People's Court, Penang

Last updated
People's Court
Neighbourhood of George Town
Other transcription(s)
   Mandarin 生活公市(Simplified)
生活公市(Traditional)
Shēnghuó gōng shì(Pinyin)
People's Court in George Town, Penang.jpg
People's Court, Penang
Location map of George Town 2023 (city centre shown).svg
Red pog.svg
People's Court
Location within    George Town in    Penang
Coordinates: 5°25′2.658″N100°20′2.274″E / 5.41740500°N 100.33396500°E / 5.41740500; 100.33396500
CountryFlag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia
State Flag of Penang (Malaysia).svg  Penang
City Seal of George Town.svg George Town
Founded1961
Government
   Local government Penang Island City Council
   Mayor of Penang Island Rajendran P. Anthony
   Komtar State Assemblyman Teh Lai Heng (DAP)
   Tanjong Member of Parliament Lim Hui Ying (DAP)
Time zone UTC+8 (MST)
  Summer (DST)Not observed
Postal code
10200
Website mbpp.gov.my

People's Court is a residential neighbourhood within the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Situated within the city's central business district, it comprises three four-storey blocks of walk-up flats. [1] Built in 1961, it was the first low-cost public housing in Malaysia and remains one of the few populated residential pockets within the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site. [2] [3]

History

Komtar as seen from an alley at People's Court. The neighbourhood falls under the state constituency of Komtar. Komtar as seen from People's Court.jpg
Komtar as seen from an alley at People's Court. The neighbourhood falls under the state constituency of Komtar.

After Malaya's independence in 1957, the George Town City Council (predecessor to the present-day Penang Island City Council) faced the challenge of providing affordable housing for the urban poor. A significant number of the city's residents lived in substandard houses within urban kampongs and shophouses. According to a councillor at the time, "there are about 30 kampongs within George Town's limits with about 5,539 substandard houses inhabited by approximately 50,153 people. In about 19 kampongs the Malays are predominant and in the rest there is a mixture of Malays/Chinese and Malays/Indians." [4]

The George Town City Council sought to address affordable housing as a crucial electoral issue, particularly after the Labour Party retained control in the 1959 local election. [1] [5] As part of their efforts, the city government initiated People's Court, the first low-cost public housing project in Malaya. The project consisted of three blocks of four-storey walk-up flats arranged in an 'L' shape within the city centre's Chinatown. [1] [2] [4] These blocks include 26 shoplots, ranging from 136 sq ft (12.6 m2) to 582 sq ft (54.1 m2), along with 79 residential units, ranging between 438 sq ft (40.7 m2) to 506 sq ft (47.0 m2). [6]

Since its completion in 1961, People's Court has served as a major source of low-cost housing within George Town's central business district. [1] [4] [5] In spite of the continuing depopulation of the city centre, People's Court remains one of the few inhabited residential areas within the locality. [3] The three blocks are currently owned and managed by the Penang Island City Council. [1] [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penang</span> State in Malaysia

Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. These two halves are physically connected by the Penang Bridge and the Second Penang Bridge. The state shares borders with Kedah to the north and east, and Perak to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Town, Penang</span> Capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang

George Town is the capital of the Malaysian state of Penang. It is the core city of the George Town Conurbation, Malaysia's second largest metropolitan area with a population of 2.84 million and the second highest contributor to the country's GDP. The city proper spans an area of 306 km2 (118 sq mi) encompassing Penang Island and surrounding islets, and had a population of 794,313 as of 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butterworth, Seberang Perai</span> Town in Malaysia

Butterworth is the city centre of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. It lies about 3 km (1.9 mi) east of George Town, the capital city of Penang, across the Penang Strait. As of 2020, Butterworth had a total population of 80,378 residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Komtar</span> Skyscraper in George Town, Penang, Malaysia

The Tun Abdul Razak Complex, formerly the PenangUrban Centre, is a civic complex within the central business district of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. At the time of its completion in 1985, Komtar Tower, at 231.7 metres (760 ft), was the second tallest building in Asia and the tallest in Southeast Asia until 1986 when it was surpassed by One Raffles Place in Singapore. Other buildings in the complex include a hotel building, four shopping malls, an urban park, and a central transportation hub. The complex contains 1,420,000 square feet (132,000 m2) of office and retail space on a 27-acre (11 ha) superblock. It currently houses the administrative offices of the Penang state government and the chief minister of Penang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seberang Perai</span> City in the Malaysian state of Penang

Seberang Perai is a city in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located on the Malay Peninsula and separated from Penang Island by the Penang Strait, it shares borders with Kedah to the north and east, and Perak to the south. The city spans an area of 748 km2 (289 sq mi) and had a population of 946,092 as of 2020, making it the third largest city in Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perai</span> Suburb of Seberang Perai in Penang, Malaysia

Perai is a suburb of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. It lies at the southern bank of the Perai River and borders Butterworth to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batu Kawan</span> Suburb of Seberang Perai in Penang, Malaysia

Batu Kawan is an island and suburb of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is geographically separated from the rest of Seberang Perai by the Jawi and Tengah rivers. As of 2020, Batu Kawan contained a population of 11,409.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Penang</span> History of the Malaysian state of Penang

The State of Penang, one of the most developed and urbanised Malaysian states, is located at the nation's northwest coast along the Malacca Strait. Unlike most Malaysian states, the history of modern Penang was shaped by British colonialism, beginning with the acquisition of Penang Island from the Sultanate of Kedah by the British East India Company in 1786. Developed into a free port, the city state was subsequently governed as part of the Straits Settlements, together with Singapore and Malacca; the state capital, George Town, briefly became the capital of this political entity between 1826 and 1832. By the end of the 19th century, George Town prospered and became one of the major entrepôts in Southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Relau</span> Suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia

Relau is a suburb of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located 9.9 km (6.2 mi) southwest of the city centre, between Paya Terubong to the north, Bayan Lepas to the east and Balik Pulau to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South-West District (Penang)</span> District of Malaysia in Penang

The South-West District is a district within the Malaysian state of Penang. The district covers the southwestern half of Penang Island and borders the North-East to the north-east. It has an area of 175 km2 (68 sq mi) and a population of 197,131 as of 2010. Balik Pulau is the district's administrative centre, while Bayan Lepas is the largest town within the district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penang Island City Council</span> Local government of the city of George Town in Penang

The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) is the local government that administers the city of George Town, which includes the entirety of Penang Island. The city council, which has jurisdiction over an area of 306 km2 (118 sq mi), falls under the purview of the Penang state government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Penang Conurbation</span> Metropolitan area in Malaysia

The Greater Penang Conurbation, also known as the George Town Conurbation, is the built-up urban or metropolitan area within and around the Malaysian state of Penang. Encompassing all of Penang, and parts of the neighbouring states of Kedah and Perak, the conurbation was home to over 2.84 million people as of 2020, the second largest in the country after the Klang Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of George Town, Penang</span> Background of the city of George Town, Penang

George Town, the capital city of the State of Penang, is the second largest city in Malaysia and the economic centre of the country's northern region. The history of George Town began with its establishment by Captain Francis Light of the British East India Company in 1786. Founded as a free port, George Town became the first British settlement in Southeast Asia and prospered in the 19th century as one of the vital British entrepôts within the region. It briefly became the capital of the Straits Settlements, a British crown colony which also consisted of Singapore and Malacca.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rifle Range, Penang</span> Neighbourhood of George Town in Penang, Malaysia

Rifle Range is a residential neighbourhood within the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located 4.4 km (2.7 mi) west of the city centre, the neighbourhood was completed in the 1970s. Formerly a shooting range used by the British Army, low-cost flats were constructed within the area to provide affordable housing for the urban poor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arte S</span> Condominium in George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Arte S is a residential complex within George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located at the neighbourhood of Bukit Gambir, the complex consists of two residential towers, Tower A and Tower B.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kampong Serani</span> Neighbourhood of George Town in Penang, Malaysia

Kampong Serani is a residential neighbourhood within the downtown core of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located within the city centre, it is bounded by College Avenue to the west and Leandro's Lane to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central George Town, Penang</span> City centre of George Town in Penang, Malaysia

Central George Town is the city centre of George Town, the capital of the Malaysian state of Penang. It corresponds to the eponymous subdivision of George Town, which is mostly identical to the original city limits established when George Town was granted city status in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City Residence</span> Mixed-use complex in Penang, Malaysia

City Residence is a mixed-use complex within George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located at the suburb of Tanjong Tokong, the development consists of twin residential towers and a three-storey shopping mall named City Junction that forms the podium. Built by local developer Ivory Properties Group, each tower is designed as a low-density residence comprising only 101 units spread across 39 storeys, integrated with recreational and communal amenities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macallum Street Ghaut Flats</span> Neighbourhood of George Town in Penang, Malaysia

The Macallum Street Ghaut Flats form a residential neighbourhood within the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Situated within the city's central business district, they comprise seven blocks of public housing built on reclaimed land off Macallum Street Ghaut. The first apartment blocks were completed in 1985 and they remain among the few formalised low-cost housing areas in the vicinity of the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Lo, Tern Chern (30 Aug 2023). "Penang's People's Court awaits hopeful future". The Star . Retrieved 4 Apr 2024.
  2. 1 2 "REFSA Quarterly issue 1 2015" (PDF). REFSA. 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 June 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  3. 1 2 "George Town World Heritage Site: Population and Land Use Census 2009—2019" (PDF). Think City. 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Penang Past and Present, 1786-1963. George Town: George Town City Council. 1966. pp. 98–99.
  5. 1 2 Woo, Kuan Heong; Khoo, Suet Leng (Jun 2023). "Affordable Housing and Public Administration of a Historic City: The Perspective of a Local Community in a UNESCO World Heritage Site, George Town, Penang State of Malaysia". Journal of Urbanism International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability. Universiti Sains Malaysia via ResearchGate.
  6. 1 2 Ong, K. H. (12 Dec 2023). "Facelift for People's Court". Buletin Mutiara. Retrieved 4 Apr 2024.