Penang

The Penang Free School is recognized as the first public school in Malaysia. It was founded by the Colonial Chaplain Reverend Hutchings and open ('free') to children from all races.

Penang - then called Prince of Wales Island - was the first base of the East India company in the Malay archipelago, having obtained it from the Sultan of Kedah in 1786. Until the tin and rubber booms, the settlement of Penang was fledgling being located too far North of the Melaka Straits. Later the EIC also obtained control over Melaka and founded Singapore. These three territories where fused into the Straits Settlements, that remained into existence until the formation of the Malayan Union in 1946.

Penang subsequently played a key role as a processing and exporting center for tin and rubber, before turning into a electronics manufacturing base.