- 1. What is the capital city of Penang?
A) Ipoh
B) Kuala Lumpur
C) Butterworth
D) George Town
- 2. Which sea borders Penang to the north and east?
A) Sulu Sea
B) South China Sea
C) Philippine Sea
D) Andaman Sea
- 3. What is the iconic hill that overlooks George Town?
A) Penang Hill
B) Cameron Highlands
C) Genting Highlands
D) Bukit Bintang
- 4. What year was Penang founded?
A) 1786
B) 1810
C) 1795
D) 1804
- 5. Which is a popular beach destination in Penang?
A) Kuta
B) Pulau Perhentian
C) Batu Ferringhi
D) Langkawi
- 6. What is the name of Penang's capital's famous fort?
A) Fort Cornwallis
B) Fort Sumter
C) Fort Williams
D) Fort Knox
- 7. Which bridge connects Penang Island to the mainland?
A) George Washington Bridge
B) Penang Bridge
C) Langkawi Sky Bridge
D) Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge
- 8. What is Penang’s primary economic activity?
A) Mining
B) Tourism
C) Fishing
D) Farming
- 9. What is the name of the famous street in George Town known for its street art?
A) Armenian Street
B) Batu Ferringhi
C) Jalan Alor
D) Chulia Street
- 10. What is Penang colloquially referred to as?
A) Garden State
B) "Pearl of the Orient" and "The Island of Pearls"
C) City of Lights
D) Emerald Isle
- 11. Which Malaysian state shares a border with Penang to the north?
A) Negeri Sembilan
B) Kedah
C) Johor
D) Perak
- 12. What was Penang's export value in 2024?
A) RM300 billion (US$75 billion)
B) RM400 billion (US$100 billion)
C) RM600 billion (US$150 billion)
D) RM495 billion (US$119.57 billion)
- 13. Who established Penang in 1786?
A) Francis Light
B) Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles
C) James Brooke
D) Sir Stamford Raffles
- 14. What was the original name of Penang Island given by Admiral Zheng He?
A) Ko Mak
B) Pulo Pinaom
C) Bīngláng Yǔ
D) Pulo Ka Satu
- 15. What was the original Malay name for Penang Island?
A) Pulo Ka Satu
B) Pulau Pinang
C) Bīngláng Yǔ
D) Ko Mak
- 16. What was the annual payment to Sultan Abdullah for Penang Island initially?
A) 6,000 Spanish dollars
B) 5,000 Spanish dollars
C) 10,000 Spanish dollars
D) 8,000 Spanish dollars
- 17. What was the name of Penang Island after it was renamed by Francis Light?
A) George Town Island
B) Kedah Island
C) Light's Isle
D) Prince of Wales Island
- 18. In which year did Penang become a separate presidency of British India?
A) 1832
B) 1805
C) 1824
D) 1786
- 19. What was the name given to the strip of hinterland across the Penang Strait secured by Lieutenant-Governor George Leith?
A) Light's Province
B) Province Wellesley
C) Penang Mainland
D) George Town Hinterland
- 20. Which year marked the beginning of direct British rule in Penang?
A) 1826
B) 1805
C) 1832
D) 1867
- 21. Who used George Town as a center for political activities aimed at overthrowing the Qing dynasty?
A) Ho Chi Minh
B) Sun Yat-sen
C) Chiang Kai-shek
D) Rudyard Kipling
- 22. What was Penang's status within the Straits Settlements in 1826?
A) Trade hub
B) Port city
C) Military base
D) Capital of the Straits Settlements
- 23. What was Penang's primary financial center towards the end of the 19th century?
A) Malaya's primary financial centre
B) British India's main trade hub
C) Asia's leading tin exporter
D) Southeast Asia's largest port
- 24. Which British crown colony did Penang become part of in 1867?
A) Federated Malay States
B) British Malaya
C) Straits Settlements
D) Malacca Province
- 25. Which Imperial German Navy cruiser sank two Allied warships off George Town during World War I?
A) Scharnhorst
B) SMS Emden
C) Bismarck
D) Graf Spee
- 26. On what date did Penang fall to the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II?
A) 15 February 1942
B) 8 December 1941
C) 25 October 1944
D) 19 December 1941
- 27. What was Penang Island renamed to after its capture by Japan?
A) Nippon-jima
B) Tojo-to
C) Rangoon-shima
D) Manila-to
- 28. Which policy led to the massacre of Chinese civilians in Penang under Japanese rule?
A) Kamikaze
B) Fukoku kyohei
C) Zaibatsu
D) Sook Ching
- 29. What operation led to the liberation of George Town on 3 September 1945?
A) Operation Jurist
B) Operation Overlord
C) Operation Torch
D) Operation Market Garden
- 30. In what year was Penang placed under British military administration after World War II?
A) 1950
B) 1947
C) 1946
D) 1945
- 31. Which union did the British seek to consolidate various political entities in Malaya under?
A) British Commonwealth
B) Malayan Union
C) Union of Southeast Asia
D) Federation of Malaysia
- 32. What was George Town's status changed to by the Malaysian federal government in 1969?
A) Free port status rescinded
B) Special economic zone
C) Military zone
D) Tourism hub
- 33. Which industrial zone was established in Penang to revive the economy in 1972?
A) Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone
B) George Town Manufacturing Hub
C) Malaysia Trade Center
D) Penang Industrial Park
- 34. Which political bloc rose to power in Penang through the 2008 state election?
A) Gagasan Sejahtera
B) Perikatan Nasional
C) Pakatan Rakyat
D) Barisan Nasional
- 35. In what year was George Town's historical core designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
A) 2012
B) 2005
C) 2010
D) 2008
- 36. In which year was the Constitution of Penang codified?
A) 1963
B) 1957
C) 1989
D) 1975
- 37. Who is the current Governor of Penang as of 2025?
A) Anwar Ibrahim
B) Mahathir Mohamad
C) Chow Kon Yeow
D) Ramli Ngah Talib
- 38. How many members are there in the Penang State Legislative Assembly?
A) 30
B) 50
C) 40
D) 60
- 39. Which ethnic group forms the plurality in Penang for decades?
A) Ethnic Kadazan
B) Ethnic Malays
C) Ethnic Chinese
D) Ethnic Indians
- 40. How many state constituencies in Penang are held by non-Malays as of 2023?
A) 30
B) 25
C) 40
D) 15
- 41. Who is the current Chief Minister of Penang?
A) Ramli Ngah Talib
B) Mahathir Mohamad
C) Anwar Ibrahim
D) Chow Kon Yeow
- 42. Which party does the current Chief Minister of Penang belong to?
A) Pakatan Harapan (PH)
B) Democratic Action Party (DAP)
C) Barisan Nasional (BN)
D) Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)
- 43. What system does Penang practice for its State Executive Council?
A) Westminster system
B) Constitutional monarchy
C) Parliamentary system
D) Presidential system
- 44. How many seats did the PH-BN alliance control in the 2023 state election?
A) 11
B) 40
C) 20
D) 29
- 45. Which opposition bloc gained ground in rural Malay-majority constituencies in 2023?
A) Kanagawa Prefecture
B) Perikatan Nasional (PN)
C) Pakatan Harapan (PH)
D) Barisan Nasional (BN)
- 46. How many city-level municipalities are there in Penang?
A) 5
B) 2
C) 4
D) 3
- 47. How many councillors are there in the Penang Island City Council?
A) 30
B) 12
C) 24
D) 36
- 48. Into how many administrative districts is Penang divided?
A) 6
B) 5
C) 4
D) 3
- 49. Which year did the Supreme Court of Penang get inaugurated?
A) 1960
B) 1959
C) 1808
D) 1907
- 50. Who was the first Recorder of the Supreme Court of Penang?
A) Cecil Rajendra
B) Karpal Singh
C) Tunku Abdul Rahman
D) Edmond Stanley
- 51. How many Magistrates Courts are there in Penang?
A) 8
B) 2
C) 6
D) 4
- 52. How many foreign diplomatic missions are established in Penang as of 2023?
A) 35
B) 27
C) 30
D) 20
- 53. Which Japanese prefecture is a sister state to Penang?
A) Hokkaido
B) Kanagawa Prefecture
C) Osaka
D) Tokyo
- 54. In which year was the Penang and Province Wellesley Volunteer Corps (P&PWVC) established?
A) 1899
B) 1941
C) 1861
D) 1937
- 55. What was the original racial composition of the P&PWVC when it was first formed?
A) Exclusively Europeans
B) Mixed races from the start
C) Only Chinese
D) Only Malays
- 56. Which air force uses RMAF Butterworth Air Base as part of the Five Power Defence Arrangements?
A) New Zealand Air Force
B) Singapore Air Force
C) British Royal Air Force
D) Australian Air Force
- 57. What is Penang's rank in terms of land area size among Malaysian states?
A) Second smallest
B) Third largest
C) Largest
D) Fourth smallest
- 58. Which river forms part of the southern boundary between Seberang Perai and Kedah?
A) Kerian River
B) Pinang River
C) Perai River
D) Muda River
- 59. Which area in George Town is being transformed into a new waterfront destination?
A) Ampang Road
B) Lebuh Light Street
C) Chulia Street
D) Gurney Drive shoreline into Gurney Bay
- 60. What is the width of the Penang Strait at its narrowest point?
A) 5 km (3.1 mi)
B) 10 km (6.2 mi)
C) 13 km (8.1 mi)
D) 3 km (1.9 mi)
- 61. Which is the largest landmass in Penang?
A) Betong Island
B) Jerejak Island
C) Penang Island
D) Seberang Perai
- 62. What type of climate does Penang have under the Köppen climate classification?
A) Temperate oceanic climate
B) Mediterranean climate
C) Tropical rainforest climate (Af)
D) Desert climate
- 63. What is the average high temperature in Penang?
A) About 32 °C
B) About 34 °C
C) About 28 °C
D) About 30 °C
- 64. What phenomenon affects Penang due to its proximity to Sumatra?
A) Tsunamis
B) Volcanic eruptions
C) Perennial Southeast Asian haze from forest fires
D) Frequent earthquakes
- 65. In which year was the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve?
A) 2021
B) 2022
C) 2020
D) 2019
- 66. Which country contributed the most to Penang's FDI in 2023?
A) Netherlands
B) Japan
C) China
D) United States
- 67. What percentage of Malaysia's exports did Penang account for in 2024?
A) 32.8%
B) 25%
C) 40%
D) 50%
- 68. Which sector is growing alongside Penang's manufacturing and services sectors?
A) Agriculture
B) Fishing
C) Mining
D) Services
- 69. What was Penang's Human Development Index (HDI) value as of 2023?
A) 0.820
B) 0.750
C) 0.839
D) 0.900
- 70. Who was the first Chief Minister of Penang?
A) Wong Pow Nee
B) Mahathir Mohamad
C) Lim Chong Eu
D) Tun Abdul Razak
- 71. In which year was the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone established?
A) 1972
B) 1995
C) 1980
D) 1969
- 72. What percentage of Malaysia's total FDI did Penang attract in 2023?
A) 60%
B) 55%
C) 35%
D) 47%
- 73. Which of these companies is NOT mentioned as having manufacturing operations in Penang?
A) Intel
B) Bosch
C) AMD
D) Samsung
- 74. Which industrial estate was built first in Penang?
A) Seberang Jaya
B) Bayan Lepas FIZ
C) Mak Mandin
D) Bukit Minyak
- 75. What was the focus of Penang's industrialisation efforts in the early years following Malaya's independence?
A) Agricultural development
B) Import substitution
C) Export promotion
D) Tourism
- 76. Which company is NOT listed among the MNCs with manufacturing operations in Penang?
A) HP Inc.
B) Broadcom
C) Apple
D) AMD
- 77. What percentage of Penang's GDP was contributed by the services sector as of 2023?
A) 30%
B) 48%
C) 60%
D) 75%
- 78. Which railway line runs through Seberang Perai?
A) The Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) West Coast Line
B) The Mutiara LRT line
C) The Penang Hill Railway
D) The Butterworth–Kulim Expressway
- 79. What is the principal terminal for KTM services in northwestern Malaysia?
A) Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal
B) Penang Sentral
C) Butterworth railway station
D) George Town Inner Ring Road
- 80. Which expressway connects George Town's city centre with the Penang Bridge?
A) The Second Penang Bridge
B) The Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway
C) Federal Route 6
D) The Butterworth Outer Ring Road
- 81. When did George Town's first tram system begin operations?
A) In the 1880s
B) In 2024
C) In 1936
D) In 2007
- 82. What is Rapid Penang's role in Penang?
A) It is the state's main public transport operator
B) It oversees the construction of the cable car system
C) It manages the Mutiara LRT line
D) It operates the Penang Hill Railway
- 83. What type of transportation is the century-old Penang Hill Railway?
A) A light rail system
B) A tram line
C) A funicular service
D) A bus network
- 84. When did George Town introduce its public bicycle-sharing service, LinkBike?
A) In 2007
B) In 2016
C) In 2024
D) In 2025
- 85. Which line is the first domestic light rail system outside the Klang Valley?
A) The Butterworth–Kulim Expressway
B) The Penang Hill Railway
C) The Second Penang Bridge
D) The Mutiara LRT line
- 86. What is the expected completion year for the construction of the Mutiara LRT line?
A) 2016
B) 2031
C) 2007
D) 2025
- 87. By what year is the Penang International Airport expected to handle 12 million passengers annually?
A) 2028
B) 2027
C) 2030
D) 2025
- 88. What is Swettenham Pier known for accommodating?
A) Cargo ships
B) Warships
C) Fishing boats
D) Cruise ships
- 89. Which pier surpassed Port Klang as Malaysia's busiest cruise terminal in 2017?
A) Swettenham Pier
B) Kuala Lumpur Cruise Terminal
C) Johor Bahru Pier
D) Penang Bridge Terminal
- 90. What percentage of Penang's population resided in Seberang Perai as of 2020?
A) 54%
B) 60%
C) 46%
D) 40%
- 91. What was Penang's migration rate like in 2020?
A) Positive
B) Neutral
C) Stable
D) Negative
- 92. What is the official language of Penang?
A) English
B) Chinese
C) Tamil
D) Malay
- 93. Which language was once the official language during British rule in Penang?
A) French
B) English
C) Spanish
D) Portuguese
- 94. What is the most widely spoken language among ethnic Indians in Penang?
A) Urdu
B) Tamil
C) Bengali
D) Hindi
- 95. What is the official religion of Penang?
A) Buddhism
B) Hinduism
C) Christianity
D) Islam
- 96. What percentage of Penang's population were Muslims as of 2020?
A) Over 45%
B) Ninety percent
C) Thirty-eight percent
D) Eight percent
- 97. Which year was Penang's first Chinese school established?
A) 1825
B) 1805
C) 1819
D) 1830
- 98. What is the rank of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in the QS World University Rankings as of 2025?
A) 146th
B) 200th
C) 50th
D) 100th
- 99. Which university is considered the premier public university in Penang?
A) Wawasan Open University
B) Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
C) RECSAM
D) Han Chiang University College of Communication
- 100. What is the total number of hospital beds per 10,000 people in Penang?
A) 248.7
B) 150.3
C) 200.9
D) 300.5
|