Language

Penangites comprise mainly of three main ethnicities – the Chinese, Malays and Indians. Penang is the only state in Malaysia with an ethnic Chinese majority which explains why many Chinese cultural and religious festivals are celebrated here on a large scale.

Nonetheless, the Malay and Indian communities’ influence form the very essence of the state and this is evident in many of the buildings, food and local dialects.

Although Bahasa Malaysia or Malay is the national language, English is widely spoken here. Many tourists are surprised and impressed by the level of proficiency.

What makes Penang unique however, is the Hokkien dialect spoken by the Chinese community. Unlike in other states, the more popular Cantonese and Mandarin take a backseat to the unique Hokkien dialect brought here by the early Chinese settlers from the Fujian Province in China.

Penangites are a friendly lot and are more than happy to share their knowledge on local customs and must see places – indeed, nothing beats a local’s perspective!