There has always been this nagging feeling to find out why Penang islanders always feel that they are the "real" Penagites and the Seberang Prai people are just mainlanders?
Originally Penang was part of Kedah - and the great British guys who came that way negotiated and got it ceded to the British East India Company purportedly to provide protection to Kedah. Then came a character called Francis Light who raised the Union Jack (just like any other British place) ... and probably brought a gang of Indian sepoys too.
The settlement (township) was called Georgetown to honour King George (how else could Francis Light be in the good books of the Queen?). Then came the fine day when the Siamese army invaded Kedah ... and Francis Light naturally just watched and wondered!!
So the Sultan of Kedah wanted to take the island back. Man ... how can that be?? Now of course the British started their "taici techniques" and instead agreed to pay a royalty provided the Sultan gives away a portion of mainland ... Aha! There comes Seberang Prai (then called Province Wellesley)