Exploring Old Penang For those interested in the colonial history of Singapore and Malaysia, a trip to Penang is a delight. The oldest British settlement in Southeast Asia, Penang was ceded to Francis Light on behalf of the British East India Company in 1786. In return for the island, Light agreed to provide military protection […]
Malaysia
The Other Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
As a former British Colony, Singapore has been awash with news of the Queen’s Jubilee, which falls on Tuesday, June 5. Walking around the city yesterday, however, I couldn’t help but remember the first British queen to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee. Signs of the Queen – Victoria that is – can still be found throughout […]
The Blue Mansion (Penang)
Singapore, together with Penang and Melaka in Malaysia, formed a triumvirate of British colonial presence in Southeast Aia. All were, at one point, trade centers for this vast empire, and much of their colorful past remains to be viewed by those interested in the history. After a trip to Melaka earlier this year, we set […]