240 Years After Penang’s Founding, Some Malaysians Say Francis Light Was Never A Hero
One commenter argued Penang’s history goes back to the 1730s, long before Francis Light ever set foot on the island.
- Francis Light's role as Penang's "founder" is disputed, with critics pointing to pre-colonial Malay settlements and leaders predating his 1786 arrival.
- Some view Light's arrival as colonial plunder, while others argue colonialism laid foundations for Malaysia's development.
Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.
A Facebook post is drawing attention back to the grave of Captain Francis Light, credited with founding the British settlement on Penang.
The post was shared by Ganesh Kolandaveloo, moderator of the PenangToday Community group, showing Light’s tombstone among the older graves at the Protestant Cemetery on Northam Road, now Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah.
Kolandaveloo noted that 11 August will mark 240 years since Light established the settlement, which he said paved the way for the diverse communities that later gave George Town its UNESCO World Heritage status.
The inscription on the tomb reads that Light “first established this island as a British settlement,” and records his death on 21 October, 1794.
Not Everyone Agrees On The “Founder” Narrative
The post drew pushback in the comments. One commenter, who identified himself as a heritage enthusiast, argued that Penang’s history did not begin in 1786, pointing to settlements such as Batu Uban that existed under the Kedah Sultanate as early as the 1730s – more than five decades before Light’s arrival.
He cited Prof Ahmad Murad Merican’s The Avatar of 1786: Decolonising Penang Story as the basis for his view, calling it disingenuous to celebrate Light as the island’s founder when organised Malay communities had long preceded him.
Prof Murad, a historian and academic, argues in the book that the dominant narrative of Penang’s founding has systematically sidelined the island’s pre-colonial history and its indigenous leadership.
Another commenter pointed to pre-colonial Malay figures – Datuk Jenaton, Nakhoda Nan Intan and Nakhoda Kechil – arguing the island already had established leadership and social structure before Light set foot on it.
Some framed the debate more bluntly. One commenter dismissed the “hero” framing entirely, describing Light’s arrival as “just a plunder.”
The Case For Colonial Legacy
Not all commenters shared that view.
Several pushed back against what they saw as an overly negative reading of history, arguing that focusing solely on the injustices of colonialism obscures the infrastructure, institutions and trade networks it left behind – foundations, they contended, that shaped Malaysia’s development into the 20th century.
It is a position that historians have long debated: whether the material outcomes of colonial rule can be separated from the conditions under which they were imposed.
The Cemetery’s Current State
The Protestant Cemetery is the oldest burial ground in Penang, used for burials between 1789 and 1892 and holding 457 tombs, according to George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) records.
It is listed as a Category 1 heritage site – the highest classification under Penang’s heritage framework, reserved for landmarks of exceptional importance and afforded the strongest legal protection available.
But time and weather have taken a toll.
Then-Penang local government and traffic management committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow acknowledged that tombstones had been left crumbling and sinking in places, prompting a RM230,000 upgrading project in 2014.
The project was jointly carried out by the George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI), the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and Think City – a community-focused urban regeneration organisation and wholly owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional – covering the walkway, drainage, main gate and signage.
GTWHI general manager Lim Chooi Ping said at the time that all tombs had been documented since 2012, and that repair work was ongoing.
Light’s Legacy, By The Numbers
The Penang Port Commission’s official history credits Light’s declaration of Penang as a free port, drawing settlers to the island and growing its population from a sparse settlement to around 10,000 by the end of the 18th century.
Light governed the settlement until his death from malaria in 1794, at the age of 54. He was buried at what is now the Protestant Cemetery – the same ground his tombstone still occupies, 240 years on, and still prompting argument about what, exactly, he founded.
Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, X, Instagram, or Threads.
