Penang to be an international city

We have been hearing the toutings that "Penang will become an international city" for many years in the past and with the very positive progress in the recent few years, that has become quite optimistic and closer to becoming reality now.

Penang is already the most livable city in Malaysia. It ought be more livable in the global context. Penang has many features and attributes that can be the pre-requisites to be an international city, such as variety of nature attractions (sea, hill, forest), balanced mix of city lifestyle and nature, harmonious mix of multiple cultures, great and variety of food and cuisines, vibrant economy with various industries and tourism, availability of good educational and medical institutions and so on...

To turn into a true international city, we need more push for the following:

• Great minds (many seeds of great minds are grown and nurtured in the good schools in Penang but sprinkled and scattered around the world currently. We need them back)
• Opera theater for cultural and musical performance and concerts (did I say opera house? Some might say this is not necessary as the streets in Penang are all the open opera houses under the sky for the folk custom and traditional operas throughout the year)
• International convention center (there is one underway finally - SPICE, and another one in the plot - PWCC) for more global events and conventions
• World-class stadiums and sports centers for more global sports events
• Mass transit system (subway or underground rapid transit, is more suitable for Penang due to its scarce land and high density development, instead of monorail / elevated rails)
• Green parks and more parks (with many trees) throughout the city (and must be well-maintained, not built-and-forget)
• Sculptures, art masterpieces throughout the city and streets (the recent murals around the city is a good start)
• Science center (for kids and tourists)
• Fountains and large fountains with musical rhythm where kids can walk into it and play (the weather is hot, we all knew, so why not give them some splashes...)
• Museum (do we have one? I think yes, but certainly it needs better attention)
• Zoo (Balik Pulau can be a good location candidate for this)
• Marine park and aquariums
• Sea cruise along the coastline from north to south of the island (this can be a good business idea)

If you have more ideas, just throw into the comments.... Bravo Penang!