Penang’s Historical Minorities
City Bayview Hotel, Lebuh Farquhar, Penang back
The Early History of the Burmese Community in Penang
by Dato’ Mary J. Ritchie & Ms. Nyee Aye Toolseram, Penang Burmese Society
We have no records of the earliest Burmese arrivals to Penang. However, we know that after 1800, there was a large Burmese settlement in the area between Bagan Jeramal and Pulau Tikus. The Burmese also settled in Batu Maung. The earliest settlers were fishermen who came by fishing boats and established a colony – probably at Telok Ava, near the present Chinese cemetery in Telok Bahang. The early burial ground of the Burmese was a plot of land in front of Casuarina Hotel, probably the car park site.
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Penang Siamese: Cultural Values & Tradition
by Mr. Nai Wan Dee Aroonratana, Rombongan Menora Thai Malaysia
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The Filipino Community in Penang
by Catherine Lee Sue Si
By 1800, the population of the immigrant society in Penang numbered over 10,000, only about 300 of whom were Europeans. The 1835 census recorded 40,207 inhabitants, with 16,435 Malays, 8751 Chinese, 9,208 Indians and only 790 Europeans. Of the 3,000 immigrants of other races were the Filipinos, who had come here not for social or trading purposes, but for purely economic ones. Most of them were armed with only their musical skills, and their adventurous spirit.
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The History of Penang Eurasians
by Dr. Anthony E. Sibert, PJK, Penang Eurasian Association
Preamble. The Malaysian National Census 2000 indicates that the population of the Penang Eurasian Community[Serani] is 1,469; which is 11.6% of the Eurasian Malaysian Population of 12,650. The Penang Eurasian Community, in the National Census, is classified under ‘Others’ as being 0.4% or 5254 of the Total Penang Population of 1,313,449. Among the Minorities in Penang the Penang Eurasian Community is 28.0% of the ‘Others’ in Penang.
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Eurasian Contributions to the Economic & Social Development of Penang
by Eustace A. Nonis, Penang Eurasian Association
Arrival of the Eurasians. The Eurasian community in Penang started with the arrival of the British in 1786. Responding to the invitation of Captain Francis Light, the first group of Eurasians, who had settled in Kedah, landed in Penang on 15 August 1786, the eve of the Feast of the Assumption. This community set up an enclave in China Street and Bishop Street.
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Penang Eurasian Musicians
by James A Rozells & Kathleen Rodrigues, Penang Eurasian Association
Music, like the very air we breathe is an integral part of our lives and society. Whether we are actively pursuing a career in music or are simply music lovers it is unimaginable to live a life without music. Penang has always boasted a long list of music greats from the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee, Ooi Eow Jin and the late Jimmy Boyle to the new breed of stars like the Alley Cats.
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An Introduction to the Malaysian Ceylonese Community and the Malaysian Ceylonese Congress
by Dato’ Dr. D.M.Thuraiappah,President of MCC
Introduction. “One of the greatest Malaysian stories waiting to be written is the contribution the immigrant and domiciled races of Malaysia – the Chinese, the Indians and the Ceylonese – have made towards the development and advancement of this country”, wrote Mr.S.Durai Raja Singam in October 1968 in his book – A hundred years of Ceylonese in Malaysia and Singapore (1867 – 1967)
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Prominent Ceylonese in Penang: Past & Present
by S. Karthigesu, Hon. Secretary of MCC (Penang Branch)
The State of Penang had its fair share of these employees although not to the same extent as the Federated Malay States. A good percentage of the early arrivals were also professionals either direct from Colombo or from Singapore, having been transferred to Penang. One of the early arrivals direct from Jaffna, Ceylon was the Late Mr. Kanaga Sabapathy Vanniasingham who came in 1904 in response to the call for teachers. He died in office as a teacher ofthe Anglo Chinese School in 1930.
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The Jews of Penang
by Himanshu Bhatt
Nestled in the heart of George Town is a small and charming plot of land that has quietly borne the remains of a little-known people of Penang. Tucked safely behind its high walls along a narrow lazy stretch named Jalan Zainal Abidin (formerly known as Jalan Yahudi) is an intriguing Jewish cemetery.
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Koay Jetty: The social evolution of the Hui people in Penang
by Ong Seng Huat
Part One. The Hui are one of the main minority groups in China. They are the descendants of Arabian and Middle Eastern peoples. During the Yuan Dynasty, the ruling Mongolians divided the people into different categories with different status
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An Indulgent Minority
by R.J. Manecksha
This discourse is entitled “An Indulgent Minority” simply because the Parsees are a relatively unknown race even to some communities among which they live. Because of their very limited numbers in Malaysia, the Parsees are compliant and therefore indulgent to the society in which they live.
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The Pre-War Japanese Community in Penang (1890 – 1940)
by Clement Liang
One of the significant minorities who made their presence in Penang from the late 19th to early 20th centuries came from Japan. In 1910, the official census counted 207 Japanese residents in Penang alone. Unlike the present day Japanese expatriates living in Penang, those early-day Japanese settlers were much poorer in comparison and in fact more than half of the Japanese residents then were involved in the ‘flesh’ trade.
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