 At the end of the war, British Royal Marine commandos landed at the Port of Penang on 3 September 1945 under Operation Jurist, liberating Penang Island by the end of the day.Despite British assurances that George Town would retain its free port status after the independence of Malaya, the free port status was eventually revoked by the Malaysian federal government in 1969.This sparked massive unemployment within Penang, and coupled with the rapid development of Port Klang near Kuala Lumpur, led to the decline of the Port of Penang's maritime trade, as Port Klang assumed the role as Malaysia's main seaport.