NEVER in Malaysia – except for Mount Kinabalu in Sabah – has there been a peak that has such a close affinity with its community than Penang Hill.
While the Kinabalu Range is the country's highest mountain, there is nothing spectacular about the hill in Penang other than being the highest peak of about 833 metres above sea level on the island.
It is even lower than the highest peak in northern Malaysia, the Gunung Tahan, which is 2,187m above the sea.
But there is something exciting about this island's landmark – some alluring element.
Ask any Penangite and chances are, they have visited the hill at least once in their lifetime with the tram/train cited as one of the main attractions.
It is also the main trekking site in Penang, as its range covers major hilly forestry parts of the northeast and southwest districts.
Penang Hill's allure is not just confined to residents. Tourists, both foreign and local, come in droves to visit the peak until it caused the train to break down during the peak holiday season last year due to the constant trips the service had to ensure.
Naturally, the hill is now regarded as a must-see attraction.
The state government saw the hill’s potential not just for tourism but for its flora and fauna. Hence the move to form a Penang Hill Corporation to manage the hill, while atop the hill, is one of the unique attractions called the Biosphere Reserve.
In 2021, the International Coordinating Council of Unesco's man and biosphere programme certified Penang Hill as one of its distinguished members.
It was reported that with this designation, the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, which comprises 12,481 hectares of marine and terrestrial ecosystems, will be counted among a distinguished global network of 714 Biosphere Reserves from 129 nations.
And helping to prop up the accreditation is The Habitat atop Penang Hill, a private entity with funders from Hong Kong, which aims to generate conservation and preservation as a cause for sustainable tourism.
With the impending cable car project as another attraction, it is looking up for Penang Hill, says the corporation's general manager Datuk Cheok Lay Leng.
Cheok, a former executive of a multinational corporation, brings a global perspective to how the hill should be managed and function.
He echoed the belief that some form of commercialism on the hill can be balanced with the care towards protecting the fragile ecology of the hill.
This year, the attention span on the hill is expected to be longer, as it marks the 100th anniversary of the tram/train service.
To mark the occasion, there was a launch of a book entitled ‘The Great Hill. A History of Penang’.
It is a joint venture between the corporation and think tank Penang Institute.
The author is Enzo Sim, one of the young technocrats, who has a passion for the hill.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow was there to help launch the book.
Later at a discourse about the book – with the participants comprising Cheok, Sim, Allen Tan, the managing director of The Habitat and Ahman Chik, a veteran hill activist – it was pointed out that almost everyone of importance graced their presence at the hill since the rail track was built 100 years ago.
From the time the British founded it as the first hill station in the Asean region, the peak has overseen many transformative changes beneath her range.
The hill had greeted up to 1.362 million visitors last year despite the fears of the pandemic, said Chow.
"It is truly a remarkable achievement."
Visitors aside, Chow said that he was thrilled to read the historical anecdotes of what the hill stood for in the minds of many talented Penangites – both past and present.
The book details why the hill has a colourful history to why it is now seen as a precious ecology landmark. The renowned civil activists of Penang had formed a non-governmental organisation called the Penang Hills Watch to monitor what transpires on the hill.
Sim explained the inspiration behind the book, and largely why it has become a must-see attraction in Penang, which by itself, is a leading tourism destination.
“As a Penangite who is highly passionate about the history of Penang, writing the remarkable history of Penang Hill, a place that I have always held dearly in my heart since childhood, was not an easy task to accomplish,” Sim said.
The book captures the tales of Penang Hill’s transformation and profound legacy from various aspects in the form of a short, informative, and easily readable history.
As the legendary British prime minister Winston Churchill was quoted to have said: "Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
"History never repeats itself. Every single historical moment is distinct from those past. However, we must learn from our mistakes so that we do not run the risk of repeating them," the wartime leader said.
And with that, visitors to the hill should not just breathe in the flora and fauna of the biosphere, nor merely hike around the forests. They must also comprehend its history, and how it has come to be a beacon of Penang's past, present and hopefully future. – The Vibes, March 24, 2023 ends
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