Editor's Introduction

Abstract

The collection of nine essays in this special issue focuses on the historical and cultural heritage of the northern region of peninsular Malaysia covering Perlis, Kedah, Penang (also known as Pulau Pinang) and northern Perak which since 2007 is also known as the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER). Besides the intrinsically historical nature of three of the essays, history also permeates the discussion of Bahasa Tanjong (the Penang Malay dialect), the pondok system of education in Seberang Perai, the production of labu sayong in Kuala Kangsar and the cultural practices of the Hokkien Chinese of George Town while the essay on Penang museums also touches on the history of Penang notably the so-called Penang Story. In terms of geographical coverage, five essays touch on Penang, one on Perak (Kuala Kangsar), two on Kedah and one on the northern region in general. These essays foreground the historical and cultural uniqueness of the northern region while a few reexamined existing interpretations of various aspects of the history and culture of the northern region