ENGINEERING NOSTALGIA
INGENIEUR
Penang Port 1972
By Cheo Hong Keyong
The Penang Port was established in 1786 by the British East India Company as a free port to export Malayan commodities from Penang and the Peninsula to the West . However , the port lost its predominance after the founding of Singapore by Stamford Raffles in 1819 .
Subsequently , a tin mining boom in the Malay Peninsula and large tin exports led to the port ’ s growth .
The Port of Penang was later relocated from George Town to Butterworth to accommodate larger container vessels . Meanwhile , the remaining Swettenham Pier was redeveloped into a cruise shipping terminal in 2009 .
Source : Jabatan Penerangan Malaysia
80 VOL 92 OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2022