Undoubtedly, the
greeting “Selamat Datang” which means “Welcome”
will get familiar to every visitor as they begin their vacation here. Be it in a
big city or a quaint fishing village, Malaysians always give their warm
hospitality and smile to visitors. This is the first thing tourists often notice
when they step foot on this country. Interestingly, one state also varies from
one another in its own uniqueness of culture, dialects, customs and tradition.
The diversity of the country does not only apply to its natural attractions but
to the people who are multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural.
Malaysia is divided
into two regions by the South China Sea. Peninsula Malaysia is situated in the
west at the tip of mainland South East Asia, and East Malaysia, comprising Sabah
and Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. The combined land area of both regions is
about approximately 350,000 sq km.
The
Peninsula is divided into the east coast and the west coast by the main Range,
known as Banjaran Titiwangsa, which runs from the Malaysia-Thai border in the
north to the southern state of Negeri Sembilan. Geographically, East Malaysia is
rugged, with a series of mountain range encompassing the interior regions of
both states. The Crocker Range in Sabah is the site of Mount Kinabalu, the
highest peak in South East Asia. Low’s Peak, at 4,095.2 metres above sea
level, is the highest point of the mountain.
Standard
Malaysia Time is eight hours ahead of GMT.
Lying between one
and seven degrees north of the Equator, Malaysia enjoys a tropical climate. The
average temperature is 26 C; however, highland temperature can reach the mean of
18 C.
Annual
rainfall is heavy at 2,500mm (100 inches). On a rainy day, thunders and
lightning often accompany the heavy downpour which normally lasts for about an
hour or two. The high humidity level at 80% throughout the year favours light
and sweat-absorbent material like cotton for daily dressing. Generally, Malaysia
has two distinct seasons. The dry season occurs during the south-west monsoon
from May and September. The northeast monsoon blows during mid-November till
March which brings the rainy season (monsoon) to the country.
Penang
has always been at the forefront of Malaysia’s development, even during
colonial days, and this has remained unchanged. It may be the second smallest
state but it is the second most industrialized State with the second largest
airport and seaport in the country. Its early recognition of industrialization
as the most effective engine of growth was matched by its awareness in the early
1970s that electronics was the industrial wave of the future. Beginning as a
cheap assembly center for US electronics makers, it has now developed into a
sophisticated hub for advanced and high precision electronic items, with a
reputation for quality and product superiority that matches that of
California’s Silicon Valley. But Penang is more than a State of microchips. It
has astutely buttressed its industrial platform with ventures that produce world
class goods in such varied fields as chemicals, textiles, plastics, fabricated
metal products, rubber products, processed food, machinery, wood products and
high grade professional, scientific, measuring and control equipment. Its
economic profile extends even wider to retain its original agricultural base as
well as its perennial draw card, tourism. The deliberate planning of its
development means Penang will continue to enjoy its rich cultural heritage while
meeting head-on the challenges of present and beyond
millennium.
Penang has also
scored highly in both academic and vocational education as well as having 10
hospitals in an island. Many foreigners used to come to Penang for quality
medical treatment. It set the stage in its early days of industrialization by
creating skill centres to provide custom-made workers for industries. This has
graduated to extensive private sector participation in higher education. The
main institutions include University Science Malaysia, Penang Skills Development
Center, Japan-Malaysia Technical Institute (up in 2000), special institutes for
precision moulding as well as plastic and furniture technologies, five technical
schools, a polytechnic by 2000, and 54 private colleges with a wide range of
academic, professional and technical courses. Many of them have twinning
arrangements for student to obtain degrees of established foreign universities.
Even
before Penang went electronic and before tourism was recognized as a significant
foreign exchange earner, the island was a paradise to visitors both local and
foreign. It remains as one of Malaysia’s top tourist destinations, with
natural attractions combining both hill and sea, with bargain shopping and a
wide array of food thrown in for good measure. Penang boast of a range of hotels
that suit all pocket sizes, and despite the recent economic slowdown, several
shopping complexes have sprung up, including n the mainland. They include Gurney
Plaza, Island Plaza, Super Komtar, Super Tanjung, Megamal Pinang, Kompleks Bukit
Jambul and Midlands Park Center, Penang is also a golfer’s paradise, with at
least eight courses.
Location of
Hotel Equatorial Penang is nestled
on the serene hill of Bukit Jambul, adjacent to the prestigious 18-hole Bukit
Jambul Golf Course. It is located near to the Penang International Airport about
5 Kilometers or 10 minutes drive. Hotel Vistana is about 15 minutes drive from the Airport. Visitors
can come by Airport taxi/cab. The taxi/cab fare is around
RM10.00 (US$3.00) to RM15.00 (US$4.00) only. There is no public buses available
at the airport.
The two Hotels are near to Penang International Sport Arena, Commercial
Centres, Shopping Complexes, the Free Industrial Zone, Penang Bridge and
Restaurants. The two Hotels ideally positioned for both business and leisure.
Location is
everything
Penang, Pulau Pinang, Isle of the
Betel-Nut, Pearl of the Orient. Its capital city, George Town, has an extensive
heritage environment of shophouses and villas. Its special attraction is that it
has retained its historic communities and living traditions. Penang, the only
island state of Malaysia, is situated along the north-western coast of the
peninsula. Much more significant however, is its strategic location in South
East Asia. Its central position makes it an ideal destination for ‘coming
together’, a logical choice for meetings.
The
historic core of George Town can be surveyed on foot or by trishaw. Such
leisurely exploration is the best way to appreciate the old world charm of the
old shops and coffee shops. The cultural diversity of the place is expressed in
the minute details of architecture and lifestyle, which normally escape those
who only see the city from the tour bus.
By
air, it is only hours away from the major cities in South East Asia and the
waters surrounding the island of only 285 square kilometres is visited by
vessels from all nations.
Penang
has
relentlessly pursued the goal of becoming the region’s pre-eminent centre for
tourism and trade. Today, that vision is realized and it is expanding its
boundaries into making Penang a centre for meetings, incentive, convention and
exhibition, a realistic goal achievable because of its median advantage.
Penang
has 200 Years of Multicultural History
Penang
was part of the sultanate of Kedah until Captain Francis Light established the
British trading post for the East India Company on the island. Light first
landed at the site of Fort Corwallis to take possession of the island in 1786.
He supposedly encouraged the local inhabitants to clear the ironwood trees by
firing coins out of the cannon into the forested swamp.
It
was Light who laid the grid of the commercial town, bounded by Light Street (now
Lebuh Light), Beach Street (Lebuh Pantain), Pitt Street and Chulia Street. Beach
Street then ran along the beach and Pitt Street was reserved for places of
worship.
A
handful of military and civilian Europeans settled along Light Street. The
Eurasians from Juala Kedah and Phuket settled along Bishop Street and Church
Street. The various ethnic groups mingled at Market Street. The early Indian
traders, of whom the majority were Tamil Muslims, settled along Chulia Street.
By
the early 1800s, the town was extended by two more streets- Armenian Street for
the Armenians and Acheen Street for Malays. Each ethnic group was allotted its
own street with a section of the waterfront along beach Street. However, Penang
was established without the formal segregation that characterised the foundation
of other colonial towns like Singapore, Hong Kong or Yokohama.
Traders
and settlers came from Europe, the Arab world, India and China to the port of
Penang. They also came from other parts of the Indonesian archipelago, Thailand
and Burma. For almost all of the first hundred years of Penang’s history, the
most important items of regional trade were pepper from the Achehnese ports,
spices such as clove and nutmeg from the local plantations, and textiles from
India. Tin gained importance in the mid-19th century and then rubber.
Penang
enjoyed great fame as a tourist destination. The former British Straits
Settlement was known to have the most delicious food, the poshest residences,
the best schools and sporting grounds, and the most pleasant recreational sports
in the region.
You
will find Penang a joy to get to know. The city is full of little surprises.
Daily life spills out onto the five-footways and into the street. The local
people are friendly and English is widely spoken. The historic communities in
the city still keep alive their dialects, occupations, religious traditions and
street festivals. For over 200 years, the influences of various ethnic group
have intermingled and this has resulted in its beautifully eclectic
architecture, a colourful and varied lifestyle, and last but not least, the
hybrid street foods that make Penang world famous as a hawker’s paradise.
Malaysia for the
past many years has achieved excellent economic growth and its vision of
becoming a fully developed nation by the year 2020 is clearly within reach.
Such
growth has turned Penang into the crossed for international trade. Foreign
investments and a healthy influx of tourists have placed Penang on the world
map. The state government is constantly raising its communication and
infrastructure standards and is placing particular emphasis on increasing
Meetings Incentives Conventions Exhibitions (MICE) facilities.
Surprisingly,
such modernities do not eclipse Penang’s unique heritage and culture, which
continue to flourish. It is this old world charm set as a backdrop against
Penang’s development as a modern city that makes it a particularly attractive
destination for MICE planners.
While
Penangites have an innate sense of national pride, they also have cultural roots
which stretch beyond the island’s shores. The traditions brought to Penang by
its industrious early settlers did not wilt on Penang soil. Instead, they
flourished in a supportive climate, a climate created by a stable government,
whose policies encourage the weaving of multi-cultural threads and effective
educational systems.
Penang’s
population of 1.3 million is mainly made up of the three major races, namely
Malay, Chinese and Indian. Vibrantly colourful, this unique mix is what
Penangites literally make song and dance about. When major festivals are
celebrated, everybody joins in, and this is when Penang’s well-known
hospitality and charm reveal her true colours.
Penang
has witnessed tremendous growth in the past many years with her skyline changing
fast. This growth has led to a natural progression from demands for tourism
facilities to also include demands for MICE facilities. Penang, with its
diversity both culture and character, has all the right combinations to offer
the incentive trip of a lifetime. In the city or on the beach, our
world-renowned beaches and resorts have been tried and tested as excellent
incentive venues. Numerous international organisations who came and went home
extremely happy and satisfied can readily attest to the fact.
Hosting
a successful convention, conference, workshop and seminar is like working a
fine-tuned piece of machinery, each well-oiled component within working in
tandem with another resulting in smooth trouble-free operation, the key to it is
always their professional attitude and excellent organising skills.
There are many places of interest in Penang such as
Botanical Garden
Butterfly Farm
Forest Recreation Park
Fort Cornwallis
Golden Beaches
Kapitan Keling Mosque
Kek Lok Si Temple
Khoo Kongsi
Penang Bridge
Penang Hill
Snake Temple
Sri Mariamman Temple
State Mosque
Wat Chayamangkalaram
Pinang Cultural Centre
City Hall
Town Hall
State Museum
and
etc.
The
first time visitor to Penang never fails to be awed by the diversity of cultures
that co-exist together so charmingly. The evidence can be found everywhere on
the island, the sights and sounds that make Penang so very Penang. Where else in
the world would you find the houses of worship of four different faiths standing
so cosily close to one another on one street, or a Malay, a Chinese and an
Indian hawker all selling their fare at the same spot?
The
people, their heritage, their culture, their religion, their festivals, their
homes (some of very palatial standards), their food and even their recreational
pursuits-can all be seen and experienced by the visitor to this wonderful little
island all year round. The very charm of Penang lies in the fact that there is
so much to see in such a small island. But most of all, wherever you go on the
island, you can be sure to be on the receiving end of some of the most friendly
and hospitable folks in the world.
The Malaysian
currency is known as Ringgit Malaysia (RM). All major credit cards are accepted.
Licensed foreign money changers are available in all urban centres, key
entry/exit points and shopping complexes. Travellers cheques can be exchanged
for Malaysian Ringgit at commercial banks, hotels and authorised money changers.
All major hotels are only licensed to buy, but not sell, foreign currencies in
the form of notes and travellers cheques.
In ten states, the
government’s business hours begin at 8:00am, with an hour lunch break at
12:45pm before continuing at 2:00pm until 4:15p during Mondays to Thursdays. On
Fridays, the afternoon break is made longer, i.e. from 12:15pm until 2:45pm.
This is to allow Muslim workers to perform the afternoon Friday prayer. On
Saturdays, office hours end at 12:45pm. Commercial offices will be open at
9:00am and close at 5:30pm from Monday to Saturday and majority closed on Sunday
and Public holidays. However,
shopping centers will be open at 11:00am.
Malaysia has a
multi-racial society among her 23 million population (Statistics Dept, 2003).
Almost eighty percent of the total population occupy the Peninsula. There are
three main races in the country, The Malays, who are Muslims, form the majority
in the country. The other two main racial groups are the Chinese, who are mostly
Buddhists and the Indians, who are mainly Hindus. Others who make up the
population include the Eurasians and the many indigenous groups like the Ibans,
Kadazans, Dusuns, Dayaks, Bidayuhs and Muruts. The different races have their
own traditions and customs. In terms of dressing, most Malaysians, regardless of
their race, wear modern and Western clothes. However, during special occasions
and festivals, many will wear traditional costumes complete with their elaborate
accessories.
Prepared by
Roger Haw on 15th April 2004