That changed in 1786, when the Sultan of Kedah granted company representative Francis Light rights to the island of Penang and the strip of mainland coast opposite Province Wellesley (now Seberang Perai) as a counterweight to the pressing demands of the neighboring Thais and Burmese.
That changed in 1786 when the Sultan of Kedah, in a move to secure an alliance with Europeans and counter the demands of the Thai and Burmese, gave Francis Light land in his kingdom.