Port of Penang

Last updated
Port of Penang
Pelabuhan Pulau Pinang
Port of Penang, Seberang Perai 2024.jpg
Port of Penang
Click on the map for a fullscreen view
Location
Country Malaysia
Location Penang
Coordinates 5°24′57″N100°21′58″E / 5.4157°N 100.36603°E / 5.4157; 100.36603
UN/LOCODE MYNTL [1]
Details
Opened1786
Operated by Penang Port Commission
Type of harbour coastal natural
No. of berths 26 [2]
Draft depth 12.0 m. [2]
Statistics
Annual container volume1.52 million TEU(2017) [3]

The Port of Penang is a deepwater seaport within the Malaysian state of Penang. It consists of terminals along the Penang Strait, including five in Seberang Perai and one in George Town. The Port of Penang was the third busiest harbour in Malaysia in terms of cargo as of 2017, handling 1.52 million TEUs of cargo, as well as the busiest port-of-call within the country for cruise shipping. [3] [4]

Contents

Established in 1786 with the founding of Penang Island as a free port by the British East India Company, the Port of Penang was originally located in the port city of George Town. [5] [6] Under British rule, the Port of Penang played a crucial role in Penang's economy, which largely depended on maritime trade. However, the free port status was revoked by the Malaysian federal government in 1969. [7] [8] [9] [10] The Port of Penang was then relocated to Butterworth on the mainland in 1974 to facilitate the handling of larger container vessels. [11] [12] Today, the Port of Penang remains the main harbour and transshipment hub of northern Malaysia.

History

An 1814 print depicting vessels in George Town. Penang Museum historical painting N172b.jpg
An 1814 print depicting vessels in George Town.
The Port of Penang at Weld Quay, George Town in the 1910s. Land reclamation in the 1880s allowed for the expansion of the harbour. KITLV - 80020 - Kleingrothe, C.J. - Medan - Quay in Penang - circa 1910.tif
The Port of Penang at Weld Quay, George Town in the 1910s. Land reclamation in the 1880s allowed for the expansion of the harbour.
An Imperial Japanese Navy submarine at the Port of Penang in 1942. Japanese submarine I-10 at Penang port in 1942.jpg
An Imperial Japanese Navy submarine at the Port of Penang in 1942.

The Port of Penang was established with the founding of George Town by Francis Light in 1786. Light, who had been tasked by the British East India Company to form trade relations in the Malay Peninsula, deduced that by obtaining Penang Island, the British could check Dutch and French territorial ambitions in Southeast Asia. [13] [14] Due to its location in the Malacca Strait along the maritime trade route between India and China, the island could be put to use as a "convenient magazine for trade"; Light added that if "Malay, Bugis and Chinese will come to reside here, it will become the Exchange of the East if not loaded with impositions and restrictions". [6]

The Port of Penang, originally sited in George Town, was founded as a free port, meaning that goods could be traded without the imposition of taxes, duties or tariffs. [15] The measure was intended to attract merchants from the existing Dutch harbours in the region. Consequently, the number of incoming vessels increased exponentially from 85 in 1786 to 3,569 in 1802. [16] [5] [17] In the early 19th century, the Port of Penang became a major conduit for spice exports in Southeast Asia. [18] [19] [20] Spice harvested from agricultural farms throughout Penang would be shipped out for export from the harbours of George Town.

The primacy of the Port of Penang along the Malacca Strait was short-lived, however. After the founding of Singapore by Stamford Raffles in 1819, the Port of Singapore rapidly surpassed the Port of Penang as the preeminent harbour in the region, due to the former's more strategic geographic position. [21] [22] [23] [24]

In spite of that, the Port of Penang continued to prosper throughout the 19th century. External developments, such as the opening of the Suez Canal and the advent of steamships, meant that the Port of Penang became the first port-of-call east of the Indian subcontinent. [22] Meanwhile, the tin mining boom in the Malay Peninsula and southern Siam led to the growth of the Port of Penang as a major tin-exporting harbour, directly challenging the Port of Singapore. [21] [25] Tin from the Kinta Valley and Siam were transported to George Town for smelting, before being exported via the Port of Penang to European and American industries. [22] For several years in the late 19th century, tin exports from the Port of Penang, as well as tin imports into George Town, exceeded those of Singapore. [21]

In the late 1880s, a massive land reclamation in George Town was undertaken to allow for the expansion of the Port of Penang. [25] Following the land reclamation, coastal streets, such as Weld Quay, were created, while new piers and warehouses, including Swettenham Pier, were built. In addition, the first cross-strait ferry service between George Town and Butterworth was launched in 1894. [26] Ferries to Butterworth departed from the several piers along Weld Quay, such as Kedah Pier, Church Street Pier and the FMSR Pier.

During the Japanese occupation of Penang in World War II, the Port of Penang was put to use as a major Axis naval base. [27] [28] Between 1942 and 1944, George Town served as the port of call and a replenishment hub for the submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the Kriegsmarine (of Nazi Germany) and the Regia Marina (of the Kingdom of Italy). [29] [30] At the end of the war, British Royal Marine commandos landed at the Port of Penang on 3 September 1945 under Operation Jurist, liberating Penang Island by the end of the day.

Despite British assurances that George Town would retain its free port status after the independence of Malaya, the free port status was eventually revoked by the Malaysian federal government in 1969. [7] [8] [31] This sparked massive unemployment within Penang, and coupled with the rapid development of Port Klang near Kuala Lumpur, led to the decline of the Port of Penang's maritime trade, as Port Klang assumed the role as Malaysia's main seaport. [7] [9] [10] [32]

In 1974, the Port of Penang was relocated from George Town to Butterworth to accommodate larger container vessels. [11] [12] Since then, the Port of Penang's cargo and container operations are handled at six facilities in mainland Seberang Perai. Meanwhile, Swettenham Pier, the sole remaining harbour facility in George Town, was redeveloped into a cruise shipping terminal in 2009. [33] [34] The pier has since evolved into Malaysia's busiest harbour for cruise ships, overtaking Port Klang in 2017. [4]

Port of Butterworth.JPG
North Butterworth Container Terminal

Facilities

The Port of Penang consists of seven facilities along the Penang Strait. Six of these are located in Seberang Perai on the mainland, particularly the towns of Butterworth and Perai. Swettenham Pier is the Port's sole terminal on Penang Island. [35]

Location map of Penang 2023.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
North Butterworth Container Terminal
Red pog.svg
Butterworth Wharves
Red pog.svg
Vegetable Oil Pier
Red pog.svg
Dockyard
Red pog.svg
Prai Wharves
Red pog.svg
Prai Bulk Cargo Terminal
class=notpageimage|
Location of Port of Penang facilities
A cargo vessel at the Vegetable Oil Pier BUTTERWORTH DOCKS MALAYSIA JAN 2012 (7014895773).jpg
A cargo vessel at the Vegetable Oil Pier

The five cargo and container terminals are situated in Butterworth and Perai, whereas Swettenham Pier is the sole passenger-only cruise terminal.

LocationTerminalTypeNumber of berthsLength (m)Capacity (kTEU)Capacity (ton)
Butterworth North Butterworth Container Terminal [12] Container71,5002,000
Butterworth Wharves [36] Break-bulk cargo61,0502,500,000
Vegetable Oil Pier [36] Liquid-bulk cargo1136,970
Perai Perai Bulk Cargo Terminal [36] Dry-bulk cargo56323,900,000
Perai Wharves [36] Dry-bulk cargo
George Town Swettenham Pier Passenger3400

Operating statistics

The Port of Penang handled 1.52 million TEUs of container in 2016, making it the third largest Malaysian harbour by volume after Port Klang and Port of Tanjung Pelepas. [3] Meanwhile, Swettenham Pier has emerged as the busiest harbour in the country for cruise shipping, overtaking Port Klang in 2017. [4]

YearCargo TEU (millions)Note
20101.10 [37]
20111.19 [37]
20121.16 [37]
20131.23 [37]
20141.26 [37]
20151.31 [37]
20161.44 [38]
20171.52 [3]

See also

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 Strait of Malacca. 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">Port Klang</span> Town in Selangor, Malaysia

Port Klang is a town and the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Known during colonial times as Port Swettenham but renamed Port Klang in July 1972, it is the largest port in the country. It is located about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) southwest of the town of Klang, and 38 kilometres (24 mi) southwest of Kuala Lumpur.

<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">Port of Singapore</span> Port in Singapore

The Port of Singapore is the collection of facilities and terminals that conduct maritime trade and handle Singapore's harbours and shipping. It has been ranked as the top maritime capital of the world, since 2015. Currently the world's second-busiest port in terms of total shipping tonnage, it also transships a fifth of the world's shipping containers, half of the world's annual supply of crude oil, and is the world's busiest transshipment port. It was also the busiest port in terms of total cargo tonnage handled until 2010, when it was surpassed by the Port of Shanghai.

<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">Bukit Mertajam</span> Suburb of Seberang Perai and district capital in Penang, Malaysia

Bukit Mertajam is a suburb of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. It also serves as the seat of the Central Seberang Perai District. As of 2020, Bukit Mertajam had a population of 12,079.

<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">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">Penang Strait</span> Strait in Malaysia

The Penang Strait is an 11 kilometre-wide strait that separates Penang Island from mainland Malay Peninsula. Penang Island is to the west of the channel, while Seberang Perai, the mainland half of the State of Penang, is to the east. The northern and southern ends of the channel join the Strait of Malacca, one of the world's busiest maritime routes.

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

The State of Penang in Malaysia, home to the country's third largest city as well as part of Malaysia's second most populous conurbation, has a relatively well-developed transport infrastructure. The city-state is well-connected by land, air and sea; the Penang International Airport is one of Malaysia's busiest, while the Port of Penang is the main harbour and transshipment hub within northern Malaysia. The North–South Expressway, the main highway along western Peninsular Malaysia, runs through Penang, while the two geographically separate halves of the state are now linked by two bridges and a ferry service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North-East District (Penang)</span> District in Penang, Malaysia

The North-East District is a district within the Malaysian state of Penang. The district covers the northeastern half of Penang Island, including the centre of George Town, Penang's capital city. It has an area of 122.79 km2 (47.41 sq mi) and a population of 510,996 as of 2010. The district borders the South-West District to the south-west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butterworth railway station</span> Railway station in Butterworth, Malaysia

The Butterworth railway station is a Malaysian railway station located at and named after the town of Butterworth, Penang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysian Expressway System</span>

The Malaysian Expressway System is a network of national controlled-access expressways in Malaysia that forms the primary backbone network of Malaysian national highways. The network begins with the Tanjung Malim–Slim River tolled road which was opened to traffic on 16 March 1966, later North–South Expressway (NSE), and is being substantially developed. Malaysian expressways are built by private companies under the supervision of the government highway authority, Malaysian Highway Authority.

<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">Weld Quay, George Town</span>

Weld Quay is a coastal road in the city of George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. One of a handful of places worldwide that was named after a Prime Minister of New Zealand, the road runs along the city's eastern shoreline, connecting the Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu Expressway with Light Street and Beach Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal</span> Ferry slip in Penang, Malaysia

The Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal is a ferry slip within Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. Situated at Butterworth, this docking facility is used for the state's ferry service between the city and George Town, which lies across the Penang Strait.

<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">Swettenham Pier</span> Main pier for George Town, Pulau Pinang

Swettenham Pier is a pier within the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Established in 1904, it is the busiest port-of-call in Malaysia for cruise shipping. The pier plays a vital role as a major entry point for tourists into Penang, aside from the Penang International Airport and land connections.

<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.

References

  1. ↑ "UNLOCODE (MY) - MALAYSIA". service.unece.org. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Port of Penang, Malaysia". www.findaport.com. Shipping Guides Ltd. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Penang Port allocates RM186mil capex for two years". The Star. 2018-02-26. Retrieved 2018-03-13.
  4. 1 2 3 "Swettenham Pier surpasses Port Klang as top port of call for cruise ships". www.thesundaily.my. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  5. 1 2 Nordin, Hussin (1 December 2005). "Networks of Malay Merchants and the Rise of Penang as a Regional Trading Centre". Southeast Asian Studies. 43 (3): 215–237. ISSN   0563-8682.
  6. 1 2 Lewis, Su Lin (2016). Cities in Motion: Urban Life and Cosmopolitanism in Southeast Asia, 1920–1940. United Kingdom: Cambridge University. ISBN   9781107108332.
  7. 1 2 3 Daniel Goh, P. S. (2014). "Between History and Heritage: Post-Colonialism, Globalisation, and the Remaking of Malacca, Penang and Singapore" (PDF). Trans-Regional and -National Studies of Southeast Asia. 2.
  8. 1 2 Christie, Clive (1998). A Modern History of Southeast Asia: Decolonization, Nationalism and Separatism. I.B.Tauris. ISBN   978-1-86064-354-5.
  9. 1 2 Evelyn Teh (July 2016). "Where the Sea Meets the City is Where the World Meets Penang". Penang Monthly. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
  10. 1 2 "The man behind Penang's economic transformation". The Star . Retrieved 2017-11-30.
  11. 1 2 "The Mainland Awakens". Penang Monthly. 2016-09-01. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  12. 1 2 3 "Container Services". Port of Penang.
  13. ↑ "The Founding of Penang". www.sabrizain.org. Retrieved 2017-05-25.
  14. ↑ "History of Penang". Visit Penang. 2008. Archived from the original on 2 January 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  15. ↑ Ashley Jackson (November 2013). Buildings of Empire. OUP Oxford. pp. 7–. ISBN   978-0-19-958938-8.
  16. ↑ Nordin, Hussin. "Malaysian Journal of Society and Space" (PDF). Charting the early history of Penang trading networks and its connections with the new ASEAN growth triangle (Malaysia-Indonesia-Thailand).
  17. ↑ "pg.3 - Chapter 1 - Early Penang Society (contd)". 100pfs.blogspot.my. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  18. ↑ Souza, George Bryan (2014). Hinterlands and Commodities: Place, Space, Time and the Political Economic Development of Asia over the Long Eighteenth Century. BRILL. ISBN   9789004283909.
  19. ↑ Ooi, Kee Beng (2014). "When Penang Became A Spice Island". Penang Monthly. Retrieved 2017-05-25.
  20. ↑ Khoo, Su Nin (2007). Streets of George Town, Penang . Penang: Areca Books. ISBN   978-983-9886-00-9.
  21. 1 2 3 Wong, Yee Tuan (2015). Penang Chinese Commerce in the 19th Century: The Rise and Fall of the Big Five. Singapore: ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. ISBN   978-981-4515-02-3.
  22. 1 2 3 Turnbull, C. M. "The Penang Story". Penang's Changing Role in the Straits Settlements, 1826–1946.
  23. ↑ "Singapore becomes admin centre of the Straits Settlements - Singapore History". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  24. ↑ Khoo, Salma Nasution (2009). Penang and Its Region: The Story of an Asian Entrepôt. Singapore: National University of Singapore. ISBN   978-9971-69-423-4.
  25. 1 2 Langdon, Marcus (2014). George Town's Historic Commercial and Civic Precincts. Penang: George Town World Heritage Incorporated.
  26. ↑ Cheah, Jin Seng (2013). Penang: 500 Early Postcards. Editions Didier Millet. ISBN   9789671061718.
  27. ↑ "uboat.net - U-boat Operations- The Monsun U-boats - 3. Monsun boats". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  28. ↑ "German U-Boat Operations in Australian Waters".
  29. ↑ "World War II: Yanagi Missions -- Japan's Underwater Convoys | HistoryNet". www.historynet.com. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  30. ↑ Borsa, Arnaldo. "Italian Royal Navy in World War Two: Italian surface units in Far East". www.icsm.it. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  31. ↑ Koay, Su Lin (October 2016). "Penang: The Rebel State (Part Two)". Penang Monthly. Retrieved 2017-11-26.
  32. ↑ Rasiah, Rajah (December 1991). "Foreign Firms in Penang's Industrial Transformation". Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia .
  33. ↑ "Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal". Port of Penang.
  34. ↑ "Malaysia: A Preferred Cruise Destination" (PDF). Tourism Malaysia.
  35. ↑ "General Info". Port of Penang.
  36. 1 2 3 4 "Cargo Services". Port of Penang.
  37. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Annual Report 2015" (PDF). Penang Port Commission.
  38. ↑ "Stacking up MMC's ports against Westports". The Edge Markets. 2017-05-02. Retrieved 2018-03-13.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.