Photos by ZHAFARAN NASIB

Historical: Magazine Road is one of the main access roads to Komtar.

IT IS still regarded as a rough, working class neighbourhood. The image of the iconic seven-street precinct has remained very much the same despite development in its vicinity.

The mainly Chinese-educated and Hokkien-speaking residents — who are mostly wage earners, traders and small businessmen — continue to make up the majority here.

According to one report, the houses along the streets were built in the late 19th century as a result of the “the spillover effect from the Francis Light Grid and Carnarvon Street/Prangin area.”

Thus, vegetable farms and wooden houses were soon replaced with brick houses, saw mills, foundries and cottage industries.

When Penang embarked on its massive urban renewal plan in the 1980s, which included the Komtar project that was right at the doorstep of this precinct, the area still remained somewhat of a no-man’s land, where triad activities thrived.

When I started out as a cub reporter at The Star office in Penang, I had to first earn my stripes on the crime beat.

Racing to crime scenes and visiting the mortuary in the middle of the night were part and parcel of work.

But there was also the routine morning press conference at the state police headquarters in Penang Road where the officers would brief us on the crime statistics.

It was common to see small-time thugs being made to squat in the room of an investigating officer attached to the anti-vice and gaming division while the officer chatted with us nonchalantly.

The gangsters, with their tattooed bodies, were more often than not, from one of the streets in the seven-street precinct.

Seventh street: Cecil Street is named after Straits Settlement goverrnor Sir
Cecil Clementi.

There was always much excitement in the area. We would occasionally get calls from our police sources who tipped us off on clashes that broke out between rival gangs.

If we were quick enough, we would be at the crime scene to actually witness street fights before the cops arrived.

But in all fairness, many of the children of the original residents have done well in their lives. Often, with good education, they were able to move up the social ladder and lead transformed lives when they moved out of the area.

On a trip to Penang two weeks ago, I took a drive around the area. It is really a safe area despite the tough neighbourhood image of its past.

It has emerged as a popular tourist spot with its many colonial pre-war homes and shophouses. Although they are not included in the Unesco World Heritage Zone, these houses can fetch the same prices as those in Chulia Street and other surrounding areas.

Apart from sightseeing, foodies can find great food here as well. The duck meat koay teow soup at the Cecil Street food court is easily one of the best in Penang.

All the streets here retain their original names but the fact of the matter is that the locals only know them by their numbers.

Cecil Street, for example, is the seventh street which the Hokkiens call chit tiau lor and I doubt if even the residents know the history behind the person it was named after.

Fortunately, many Penangites and history buffs have taken it upon themselves to write extensively about this iconic precinct on the Internet.

According to blogger Boon Raymond, the seven major streets within the triangular grid or block borders Magazine Road, Jalan CY Choy (formerly Bridge Street) and Jalan Gurdwara (formerly Brick Kiln Road).

The seven main streets are Magazine Road or first street, which was named after the government gunpowder depot formerly located at the present Gama Supermarket. In Hokkein, it is called thau tiau lor or the first road.

Then, there is Noordin Street or the second street, which is named after HM Nordin, an Indian Muslim merchant. He is said to be one of the founders of the Kapitan Keling mosque.

Still standing: Presgrave Street has retained its old signage.

The third street is Presgrave Street — named after Edward Presgrave who founded the law firm of Presgrave and Matthews at Beach Street in 1898.

Presgrave & Matthews is one of the oldest legal firms in the Straits Settlement. According to the firm’s website, Presgrave was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and University.

In Penang, he was the solicitor-general and the president of the Penang Municipal Commission.

Today, Presgrave Street has gained a name for its street food and is within walking distance from Traders Hotel.

The fourth street is Tye Sin Street, which is named after Foo Tye Sin, a commissioner into the 1867 Penang Riots, which saw clashes between the Hai San and Ghee Hin gangs.

Foo was an unusual man of his time. The Hakka tin miner and businessman could speak English fluently as he was schooled at St Xavier’s Institution and Penang Free School. He was even a Justice of Peace.

Colonel Sir Henry McCallum has a road named after him at the fifth street. The colonial engineer of the Straits Settlement also has a street named after him in Singapore. After his stint in Penang and Singapore, he went on to become the Governor of Lagos, Newfoundland, Natal and Ceylon.

The sixth street or lak tiau lor is named after the importing agents, Katz Brothers Ltd which was set up in 1864 by Hermann Katz and his brother.

The brothers supplied pepper and other goods to ships. They did so well that they opened branches in Penang, Sumatra and even London and Frankfurt, according to local historian and publisher Khoo Salma Nasution.

Landmark: Wisma Gama was once the site of the old police station and
gunpowder magazine. —Photo courtesy of Penang Public Library

The Katz Brothers brought in safe, locks and even sewing machines from Europe, among others, for sale in Penang.

The seventh street is named after another colonial officer, Sir Cecil Clementi, the Governor of the Straits Settlements between 1930 and 1934. He was a governor in Hong Kong prior to his posting in the Straits Settlement. In Singapore, Cecil Street is located near Raffles Singapore.

The Cantonese-speaking official was born in India to Colonel Montagu Clementi, a judge advocate general and his wife Isabel Collard. An Oxford graduate, he studied Sanskrit and classics to prepare himself for a role in the East.

Without doubt, there is plenty of history in the seven-street precinct and it is sad that they remain largely unknown to the residents and Penangites who pass by the area daily.

Just outside the precinct is the eighth street or Herriot Street — named after Stuart Herriot, a British merchant who stayed in Penang since the 1830s while ninth street — Sandilands Street — is named after another British businessman GM Sandilands.

According to Boon Raymond, the Ang Bin Hoey triad society had its headquarters at Sandilands Street.

At the end of December 1945, it was moved to 55, Maxwell Road. The triad society was dissolved in May 1946, but it continued its activities underground as a secret society.

According to an entry in Wikipedia, the Ang Bin Hoey, which is the Hokkien pronunciation of Hung Meng Hooi, was originally a society of the Ang people which was started during the Qing dynasty and was famed for its anti-Manchu activities.

In Penang, it evolved into local triads which gained notoriety for less noble pursuits.

Penang has become a magnet to many tourists because of its history and heritage. It is history that has made Penang such a unique tourist destination.

The federal and state governments should work together to ensure that this heritage is preserved to help Penangites keep history alive, and to remember those who have made the state what it is today.

Standing proud: The restored Suffolk House shines brightly in its restored grandeur.

AS A schoolboy taking the bus home, I would pass by the Methodist Boys School (MBS) in Jalan Air Itam almost every day.

I never knew about the existence of Suffolk House, where Captain Francis Light was said to have lived, nor understood its significance.

There was no mention of the mansion in my history textbooks. Furthermore, despite its granduer, it is off the main road, unlike the grand mansions along Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah or Northam Road. It didn’t help that I had no friends studying at MBS.

But over the past decade, the loud calls to restore Suffolk House and efforts by non-governmental organisations to educate Malaysians about its historical significance, got my attention to find out more.

I finally stepped into Suffolk House a few months ago during one of my regular trips home. An upscale restaurant is now operating at the historic mansion.

The architecture of the 200-year-old building is simply stunning. The ambience and charm of the restaurant was worth the hefty bill that I paid for a dinner for eight.

I had an important guest from Kuala Lumpur with me and there were plenty of reasons to show what Penang has to offer besides street food.

After the last course, I closed my eyes and let my imagination run wild, and a few glasses of wine earlier definitely helped.

It was easy. After all, Light used to hold social gatherings – dances and events — at his residence, so did the subsequent governors of Penang and the Straits Settlements in the 1800s.

But there are now reports that say Light actually lived in a smaller house at the estate. The present mansion was only built much later.

Suffolk House was so named because Light was born in Dallinghoo, Suffolk in East Anglia. The house actually stands on the estate that was originally owned by Light, and where many Europeans stayed on because of their love for Penang.

But that night my mind wasn’t fixed on Light. Until now, each time I think of Suffolk House, questions would cross my mind about his Thai-Eurasian wife, Martina Rozells.

Little has been written about her and yet she probably played a huge role in the life of Penang’s founder.

Flowy script: A letter signed by Light.

Light had met Rozells in Phuket, Thailand because it was his base for over a decade after he failed to convince the British of the importance of opening up Penang, which was an afterthought, in 1786.

Reading up about her life, I could not help but feel a strong sense of sympathy for her. Given her mixed ethnic background, she was probably a beauty but I am not sure she was given a fair deal by the British snobs.

Rozells has been referred to as Light’s wife but it was not clear whether she was his lawful wife or he simply regarded her as his wife. She had five children — three girls, Sarah, Mary and Ann and two sons, William and Francis Lanoon — with him.

When Light passed away in 1794 after suffering from malaria, his business partners, James Scott and William Fairlie, were the executors of his will.

According to some history books, the two transferred Light’s properties, including Suffolk Estate, to their own names and left Rozells in a lurch. In short, they cheated her.

She had to seek justice from the courts. But in the Victorian age, the fact that she was part Portuguese, part Thai and part French, was of no help. There have been suggestions by some writers that she was linked to Kedah royalty then, but this has never been substantiated.

She was a Roman Catholic while Light was an Anglican. In old Penang, the Anglicans reigned supreme. In their eyes, the marriage was not possible nor accepted, if indeed, there was a proper marriage.

In the book, Malaya’s First British Pioneer: The Life of Francis Light, HP Clodd wrote that Light “co-habited” with Rozells at least 22 years before his death in 1794 — as pointed out by historian Ooi Kee Beng in an article.

Interestingly enough, Light did leave Rozells a bungalow on the site next to the St Xavier’s Institution field.

In the book, Streets of George Town, a portion of Light’s will about this bungalow was reproduced:

“I give and bequeath unto the said Martina Rozells my bungalow in George Town with one set of mahogany tables, two card cables, two couches, two bedstead large and two small with bedding…. a dressing table and 18 chairs, two silver candle sticks, one silver teapot, two sugar dishes, twelve table spoons, twelve tea spoons, one soup spoon and all the utensils not under the stewards charge to be disposed of as she thinks proper without any limitation. I also give Martina Rozells four of my best cows and one bull….”

Ooi pointed out from Clodd’s book, “with little known about her, a shroud of mystery had grown around her over time”.

We do know that she bore him two sons and three daughters, the most famous of the children being William, who was the founder of Adelaide.

The book also mentioned, “Only two years after his death, Light’s estates were fast running into jungle to the certain loss of his heirs and the Company (British East India Company). His son-in-law, a General Welsh who married Sarah Light, would lament in 1818 that his wife’s siblings had lived to see every inch of ground and even his [Light’s] houses alienated from them. Rozells reportedly lived for several years on the land and in the bungalow bequeathed her by her common-law husband, and may have later married one John Timmer.”

Rozells was said to have held his wedding ceremony at the chapel in Fort Cornwallis in 1799. It was also said that after the service, the chapel was sealed off until now. No explanations had been found.

We can conclude that Rozells did not live an easy life in Penang. She failed to get her justice in the British-run court.

To keep her mouth shut, the British East India Company reportedly paid her a pension but kept the jewel in the crown.

In the eyes of British officials, Light did not marry Rozells but among the Eurasians and Thai community, she was regarded as his official wife.

It is sad that detailed and reliable information about her is almost non-existent even though she was the closest person to Light.

More information has surfaced over the past months — thanks to the work of Australian historian Marcus Langdon, who wrote that Suffolk House was built by (acting governor of Prince of Wales’ Island) William Edward Phillips. Philips was also the owner of Strawberry Hill on Penang Hill and not David Brown — Light’s partner.

Langdon had also written that Philips was the one who took over the pepper estate belonging to Light, on which stands Suffolk House, believed to have been built by Philips, who was acting governor of Penang in 1817.

In short – Light stayed at the Suffolk Estate but not at Suffolk House. Still, as I sipped my glass of wine at the restaurant on that rainy night, I could feel the presence of these iconic British figures who played a major role in making Penang what it is today.

Blame it on my imagination, the wet weather or simply the wine, but I could feel the many voices telling me to return to Suffolk House. I will, soon.

NOBODY would have imagined that Bayan Lepas – which is now full of factories, houses and shopping centres — used to be the rice bowl of Penang, just one big padi field stretching as far as the eye can see.

These padi fields used to be on both sides of the main road, and the network of irrigation canals provided youngsters like us plenty of opportunities to fish and catch frogs.

The fish were not for the dinner table, but were mainly common guppies and the occasional fighting fish, which found their way into our home aquariums.

Back then, a number of pre-war bunkers could be seen scattered among the padi fields. There is one remaining along the road in Relau now, not far from the Bayan Lepas main road, but most people pass it by without knowing it is there.

In Batu Maung, where a war museum has been set up, visitors can now see the underground tunnels, ammunition bunkers and ventilation shafts set up by the British army in their futile attempt to fight the Japanese invaders.

For older Penangites who remember Bayan Lepas as an isolated rural setting, its transformation into a major urban hub, starting with the setting up of the Free Trade Zone, must have been quite phenomenal.

As a child, I always looked forward to my trips to the Bayan Lepas airport to see a relative off. Those were the days when you could still see the passengers up close from the viewing gallery as they walked towards the planes.

Other than that, Bayan Lepas was not really a place a city boy like me would head to — it was simply a faraway place as far as we were concerned.

But I still recalled those days when we would be put onto chartered buses for the traditional round-the-island trip as part of the year-end programmes.

Point of arrival: The Penang Airport in its early days.

Bayan Lepas, Relau and Balik Pulau — regarded as spots on the other side of the island — were usually compulsory stops along the way.

The 163-year-old Snake Temple was of course one of the main attractions as was the Tunku Abdul Rahman Aquarium, located at the Fisheries Department off Jalan Gelugor. In fact, Jalan Akuarium remains as testimony to the existence of the first public aquarium in the country.

While the Snake Temple remains a major tourist attraction, the aquarium in that locality has since been closed down and the National Aquarium at Zoo Negara now bears the same name in honour of the country’s first Prime Minister.

Another aquarium, the Penang Aquarium, has since been set up in Batu Maung by the Fisheries Department as part of its research centre and is drawing visitors as well.

According to reports, the name Bayan Lepas means “the parakeet has flown away.”

The folklore has it that a wealthy Sumatran family had arrived by boat at the coast of Bayan Lepas in the late 19th century and as they reached the shore, their pet parakeet flew off.

Another story has it that Bayan Lepas was named after Raja Bayan or Nakhoda Bayan, said to be a prince from Minangkabau.

He was said to have settled in Penang in the 1700s, when Penang was still part of Kedah, and that he was appointed to be a headman by the Sultan of Kedah.

But there was one man who changed the entire face of Bayan Lepas. After Gerakan, then an opposition party, swept into power in the 1969 general election, Chief Minister Dr Lim Chong Eu rolled out his economic plans.

He created the Bayan Lepas Free Trade Zone to enable foreign investors to open factories, mostly assembly plants, in Penang, to resolve the high unemployment rate in the state.

With attractive options, including pioneer tax status, multinational electronic giants descended on the island, paving the way for Penang to be known as the Silicon Valley of the East.

Still popular: Devotees offering prayers at the Snake Temple.

It would not be wrong to say that Dr Lim’s masterplan of turning the padi fields into one big industrial area helped propel Penang’s economy, especially after its free port status had been taken away.

The Free Trade Zone created thousands of job opportunities for people from all walks of life.

But some things will never change. Just a little distance from the Penang International Airport is the old town of Bayan Lepas.

Pre-war houses still line both sides of the main road while the police station and market, built in 1930, have remained.

Each time I return to Penang, I would make an effort to eat at the Cargas Café, which serves one of the best nasi campur Melayu on the island. The fried chicken and sting ray curry – the signature dishes of the restaurant – are simply delicious.

The seafood porridge in Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah is also a local favourite.

Another important icon in Bayan Lepas which has personal bearing for me is The Star’s Northern Hub.

For those of us who began our Star careers in the earlier offices, either in Weld Quay or Pitt Street, the Star Northern Hub is truly a different office altogether.

Out of this five-storey building in Sungai Tiram, Bayan Lepas, the Star is printed for distribution in Penang and throughout the northern region.

Because of its size, the building feels “spacious” compared to the town office, but it has all the latest trimmings of the complete media hub.

Each time I am back in Penang, I will drop in at the Northern Hub to touch base with our team there. And, without fail, my colleagues will always invite me out for a meal nearby.

Many people, including Penangites themselves, now see Bayan Lepas as a thriving township starting from Queensbay Mall.

But right at the other end of Bayan Lepas is where the old world charm has remained at the Bayan Lepas old town.

Time seemed to have stood still here. And that, in a way, is what makes Penang uniquely special with its blend of new and old world charms.

For sure, there are still some things about Bayan Lepas that have not terlepas, or disappeared.

*Readers write

> KK Tan: I have always wondered why Francis Light is regarded as the founder of Penang. Surely, there were already locals on the island before he landed on the island.

Chun Wai: I am not a historian but merely a student of history. This has always been a controversial subject, depending on which school of thought you subscribe to. But conventionally, the understanding is that Light was the first person to set up a proper system of administration and governance after his arrival. The legal, financial and security systems, for example, had to be properly set up to allow trading to be carried out as Penang had become a port by then. By having these systems in place, it attracted more traders to Penang and conduct business with the assurance that everything will be properly documented.

> Another reader, tourist Jeff Black, wants to know the origin of the name Batu Ferringhi, where he often stays when he comes to Penang.

Chun Wai: According to what has been reported, the word ferringhi is said to originate from the Malay term for a person of Portuguese descent, but could also be taken to mean all westerners. Some said Batu Ferringhi also meant the rocks where the western foreigner landed.

> Jeffrey Leong asked for some information about Chowrasta Street along Penang Road.

Chun Wai: Chowrasta is an Urdu word which means “four cross roads”. In fact, the Chowrasta Market is located within the area flanked by Chowrasta Street, Tamil Street, Kuala Kangsar Road and Penang Road. Known to Hokkien-speaking Penangites as kelinga ban san or Indian market, it used to be dominated by Tamil Muslim traders.

Old ways: Bullock carts were a common sight as it was used to ferry people and goods.

I CRINGE every time I hear our television news reader or radio announcer pronounce Weld Quay as Weld Koay. And I wonder whether English is still being properly taught in schools or if the teachers themselves need to go back to school again.

But for many Penangites, who were exposed to the English language much earlier than the rest of the country, we know how to pronounce quay correctly as “key” instead of “koay”.

Many of the local Hokkiens, who only know Weld Quay as Sin Hai Kee or New Waterfront Street, are also able to get the street name correct. Weld Quay, or Pengkalan Weld, as it is now known, is a coastal road on the east side of George Town.

It is named after Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld, the Governor of the Straits Settlements from 1880 to 1887. He was responsible for the land reclamation and port expansion on the waterfront.

Where it started: The Star building in Weld Quay.

To detour a bit, Weld was also recognised in Perak, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Port Weld in Perak is now known as Kuala Sepetang.

In Kuala Lumpur, what is now known as Jalan Raja Chulan, was previously Weld Road before the name was changed in 1982.

Today, The Weld shopping complex remains as testimony to the road’s original name. The nearby Weld Hill was also renamed Bukit Mahkamah, where Menara Maybank now stands.

In Singapore, however, Weld Road and Upper Weld Road still remain.

According to published records, Weld was born to a strong Catholic family in Dorset, England, but carved a name for himself in the British colonies of Australia and New Zealand.

Making their way through: Passengers at the Customs checkpoint at Swettenham Pier in 1975.

Prior to his arrival in Malaya in 1880, he had a successful political career in New Zealand where he was elected as a Member of Parliament for three terms.

In 1869, he moved to Australia to begin his career as a colonial officer, where he was appointed the Governor of Western Australia.

Weld will be remembered in Malaya’s history as the colonial officer who saw the importance of ports and a well-connected logistics network.

According to the book Streets of George Town, Weld Quay was created during the 1880s when Weld was Governor.

He embarked on land reclamation works which culminated in the development of Swettenham Pier.

Completed in 1904, the pier boosted Penang’s status as a modern transhipment centre.

Today, the pier is also connected to the newly completed Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal.

Swettenham Pier was named after Frank Athelstane Swettenham (1850-1946), the first Resident General of the Federated Malay States between 1896 and 1901.

Khoo Salma Nasution also wrote that the Indians called Weld Quay kitengi teru or the “street of company godowns”.

Touris t attract ion: An aerial view of the clan jetties at Weld Quay, which was declared a heritage site by Unesco.

The godowns were used by Indian stevedores transporting rope with hand-pulled carts. Some of these godowns can still be found in some parts of the area.

And if you are wondering where the famous mee mamak comes from, Khoo insisted that Weld Quay was the birthplace of kelinga mee, as mee mamak was originally known as, together with pasembur or mamak rojak. These delicacies were to whet the appetite of sailors and port workers along Weld Quay.

As the port grew, settlements for Chinese port workers from the various Chinese clans also came into being.

According to Khoo, there were originally seven “clan jetties” at the waterfront but the Ong Jetty was dismantled when the ferry terminal was built.

The six originals which remain are the Lim, Chew, Tan, Lee, Yeoh and the “mixed clan” jetties known as Chap Seh Keo.

“The jetty with the largest community was Chew Jetty, near the Armenian Street Ghaut. The Chew stevedores supplied fresh water to the ships,” she wrote.

“The end of the Chew Jetty was the mooring place for Burmese trawlers which brought rubber, timber and other materials from Burma.”

The jetties, while keeping their reputation as a tough neighbourhood for the working class, have undergone changes over the years, and now form part of the Penang Heritage Trail.

Not far from the area is Noordin Street, known locally as Jee Teow Lor (the second road), which had a reputation for its triads.

When I was a student at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, there was a leggy, good-looking business administration student who hailed from one of the jetties.

She had many admirers and when my campus mates asked me about her, I would cheekily tell them that she came from such a notorious area that any outsider who tried to date her risked being beaten up!

The clan jetties remain to this day even though there are regular rumours that they will be demolished.

They are now popular with tourists, who walk along the boardwalks and are made to feel welcome by the residents, who understand the importance of tourism.

Some enterprising residents have offered homestays while others have offered their boats as water taxis for tourists. Souvenir stalls have also been set up at these jetties.

Along the main road, food stalls have sprouted, and one fish head porridge-noodle stall, Siong Ho, has been featured on a popular Astro food programme hosted by Penangite Jason Teoh.

When I was starting out as a reporter in Penang, I used to visit the Kwong Wah Yit Poh newspaper office in that vicinity regularly for coffee with my counterparts to compare notes.

The newspaper was founded by Dr Sun Yat Sen, the father of modern China, on Dec 20, 1910, when he was in exile in Penang from China.

Weld Quay is also where The Star newspaper was born. The newspaper began its operations at Weld Quay in September, 1971, and was helmed by its founder and editor K.S. Choong.

When The Star hit the streets, I was barely 10 years old and too young to read the newspaper, although my parents had started reading the new racy tabloid.

As I was not part of its initial beginnings, the home of The Star to me was the building along Pitt Street, or Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling, where I first began work in 1980. (Refer to my earlier article, Pressing on from Day One, published on March 2)

Media practitioner Rajan Moses, who was a Universiti Sains Malaysia student in 1971, was accepted as a stringer or freelance writer, when The Star was launched.

He wrote: “The launch of The Star had a great impact on Penangites, who were so used to the existing newspaper fare, that the arrival of something new perked them up. Finally, an alternative paper to read had arrived, and a racy tabloid at that!

“Newspaper boys sold the first editions of the new paper late into the night in Penang’s streets, and The Star created quite a buzz.

“It had a picture of a Page 3 girl daily (very much like what the The Sun and Daily Mirror did in London) and bright, bold and interesting human interest stories and pictures which sparked much local interest.”

Weld Quay still has a great story to tell, just like this newspaper. It has a strong sense of history yet is ready to adapt and keep up with the changes.

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