GEORGE TOWN, July 17 — The name George Town has long been recognised both in Malaysia and internationally, making it unnecessary to consider changing the name of Penang’s capital.

State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman, Wong Hon Wai, said George Town was also listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.

"This international recognition affirms George Town’s position as a premier tourist destination in Malaysia, attracting visitors from all over the world.

"The name George Town has been known for a long time and there is no issue concerning the name of the place,” he said when contacted by Bernama today, in response to Penang PAS’ call to the state government to restore the original name of George Town, Tanjung Penaga, which the party claims represent a ‘Malaysian identity’.

Wong also said that the name Tanjong had been raised in the Dewan Rakyat and named one of the parliamentary constituencies in Penang.

"Therefore, there is no issue or problem concerning the name of the place,” he said.

According to the official portal of the Penang government, before the name Penang became popular, the residents of Seberang Perai knew the island part of Penang as Tanjong Penaga, named after the ‘penaga’ tree that grew around the site of Fort Cornwallis.

It is believed that the name or its abbreviation Tanjong was still used in land grants issued by the government until the 1800s.

The portal also stated that until today, the name Tanjong is still familiar to the residents of Penang and Seberang Perai when referring to George Town. — Bernama