GEORGE TOWN: Once upon a time, Penang island was known to the Thais as Koh Maak (Number One Island).
The Thais had preferred the place to seek an English education and even nicknamed it “the other London”, according to the Penang Heritage Trust’s (PHT) website.
In fact, the tomb of Thailand’s first prime minister, Phraya Manopakorn Nititada, is found within the grounds of a Siamese temple (Wat Pinbang Onn) in Jalan Masjid Negeri here.
“Born Kon Hutasingha in 1884, he became prime minister after the 1932 coup that turned Siam into a constitutional monarchy.
“Initially seen as neutral, his authoritarian policies later led to a counter-coup in 1933, forcing him into exile in Penang, then known as British Malaya,” said PHT president Clement Liang.
“He lived in Burmah Lane before settling in Bagan Jermal, where roads such as Jalan Mano and Solok Mano now bear his name.
“Phraya Mano continued to reside in Penang until his death on Oct 1, 1948, at the age of 64, and he was buried at Wat Pinbang Onn,” he said in an interview.
Liang said the tomb was only temporary and that the remains would be formally cremated after a period of internment in accordance with Thai dignitary burial traditions.
“The ashes are now preserved at Wat Pathumwanaram in Bangkok,” he added.
Liang said the tomb epitomised a strong Siamese heritage in Penang.
He added that Phraya Mano’s sister-in-law, whom he had brought along to stay in Penang after his wife died, lived in Solok Mano until she died in 2017.
“She was the primary source of information and an eyewitness to many events in the Thai royal family and politicians who were exiled to Penang in 1935,” said Liang.
PHT, which started in 1986, works towards promoting the conservation of Penang’s tangible and intangible heritage.
Social and intellectual history professor Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Murad Merican, who has conducted extensive research on the country’s origins, said Thai influence was prevalent in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia.
“States such as Penang, Kedah, Perak and Kelantan, which are geographically connected, have overlapping histories and strong ties between their populations.
“Similarly, our local influence extends into Thailand’s southern Patani province, which borders Malaysia,” he said.
The preservation of foreign dignitaries’ tombs is historically significant, according to Prof Ahmad Murad, but local pioneers have been underappreciated.
“Over the years, the narrative of Penang’s establishment, including its heritage and leadership, has often been linked to foreigners.
“Local pioneers, such as those from Batu Uban, are frequently forgotten.
“For example, Penang’s oldest Muslim cemetery, located at the Batu Uban Mosque and established in the 1730s, now holds around 400 graves.
“Among them is the grave of Datuk Jenaton, a Minangkabau leader who travelled from Batu Bara to Kedah and Penang before settling here in 1749, long before the arrival of Captain Francis Light, the British explorer credited as the founder of Penang.
“Other notable graves are such as those of Nakhoda Nan Intan (Haji Muhammad Salleh) from the 1700s, as well as Syed Sheikh Al-Hady and Sheikh Omar Basheer, both of whom were prominent figures not only in Penang but across the region,” he said.
Batu Lanchang assemblyman Ong Ah Teong has since embarked on an initiative to promote tombs of historical figures, including those of locals.
These include the grave of shipping merchant Khoo Tiong Poh and the house of columnist cum publisher Syed Sheikh Syed Ahmad Al-Hadi, who died in 1892 and 1934 respectively.
“I hope heritage agencies will consider promoting and recognising this site,” he said.
George Town is now listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, thanks mainly to its cultural diversity and layered history, its living intangible cultural heritage and its historical townscape.
Ong said Malaysians should learn to preserve places where cultural resonance and historical friendships can be rekindled, like in Penang, irrespective of them being local or foreign community leaders.
Others buried in Penang included British explorer Captain Francis Light.
His tomb can be found at the Old Protestant Cemetery in Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah. Light died from malaria on Oct 21, 1794.
