Tanjung Tokong has the historical honour of being the only urban village left on the Northeast Coast district, closest to George Town. Early Malay and Chinese maritime communities are under siege with the recent development of luxury residential and commercial properties.
The malay community of Kampung Tanjong Tokong needs to showcase its long history in the area, its peaceful co-existence with the Chinese community and its living heritage. Family histories here go back over 300 years and some families have actually drawn up their complex genealogies from the time of Captain Francis Light and before. This is unique to Penang’s urban history when you consider that Tanjung Tokong is even older than George Town.
My proposal here to conserve and restore Kampung Tanjong Tokong into a national heritage village (Kampung Warisan) is part of a larger attempt to restore the heritage of coastal Malays (and Chinese). Malay waterfront villages (kampung gigi air) are fast being demolished and replaced by upmarket seafront homes for the rich.
Although Kampung Tanjong Tokong currently appears to be in shambles, there is a vibrant living community waiting to be rediscovered. The day market (pasar pagi), night market (pasar malam) and Pasar Ramadhan are among the more famous traditional pasar on the island. The mosque is very active in the afternoon and night and the Kampung is famous for its Malay food which includes mee kuah udang and tom yam. There is also plenty of historical evidence to demonstrate that the village dates back more than 200 years; years before Captain Francis Light established a permanent British settlement on the island.
