GEORGE TOWN, Dec 8 ― Delays by the Penang government prevented 18 sites and buildings identified here as heritage sites from being gazetted as such, said National Heritage Department commissioner Dr Zainah Ibrahim.

She said the department had identified these buildings and sites of heritage value, located all around Penang, since 2008.

“We've given the list to the Penang state government but we could not get these places gazetted without the state's consent,” she told reporters.

Zainah, who is attending the Unesco regional conference on harmonising actions to reduce risks for cultural heritage in Asia and the Pacific co-organised by Think City at Jen Hotel here, believed the delay is due to the state's inability to finalise its Special Area Plan (SAP) for George Town Unesco World heritage site due to legal issues.

Advertisement

The SAP is a comprehensive management plan for the heritage zone to manage the preservation of the zone.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has said they are still in the midst of translating the SAP from English to Bahasa Malaysia and that they hope to gazette the plan next year.

Dr Zainah appealed to the state government to speed up the process of gazetting the 18 identified sites as national heritage sites.

Advertisement

National Heritage Department Northern Zone director Sangam @ Musa Antok said once these places are gazetted as national heritage spots, they will be protected under the National Heritage Act.

“This will ensure the buildings are protected and any restoration works to the buildings must be done according to strict guidelines as those who are found to have damaged a national heritage building are liable to be fined RM50,000 or three years' jail or both,” he said.

The 10 buildings that were in the list to be gazetted as national heritage spots are: the Immigration building (police station) in Beach Street, Standard Chartered Bank along Beach Street, the State Legislative Assembly Building at Lebuh Light, the Penang state Islamic religious department along Beach Street, Masjid Jamek Alim Shah Walley at Chulia Street, Nagore Durgha Sheriff at Chulia Street, Nin Yong Temple (Toishan Ningyang Wui Kwon Temple) at King Street, Yap Temple (Lum Yeong Tong Yap Temple) at Armenian Street, Wisma Kastam Pulau Pinang at China Street Ghaut, and Segara Ninda Residence of Ku Din Ku Meh (Rumah Tungku Kuidin) at Penang Road.

The other eight in the list are: Muzium dan Galeri Tuanku Fauziah at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang state mosque along Jalan Air Itam, Penang Free School at Jalan Masjid Negeri, Suffolk House at Jalan Air Hitam, Thnee Kong Thnua Temple at Jalan Pokok Cheri, Wat Chaiyamangalaram Thai Buddhist at Lorong Burma, Rumah Teh Bunga at Hutton Lane, and Bangunan Bel Retiro at Penang Hill.

The Ku Din Ku Meh building has been identified as a national heritage building.
The Ku Din Ku Meh building has been identified as a national heritage building.

Musa said gazetting these sites will not affect the ownership of the buildings as it only places the buildings under the protection of the national heritage act.

Dr Zainah also commented on the eviction of original tenants from the heritage zone in George Town, due to rising living costs.

She noted that these tenants, especially those who had lived there for generations, are the living heritage so it is important that this part of George Town be preserved too.

“In Jonker Street in Malacca, there was a similar issue but it was resolved when the house owners allowed the tenants to stay on,” she said.

She said similarly, in Penang, there should be more emphasis by local authorities and the state to preserve the living heritage which is one of the Outstanding Universal Values (OUV) that earned it the Unesco heritage status.

There have been evictions of existing tenants and trades in recent years due to the increasing rental rates and also the sale of many pre-war shophouses to new owners who then converted these buildings for other commercial uses.