IT'S OFFICIAL: Penang has more Malays than Chinese.

Penang's Malays have been steadily increasing in numbers over the years, estimated at 654,300 in 2009. That number has risen in 2010 to 670,100, or 41.6% of the state's total population. 40.7% of the population, or 658,700 people, are Chinese. The statistics were submitted to the Department of Statistics by the Socio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute, the Penang state government's think tank.

“It’s a national trend," said SERI executive director Liew Chin Tong, who is also the MP for Bukit Bendera. "It is not that the Chinese population didn’t grow but the Malay population is growing faster." Read here.

According to the statistics, Indians account for 10% of the population, and foreigners 8%. Data also shows that Penang experienced a 7.9% growth rate in 2010 as opposed to -1.9% the previous year, as calculated under the Gross Regional Product method. Read here.

Penang's horses under the spotlight

After a five-year-old girl was injured by a horse in Batu Feringghi, the Tourism Ministry has drafted a set of guidelines for the Penang state government on beach sports. The guidelines consist of safety issues and suggestions, aimed at ensuring that the local tourism would not be adversely affected by any sports activities. "...we hope our effort can help develop tourism products," said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen. Read here.

Gerakan has urged the state government to enforce its own laws. "We have laws but they will not work if there is no strict enforcement and proper control," said Gerakan local government bureau chairman Teh Leong Meng. Read here.

Horse riding operators have taken the opportunity to urge the state government to lift the ban on horse riding activities, saying that there hadn't been any accidents before the ban. The operators believe that allocating zones for horse riding would go a long way towards avoiding such accidents. Read here.

If the state government rejects the operators' appeal, the Penang chief minister could find himself the new owner of 12 horses. “I can’t sell them. They don’t have any cash value as most of them are old racing horses,” said Salim Ismong. Read here.

Other news

• Creating space, deepening civil society: Events like the ‘fun walk’ in Penang against sexual crimes can help establish civil society in general and NGOs in particular as legitimate actors in public discussion, write Manual Holler and Florian Ladage. Read here.
• Penang strike gold in synchronised swimming event: The Penang synchronised swimming team won gold in the technical routine team event at the Bukit Jalil National Aquatic Centre yesterday. Read here.
• Higher densities despite the Penang Structure Plan 2020: The Steering Committee of the Penang Forum is deeply disappointed and concerned that the Penang state government has recently obtained an order from the High Court to strike out a court application made by the Tanjung Bungah Residents Association (TBRA) for legal clarification on whether Tanjung Bungah falls within the secondary or primary corridor in the Penang Structure Plan. Read here.
• Penang government failed to table industrial masterplan -- Tsu Koon: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon today alleged that the DAP-led government has failed to table to the people the Penang Industrial Master Plan after Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng made an announcement on it about a year ago. Read here.
• St Xavier's Institution: Oldest surviving formal school: Here’s something that some ex-Xaverians found out when they attended a reunion bash: St Xavier’s Institution in Penang is probably the oldest surviving formal school in the land. Read here.

For more news on Penang, please click through to iGT NetBuzz June 6 to June 12, 2011 here. For daily updates, "like" iGeorgeTown on Facebook or join us on Twitter.

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