Prangin CanalPrangin Canal (19 March 2010)


The Forgotten Canals of George Town is a remnant of a fascinating past that has been literally paved over. Have you ever wondered how the people move goods about in 19th century George Town? In an age when motor vehicles such as cars, lorries and buses were not yet a common form of transportation, there was heavy reliance on bullock carts for the general goods transportation, while the well-to-do can afford horse carriages, rickshaws and sedan chairs. However, for the general population, going on foot is the norm for moving from place to place. For the transportation of goods, however, I discovered with much interest that canals once formed a vital role in George Town. With this discovery, I want to share with you the forgotten canals of George Town.

Muntri CanalMuntri Canal (28 June 2006)


Muntri CanalMuntri Canal (28 June 2006)


Canals or waterways formed a vital part of transportation in mid-19th century George Town. They allowed perahus and sampans to bring goods - everything from vegetables to pigs, chickens and sewing machines - to different parts of George Town easily, speedily, and at a lower cost than other forms of transport. Passengers are also taken by perahu, disembarking at different parts of town. The human-powered perahus required neither fuel nor fodder.

To assist in the rapid transit of goods, canals were dug at various parts of George Town, making George Town uncannily similar to Bangkok, but of course on a much smaller scale. 19th century George Town extended as far south as Sia Boey to the south, to Penang Road to the west in mid 19th century, to Transfer Road by the 3rd quarter of the 19th century.

The bound ditch of Transfer RoadThe bound ditch of Transfer Road (19 March 2010)


Route of bound ditch beside Transfer RoadRoute of bound ditch beside Transfer Road (19 March 2010)


Looking down at Transfer Road ditchLooking down at Transfer Road ditch (19 March 2010)


Most of George Town's canals have today been paved over. Hence it is not surprising that most people, including historians, are unaware of them. The most visible of these is Prangin Canal. I am pleased to say that it is still visible today. This canal began as a river which over time was turned into a canal, and today appeared more like a ditch.

Prangin Canal

Prangin Canal was a very important canal in the 19th century, for it allowed vegetables and animals to be transported out from the farms located south of the canal, while finished goods are brought here from the ships anchored in the Penang harbour. At that time, the Seven Streets Precinct has not existed yet, and the land south of Prangin Canal was the Chinese village of Koay Kang'nga ("village across the river") dotted with vegetable and animal farms.

Malabar CanalMalabar Canal (17 Dec 2008)


The trade along the Prangin Canal turned Prangin Road into a hive of activity. Bullock carts would be parked here to offload goods from the perahus - despite the ease of boats, bullock carts allow goods to brought to more precise locations. Auxiliary occupations such as barbers and cobblers set up their trades within the vicinity. These evolved into craftsmen guilds representing various occupational groups.

Prangin Canal is certainly not the only canal in town. There are three more canals which I have discovered so far, with likelihood that there is more. Many of these do not have names (at least, none that I know of), so I am calling them according to the roads they follow or intersect.

Apart from Prangin Canal, most of the other canals could not be more than 1.5 meters or 5 feet across. They are just wide enough for two perahus to pass each other, and upon off-loading or on-loading their goods, these boats reverse out of the canals, propelled by rowing.

Transfer Road Canal

There was another canal that was dug from North Beach to Burmah Road. It followed beside a country path that eventually became known as Transfer Road in the 1870's. I am calling it the Transfer Road Canal, for want of a better name, because in fact it pre-dates Transfer Road. There is a possibility that the Transfer Road Canal meets with Prangin Canal somewhere near Masjid Titi Papan, where there was a draw bridge that gave the mosque its name.

I am still researching to discover whether Prangin Canal was extended along Burmah Road, but the possibility appears negative. Still, if the two canals meet, they would have carved an island out of George Town, giving it a geographic similarity to medieval Bangkok.

Muntri CanalMuntri Canal (23 April 2009)


Side side of Malabar CanalNorth side of Malabar Canal (23 April 2009)


Walking along Transfer Road, I can still see traces of the Transfer Road Canal, albeit paved over. The most visible remnant of the canal can be seen beside the Loh Boon Siew Mansion off Northam Road (Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah). Here, you can see a deep ditch that replaces what was once the canal.

There are two more canals that disect the streets of the Inner City. I call them the Malabar Canal and the Muntri Canal, after the streets that they pass through. These canals probably was never named, existing only for their function.

Malabar Canal

Malabar Canal, or what we can see of it today, starts at Kampung Malabar, and ends at Chulia Street. It follows the side wall of Nam Hooi Wooi Koon, and is quite likely older than the present Nam Hooi Wooi Koon building. I believe that by the time that district association building was built, the role of waterways as a form of transportation has diminished. Today Malabar Canal is reduced to little more than a drain. There are squatters who have set up homes beside it.

I am trying to determine whether the Malabar Canal ends at Chulia Street, or does it go to Leith Street, and possibly all the sea. This I will add upon further research.

Muntri Canal

Muntri Canal intersects Muntri Street and ends at Chulia Street. I am presently trying to determine whether the Muntri Canal continues towards Farquhar Street, and on the other end, whether it continues towards Carnarvon Street. Unfortunately much traces of the canal have been erased by development. I do believe places like Cheapside at Chulia Street may have once been a canal route.

This is inconclusive. I will continue to research, talk to the locals, ask historians and history enthusiasts, to determine the existence of the many forgotten canals of George Town.

Article on the forgotten canals of George Town


The Star on 5 September, 2012

The Star reporter and I at the waterway between Muntri and Chulia Streets (30 August 2012)

Private Guided Tours of Penang

If you are seeking private guided tours of Penang, message Penang Tour Guides at penangtourguides@gmail.com and enquire with them.

 Buy, rent or sell properties in Penang

Do you have a property for sale or to rent out? Are you looking to buy or rent a property? Get in touch with me. WhatsApp me (Timothy Tye) at 012 429 9844, and I will assign one of my property agents to serve you. I will choose the agent for you, according to your property needs. So when you message me, provide me some details of what you need, whether to sell, to buy, to rent or to rent out, and what type of property, is it condo, apartment, house, shop, office or land.

Adakah anda mempunyai hartanah untuk dijual atau disewakan? Adakah anda ingin membeli atau menyewa hartanah? Hubungi saya. WhatsApp saya (Timothy Tye) di 012 429 9844, dan saya akan menugaskan salah seorang ejen hartanah saya untuk berkhidmat kepada anda. Saya akan pilih ejen untuk anda, mengikut keperluan hartanah anda. Oleh itu, apabila anda menghantar mesej kepada saya, berikan saya beberapa butiran tentang apa yang anda perlukan, sama ada untuk menjual, untuk membeli, untuk disewakan atau untuk disewakan, dan jenis hartanah apakah itu kondo, pangsapuri, rumah, kedai, pejabat atau tanah.

您有待出售或出租的房产吗? 您想购买或租赁房产吗? 与我联系。 WhatsApp 我 (Timothy Tye) 012 429 9844,我将指派一名房地产经纪人为您服务。 我会根据您的房产需求,为您选择代理。 因此,当您给我发消息时,请向我提供一些您需要的详细信息,无论是出售、购买、出租还是出租,以及房产类型,是公寓、公寓、房屋、商店、办公室还是土地。

 New Properties in Penang

Looking to buy property in Penang? Get the e-brochures right here without having to visit or contact individual developers.

  1. Anggun Residences E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  2. Aston Acacia E-Brochure, Bukit Mertajam
  3. Beacon Executive Suites E-Brochure, George Town
  4. Beverly Heights @ Bukit Gambir E-Brochure, Gelugor
  5. BM Highland E-Brochure, Bukit Mertajam
  6. Cypress Villa E-Brochure, Sungai Ara
  7. D'Zone Condominium E-Brochure, Teluk Kumbar
  8. Elements Garden E-Brochure, Butterworth
  9. Ferringhi Residence 2 E-Brochure, Batu Ferringhi
  10. GEM Residences E-Brochure, Prai
  11. Golden Triangle 2 E-Brochure, Sungai Ara/Relau
  12. Grace Residence E-Brochure, Jelutong
  13. Granito @ Permai E-Brochure, Tanjong Bungah
  14. Green City Residence E-Brochure, Jelutong
  15. Havana Beach Residences E-Brochure, Bayan Lepas
  16. Imperial Residences E-Brochure, Sungai Ara/Relau
  17. Imperial Grande E-Brochure, Sungai Ara/Relau
  18. Lucerne Residence E-Brochure, Bayan Lepas
  19. Mezzo @ The Light City E-Brochure, Gelugor
  20. Middleton E-Brochure, Gelugor
  21. Orchard Villa 3 E-Brochure, Simpang Ampat
  22. Primero Heights E-Brochure, Permatang Pauh
  23. Queens Waterfront Q2 E-Brochure, Bayan Lepas
  24. Royale Heights @ Tambun Royale City E-Brochure, Simpang Ampat
  25. Royale Infinity @ Tambun Royale City E-Brochure, Simpang Ampat
  26. Rubica @ Harbour Place E-Brochure, Butterworth
  27. Sensasi Commercial Suites E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  28. Setia Sky Ville E-Brochure, Jelutong
  29. Setia Sky Vista E-Brochure, Sungai Ara/Relau
  30. Setia V Residence E-Brochure, Gurney Drive
  31. Sinaran Residence E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  32. Sky @ TriPark E-Brochure, Bukit Mertajam
  33. Skyridge Garden E-Brochure, Tanjong Tokong
  34. Starhill Luxury Residences E-Brochure, Gelugor
  35. Straits Residences E-Brochure, Tanjong Tokong
  36. Taman Nuri Emas E-Brochure, Nibong Tebal
  37. The Light Collection IV E-Brochure, Gelugor
  38. The Loft @ Southbay E-Brochure, Batu Maung
  39. The Terraces Condominium E-Brochure, Bukit Jambul
  40. Trehaus Condo Villas E-Brochure, Bukit Jambul
  41. Triuni Residences E-Brochure, Batu Uban
  42. Urban Suites E-Brochure, Tanjong Tokong
  43. Valencia Residence E-Brochure, Bayan Lepas
  44. Vertu Resort E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  45. Vivo Executive Apartment E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  46. Viluxe E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  47. Waterside Residence E-Brochure, Gelugor

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

 Share your travels and/or ask a travel-related question

Join the Penang Travel Tips Facebook Group to share photos, tips and anything related to your travels, or ask travel-related questions.

Map of Roads in Penang

Looking for information on Penang? Use this Map of Roads in Penang to zoom in on information about Penang, brought to you road by road.

Discover with Timothy

Let me take you to explore and discover Penang through my series of walking tours on YouTube. You may use these videos as your virtual tour guide. At the beginning of each video, I provide the starting point coordinates which you may key into your GPS, Google Maps or Waze, to be navigated to where I start the walk, and use the video as your virtual tour guide.

Disclaimer

Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.

Songs about Penang

About this website



Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.
Copyright © 2003-2024 Timothy Tye. All Rights Reserved.