A New Slant on the Value of Heritage

The recent article published in The Edge Financial Daily dated October 11, 2010 entitled “Holistic development needed for Penang” by Regina William most certainly painted one man’s view and perception of the value of heritage conservation in our fair city of George Town, Penang. But while we as Penangites may have cause to rejoice and celebrate “winning the battle” by people like architect and heritage conservation advocate, Ar. Laurence Loh, the effects of the UNESCO World Heritage Listing are only beginning to be felt on the ground by the good people of Penang.

Ar. Loh’s assertion that stakeholders were initially unhappy with the City’s World Heritage Listing cannot be further from the truth. What landowners and developers were and are still unhappy with are (a) the confusion and uncertainties surrounding the listing, (b) the lack of transparency and public accountability, (c) the high-handed way in which the involved people at the time had bulldozed through the application for listing while ignoring due processes of law for the gazetting of affected properties that lie both within and outside of the heritage zones, and (d) the way in which the then State Government had handed over almost the entire inner city of George Town to a small group of people to shape and mould according to their personal views with scant regard for the legal rights of stakeholders. more>  

 

                      
(The Star, October 11, 2008)

THE Penang branch of the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association Malaysia(Rehda) will continue to support the Penang Free WiFi project unless there is conclusive evidence that the wireless network poses a health hazard to the public.

Its association chairman Datuk Jerry Chan said Penangites stood to benefit greatly from the wireless network which is made available to them at no cost.

“Many advanced cities in the world are or are in the midst of being equipped with WiFi service.

 “Moreover, hotspots are al-ready widely implemented in hotels, offices and other entertainment centres,” he said in a press statement in George Town yesterday.

Chan said the wireless network offers added convenience for business and the public at large. more>