page_title: Penang
section_title: Governance and law
hierarchical_section_title: Penang / Governance and law
caption_attribution_description: English: The Residency (Seri Mutiara) in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia, serves as the official residence of the Governor of Penang.
context_page_description: Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. They are connected by Malaysia's two longest road bridges, the Penang Bridge and the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge; the latter is also, as of May 2019, the longest oversea bridge in Southeast Asia. The second smallest Malaysian state by land mass, Penang is bordered by Kedah to the north and the east, and Perak to the south.
  Penang's population stood at nearly 1.767 million as of 2018, while its population density rose to 1,684/km². It has among the nation's highest population densities and is one of the country's most urbanised states. Seberang Perai is Malaysia's second largest city by population. Its heterogeneous population is highly diverse in ethnicity, culture, language and religion. Aside from the three main races, the Malays, Chinese, and Indians, Penang is home to significant Eurasian, Siamese and expatriate communities. George Town is also home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
context_section_description: Penang, being a former British crown colony, is one of only four Malaysian states without hereditary monarchies. The head of state of Penang is the Governor (Malay: Yang di-Pertua Negeri), who is appointed by the King of Malaysia (Malay: Yang di-Pertuan Agong). The present Governor of Penang, Abdul Rahman Abbas, assumed office in 2001. In practice, the Governor is a figurehead whose functions are chiefly symbolic and ceremonial.
  The Penang state government has its own executive council and legislature, but they have relatively limited powers in comparison with those of the Malaysian federal government. According to the Malaysian Federal Constitution, the state may legislate on matters pertaining to Malay customs, land, agriculture and forestry, local government, civil and water works, and state administration, whereas matters that fall under the joint purview of both state and federal authorities include social welfare, wildlife protection and national parks, scholarships, husbandry, town planning, drainage and irrigation, and public health and health regulations.
  The Constitution of Penang, codified in 1957, embodies the state's highest laws. Consisting of 42 articles, the constitution pertains to the proceedings and powers of the state government.
caption: The Residency, the official residence of the Governor of Penang.
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