The coats of arms of Penang are largely based on the coat of arms of Penang first granted to the Settlement (now State) of Penang, then in the Federation of Malaya, by a Royal Warrant of King George VI dated 11 September 1949.
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Settlement and state arms
The coat of arms as granted was blazoned [1]:
- Shield: Barry wavy of eight Azure and Argent upon a chief crenellée Or a plume of three ostrich feathers surmounted by a riband of the First on the riband the words Ich Dien in letters of the Third
- Crest: On a wreath of the Colours upon a mount a Pinang or Areca-nut palm leaved and fructed Proper
The Prince of Wales's feathers and the motto Ich Dien referred to the fact that Penang was founded in 1786 as "Prince of Wales Island", while the blue and white bars are in reference to the Straits of Malacca that surround Penang island and separate it from Province Wellesley on the mainland.
The Areca-nut palm on the crest is the tree from which Penang (Pulau Pinang, or "Areca-nut-palm Island") derives its name.
The motto Bersatu dan Setia ("United and Loyal") was adopted by the Settlement Council of Penang in 1950[2] . As this was at the height of the Penang secession movement[3] , it seems that the motto to many people at the time would have referred to loyalty to the British Crown, rather than to the Federation of Malaya.
Present-day state arms
Subsequently, after the construction of the Penang Bridge in 1982-1985, the state coat of arms was changed to the present design,[4] which can be blazoned as:
- Shield: Barry wavy of ten Azure and Argent upon a chief Or a depiction of the Penang Bridge Proper
- Crest: On a wreath of the Colours upon a mount a Pinang or Areca-nut palm leaved and fructed Proper
- Motto: "Bersatu dan Setia"
Municipal arms
The arms of the Municipal Council (from 1 January 1957, City Council) of George Town were granted by the English College of Arms on 4 September 1953[5], and are based on the arms of the Settlement of Penang:
- Shield: Barry wavy of eight Azure and Argent a plume of three ostrich feathers Proper tied with a riband Or a chief embattled of the Last
- Crest: On a wreath of the Colours issuant from a wreath of palm Vert a lion passant guardant Azure
- Motto: "Leading We Serve"
Present-day municipal arms
In 1974, the City Council of George Town was merged with the Penang Rural District Council to form the Municipal Council of Penang Island. The arms of the new municipality is displayed on a native shield and contains much local symbolism, but generally conforms to traditional English heraldic principles[6], and may be blazoned as follows:
- Shield: Barry wavy of eight Azure and Argent a chief embattled Or overall a Pinang or areca-nut palm leaved and fructed Proper
- Crest: On a wreath of the Colours mantled Vert doubled Or a crescent therefrom issuant a mullet of the Last
- Supporters: On a compartment of waves barry wavy Azure and Argent surrounding a mount Vert two dolphins hauriant torqued of the First finned Or
- Motto: "Memimpin Sambil Berkhidmat" ("Leading While Serving")
The Municipal Council of Province Wellesley, which replaced the Municipal Council of Butterworth and the North, Central and South Province Wellesley Rural District Councils, does not have a regular coat of arms.
Notes
- ^ Commonwealth Relations Office List. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1960. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=nS2fhytk1gcC.
- ^ Penang Information Guide. Penang: K.H. Khaw. 1951. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=CEcAAAAAMAAJ.
- ^ A motion for Penang to secede from the Federation and to join Singapore as a separate British crown colony was narrowly defeated 15 votes to 10 in February 1949, mainly by the use of British official votes: see Christie (1996). A Modern History of Southeast Asia: Decolonization, Nationalism and Separatism. London: I.B. Tauris. ISBN 186064354X. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ehCWYZ13SPsC.
- ^ Bendera dan Lambing Negara dan Negeri Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur: Ministry of Information. 1963.
- ^ Heritage: George Town's original coat of arms
- ^ MPPP - Introduction/Logo
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