Penang’s French Connection of Education and Culture

“Then, it was Penang. On a morning of emerald and gold, the city rose from the sea like the miraculous finery of a forgotten queen. Thatched houses rose from the slopes, Chinese temples reached for the sky, and mosques with bulbous domes bore witness to another faith. The narrow, winding streets were teeming with a multi-coloured crowd of Chinese, Malays, Indians, Arabs and Europeans. The scent of spices and flowers wafted through the air, and the high-pitched cries of hawkers pierced the hubbub.” André Malraux, La Condition Humaine ^[1]

WITH ITS PICTURESQUE and eclectic tones, this extract bears witness to France’s long-standing attraction to the island of Penang, and its cosmopolitan and multi-faith identity. Fast forward to 2018, we saw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to link a French and a Malaysian city—Arles and Penang—both aspiring to cooperate closely in the arts, culture, heritage and social development.^[2]