Penang Watch

Thursday August 14, 2008 MYT 5:49:01 PM (Star)
Heritage buildings demolished despite Unesco listing
By BERNARD SEE

GEORGE TOWN: More pre-war houses in the inner city are being demolished or renovated without following heritage guidelines after George Town has been recognised as a Unesco world heritage site.

Penang Heritage Alert co-ordinator Tan Yeow Wooi said he came across 12 such premises in King Street, Beach Street, Victoria Street, Kimberley Street and Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong in the last month.

"Owners seem to be taking advantage of the grace period to do whatever they want with their buildings before the new heritage building guidelines are strictly enforced.

"The Penang Municipal Council should seriously look into this matter before more such buildings are destroyed. Since January, more than 30 such building have been destroyed" he told a press conference Thursday.

Tan said the federal government should provide owners with soft loans or grants to restore the buildings to their original splendour, adding that this was what heritage cities in China were doing.

"A independent technical design panel should be set up to look into certain heritage building design guidelines which are mostly not being followed by the owners."

State Local Government, Traffic Management and Environment Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said he believed that many owners had converted the old houses for bird nesting purpose. "The three-year moratorium for bird nest houses in the inner city ends in December, so no more of such houses can be built.

"We have sent letters to the owners of about 300 bird nest houses scattered throughout the inner city. Another reminder will be sent to them in October," he said when contacted.

Chow said teams were sent out daily to monitor the condition of the pre-war buildings, adding that the state government was serious about conserving the heritage buildings.