Penang: Malaysia’s Pearl of the Orient

Martin Anthon Bradley

Penang, Pearl of the Orient, is tethered to mainland Malaysian peninsular by two bridges -the Penang Bridge and the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge. The island has an international airport Penang International Airport and a renewed ferry system. They all feed the island from Butterworth. Adventurous souls not wanting to fly or drive the four hours between Kuala Lumpur and island Penang, might consider a four-hour train journey instead, I did.

Views from the ferry on the way to Penang. Photo: Martin Anthon Bradley

Undaunted by the lack of available seats on trains advancing to Butterworth, and retreating from it to Kuala Lumpur, online, I gritted my teeth and took the hit on my plastic to book a business-class seat there and back for RM342 via the train’s website. I’d some sort of romantic John Betjeman notion of a Northern Malaysian train journey, without the poetry and in glorious Southeast Asia real colour as opposed to Betjeman’s black and white. It was a practical solution to air travel.

It wasn’t my first trip to Penang. That was in 1981 and had coincided with my first flight anywhere. 
I’d crept out of my apartment and called a Grab (taxi) with time to spare. I lunched on ‘Mamak Mee’ (Muslim yellow egg noodles stir-fried in a hot wok) at Kuala Lumpur’s Sentral (rail) Station and crept into the air-con ‘Business Class Lounge’ as soon as it opened. There I indulged in free coffee and two small curry puffs being kept warm in their heated home.

When it was time, I and other business travellers were guided down a private escalator, away from the hoi polloi, and advanced to the waiting north-bound train. Once there, it was easy to enter coach A and be seated. The seat was quite spacious, even for my long legs, and comfortable enough for my journey.

The Business Class coach, and the travelling therein, was okay. The ticket package came with a lunch of ‘Uncle Chin’s chicken rice’ and a small bottle of apple juice. Later, as the collective we trundled from Kuala Lumpur, through Selangor and into Perak, heading for Penang State there was an afternoon drink with kuay (Malaysian snacks). To be quite honest, the journey was lengthy and four hours seemed exactly like four hours travelling through small towns, villages and pastures of rice padi, give or take five minutes.

True, there was some fascination with green rolling hills ascending into the Titiwangsa range of mountains, and a dotting of either water buffalo or cows. There was a distinct air of lethargy, stillness, amidst all that tropical green, not-quite-jungle as the train sped along at roughly 160 km/h on its equatorial route.

The train ride terminated at the Butterworth rail station. There was then a short walk to the newer Butterworth ferry and a two Malaysia Ringgit scoot across to Penang Island. Disembarking from the ferry I took a Grab with Georgetown’s chattiest driver to my hotel on Jalan Macalister. I threw my black travelling bag into the minuscule room and walked out into Jalan Macalister looking for evening sustenance.

One likely looking spot had proffered Chinese food but rescinded its offer by deciding to close two hours before time - I’d been shooed away when I tried to enter. Then there was the sultry evening trudge along Jalan Macalister until I eventually discovered a, seemingly very popular, ‘mixed rice’ emporium. Its multiple metal trays presented a veritable cornucopia of Malaysian Chinese dishes, and rice. It was cheap too.
After eating a lukewarm meal, I’d been looking for dessert. I’d entered the ‘Nasi kandar’ (Indian Muslim eatery) known as ‘Pelita’ and found one of my favourite eats - Roti Pisang susu (parata with banana and sweet condensed milk), this I had with the dark and sweet local coffee. I’d Grabbed (taxied) back to the hotel and intermittently slept until morning crept through my wee small window.

I admit that I’d had ulterior motives in visiting Penang. It wasn’t to be all seeing of sights and noshing of the excellent cuisines that Penang is famed for, but it was those too. I’d had a meeting with my dear ‘learned’ old friend of 48 years to undertake, and 2 museums to visit for my magazine, only one - The Penang State Art Gallery, was closed for repairs.

Instead, I scooted over to see the Chowrasta Street market. It wasn’t closed. It just looked as though it was. Obviously, its heydays were long behind it. I did eat there and bought some odds and ends - dried shrimps, and dried small fish. I also ate a Chinese dessert of sago, with the local ‘Gula Melaka’ in evaporated milk sauce in the Tim Choi Sam Dessert Shop nearby, while gazing at the walls covered with antique photos of the area.

The stunning Pagoda of Rama VI at Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang. Photo: Martin Anthon Bradley

My time in Penang’s Georgetown was limited. I would have loved to see more as it had been about 4 years since I was last there, but that’s life. I saw my friend, chatted about how we’d met in the UK all those years ago, and generally caught up. I took a Grab to the Buddhist Kek Lok Si Temple. It’s the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia. The day was cooling, and rainy. I watched the turtles in their ‘Freedom’ pond, not looking terribly free. But then, are any of us truly free? For some Buddhists, releasing animals is a gesture of compassion and of repentance. I’d seen something similar in Cambodia’s Phnom Penh, but with captive birds.

A closer look at the stunning tiered roofs of Kek Lok Si Temple. Photo: Martin Anthon Bradley