| George Town City Council | |
|---|---|
| Majlis Bandaraya George Town | |
 Coat of arms (1953–1974) | |
| Overview | |
| Established | 1857 (as the George Town Municipal Commission) |
| Dissolved | 1974 |
| Polity |  George Town |
| Headquarters | City Hall Esplanade Road George Town |
The George Town City Council (abbrev. MBGT) was a local government that administered what is now downtown George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It was founded in 1857 as the George Town Municipal Commission. In 1957, prior to Malaya's independence, George Town was granted city status by Queen Elizabeth II.
The city council was responsible for urban planning, public health, sanitation, waste management, traffic management, building regulation, social and economic development, and the overall upkeep of urban infrastructure within the former city limits of George Town. It enjoyed full financial autonomy and was the wealthiest local government in Malaysia, with annual revenues nearly twice that of the Penang state government. Additionally, the city council was the country's first fully-elected local government, with elections taking place since 1951.
Unlike the Alliance-controlled state government, the city council's leadership was dominated by the left-wing Labour Party. This led to political tensions between the state and city governments following Malaya's independence. In response to allegations of mismanagement, the then Penang Chief Minister Wong Pow Nee assumed control of the city government in 1966. The Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation resulted in a nationwide suspension of local government elections, and between 1974 and 1976, Wong's successor Lim Chong Eu merged the city council with the Penang Island Rural District Council to create the Penang Island Municipal Council (now Penang Island City Council).