Penang

Tourism Malaysia Penang Branch

56th floor, komtar. phone:+60 4 261-0058 / 264-3494. fax:+60 4 262-3688 [email protected]

Penang Tourism Action Council

(http://www.tourismpenang....) 56th floor, komtar, ☎ +60 4 262-0202, fax:+60 4 263-1020 [email protected]

Tourism Malaysia

(http://www.tourism.gov.my). penang tourist centre, bangunan penang port bhd, pesara king edward. ☎ +60 4 261-6663 penang development corporation tourism division, 1 persiaran mahsuri, bayan baru. ☎ +60 4 643-2111, fax:+60 4 643-2405 tourism information centre, level 3, concourse komtar. phone:+60 4 261-4461 tourism malaysia penang branch, 56th floor, komtar. phone:+60 4 261-0058 / 264-3494. fax:+60 4 262-3688 [email protected]

Penang Heritage Trust

26 church street, (http://www.pht.org.my), ☎ +60 4 264-2631. fax+60 4 262-8421, [email protected].

Penang Development Corporation Tourism Division

1 persiaran mahsuri, bayan baru. ☎ +60 4 643-2111, fax:+60 4 643-2405

Penang Tourist Centre

Bangunan penang port bhd, pesara king edward. ☎ +60 4 261-6663

Penang is relatively a very safe place for travellers, however like in any other place, Penang has its share of crime, so common precautions must be taken against snatch-thieves and scams. Some other precautions:

Don't walk alone in dark and deserted places.

Don't accept rides from Kereta Sapu passenger car / unlicensed taxi.

Don't carry valuables in motorbike-baskets.

Don't leave valuables in hotel rooms.

Don't place valuables on restaurant tables.

Do be wary of snatch-thieves - especially when wearing jewelry and/or carrying bags. Some of these felons practice the art of 'ride-by' snatching of ladies' handbags which can result in serious injury to the victim. So ladies: walk against traffic and keep the handbag on the side away from the road or better still, don't carry one.

Do be wary of the sometimes aggressive long-tail macaques at the botanical gardens.

Be careful about your surroundings in waters off Batu Feringhi beach, where you may be harmed by unregulated jet skis and/at other water activities.

Look both ways when you cross the road.

But don't be too paranoid and enjoy Penang.

cope

Immigration Dept Georgetown Office

(http://www.imi.gov.my) Beach St, ☎ +60 4 250-3410, Fax:+60 4 262-8090

Consulates in Penang

Australia

(http://www.australia.org.my) 1-C Hutton Lane, ☎ +60 4 263-1114 Fax:+60 4 263-3320, [email protected].

Bangladesh

15 Bishop St, ☎ +60 4 262-1085

Canada

3007 Tkt. Perusahaan 5, Kaw Perusahaan Perai, ☎ +60 4 389-3300

Denmark

1st Floor Wisma Rajab, 82 Bishop St, ☎ +60 4 262-4886 Fax:+60 4 261-4963

Finland

8th Floor Wisma Penang Garden, 42 Jl Sultan Ahmad Shah, ☎ +60 4 229-4300 Fax:+60 4 227-4533

France

2nd Floor Wisma Rajab, 82 Bishop St, ☎ +60 4 262-9707

'Germany,' Plot 205-206 Jl Kampung Jawa, Free Industrial Zone 3, , ☎ +60 4 641-5707

Hungary

Plot 226-228 Jalan Kampung Jawa Free Industrial Zone 3, Phone:+60 4 644-9937

Indonesia

467 Burma Rd, (http://www.kbrikl.org.my), ☎ +60 4 227-4686

Japan

Level 28, Menara, BHL, 51 Jl Sultan Ahmad Shah, (http://www.penang.my.emb-...), ☎ +60 4 226-3030, Fax:+60 4 226-1030. Office hour: Weekdays, closed on Weekends & Public Holidays. Office: 8:30AM-12:30PM, 2PM-5PM. Visa counter: 8:30AM-12PM, 2PM-4PM.

Netherlands

202 Jl Sultan Azlan Shah, ☎ +60 4 647-3333

Norway

4 Jl Sepoy Lines, , ☎ +60 4 226-3459

Russia

37 Green Hall, , ☎ +60 4 262-2944

Sri Lanka

1 Bishop St, ☎ +60 4 261-3093

Sweden

3rd Floor, Standard Chartered Bank Chambers, 2 Beach St, ☎ +60 4 262-5333

United Kingdom

3rd Floor, Standard Chartered Bank Chambers, 2 Beach St, ☎ +60 4 262-5333

Thailand

1 JlTunku Abdul Rahman, ☎ +60 4 226-8029,+60 4 226-9484, Fax:+60 4 226-3121, [email protected]. Office hour for visa applications: 9AM-noon, closed on Malay and Thai holidays.

Turkey

3rd Floor, Standard Chartered Bank Chambers, 2 Beach St, ☎ +60 4 262-5333

talk

Almost all locals in Penang are able to speak Malay, the national language of Malaysia. The ethnic Chinese in Penang who form the majority usually speak a localized variant of Hokkien known as Penang Hokkien, which Minnan speakers from Taiwan and Fujian may have some difficulty understanding due to the slang and some loan words from Malay. Most ethnic Chinese are also able to speak Mandarin, and many are also able to speak Cantonese. Ethnic Indians usually converse with each other in Tamil and ethnic Malays usually converse with each other in Malay, but quite a good number of Indian and Malay Penangites can converse in Hokkien.

English is spoken fluently by most professionals and businessmen, as well as by service staff working in hotels and tourist attractions. Most other locals under the age of 50 will be able to communicate in broken English, supplemented by non-verbal forms of communication such as pointing and gesturing. When in doubt, gravitate toward younger locals, as English is a required subject in Malaysian schools. Nearly all teenagers or adults in their 20s or 30s should be able to speak reasonably fluent English.