DECADES ago, anyone could make unfavourable comments about anything in Penang and get away with it.

Now, try passing those unfavourable comments digitally or orally and you will find keyboard warriors and eager Penangites ready to hose you down.

Pick any topic, be it on development, housing, amenities, culture, food or our driving behaviour, and there will be Penangites ready to fight you over it.

As a Penangite myself, I can understand to some extent this protective behaviour when someone tries to pass negative comments about our home state.

But many of the comments are simply objective perspectives from someone else who sees things in another way, and they mean no ill-will.

At a recent Miss CosmoWorld press conference, the contestant from Ukraine attracted attention immediately after saying she was happy to visit the “jungle” in Penang as they have little of such places in Europe.

Many Penangites who were present were visibly amused but a handful scoffed.

I overheard them voicing their displeasure over Miss Ukraine perceiving Penang as a backwater jungle and how she has not seen all of Penang yet.

Looking back, it was just a simple opinion of someone who comes from a foreign land and who lives in a wholly different culture and environment from ours.

I observe that many Penangites do not hesitate to upbraid those who think poorly of Penang.

This, in my humble opinion, needs to change.

Yes, we have grown so much from what we were decades ago, when Penang was just a quiet and humble state.

But we do not need to be hostile to anyone who points out our room for improvements.

Many Penangites tend to stay in the state for long periods of time.

It is more severe for those living on the island, who inwardly cringes at the thought of driving over to the mainland.

This type of ‘island fever’ limits what we consequently experience or see, and makes for a source for mild ethnocentrism.

Penangites love to praise our own street food and local cuisine.

Try telling a Penangite that Ipoh hawker food is better and you will see what I mean.

The same goes for development, amenities and the close-knittedculture we have here.

We generate pride and shut out external influence and all the possibly constructive comments we could be getting.

This is specifically obvious in recent years, where a lot of user generated videos and articles that goes along the lines of ‘That Penang Friend’ or ‘Typical Penang Kia’ made rounds online.

Funny as they are, these emphasise the possibility Penangites in general have developed a closed culture, with a social identity congealed to the point that we are not open to change.

Penangites have gotten bolder about praising their own state as ‘the best in Malaysia’ after we won numerous awards that shot us into the international spotlight.

But are we really there yet? Or are we even that good compared with other cities in terms of living standards, recreation and natural environment?

Maybe, but the only way to make Penang an even better place is if we diligently monitor our growth, do our part and not get too full of ourselves.