This 200-Year Old School In Penang Is Now A National Heritage

The oldest English-medium school in Southeast Asia is now indestructible.

Okay, maybe we're exaggerating a little there.

On a serious note, Penang Free School (PFS) located in George Town, Penang has just been awarded heritage status by the National Heritage Department.

We believe the thousands of PFS alumni, or more fondly known as the 'Old Frees', must be beaming with pride over their alma mater by now!

This new status means that whatever alteration or renovation work that is in the pipeline for the 202-year-old school will have to follow heritage guidelines from now on.

Penang Free School has always been an all-boys school since the beginning.

According to a report by Bernama, PFS is located on an eight-hectare land in Jalan Masjid Negeri (previously known as Green Lane), which has been declared as a national heritage site.

Some of the most prominent Malaysian figures who had studied here as young teenagers include the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail, Malaysia’s first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, legendary artist Tan Sri P. Ramlee and former All-England badminton champion Datuk Eddy Choong.

As the old school continues its historical streak in education, we look forward to see more talents graduating from PFS in future generations.

Congratulations, Penang Free School!