Finding inspiration in History
The story of a place, how its people remember the past and
how that memory influences the present is key to understanding that community.
There is a collective memory amongst the mass of people who have occupied a
place for generations, which can be found in all sorts of local traditions and
customs. What is less often acknowledged is how it affects their use of names,
language, and all sorts of unconscious attitudes and local tastes. For most
people, this inherited part of their culture may be quite lost in terms of
recorded knowledge. Youngsters who love to regard history as boring may
nevertheless carry this collective memory within them, without even being aware
of it, and newcomers assimilate it as part of an evolving sense of belonging.
Penang is many-faceted and
its story highly contested. A visitor will find that it is actually a society,
defined by a very wide array of histories, class affinities and ethnic origins,
all brought together over 200 years ago, with one common interest; to make a
success of things and pass it on to the next generation. And this meant that
there were attitudes that all held in common, regardless of background. The
determination to work hard and wrest something rich from the soil of that
island. Nobody went there without those aspirations, to be passed on in a
general way to each succeeding generation. It created a hybrid community which
was intrinsically strong, because only the survivors hung on.
So the communities that are seen today were already bound to
each other long ago, by that common purpose which is Penang's
past. Its resonance is felt nationwide, for over the years this state has
provided national leaders, thinkers, administrators, entrepreneurs, sports
personalities and cultural icons. To understand Penang's
people and their reputation for innovation and lively political debate, we only
need look at their history, and pick out events that resonate even now.
This type of historical research, one that has direct influence
on the way we live is what motivates me to continue writing about my island
home.
Article by Neil Khor