GEORGE TOWN – Penang’s history has re-emerged as a contentious topic due to the many versions that cropped up after its capital George Town was accorded World Heritage Site status by Unesco in 2008, said a history author.
But what is certain to Marcus Langdon, who has written several historical accounts of the state, is that a treaty was signed in the late 1700s between Kedah ruler Abdullah Mukarram Shah and Penang’s founder Sir Capt Francis Light.
The founding of Penang in 1786 was a verbal agreement between the Kedah sultan and Light, he told The Vibes, adding that five years later, Kedah forces assembled to retake Penang from colonial powers under Light.
“But, Light launched a pre-emptive strike, and the invasion was held back by Kedah, after which, the sultanate agreed to broker a treaty with Light.”
He said Kedah wanted to strike back at Light because he rescinded his earlier promise to help the state ward off attacks by the Siamese kingdom.
Elaborating, Langdon said the Kedah Sultanate was always keen to have a British base in Penang because it could help it resist Siam’s constant threats.
So, it was amenable for Kedah to work with Light, who knew the royalty well, but essentially, his role in the then British Empire was just as a “messenger”.
He was neither a British colonial officer nor someone with the British East India Company trading conglomerate until later, when he took control of Penang.
British East India at times took orders from the British Crown Office, which kept both Light and the Kedah Sultanate waiting on the proposed deal to surrender Penang to the Brits in exchange for their help fighting the Siamese, said Langdon.
Britain did not want to openly offend the Siamese kingdom, he said, so it opted to quietly not help Kedah, which in turn got angry with Light for not keeping his promise of aid.
Another treaty inked was on the acquisition of Province Wellesley in 1800, where the original border was extended twice since 1831 to the present one, said Langdon.
He added that the Kedah branch of the Malaysian Historical Society may have its own version of events.
The state chapter has renewed calls for Putrajaya to review the history surrounding Light.
Its chairman Ibrahim Bakar told a webinar yesterday that the federal government should review Penang’s history, alleging that there was no treaty signed in 1786 between Kedah and Light.
Research by local historians and International Islamic University Malaysia Prof Datuk Ahmad Murad Merican found that no treaty was inked between Abdullah and Light, contrary to what is in history books, he said.
According to conventional history, Penang and Province Wellesley – now known as Seberang Prai – were ceded to the now defunct British East India for an annual fee of 10,000 Spanish pesos in 1786 and 1800.
Ibrahim said the historical society has no plans for Kedah to reacquire the island state, but wants to set the record straight in terms of historical perspective.
“In our minds, Penang was forcibly seized from Kedah at that time, as the Kedah sultan was preoccupied with the conflict with Siam.”
Murad said the narrative needs to be changed so that present and future generations can understand the historical context of Penang and Kedah.
The issue came to light when Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor recently told the state assembly that Penang is a state leased from Kedah, so Penangites should not criticise its neighbour for its affairs.
“If we lease someone’s land, and then we become angry with the landlord we lease it from, that is not appropriate.” – The Vibes, September 25, 2021
.jpeg)
