Famous Penangites

Famous Penangites

• Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysia's fifth Prime Minister, hails from the mainland town of Kepala Batas, Penang.
• Ah Niu (阿牛), artist, popular across Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and China.
• Alleycats, popular Malaysian band formed in the 1960s.
• Anwar Fazal, who Mother Earth News called in 1983 "probably the most influential figure in the worldwide consumer movement". [4]
• Anwar Ibrahim, the ex-Deputy Prime Minister, currently the MP representing Permatang Pauh and leader of parliamentary opposition.
• Jill Bennett (1931-1990), actress, born in Penang.
• Professor Chin Fung Kee from Nibong Tebal, the designer of the Penang Bridge
• Jimmy Choo, the famous shoe designer.
• Chung Keng Quee
• Chung Thye Phin
• Ken Yeang, world renowned architect, famous for his bioclimatic skyscrapers.
• Eddy Choong, the four-time All England champion [5]
• Gu Hongming (辜鴻銘) (1857-1928), famous Chinese scholar from Penang.
• Nicol David, Women's squash world champion.
• Lee Chong Wei, currently ranked No.1 badminton player in the world. (22 January 2009)
• Li Yi (李逸, birth name 李金标) (1952-1980), Chinese singer of the 1970s whose promising singing career was cut short by a fatal road mishap in 1980.
• Lim Chong Eu, former Chief Minister of Penang.
• Loh Boon Siew (1915-1995), a tycoon famous for his Boon Siew Honda and sole distributor of Honda motorcycles in Malaysia.
• P. Ramlee (1929-1973), Malaysia's legendary actor/singer/director.
• Danny Quah, World famous Economist, present Head of the Economics Department at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.
• Tan Twan Eng, novelist, nominated for the 2007 Man Booker Prize for the novel The Gift of Rain.
• Lillian Too, feng shui consultant and best-selling author of feng shui books.
• John H. Whyte (1928-1990), a political scientist born in Penang.
• Wu Lien-teh (1879 - 1960), world-renowned Plague Fighter and pioneer in the modernization of China's public health system.
• Yeap Chor Ee (1867-1952), prominent businessman and philanthropist.
• Yong Mun Sen (1896-1962), pioneer artist, father of Malaysian paintings.
• Tan Sri Wong Pow Nee, former Chief Minister of Penang
• Tunku Abdul Rahman, founder and Bapa Malaysia, 1st Prime Minister of Malaysia; even a Kedah prince, but studied in Penang Free School and retired in Penang.
• Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, former Chief Minister of Penang, now a federal minister.