Pulau Tikus District, Penang

About Pulau Tikus

Pulau Tikus is the name of a district on the north-west part of George Town. Pulau Tikus proper starts near the junction between Jalan Burma and Jalan Edgecumbe and ends just before the Bagan Jermal junction. Jalan Burma (Burmah Road) forms the main artery through Pulau Tikus district. The very heart of Pulau Tikus centres on the Jalan Cantonment - Jalan Burma junction.

Stupa of Wat Chaiyamangkalaram (15 February 2004)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

The name Pulau Tikus means "rat island". It is the same name as a Pulau Tikus, the rocky outcrop off the north coast of Penang, which ironically is not within sight of Pulau Tikus district. Either it was named after Pulau Tikus, the island, or it was so named because of some rodent infestation here. Whichever it was, nobody lived to tell.

Update: 21 September, 2010
My original article on Pulau Tikus district was written in 2004. Over six years after it was written, I finally found someone who explained to me how Pulau Tikus got its name. Click on the link to learn more.

Church of the Immaculate Conception

Burmah Road, one of the main roads in Pulau Tikus district (23 January 2005)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

The Burmese and Eurasians were the earliest settlers in Pulau Tikus. The Burmese had formed a settlement here in the early 19th century, and their presence remained until the early part of the 20th century. At that time, there was a Burmese village here called Kampong Ava - probably named after the town of Ava (today Inwa) in Myanmar. When the British administrators created the main road here, they named it Burmah Road. Off shoots of Burmah Road were also named after places in Burma. Hence we now have road names that are of Burmese origin including Burmah, Irrawaddi, Mandalay, Moulmein, Salween, Tavoy and Thaton.

Pulau Tikus (9 May 2004)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

Today, the Burmese presence in Pulau Tikus is best represented by the Dhammikarama Burmese Temple at Burmah Lane (Lorong Burma). It has been around since the beginning of the 19th century. The oldest part of the temple, the stupa, dates back to 1805.

The Eurasians were another early group to settle in Pulau Tikus. They are of mixed parentage, between the Portuguese and the Thais, and are Roman Catholics. The people of Portuguese descent had had no peace to practise their faith since the Dutch arrive in Malacca in 1641. Religious persecution drove them out of Malacca. They settled in various Malay states as well as in Phuket, which at that time was called Ujung Salang (corrupted in English to Junk Ceylon), an island claimed by the Kingdom of Kedah but ruled by Siam. By the late 18th century, the Eurasians were on the run again, this time due to a decree by the increasingly demented king of Siam, Phraya Taksin @ Phya Tak, who ordered all Christians in Siam to be massacred. The Eurasians fled to Kuala Kedah, and from there, they made their way to Penang.

The first Eurasian arrivals in Penang settled in town in the area bordered by Church Street, Bishop Street, Pitt Street and China Street, in rather rudimental housing, before moving with their church, the Church of Assumption (so named because they arrived in Penang on the day of the Catholic Feast of the Assumption), to the Farquhar Street area, settling along Argus Lane.

Burmah Road, one of the main roads in Burmah Road, one of the main roads in Pulau Tikus district district

Burmah Road, one of the main roads in Pulau Tikus district (23 January 2005)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

There were still remnants of Eurasian community in Phuket going into the 19th century, until the Phya Tak Massacre of 1810 forced another group to Penang. Pulau Tikus had become an attractive location to settle down. They were parishioners of the Church of Our Lady Free From Sin. They arrived in 1811, headed by Father John Baptist Pasqual. In Pulau Tikus they built their church which the pope later renamed The Immaculate Conception.

As George Town continues to grow, it eventually swallows up the village of Pulau Tikus, making it one of its suburbs. Gone are the Burmese and Eurasian villages. What remains are their temples and churches. A reminder that they were once here is etched in the names of the streets in this area.

College Square in Pulau Tikus was named after the College General

College Square in Pulau Tikus was named after the College General

Burmah Road, one of the main roads in Pulau Tikus district (23 January 2005)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

To the south of Pulau Tikus, and often regarded as part of the district, is the affluent neighbourhood of Ayer Rajah. It is named after the Ayer Rajah Estate that once belonged to James Scott, who was a partner in business with David Brown, subsequently through intermarriage within the two families. Road names such as Brown Road and Scott Road commemorates these two pioneers.

Catholic Cemetery of the Immaculate Conception Church (2 September 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

Apartments & Condominiums in Pulau Tikus

Pulau Tikus is one of the most affluent suburbs of George Town. Much of the district continues to be leafy and quiet, with grand bungalows and high-priced residences. The following are some of the apartments and condominiums in Pulau Tikus.

Catholic Heritage Sites in Pulau Tikus

The Thai Eurasian Catholics were the earliest group to settle in Pulau Tikus. Their heritage sites can still be visited today:

Church of the Immaculate Conception
This is the church that began as a chapel that the Eurasians established back in 1835.
St Chastan Monument
Monument to one of the two teachers at College General who was martyred in Korea, beatified in 1925 and canonised in 1984.
St Joseph's Novitiate
The St Joseph Training College that was once next to College General, now the site of Gurney Paragon.
Penang Eurasian Association
Association of the small community of Eurasians in Penang, based at their former settlement in Pulau Tikus.
Kelawei Road Catholic Cemetery
Cemetery of the early Eurasian settlers in Pulau Tikus.

Read Also:

Church of the Assumption
Church built by the first wave of Eurasians that came over with Father Arnaud-Antoine Garnault at the invitation of Captain Francis Light.
How Pulau Tikus Got Its Name
Newly discovered information on the origin of the name for Pulau Tikus district.

Buddhist Temples of Pulau Tikus

Apart from the Thai Eurasians, Thai and Burmese of Buddhist faith also made Pulau Tikus their home, carving out enclaves and erecting their places of worship that outlast the villages themselves.

Dhammikarama Burmese Temple
Major Burmese temple, probably the only one of its kind in Malaysia.
Wat Buppharam
The "other" Thai temple in Pulau Tikus, this one located along Perak Road.
Wat Chaiyamangkalaram
The famous reclining Buddha temple.

Coffee Shops in Pulau Tikus

Pulau Tikus is famous for hawker food. If you want to look for the best food, head to Pulau Tikus in the morning, when the market is in full swing.

Shopping Centres in Pulau Tikus

The shopping centres in Pulau Tikus are, honestly, not as exciting as Gurney Plaza, which technically is part of Gurney Drive, but can also be considered as part of Pulau Tikus.

Petrol Stations in Pulau Tikus

There's a Shell petrol station along Jalan Burma next to Midlands One-Stop.

Hospitals in Pulau Tikus

Penang Adventist Hospital was established as a hospital for the destitute and penniless. While it has long abandoned that mission, this private hospital continues to be one of the best and most affordable in Penang. Its bakery is famous in Penang for producing some of the healthiest (but not cheapest) breads.