Kampung Siam
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Wat Chaiyamangkalaram is the most prominent landmark within Kampong Siam.
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Location within George Townin Penang | |
Coordinates: 5°25′52.1862″N 100°18′46.944″E / 5.431162833°N 100.31304000°E / 5.431162833; 100.31304000 | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
City | ![]() |
Government | |
• Local government | Penang Island City Council |
• Mayor of Penang Island | Rajendran P. Anthony |
• Pulau Tikus State Assemblyman | Joshua Woo Sze Zeng (DAP) |
• Bukit Bendera Member of Parliament | Syerleena Abdul Rashid (DAP) |
Time zone | UTC+8 (MST) |
• Summer (DST) | Not observed |
Postal code |
10250
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Website | mbpp |
Kampong Siam is an ethnic Siamese enclave within the downtown coreofGeorge Town in the Malaysian stateofPenang. Located within the city centre, the 2,681 m2 (0.662-acre) neighbourhood is situated near the corner between Burmah Road and Burmah Lane, immediately adjacent to Wat Chaiyamangkalaram.[1][2]
The neighbourhood is still inhabited by ethnic Siamese, who had moved into the area as early as the 19th century.[2] However, the enclave has also, in recent years, been under threat from rapid urbanisation and redevelopment.[3][4]
The first Siamese settlers were believed to have arrived at Pulau Tikus in the early 19th century.[2] According to a census conducted in 1828, as many as 1,117 ethnic Siamese were residing within Kampung Siam.[5] In 1845, the land where Kampung Siam now stands was granted by the British authorities to the ethnic Siamese as a gesture of goodwill to Siam.[1][2] The four female Siamese trustees who became custodians of the land also built Wat Chaiyamangkalaram next to the village.
More recently, Kampung Siam's residents have been embroiled in a tussle over land rights, as the neighbourhood is earmarked for the construction of a hotel.[1][3][4] Although the land was held in trust, it was sold without the trust holders' knowledge to a developer in 2014.[6] When the residents were issued eviction notices, a lawsuit was filed in retaliation against the developer. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2015, leading to fears that the Siamese enclave will be bulldozed to make way for redevelopment.[3][4]
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Below are the major city suburbs, neighbourhoods, ethnic enclaves and islets within Northeast Penang Island, where George Town, the capital city of the State of Penang, is located. | |
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Capital: George Town | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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