From its beginnings in the late eighteenth century, the vibrant colonial port of Penang attracted a diverse range of people and encouraged pioneering commercial enterprises. A place of inter-ethnic collaboration and inter-cultural borrowings, the island came to be known as the 'Pearl of the Orient' and for many travellers was the first port of call in Southeast Asia. In the nineteenth century, Singapore displaced Penang in long distance trade, but the island remained a major focus of regional trade. For this reason, the story of Penang's relations with the Malay Peninsula and neighbouring...