World Leprosy Day Part 2 – Development takes over history

IT is common knowledge to Penang folk that Pulau Jerejak, an islet off the eastern coast of Penang island has played host to the nation’s most notorious criminals, tuberculosis patients, and lepers, until the early 1990s.

Unfortunately, for those who have yet to explore its shores, which are often shrouded in mystery, just like how the dense forests protects their secrets, they might miss it altogether as several camps that used to house lepers will be bulldozed to make way for modern development.

According to Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow in June 2019, the masterplan for the island only involved the development of part of the small island’s coasts and will not encroach onto hill land above 76 metres.

According to former deputy tourism minister, Balik Pulau MP Datuk Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik, one of the projects he prioritised during his term was to get both Pulau Jerejak and the Sungai Buloh Leprosarium nominated as a Unesco Heritage sites for their outstanding universal value.

However, the Penang state government did not give their “blessing” for a section of Pulau Jerejak to be submitted under the listing. The disputed land covers the buffer zone between the heritage buildings on the island and the area primed for development.

“They had set up conditions for the National Heritage Department; that, to be put under the listing, the federal government must first buy the plot of land.

“Therefore, the department will not go ahead to submit both the locations as a joint listing, though Pulau Jerejak is an older site when compared to the one in Sungai Buloh.

“I feel it is a waste because it is under the political will of the state government,” he told The Vibes

He feels like the state is more interested in developing the island economically. However, he believes that much more than just its economic value, is the protection of the site as a national heritage. Instead of looking at the possible revenue that Pulau Jerejak can bring if it is slated as a Unesco Heritage Site, the state should focus on the historical value of the island.

As one who is into heritage preservation, both tangible and intangible, Bakthiar believes that tourism should only be regarded as a side effect of the preservation.

According to Universiti Technology Malaysia researcher and lecturer, Dr Lim Yong Long, the most recent development suggested by Ideal Properties will fully occupy Camp 5, the latest and most advanced sustainable quarantine site for lepers, that eventually led to the construction of the current Sungai Buloh Leprosarium.

“Many petitions have been made but it seems like they (the developer) is not willing to listen to the NGOs.

“We have also had a series of discussions with the developers under Jabatan Warisan Negara, but until today, the developer still does not want to give way to preserve Camp 5,” he told The Vibes.

Throughout its active years playing host to lepers, Pulau Jerejak was home to more than 7,000 lepers. However, in 2004, a resort was built where the leprosarium once stood. In 2015, the state government approved the sale of an 80-acre lot on the island to private developers. In 2016, as if it was jinxed, the holiday resort went out of business.

In 2017, an international petition involving the Sungai Buloh Settlement Council, including individuals who were originally settled in Pulau Jerejak’s Camp 5, demanded that the then Penang chief minister, Lim Guan Eng, heritage commissioner and minister of tourism and culture to impose an immediate moratorium on the development plans and preserve all historic structures on the island under the National Heritage Act 2005.

Today, plans to redevelop the island still stands, as part of the 4,000-year-old forest is being cleared to welcome 1,200 residential units, a special port to berth yachts and boats, along with four and five star hotels. Plans also include a theme park and a bridge connected to the mainland for eco vehicles to enter.

It currently seems imminent that historical remnants left by the last few lepers who are now in Sungai Buloh will not be left standing for much longer. – The Vibes, January 31, 2022.