page_title: History of George Town, Penang
section_title: 2008–present
hierarchical_section_title: History of George Town, Penang / Post-independence / 2008–present
caption_attribution_description: English: Aerial view of the old town of George Town, Malaysia, with Jalan Pintal Tali, formerly known as Rope Walk, running off Jalan Lim Chwee Leong (foreground).Magyar: George Town óvárosának egy része, Penang
context_page_description: George Town, the capital city of the State of Penang, is the second largest city in Malaysia and the economic centre of the country's northern region. The history of George Town began with its establishment by Captain Francis Light of the British East India Company in 1786. Founded as a free port, George Town became the first British settlement in Southeast Asia and prospered in the 19th century as one of the vital British entrepôts within the region. It briefly became the capital of the Straits Settlements, a British crown colony which also consisted of Singapore and Malacca.
  During World War II, George Town was militarily occupied by the Japanese Empire between 1941 and 1945. At the war's end, it became the first city in British Malaya to be liberated, under Operation Jurist. Following the dissolution of the Straits Settlements in 1946, Penang was merged into the Federation of Malaya. Despite a secessionist movement that originated from the city, the merger with Malaya went ahead and the federation attained independence from the British Empire in 1957.
context_section_description: In 2008, a large part of the George Town city centre, along with Malacca, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nearly 260 hectares (640 acres) of the city centre now comes under UNESCO protection, which controls and prohibits infrastructural changes within the zone to maintain the integrity of the city's historical core.
  Concurrently, the new Penang state government, under Pakatan Rakyat (now Pakatan Harapan), implemented various policy changes to improve George Town's liveability and cleanliness, as well as boosting the city's economic competitiveness. Efforts to improve hygiene and pedestrianisation, as well as the use of public transportation, the promotion of the city's cultural diversity and improvements in traffic flow, were implemented. By 2010, George Town was ranked the eighth most liveable city in Asia by ECA International, the highest ranking attained by a Malaysian city. In 2017, the city was also rated the second cleanest within Malaysia, after Ipoh.
  Moreover, George Town, as the economic and financial centre of northern Malaysia, is now home to a vibrant services sector, augmented by its booming tourism, retail and startup industries, while a growing number of expatriates and returning Penangite émigrés have repurposed the city's heritage properties for business enterprises. In 2016, George Town was ranked the most attractive destination for commercial property investment within Malaysia by Knight Frank, surpassing even Kuala Lumpur.
  
  In 2015, the Malaysian federal government elevated the Penang Island Municipal Council into the present-day Penang Island City Council; in effect, the jurisdiction of the city of George Town was expanded to cover the entirety of Penang Island, as well as five of the surrounding islets. This also makes George Town the only Malaysian city to have been conferred city status twice. Patahiyah Ismail became the first Mayor of Penang Island, as well as the first female Mayor in Penang's history.
caption: A large portion of the city centre has been gazetted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.
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