More than just a home, the Penang house was a statement of wealth, influence and cultural affiliations. Western technology combined with Eastern tastes, craftsmanship and local ways of building to create distinctive habitats appropriate to the tropical climate. A number of European professionals pioneered the practice of architecture in early twentieth-century Penang, laying the foundations for future generations of local architects. This lavishly illustrated book is an important landmark study of a glorious chapter in Malaysia's architectural history. -- publisher description.

Government and Homeownership : The Penang Scenario Addressing the housing needs of the nation is one of the important agendas for developed and developing countries. Previous studies suggested that the government plays a central role in creating, sustaining, and improving the housing system. This book is an outcome of the research that had been carried out to address the critical issues on affordable housing faced by Malaysians that have caused inaccessibility to the house, especially to those in the middle-income group. This book provides understanding and knowledge on current housing issues in Malaysia, specifically focussing on Penang.

Most of the chapters in this volume were first presented at the Penang Outlook Forum 2009, held on 1-2 June 2009 at the E&O Hotel in Penang. A few others have been added to complement those at the conference. At present, comprehensive and authoritative studies on Penang's current economic conditions are a rarity. This book is thus an effort to correct that lack. Evidence does suggest that the state had not been doing well in the first half of the first decade of the new millennium. Being a small state situated relatively far away from the administrative capital of Putrajaya, Penang has to be economically innovative if it is to regain its place at the forefront of Malaysian development. The relationship between the state and the federal government remains a vital matter.