IN REFERENCE to “Penang’s new chapter written on the mainland” by Imran Hilmy (Pinang Points, StarMetro, Aug 4), I fully agree with the writer that Penang mainland needs a stronger identity beyond being an industrial heartland.
With that in mind, have we ever asked why we cannot refer to the Penang mainland as “Tanah Besar Pinang” in Bahasa Melayu, instead of Seberang Perai?
I am not the first person to ask this. Twelve years ago, The Star raised a similar question in “Penang is not just the island” on Aug 15, 2014.
Since then it has been brought up in a number of letters published.
The word seberang means “across” or “the other side” in Bahasa Melayu.
So, why must the mainland be viewed as seberang when the island is also across from the mainland?
Also, few know that the term Seberang Perai referred to the other side of Sungai Perai, from Kedah’s border towards the then British-administered mainland strip.
In both cases, I sincerely believe the Penang mainland should stand tall with a name that fully describes it on its own.
And that strong identity is “Tanah Besar Pinang”, or the Penang Mainland, which would better write a delightful and magnetic new chapter.
Like many before me, I also agree that at the same time, instead of Pulau Pinang, the name of the state should have been simply Pinang (without the word “Pulau”) to respect the mainland, which is both larger and more populous.
SAZALI HASHIM
George Town
