GEORGE TOWN - It is not only the name of George Town that needs to be changed if it is considered to be related to the colonial master because there are also names of other places in other states that have colonial heritage and legacy, according to Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
He said the issue regarding George Town as the name of the capital of Penang state had been raised many times and his party had also given an explanation regarding the matter before.
"There are also other names that have the legacy of the colonial era and we have answered many times regarding the issue (changing George Town to Tanjung Penaga), if we want to change all the names or the colonial heritage is erased from the land of Malaysia, this is a big decision.
"It's not just George Town, many things are not only British heritage, but there is also the heritage of Portugal, the Netherlands and others on Malaysian soil and there are also many heritages of other races besides the local race," he told reporters after officiating the 2024 George Town Festival in here today.
He was commenting on the Penang Pas statement which urged the state government to return the original name of George Town, to Tanjung Penaga to symbolise the 'Malaysian identity'.
According to the official portal of the Penang government, before the name Penang became popular, the people of Seberang Perai knew Penang as Tanjong Penaga after the name of the penaga tree that grows around the site of Fort Cornwallis.
It is believed that the name or its abbreviation Tanjong is still used in land grants issued by the government until the year 1800.
The portal informs that until now the name Tanjong is popular with the people of Penang and Seberang Perai when referring to the city of George Town. - BERNAMA