical Tourists from Indonesia |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Health-Care/Malaysia-s-Penang-lures-medical-tourists-from-Indonesia |access-date=7 December 2023 |work=Nikkei, Inc. |archive-date=11 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211125748/https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Health-Care/Malaysia-s-Penang-lures-medical-tourists-from-Indonesia |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Cheryl Poo |date=16 August 2023 |title=Recovery of Malaysia's Medical Tourism Sector in the Bag, More Markets Targeted |url=https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/677849 |access-date=6 December 2023 |work=The Edge |archive-date=7 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207225805/https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/677849 |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Hilmy |first=Imran |date=5 December 2014 |title=Penang Accounts for 50% of Medical Tourists |url=http://www.thesundaily.my/news/1260128 |work=The Sun |access-date=2 January 2016 |archive-date=13 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913040823/http://www.thesundaily.my/news/1260128 |url-status=live }} George Town has also been identified as a key destination for business events, with the industry generating an economic impact of nearly RM1.3 billion (US${{To USD|1.3|MYS|year=2021}} billion) throughout Penang in 2024.{{Cite journal |date=2025 |title=Business Events Penang 2024 Annual Review |url=https://www.pceb.my/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Business-Event-2024-Annual-Review.pdf |journal=Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau}}{{Cite journal |date=2019 |title=Annual Report 2019 |url=https://www.myceb.com.my/clients/Malaysia_Convention_and_Exhibition_Bureau_75E277C6-C63D-4DC3-89AC-F6B30D21417D/contentms/img/pdf/MyCEB-AR2019.pdf |journal=Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau |page=29}} Some of the major venues for business events within the city are Setia SPICE, Straits Quay and Prangin Mall.{{Cite journal |title=Penang Meeting Planners Guide 2022–23 |url=https://www.pceb.my/pceb_miceguide.pdf |journal=Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau |access-date=19 February 2018 |archive-date=20 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220033113/https://www.pceb.my/pceb_miceguide.pdf |url-status=live }}

As the main shopping destination of northwestern Malaysia, George Town's retail scene includes shopping malls like Gurney Plaza, Gurney Paragon, 1st Avenue Mall, Straits Quay, Sunshine Central and Queensbay Mall. The city's traditional shophouses and markets continue to thrive, offering various local products unique to Penang such as nutmegs, Heong Peng and Tambun biscuits.{{cite web |author1=Lim Yoke Mui |author2=Nurwati Badarulzaman |author3=A. Ghafar Ahmad |date=20–22 January 2003 |title=Retail Activity in Malaysia : From Shophouse to Hypermarket |url=http://www.prres.net/papers/lim_etal_retail_activity_in_malaysia_from_shophouse_to_hypermarket.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160124141720/http://www.prres.net/papers/lim_etal_retail_activity_in_malaysia_from_shophouse_to_hypermarket.pdf |archive-date=24 January 2016 |access-date=24 January 2016 |work=School of Housing, Building and Planning, University of Science, Malaysia |publisher=Pacific Rim Real Estate Society (PRRES)}}{{Cite news |date=13 June 2023 |title=Hawker Stall Island |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/travel/hawker-stall-island |access-date=26 December 2023 |work=Otago Daily Times |archive-date=26 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226161457/https://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/travel/hawker-stall-island |url-status=live }}

In 2004, the Bayan Lepas FIZ and the adjacent township of Bayan Baru were accorded Multimedia Super Corridor Cyber City status, paving the way for George Town's growth as a shared services and outsourcing (SSO) hub.{{Cite journal |last=See |first=Lay Hoon |date=2010 |title=A Workforce Value Chain Analysis in High Tech Multinational Corporations' Electronics Manufacturing in Penang |url=http://eprints.usm.my/28842/1/A_Workforce_Value_Chain_Analysis_in_High_Tech_Multinational.pdf |journal=Universiti Sains Malaysia |access-date=25 December 2023 |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225070111/http://eprints.usm.my/28842/1/A_Workforce_Value_Chain_Analysis_in_High_Tech_Multinational.pdf |url-status=live }} By 2016, Penang attracted the second largest share of investments for global business services (GBS) within Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur, creating over 8,000 high-income jobs in the process.{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=6 December 2018 |title=CM Wants Penang to be a Global Business Services Hub |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/money/2018/12/06/cm-wants-penang-to-be-a-global-business-services-hub/1700603 |access-date=5 December 2023 |work=Malay Mail |archive-date=16 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216080700/https://www.malaymail.com/news/money/2018/12/06/cm-wants-penang-to-be-a-global-business-services-hub/1700603 |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |last=Lee |first=M. K. |date=October 2015 |title=Penang Gives the Green Light |url=https://www.pwc.com/my/en/assets/press/1510-acca-accounting-biz-penang-as-sso-hub.pdf |journal=PwC |access-date=25 December 2023 |archive-date=24 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231224183518/https://www.pwc.com/my/en/assets/press/1510-acca-accounting-biz-penang-as-sso-hub.pdf |url-status=live }} Newer office spaces at Bayan Baru have attracted multinational companies including Cisco, Citigroup, Clarivate, Swarovski and Teleperformance to establish GBS offices at the area.{{Cite news |last=Christopher Tan |date=8 December 2021 |title=Penang Taps into the Potential of Global Business Services |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/penang-taps-into-the-potential-of-global-business-services/ |access-date=25 December 2023 |work=Buletin Mutiara |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225070108/https://www.buletinmutiara.com/penang-taps-into-the-potential-of-global-business-services/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=13 March 2018 |title=Regus Malaysia Adds A Fourth in Penang |url=https://investpenang.gov.my/regus-malaysia-adds-a-fourth-in-penang/ |access-date=25 December 2023 |website=InvestPenang |language=en-US |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225070110/https://investpenang.gov.my/regus-malaysia-adds-a-fourth-in-penang/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Liew |first=Jia Xian |date=10 December 2018 |title=Thriving After Mall Makeover |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2018/12/10/thriving-after-mall-makeover-gbsmayang-now-80-occupied-by-four-global-firms |access-date=26 December 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=26 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226161459/https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2018/12/10/thriving-after-mall-makeover-gbsmayang-now-80-occupied-by-four-global-firms |url-status=live }}

{{wide image|Skyline of George Town, Penang at dusk March 2025-03.jpg|650px|Skyline within the city centre {{circa|2025}}|align-cap=center|alt=A panoramic view of the cityscape, dominated by skyscrapers and apartment blocks, at dusk.}}

File:Penang Malaysia Wat-Chaiya-Mangkalaram-Temple-01.jpg was constructed in 1845 by ethnic Siamese on a plot of land granted by Queen Victoria.{{Cite web |title=The Reclining Buddha Statue in the Wat Chayamangkalaram Temple |url=https://www.roots.gov.sg/Collection-Landing/listing/1187684 |access-date=25 December 2023 |website=www.roots.gov.sg |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225082941/https://www.roots.gov.sg/Collection-Landing/listing/1187684 |url-status=live }}|alt=A pagoda and golden-coloured stupas at a Siamese temple.]]{{Main|Architecture of Penang}}

{{See also|List of tallest buildings in George Town, Penang}}

In 2008, UNESCO designated nearly {{Convert|260|ha|km2|abbr=on}} within the city centre as a World Heritage Site. Recognised for the British-era cityscape, the city centre is notable for its "unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia", according to UNESCO. Largely bounded by Transfer Road to the west and Prangin Road to the south, the UNESCO-protected site is further demarcated into a {{Convert|109.38|ha|abbr=on|adj=on}} core zone surrounded by a {{Convert|150.04|ha|abbr=on|adj=on}} buffer zone.{{Cite journal |last=Shamsuddin |first=Shuhana |title=Regeneration of the Historic Waterfront of World Heritage Sites in Malaysia – The Case of Penang and Melaka |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/300369879.pdf |journal=University of Technology Malaysia |access-date=4 February 2024 |archive-date=4 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204031823/https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/300369879.pdf |url-status=live }}

The Penang Island City Council has officially identified 3,642 heritage buildings inside the UNESCO-demarcated zone. Shophouses sit alongside Anglo-Indian bungalows, mosques, temples, churches, and European-style administrative and commercial complexes, shaping the city's multicultural framework.{{Cite journal |date=2016 |title=Stories from Penang |url=https://adp.uq.edu.au/files/1212/Publications-2016_PenangInternationalTravelStudio.pdf |journal=University of Queensland |access-date=25 December 2023 |archive-date=5 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105205135/https://adp.uq.edu.au/files/1212/Publications-2016_PenangInternationalTravelStudio.pdf |url-status=live }} Among the landmarks within the zone that feature various Asian architectural styles are the Khoo Kongsi, Kapitan Keling Mosque and Sri Mahamariamman Temple. Elsewhere in the city, the influence of Siamese and Burmese cultures can be seen at places of worship like Wat Chayamangkalaram, Dhammikarama Burmese Temple and Kek Lok Si.{{Cite web |last=Ooi |first=Tze Xiong |date=October 2022 |title=Buddhist Schools of Thought Converge in Penang |url=https://penangmonthly.com/article/20746/buddhist-schools-of-thought-converge-in-penang |access-date=17 December 2023 |website=Penang Monthly |language=en |archive-date=17 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217100647/https://penangmonthly.com/article/20746/buddhist-schools-of-thought-converge-in-penang |url-status=live }}

Apart from the colonial-era architecture, George Town is also home to most of Penang's skyscrapers. The tallest skyscrapers in the city include the Komtar Tower, Marriott Residences and Muze @ PICC. There has been a surge in demand for residential high-rises at the suburbs since 2015, driven by the growing need for strata housing and the city's thriving economy.{{Cite web |last=Lum |first=Ka Kay |date=15 October 2016 |title=Condos in Penang are Flourishing |url=http://www.theedgeproperty.com.my/content/929088/condos-penang-are-flourishing |access-date=28 May 2017 |website=Edgeprop |publisher=The Edge (Malaysia) |archive-date=19 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019095514/http://www.theedgeproperty.com.my/content/929088/condos-penang-are-flourishing |url-status=live }}

File:Gurney Bay in George Town, Penang at dusk 2024.jpg features recreational amenities and a seafront promenade.]]

Established in 1884 by botanist Nathaniel Cantley, the Penang Botanic Gardens was Malaysia's first botanical garden. It is dedicated to botanical and horticultural research, as well as wildlife conservation within the area.{{Cite journal |title=Special Area Plan for Penang Botanic Garden |url=https://botanicalgardens.penang.gov.my/images/RKK%20ENGLISH/CHAPTER02.pdf |journal=Penang Botanic Gardens |access-date=25 December 2023 |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225084444/https://botanicalgardens.penang.gov.my/images/RKK%20ENGLISH/CHAPTER02.pdf |url-status=live }} The botanical garden forms part of the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2021. Nearby, the City Park was opened in 1972 as a public recreational space in the aftermath of the 1969 race riots in Kuala Lumpur.{{Cite news |last=Arnold Loh |date=4 October 2018 |title=Penang Planning to Transform Gurney Drive into a Must-See Attraction |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/10/04/a-wharf-better-than-just-world-class-penang-planning-to-transform-gurney-drive-into-a-mustsee-attrac/ |access-date=25 December 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225082938/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/10/04/a-wharf-better-than-just-world-class-penang-planning-to-transform-gurney-drive-into-a-mustsee-attrac/ |url-status=live }}

Spanning {{Convert|2562|ha|km2|abbr=on|adj=on}} within the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, the Penang National Park covers {{Convert|1266|ha|km2|abbr=on}} of coastal hills, meromictic lakes, mangroves, coral reefs, and turtle-nesting beaches like Pantai Kerachut, Pantai Mas, Teluk Kampi and Teluk Ketapang.{{Cite journal |last=Hong |first=Chern Wern |date=2010 |title=The Potentials, Threats and Challenges in Sustainable Development of Penang National Park |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/11491437.pdf |journal=Universiti Sains Malaysia |access-date=25 December 2023 |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225082939/https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/11491437.pdf |url-status=live }} Gazetted by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks in 2003, this forest reserve has been earmarked by the Penang state government as a key eco-tourism destination within the city.{{Cite journal |last=Vaghefi |first=Negin |date=14 June 2019 |title=Ecotourism: A Sector where Sustainability is Everything |url=https://penanginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/june_14_2019_Negin_download.pdf |journal=Penang Institute |access-date=25 December 2023 |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225054651/https://penanginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/june_14_2019_Negin_download.pdf |url-status=live }}

Described as "a new iconic waterfront destination for Penang" by then Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Gurney Bay is a {{Convert|24.28|ha|km2|abbr=on|adj=on}} park being built on reclaimed land off Gurney Drive. It is divided into four sections featuring a food and beverage (F&B) area, water gardens, a man-made beach and a coastal grove.{{Cite news |last=Sekaran |first=R. |date=28 June 2023 |title=Bringing Back Glory Days of Gurney Drive |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2023/06/28/bringing-back-glory-days-of-gurney-drive |access-date=7 January 2024 |work=The Star |archive-date=7 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107063817/https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2023/06/28/bringing-back-glory-days-of-gurney-drive |url-status=live }} The first phase of Gurney Bay was opened to public in 2024.{{Cite news |last=Lo |first=Tern Chern |date=4 February 2024 |title=Phase One of Gurney Bay now Open to Public |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/02/04/phase-one-of-gurney-bay-now-open-to-public |access-date=4 February 2024 |work=The Star |archive-date=4 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204013036/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/02/04/phase-one-of-gurney-bay-now-open-to-public |url-status=live }}

As part of efforts to create accessible green spaces and counter climate change within George Town, the Penang Island City Council is developing {{Convert|18000|ha|km2|abbr=on}} of interconnecting parks and waterways throughout the city.{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=3 January 2019 |title=Penang to Develop 18,000ha Green Network by 2030 |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/01/03/penang-to-develop-18000ha-green-network-by-2030/1708741 |access-date=25 December 2023 |work=Malay Mail |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225084441/https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/01/03/penang-to-develop-18000ha-green-network-by-2030/1708741 |url-status=live }} The Penang Green Connectors Project envisions ecological corridors that include {{Convert|50|km||abbr=on}} of coastal parks and {{Convert|65|km||abbr=on}} of riverine systems designated as "blue corridors", in addition to the construction of pedestrian and cycling paths in the city.

File:Motion And Stillness (243518115).jpeg's Children on a Bicycle at Armenian Street. This mural was featured in The Guardian's compilation of graffiti destinations worldwide in 2013.{{Cite journal |last=Chang |first=Shu Fun |date=2014 |title=Street Art Sparkle as a New Economic Driver in Penang |url=http://eprints.usm.my/38640/1/FULL_PAPER_002.pdf |journal=Universiti Sains Malaysia |access-date=25 December 2023 |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225055240/http://eprints.usm.my/38640/1/FULL_PAPER_002.pdf |url-status=live }}|alt=A mural depicting two children riding a bicycle.]]

The Penang variant of the Chingay procession was introduced in George Town in 1919. It is characterised by the act of balancing gigantic flags on one's head or hands.{{Cite news |last=McIntyre |first=Ian |date=10 March 2023 |title=New Attractions Await Visitors to Penang |url=https://www.thevibes.com/articles/lifestyles/87457/new-attractions-await-visitors-to-penang |access-date=7 December 2023 |work=The Vibes |archive-date=7 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207181048/https://www.thevibes.com/articles/lifestyles/87457/new-attractions-await-visitors-to-penang |url-status=live }} Formerly infused with rituals from the Chinese underworld, Chingay parades are now held annually in the city as a tourist attraction by itself and continue to be a major expression of the Penang Chinese identity.{{Cite journal |last=Daniel Goh |first=P. S. |date=2011 |title=State Carnivals and the Subvention of Multiculturalism in Singapore |url=https://ap5.fas.nus.edu.sg/fass/socgohd/bjos_1347.pdf |journal=National University of Singapore |access-date=25 December 2023 |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225054608/https://ap5.fas.nus.edu.sg/fass/socgohd/bjos_1347.pdf |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Lo |first=Tern Chern |date=21 December 2023 |title=Penang to Celebrate Chingay Festival on December 23 and 30 |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/12/21/penang-to-celebrate-chingay-festival-on-dec-23-and-30 |access-date=25 December 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225140400/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/12/21/penang-to-celebrate-chingay-festival-on-dec-23-and-30 |url-status=live }} George Town was also the birthplace of Bangsawan, a form of Malay theatre that incorporates Indian, Western, Islamic, Chinese and Indonesian influences.{{Cite news |last=Hon |first=Yi Wen |date=13 August 2007 |title=Keeping Bangsawan Alive |url=https://www.malaysiakini.com/rentakini/71099 |access-date=7 December 2023 |work=Malaysiakini |archive-date=7 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180817/https://www.malaysiakini.com/rentakini/71099 |url-status=live }} Boria, another unique form of theatre that features singing accompanied by violin, maracas and tabla, was first performed in the city in the mid-19th century.{{Cite journal |last=Abdul Manan |first=Shakila |date=2016 |title=Boria: Penang's Unique Malay-Islamic Cultural Heritage |url=http://web.usm.my/kajh/vol23_s1_2016/kajh23s12016_02.pdf |journal=Universiti Sains Malaysia |access-date=25 December 2023 |archive-date=12 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221012122542/http://web.usm.my/kajh/vol23_s1_2016/kajh23s12016_02.pdf |url-status=live }}

Apart from these, George Town has emerged as a hub for the arts and culture scene in Malaysia. The designation of parts of the city centre as a UNESCO World Heritage Site has enhanced cultural and creative industries within the area.{{Cite journal |last=Khoo |first=Suet Leng |date=19 March 2023 |title=Positioning the Creative City Agenda Within Urban Policy Discourse: The Malaysian Scenario |url=http://web.usm.my/km/earlyView/84_KM-OA-08-21-0173.R3.pdf |journal=Journal of Malaysian Studies |via=Universiti Sains Malaysia}} Since its inception in 2010, the George Town Festival is one of the major yearly arts events in Southeast Asia.{{Cite web |last=Chen |first=May Yee |date=31 July 2014 |title=Old Colonial City in Malaysia Becomes a Stage |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/01/arts/international/george-town-festival-is-making-its-name-as-major-asian-arts-event.html |access-date=29 November 2017 |website=The New York Times |archive-date=7 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707124045/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/01/arts/international/george-town-festival-is-making-its-name-as-major-asian-arts-event.html |url-status=live }} Held annually since 2011, the George Town Literary Festival won the International Literary Festival Award at the London Book Fair in 2018, the first such event from Southeast Asia to receive this honour.{{Cite news |last=Ferrarese |first=Marco |date=15 November 2019 |title=Bookworms and Big Ideas Collide at George Town Literary Festival |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Life/Bookworms-and-big-ideas-collide-at-George-Town-Literary-Festival |access-date=7 December 2023 |work=Nikkei, Inc. |archive-date=9 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209185953/https://asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Life/Bookworms-and-big-ideas-collide-at-George-Town-Literary-Festival |url-status=live }}

In 2012, Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic created a series of murals showcasing local culture, inhabitants and lifestyles. The city is also adorned with 52 wrought iron caricatures and 18 wall murals that depict its history and the daily lives of the local community. Additionally, art exhibitions are held at event spaces like the Hin Bus Depot and Sia Boey.{{Cite web |last=Nicole Chang |date=2017 |title=Hin Bus Depot – Derelict No More |url=http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=7438&name=hin_bus_depot_derelict_no_more |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220034706/http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=7438&name=hin_bus_depot_derelict_no_more |archive-date=20 February 2018 |access-date=27 May 2017 |website=Penang Monthly}}{{Cite web |title=Places |url=https://gtwhi.com.my/our-work/places/ |access-date=8 December 2023 |website=George Town World Heritage Incorporated |language=en-US |archive-date=8 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208200257/https://gtwhi.com.my/our-work/places/ |url-status=live }}

{{Main|Penang cuisine}}

George Town's culinary scene incorporates Malay, Chinese, Indian, Peranakan and Thai influences, evident in the range of available street food that includes char kway teow, asam laksa and nasi kandar.{{Cite news |last=Cripps |first=Karla |date=13 July 2017 |title=George Town, Penang: Asia's Greatest Street Food City? |url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/george-town-penang-greatest-street-food-city/index.html |work=CNN |access-date=25 December 2023 |archive-date=9 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209064621/https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/george-town-penang-greatest-street-food-city/index.html |url-status=live }} Described by CNN as "the food capital of Malaysia", the city was also listed by Time and Lonely Planet as one of the best in Asia for street food.{{cite magazine |last=Fitzpatrick |first=Liam |date=15 November 2004 |title=Best of Asia – Best Street Food |url=http://www.time.com/time/asia/2004/boa/boa_body_food.html |url-status=dead |magazine=Time |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041117003151/http://www.time.com/time/asia/2004/boa/boa_body_food.html |archive-date=17 November 2004 |access-date=3 January 2011}}{{Cite news |last=Barton |first=Robin |date=2 February 2014 |title=Where are the Foodies Going in 2014? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/where-are-the-foodies-going-in-2014-9094744.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/where-are-the-foodies-going-in-2014-9094744.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |access-date=18 October 2016 |newspaper=The Independent |language=en-GB}} According to Time in 2004, only in the city "could food this good be this cheap". Robin Barton of the Lonely Planet described George Town as the "culinary epicentre of the many cultures that arrived after it was set up as a trading port in 1786, from Malays to Indians, Acehenese to Chinese, Burmese to Thais".

Over the years, the city's culinary scene has expanded to include fine dining establishments, adding to its already diverse array of street food options.{{Cite web |last=Agatha Wong |date=19 April 2022 |title=How Penang's Fine Dining Scene is Giving its Famous Street Food a Run for Its Money |url=https://cnaluxury.channelnewsasia.com/experiences/penang-best-restaurants-fine-dining-198521 |access-date=8 December 2023 |website=Channel News Asia |language=en |archive-date=29 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629210925/https://cnaluxury.channelnewsasia.com/experiences/penang-best-restaurants-fine-dining-198521 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=McDonnell |first=Sharon |date=8 March 2023 |title=Where to Eat, Stay, and Play in Penang, the Malaysian Island State With an Exploding Art Scene |url=https://www.cntraveler.com/story/things-to-do-in-penang |access-date=8 December 2023 |website=Condé Nast |language=en-US |archive-date=8 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208151206/https://www.cntraveler.com/story/things-to-do-in-penang |url-status=live }} In 2022, the Michelin Guide made its debut in Penang, in recognition of the state's "small-scale restaurants and street food that embodies Malaysia's distinctive streetside dining culture".{{Cite web |last=Brian Cheong, KatelynTan |date=20 October 2022 |title=Michelin Guide Kuala Lumpur and Penang to Debut in December 2022 |url=https://www.tatlerasia.com/dining/the-industry/michelin-guide-malaysia-kuala-lumpur-penang-to-debut-in-december-2022 |access-date=8 December 2023 |website=Tatler |language=en |archive-date=8 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208151206/https://www.tatlerasia.com/dining/the-industry/michelin-guide-malaysia-kuala-lumpur-penang-to-debut-in-december-2022 |url-status=live }} The 2025 edition of the Michelin Guide features 63 eateries throughout the city.{{Cite web |title=Pulau Pinang Michelin Restaurants – the Michelin Guide Malaysia |url=https://guide.michelin.com/my/en/pulau-pinang/restaurants |access-date=8 December 2023 |website=MICHELIN Guide |language=en-MY |archive-date=8 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208151206/https://guide.michelin.com/my/en/pulau-pinang/restaurants |url-status=live }}

File:Cmglee Penang SPICE Arena aerial.jpg at Bayan Baru is a major venue for business events.]]

George Town is home to a variety of sports facilities. The 20,000-seater City Stadium serves as the home ground for Penang FC, while the Setia SPICE features an indoor arena and an aquatics centre.{{Cite news |last=Ong |first=K. H. |date=9 February 2023 |title=Penang FC Sets Sight on Top 10 Finish in Super League |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/penang-fc-sets-sight-on-top-10-finish-in-super-league/ |access-date=17 December 2023 |work=Buletin Mutiara |archive-date=17 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217100648/https://www.buletinmutiara.com/penang-fc-sets-sight-on-top-10-finish-in-super-league/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=CHRISTOPHER TAN |date=30 January 2016 |title=Spicing Up the Island Aquatic Centre Promises Splashing Fun for Visitors |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2016/01/30/spicing-up-the-island-aquatic-centre-promises-splashing-fun-for-visitors/ |access-date=17 December 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=29 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029211511/https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2016/01/30/spicing-up-the-island-aquatic-centre-promises-splashing-fun-for-visitors/ |url-status=live }} Malaysia's oldest equestrian centre, the Penang Turf Club, is located within the city. Additionally, investments have also been made on dedicated training facilities for badminton and squash.{{Cite news |last=Filmer |first=Andrea |date=22 November 2022 |title=Fond Memories Bounce Back as Nicol Returns to Basics |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2022/11/22/fond-memories-bounce-back-as-nicol-returns-to-basics |access-date=8 March 2024 |work=The Star |archive-date=8 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308012534/https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2022/11/22/fond-memories-bounce-back-as-nicol-returns-to-basics |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Dermawan |first=Audrey |date=22 June 2023 |title=Penang Hopes to Safeguard Legacy in Badminton, Says CM |url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/06/923091/penang-hopes-safeguard-legacy-badminton-says-cm |access-date=8 March 2024 |work=New Straits Times |archive-date=5 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305043807/https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/06/923091/penang-hopes-safeguard-legacy-badminton-says-cm |url-status=live }} George Town has played host to regional and international sports tournaments like the 2001 SEA Games, 2013 Women's World Open Squash Championship and Asia's first Masters Games in 2018.{{cite web |title=Venues of the Games |url=http://www.kl2001.com/venue1.htm |url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011220213100/http://www.kl2001.com/venue1.htm |archive-date=20 December 2001 |work=2001 SEA Games}}{{Cite news |last=Velloo |first=Loganath |date=17 March 2014 |title=Queen Nicol All Set for a Special World Meet |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/squash/2014/03/17/queen-nicol-all-set-for-a-special-world-meet |access-date=25 December 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225141903/https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/squash/2014/03/17/queen-nicol-all-set-for-a-special-world-meet |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=1 December 2016 |title=Penang Will Host 2018 First Asia Pacific Masters Games |url=http://www.themalaymailonline.com/sports/article/penang-will-host-2018-first-asia-pacific-masters-games#OAJg2ws2Lc8CPoud.97 |work=Malay Mail |access-date=25 December 2023 |archive-date=10 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310011523/http://www.themalaymailonline.com/sports/article/penang-will-host-2018-first-asia-pacific-masters-games#OAJg2ws2Lc8CPoud.97 |url-status=live }}

Some of the more significant annual sporting events in the city include the Penang International Dragon Boat Festival and the Penang Bridge International Marathon. The Penang International Dragon Boat Festival takes place every December and attracts participants from abroad.{{Cite news |last=Chong |first=Kah Yuan |date=4 December 2017 |title=China Team Awed by Experience at Penang Boat Race |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/12/04/china-team-awed-by-experience-at-penang-boat-race/ |work=The Star |access-date=25 December 2023 |archive-date=28 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428032118/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/12/04/china-team-awed-by-experience-at-penang-boat-race/ |url-status=live }} The Penang Bridge International Marathon is an annual event that has also gained international recognition, attracting over 22,000 participants from 65 countries in 2024.{{Cite news |last=Sekaran |first=R. |date=16 December 2024 |title=First Timer Kenyans Top Penang Bridge Marathon |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/12/16/first-timer-kenyans-top-penang-bridge-marathon |access-date=16 March 2025 |work=The Star}}

{{As of|2022}}, George Town is home to 111 primary schools and 49 secondary schools.{{Cite journal |date=November 2023 |title=My Local Stats Barat Daya Pulau Pinang 2022 |journal=Department of Statistics Malaysia |issn=2735-2528}}{{Cite journal |date=November 2023 |title=My Local Stats Timur Laut Pulau Pinang 2022 |journal=Department of Statistics Malaysia |issn=2735-2536}} British colonial rule had encouraged the growth of mission schools throughout the city, including St. Xavier's Institution, St. George's Girls' School and Methodist Boys' School. Founded in 1816, Penang Free School (PFS) is the oldest English school in Southeast Asia.{{Cite news |last=Balakrishnan |first=N. |date=20 October 2016 |title=How One Malaysian School Became a Bright Spot in Colonialism's Dark Legacy |url=https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2038580/how-one-malaysian-school-became-bright-spot-colonialisms |access-date=26 December 2023 |work=South China Morning Post |archive-date=26 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226161457/https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2038580/how-one-malaysian-school-became-bright-spot-colonialisms |url-status=live }}

In 1819, the first Chinese school in George Town was established, marking the start of Malaysia's modern Chinese education system.{{Cite journal |last=Ang |first=Ming Chee |date=2009 |title=The Chinese Education Movement in Malaysia |url=https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5788242/4360398 |journal=Lund University |access-date=26 December 2023 |archive-date=9 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209070938/https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5788242/4360398 |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |last=Vivien Wong |date=2017 |title=The Language Medium Policies: A Study on the Development of Independent Chinese Secondary Schools (ICSS) in Malaysia |journal=University of Malaya}} While Chinese, English and mission schools have since been brought under the jurisdiction of the Malaysian Ministry of Education, the Penang state government also provides annual financial assistance to aid in the maintenance of these schools.{{Cite news |last=Akmal |first=Riadz |date=28 January 2022 |title=Penang Govt Allocates RM4.188 Mil for SMJK, Missionary and Chinese Private Schools |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/penang-govt-allocates-rm4-188-mil-for-smjk-missionary-and-chinese-private-schools/ |access-date=26 December 2023 |work=Buletin Mutiara |archive-date=26 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226161457/https://www.buletinmutiara.com/penang-govt-allocates-rm4-188-mil-for-smjk-missionary-and-chinese-private-schools/ |url-status=live }} George Town is also home to 12 international and expatriate schools that offer either British, American or International Baccalaureate syllabuses.{{Cite journal |last=Beh |first=May Ting |date=19 October 2023 |title=Imagine an Education Hub: Leveraging Penang's International School Ecosystem |url=https://penanginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Education-Hub.pdf |journal=Penang Institute |access-date=21 December 2023 |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225054613/https://penanginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Education-Hub.pdf |url-status=live }}

In 1969, Universiti Pulau Pinang was established as Malaysia's second university and the first public tertiary institution in George Town.{{Cite journal |last=Abdul Rahim |first=Asyirah |title=Sustainability-led Institution: Case of Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang |url=https://prospernet.ias.unu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/SPC-learning-case-4_final.pdf |journal=Universiti Sains Malaysia |access-date=26 December 2023 |archive-date=26 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226161500/https://prospernet.ias.unu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/SPC-learning-case-4_final.pdf |url-status=live }} It was renamed Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in 1972.{{Cite journal |last=Anwar Fazal |date=23 January 2019 |title=The Birth and Rise of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) – Some Ruminations |url=http://eprints.usm.my/47562/1/BIRTH%20OF%20USM%20FULL%20ARTICLE.pdf |journal=Universiti Sains Malaysia |access-date=26 December 2023 |archive-date=26 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226161500/http://eprints.usm.my/47562/1/BIRTH%20OF%20USM%20FULL%20ARTICLE.pdf |url-status=live }} {{As of|2025}}, the university is ranked 146th in the QS World University Rankings, third in Malaysia after Universiti Malaya and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.{{Cite news |date= |title=QS World University Rankings 2025: Top global universities |url=https://www.topuniversities.com/world-university-rankings?countries=my |access-date=2 July 2024 |work=Quacquarelli Symonds |language=en}} Most of the other tertiary institutions within the city are privately-run, including Wawasan Open University, Han Chiang University College of Communication, DISTED College and RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus.{{Cite journal |date= |title=List of Institutes of Higher Learning |url=https://investpenang.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/List-of-Institutes-of-Higher-Learning_-13-July-1.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Invest Penang |access-date=9 December 2023 |archive-date=9 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209070935/https://investpenang.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/List-of-Institutes-of-Higher-Learning_-13-July-1.pdf }} Headquartered at Gelugor, RECSAM is one of the 26 specialist institutions of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization.{{Cite web |title=SEAMEO Secretariat |url=https://www.seameo.org/Main_centres/117 |access-date=9 December 2023 |website=www.seameo.org |archive-date=9 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209070937/https://www.seameo.org/Main_centres/117 |url-status=live }}

In 2016, the state government launched Malaysia's first digital library within the grounds of PFS.{{Cite news |date=26 June 2018 |title=Penang Digital Library to be Expanded |url=https://thesun.my/archive/penang-digital-library-be-expanded-HUARCH559151 |access-date=26 December 2023 |work=The Sun |archive-date=26 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226161457/https://thesun.my/archive/penang-digital-library-be-expanded-HUARCH559151 |url-status=live }} Conceptualised as a "library in a park" and a community space, the Penang Digital Library provides structured access to over 3,000 ebook titles.{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=19 February 2019 |title=With No Books but a 'Social Agenda', Penang's Digital Library Redefines How Libraries Work |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/02/19/with-no-books-but-a-social-agenda-penangs-digital-library-redefines-how-lib/1724360 |access-date=26 December 2023 |work=Malay Mail |archive-date=26 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226163001/https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/02/19/with-no-books-but-a-social-agenda-penangs-digital-library-redefines-how-lib/1724360 |url-status=live }} Following the success of the Penang Digital Library, similar libraries have been built at other locations within both the city and Seberang Perai.{{Cite news |last=Akmal |first=Riadz |date=22 November 2021 |title=Butterworth Digital Library Clinches Two Awards |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/butterworth-digital-library-clinches-two-awards/ |access-date=4 February 2024 |work=Buletin Mutiara |archive-date=4 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204031823/https://www.buletinmutiara.com/butterworth-digital-library-clinches-two-awards/ |url-status=live }}

File:Penang General Hospital 2025.jpg serves as the tertiary referral hospital of northwestern Malaysia.{{Cite journal |last=Kelvin Voon |date=6 November 2020 |title=How Do Surgeons Weather the Storm of COVID-19 Pandemic? |url=https://www.e-mjm.org/2020/v75n6/COVID-19.pdf |journal=Medical Journal of Malaysia |access-date=26 December 2023 |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225054602/https://www.e-mjm.org/2020/v75n6/COVID-19.pdf |url-status=live }}]]

Healthcare in Penang is provided by a two-tier system made up of public and private hospitals. Administered and funded by the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH), the 1,100-bed Penang General Hospital within the city centre is the main tertiary referral hospital of northwestern Malaysia. It is supported by the 81-bed Balik Pulau Hospital that serves the western part of the city.{{Cite news |last=Chong |first=Kah Yuan |date=23 June 2018 |title=Balik Pulau in Need of New Hospital |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2018/06/23/balik-pulau-in-need-of-new-hospital-mp-working-to-get-a-12ha-state-plot-in-jalan-pondok-upeh-earmark |access-date=26 December 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=26 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226161457/https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2018/06/23/balik-pulau-in-need-of-new-hospital-mp-working-to-get-a-12ha-state-plot-in-jalan-pondok-upeh-earmark |url-status=live }}

In addition, 13 private hospitals are scattered throughout George Town.{{Cite web |title=Penang's Healthcare Facilities |url=https://penanginstitute.org/resources/key-penang-statistics/visualisations-of-key-indicators/penang-healthcare/ |access-date=10 December 2023 |website=Penang Institute |language=en-US |archive-date=10 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210104824/https://penanginstitute.org/resources/key-penang-statistics/visualisations-of-key-indicators/penang-healthcare/ |url-status=live }} Operating independently of the MOH, private hospitals such as Penang Adventist Hospital, Loh Guan Lye Specialists Centre and Island Hospital have played a significant role in making Penang the top destination for medical tourists in Malaysia. While public and private hospitals typically operate separately, there have been instances of public-private cooperation, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic which saw private hospitals sharing equipment and taking in non-COVID-19 patients in need of urgent medical procedures.{{Cite journal |last=Yeong |first=Pey Jung |date=13 July 2021 |title=How Has the Pandemic Affected Penang's Health Landscape? A Preliminary Study |url=https://penanginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/how-has-the-pandemic-affected-Penangs-health-landscape.pdf |journal=Penang Institute |access-date=26 December 2023 |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225054608/https://penanginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/how-has-the-pandemic-affected-Penangs-health-landscape.pdf |url-status=live }}

George Town was once the centre of Malaysia's print media. The country's first newspaper was the Prince of Wales Island Gazette, founded in the city in 1806.{{Cite news |last=Wong |first=Chun Wai |date=7 December 2013 |title=Penang is Home to Many of Malaysia's Earliest English Newspapers |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2013/12/07/extra-extra-read-all-about-it-penang-is-home-to-many-of-the-countrys-earliest-english-newspapers/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231051605/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2013/12/07/extra-extra-read-all-about-it-penang-is-home-to-many-of-the-countrys-earliest-english-newspapers/ |archive-date=31 December 2017 |access-date=8 March 2018 |work=The Star}}{{Cite news |last=Nambiar |first=Predeep |date=3 May 2021 |title=Tale of a Tiger that Caused a Penang Paper to Close |url=https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/05/03/tale-of-a-tiger-that-caused-a-penang-paper-to-close/ |access-date=27 December 2023 |work=Free Malaysia Today |archive-date=27 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227060034/https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/05/03/tale-of-a-tiger-that-caused-a-penang-paper-to-close/ |url-status=live }} The paper was shut down 21 years later, a victim of the stringent censorship that was prevalent in the early 19th century. Greater press freedom eventually emerged by the middle of the century, concurrent with the perceived political freedom in Penang which stood in contrast to the stronger government apparatus in Singapore.

Following Malaya's independence in 1957, several major dailies moved to Kuala Lumpur due to its importance as the country's administrative capital.{{Cite journal |last=Othman |first=Mohd. Dhari |date=1992 |title=Malaysian Press: A Brief Account of Newspapers Published in British Malaya |url=https://journalarticle.ukm.my/4885/1/9%281%29.pdf |journal=Jurnal Komunikasi |publisher=National University of Malaysia |volume=8 |access-date=21 February 2024 |archive-date=1 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181101124906/http://journalarticle.ukm.my/4885/1/9(1).pdf |url-status=live }} The Star, one of Malaysia's top English dailies, started as a regional newspaper that was first published in George Town in 1971.{{Cite web |date=9 September 1971 |title=The Star Malaysia's First Issue (9 Sept 1971) |url=https://issuu.com/starmediagroup/docs/the_star_first_issue_9_sept_1971 |access-date=29 December 2023 |website= |language=en |via=Issuu |archive-date=29 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229055900/https://issuu.com/starmediagroup/docs/the_star_first_issue_9_sept_1971 |url-status=live }} In addition, George Town is home to the nation's oldest Chinese newspaper, Kwong Wah Yit Poh, which was established in 1910.{{Cite book |author=Khoo Salma Nasution |url=https://archive.org/details/sunyatseninpenan0000khoo/page/58 |title=Sun Yat Sen in Penang |publisher=Areca Books |year=2008 |isbn=978-983-42834-8-3 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/sunyatseninpenan0000khoo/page/58 58–61]}}

George Town's well-preserved colonial-era architecture has made the city a popular filming location for movies and television series that depict Asian culture.{{Cite journal |last=Liu |first=Yong |date=26 November 2020 |title=Framing Film-Induced Tourism into a Sustainable Perspective from Romania, Indonesia and Malaysia |journal= Sustainability|volume=12 |issue=23 |page=9910 |doi=10.3390/su12239910 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2020Sust...12.9910L |s2cid=229387383 }} Films and series that were shot within the city include Crazy Rich Asians, Anna and the King, Lust, Caution, The Little Nyonya and You Mean the World to Me; the latter was the first movie to be produced entirely in Penang Hokkien.{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=17 May 2017 |title='You Mean the World to Me': Universal Story but Unique Penang Experience |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/showbiz/2017/05/17/you-mean-the-world-to-me-universal-story-but-unique-penang-experience/1378733 |access-date=27 December 2023 |work=Malay Mail |archive-date=27 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227105300/https://www.malaymail.com/news/showbiz/2017/05/17/you-mean-the-world-to-me-universal-story-but-unique-penang-experience/1378733 |url-status=live }} Additionally, George Town was featured as a pit-stop in The Amazing Race 16, The Amazing Race Asia 5 and The Amazing Race Australia 7.{{Cite magazine |last=Franich |first=Darren |date=5 April 2010 |title=The Amazing Race Recap: Taxi! |url=https://ew.com/recap/amazing-race-recap-season16-episode8/ |access-date=7 January 2024 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |language=en |archive-date=7 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107063817/https://ew.com/recap/amazing-race-recap-season16-episode8/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=The Value of Insurance |url=https://www.axn-asia.com/programs/amazing-race-asia/episodes/value-insurance |access-date=7 January 2024 |website=AXN |language=en |archive-date=7 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107063817/https://www.axn-asia.com/programs/amazing-race-asia/episodes/value-insurance |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Jayne |first=Tamara |date=19 June 2023 |title='The Amazing Race' Celeb Contestants Believed To Be Spotted In Penang Filming New Season |url=https://says.com/my/entertainment/amazing-race-contestants-believed-to-be-spotted-in-penang-filming-new-season |access-date=7 January 2024 |website=SAYS |archive-date=25 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231025084221/https://says.com/my/entertainment/amazing-race-contestants-believed-to-be-spotted-in-penang-filming-new-season |url-status=live }}

{{See also|Transport in Penang}}

File:Cmglee Penang Second Bridge aerial2.jpg has been credited with reducing traffic congestion on the Penang Bridge by 20%.|alt=An aerial view of the Second Penang Bridge main span, a dual pylon cable-stayed structure with concrete edge girders and deck slab.]]

George Town's oldest roads {{Endash}} Light, Beach, Chulia and Pitt streets {{Endash}} were arranged nearly at right angles to each other in a grid pattern. Rapid urbanisation throughout the 20th century led to a gradual expansion of the city's road network. {{As of|2023}}, George Town's road system covered a distance of {{Convert|1509.4|km|abbr=on}}. This included {{Convert|102.7|km|abbr=on}} of federal roads, {{Convert|538.4|km|abbr=on}} of state roads and {{Convert|868.4|km|abbr=on}} of municipal roads.{{Cite book |url=https://www.jkr.gov.my/sites/default/files/upload/BUKU%20STATISTIK%20JALAN%20EDISI%202024_FINAL%20%281%29.pdf |title=Statistik Jalan Edisi 2024 |publisher=Malaysian Public Works Department |year=2024 |pages=151–227 |language=ms |trans-title=Road Statistics 2024 Edition}}

George Town is physically connected to mainland Malay Peninsula by two road bridges {{Endash}} the {{convert|13.5|km||abbr=on|adj=on}} Penang Bridge and the {{convert|24|km|abbr=on}} Second Penang Bridge.{{Cite web |title=Penang Bridges |url=https://www.ice.org.uk/what-is-civil-engineering/what-do-civil-engineers-do/penang-bridges |access-date=17 December 2023 |website=Institution of Civil Engineers |archive-date=17 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217100646/https://www.ice.org.uk/what-is-civil-engineering/what-do-civil-engineers-do/penang-bridges |url-status=live }} Within the city, the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway is an important thoroughfare that runs along its eastern seaboard, connecting the city centre with the two bridges and the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone.{{Cite journal |title=The Proposed Pan Island Link 1 Highway Project, Penang |url=https://enviro2.doe.gov.my/ekmc/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/WSB-SRS-CHAPTER-10-PIL1-Rev05-STUDY-FINDINGS-19-4-18-SRS.pdf |journal=SRS Consortium |access-date=27 December 2023 |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225054938/https://enviro2.doe.gov.my/ekmc/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/WSB-SRS-CHAPTER-10-PIL1-Rev05-STUDY-FINDINGS-19-4-18-SRS.pdf |url-status=live }} The Federal Route 6 is a pan-island trunk road that circles the city, while the George Town Inner Ring Road functions as the main artery within the city centre.{{cite book |author= |title=Statistik Jalan (Edisi 2013) |date=2013 |publisher=Malaysian Public Works Department |pages=16–64 |issn=1985-9619}}{{Cite journal |last=Mak Hoy Ken |first=Tan Ee Zhio |date=3 December 2014 |title=Penang Transport Master Plan: Convergence of Connectivity and Rising Land Values |url=http://cdn1.i3investor.com/my/files/dfgs88n/2014/12/03/1481920274--1115941318.pdf |journal=AmResearch |access-date=27 December 2023 |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225055336/https://cdn1.i3investor.com/my/files/dfgs88n/2014/12/03/1481920274--1115941318.pdf |url-status=live }}

{{See also|Cycling in Penang Island|List of bus routes in Penang|Trolleybuses in George Town, Penang}}

File:Penang Hill funicular railway.jpg's present-day funicular trains, introduced in 2011, climb some of the world's steepest slopes at an angle of 27.9°.{{Cite news |last=Jeremy Tan |date=25 October 2023 |title=Funicular railway is Penang's symbol of achievement |work=The Star |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2023/10/25/states-symbol-of-achievement |access-date=10 December 2023 |archive-date=10 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210152443/https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2023/10/25/states-symbol-of-achievement |url-status=live }}|alt=A funicular along a rail line flanked by trees at Penang Hill, with the cityscape visible in the background.|227x227px]]

George Town was formerly at the forefront of public transportation in Malaya. The first trams, originally powered by steam, were launched in the 1880s and gradually expanded throughout the settlement.{{Cite book |last=Francis |first=Ric |title=Penang Trams, Trolleybuses & Railways: Municipal Transport History, 1880s–1963 |publisher=Areca Books |year=2006 |isbn=9789834283407}} Although trams became obsolete by 1936, another colonial legacy, the trishaw, remains in use primarily for tourists.{{Cite web |title=Penang Institute's 'Back to Beca' Project Out to Safeguard the Trade |url=https://penanginstitute.org/happenings/in-the-mass-media/862-penang-institute-s-back-to-beca-project-out-to-safeguard-the-trade/ |access-date=10 December 2023 |website=Penang Institute |archive-date=10 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210152444/https://penanginstitute.org/happenings/in-the-mass-media/862-penang-institute-s-back-to-beca-project-out-to-safeguard-the-trade/ |url-status=live }}

Public buses form the backbone of the city's public transportation system. Since 2007, Rapid Penang has been the primary public bus operator in the city.{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=1 July 2013 |title=Rapid Penang Rolls On Under Rapid Bus |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2013/07/01/rapid-penang-rolls-on-under-rapid-bus/489341 |access-date=27 December 2023 |work=Malay Mail |archive-date=21 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221091829/https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2013/07/01/rapid-penang-rolls-on-under-rapid-bus/489341 |url-status=live }} {{As of|2025}}, it runs 26 routes throughout George Town, and two cross-strait routes between the city and Seberang Perai.{{Cite web |title=Rapid Penang – Bus |url=https://myrapid.com.my/bus-train/rapid-penang/rapid-pg-bus/ |access-date=10 December 2023 |website=MyRapid |publisher=Prasarana Malaysia |language=en-US |archive-date=27 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231127151942/https://myrapid.com.my/bus-train/rapid-penang/rapid-pg-bus/ |url-status=live }} Since 2024, Rapid Penang is also expanding demand-responsive transport services across the city by deploying vans to improve last mile connectivity.{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=24 April 2025 |title=Rapid Penang Rolls Out On-Demand Vans in George Town, Jelutong and Bayan Lepas from This Saturday to Tackle Congestion |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/04/24/rapid-penang-rolls-out-on-demand-vans-in-george-town-jelutong-and-bayan-lepas-from-this-saturday-to-tackle-congestion/174320 |access-date=25 April 2025 |work=Malay Mail}}{{Cite news |last=McIntyre |first=Ian |date=19 August 2024 |title=Penang to Introduce E-Hailing Van Service to Ease Traffic Congestion |url=https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/103166/penang-to-introduce-e-hailing-van-service-to-ease-traffic-congestion |access-date=25 April 2025 |work=The Vibes}}

Penang Hill Railway, a funicular railway to the peak of Penang Hill, is the only rail-based transportation system within the city. A cable car system is being built {{As of|2025|lc=y}} to reduce overreliance on the railway.{{Cite news |last=Lo |first=Tern Chern |date=31 December 2024 |title=Infrastructure Projects Shaping Penang's Future |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2024/12/31/infrastructure-projects-shaping-penangs-future |access-date=1 January 2025 |work=The Star}} To further alleviate traffic congestion, which saw average daily traffic reaching 64,144 vehicles in 2018, the Penang state government embarked on the Penang Transport Master Plan, which envisions the introduction of urban rail systems throughout George Town.{{Cite journal |last=Joshua Woo Sze Zeng |date=9 July 2020 |title=Exploring a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Framework for Penang's Urban Growth |url=https://penanginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Exploring-Transit-Oriented-Development-Framework-for-Penang.pdf |journal=Penang Institute |access-date=27 December 2023 |archive-date=27 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227151848/https://penanginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Exploring-Transit-Oriented-Development-Framework-for-Penang.pdf |url-status=live }} In 2024, the Malaysian federal government announced a takeover of the Mutiara LRT line from the state government. The first domestic light rail system outside the Klang Valley, the {{Convert|29.5|km|abbr=on|adj=on}} line will connect the city centre with the Penang International Airport and Seberang Perai.{{Cite news |date=29 March 2024 |title=Loke: Federal Gov't Takes Over Penang LRT Mutiara Line Project from State Gov't |url=https://thesun.my/local_news/loke-federal-gov-t-takes-over-penang-lrt-mutiara-line-project-from-state-gov-t-JG12275905 |access-date=29 March 2024 |work=The Sun}} Construction began in 2025 and is expected to be completed by 2031.{{Cite news |last=Hilmy |first=Imran |date=11 January 2025 |title=PM Anwar Officiates Penang's Mutiara Line LRT Project Groundbreaking Ceremony |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/01/11/pm-anwar-officiates-penang039s-mutiara-line-lrt-project-groundbreaking-ceremony |access-date=11 January 2025 |work=The Star}}

Efforts are also being undertaken to promote urban mobility by implementing pedestrianisation and providing cycling infrastructure.{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=1 March 2018 |title=Penang Streetscapes to be More Pedestrian Friendly, Says Exco |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2018/03/01/penang-streetscapes-to-be-more-pedestrian-friendly-says-exco/1588225 |access-date=27 December 2023 |work=Malay Mail |archive-date=27 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227151847/https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2018/03/01/penang-streetscapes-to-be-more-pedestrian-friendly-says-exco/1588225 |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Lilian Chan |date=8 February 2017 |title=Penang to be First Cycling State |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/penang-to-be-first-cycling-state/ |work=Buletin Mutiara |access-date=26 March 2017 |archive-date=26 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326135648/https://www.buletinmutiara.com/penang-to-be-first-cycling-state/ |url-status=live }} George Town became the first city in Malaysia to operate a public bicycle-sharing service, with the inauguration of LinkBike in 2016.

{{Main|Penang International Airport}}

File:Penang International Airport Dec2024.jpg has an annual capacity of 6.5 million passengers, but passenger traffic had already exceeded its capacity even before the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite journal |title=Annual Report 2022 |url=https://www.malaysiaairports.com.my/sites/corporate/files/2023-04/MAHB-ANNUAL-REPORT-2022.pdf |journal=Malaysia Airports |access-date=27 December 2023 |archive-date=15 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215004121/https://www.malaysiaairports.com.my/sites/corporate/files/2023-04/MAHB-ANNUAL-REPORT-2022.pdf |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Jason Ng, Yimie Yong |date=2 July 2019 |title=Malaysia Airports gets finance ministry nod to expand Penang terminal |work=Nikkei, Inc. |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Markets/Nikkei-Markets/Malaysia-Airports-gets-finance-ministry-nod-to-expand-Penang-terminal |access-date=15 December 2023 |archive-date=15 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215141412/https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Markets/Nikkei-Markets/Malaysia-Airports-gets-finance-ministry-nod-to-expand-Penang-terminal |url-status=live }}]]

The Penang International Airport (PIA) is located {{convert|16|km|abbr=on}} south of the city centre. It serves as the primary airport for northwestern Malaysia. PIA is Malaysia's second busiest airport by aircraft movements and recorded over 7.6 million passengers in 2024.{{Cite web |title=Statistic of Aviation Transport |url=https://www.mot.gov.my/en/aviation/reports/quarterly-statistics-of-transport |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001152658/https://www.mot.gov.my/en/aviation/reports/quarterly-statistics-of-transport |archive-date=1 October 2023 |access-date=14 December 2023 |website=Ministry of Transport}} In 2023, exports worth RM385 billion passed through PIA, making the airport the top contributor to Malaysia's export value. {{As of|2025}}, the airport is undergoing upgrades aimed at raising its annual capacity from 6.5 million passengers to 12 million by 2028.

Swettenham Pier is one of the major entry points into George Town. In 2017, the pier saw 125 port calls by cruise ships, surpassing Port Klang as the busiest cruise shipping terminal in Malaysia. It has attracted some of the world's largest cruise liners such as the Queen Mary 2 and also sees occasional port visits by warships.{{Cite web |date=25 February 2015 |title=Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal A World Cruise Destination for Queen Mary 2 |url=https://www.penangport.com.my/media-center/announcements/february-2015/swettenham-pier-cruise-terminal-a-world-cruise-des |access-date=27 December 2023 |website=Port of Penang |archive-date=27 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227151851/https://www.penangport.com.my/media-center/announcements/february-2015/swettenham-pier-cruise-terminal-a-world-cruise-des |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=30 September 2005 |title=US Navy Ship Calls at Penang |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2005/09/30/us-navy-ship-calls-at-penang/ |work=The Star |access-date=28 August 2017 |archive-date=20 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170920053503/http://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2005/09/30/us-navy-ship-calls-at-penang/ |url-status=live }}

Prior to the completion of the Penang Bridge in 1985, the Penang ferry service was the only transportation link between George Town and mainland Seberang Perai.{{Cite news |last=Jeremy Tan |date=29 November 2023 |title=Nostalgia of Voyages Past for Penang's Iconic Ferries |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2023/11/29/nostalgia-of-voyages-past |access-date=27 December 2023 |work=The Star |archive-date=27 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227151847/https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2023/11/29/nostalgia-of-voyages-past |url-status=live }} At present, four ferries ply the Penang Strait between both cities daily, with the Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal serving as the dedicated docking facility in George Town.{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=2 October 2024 |title=Final Voyage: Iconic Ferry 'Pulau Pinang' to Make Its Journey across Penang Strait Tomorrow, Set for Transformation into Museum |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/10/02/final-voyage-iconic-ferry-pulau-pinang-to-make-its-journey-across-penang-strait-tomorrow-set-for-transformation-into-museum/152338 |access-date=31 December 2024 |work=Malay Mail}}

George Town relies heavily on the Muda River, which forms the northern boundary between mainland Seberang Perai and Kedah, as its primary source of water. Treated water is delivered from the mainland to the island city via three sets of submarine pipelines.{{Cite journal |date=31 March 2021 |title=Penang's 3rd Set of Twin Submarine Pipelines are Now "Online" |url=https://pba.com.my/pdf/news/2021/31032021_PBAPP_3rdPTSP_CommissionV3.pdf |journal=Penang Water Supply Corporation |access-date=29 December 2023 |archive-date=29 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229154620/https://pba.com.my/pdf/news/2021/31032021_PBAPP_3rdPTSP_CommissionV3.pdf |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Ong |first=K. H. |date=23 November 2019 |title=Third Submarine Pipeline Project is Forward Thinking, Says CM Chow |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/third-submarine-pipeline-project-is-forward-thinking-says-cm-chow/ |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=Buletin Mutiara |archive-date=29 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229154618/https://www.buletinmutiara.com/third-submarine-pipeline-project-is-forward-thinking-says-cm-chow/ |url-status=live }} The Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) is also responsible for managing the 11 reservoirs in George Town, including two at Ayer Itam and Teluk Bahang that act as strategic reserves for the surrounding suburbs in the event of dry weather and supply disruptions from the mainland.{{Cite web |title=Statistics |url=https://pba.com.my/penang-water-supply-statistics-infrastructure/ |access-date=29 December 2023 |website=Penang Water Supply Corporation |language=en-US |archive-date=29 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229154620/https://pba.com.my/penang-water-supply-statistics-infrastructure/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Penang Dams & Effective Capacity |url=https://pba.com.my/penang-dams-effective-capacity/ |access-date=29 December 2023 |website=Penang Water Supply Corporation |language=en-US |archive-date=29 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229154620/https://pba.com.my/penang-dams-effective-capacity/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=8 December 2023 |title=Scheduled Water Supply Interruption of up to Four Days in Penang from January 10 |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/12/08/scheduled-water-supply-interruption-of-up-to-four-days-in-penang-from-january-10/106496 |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=Malay Mail |archive-date=29 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229160120/https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/12/08/scheduled-water-supply-interruption-of-up-to-four-days-in-penang-from-january-10/106496 |url-status=live }}

Electricity in George Town is supplied by Tenaga Nasional (TNB), the national power company. George Town's power supply is drawn from the mainland via a RM500 million overhead power grid across the Penang Strait which replaced the older 330 MW Gelugor Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) plant in 2024.{{Cite news |date=21 June 2022 |title=RM500mil Project to Boost Power Supply to Penang |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2022/06/21/rm500mil-project-to-boost-power-supply-to-penang |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229154617/https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2022/06/21/rm500mil-project-to-boost-power-supply-to-penang |archive-date=29 December 2023 |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=The Star}}{{Cite news |date=14 October 2022 |title=Penang Supply Booster Project to Develop National Grid |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2022/10/14/penang-supply-booster-project-to-develop-national-grid |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229154617/https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2022/10/14/penang-supply-booster-project-to-develop-national-grid |archive-date=29 December 2023 |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=The Star}}{{Cite news |last=Akmal |first=Riadz |date=30 August 2024 |title=PDC and TNB Genco Partner for Redevelopment of Gelugor Power Station |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/pdc-and-tnb-genco-partner-for-redevelopment-of-gelugor-power-station/ |access-date=1 January 2025 |work=Buletin Mutiara}} To reduce energy consumption, the Penang Island City Council and TNB replaced all 33,101 street lights throughout George Town with LED street lighting by 2023.{{Cite news |last=Ong |first=K. H. |date=13 February 2023 |title=Penang island Completes Converting over 33,000 Streetlights to LEDs, State Govt to Seek Incentives from Ministry |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/penang-island-completes-changing-over-33000-streetlights-to-leds-state-govt-to-seek-incentives-from-ministry/ |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=Buletin Mutiara |archive-date=29 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229154618/https://www.buletinmutiara.com/penang-island-completes-changing-over-33000-streetlights-to-leds-state-govt-to-seek-incentives-from-ministry/ |url-status=live }}

In 2020, Penang had become the first Malaysian state to make the installation of fibre-optic communication infrastructure mandatory for all development projects.{{Cite web |date=21 December 2020 |title=Penang First State to Install Fibre Optic Infrastructure as Basic Utility, Says Committee Chairman |url=https://www.ncer.com.my/media-centre/news/penang-first-state-to-install-fibre-optic-infrastructure-as-basic-utility-says-committee-chairman/,%20https://www.ncer.com.my/media-centre/news/penang-first-state-to-install-fibre-optic-infrastructure-as-basic-utility-says-committee-chairman/ |access-date=29 December 2023 |website=Northern Corridor Economic Region |language=en-US |archive-date=16 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240316153626/https://www.ncer.com.my/media-centre/news/penang-first-state-to-install-fibre-optic-infrastructure-as-basic-utility-says-committee-chairman/ |url-status=live }} In 2022, George Town saw the implementation of 5G, with the installation of the supporting spectrum infrastructure at 151 sites within the city.{{Cite news |date=3 November 2022 |title=Teknologi 5G Cetus Perubahan untuk Pulau Pinang |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/teknologi-5g-cetus-perubahan-untuk-pulau-pinang-zairil/ |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=Buletin Mutiara |archive-date=29 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229154618/https://www.buletinmutiara.com/teknologi-5g-cetus-perubahan-untuk-pulau-pinang-zairil/ |url-status=live }} The Penang International Airport became the first airport in Malaysia to offer public 5G services that year.{{Cite news |last=McIntyre |first=Ian |date=13 September 2022 |title=Penang Airport Set to be First in M'sia with Public 5G Network |url=https://www.thevibes.com/articles/business/71280/penang-airport-set-to-be-first-in-msia-with-public-5g-network |access-date=29 December 2023 |work=The Vibes |archive-date=29 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229154618/https://www.thevibes.com/articles/business/71280/penang-airport-set-to-be-first-in-msia-with-public-5g-network |url-status=live }} In 2024, DE-CIX inaugurated the Penang Internet Exchange (PIX), with internet traffic being routed through a data centre at Bayan Baru.{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=5 January 2024 |title=DE-CIX Partners Digital Penang to Launch PIX as Central Hub for Data Exchange |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/money/2024/01/05/de-cix-partners-digital-penang-to-launch-pix-as-central-hub-for-data-exchange/110771 |access-date=7 January 2024 |work=Malay Mail |archive-date=7 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107063816/https://www.malaymail.com/news/money/2024/01/05/de-cix-partners-digital-penang-to-launch-pix-as-central-hub-for-data-exchange/110771 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Where to Connect |url=https://www.de-cix.net/en/services/where-to-connect#Location_Penang |access-date=7 January 2024 |website=DE-CIX |language=en |archive-date=7 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107063818/https://www.de-cix.net/en/services/where-to-connect#Location_Penang |url-status=live }}

George Town is home to a substantial contingent of foreign diplomatic missions. {{As of|2025}}, a total of 22 countries have either established consulates or appointed honorary consuls within the city. This list is based on information from the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, unless otherwise cited.{{Cite journal |date=January 2025 |title=Diplomatic and Consular List January 2025 |url=https://www.kln.gov.my/documents/8390448/8439172/Diplomatic+and+Consular+List/609dd90b-5710-4de9-9764-0c7adf145caa |url-status=live |journal=Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215095736/https://www.kln.gov.my/documents/8390448/8439172/Diplomatic+and+Consular+List/609dd90b-5710-4de9-9764-0c7adf145caa |archive-date=15 February 2023 |access-date=2 November 2023}}

{{Div col|colwidth=20em|content=* {{flag|Australia}}

• {{flag|Bangladesh}}
• {{flag|Belgium}}
• {{flag|Brazil}}
• {{flag|Chile}}
• {{flag|China}}
• {{flag|Denmark}}
• {{flag|Finland}}
• {{flag|France}}
• {{flag|Germany}}
• {{flag|Hungary}}
• {{flag|Indonesia}}
• {{flag|Japan}}
• {{flag|Pakistan}}
• {{flag|Poland}}
• {{flag|Russia}}
• {{flag|South Africa}}
• {{flag|Sweden}}
• {{flag|Thailand}}
• {{flag|Tunisia}}
• {{flag|United Kingdom}}
• {{flag|Ukraine}}}}

George Town was one of the first cities in Malaysia to establish sister city relationships, starting in 1973 despite legal ambiguities over their formal authority to do so.{{cite book |author=Francis Kok Wah Loh |editor=Hans Michelmann |title=Foreign Relations in Federal Countries |date=2009 |publisher=McGill-Queen's Press |isbn=9780773576186 |chapter=Federation of Malaysia |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U1gZqQQPIEwC&pg=PA189 |page=198}}{{Cite news |last=Vimal |first=Kevin |date=29 August 2023 |title=George Town-Adelaide Celebrates Five Decades of Sister City Relationship |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/george-town-adelaide-celebrates-five-decades-of-sister-city-relationship/ |access-date=9 March 2025 |work=Buletin Mutiara}} George Town is also twinned with the following sister and friendship cities.

Sister cities

{{Div col|colwidth=20em|content=* {{flagicon|AUS}} Adelaide, Australia{{cite book|author=Hans Michelmann|title=Foreign Relations in Federal Countries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U1gZqQQPIEwC&pg=PA198|date=28 January 2009|publisher=McGill-Queen's Press – MQUP|isbn=978-0-7735-7618-6|page=198|access-date=21 February 2016|archive-date=31 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230731205751/https://books.google.com/books?id=U1gZqQQPIEwC&pg=PA198|url-status=live}}

• {{flagicon|CHN}} Xiamen, China
• {{flagicon|IDN}} Medan, Indonesia
• {{flagicon|THA}} Bangkok, Thailand{{Cite web |title=Penang Island |url=https://iao.bangkok.go.th/content-detail/22766 |access-date=29 December 2023 |website=International Affairs Office of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration |archive-date=22 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231122171319/https://iao.bangkok.go.th/content-detail/22766 |url-status=live }}
• {{flagicon|THA}} Phuket, Thailand{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2014/08/02/penang-and-phuket-to-be-sister-cities/|title=Penang and Phuket to be sister cities|date=2 August 2014|work=The Star|access-date=28 August 2017|archive-date=17 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230517103407/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2014/08/02/penang-and-phuket-to-be-sister-cities|url-status=live}}}}

Friendship cities

{{Div col|colwidth=20em|content=* {{flagicon|CHN}} Chengdu, China{{Cite news |last=Christopher Tan |date=31 May 2019 |title=Malaysia-China celebrate 45-year strong diplomatic ties |work=Buletin Mutiara |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/malaysia-china-celebrate-45-year-strong-diplomatic-ties/ |access-date=26 December 2023 |archive-date=26 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226161457/https://www.buletinmutiara.com/malaysia-china-celebrate-45-year-strong-diplomatic-ties/ |url-status=live }}

• {{flagicon|CHN}} Sanya, China{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2017/04/21/forging-friendship-city-ties-between-penang-and-sanya/|title=Forging friendship city ties between Penang and Sanya|date=21 April 2017|work=The Star}}
• {{flagicon|CHN}} Zhongshan, China
• {{flagicon|JPN}} Katsushika, Japan{{Cite web |title=マレーシア・ペナン州について |url=https://www.city.katsushika.lg.jp/information/1000087/1006625/1006631.html |access-date=29 December 2023 |website=Katsushika City |language=ja}}
• {{flagicon|KOR}} Changwon, South Korea{{Cite web |date=6 November 2015 |title=Mesyuarat Kedua Penggal Ketiga Dewan Undangan Negeri Pulau Pinang Ketiga Belas|url=https://adun.penang.gov.my/soalan/displayportal?soal_id=16408&pers_id=41 |access-date=26 December 2023 |website=Penang State Legislative Assembly}}
• {{flagicon|TWN}} Taipei, Taiwan{{Cite web |date=20 July 2021 |title=2011 Major Events |url=https://english.sec.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=4CAB16A642139B7B&sms=2190547C60526D6B&s=2B4964FC5A4B0179 |access-date=26 December 2023 |website=Secretariat of Taipei City Government |language=English}}}}

George Town was the birthplace of prominent Malaysian and Singaporean personalities and professionals, including:

• Wu Lien-teh (1879–1960), physician and inventor of the respiratory mask{{Cite web |last=Kevin Tan |first=Y. L. |date=1 July 2020 |title=The Plague Fighter: Dr Wu Lien-Teh and His Work |url=https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/vol-16/issue-2/jul-sep-2020/plague/ |access-date=7 January 2024 |website=National Library Board}}
• Hon Sui Sen (1916–1983), former cabinet minister in Singapore{{Cite web |last=Cheryl Sim |date=29 March 2016 |title=Hon Sui Sen |url=https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=18078256-1e32-4f97-b776-c6dc62bdb7b2 |access-date=23 September 2024 |website=National Library Board}}
• Wee Chong Jin (1917–2005), first Chief Justice of Singapore{{Cite web |last=Omar |first=Marsita |title=Wee Chong Jin |url=https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=3a2c79d1-da4d-41f6-9691-24b6bbd89f61 |access-date=7 January 2024 |website=National Library Board}}
• P. Ramlee (1929–1973), actor, filmmaker, musician, composer and icon of Malay-language entertainment{{Cite news |date=27 September 2023 |title=Repair Work on P. Ramlee's Penang House to Start Sept 28 |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/09/27/repair-work-on-p-ramlee039s-penang-house-to-start-sept-28 |access-date=7 January 2024 |work=The Star}}
• Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (1939–2025), fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia{{Cite web |title=Biodata Peribadi |url=https://ptab.jpm.gov.my/index.php/biografi/ |access-date=7 January 2024 |website=Secretariat Office of Tun Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister's Department}}
• Karpal Singh (1940–2014), lawyer, politician and former national chairman of the Democratic Action Party{{Cite news |date=18 April 2014 |title=Tiger of Jelutong Went Down While Battling Client's Lawsuit |url=https://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/tiger-jelutong-went-down-while-battling-clients-lawsuit |access-date=7 January 2024 |work=Today}}
• Jimmy Choo (born 1948), fashion designer knighted with the Order of the British Empire{{Cite news |last=Zairill |first=Hazique |date=19 August 2022 |title=Diamonds on the Feet: Jimmy Choo Tribute |url=https://thesun.my/style-life/diamonds-on-the-feet-jimmy-choo-tribute-FB9641557 |access-date=7 January 2024 |work=The Sun}}
• David Arumugam (born 1950), singer and founder of the pop band Alleycats{{Cite news |date=29 January 2022 |title=Alleycats' David Helps Raise Penang's Profile Through New Compilation Album |url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/01/767270/alleycats-david-helps-raise-penangs-profile-through-new-compilation-album |access-date=7 January 2024 |work=New Straits Times}}
• Khaw Boon Wan (born 1952), former cabinet minister in Singapore{{Cite book |last=Corfield |first=Justin |title=Historical Dictionary of Singapore |publisher=Scarecrow Press |year=2010 |isbn=9780810873872 |pages=132}}
• Sultan Nazrin Shah (born 1956), reigning monarch of the neighbouring state of Perak{{Cite news |date=7 May 2015 |title=Throwback Thursday: HRH Sultan Dr Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah |url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/2015/09/throwback-thursday-hrh-sultan-dr-nazrin-muizzuddin-shah |access-date=7 January 2024 |work=New Straits Times}}
• Ooi Keat Gin (born 1959), academician and historian{{Cite book |last=Fuller |first=Amy Elisabeth |title=Contemporary Authors |date=September 2007 |publisher=Cengage Gale |isbn=978-0-7876-7887-6 |page=267 |language=en}}
• Saw Teong Hin (born 1962), film director{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=14 September 2014 |title=10 Things About: Saw Teong Hin, Award-winning Producer/Director and Son of Penang |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/showbiz/2014/09/14/10-things-about-saw-teong-hin-award-winning-producer-director-and-son-of-pe/745535 |access-date=23 September 2024 |work=Malay Mail}}
• Nicol David (born 1983), former world number one female squash player{{Cite news |last=Dennis Chua |date=15 August 2014 |title=Up Close with Nicol David |url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/2015/09/close-nicol-david |access-date=7 January 2024 |work=New Straits Times}}
• Chan Peng Soon (born 1988), Malaysian badminton player and 2016 Olympic silver medallist{{Cite web |title=Chan Peng Soon Profile |url=https://bwfworldtourfinals.bwfbadminton.com/zh-cn/player/53142/chan-peng-soon |access-date=7 January 2024 |website=BWF World Tour Finals}}
• Loh Kean Yew (born 1997), Singaporean badminton player{{Cite news |last=Ong |first=K.H. |date=20 December 2021 |title=A Super Happy day for the Loh Family After Kean Yew Becomes World Badminton Champion |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/a-super-happy-day-for-the-loh-family-after-kean-yew-becomes-world-badminton-champion/ |access-date=7 January 2024 |work=Buletin Mutiara}}

:{{note|Alpha|α}} Singapore's land mass is approximately {{Convert|734|km2|abbr=on}}.{{Cite web |title=Environment |url=http://www.singstat.gov.sg/find-data/search-by-theme/society/environment/latest-data |access-date=29 December 2023 |website=Department of Statistics Singapore |language=en}}

:{{note|Beta|β}} The massive jump in population is attributable to the expansion of George Town's jurisdiction to its present-day city limits in 2015. See #Renaissance.

:{{note|Gamma|γ}}{{As of|2021}}, 1 Malaysian ringgit was equivalent to {{To USD|1|MYS|year=2021}} US dollar.{{Cite web |title=Exchange Rates |url=https://www.bnm.gov.my/exchange-rates?p_p_id=bnm_exchange_rate_display_portlet&p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_state=normal&p_p_mode=view&_bnm_exchange_rate_display_portlet_monthStart=0&_bnm_exchange_rate_display_portlet_yearStart=2021&_bnm_exchange_rate_display_portlet_monthEnd=11&_bnm_exchange_rate_display_portlet_yearEnd=2021&_bnm_exchange_rate_display_portlet_sessionTime=0900&_bnm_exchange_rate_display_portlet_rateType=MR&_bnm_exchange_rate_display_portlet_quotation=fx |access-date=21 February 2024 |website=Central Bank of Malaysia}}

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite report |last=Fleming |first=Tom |date=May 2021 |title=Malaysia: George Town Penang |url=https://www.britishcouncil.my/sites/default/files/malaysia_cultural_cities_profile_george_town_penang.pdf |series=Cultural Cities Profile East Asia |location=Kuala Lumpur |publisher=British Council Malaysia |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307101529/https://www.britishcouncil.my/sites/default/files/malaysia_cultural_cities_profile_george_town_penang.pdf |archive-date=7 March 2022 |access-date=8 April 2025}}
• Suet Leng Khoo; Narimah Samat; Nurwati Badarulzaman; Sharifah Rohayah Sheikh Dawood The Promise and Perils of the Island City of George Town (Penang) as a Creative City. Urban Island Studies. (2015).
• Francis, Ric; Ganley, Colin. Penang Trams, Trolleybuses & Railways: Municipal Transport History 1880s–1963. Penang: Areca Books. (2006, 2nd ed. 2012) {{ISBN|983-42834-0-7}}.
• Khoo Salma Nasution. More Than Merchants: A History of the German-speaking Community in Penang, 1800s–1940s. Areca Books. (2006). {{ISBN|978-983-42834-1-4}}
• Ooi Cheng Ghee. Portraits of Penang: Little India. Areca Books. (2011). {{ISBN|978-967-5719-05-9}}

{{refend}}

{{Commons category}}{{Wikivoyage|George Town (Malaysia)|George Town, Penang}}

• [https://www.mbpp.gov.my/en/ Penang Island (George Town) City Council]

{{Geographic Location

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