Colonial Penang’s Southern Frontier: Tin, Treaties and the Pangkor Connection
By Eugene Quah
March 2025 LEST WE FORGET
THE NAME PANGKOR was mentioned as far back as 1511 by Sulaymān al-Mahrī in his treatise al-Minhāj al-Fākhir fī ʿIlm al-Baḥr al-Zākhir (The Precious Method on the Science of the Rising Sea). He states that sailing past Falu Finanj (Pulau Pinang) towards Malaqa (Melaka), one will first encounter Dengdeng (Dinding) and then Bankūr Lau (Pangkor Laut).The main island of Pangkor was once called Pangkor Darat (Land Pangkor), while Pangkor Laut (Sea Pangkor) is a smaller island in the southwest that,...
Eugene Quah
is an independent researcher and writer who is working on a book tentatively called “Illustrated Guide to the North Coast of Penang”. He rediscovered the joys of writing after moving back to Penang from abroad.
