Original site of Chung Ling High School

16 & 18 Malay Street, George Town (20 January 2015)


The Original Site of Chung Ling High School is at 16, Malay Street in George Town, Penang. The school was founded in 1917 by supporters of Sun Yat Sen, namely local businessmen such as Ng Kim Kheng, Tan Sin Cheng and Khoo Beng Cheang, who were also involved in the founding of Kwong Wah Yit Poh newspaper. It was a time when new nationalist ideas were taking root, supplanting the imperialist Qing Government, which was then regarded as corrupted and inefficient.

The founding of Chung Ling School aligns with the ideals as brought forth by Sun Yat Sen. Somewhere along the way was the idea that all Chinese people would be taught to read and write using one single language, rather than each person reading literary Chinese in his own mother tongue.

Attendance to Chung Ling School grew rapidly, and soon the school expanded to also include the adjacent address, 18 Malay Street. Even during the early 20th century, Malay Street existed more by name than anything else, as the Malay presence along the street, which was so in much of the 19th century, had long ebbed, having shrunk to the areas in the immedicate vicinity of the Malay Mosque.

Today 16 & 18 Malay Street houses Heong Giap Paper & Stationery, a stationery wholesale business.

16 Malay Street on Google Maps Street View

Closest view of 16 Malay Street. Unfortunately the Google vehicle did not pass any closer.

Getting there

If you are coming from Beach Street, look for 16 & 18 Malay Street on the right side of the road.

List of Historic Buildings in Penang and Historic Buildings in Malaysia