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 .