SUFFOLK HOUSE, Penang's 200-year old grand old late-Georgian mansion set along the banks of the Ayer Itam River, was all aglow last week. The earliest earliest surviving “Great House of Penang” and considered the purest example of Anglo-Indian architecture outside India, it was the scene of a reception hosted by His Excellency W Boyd McCleary CVO, British High Commissioner to Malaysia and Mandy Johnson, Director of the British Council, Malaysia.

The event was held in honour of Donald Hyslop, Head of Regeneration and Community Partnerships, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives, and Chair of Better Bankside.

Amongst the VIPs there were Ooi Geok Ling, Managing Director of Penang Global Tourism, together with YB Danny Law and many other dignitaries. Representing the Chief Minister was YB Chow Kon Yeow, who replied to McLeary's short and humorous speech welcoming Hyslop. The pix is of McLeary presenting YB Chow with a copy of the lease of Penang to give to the CM.

Wine flowed freely, but best of all was the feeling in everyone's mind that they were actually in an historical site: one which, despite its dubious beginnings (the house is built on land once owned by Captain Francis Light; upon his death his executors cheated his common-law wife Martina Rozells of her inheritance and instead sold it to William Edwards Phillip who subsequently became a Governor of Penang. Hence began Suffolk House's connection with the seat of government: the founding of Singapore was apparently discussed here, when Sir Stamford Raffles and his wife had dinner in the Marble Hall, which was where the dining room would have been), there is a certain somber grandeur that Heritage Architect Lawrence Loh did a great job in retaining. The whole restoration has been wonderfully and lovingly carried out. Kudos to the activists who worked hard by lobbying local government to not just prevent it from being torn down (it was sealed off in the '70s as it was considered a dangerous structure) BUT also successfully raising funds for its restoration.

The restaurant there is run by the same people who own No32 and Bagan, so well worth a visit, and I'm delighted that we have yet another fine-dining place to go to when we want a special evening out. With so many places closing down, we need a few more to take their places.